《Celestial Of The Void》 -2 Index (In Progress) This will be constantly updated as the novel continues, ensuring that everything can be tracked by my readers. Basically like a wiki but in the auxiliary section. [Place] White Lotus City Void Peak Stardust Continent Red Valley Blue Dream City Stardust Range Dragon Crow Restaurant (DCR) :Clan/Sect/Other: Floating Cloud Sect Gold Spring Merchant Association Nihility Clan Kiu Clan GSMA - Alchemy Division Yen Clan Bing Clan Wang Clan [Silver (Main Character)] Other names: Master Void, Undecided Faction Leader (known as the Vice Leader), Tier 8 Alchemist Cultivation: Early-Stage Saint of the Sovereign Realm Constitution: Void Weapon: Halberd (preferred weapon of choice) Skills: Chaotic Void Skill Star Mirage Steps Eternal Soul Refinement Ancient Bookworm Myriad Avatar Alchemy Array Blacksmith Inscription Talisman Archaic Halberd Arts [Support Lead] Jing Shi (Female Lead) Other names: Cold-hearted Demon Empress Cultivation: Unknown Constitution: Ice and Fire Kiu Thao (Female Lead) Cultivation: Unknown Constitution: Lesser Yin Yang >>> False Diva [Characters] (The important ones) :Support: DCR - Long Chaoxing Asura Ghost - Che Myoga :Overpowered Support: Void One - Xyen (Three-Eyed Crow) Void Two - Moon Frost (Hater of Xyen) Void Three - Amro the Monk Void Four - Mapo Void Five - Lord Baruch (Blacky) Nihility Clan Patriarch - Aeon Aeon''s wife - Lian :Other: Divine Faction Leader - Starfinder Floating Cloud Sect Patriarch - Dimsum Alchemy Faction Leader - Mochi Wife of Jing Yam and mother of Jing Shi - Jing Xue Gold Spring Merchant Association - Manager Poe Kiu Clan - Bu Keng Kiu Clan - Yong Satay Kiu Clan - Yong Dango DCR - Long Li Mei DCR - Long Dijon DCR - Old Long DCR - Fatty (Chef) Alchemy Division - Grandmaster Shui Guiying Alchemy Division - Grandmaster Gu Rain Alchemy Division - Grandmaster Fen Hua Wang Clan - Wang Bo Wang Clan - Wang Qiang Wang Clan - Wang Lei Ithyu Clan - Xing Soba Ithyu Clan - Xing Mei :Villain: Tainted Alchemist -Fen Diao -1 Cultivation Index (Still In Process of what is currently known or soon to be shown) External Realm - Refining the body to increase strength for martial arts. Building the foundations to handle higher rank martial arts. Life span increases to 150 years 1st Level to 3rd Level - Temper the Flesh and Muscle 4th Level to 5th Level- Refining the tendons 6th Level - Tempers the bones 7th Level to 8th Level - Refining the 5 visceras 9th Level - Forming a Qi Sphere 10th Level -Refining the Soul and Tempering the Mind (Chaotic Void Skill) Internal Realm - Gathering the Heaven and Earth (Chaotic) Qi and compressing it within the dantian to store the qi. Gain ability to manifest the Qi outside the body and use it to control spirit items. Life span increases to 300 years. 1st Level to 3rd Level - Early Stage Internal Warrior 4th Level to 6th Level - Mid Stage Internal Warrior 7th Level to 9th Level - Late Stage Internal Warrior Origin Realm - Life Span increases to 600 years Minor Origin >Early > Mid > Late Earth Origin >Early > Mid > Late Star Origin > Early > Mid > Late - Gain the ability to fly Nova Origin > Early > Mid > Late Null Origin > Early > Mid > Late > Peak - Forming the King''s Mark King Realm - Life span increases by 1000 years. King''s Mark will change from every stage breakthrough. Martial King > Early > Mid > Late Spirit King > Early > Mid > Late True King > Early > Mid > Late > Peak - Changing the King''s Mark to an Emperor Mark Emperor Realm - Life span increases by 3000 years. Emperor''s Mark will change from every stage breakthrough Mortal Emperor > Early > Mid > Late Exalted Emperor > Early > Mid > Late Divine Emperor > Early > Mid > Late > Peak - Changing the Emperor''s Mark into the Sovereign Mark Sovereign Realm - Life span increases by 1 million years. Sovereign Mark will change from every stage breakthrough Saint Sovereign > Early 1 Prologue Year XXXXX Great Calamity War - - The times have changed in this once beautiful world and millions of years of peace broken when they came. Tearing a spatial hole into our world demanding our undying gratitude and loyalty as they descended with an overbearing attitude. We, of course, retaliated with our own power and forces. How would we have known these unknown, god-like beings would beat us so easily. Enraged by our "dumb" actions they began crushing mountains in each step. Raising tsunamis from each sweep of their hands and creating a storm with just a flick of a finger. They were unkillable, something born from the heaven, as if to smiting us in arrogance. Believing they could do no more damage to our world, thousands of foreign monsters of various shapes and sizes invaded through another ripped hole in the sky, terrorizing our Divine Continent, including the other eight. These monsters caused mass destruction, murder, and consumed our people, our brethrens, our love ones. Although fatigued and distraught, we fought back against them with all of our capabilities using the strongest of our groups to drive away the monsters whereas the weak and young ones were able to find a suitable ruin to hide in. Many of us, once sane and stable, were driven to the peak of insanity due to our loved ones perishing or missing in the years of chaos and war. Forever struck in grief, pain and hatred that crawled through the hearts of each generation. Our world began weeping in sadness while in need to recuperate from the damage dealt to it and went into a timeless slumber. It gave us one mission while imparting millions of artifacts, cultivation manuals, and other useful books and scriptures, hoping that someone can save and awaken it once more with the resources it had given us. Soon after the world gave us these impeccable resources and treasures freely, snow began to drift down the gloomy clouding sky. Light and bearable, continuously day after day, as life began to slowly wither from the unbearable cold. We were at a loss, but slowly constructed a city in this tundra while finding any usable scraps from many ruins. Building a magnificent dome city to shelter and hide us from the cold and the monsters. Learning from the veterans, we trained the young ones to learn how to fight, hunt and adapt against these abnormal monsters in the changing continent. Although the snow had lessened, we still kept expanding to the surrounding areas, even as far as building structures thousands of feet underground. We created a new language, system, rules and education based on the information we could salvage. As we finished the last portion of our majestic city, most of our generation finally passed away from old age and fatigue. They passed down the future of our world to the younger generations. We hope someday, a born savior and a powerful cultivator would come and bring our once beautiful world back to life. To stop these god-like- No...these demonic beings and help our race fight back against these ruthless demonic monsters. 2 Falling Snow ''It''s finally time for me to see my friends and family¡­'' Opening his eyes, Silver could feel his mind clearing up, raising his head to find himself in an unfamiliar place. His vision clearing up, thoughts jumbling through his mind, pushing himself up from the cold, hard ground. Looking up, checking his surroundings, he found himself inside a dark and ruined shelter. Cracks lined up all over the walls, so-called roof was in shambles, while the interior isn''t something you would call a "warm" home. It appeared worse than the standard prison cell. ''Where am I? Did I actually survive?'' Silver pondered as he used the wall behind him to stand up. Taking a look around his environment, a keen yet promising idea came up: ''This isn''t the afterlife but a foreign world.'' He was once a great immortal who cultivated to the highest peak while bravely challenging the heavens. With him taking the lead in the war against the heavens, many other powerful cultivators banded along with him, breaking the boundary of their world to ascension. At the very last moment, a lightning shaped spear struck through him, while he swung his halberd for the final heaven-shattering strike. The last attack depleted his strength since it used all of his accumulated life force, finally breaking the barrier to obtain true ascension. Spiraling down the sky from the hidden attack, his conscious began fading into oblivion, the bittersweet relief of death came to him as he closed his eyes for eternity. Memories flowing like the yellow river began surging through Silver''s mind, a wave of dizziness struck his body. Silver held his balance against the wall as he relived the life of the individual he currently had taken over. Coincidently, they were both born in the winter solstice but the original was named, Kong Xing. Kong Xing became an orphan when his parents voluntarily enlisted into the army for the great war. What became an assault from the demonic beings and evolved ranked beasts soon broke out into a full blown war. His mother and father were strong warriors at the 6th and 7th level of the External Realm, holding a strong justice to protect their city, friends and family. During his wait for two long, torturous months, the remaining two members of his parents squad returned with their grotesquely dismembered and mangled body. Later that day, he buried their bodies and wished them a better life. Since their death, he picked up the sword for the first time. Never will he let those close to him die from a gruesome death. Months after the war had ended, the empire''s army gave him eight hundred moon coins for his parents service, enough to last him a few years. Spending a small amount, he purchased a basic sword and martial art manual anyone could learn. Growing up, consumed by his regret and wrath, Silver trained hard for two years. With his minimal skills, knowledge and lack of resources, he barely reached the 2nd level of the External Realm. With his pitiful amount of strength, he was able to survive by hunting low-ranked beasts and selling them for a teeny amount of income. Silver continued to learn more through Kong Xing''s memories, finally confirming that this was an actual foreign world. Desolate Tundra Continent, a boundless wasteland of ice and snow, neverending and ruled by a cruel demonic god named, Arctic Emperor. This wasteland, before the invasion, didn''t have such a demoralizing name. Back then, this continent had four beautiful yet breathtaking seasons filled with stunning scenery, magnificent and illustrious, casually named the "Divine Continent". The largest of the nine main continents, renown for its very outstanding and exceptional history where even immortals came to relax and play. Even a poem was written about it: Just look at how the spring blossoms Petals whimsically fluttering onto the ground; Summer''s flute Embracing those with joy whilst being carefree. Travelling through tall mountains And peerless, translucent lakes And crossing rivers And... If you wish to fall asleep, stay by the lakeside. Nestled beside the woods of changing autumn colors. As the yellow leaves drift afar, To be reborn from the depths of the nurturing earth And amid the frost, Lost in the sound of beautiful silence ...of snow, Playfully falling from the cloudy sky, Warming your heart as the next cycle ...of seasons can be enjoyed. Even though it''s been speculated to be a wasteland, many vast areas of vegetation occupied the continent. But these places were generally filled with demonic beings and different ranks of beasts from many years of scouting and hunting by cities within the Desolate Tundra. Sadly, the "Divine Continent" became a spoken and written legend by hundreds of generations that survived after the nine demonic gods took over and sealed the world''s will. Silver stood there, perusing through the memories into the current scene of how he got here. Based on Kong Xing''s memories, before he died, a massive blizzard brewed up during his hunt for food. He travelled aimlessly, blinded by the snow to find any form of shelter, bumping into a ranked 3 demon boar and instantly enraging it. The boar, enraged for unknown reasons, then turned around and attacked. It''s tusk punctured his abdomen, propelling him further into the blizzard, severely injuring him. Escaping, without no sense of direction, he found a ruined building to seek refuge in and laid against the wall panting in pain. Few minutes gone by, Kong Xing fainted from excessive blood loss. After hours of losing consciousness from both blood loss and hypothermia, he passed away in his sleep. Truly a sad fate to have. "It seems like this body has barely made it to the 2nd level of the External Realm. Since you''ve passed on, giving me a new leash on life, I will break the heavens in this world too! I''ll protect those dear to me," grinned Silver nodding his head in satisfaction. As if Kong Xing heard his resolution, the lingering pieces of his soul began merging with the Silver''s soul. "Needless to say, my soul power has doubled--no it tripled. What an easygoing lad to allow me to take over from a few satisfactory words. I need to warm up and recover unless I want to die a second time." Grabbing a medium sized rucksack nearby the wall, fishing for materials, Silver picked out a few dried out firewood to make a fire with. After making a campfire, he grabbed and applied a medicinal paste on his wound to ensure he wouldn''t lose any more blood. With a few more careful inspections, Silver finally sat down and grabbed some dried rations to replenish some of his strength. Browsing through his memories with closed eyes and furrowed eyebrows, he searched for a suitable cultivation skill from his past life. ''Hmmmm,'' pondered Silver, tapping his chin with his right index finger. A suitable cultivation skill appeared in his mind. This odd yet outstanding cultivation manual, back in his time, was found from sheer luck during his travels. Fleeing from a powerful flood dragon from his younger days, before breaking through the heavens, he crashed and found himself in a secret space. Silver stayed in this space, hiding out, for a few months while refining the Yang Dragon Flower he stole from the flood dragon. After refining the flower, he began to cautiously travel and check out the small space. Traveling for a few minutes he found a small cabin and entered it with caution. Before him was a simple wooden desk, a basic bed, and a spatial ring that sat atop of the desk. Making sure everything was safe, he inspected the inside of the ownerless spatial ring. Using his divine sense, he could see that the ring only held a cultivation manual called [Chaotic Void Skill]. The skill used the void energy or "Void Qi" from the universe. Cultivation itself is a way of life, those who are born with spiritual roots are given a chance to learn and take in the Qi of Heaven and Earth. Not all are fit in the way of cultivation. Hundreds and thousands had failed to become strong due to the limitation of their spiritual roots. Others were like fish in the water when they cycle Qi through their body without effort. Sometimes talent can hinder hard work. Back then, he cultivated with Heaven and Earth Qi, rapidly rising in power with his [Superior Spiritual Roots]. Reading through the manual, only those born with [Chaotic Spiritual Root] could learn it hence he instantly gave up learning the [Chaotic Void Skill]. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and finally left the secret space. Luckily, he memorized the whole cultivation manual in his past life, allowing limitless potential for the current him. His new body was born with [Chaotic Spiritual Roots], a mixture of four or five attributes within an individual spiritual roots. Truly the great luck he had still followed him into this new world. Although the worlds were different; the cultivation levels, herbs, beasts rank, qi and other talents he knew were very close to being the same. Thus allowing him to adapt to his situation easily. With that being said, Silver took his time to recover, choosing to comprehend the Chaotic Void Skill. He sat a few feet away from the fire, following a mysterious rhythmic breathing pattern as the flickering lights of the campfire casted many of his shadows around the room. The [Chaotic Void Skill] manual comprised of many skills which allowed the cultivator to temper one''s body, mind, and soul with Void Qi. To Silver, comprehending the manual was easy due to his ample experiences. Sadly, the latter stages needed some external resources that were exceptionally rare and unusual in this new world. Silver begun cultivating the Void Qi, cycling the qi through his meridians. These so-called meridians are the network of channels in the body in which Qi flows, like veins for your blood but for Qi instead. They form a circuit in your body, linking to the lower dantian, allowing to access incredible strength and abilities from any manual or martial arts comprehended. But how strong you become depends on the grade of the manuals and arts. Cultivating too many skills can cause conflicts in the way you cycle your Qi, causing Qi deviation. A very well known state where the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, causing internal damage as the cultivators succumb to their heart demons. This is the result of cultivating their martial arts incorrectly. Many have resulted to death while others become deranged in madness due to taking in too much at a time, or advancing too quickly without stabilizing and creating a firm foundation. Never bite off more than one can chew. Three hours quickly passing, absorbing and tempering himself at rapid pace, allowing the [Void Qi] to batter his body constantly as he followed the directions within the manual. There are 9 levels in the External Realm with the; 1st to 3rd level tempers the flesh and muscles, 4th to 6th level tempers the bones and marrow, 7th to 8th level refines the 5 viscera and the 9th level is to form the Qi Sphere. Interestingly, within the [Chaotic Void Skill] manual, an additional tenth level for the External Realm allowing the Void Qi to temper the mind and refine the soul. An extra bonus in strength. With Silver''s million of years in experience, knowledge, and worldly wisdom; he virtually had no bottlenecks to worry about. Silver carefully fixed any abnormality in his body that could cause future problems after he restarted his cultivation. Reaching the first level of the External Realm, he slowly opened eyes, breathing out the turbid qi while a putrid odor emanated from his body. He was covered in a black, sticky, and gooey like substance began covering him from head to toe, even attaching itself onto his clothes. This is due to the impurity residing in his body, being pushed out from his pores after reaching the first level of External Realm. One would only expel the impurity once they reached the first level, or the early stages of Internal Realm. For someone like Silver to expel impurities at the first level of External Realm would be considered inconceivable. But the [Chaotic Void Skill] he cultivated allowed him to do so. A manual that uses the qi of the universe should have something incredibly unique about it. ''I need to clean up and eat before I starve to death. I''m no longer an immortal that can sustain on qi alone,'' Silver thought unfazed by the stench emanating from him. He quickly gathered his qi, quickly clearing off the black substance from his body and clothes. After tidying himself, Silver stood up and stretched his limbs. "Before the blizzard picks up again, I need to find another source of food . . . I''m sure I can pick up some clues to the area of where that ranked 3 demon boar attacked me. It''s best to avenge Kong Xing''s shameful death," mumbled Silver walking out of the shelter. Staring out into the far distance, inhaling a breath of fresh air, Silver took a step forward beginning his journey through the snowing land. 3 Three Years Later North of the ruined shelter, within a small area of vegetation, Silver could be seen fighting a boar half the size of an elephant. Cautiously dodging the demon boar''s charge, sliding under it, he struck his sword at the boar''s stomach into its heart. A deathly squeal could be heard from the demon boar, falling to the side, never to make another noise again. "Finally avenged Kong Xing''s shameful death," chuckled Silver standing up and brushing the dirt off his clothes. "There are many beasts roaming around that I can use to train this body. From what I can gather, this area has small amount of [Void Qi]. A lot of the ranked beasts tends to avoid it since they can''t process this odd qi and wander elsewhere. I can safely train here for the meantime and hunt when I need to. Seems I was lucky enough to reincarnate in an small area filled with [Void Qi]." Silver turned to demon boar he slain, immediately grabbing its tusk and dragging it back to the shelter. Since he only cultivated to the first level of External Realm, he could barely move it, much less carry it back. ''With the ample meat of the boar and the [Void Qi], I should be able to reach the fifth level easily . . .'' Once Silver reached his shelter, he felt delighted to finally obtain meat. One can only do so much with two days worth of rations. Such meat would undoubtedly benefit him until he reaches a high enough level to hunt the stronger ranked beasts. The [Chaotic Void Skill] allowed him to fight those two levels higher than him. Once he reaches the Origin Realm, based on the manual, he''ll receive a huge boost in strength allowing him to fight two minor realms higher. There are a total of 5 minor realms, each with 3 stages except the 5th, in the Origin Realm. Once you break into the Origin Realm you''ll become a Minor Origin, then Earth Origin, Star Origin and Nova Origin. The 5th and final minor realm, Null Origin, has a total of four stages; early-stage, mid-stage, late-stage and peak stage. To break through to the King Realm, one must constitute a king''s mark. Sadly, Kong Xing''s knowledge stopped at the King Realm since they were the highest known realm in the city he lived in before, White Lotus City. He had never travelled too far from his city when hunting. Silver could only increase his strength before returning to the city to search for clues on how to form a king''s mark. Throwing the thought in the back of his mind, he started a fire and begun cutting up the meat of boar with his sword. After portioning it out, he used the sword as a roasting stick, immediately cooking the meat. While the meat cooked, Silver sat down to cultivate, circulating the [Void Qi] through his meridians as it temper his body continuously. A couple of hours passed, Silver opened his eyes as the scent of cooked meat wafted through the shelter. Licking his lips, he began devouring the delicious meat like a starved beast who hadn''t eaten for days. He repeated the process of eating and tempering his body from day until night. [Three years later . . .] Silver could be seen with a focused expression, closed eyes and furrowed eyebrows. He began pushing the [Void Qi] against the final meridian point, intensely ramming while massaging it with his qi at the same time, intent on breaking through. Using his fine qi control, concentrating at the weak part of his meridian point, he finally pierced through as [Void Qi] gushed through like a broken dam. *Hong long long . . .* A nostalgic experience of being filled with power rushed throughout his body. "I finally broke through to the Origin Realm becoming an early-stage Minor Origin," smiled Silver consolidating his foundation. "With the buffing abilities of [Chaotic Void Skill] increasing my strength by 2 minor levels, I can defeat Earth Origins and hold my ground against Star Origins. Breaking into the King Realm will be harder from the lack of knowledge of what a king''s mark is or what it does. I should head outto White Lotus City and gather more information regarding it. Hopefully they have a library, if not, I''ll have to join a sect. I really need resources and knowledge before I travel, so it really is best to join a sect . I should gather more information about these sects too. My list of things to do only increases." Since Silver broke through to Minor Origin, he decided to use a secret immortal technique to hide one''s aura. A cautious nature is needed based on his personal experiences as he retracted his cultivation to the Rookie Internal Warrior within the Internal Realm. If the people in White Lotus City knew that an orphan without resources came back as a Minor Origin from External Realm within three years, those greedy yet influential individuals and groups may come after him to find out how he broke through so quickly. Such attention is naturally unwanted considering that the powerful reigns while the weak cowers is a well known phrase in the cultivation world. Staying low profile is the best way to go, especially since he wasn''t a naive individual, unlike Kong Xing, but a powerful being in his past life. With a one of kind cultivation hiding skill he learned from an extremely lazy, low-key and powerful immortal, Wolf Beneath The Wool, Silver can easily bypass any discerning eyes. Those with a powerful soul, known as divine sense, would be able to see his true cultivation. But during his training, he not only increased his strength, he also increase his soul power which allowed him to use divine sense before reaching Minor Origin. Eternal Soul Refinement was one of the skills he found during his early days within a dimension that open every 100 years. The soul refinement skill was rare, war would rage within the cultivating world if one were to let it be known accidently. The skill allowed the cultivator to continuously strengthen their soul indefinitely, it will only stop if one hit their external body limit. To further increase their soul strength, the cultivator would either have to increase their external body or find a stronger host. Silver never used those type of evil skills, so he resorted in tempering his body to the next stage. Maybe it was due to his powerful soul that allowed him to reincarnate into this sealed world. "I''m glad I made a deal with that immortal, Old River, for this amazing cultivation hiding manual. I need a better weapon too¡­ a halberd would be nice," murmured Silver looking at the damaged sword he held in his right hand. Slowly standing up from his lotus position, he walked outside the shelter leaving warmth of the campfire behind him. Stretching out his body, staring at the snow-filled wasteland, the sun shone in the sky above. "Now that I''ve cultivated to the Minor Origin, this biting cold area is no longer cumbersome. I''m sure many things have changed since I been away these past three years, so it''s best to head back to White Lotus City.Walking by foot, it should take me a 2-3 days to return. I''ll take this time to practice the Star Mirage Steps and find some formidable ranked beasts to increase my strength." Silver stood at a height of 1.9 meters with an exceptional and noticeable toned physique under his beasts fur clothing. His light-brown skin illuminating under the rays of the sun with an above average face, chiseled jaws, straight nose and slightly thick sword-shaped eyebrows. His brown eyes, deep like pools of honey with a shade of violet hiding within the irises, hinting a mysterious impression. Throughout the span of 3 years, his raven black hair grew past his back, tied up into a simple ponytail. Walking back into his shelter, Silver smothered the campfire and gathered all of his belongings into his rucksack. He took one more look in his shelter, smiled, and finally took off on journey back to "his" home. - - Seems you cannot see the author''s thought on the browser, hopefully it''ll get fixed. 4 White Lotus City Far into the distance, a large blue-striped liger could be seen battling a young man clothe in many types of beast fur. Swiping its menacing claws at the boy, it would be instantly countered by the young man in one, quick movement. For some odd reason, the liger gave a quick taunting glance at the young man, turning its tail and fled with extraordinary speed. "Damn! That blue striped liger got away and it dared to mock me before it fled!" exclaimed the young man standing at 1.9 meters. "That fat blue-striped cat is a ranked 9 beast, it should of develop some sort of intelligence yet it still played around with me. Am I easy to bully? Especially by a weird fat cat? I''ve never felt so irritated through my million years of cultivating yet that thing could infuriate me. I better not meet it again or I''ll give that damn cat a good thrashing if I can''t kill it!" The young man cursing nonstop is naturally, Silver. After two more days of travelling, since his scuffle, a massive white dome glistening under the sun appeared before his eyes. Immediately, upon seeing the dome, Silver threw his incessant cursing to the back of his mind, calming himself as he strolled towards the city. "Finally . .. I''m back to White Lotus City," Silver murmured while heavily exhaling as he got closer to the gates. Reaching to the front gate, the guards that stood beside it halted Silver facing their palms out gesturing him to stop. "Young warrior, it is 3 moon coins* to enter the city. Unless, you have proper identification in proving that you''re a citizen and resident of White Lotus City," informed the guard, Almef, looking rigorously up and down at Silver, feeling a vague familiarity. ''Isn''t this that old man who survived in the squad Kong Xing''s parents were in? His true feelings maybe hidden but I can sense a strong regret emanating within his eyes,'' thought Silver, taking his eyes of the old guard. He turned his attention to his rucksack, searching for his identification ring and presented it to Almef. Every White Lotus City citizens wore an identification ring to ensure those who harm the the city could be easily tracked while singling out any suspicious person without the ring and proper identification. A few thousand years of history and many attempted incursions, White Lotus City''s security greatly improved and tighten over the centuries. It''s actually one of the many unique aspects of the city that made it such a popular place to trade and live in. Especially its culture and deep history. Silver carefully held the identification ring in front of Almef, who brought out a blue and green gem with intricate arrays on it. The gem, known as the Azur gem, a common mid-tier gem, usually hadfixed inscriptions made into them such as the Identifier inscription. As the gem got closer it began shining brightly, almost touching the identification ring. These identifying inscriptions ensured that the ring rightfully belong to the citizen it was made for.A drop of blood of any citizen, including those who want to become one, is branded within the ring to ensure their citizenship of White Lotus City. Most newborns, born in the city, would instantly get a ring no matter their status. Everytime the Identifier gem comes close or in contact with the ring, the gem will have four functions. If the the gem gives an Azure glow, without any impurity, they are a citizen of that city. If there''s any impurity, likes spec of different color, there''s a good chance they''re possessed or controlled by an unknown entity. If the ring does not activate, it is considered fake as there is an complex array within the inscription. The complex array must be exact and cannot be off even by a miniscule fraction. Many medium and large cities, in the Arctic Tundra Continent, used this type of inscription while those that didn''t are naturally small cities, villages and towns without resources and powerful backing. Although there is many fakes, some are stolen from but can be easily found out by the identifier 4th function. It will immediately turn red for a split second, then turn to it''s usual azure color. Only inspectors are trained to notice the sliver of red, even when distracted. The distribution of identification rings that are unused were kept in a secured treasury. Elite guards switches shift around the clock, with .001% chance of slipping pass them during the change. Every unused ring were counted and recorded constantly by every shift. Especially the inscription manuals and how to make them were tightly guarded in a unknown, hidden area. If one aims to steal and escape, avoiding the elite guards, are basically called legends since stealing a ring, manual, or even infiltrating is immensely difficult. Inventory done by the elite guards will immediately notify and issue out a city-wide search for the perpetrator within seconds if they notice any discrepancy. Using the thousands of arrays connected throughout the city, even if you are the top of the cream thief, it''ll be hard to conceal yourself within and escape. Finding the ring can be spotted easily as the same Azur gem, using a different inscription, are fixed in all of the gates and inner city walls. A red glow will shine like a bright star if an unused identification ring is being smuggled out. It would only be a matter of time to find the perpetrator, even if they abandon their task. Once caught, depending on their background, those who smuggled either had to pay a fine or be brought with the death penalty. Not even the citizens would get away from such penalties if it were known that they lended their ring to any suspicious individuals and groups. Carefully inspecting the ring, ensuring everything seems in order, Almef and the other guards moved to the side of the gate. "You''ve passed your inspection, please proceed," informed Almef gesturing Silver to enter through the gates. As he watched Silver pass through the gates, he remembered something from few years ago: ''This young warrior seems familiar. He looks like that young boy when I delivered his parents remains for. He''s all grown up, stronger than that crying face that wept for many days. His parents were amazing warriors¡­ I wish they could see their child now.'' Almef stood by the gate''s side reminiscing the past. Although he wasn''t close to Kong Xing''s parents, he admire their tenacity and bravery to the end. They sacrifice themselves just so the rest could live and inform the general. He was the only person left from that suicide mission as the other had died from a disease a year ago. The army had barely gave them remuneration for Kong Xing''s parents service, so him and the other member added a quarter of their share to help the kid out. Almef exhaled heavily, focusing his attention back to his guard duty. Silver felt amazed when he stared at his ring. All of these interesting and unique aspect of the identification ring was something his past life didn''t have. One of the main reason such an item, like this ring, was sought after is due to the fact a space array is can be inscribed into it. Thus allowing the wearer to have a storage space that could hold 10 or up to 1000 cubic meters of materials. To inscribe a space array, they must be embedded using a high-tier stone called, Violet Wave Jade. Although no living being could be stored in there, except those heavenly storage treasure, the ring had a great amount of use. Sadly to inscribe the space holding inscriptions, it costed 8 million sols for just 10 cubic meters, any more would just be astronomical. Just a measly 200 grams of Violet Wave Jade is placed at a terrifying price of 15 million sols. This inscription and material alone could make any filthy rich families cry and beg to lower the cost. Luckily, he had nothing to worry as he could make many of these without any problems. Millions years of experience and knowledge allowed him to create those fable storage treasures that allowed life. Silver continued down the busy streets after putting away his ring. He gathered up his thoughts and mentally listed of what to keep and sell. From his 3 years of hunting and training, he estimated a small fortune with the materials obtained. To get stronger, he need resources and a heavenly amount of it. ''I need to amass a fortune right now. The Chaotic Void Skills states before reaching the King Realm, I must have formed my void constitution. Just the materials needed to reform is frighteningly expensive, truly difficult to find. I need to secure a position to a well known merchant to obtain such materials,'' speculated Silver deep in thought. He felt miserable, as he use to be extremely rich and powerful. In his old world, finding all the mentioned materials wereeasy but now he cultivated a heaven-no- universe-defying manual yet the conditions needed is appalling. ''I can only make my first step here in White Lotus City, but I have to remain low-key. It''s best to find a sect to apply for. I need more information but where?'' Silver continued strolling the busy streets of White Lotus City, enjoying his surrounding while casually checking out the shops that he could sell items to. Most of the shops couldn''t buy his material as they didn''t have the funds, so they pointed down to a large building down the street. After getting the directions, Silver continued to the said place. If one was standing above the busy streets of White Lotus City, they could see streams of citizens intentionally avoiding Silver at the very last second. Only with a keen eye, you could tell he was using a profound and strange style of footwork avoiding everyone at hair-thin distance In the last 3 years of training, Silver honed his special movement skill, [Star Mirage Steps], barely reaching the peak of Perfection. He was close to touching the boundary of ''One with Oneself''. Like a mirage, sifting through the streams of individuals as if it was an illusory dream, his destination Gold Spring Merchant Association. - - - [Comments:] Although I''m on hiatus, I''ll slowly upload the updated chapters! In a way, I don''t want to suddenly give up on a novel cause it''s bad. I want to keep getting better as this progresses, I thank for many of the individuals who''s been giving support since day one! 5 Manager Poe "It''s a total of 8,500 Moon Coins* or 85 Ethas*, dear customer," spoke the receptionist in a calm manner. "Is there anything else you would like to sell or purchase?" The female receptionist stood in front of a young man, pondering if this young looking warrior was an expert or gotten lucky obtaining the, now sold, beast hides and materials. She had seen and handled many transactions with materials brought in by other warriors from their hunt. With her training added on, she was very knowledgeable on their ranks using only a glimpse. What truly astounded her were that three quarters of the materials sold were of excellent quality. It was f he never killed the beasts in the first place. She stared at the relatively young warrior but felt dazzled by his confident expression. Ignoring the low ranked beasts materials sold, he even sold some ranked 6 beast materials. Being able to hunt down, professionally skin and removing the important materials without damaging it can give some warriors small fame. Hunting such strong ranked beast is considered a good feat for warriors looking to make a name for themselves. "Hmm, just 85 Ethas for that much materials?" replied Silver frowning inwardly. To a commoner, 85 ethas were a godsend, enough to let them be well-fed for a few years. Yet, to Silver, it was chump change. "Yes, dear customer, even though you have sold us a few rank 5 beasts materials that were at the peak of external realm, they aren''t rare as rank 7 and above," Fei explained to Silver. "Ranked 7 beast usually needs a group of 3-5 mid-stage Internal Warriors to hunt down. Even then, they would still have casualties. Ranked 8 and 9, would need a group of 6-7 Minor Origins or 2-3 Earth Origins to handle them. Nevermind those ranked beasts, the evolve ranked are more terrifying. Just one would need 20 or more Earth Origins to take down, even a Nova Origin will have a tough time battling a early-stage evolved beast." ''Should I sell the rank 8, 9 and that early-stage evolved beasts I killed...'' Silver thought. ''I am in dire need of resources.'' "Alright, please take a look into this pouch and tell me how much would they fetch for," inquired Silver as he placed a tied leather pouch on the counter. Within the bags were demonic cores from the ranked 8, 9 and early-stage evolved beast he killed. Cultivating the [Chaotic Void Skill] needed [Void Qi] so unless these beast cores contained [Void Qi] he wouldn''t sell it. Incidentally, during his travel, an evolved beast was fighting against another evolved beast over a small territory. After on of them had won, riddled with injuries, Silver came in and finished it off with a few strikes. He would of gotten the other evolved beast demonic core but a blue-striped liger appeared out of nowhere, ate it, and instantly left. Of course once he saw the blue-striped liger during his travel, he attacked it out of anger, which caused the earlier scene when he neared White Lotus City. ''What??'' exclaimed the female receptionist inwardly. She felt shocked by the cores inside of the pouch after inspecting it. "Ahh, I must speak to my manager,"informed the receptionist. She then turned around and ran up the stairs to the second level of the shop. Even though the receptionist kept a facade towards Silver, he see the shock within her eyes. Thinking it through, it''s to be expected since hunting a higher ranked beasts alone is akin to suicide to normal warriors. Maybe he could profit from this exchange. *** Knock. Knock. Knock. . . "Who is disturbing my peace time?" shouted an middle-aged voice behind the closed door. "It''s me Fei, I have news of someone selling ranked beasts materials!" replied Fei, opening the manager''s office door and quickly closing it. "Someone selling ranked beasts materials? This shouldn''t warrant any attention from me, Fei!" scolded a fat middle-aged man sitting on a luxurious chair. Why would this information be a use to him, he could already hunt many ranked beasts with minimal troubles. "But-t-t," stuttered Fei with a frightened expression. "But what? Don''t stutter so much and tell me." "Please check the content of this pouch, Manager Poe." Fei place a leather pouch on his desk, allowing Manager Poe to open and peer inside it. His eye became comically wide once he saw the contents within, instantly looking back up at Fei with a flabbergasted expression. "Bring me to meet this amazing master right now, Fei!" exclaimed Manager Poe standing up so fast his huge belly jiggled vigorously, almost tipping his balance. Fei nodded in acknowledgement and hurriedly brought Manager Poe to Silver at the first level of the shop. Once they reached to Silver, she stood to the side in a polite and professional manner. Manager Poe stared at the young warrior standing in front of Fei''s desk feeling puzzled. He expected to see master emanating strength of early-stage Null Origin or higher. Yet, instead, he saw a toned, young man wrapped in beast fur emanating early-stage Internal Realm. ''This warrior is quite young, how come I have never heard or seen of him before?'' Manager Poe thought as he carefully inspected out Silver''s realm to see any anomalies. ''It seems he is at the 3rd level of the internal realm yet those cores are from exceptionally strong beast that many Minor Origins would have problems with. Even that evolved beast core he saw can cause trouble to late-stage Nova Origin. If late-stage Earth Origin like me went against an evolved beast, it''s aching to suicide.'' "Hello, young master. I am manager of this shop," announced Manager Poe with shining pride. "You can call me, Manager Poe. Please follow me up the second floor to my office." "Sure," replied Silver expecting such reactions. He immediately followed Manager Poe to the second floor while Fei followed behind. Luckily, it was a slow morning for the shop, as he was the only customer at the time. Every warrior and traders knew of Manager Poe personality, an absolute business prodigy yet lazy, down to the very bone. Only those with unique high status or someone who could give him immeasurably profits would easily make him appear. If they saw him coming down to see earl-stage internal warrior, an uproar of gossips and rumors would definitely travel far like a swarm of snow locusts. "Have a seat," gestured Manager Poe facing his palm to the chair before his desk. "Fei serve the Spring Blooming Tea for us." ''Spring Blooming Tea? Only VIP or individuals of high status could drink that tea. Manager must have taken a special liking towards this young warrior,'' thought Fei inwardly as she begun the preparation for the tea. "Here is your tea Manager and young warrior." Fei said as she slowly lifted the white teacups off the grayish blue tray, setting them in front of Silver and Manager Poe. "Thank you, Fei. Return downstairs and keep watch of the front, please" ordered Manager Poe, waving his right hand in dismissal. "Yes, Manager Poe," answered Fei closing the office door as she headed downstairs, back to her desk. "May I have your name, young warrior?" asked Manager Poe. "My name is, Silver. I''m glad to be acquainted with Manager Poe," answered Silver studying the expressions of Manager Poe, speaking in a slow and calm manner. "I have a ranked 8, 9 and evolved beasts intact cores within the pouch Fei showed you," informed Silver, slightly waving his hand as three glistening demonic cores floated above his left palm from the pouch. They were respectively a green, red and yellow spherical core emitting a faint light. Once someone reaches the Internal Realm, it was quite normal to exhibit some form of qi control to move and lift objects. "My master had hunted them during our training, allowing me to see how formidable and strong these high ranked beast were." "Do you know the use of these cores?" asked Manager Poe hiding his greedy expression towards the three demonic cores. If he had them, he could finally break through his bottle neck and reach the early-stage ofStar Origin, giving him an increase of his salary and status within the association. "Yes, they are used to increase our cultivation, in blacksmith, formation arrays and even alchemy from what my master had explained to me," smiled Silver with a relaxed expression. "I remember two days before I got here, he was battling something called a king ranked beast?" Such a feeling came as fast as it went when he remembered this internal warrior''s master had hunted it down. "KIN-NG RA-A-ANKED?" stuttered Manager Poe gripping his desk, almost breaking it into pieces. He could definitely not handle such an expert, from his point of view, that could fight on par with a king ranked beast. Only someone like their city lord or the patriarch of the major clans could match up to those terrifying king beasts. Even then, they would have to think twice as a king ranked beast had high intelligence, spiritual awareness and could maintain a humanoid like appearance. Neither did he want to deal with a disciple with a powerful existence behind them. Even with the backing of the Gold Spring Merchant Association, they would most likely let the master kill him to soothe the expert''s anger. "What realm is your master . . ?" "He told me once I reached the King Realm, he would tell me his cultivation realm," replied Silver faking a glorified expression. He knew exactly what Manager Poe was thinking, nothing could hide from his eyes that has seen countless years of human nature. No one can hide their true heart from his perceptive eyes and divine sense. ''I should stay cautious and treat him with a high status since not many individuals could hunt an evolved ranked beast! Maybe I can gain a favor from his master, with such an expert within my reach, a chance to move up in this association could be at hand. If that may be the case, I can''t act brash. Plus this young man is rather calm, which makes it a better choice to carefully lay down my cards onto him. My path to the upper management of Gold Spring Merchant Association seems to have shown a clear path finally,'' thought Manager Poe quietly assessing Silver. His intuition towards people is top-notch that. This allowed him to never receive any loss in profit but favorable gains. If Silver knew Manager Poe''s thoughts, he would definitely feel surprised as this seemingly fat cultivator held a sharp, intuitive mind. Sitting there while sipping the tea, Silver took his time to enjoy the multiple expressions of the pondering Manager Poe. Whether Manager Poe decided to be upfront and stay honest or be a sleaze would finalize the fate of their transaction. If he decided to be sneaky, Silver would leave right away, taking his business elsewhere. He would always find a way to get stronger. - - [Comment:] - I''m sure many had missed the news, so just as a reminder, I am indeed reworking the novel. Many will be quite... angry, which I will be aware of. I deeply apologize for rudely changing the story flow after being so many chapters in. - Moon Coins (Copper) Ethas (Silver) = 100 Moon Coins = 1 Ethas Sols (Gold) = 100 Etha Coins = 1 Sols 6 Qi Gathering Array "Are you willing to sell those to me personally or auction it?" asked Manager Poe inwardly sighing keeping up his professional appearance. By assessing his gains and losses during this small exchange, such transactions could be favorable to him in the future by following his intuitive side. "I''m in dire need of funds so it is best to sell it to the esteem, Manager Poe," answered Silver approving Manager Poe''s choice. "Although I do not lack the fund to buy this from you, it is better to auction such items, they could go for 10 times the price!" beamed Manager Poe keeping his joy in check. "I understand but it''s better to build a bridge for the future than to live lavishly for the moment," chuckled Silver hinting at the fat manager. "Such a great saying! I would buy your demonic cores at a price a bit higher than the market. Not only that, I would like to befriend young Silver!" complimented Manager Poe standing up in elation. He truly felt astonished by Silver''s words. No ordinary warrior could have a mindset like this, they rather be well known and get rich quick. Rarely would anyone decide something wise and invest into their future. ''Keeping a good relationship with him will benefit me the most,'' thought Manager Poe. ''Hopefully I can meet his master...'' "I will take the ranked 8 and 9 demonic cores but I do believe it is best to auction a valuable item, such as the evolved demonic core. The cost of the ranked cores are extremely valuable and could be sold at a high price, especially in an auction. I''ll take them for 6.5 million Sols altogether. Does that price satisfy you?" "Hmm, that would be great Manager Poe. I still feel it is best you take the evolved demonic core. Holding such a valuable core may not be in my best interest, at least with my cultivation,"replied Silver weakly emanating his 3rd level internal realm. "I''d prefer to take this as an investment to the Gold Spring Merchant Association, a partnership with you as you might call it." ''He''s extremely clever, he needs a backer, baiting me with a peak ranked 8 demonic core. I might as well hook on to it, hopefully I make the right judgement,'' though Manager Poe staring at Silver understanding his hints. "I hope we can keep making future transactions from now on," replied Manager Poe finally solidifying his decision. "Good, here is your 3 demonic cores" smiled Silver as the cores flew out of his right palm into Manager Poe''s right palm. Unknowingly, if anyone seen or heard their conversation they''d definitely be astonished. No one could make this lazy and shrewd manager budge an inch, even if given a mile. If the other high status clients saw this scene, they would definitely cough up blood in anger since they''ve wasted so much resources just to gain minimal benefits from Manager Poe. Looking at the 3 demonic cores in his hand, Manager Poe felt extremely giddy enough to see the fat slightly jiggling if one were to pay attention. Putting his demonic cores away, he quickly retrieved a few items out from his personal spatial ring. Giving them a quick glance, Manager Poe smiled as he gave them to Silver. "Thank you," accepted Silver calmly gazing at the spatial ring. Using his divine sense, he could see a red jade token and a sleek black card with Gold Spring Merchant Association VVIP in gold lettering imprinted on it within the ring. "I''ll explain the functions for you, Silver. The spatial ring has a low-grade space array inscribe, allowing it to hold up to 10 cubic meters of items. The black card also has a low-grade space array also inscribed but only allowing the currency we use. It''s made of an slightly rare but almost useless metal, Nightfall Ore, which is easily malleable but hard to destroy. The association only makes one for every shop so we can gift them to extraordinary individuals. The jade token, which is the highest grade in our association, it can be used to get one free item from our shop at any price." informed Manager Poe upholding a mighty pride. Only those he felt 1000% worthy could make him take out these unique items without feeling even a minuscule thread of doubt. "I nearly forgot, the card also gives you a 20% discount through any and every single Gold Spring Merchant Association!" "Thank you, Manager Poe," bowed Silver feeling inwardly shocked. Somehow, he gotten something worthwhile, either this fat manager was a bit out there or had other ideas to lure him and his ''master'' in. "No, no, call me Brother Poe! With the benefits you''ve given me, you''re definitely worthy to be called a brother. I will call you brother Silver for now on too. Just your ranked 9 demonic core has given me the shining hope I needed! This much is something I can do for you!" urged Man-err- Brother Poe unanimously. Silver felt his right eyebrow twitch when Brother Poe relayedthe information and the uses of the items. He had never met anybody, besides him for those he cared for, who could just hand out such extraordinary items without a second thought before. Just both items were quite useful to the current him. Calming himself down, he decided to accept the situation and follow the flow. If not, this Brother Poe of his may continue to act increasingly outrageous. Hopefully, this doesn''t become a future headache for him. "Since we''re brothers now, I do hope you can auction this formation array for me," encouraged Silver as he handed a scroll, out from his robe, to Brother Poe. "Hmm? What kind of a formation array? Are you an array master?" asked Brother Poe receiving and inspecting the scroll curiously. ''WHAT!? This-s-s is a extreme-tier qi gathering array? Only those mysterious super sects have high-tier qi gathering arrays. Something like an extreme-tier is rare, especially for such a useful formation. Even the materials needed are rather easy to gather! This formation is truly something impeccable.'' "Do you want to auction this?" queried Brother Poe feeling shocked inside and out. "Yes, I would like to auction it. Hopefully you could take account of keeping today''s matter secret," pleaded Silver feeling a bit surprised from his brother''s reaction. Is a weak mid-tier qi gathering array really worth that much commotion? Something like this isn''t useful since he knew stronger and better formations that had more uses. "No problems brother, all matter will be kept secret to my grave!" Brother Poe said with an exceptionally serious tone. If Brother Poe could hear Silver''s thought, he would definitely cough up blood out of surprise and anger due to the fact Silver regarded it as a weak "mid-tier". A formation this simple and strong being called weak could make any powerful and well-known array master die from shame. "Alright, I''ll come back after I settle my matters and collect the payment. If you need an alias for your association, call me "Master Void"," informed Silver as he stood up and gave a quick martial salute to Brother Poe. Silver walked out of the office, headed downstairs, and out the shop doors. He took a glimpse into the morning, blue sky as he stepped onto the streets of White Lotus City. Blinking once, he continued towards his old home. Manager Poe stood by the window of his office and watched Silver strolled down the streets until he disappeared from his sight. Giving an audible sigh, he started making the necessary preparation for the next auction. Silver continued his journey towards the rural section of the city. Staring ahead, a dirty white, one story house* with a faded red hard hill roof appeared before him. The house was covered in moss and vines climbing all over the roof, walls and red-framed windows. Around were clumps of leaves and unkempt undergrowth as if the house had become one with the earth it was built on. Using his divine sense, he scanned the whole home to ensure there were no unwanted guests. Finding out the house was truly empty and devoid of people, he venture through the front gates with an empty expression. In Silver''s memories, this was where Kong Xing resided for most of his life. The original was always busy trying to survive, he never had time to take care of his residence which caused its current appearance. From his memories, there was only one room he always kept clean no matter what the circumstances was. Closing the gates, he continued to stroll down the corridor, taking a left and entering a huge room. Silver stayed quiet, staring at a small altar with two tablets covered in dust on it. Using his qi, the dust dispersed from the room as he walked forward and grabbed some incense from a cabinet nearby the altar. Silver placed nine incense in the censer behind the two tablets and took a few steps back and began kowtowing three times before it. "Kong Xing''s pay respects to mother and father," Silver respectfully addressed to the two tablets as he finished the the third kowtow. Even though they weren''t his parents, he did take over Kong Xing''s life and it was best to show them their son''s filial piety. With the final wish of Kong Xing completed, Silver felt a tiny strand of Kong Xing''s soul that he never noticed fused with his. Thus, he had complete control of the new body and he could continue his path without any problems. "This Kong Xing was surely cautious¡­ hiding the final strand until I completed his wish to see his parents. Truly an easygoing lad until the end. I should really clean this place up since I have the funds now." - - * Siheyuan styled home 7 Floating Cloud Sec A month had long passed since Silver started living in White Lotus City. During that time, there was a rumor of a mysterious array master residing in the city. An extreme-tier qi gathering array appeared as the final item shown in the Gold Spring Merchant Association auction. Chaos ensued from the mysterious super sects to obtain the precious array. Rarely did they bid during the auctions but they usually lounged around to see any items worth purchasing. The final bid came from the number 1 powerful super sect, Nine Heavens Dragon Sect. They spent a whopping 285 millions sols for the Qi Gathering Array! Immediately, after winning the extreme tier array, the Nine Heaven Dragon Sect including other well known super sects and large sects scattered in search of this mysterious "Master Void". They even dared an attempt to pry such secret information from Manager Poe with numerous bribes. Despite their bribes, Manager Poe rejected their offers and only showed his usual smile.They couldn''t resort to threats due to past events! No sects, including the super sects, were willing to offend an entity like Gold Spring Merchant Association. An arrogant and powerful sect from another continent once destroyed a shop of theirs. They looted everything in sight and boasted their strength over the 9 continents. Within an hour of such distasteful boasting, they were eradicated from existence. Even the disciples that didn''t partake in the crime had perished along them. An extremely well known super sect, including their land, wiped clean from the face of the continent. Since the incident, no sect would dare to offend the association and those working under them. With such rumors floating about, many speculated that an old array master made an outstanding breakthrough in the field of Arrays somewhere hidden in seclusion within White Lotus City. The theory was well received due to the eccentric natures of such array masters, since they always isolated themselves. Arrays were common as radishes, yet an accomplishment like the extreme tier Qi Gather Array were akin to a chance to win the lottery. But this rumor was the least of ''Master Void'' concerns as he open the doors of a shop. Silver stepped into the shop and greeted Fei sitting at her desk. After a speaking a few words, Fei nodded in acknowledgment and brought him into Manager Poe''s office. After finishing her task, she went back downstairs to continue her work at the shop''s front. Silver sat down in front ofManager Poe''s desk as he turned around with a bright smile. If another individual who knew Manager Poe saw that smile, they would instantly swear silently at him to death. "Ah, Brother, I see you finally came! A storm of rumors and commotions came from your alias, ''Master Void''. Even the city quakes in your foggy mystery," Brother Poe exaggerated bringing out a tea set. He began pouring the warm tea slowly into the teacup, gesturing him to try the tea since it was another of his prized possessions. "I didn''t expect such an outcome, I''m lucky to have a brother like you," Silver replied taking a small sip. He showed a slight smile, enjoying the aroma and the simple yet deep flavor of the tea. "This tea is rather exquisite, which individual did you scam this from?" "I did not scam! It''s merely a "fair" trade. It''s called Dew Petal Tea. The petals must be steeped in warm water at the first sign of dew plucked from the flower itself. It''s really hard to calculate and adjust the brew correctly. Guessing from the tea''s relaxing aroma, I''ve finally perfected it," chorused Brother Poe sipping the tea with grace and glee. "I''m sure you came here for the money? Where have you been?" "I did come for the money but I do have matters to ask of you," Silver answered avoiding the second question. "Is there a sect that focus on all aspect but not to demanding? And what of their library?" "Hmmm... there is a few but why do you ask?" Brother Poe probed as he listed the sects with light demands and well-rounded knowledge. "Well, I''m currently trying to break through in my array research, so I need a few books and study different arrays that would possibly enlighten me," Silver spoke half truthfully. What he really need is more information of the King''s Mark and other possible realms. He could only get such clues and possible resources if he were to join a reputable sect but little demands from the disciples. "I know of a few but you need to pass a few criteria that the sect''s have set up. Applying to them isn''t easy but I can think of one sect. Floating Cloud Sect is the lowest of the 6 super sects, their battle prowess are lacking but they are generally made of the 6 factions within," Manager Poe explained with a pensive expression. "They focus on the future of the city, albeit the weakest, they have the best talents in Alchemy, Formations, Inscriptions, Blacksmith, Talisman and Divinity. They''re extremely known for their teaching in taking it slow and building a stable foundation. This sect, I truly recommended, without them, the recent assault several yearsago would''ve really devastated us. Two thirds of the city''s array master that ensure the arrays are functional are from there. They eve supply many healing pills, ailments, and other resources to aid the younger generation. Even our association felt respect towards them and gave them an extreme honorary 10% discount for materials." "In time of need, even the most shrewd, would join and battle for their city, their birthplace and home. I truly admire such characteristics from this Floating Cloud Sect!" replied Silver deciding with a great passion welling inside. Before this place, he too, was a disciple of a great sect. Despite their internal struggles, when an enemy attacked, they banded together with absolute loyalty and fought back. Nothing can erase the indebted feelings to their masters, friends, family, parental figures and a place they call home. "What are the criteria to enter the sect?" "Well, anyone can join as long as they are at 2nd stage of internal realm, have basic knowledge of any of the 6 factions mentioned, and passed the 4 test assessing their talents," Brother Poe recalled. "I believe the first test is to prove you''re in internal realm. What comes after is a written exam testing your knowledge of the faction you''re applying to. Right after is an illusion test to examine your will and intelligence, and the final exam is a mystery. But I have to warn you, their exams is strict and difficult. If you fail, you can''t retake for another 2 years. Although they are weakest, they are the strictest when accepting disciples. They''re basically riding on and backing up their reputation!" "Thank you for your informational feedback brother, I will be applying to the Floating Cloud Sect then. The money from the auction, I would like to use them find these items" Silver mused as he handed over a rolled up piece of bamboo paper. "I hope you can or at least find and gather most of these items for me." Taking the list, Manager Poe nodded and read through the items listed. "Most of these items are quite easy to gather, the last 18, with my resources I can get all but one" Brother Poe assured. "The Stone of Emptiness is accessible but extremely hard to mine. The amount you need is rather high but it may take about 3 weeks to gather 100 kg of it. From the 285 million sols, based on the auction fee, your discount and the rest will be used to gather the materials you need. There is 72 million sols left in total." "Thank you brother Poe, I will be back in 3 weeks time," nodded Silver gathering the sols into his VVIP card. He got up and said his goodbyes, walking out the shop as Manager Poe also left to find the items listed for Silver. ''Hopefully everything will be in order, I need to reform my body before the King''s Realm, or I''ll be stuck in the Origin Realm longer than needed,'' Silver pondering over today''s recent development. Looking up, he began strolling down the streets, heading to the weakest yet strictest sect. - - I only made some minor changes in this chapter~ 8 Entrance Exams Nearby the gates of Floating Cloud Sect, a single file line stretched for 1.5 kilometers. Standing in that line towards the front was Silver. Luckily, during his stroll, he overheard some gossip about the sect he wanted to join announced their recruitment today. Floating Cloud Sect recruits every 2 years, yet somehow out of sheer luck, he came to the sect on the right day. ''Luckily, I overheard the people from the nearby food stand talking, if not, I would of made a fool of myself,'' Silver thought as he lightly sighed. "Next," the entry examiner piped up breaking Silver''s concentration. "Please go ahead and touch this cultivation identifier totem, if you pass, you can proceed to the next exam. Remember, you must have reached the 2nd level of the internal realm to pass." Silver nodded as he guided his qi into the totem, raising it to appear exactly at the 2nd level of the internal realm. After fusing with the last strand of Kong Xing''s soul, his cultivation made a breakthrough into Earth Origin but it was best to hide one''s cultivation. It could be considered a trump card during crucial moments. "Passed. Please follow this path until you see a pagoda, your next 3 exam will be continued there," the entry examiner yawned out pointing towards a cement walkway. "Next!" Silver began strolling leisurely onto the path, as if it was his own backyard, towards the towering pagoda. Upon reaching the pagoda, a staircase with 500 steps appeared before him. Unfazed, he continued to walk up the steps and spotted an old man waiting by the entrance. Silver stopped before the old man and gave a respectful bow. "The exams will be taken in this first level of this pagoda, please find yourself a seat, await for further instructions," the old man expressed coldly as he glared at Silver. "Please note, as this is the first and last warning; any funny business, cheating, or attitude we deem unworthy from any of the exams will get you banned for 4 years. Understood?" "Understood," Silver nodded with a light smile. In the world of cultivation, sects were quite hard to get into and many of them will have wild requirements. He had seen many strict rules before but this could be on the top 3 from his past experiences. "I also have a question I wish to ask, sir?" "They call me, Old Yam. I will only answer one question of yours," Old Yam replied feeling a bit amused. Not many had dare to ask questions nor have the gal to speak to him due to his cold and uptight personality. ''This lad, I should really commend his courage. Might as well answer one question.'' "Has there been anyone well versed in all 6 factions? Not like a jack-of-all-trades sort." Silver asked curiously. He guessed there were probably one at some point but the times had change. Not many could study under more than one supplement skill. "One of our 7 founders, thousands of years ago, actually had tremendous knowledge of the 5 skills. His knowledge on each individual field taught here, surpassed the other 5 founders except the Divination founder. With his own power, he imparted his knowledge to the other 5 who already spent a lifetime in their set skill in creating the 5 known factions here. He is what most disciple set as their role model if not the other 6 founders. The second founder was a well-versed and the famous, Diviner Egg Foo Yung. Sadly, only a set few that can be counted on one hand over the millenia had been able to completely comprehend and utilize his divination skill," Old Yam proudly announced. Just speaking of the history ignited the passion in his old bones, eyes full of glittering pride. "Since my mood has been improved speaking to you, here''s my personal token!" "Thank you, Old Yam," replied Silver feeling completely dumbfounded by this old man''s action. He really did admire Old Yam. Something that can ignite the fire from within just from speaking about their own sect is something that worth respecting. Silver felt his choice was not wasted. "Now carry on before I change my mind," Old Yam concluded waving his left hand to shoo Silver away watching Silver walk away still holding his calm expression. Old Yam felt bemused. It''s been a long time since he felt content after assessing the young man''s potential. His keen intuition, never wrong, told him Silver was a truly outstanding individual. Silver shook his head as entered the pagoda, through the hall and found himself in a huge room filled with rows of desks. He looked around for an empty seat, finding one near the back corner and sat there waiting quietly. After 3 hours of waiting, Old Yam walked in between the rows of desks and stood at the front of the exam room. Couples minutes after, a few more examiners appeared and stood beside Old Yam before the class. Everyone stayed quiet, checking out the examiners and vice-versa. "Welcome everyone! I am Elder Yam and I will be overseeing this year''s examination for the Floating Cloud Sect," announce Old Yam, briefly scanning the group with a cold expression. "We will remove anybody who intend to cheat, create a disturbance and they will be banned for four years from taking the exams again. We accept those who are truly essential to our sect, filled with potential and knowledgeable within their fields. If you cannot pass, remember to train harder in your field of interest as the next one will come up again in two years. Don''t expect to have the same tests again, we ensure every year, none of the tests are the same. If you think you can cheat, think again. This whole exam room can record and detect any type of fluctuations within, instantly informing us in mere seconds. If you''re caught, you''ll be banned from entering our, Floating Cloud Sect forever. The exams starts now!" Looking down, skimming through the booklet on the desk, Silver saw a few familiar terms that he could correlate to. Picking up his brush and dipping it into the ink, he began jotting down all his knowledge within the answer booklet with ease. The exam brought all kinds of questions, concerns, and theories that could happen at any given moment. Most of it were to give insights and solve known problems using a particular setting from a failed experiments that befuddled many masters throughout the years. Some could mislead by using simple, vague and multiple meaning words, while others were complex and difficult to answer without given enough time. After the time frame of 6 hours, everyone had finish, besides Silver who finished an hour before. He intentionally wrote the answers slowly so he wouldn''t garner any unwanted attention. Waiting for the test results, many individuals had varying expressions and most of them were a look of defeat, some even silently cried. The test itself wasn''t hard but on how well you can solve any problem that may occur during experimentation, crafting or training and a combination of your overall knowledge of their preferred subject. Everyone sat nervously, besides Silver, for another hour awaiting the for the final results. Finally an examiner appeared and announced those who passed the written test. Out of the 900 examinees that entered, only 396 were left in the examination room. With just the first exam, nearly two-thirds of the participant were disqualified. This truly lived to the strict requirements of the Floating Cloud Sect. Old Yam came out from a door nearby andstood up at the podium. He congratulated those that passed the written exam. Afterwards he asked everyone to follow them to the next level of the pagoda in hopes that we would pass the next tests coming up. Upon reaching the second level, all the examiners stood behind a protective shield while we stood outside of it. Unsure what was going on, everyone began to whisper amongst themselves. "The next test will put you through an illusion, so please be seated in a comfortable and upright position. We''ll commence the test now!" an examiner boomed while another examiner walked behind him and activated an array inscribed fixed onto a small pedestal. Usually Silver wouldn''t allow himself to fall to such a low tier array but he was curious as to what illusions he would see. He sat in a lotus position and allowed the illusive energy course through his meridians. As he slowly lost his conscious, a life of happiness he thought he could never come back to resurfaced. "I hope you pass the final test, lad,"Old Yam muttered looking at Silver behind the protective screen. - - So hard to balance sleep , work and writing e.e but I''ll keep doing my best. 9 99 Years Later An extremely well-known and powerful immortal, 100 years ago, challenged heaven''s will and broke through their world''s boundary to ascend to higher plane. A legend amongst legends that birthed the era of the ascending immortals while ending an era where heaven reigned supreme. That day called for celebrations from all over the cultivation world! With many immortals ascending, only a few stayed well-known immortal cultivators stayed back to heal the hero of legends to complete their cycle of karma. They used their most precious medicinal treasures, caring for the hero for many years. As a century crept closer, many left to ascend and await for their hero to create another legend. Yet, the flow of time continued and only2 remained by his side. The immortal opened his eyes for the first time in 100 years in a very unique and beautiful chamber that an emperor would only dare to dream of. He slowly got off the bad, balancing himself to stand up straight and walked towards the window beside his bed. His face and body appeared as a young man with a hint of age and wisdom in his honey-brown eyes standing lost in a reminiscent daze. He attempted to use his divine sense to figure where he was but felt surprised that he could no longer use his divine sense. Not only that, he couldn''t circulate any qi through his meridians. Even though he lost his abilities as a cultivator, he could still feel that his body kept its strength of a powerful immortal. Throughout the century, during his slumber, many of his friend gave up their life-saving treasures to keep him stable thus enhancing his immortal body. If he used the leftover energy of his immortal body, he will continue to weaken and return to a mortal once again. It would definitely take a long time until his energy depletes unless he were to come against another immortal. Gazing out the window, deep in his thoughts, the door swung open yet he paid no attention to those that came in. Two individuals, a young man and woman, stood there by the entrance waiting for the hero to snap out of his thoughts. In theirs eyes, a longing could be felt while their heart''s pumped in jubilation. "I am no longer able to cultivate and I can feel that my lifespan will only last me another 100 -150 years," the hero spoke aloud breaking the silence. He turned his head towards the young man and woman with loving yet distant eyes. "Tell me Naeba, what has changed since I lost conscious? What happen to those old friends of mine?" "Disciple greets, master! It has been nearly 100 years since you fell unconscious, since then you have been within our care. Master''s old friends ascended 3 years ago, with strong resolution, hoping to send an avatar to bring back treasures to return your cultivation. Many older generations ascended while the younger aspire to be someone like you. You''ve been name a hero that is told in stories and textbooks ," the young man named Naeba responded after he bowed. "With so many life and death friends, I''m already happy enough to know they gave so much. Naeba and Iris, ascend and relay my information," the hero instructed hiding the pain in his heart. "Tell them to live their new life, I''ve lived for too long. After going through hundred thousands of hardships and trials, I should finally retire. I''ll hope to meet everyone once more in the next lifetime!" "Disciples Naeba (and Iris) will do as instructed, Master Silver," the siblings replied acknowledging his instructions. With such a stubborn and straightforward personality, noone in any of his lifetime''s could change his mind. Yet, Iris and Naeba could only feel a bitter, heartbreaking sadness. Their kind and passionate master took care of them for millions of years but they knew they would eventually leave his side. The were unable to even mourn over their master and send him off to meet Grandma Meng. "Do not worry about me, Naeba and Iris," Silver spoke knowingly of how they felt. "You''re both my children. I''ve taken care of you pair of brother and sister for a very long time. Like the Great Kun Peng, swimming in the oceans for years, you must learn to fly out of the waters and see the world." Naeba and Iris stood by the chamber''s doors, tears slowly escaping from the corner of their reddening eyes. They watched the fading back of their master taking a step, shifting into the air like a mirage as if they were living in a daydream. Facing each other, the siblings a gaze were filled with sadness yet newfound hope and determination. Both of them sat down in a lotus position, drawing in streams of qi into their dantian to ascend to the higher plane immediately. Silver stood on the peak of a mountain covered in snow, gazing at the shining lights of his disciples ascension. The light finally dissipated, marking the last immortals to have left the lower realm. Once more, Silver turned towards the east and vanished in a single step. Many years later . . . "Grandpa! Grandpa!" a young child exclaimed as they ran into a small, wooden cabin. "Grandpa! You you owe me a spiritual pill! I''ve advanced to the 9th level of external realm, gimme my pill! My Foundation Setting Pill! "Ahh, I did say that to you last week! Who knew my little Feng Feng would already reach the 9th level so quickly! Only 10 years old, such a natural and monstrous genius that even I cannot compare!" the grandpa said enthusiastically. With a wave of his right hand, an exquisite translucent pill appeared between his right fingertips. He gave it a quick look and gave the pill to Feng Feng. "Thank you, grandpa! This will help me form my qi sphere before breaking through the internal realm!" beamed Feng Feng as he accepted the pill and begun leaping around the living room in joy. "En. Make sure your foundation is stable and keep cultivating your skill!" mused Feng Feng''s grandpa. "Take it slow when you form the qi sphere, if you''re unstable, you may lose your life. Tell me when you are ready to reach the internal realm and form your qi sphere. I will keep an eye if anything runs astray." "Yes, grandpa!"Feng Feng replied seriously in a odd, humorous way. It was rather hard for him to keep a serious expression with such glee twinkling in his eyes. "I will go out back to train some more then!" "Good, good. Definitely an amiable grandson I have!" ''I wish your parents could be here to look over you but their future life is elsewhere," thought Feng Feng''s Grandpa waving his hand to dismiss the young child. ''I only have a decade or so left until my life runs out. I shall take a short trip to the mountains to clear my mind before telling Feng Feng the truth.'' He wrote a small note on the table to Feng Feng, telling his grandchild he would be gone for several days and disappeared from the cabin. Ever since he left the cultivation world to live a life of a mortal, Silver met a young and beautiful village women on his aimless travels. His heart, although seeing and meeting many beauties that can crumble the nation, had fallen in love for the first and last time. After their meeting, he always stood by her side. Like a stream that only flow forward, time began to tick once more for him as lived as normal mortal. Eventually, they married in that girl''s village and lived a comfortable life. Years later, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, yet disaster struck a year after their baby''s birth. His wife was struck with a deadly poison that couldn''t be cured due to a strange, abysmal like creature. Once Silver found the creature, he fought the unknown creature to the death. Because he broke the boundary of the heavens, many unknown beings were able descend to their realm after the immortals left. He was unaware of the cause and effect of his actions to ascend to the higher plane. As his wife''s health kept declining, he had traveled far and wide in search for many types of pills and life-saving treasures but the poison could only be stalled. Silver was at his at the end of his wits, but with the comforting words of his wife, he could only take care of every menial task until she passes. 20 years later his wife finally traveled to the yellow springs to meet Grandma Meng, leaving Silver and her son alone. He took care of his son, watching him grow up into a splendid young man and taught him cultivating. His son went out traveling to further his cultivation and brought home a young, beautiful women. He intended on marrying her and wanted Silver''s blessing. His son''s wife soon became pregnant, bearing a healthy baby boy and stayed for 3 years. Their sect sent out a notice for all disciples to return for an emergency and so they left their child with Silver to take care of. From then on, Silver continued to stay in his wife''s tiny village, caring for the now 10 year old Feng Feng. Feeling many complex emotions, Silver thought he would live his life in remorse but with Feng Feng, he felt happy. Resting on top of a mountain, Silver ponder through his memories as the sun and moon continued to greet for many days. On the 9th day, Silver stood up after waking from his reminiscing daze. Turning around, he began strolling the down the trail back to the small village while humming a melodic tune. As he got closer to the village, astrong devilish killing intent permeated the area. Horror struck him as he witness an unbelievable bloody scene. - - I hope everyone is enjoying the rework cause I am e.e 10 The First Step Terrified screams could be heard followed by a long silence as Silver reached the village entrance. A chilling yet maniacal laughter emerged as he go closer to the center as the smell charred flesh became heavier. Once Silver reached the center of the village, he could see a middle-age man gripping on a young boy''s throat. He had an eerie smile showing his sharp, pearly white teeth with fangs. His face appeared riddled with scars, giving a sense of danger with his bright-red irises. The middle-age man slowly tighten his grip around the young boy''s throat, listening to the young boy cursing incessantly while struggling to break free. "A child at the peak of External Realm dare challenge me? I''ll give you a quick death for your bravery," smiled the middle-aged man. "Too bad you be able to meet Grandma Meng." A sharp snap could be heard as the boy''s body went limp. The middle-age man began laughing hysterically still holding onto the boy''s neck. He found this village on his way back to the sect so he decided to have a little bit of fun. He then stared at the dead youth within his grasp, using a technique to inhale the boy''s soul. A bright blue orb slowly formed out of the young child gaping mouth, their eyes still filled with fear, regret and anger. "FENG FENG!" bellowed Silver running towards the middle-age man. Realizing he was too late saving his grandson, devastation welled up inside his heart. He was a minute too late but if the man ate his grandson''s soul, he''ll never forgive himself. An incredibly dense and vicious killing intent clouded his mind, including the surrounding area. Tightening his fist, Silver increased his speed in attacking the middle-age man distracted from devouring his grandson''s soul. Taking notice of Silver''s action, the middle-aged man tried to dodged the attack while letting go of the limped Feng Feng. Barely dodging Silver''s punch, he tried to block with his left arm. Instead of actually stopping the punch, his whole left ripped offinstead. Before he could understand the reality of the situation, he gritted his teeth as the pain of losing his arm finally triggered through his nerves. "WHO ARE YOU? Why is an expert like you hiding in a small village?" the middle-aged man demanded furiously clenching his teeth to not let a scream out. Cold sweat covered his whole back. He felt truly unlucky to encounter an expert in a remote village. All he wanted was to vent his frustration and have some fun in this small village. If he knew such an expert hid here, he would''ve taken the long way around the village in a heartbeat. "Why do you have the need to feel angry over a few weak ants and these useless mortals?" "Weak? Useless? You dare speak to me after killing my grandson? How can I explain to my son and daughter-in-law when they visit my grave!? I will kill you!" Silver howled furiously as he never experienced such anger since his youth. He no longer kept his shackled strength in check, releasing the power of an immortal legend once more into the world. The air around them shook as the sky became filled with dark, gloomy clouds. Thunderous roars echoed throughout the world, lightning striking around the village as if heavens was clamoring in fury. It almost appeared as if Silver''s anger is their anger. "I-I- am part of the gre-a-at Slaughter Fiend Sect, Elder Tralen! My sect will avenge me and kill you if dare try!" Tralen stuttered in complete fear. A feeling of complete doom gripped onto his aching heart while the hairs on his body suddenly stood up. Circulating his qi, he threw a light talisman that was meant to blind the enemy. Without anymore words, hidden by the light, he instantly activated an escape talisman that would allow him to escape 1,000,000 kilometer away from the area. A blinding light blocked Silver''s view, only grabbing a piece of Tralen''s robe as he teleported from the area into the dense forest. Even though the attempt was useless, it still enraged Silver. Stomping his right foot, he flew towards Tralen with sound breaking speed. "Slaughter Fiend Sect!? I should have uprooted them many years ago!" Silver retorted grasping towards the fleeing Tralen. "HOW DARE YOU ESCAPE?" Luckily for Tralen, flying away for his life, the sect was nearby allowing him to seek refuge from the expert. In his mind, even with an expert, there was nobody besides the immortals that could travel a million kilometer in mere seconds. Looking ahead with a joyous expression, he scrambled pass the open entrance while alerting all of disciples to shut the gates quickly. The disciples followed the command, although confused, closed the gates relatively early. Tralen, a mid-ranking elder within the Slaughter Fiend Sect, ran into the grand council room alerting all elders to an emergency meeting using a command token hanging before him. Before all the elders, including the grand elder and patriarch could gather, an explosion rang throughout the sect. Tralen felt dumbfounded as he turned his head at where that sound came from. Looking back, the cloud of dust begun settling down as he noticed the front gates had been obliterated into pieces. Nearby the gates, he could see the expert from the tiny village strolling towards the main hall like it was his own backyard. Strong killing intent invaded the atmosphere of the sect, immediately enclosing towards Tralen. He tried to move but was unable to budge a muscle as he fearfully stared at Silver come closer in each terrifying step. "Stop!" an old man demanded as he flew in between Tralen and the expert. "I am the patriarch of the Slaughter Fiend Sect. May I know our esteemed guest, name? And what has our elder troubled you with?" "My name is of no concerns, I came to obliterated this fool! Never mind the villagers he killed, my dead grandson''s soul was nearly consume by him! Either let him die, or I''ll uproot up the whole Slaughter Fiend Sect! Eradicating it from history!" Silver threatened while his killing intent slowly constricted the purple face Tralen. "My incinerating flames of anger will only subdue when it''s vengeance is resolved!" "Foolish old man! Just because you''re slightly stronger than me, our sect is easy to bully?" the patriarch sneered seeing that Silver only had a strong body with no qi. "CULTIVATORS OF THE SLAUGHTER FIEND, ERADICATE THIS DERANGED MAN!" "I see, I guess this is your fate. I will show you the strength of the most powerful immortal who shattered the heaven!" Silver bellowed as he balled his palm into a fist, releasing all of his killing intent. The sect''s ground began to crumble, buildings collapsed on the weakest disciples, instantly killing them. Violet lightning struck the earth, giant debris struck more disciples, feeling fear as they fled for their lives. Just balling up his left fist in anger could cause so much destruction. If Silver wanted to eradicate the whole sect, he would do so by killing every single person belonging to it. Without pulling out even the small hairs of the root, it can grow back if fate allows it. Silver stomped into the ground, catapulting himself up into the sky seeing a full view of the whole Slaughter Fiend Sect. Tightening his right fist, pulling it back, he punched out with an amazing force that created spatial rips while shattering the surrounding air. **OOOHHMMMMM An incredible force could be felt from his full strength, collapsing the whole sect and the earth underneath. With just a punch, he instantly annihilated the whole Slaughter Fiend Sect and thesurrounding 1,000 kilometers. If the Patriarch knew or had seen Silver before, the most powerful immortal, he would given up Tralen without hesitation. Sadly, his judgement was lacking as a recently became a newly emerged patriarch. Every ancestor of the Slaughter Fiend Sect had already ascended so there were no salvation for them. The Slaughter Fiend Sect was no more, faded in the history of time. Few months later, Silver could be seen standing in front of a small tombstone. The name Feng Feng was carved onto a stone tablet that was imbedded into the earth. Staring at the name, shoulder slumped with an audible heavy sigh, Silver had been standing there ever since he buried the whole village for many months. He wandered all over the forest, under a deep trance. Ever since he erased the Slaughter Fiend Sect out of existence, his life force had begun dissipating at an incredible rate. Finally walking upwards to the top of a mountain on a warm, moonless night near the tiny village that no longer existed. Staring at the stars, a foreign qi began circulating through his meridians jolting his mind awake. The emotions in his heart opened up a void as a serene feeling of emptiness consoled his very soul. All the clustered thoughts and feelings vanished as his dormant mind woke up from the false misery. "I was once a powerful immortal that shattered the heavens!" Silver declared aloud standing on top the mountain with a face that expressed strong determination. "Come my halberd! I am still the number one immortal, the heavens cannot stop me! Fate cannot stop me! I will pave my own path way into the void! I shall shatter my shackles, break these binding chains, and trample those against me! BREAK! FOR! ME!" Silver swung his great halberd against the heavens once more, shattering the illusion that binded his mind and soul. He finally obtained something that he would never grasp in his past life. To become unfetter throughout the void, unhindered in his path of cultivation. Reaching the top with a single step. - - Another so and so chapters to go ~.~ 11 Who is Silver? Waking up, recovering from the illusive state, Silver opened his eyes and looked up to the examiners. Glancing at the time, 5 hours had passed yet many had already awoken before him. After decimating his heart demon, the wheels of fate spun in exultation for Silver. Those around, like himself, stood up and faced themselves towards the examiner. From a glance nearly everyone had a strong resolution of utmost clarity. These examiners felt impressed as they witness the determination and confidence the examinees shown. These new batch of disciples had truly overcome the demons in their heart. "Those who are awake and standing up before the sixth hour passed! Please follow us as we announce your final rank for each exams." Old Yam announced towards the 108 new disciples nodding his head. Old Yam then turned around and he lead the final group to the third level of the pagoda. Old Yam stepped up the stairs slowly, 108 new disciples following, upwards the 3rd floor of the pagoda. Upon entering the floor, the examiners saunter towards a floating crystal sphere while the disciples gathered to the center of the pagoda room. A large quantity of disciples held their excitement in silence as they faced the group of examiners. "Ahem. We will announce the rankings for each exam, starting from 10th place to 1st place." Old Yam announced relaxingly. "But before that, we will show you what each placed individual gets! Activate the array, please." A moment after Old Yam had stopped speaking, one of the examiners tap the side of a crystal sphere beside them. Many inscriptions began lighting up all over the crystal sphere giving it a blue glow. A giant screen projected from the sphere in mid-air in front of them, listing the rewards for the top 10. 1 Day in the Cultivation Pool for the Top Ten 10th Place - 15 Sect Points, Rank 2 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill 9th Place - 35 Sect Points, Rank 2 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill 8th Place - 50 Sect Points, Rank 2 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill 7th Place - 80 Sect Points, Rank 3 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill 6th Place - 110 Sect Points, Rank 3 Manual/Treasure, 2 Qi Gathering Pill 5th Place - 165 Sect Points, Rank 3 Manual, Rank 2 Treasure, 2 Qi Gathering Pill 4th Place - 270 Sect Points, Rank 4 Manual, Rank 3 Treasure, 3 Qi Gathering Pill, 2 Meridian Strengthening Pill TOP THREE 3rd Place - 1,000 Sect Points, Rank 5 Manual, Rank 5 Treasure, 10 Qi Gathering Pill, 10 Meridian Strengthening Pill, 1 more day in the cultivation pool 2nd Place - 3,000 Sect Points, Rank 6 Manual, Rank 6 Treasure, 30 Qi Gathering Pill, 10 Meridian Strengthening Pill, 1more day in the cultivation pool 1st Place - 10,000 Sect Points, 1 Manual of Choice, Rank 8 Treasure of Choice, Origin Minor Pill, 2 more days in the cultivation pool "As said, those in the top ten will get a day within the cultivation pool. Of course, the top three has more time to practice within such precious resource. I hope everyone here, becomes the best of the best, continuing the growth of our city! We shall announce the top ten!" Old Yam excitedly spoke aloud. A strong sense of pride radiated through the entire 3rd floor of the pagoda, giving all the disciple a newfound pride to be part of the Floating Cloud Sect. Another examiner stood up and tapped the array twice, changing the screen into a list of names with their definite placements of the top 10. "As I call the names, starting from the tenth rank to the first, you will stand in order before me and receive a numbered jade token so you can obtain the rewards. After receiving the token, you must drip your blood onto it to ensure no one is able to turn it in besides you! So do not have any funny ideas, we do not steal but trade with each other to maximize our benefits. If such trust is broken, no one will hire you as you will be blacklisted in this city, including the Gold Spring Merchant Association." Old Yam announce while ushering a stern warning. ''What a severe warning!'' thought all the disciples, excluding Silver, everyone began throwing their wicked thoughts to the side. Most only wanted advance in their skills, while others wanted to gain fame and wealth. They would do anything necessary to get a step further. Now most of them now knew why their clans gave them a fair warning not to mess with Floating Cloud Sect. 10th Place -Yu Yulan 9th Place - Shun Warren 8th - Tide Pamera 7th - Fan Kyvra 6th - Lychee Rolin 5th - Ling Qiye 4th - Teng Hao 3rd - Qin Yu 2nd - Uni Reahs Everyone stared at the 9 names, wondering who is the first place winner. These nine names were all young prodigies idolized within the 9 great clans of White Lotus City. The 8 great clans assisted in building White Lotus City, thousands of years ago, lead by the most powerful, Lotus Clan. Of course going by the order of names on the board, is actually the ranking of the family, with Lotus in the front, Qilin, Red Star, White Flame, Storm, Obsidian, Cold River, Nightshade, and Purple Bamboo Clan. With all the prodigies in line, Reahs being in second place, who could of bested the most talented in the Lotus Clan? As everyone was trying to figure who this mysterious number 1 is, Old Yam stood in front of the screen and begun clearing his throat in a very audible manner. "Before I announce the first place talented individual, I would like to tell you why. This young disciple answered every single question from all 6 Factions correctly! In the history of Floating Cloud Sect, since the beginning, only 2 other monstrous talents could solve and bring new unique methods to further our progress in the way of our Alchemy, Formations, Inscriptions, Smithing, Talisman and Divinity skills, even by a little." Old Yam spoke grandly as he pointed towards a young man in the center of the crowd. As if he understood, walking unhurried by the stares of all the107 fellow disciples, Silver stood next to Old Yam. "First Place, Silver! The youngest at age 17 and the most monstrous talent since the founder and the 9th patriarch!" Old Yam resounded happily as he glimpsed at Silver from the side. Never would he thought that the young boy who spoke to him at the pagoda entrance, ended up being a monstrous talent worth nurturing. Luckily he spotted the natural, unperturbed Silver from the beginning and gave him his personal token. Many of the disciples were shocked, especially the top ten, since they never heard or seen such a individual with unfathomable prowess. Someone extraordinarily talented would of gain fame in White Lotus City, yet no one could tell who this fellow disciple''s background is. With such an person with an unknown background to challenge, they would use their intelligence team to find more information regarding him. No one wanted to be outdone by some unknown identity with a mysterious background. It would be better to be bested by someone from the 9 great clans. At least they would know how high the heavens were as they gaze upon a shining star. Staring at the unwilling faces of the other disciples of the top 10, Old Yam inwardly felt amused. Finally someone of unknown origin could challenge the 9 great geniuses. ''Hopefully this lad doesn''t get overtaken¡­'' Old Yam was tired, also irritably bored of always hearing about the same type of prodigies from each generation of the 9 clans. Finally, Floating Cloud Sect had someone different! Someone new and giving hope towards the change of pace to the future of this sect. "Those from the top ten follow me to the cultivation pool, the other 98 disciples will follow the other examiners to get their disciple robe, token and lodging!" Old Yam commanded as he took a step down the stairs. Everyone, pondering silently, followed the examiners out of the pagoda while the top ten headed towards an area restricted by hundreds of arrays. Old Yam raised up a violet medallion, a purplish light flicker out of the medallion. A large squared entrance formed from the barrier, allowing them to continue towards their destination. "Only those with a cultivation pool jade token can pass through this area. If they do not, well I''ll leave that up to your imagination and body to feel if you ever try sneaking in." Everyone shuddered at the thought, excluding Silver since he could tell that it was an mid-tier illusion array layered with a low-tier attack formation. It couldn''t stop the current him but for his fellow disciples, many of them wouldn''t last. Even though the other 9 had a high probability of surviving, it would be minor non-life threatening injuries. ¡­ In a dimly lit room, an old man wearing a white robe sat silently on a matt. His eyes fluttered open with a divine light within his irises. He turned his towards the cultivation pool area and stared with furrowed eyebrows. "There''s someone''s fate I could not foresee, the Floating Cloud Sect will veer off its original course. I''m unsure if this is good or bad for our sect," the old man muttered vanishing like a wisp of smoke of a burning incense. He appeared above the cultivation pool area, hovering with a pensive expression. Hiding his presence, fluctuating the qi to make him invisible, he quietly watched the young man following behind Old Yam. "I truly cannot see his fate¡­" - - work, work, work is all I do >: wish I had an editor but I can''t afford one ;__; 12 Old Yams Fate A scenery of a clear lake could be seen as it was encompassed by a light, green fog made of qi. The area was filled with the scent of surrounding medicinal herbs as most of it was concentrated near the edge of the lake. The lake was surrounded by tall trees engraved with many defensive and offensive arrays. Each plot of medicinal fields were covered in a fog of qi, protected by flickering arrays. Before the breathtaking scenery stood a group of ten individuals and an old man. Only 9 of them stared in awe as if they''ve come into a paradise from folklore legends. They''ve never seen such a spectacular sight, even within their whole clan. Especially Uni Reahs of the Lotus Clan. Her clan had many heavenly treasures, cultivation manuals and other resources but it could never amount to the resources of the Floating Cloud Sect. Of course, Silver never cared about the heaven and earth qi. The void qi he used, even though there wasn''t much of it, was extremely pure and of utmost quality. Yet he felt somewhat impressed with the founders as this was a high-tier domain array. The array needed a high comprehension of space and life laws due to its complexity. It really seems that this world was nearly identical to his old world, especially the laws. This world was a lot more complete concerning the laws of the universe than his old world. With an area circumference of 200,000 kilometers, the small pocket dimension was filled with precious herbs, plants and trees which could cause any super sects be filled with murderous greed. Even the lake or so called cultivation pool was smaller in size, stretched out at a circumference of 50,000 kilometers. Floating Cloud Sect must have a powerful backing or a secret weapon that only those super sects knew despite being the weakest super sect. Thinking through it now, Gold Spring Merchant Association and Floating Cloud Sect may have a business or brotherly alliance due to their high demands of talents and resources on the main 6 fields. Anybody with a brain could figure this out instantly. No one dared to offend Gold Spring Merchant Association. "Find a spot to cultivate the qi of the cultivation pool. The closer you get to the pool, or into it, the more condense and violent the natural qi is!" Old Yam announced in a relaxing manner. Many of the top disciples cultivated near the edge of the cultivation pool. Only the brazen with a strong will could cultivate in the waters filled with violent qi. No one has gone to the center of the pool since it was created due to the unnatural qi. It was nearly impossible to refine. Based on some old documents, the center of the pool produced a different qi altogether. "Just do not go near the medicinal herbs, nearly of all them are protected by the array. Only those qualified with our verification can naturally grab any plants and herbs needed." With a flick of his sleeve, everyone scattered immediately to find an appropriate area around the pool to cultivate. Old Yam took a look at Silver, feeling confused, as to why he was looking up at the top of the dimension. Following Silver''s gaze, Old Yam could feel a faint and familiar presence near the top. Even though the familiar presence carefully hidden themself, it could not escape his divine sense. What startled Old Yam was the fact that Silver could sense someone up there before he could. "Divination faction leader, Starfinder, what are you doing here?" Old Yam communicated with his divine sense telepathically. Rarely did this faction leader ever come out unless a calamity was to befall over White Lotus City or the sect itself. "Old Yam, I was merely taking a stroll and this extraordinary young man brought up my interest," Starfinder answered vocally as he instantly appeared in front of Silver. Standing beside Silver, he began observing him as if Silver was a unsolvable puzzle. Exhaling heavily, Starfinder tapped three times in the air and created a isolated space. Such a space could block out anyone trying to peek, listen, and see them. He stood there with a pensive expression staring at Old Yam for a moment and then at Silver. "You can actually sense me even when I hid my presence. You seem quite young with a cultivation at the 3rd level of Internal Realm. Either you''re using a mysterious skill to hide your cultivation or you truly are a internal warrior with divine sense. What is your true cultivation level? Do not worry, besides us three, no one will know about you as Old Yam''s fate is dependent on yours." "I''m at the Earth Origin," Silver answered unveiling his true cultivation for a minute of time and retracting it. His cultivation returned as if he just another internal realm disciple. "Old Yam''s fate is tied to mine? I''m guessing you''re a diviner since only those blessed with the heaven''s eyes could see people''s fate to an extent." "You know of the blessing from heaven? Who are you and what do you want in our sect?" Starfinder demanded as he begun to exert 20% of his cultivation pressure towards Silver. Only those who comprehended Heaven''s Divination Art, the only powerful divination art in the whole world, could know the secret of the heaven''s eyes blessing. Although he was probing Silver with 20% of his power, he truly wished that Silver wouldn''t be the cause of the grim future of the Floating Cloud Sect. He would definitely kill the young man right then and there if he said something wrong. "I had met a powerful old man who saved me from a life threatening injury. I became his disciple because he noticed my potential. During my three years, he imparted everything he knew to me. He once spoke of a rare and powerful art that could give the cultivator the eyes of heaven. Only those who practice it are rarer than a phoenix feather and qilins horn. Their existence can only be counted on a single hand. After the 3 years of teaching me all that he knew, he said our karmic fate was finally finished and vanish during a disastrous blizzard. That''s why I knew of it. Hearing you speak of fate brought some memories back," Silver answered with a fib with an earnest expression. He already knew that every faction had a strong undying loyalty for the sect, especially the divination faction and their leaders from Old Yam explanations to the top ten. "But why is my fate connected to Old Yam?" "Old Starfinder, why did you mention this?" Old Yam questioned after Silver. Apparently he felt shocked and confused about the current situation shrouded in mysteries. Old Yam already knew the secrets of the whole Floating Cloud Sect, yet it was rare to have a young, new disciple to be extremely knowledgeable. "You are not lying, I wish I could meet this master who has taught you. Your memory, talent, and potential even surpasses the founders of our sect! I''ve read the written exam before I got here. You used many profound and strange, yet satisfying steps to each of the experiments that went wrong. Even to the point of coming up with new ways to use less treasures and more common materials to leave a similar effect. It bested most pills by a 15% increase!" Starfinder praised Silver higher than the heavens. His divination could usually tell lies but he could only play it off. Starfinder couldn''t read Silver fate and his facial expression at all. "By the way Old Yam, his fate is mainly connected your daughter''s. Although this new disciple fate is nearly unreadable, I can see a faint thread connecting to you and your daughter. He probably have the answer to the cure you''ve been searching for." "WHAT!?" Old Yam shouted as spun faster than a rank 3 treasure top tossed by a god. "Silver, my lad, can you please look at my daughter? She had been extremely ill since a young age and all the medicinal treasures I given her has barely kept her alive. I''ll doing everything in my power to help you, even though I cherish the sect deeply, it can only be second to my precious daughter!" "Alright, alright. All though I want to be low-key, read and relax, I''ll check your daughter''s condition," Silver spoke respectively. He knew the pain of not being able to see or know what is happening to their child, as his disciples of his past life were of such kin to him. Silver can only hope they''re alive and doing well. ''It seems like fate is throwing cow dung at me, taunting afar, and enjoying the show.'' "But I have one condition, I must have the access to the sect''s cultivation library!" "Deal!" Old Yam accepted the request immediately. He was the sect secret trump card and also the sect protector. Even his cultivation was higher than the current leader of the Lotus and Purple Bamboo Clan. Which was a very well kept secret between Starfinder, the patriarch, and him only. A black and red medallion with a pure white Huli Jing embedded into it floated out from Silver''s robe. Old Yam tapped it three times and returned it Silver earlier. Silver took a glimpse at it and noticed the embedded Huli Jing became more life like with pure and majestic aura radiating from it. Happily nodding, he put the medallion back into his pocket. "We''ll go now since there is no time to waste! Starfinder please find someone to keep an eye on the disciples here!" "Alright," Starfinder answered and sighing softly. Breaking a transmission jade, a masked individual in all black instantly appeared before him. "Watch over the disciples and give them an extra day to cultivate. Please ensure those who earned it could stay longer. As the rest, they have to leave after completing the extra day. Also, figure which individual here has a talent for divination as their aura is protected by the same aura of the heaven''s. You know the signs." "As you wish, Master Starfinder," The masked individual answered. They stood there in a slight bow until Starfinder vanished quickly leaving an extremely tiny, yellowish sparks that lingered in the air for a mere nanosecond. 13 Glacial Blaze Manual A young and old man could be seen strolling and talking leisurely together towards a wooden cabin. The young man stopped as the old man took a step forward and opened the cabin door. An intense medicinal odor gushed out from the cabin into the open air. The young man showed a surprised expression due to the strong odor. Furrowing his eyebrows, he immediately followed the old man into the house. They walked up the stairs to the second level, through the hall, and stopped in a very spacious room. Looking across the room, a finely made white silk bed was draped with see through red curtains near the back wall. Staring through the curtain, a young woman laid there like a sleeping beauty unaffected by the presence of the two. An aura of death could be felt as it emanated from the young woman''s body. She was hanging by a minuscule thread of life. Walking towards the woman unfazed by the aura, the young man cycled a tiny amount of qi through her body to observe the cause. He kept cycling the qi and adjusting it throughout her meridians extremely slow to figure out the abnormalities within. "Disciple Silver, are you able to help her?" the old man asked nervously. After sitting there for a brief period of time, Silver felt inwardly startled. He felt elated that this kind of world would have such a rare constitution! Although it was rare, he knew what to do. "Old Yam, your daughter''s situation is truly peculiar. She has two innate borned constitution that''s been constantly in conflict," Silver finally spoke after deciding the root cause. "Have you been feeding her yang medicine and herbs? She has both a fire and ice innate constitution, yet the balance is broken between the two. Her fire constitution has become stronger due to herbs with yang properties. Her ice constitution has little yin and can barely struggle against the yang. With so much yang, I''m surprised it has destroyed her entirely." "Innate fire and ice constitution?" Old Yam asked startled by the news. "She is of a Huli Jing''s descendant, it''s not possible for her to have a ice const- her mother had practice the ice element cultivation manual! I''m such a fool, how could I forget her mother is a ice cultivator! But how? Her mother, before she died, never told me she had an innate ice constitution nor did show any extraordinary prowess. She was just a normal cultivator I fell in love with but how . . . " "The Huli Jing?" Silver asked in shock. Descendants of mystical and legendary beasts, like the Huli Jings, were rare as they were hunted down to near extinction for their treasured body. To ensure their bloodlines kept going, they begun breeding with mortals, beasts, and occasionally cultivators. After that they disappear from the world completely to escape extinction. This much was known as they were naturally born from this world before the invasion of the demonic gods. "Her constitutions is unique, a black fire, burning without a shred of light. And a rare type of ice that cannot be melted by the strongest of flames. It seems the heaven''s blessed her with a rare and powerful constitution. I can help her by imparting a cultivation technique made for her innate constitutions." Back then, he had a senior sister who had the exact same constitution. They were quite close so she allowed him to memorized the manual exchanged for materials to increase her strength. "Please do! I do not wish for her to suffer any longer. She has been this way since 13 years of age." "Unseal the sleeping spell then, Old Yam. We must hurry since time is of utmost importance now. I will teach her the skill to harmonize her innate constitution. After that, it will depend on her tenacity." Old Yam hurried to his daughter side and tapped her forehead unsealing the restriction in her body. He turned towards Silver who stood on the opposite side of the bed with his eyes closed as he tried to connect to his daughter''s conscious. A palpitating pain emerged from within Old Yam''s heart, wishing for a miracle. "Let''s begin," Silver spoke as he cycled his qi through the young woman''s meridians. Old Yam''s daughter was in a comatose state, but he figured that she was already awake for some time now based on her spiritual activity he had sensed. His soul already quite powerful and will continue to be so as he continued to strengthen it with his Eternal Soul Refinement skill. ''She can actually use divine sense even in a vegetative state for who knows how long. With such a strong-willed personality, I''m willing to help such a person. A great and powerful father and a talented daughter with heaven defying innate constitution. Now I''m more curious of this so-called "dead" mother''s background.'' ''Alright, I know you''ve heard our conversation. I will impart a cultivation technique called, Glacial Blaze. Only a person with a fire and ice constitution can use it. Your father won''t be able to even use it, much understand it but you can share it if you want. Follow my lead while I cycle my qi through your meridians as an aide. Remember itcarefully, especially the manual I''m imparting. The rest is up to you,'' Silver communicated using divine sense. Placing his right index finger between her eyebrows, he imparted the technique into her brain. Circulating his qi by the method used in the cultivation technique, a weak qi followed along his. Sweat covered Silver''s forehead as he continued to strengthen the young woman''s meridians for the following hours. Surprisingly, she understood the method once but Silver still had to ensure to heal and erase the damages done by her father''s caring ignorance. More beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying his best to heal the woman. Another two hours had passed and Silver could feel the changes within the woman''s body. The fire and ice that were constantly clashing had finally reached a state of harmony. With a soft sigh, Silver relaxed his tense expression. His void qi was neutral and pure which ignited a change in her body as he used it to stimulate the stagnated medicine in her body. Silver stood up and backed away once he realized she was able to cycle her qi on her own. After a day of waiting, the young woman''s qi increased in strength and begun fluctuating. Old Yam felt startled as his he could tell that his daughter was breaking through! A pure black flame and a freezing cold began spreading slowly across the room. Knowing the dangers of her breakthrough, both Old Yam and Silver fled out of the cabin quick. Black flames exploded through the roof, burning the whole cabin down. Within the black flames was Old Yam''s daughter encased in ice as her qi kept growing stronger. Several hours passed, as they waited. Both of them watched the flame and ice retracting into threads, forming a cocoon made of ice and black fire. The brittle soil of where the cabin once stood broke into a dust storm as the cocoon gently landed. Threads of black fire and blue ice began dissipating and unraveled a young and beautiful woman standing within. Her eyes were looked red and glossy, tears leaking from the edge. She took her first step, slowly walking towards Old Yam with a happy and pained expression. "My daughter, your father is a disappointment. I wish I knew as much as young Silver!" Old Yam sobbed rushing to his daughter, giving a teary hug. He spent 9 years to find ways to cure his daughter. He was able to keep her alive until this fateful day. The mountain of a burden his heart finally disappear after witnessing her get the chance to live once more. Truly satisfied, he turned to Silver, dropped to his knees and began kowtowing in gratitude. His main worries had been splendidly fulfilled. He did not care about face but gratitude. "Stand up, Old Yam. You do not need to do this!" exclaimed Silver as he rushed to get Old Yam up. "Thank you, Silver. Why don''t you be my son-in-law? You''re the only one who is a complete match with her!" Old Yam beamed standing up in slight embarrassment. Old Yam showed the brightest and biggest smile than the moon could never hope to achieve. He felt immense gratitude towards Silver. "You gave me access to the sect''s library, of course this is something that needs to be done for you," Silver calmly replied dodging Old Yam''s questions in attempt to marry his daughter to him. "Thank you, Silver, my savior. Without you, I would be very saddened for my father, since he would be alone if I left. So I did my best to keep living, wishing to miraculously break free from this illness. If not for you, my last breath of life would only be filled with regrets," Old Yam''s daughter spoke softly in a thankful manner, a red tinge on her cheeks. "My name is Jing Shi, I am 22 years old this year. I hope we can train in the future as fellow disciples." "Do not worry, as long as you practice the method I gave you, your cultivation will shatter the heavens! Your talent is of divine grade. Coupled with your rare and unique dual innate constitution, no one can hinder your progress. Cultivate hard, if you need my assistance, I will be basically living in the sect''s library from this point on," Silver replied in a tranquil voice gazing at Jing Shi. For a split moment, he felt a strong connection with her as they both locked their eyes together. As if the river of time intentionally slowed, a strong yet comfortably gentle feeling began welling from his heart and soul. An unbreakable thread interlinking with hers formed the moment he saved her. Coincidentally, Jing Shi had the exact same feeling towards Silver. Fortifying her heart, she made her first life-changing decision. "Well, show me the way Old Yam," Silver finally spoke again. Looking at the creepy smirk the old man gave, he shook his head. He felt like a heading was to come from this. Still, Silver threw the thought to the back of his mind. Cultivating was his priority. Love could complicate his life, especially with a genuine beauty like Jing Shi. He had to keep his heart serene from the unneeded thoughts and emotions. Fate can be changed, yet, some things can only be inevitable. - - I did a quick read through but time is of the essence! I''m feeling with editing but if you can find the mistakes, I''ll fix it~ 14 Isle of Wisdom "No wonder that old man didn''t mind me going to the sect''s library, it''s riddled with dangers!" a young man spoke shaking his head. "Too bad he doesn''t know these arrays are nothing against my skills." Jumping from branches to branches, constantly switching to strolling on land and floating on air. He avoided all the traps before him as an ancient temple appeared from afar. It had been 5 days since he was unceremoniously dropped of on the Isle Of Wisdom. After saving Old Yam''s daughter, Silver was brought onto the isle. Old Yam instantly fled the moment he stepped onto the island, leaving with simple instructions. "Reach the center of the isle and you''ll be able to to enter the Temple of Knowledge. Good luck!" Using the "simple" instructions, Silver escaped many traps and beasts living in the dense forest of the isle. Silver sensed danger from behind him, instantly dodging with his Star Mirage Steps. A giant''s arm made of earth appeared and smashed into the ground from where he once stood. Looking at the earth golem, Silver frowned in annoyance. He noticed a few more of these golems appeared out of the forest nearby the temple. How was he supposed to get to the library with this many strong opponents. Glaring at the 5 giant golems of various elements, he started thinking carefully as they emitted the cultivation of a late-stage Null Origin. Even with the boost of his [Chaotic Void Skill] and Earth Origin cultivation, their defenses and strength were top notch. They felt powerful but not exactly too dangerous. Luckily, it seems they had no intelligence but strong cultivation and decent fighting skills. Staring at the golems and then the entrance to the ancient temple, Silver began contemplating. He could only handle two at most, but still circulated his [Star Mirage Steps] to the fullest. As the 5 golems struck with precise attacks, he dodged them all with a strand of hair''s distance. It was quite an accomplishment to avoid fire, water, earth, wind and lightning attacks. **Hong long long¡­. Silver felt excited when he finally broke through from using Star Mirage Steps at a frightening level. Making it to One with Oneself, he increased his speed and dodging ability against the slightly clumsy golems. Taking one step forward, zipping through all 5, he appeared at the entrance of the Temple of Knowledge. The golems immediately stopped their attacks and returned to their original locations as if nothing had happened. Staring at the dense forest, Silver felt unsure if he could handle them in a full frontal attack. Even if he made it to the next realm, Star Origin. Gratefully, he made a breakthrough in his movement skill and evaded all those attacks on a whim. Just a slight brush of their earth fist could severely injure him if he made a slight error. The Temple of Knowledge was quite humongous based on its exterior, yet when he entered, it was more breathtaking. He had seen many libraries in life, but this is the first time he seen such at an magnificent scale. From the looks, you couldn''t even exaggerate what was inside. This temple held over a few billion texts, manuals, scrolls and other books altogether. Even the knowledge he had felt like a drop in a vast ocean compare to this library Slowly walking up, cautious of hidden traps, he was unable to move forward due to an invisible barrier. The token given by Old Yam suddenly flew out of his robe, floating to the center of the of the library and lit up a few times and returned to him. Moving forward again, the invisible barrier preventing him to continue had disappeared. Looking at the center again, a stone tablet appeared from thin air. On the face of the tablet, only a few words was written. He was allowed 5 years of time to read in the Temple of Knowledge and nothing can be copied and brought out of the temple unless allowed so. "Of course there''s some restriction for a library of this caliber," Silver muttered quietly as he prepared cultivating a mental technique. "But why is such an ancient isle here? Seems like the other sects doesn''t even know of its existence. I''ll figure it out if I can find the information regarding this isle. Even though I have eidetic memory, just this many books can really overload my mental capacity despite my strong soul. Seems like I can grind my Eternal Soul Refinement and Ancient Bookworm mental skill to the peak in this library. With this much knowledge before me, becoming the strongest should be a breeze." The Ancient Bookworm mental skill was literally used to memorize and imprint knowledge into the soul and mind. If one expended their mental and soul energy, one could instantly read hundreds of books in mere seconds. It essentially allowed the cultivator to create a mental library to quickly pull the relevant information needed. An old master had given him this skill on a whim because he liked his attitude. This was how he was able to reach to a terrifying degree in the path of cultivation. Even in Silver''s old life, there were only a few counted on both hands, that had a similar skill to his Ancient Bookworm skill. Those who could use a godly skill like his to the maximum potential also had a rare and heaven-defying soul refining arts to help them. Before he fought the heavens, he imparted both the soul and mental skills to both of his own disciples. ''Hmm¡­ This qi feels familiar,'' Silver thought as he cultivated his two skills. Facepalming, he stood up quickly, realizing the qi in the library is different than the qi in the world and sect. It was the void qi he needed to gather when using the [Chaotic Void Skill]. ''This isle is a godsend for me who uses void qi! I can feel an indefinite amount of qi pouring into this temple. With the never ending supply of void qi, I can grind the two skills to the peak. I can probably advance to this "King''s Realm" during the 5 years!'' Silver calmed himself down and sat down in a lotus position at the center of the library. With the unlimited void qi, he stretched out his soul and mental energy to read the hundreds of books that he could handle. Soon, he became lost in the sea of knowledge. ... "Why did you allow him only 5 years time in the library at the Isle of Wisdom?" Starfinder asked staring at an island from afar. "You know, he won''t be able to even read .01 percent of the library! It might even take some time for him to pass through earth golem''s guarding the temple. They may be slightly clumsy but they have inherent many top warriors battle skills and filled with brute strength. I remember my old faction leader''s eyes were filled with dread when he was heading there to gain enlightenment every few years." "Heh, I have a feeling that boy will be able to read more than 20% of the library and beat the those mindless golems to smithereen. Or at least pass them without a problem," Old Yam answered enthusiastically, as he too, stared at the island. "He was able to cure my daughter''s illness and give her a cultivation method that even I cannot grasp. How can those things be a challenge to him? Plus, your faction leader had to go against 25 elemental golems and find a way to land a hit on [that]. Of course he would be filled with dread." "Are you saying, within 5 years, Silver would trigger [that]?" Starfinder exclaimed in shock. "Even I barely survived even though [that] could only cause minor harm. It wasn''t allowed to kill members of our Floating Cloud Sect." "Time can only tell," Old Yam said giving a smirk hidden with worry. "I almost forgot to tell him the qi there is different and extremely hard to refine! I hope he''ll do fine." "Don''t worry about him, he''ll definitely do well since you''re confident about it," Starfinder said gloating inwardly. If they both knew of Silver''s soul and mental skills, they''d puke up blood from shock. Such skills could only be seen as heaven defying! "Maybe he''ll change his mind about your daughter too!" "Old fool, don''t think I''ve forgotten about the wine you''ve stolen from my wine stash!" Old Yam refuted mockingly. Starfinder was definitely right on the mark with Old Yam. The old fool wanted to become a grandpa and wish he could have many grandchildren. Even so, he still cared about who his daughter wanted to marry. Old Yam could tell Shi and Silver were fated, yet the future could hold many variables especiallywith Silver''s grand ambitions. If Silver knew about Old Yam''s inner thoughts, he would literally avoid Jing Shi and Old Yam with fervent passion. "What wine stash?" Starfinder denied while chuckling lightly. He slowly backed away from Old Yam, transforming into a yellow lightning bolt to escape. "DAMN YOU OLD THIEF," Old Yam shouted as he chased after Starfinder. "MY WINE!!" - - Not sure if the author''s thought still works but I hope my readers enjoy the rework~ 15 Appearance of the Black Dragon 1 year later¡­ Silver opened his eyes after reading endless amount of texts during his first year. His Ancient Bookworm and Eternal Soul Refinement skills reached new heights as he continued to use it. From hundreds of books to being able to read hundred thousands of books at a time and categorize it mentally. "So far, I''ve read 20% of the library¡­" mumbled Silver. Silver had awaken 3 times during the first year. Each time he awaken, he immediately made use of the new knowledge and begin consolidating his foundation. Biding his time to steadily and slowly reach each stage and realm. Currently he reached late-stage Earth Origin, half a step into reaching early-stage Star Origin. He closed his eyes again, focused in cycling his qi to tackle the next breakthrough point. Building his qi, he fervently smashed against the barrier hindering his next advancement. From what he could gather, once one is ready to advance to Star Origin you must condense your dantian and then skillfully implode it into the [Starry Sea]. One must of have a constant stream of qi to continuously expand it, then condense and repeat. The process itself was dangerous as those who died from reaching Star Origin innumerable. Most would stay in the Earth Origin for years before attempting it while others gave up and stayed stuck there forever. Such is the path of cultivation. One must take risks to progress to the next stage or realm. In his old world, it was quite easy to reach the next realm as they weren''t as complicated. But here, in this world, it was complicated to raise one cultivation after reaching late-stage Earth Origin. Where other has failed, he shall surpass them. Silver continued to repeat the process of condensing his dantian to the size of a grain of rice and then expanding it into the size of an orange. With the a constant supply if void qi, he was able to condense his dantian 13 times. Once he manage to shrink it to the size of an pit of a peach the 13th time, Silver began struggling to condense it. With each time he condensed it by a strand of hair, his dantian would emit a rumbling sound. He struggle a bit more to and it finally shrunk to the size of an apple seed. From there, his body began to shake violently as the void qi was trying to explode but he continued to condense his dantian. Silver was covered in sweat as he was close to reaching the size of a grain of rice. Once he got there, he tried to shrink it further and continuously supplying it with void qi. If he lost control, the devastation that it could cause is akin to the explosion of at least 2 hydrogen bombs*. That''s why many powerful cultivator would who guided disciples into breaking through to the Star Origin would use hundreds of protective arrays around them. Silver kept condensing his dantian with absolute focus, almost reaching the molecular level. Unknown to him, a being hidden within the void of the library had always kept an eye on him. Because of Silver''s low cultivation, he couldn''t sense the hidden void above the tablet he was sitting under. Yet, it didn''t matter at this time as he was too focused in breaking through to the next realm. Steadily condensing his dantian, a random surge of void qi entered it before he could notice. He lost focus for a second, startled by the random surge of qi. Unable to stop the surge of qi, Silver stabilized himself once more and began forcefully condensing the apple size dantian. ''I have no idea why this is happening. It doesn''t say it in the texts or maybe it''s because it''s a different qi,'' thought Silver trying to maintain his focus. He would of never thought that something was trying to mess with his breakthrough. Silver''s body was drenched in sweat as he tried his best to condense and keep his dantian tamed. The being that lurked in the void continued to observe, eyeing Silver''s dantian. It had purposely expanded to see what this human would do. If the human cleared through this small obstacle, it would help him. But if Silver didn''t, the being would send the human through the void to explode. Luckily, Silver maintained his calm at the last moment. As if the heaven chose to help him, Silver finally condensed it to the utmost of his ability. Cracks began to spread across the surface of his dantian. In between each cracks, a golden light shone through as it continue to suck in the other shell of the dantian. Soon the outer shell ceased to exist as the shining golden light dimmed into the empty darkness along with it. Silver could see an emptiness, devoid of the dantian once there. But he didn''t feel sad or frustrated but a strength emanating from the void in his body. A tiny flickering light like the flames of a candle faintly appeared. A light pulse of qi emitted from the flickering light as it steadily grew brighter. As if he watching the creation of the universe, a light shattered with a powerful bang. Silver kept watching as the light finally faded, he saw a sea of stars where his dantian once was. He finally broke through to early-stage Star Origin but it didn''t stop there. His starry sea continue to expand to mid-stage Star Origin, late-stage Star Origin, early-stage Nova Origin, mid-stage.., late-stage Nova Origin, and finally stopped at early-stage Null Origin. If the being that was hidden in the void hadn''t interfered, Silver would of stopped at early-stage Nova Origin. Even so, the hidden being, was still surprised by the sudden leap in cultivation realm. If Old Yam and Starfinder saw him breaking through and skipping two realms so easily, they would hide in embarrassment. It took them a hundred years from Earth Origin to reach early-stage Null Origin, but here Silver did it in a little over a year. After breaking through to early-stage Null Origin, Silver felt startled and noticed a huge change in his body. Within the depths of his starry sea of, a small mark was being formed at the center. He couldn''t make out the shape of the mark since it was blurry but felt it was related to the King Realm. He stood up and immediately began practicing his skills. Surges ofimmense strength course through his body from the blurry mark. This power couldn''t be compared to his old self! His body was tyrannically powerful. Even if an evolved ranked attacked him, they wouldn''t even put a scratch on his skin. He was sure those under the King Realm could not even faze him! The being hidden within the void felt interesting with Silver. It could feel that this human was similar to it in many ways. Silver stopped practicing when he realized a strong ripple in space was being emitted above him. Staring up, a huge shadow loomed above him as the mysterious being slowly emerged from its void. Appeared before him was a colossal black dragon* floating before him. The dragon was almost 15,000 meters* long but compared to the size of the library, it was only a 18th of it. Silver had seen experience many things, so facing a dragon of this size didn''t bother him. But no matter what, he couldn''t see through this dragon''s cultivation at all. It''s as if it doesn''t exist in this world''s plane. "You''re the first human who maintain their calm heart after seeing me," praised the colossal black dragon. "How far have you read in this library?" "I''ve read about 20%. Give or take," replied Silver unsure of what to do. Even though he was calm, it was still odd to face a legendary existence like the black dragon already. The black dragon felt inwardly shocked after hearing Silver''s answer. Of all the cultivators who came here to attain some form of enlightenment could barely reach .02 percent. That was the highest achieved given 10 years of seclusion within the library to boot! "Human, what is your name?" "I am Silver." "A very plain name, it seems." Silver''s eyebrow twitched for a split second. ''Simple your mother!'' His name reigned terror and recognition from both foes and allies. It was hard to think that his name was just simple! It was unique and given by his master since he was an orphan baby. "Hmmm, it seems I hit a nerve? Quite the odd human you are, fretting over an opinion of your name. No matter, I wish to make a bet with you." "What kind of bet?" inquired Silver sighing inwardly. "If you can read 100% of this library within the remaining years here, I will give something to further your cultivation path in return." "I will only agree if you tell me your name." "I am Lord Baruch of the [Void Race]!" "[Void Race]? But aren''t you a black dragon?" "Yes. I may appear as a black dragon but I was born from the void. I already had this appearance since I was born." Silver felt more puzzled by the background of the Isle of Wisdom and Lord Baruch. He had never heard of these terms before. It seems like ever since he reincarnated and cultivated the [Chaotic Void Skill], his encounters had become equally strange. He didn''t even know where to start with his questions. "Do not bother with your questions. You would understand everything about us [Void Race] from within this library. Only those who can read 100% will be able to grasp the mysteries of this Temple of Knowledge," Lord Baruch pointed out as he noticed Silver''s expressions. "I can tell that you can cultivate void qi like us. For reaching 20% within a year, I will impart a skill of mine to you." Silver stood still, accepting the skill imparted by Lord Baruch as they placed the very tip of their tail against his forehead. Streams of information appeared, imprinting itself into his mind and soul. The skill Lord Baruch imparted was called [Myriad Avatar Technique]. A rare technique that allowed the cultivator to create millions of avatars once they reached the highest realm. Starting from the Star Origin, they could create one avatar that could live for about 20 years. Once they reached Nova Origin, the avatar lifespan will increase by 100 years. Then after they reached Null Origin, the avatar lifespanwill reach a thousand years and allow the individual soul and mind to transfer over if their main body were to be destroyed. Whatever the avatar learns, vice-versa, the cultivator will naturally learn it too. They can even fuse with their avatar to become stronger after cultivating the avatar to a suitable realm! When breaking through to the King''s Realm, the technique will go under a qualitative change. The technique will allow them to create more avatars as much as they want. The true downside of the [Myriad Avatar Technique], one must have a powerful soul, since the technique takes piece of your soul to form the avatar and they will always start at zero! Lord Baruch felt startled once more as he watched Silver go into the state of enlightenment after imparting his technique. Silently chuckling in his heart, he sent Silver into the void to cultivate. One would learn that thousands of years can pass in the void but only a minute would pass in the world Silver reincarnated in. In this way, Silver truly struck mountain of treasures ever since he joined the Floating Cloud Sect. - Black Dragon* - eastern style dragon but all black (wingless) - Don''t expect to see the chronological chapters from last time! I am definitely reworking as I continue to edit and add more chapters to keep a decent flow going. Plus, less time skips... maybe. 16 Birth of the Kings Sounds of clashing could be heard within an island shrouded in a mysterious and dense fog made of qi. Nearing the center of this island, one could see 33 elemental-like golems fighting a young man. If they looked to their right, they would be stunned to see an enormous black dragon-like beast napping quietly as if the fighting was an everyday thing for it. A lightning golem appeared behind the young man but it didn''t faze him one bit. Using his left hand, he gripped onto a lightning golem that attempted to attack him, and threw it towards the napping black dragon. Feeling the change in the air, the black dragon slowly opened its eyes in annoyance. It''s eyes appeared like the stars in the night sky as it got up in a relaxed manner. Turning it''s huge body slightly to the right, dodging the lightning golem as it flew passed it. Staring at the young man before it, the black dragon''s starry eyes slightly twitched. With a light snort, it also joined the fight. "Can''t you let me rest for a moment? It hasn''t been an hour since I got to nap. Don''t you have to create your King''s Mark anyways?" snapped the black dragon flying towards the young man. "Why couldn''t you be like the others and quietly cultivate? Even the founder of the Floating Cloud Sect wasn''t as annoying as you!" "There, there Blacky! I still need to comprehend the [Myriad Avatar Technique] you imparted to me. Send me back to the void too. That feeling of being born of nothing, as if free without a care of time and meaningless thoughts is something I wish to return to," replied the young man dodging the claws of Blacky and the incoming elemental golems. "It may give me the final push in forming the king''s mark." Right after the young man spoke, a second person joined into the fight. They immediately teamed up with him, going against Blacky and the 33 elemental golems. If one were to observe closely, the other person was a splitting image of the young man who spoke. As these identical individuals fought, the elemental appearance became more tattered as time went on.Feeling frustrated, Blacky let out a furious roar filled with void qi that surrounded both of the identical young man. With a light angry huff, Blacky sent both of them into a world of nothingness, the void. Of course, this seemingly young man was Silver and the identical person beside him was his avatar. After attaining enlightenment from the [Myriad Avatar Technique], he created an avatar with his exact appearance. He did want his avatar to intake and cultivate the [Qi of Heaven and Earth] but decided against since there was no heaven and earth qi in the library. So instead, during the next two years, they both studied within the library using both the [Ancient Bookworm] skill and [Eternal Soul Refinement] technique. During the second year, his avatar finally reached the peak-stage Null Origin like him. What Blacky used, from his anger, was a void prison skill to entrap Silver into a small space in the world of the void. Most individuals would break mentally from being in the void for too long. Yet, for Silver, it was a blessing in disguise due to his [Chaotic Void Skill]. The skill, itself, was truly meant to be cultivated in the void. Since their bet from the first year, he quickly assimilated 100% of the information in the library into his soul and mind near the end of the third year. Based on what he learned, this world used realm marks for each change in realm. Starting at the King''s Realm, one would create their first mark based on the heart, mind, and soul of the cultivator. The hardest part for everyone, including Silver, is creating the King''s Mark thatallowed you to become a true cultivator. This separated those who was still chained to their mortal roots than those who broke free from the restriction of mortality. From then on, after creating the King''s Mark, it would continue to involve each realm until you reached the highest realm possible. Although there was many King''s Mark, only 9 could have the same mark. If one died, another person with the same mark is born. Those who defy the heavens and their fate in their path of cultivation could truly create a one of a kind mark. The only known mark of such is from the Arctic Emperor, the other 8 demonic gods, and the founding ancestors of the super sects across the world. Even though this world was invaded by the demonic gods, they still followed the world''s law even if they sealed it. To keep a strong grip on it, even during its slumber, the world''s will still stays in the 9 demonic gods complete control. Silver and avatar drifted in the void, both attaining enlightenment of the [Chaotic Void Skill]. ''The universe began with trillions of life surrounded by the always existing void. A sense of solitude crumbling overtime, yet, the universe stood strong as if the nothingness was its lifelong companion. The river of time, flowing in the ever-aging universe, slowly took away the breath of life from countless life-forms. Yet time was unable to touch the endless gap of the void. Life begins, the void continues to exist. Life ends, the void still exists. When one gains something, that nothing will be filled. Unless taken away, that something becomes nothing once more. The void will continue to exist even when the universe crumbles. How can you gain something if you never experience of having nothing? Being a nothing? Truly isolated from your thoughts, yourself, time, life, and surrounded by complete darkness. Free yourself and accept the void as a lifelong companion. Only then, could one understand what it means. Endlessly and timelessy drifting. Unfettered within the complete void. Nothing can stop you. Nothing can touch you. The void has endless possibilities, in between the gaps of life and death, time and space. Only by grasping it, can allow you to see the beginning. The ending. Will you become nothing like everyone else or will you make that nothing part of you, defying everyone and everything?'' Silver silently floated in the void. Within his body, appeared a starry sea as a blurry mark emitted a faint violet light at the center. As his enlightenment slowly came to an end, his violet colored mark started to solidify and materialize. Opening his eyes, having the exact appearance as Blacky''s starry eyes, Silver activated his [Myriad Avatar Technique] to fuse with his avatar to ensure his success in breaking through into the King''s Realm. As Silver attempted to break through, his mark begun taking its true shape at the core of the starry sea. Unknowingly, 3 small and unnoticeable strand of foreign qi entered his mark as he continued to solidify it. "The laws of the universe and this sleeping world is helping him," Blacky muttered dumbfoundedly peering into the void prison. "This is the first human to ever succeed in the last trillions of years in the billions of universes I''ve been taking care of. What luck! The fate of this universe will change to point that even I cannot interfere in. I can finally brag to those four for a very long time. Although you''re an annoying human, I wish you the best for now on. The path of the void is one that is extraordinarily rare and harsh to tread on." A stunning, violet light covered both Silver and his avatar as they begun to fuse. The light increasingly became brighter, illuminating a small portion of the dark void as the two finally fused. **Honglonglong.. After Silver fuse with his avatar, his king''s mark finally formed in his endless starry sea. A new feeling of unimaginable power course throughout his body as his starry eyes reverted back to normal. His last minute decision to fuse with his avatar allowed him to reach late-stage Martial King. There was three levels in the King''s Realm. Starting from at the first level was Martial King, followed by Spirit King, and finally True King. Once a cultivator reached peak-stage True King, they can evolve their mark once more to the next realm. Silver tested his newfound strength in the void for a few hours while consolidating and stabilizing his cultivation. "You''ve only stepped into the world of cultivators, as a budding leaf, you need a strong foundation and immeasurable power. You have one more year left, after finishing this fourth year. I will help you to control and build an unbreakable foundation. By the end of last year, I''ll be disappointed if you can''t reach the Mortal Emperor Realm," informed Blacky inwardly amused at the newly born young king. "Don''t waste all the resources I''ve given you." He thought of many ways to boast to his fellow void race. They been belittling him for millions of years ever since the last person he groom perished from qi deviation. He was truly betting it all again after he met Silver. If Silver knew what was on this corrupted, black dragon''s mind, he would definitely beat and scold it once he had the power. With a quick tap, Blacky slowed the time flow within island. With his immeasurable power, Silver wouldn''t be able to notice the change in time despite his newfound knowledge and past experiences. This and that were two totally different things. Blacky and the other void race had a special ability to play with space and time. In most cases, those who were decent in comprehending the laws of space and time will still notice themselves age even when they change the time ratio. Only those with abilities can escape the river of time. But with Blacky''s abilities, he could alter Silver''s senses so it would seem that two years had passed. In reality, one year outside is equivalent to ten thousand years inside the island. Silver stared at the giant void lizard for a long time, unsure if it was joking or not. After learning the history, he was able to tell that an Mortal Emperor was the strength of the current city leader of White Lotus City. This was something he deemed impossible to reach within two years. Cultivating void qi was exceedingly difficult, as it took him nearly two years to reach Martial King. If he cultivated heaven and earth qi, reaching the first level of Emperor''s Realm, Mortal Emperor, was an easy task. Little did he know, due to gaining his interest, Blacky had already changed the flow the first time they met. With his low cultivation, he couldn''t even sense the change in time. Especially now, when Blacky tapped the air earlier. The void cultivation path is extremely arduous and impossible to cultivate due the long refinement process for void qi. Blacky already knew that the first individual of the void race took billions of years to reach the King''s Realm. Hence, the first void being created the [Myriad Avatar Technique]. It was the second manual created after the mysterious void skill it cultivated. Each break through needed an frightful amount of void qi. The upside of being a void being was their immortal body and ability to fight most at a realm higher than them. Unless, of course, they were already a powerful existence. Upon meeting Blacky, the amount of void qi to refine became incomparably abundant. So to speak, Silver wouldn''t understand which resources Blacky meant. The only reason Silver was able to get to the Origin Realm within the first three years he reincarnated is due to the place he stayed at. It was one of the natural places where void qi could naturally gather. Not many beasts stayed there since it could not gather and refine the void qi. In most cases, it caused them to become easily irritated. "Alright, I''ll try my best then," Silver answered still feeling unsure. After the enlightenment, Silver could finally understand how to use the [Chaotic Void Skill] to the fullest. Sitting down in a lotus position, he began to cultivate the abundant void qi without a second thought. ''This brat can only think of cultivation! I fear he may not be able to have any descendants, or at least find someone compatible,'' Blacky thought shaking his head in worry. Taking his attention away from Silver, he used his divine sense to peer at a young woman cultivating in a small valley. Carefully observing her cultivate for a few days, she finally broke through and entered early-stage Martial King.Her king''s mark appeared out of her body, emitting powerful waves of yin and yang qi. But before power could spread out and disturb the entire continent, it dispersed in to void. From what it seems, Blacky was protecting and hiding the newly awaken and unique king. ''A flame that can stay burning even in the void and ice that can freeze time forever . . .'' - - The title was originally, [Return of the Void Mark] but I changed it to a more fitting title. 17 The World Trembles From the Mark of the Void Twenty thousand years lat...2 years later, Silver finally left the Temple of Knowledge after learning all he needed to learn. He stood at the Isle of Wisdom edge, waiting for Old Yam to come pick him up. Training for "2 years" under the strict tutelage of Blacky, he somehow broke through and barely touched the boundary of late-stage Mortal Emperor Realm. After pondering over the matter, he suspected foul play on Blacky''s part. Since he couldn''t tell what Blacky had down, he threw the thought to the back of his mind. Despite his instinctual suspicions, Silver heart was full of gratitude. One could say Blacky was like a master of his. A colossal, scaly black dragon of a master. Adhering to the void lizard warnings, Silver hid his cultivation to late stage Martial King before exiting the temple. After patiently waiting for a small period of time, Old Yam finally appeared in a flying rowboat. The rowboat slowly landed in front of Silver. "For a person who''s been in the isle for 5 years, your temperament has somehow changed to this old man''s liking," Old Yam spoke after observing Silver''s with some slight worries. "You''ve reached Martial King, even reaching late stage. A bit beyond my expectations. Congratulations, kiddo! Are you sure you don''t want to marry my daughter? I do wish for some talented grandchildrens in the future." "Let''s go old man, I haven''t retrieve my disciple token, robe and items since I came here. I don''t even have housing either," Silver began urging. He could feel slight shiver from the Old Yam''s mischievous eyes. Silver really wanted to focus on cultivating, so he was quick to change the topic. Romance was the least of his concerns, but this old man really enjoyed pushing his daughter onto him. ''I only wanted access for the library. What did I do to deserve this treatment!?'' "Alright, alright. I''m only asking a simple question," responded Old Yam in an annoyed tone. Even though the topic changed, he inwardly tried thinking of plans to get his daughter and Silver together. Sadly, Silver could see the wily intentions within Old Yam''s eyes. "Let''s grab your belongings. Since you''ve broke through to the Martial King, you''ll immediately become an inner disciple after choosing your faction." Silver felt a headache coming his way, clearly aware of the old man''s intention and boarded the rowboat. They flew far from the Isle of Wisdom and reached the Floating Cloud Sect''s main hall within 15 minutes. Stepping off the rowboat, both Old Yam and Silver walked to the receptionist desk in the main hall. With their appearance, a few disciple stopped chatting immediately and began gawking at the old man standing besides Silver. Old Yam, to the gawking disciples, is a legend for being rude and unsociable. Never would they see him happily chirping, in high spirit, especially with a new disciple. Only two simple questions ran through their mind, ''Who is this new disciple? Is that his son?'' "Hello, I am here to pick up my disciple robe and belongings. Also, I heard I can change my status to inner disciple if I reached Martial King?" Silver asked the receptionist ignoring the odd stares from the disciples. He took a wild guess that they were for Old Yam''s and his reputation. He''s somewhat a new disciple, why would anyone pay attention to him, unless the person next to him is rather influential. Although Silver''s guess was right, but Old Yam was truly influential for the wrong reasons. This old man beside had constantly made 4 of the 6 faction leaders unimaginable angry, and left many disciples crying for their mother and father. Wherever he went a trail of swears, tears and fear followed in every single step of the way. "Ye-s-s! Please give me your disciple token and proof of reaching the Martial King," the receptionist fearfully answered. She had been bullied to tears by Old Yam before. Bad luck had came to her, plus a few other disciples, when she accidently stumbled upon one of his legendary angry fits. It gotten so bad that even the patriarch had to come out and soothe the man. Since the day patriarch came out to calm him down, the main hall had to be reinforced with 1,000 more defensive arrays after Old Yam destroyed half it in his angry fit. But as of late, during the last 5 years, Old Yam hadn''t caused a ruckus. Everyone hoped the old man had died or at least gain his senses and stayed quiet out of shame. With him walking this new disciple, Silver, a new rumor had instantly been born. Silver had become instantly famous with the outer and inner disciples that enjoyed gossips. He was naturally known Old Yam''s son. The story of how he became Old Yam''s son varied. Themost commonly considered fable was that Silver was his missing son and Old Yam toured the continent to find him. After finding him, Old Yam''s changed his temperament from an evil villain into a heroic individual. Of course, this rumor circulated much later. "Here''s my token and proof of reaching Martial King," Silver answered showing his king''s mark. He was oblivious of the situation he''d been put in. If he knew of Old Yam''s reputation, he would find ways to the main hall without him. "Thank you, here''s your updated disciple token advancing you to inner disciple. Congratulations! Any information you need is already in the token, just touch the array inscribed on the back. It will give your rank, points, tasks and the faction you''re in. Please note, all your information will automatically update, so no need to worry about coming here often. If you want to trade your points for materials is at the West Hall or also known as the Trading Hall. At the South Hall is the testing rooms to test your skills or delve deep into your research. To battle other disciples in martial combat or talent the arena is in the East Hall. Please be aware, all battles are public with 100 platforms to choose from and has to be scheduled, betting points is also permitted," the receptionist informed in a orderly fashion. She felt curious to Silver, due to Old Yam''s reputation. Sadly, she had a strong fear of Old Yam, so she quickly summarized and inform Silver of the basics. She didn''t want to anger the moody old man besides him. "Which faction will you choose? We do have a 7th faction for those who are undecided." "Much appreciated, fellow disciple," Silver thanked respectfully. He truly admired such professionalism and those who did their job without using condescending looks based on a person''s appearance, knowledge, cultivation and talent. Sadly, it was truly rare for such people in a world where looks, power, and talent trumps all. "I cho---" "He will choose undecided as his faction. He also allowed to have his own peak to cultivate in," Old Yam casually interrupted. He gave the receptionist a lustrous black jade with the number 14 etched into it. "I''ve already spoken to the other faction leaders, including the patriarch. Here is the token of approval." "Ye-s-s, sir! I will get right onto it," the startled receptionist nervously exclaimed to Old Yam. She really wanted to know who this disciple is and if he was Old Yam''s son. Never have anyone seen him act this way before! This was such juicy gossip for her fellow disciple sisters to hear of. "What do you want to name your peak, sir?" "Eclipse Peak," Silver answered feeling a bit perplexed. He shouldn''t have garnered this much attention from the faction leaders and the patriarch. Even then, having his own peak is truly something he wanted. The skills he cultivated were really eye catching and may cause some greed. Everything seem to be smooth sailing, making it oddly suspicious. Truthfully, he didn''t mind it too much. "Aright, you''re the current and first owner of Eclipse Peak. The directions to get there is also inscribed within your disciple token. This token can also act as a key, opening the barrier of the your peak. Those deem trustworthy can request for a key, with your approval, to live on the peak with you," the receptionist quickly informed Silver. Her desire to uncover this disciple''s background grew stronger. No new disciple can waltz into the sect and get all these resources so easily. Especially, the Undecided Faction. Those disciples that are a part of the Undecided Faction were widely frowned upon. They were the laughing stock of the 6 main factions. "Thank you again," Silver said feeling embarrassed. He only wanted to stay low-key, why is he gaining so much attention. He wished he never spoke to Old Yam if he knew it would come to this predicament. Silently accepting the situation, he took the token and looked up at Old Yam''s vile smirk. "You''ll understand soon," Old Yam smiled while answering Silver''s stare who eventually nodded reluctantly. Exiting the the main hall, Old Yam summoned his rowboat once more. They both got onto the rowboat and travelled towards Silver''s new home, Eclipse Peak. ... Somewhere out of White Lotus City, Arctic Emperor and the other 8 demonic gods opened their eyes in concern. The seal that kept the world sleeping, slightly trembled for the first time since they invaded it. When Silver showed the receptionist his king''s mark, fate finally spun for the world, the power of the void mark had aroused the world''s will. ''The world is slowly awakening, we must find this person and kill them!'' All 9 demonic gods thought in unison. - - Another noticeable change in the title. . . Hehehe. I hope everyone, including the new readers, enjoy the rework~ 18 Visiting sManagers Poe Again At the break of dawn, a shirtless young man was practicing his punching routines on top of a large peak. The scattering rays of the rising sun revealed the glistening sweat, sliding down his forehead and dripping off his chin. Inhaling and exhaling deep breaths, steady and slow, his body was shrouded in a mist of steam.Each punch, seemingly hard yet soft, scattered the air around with every thrust. He took a deep breath, keeping his stance firm, exhaling the turbid qi from his mouth. With a slight nod, the young man relaxed himself and walked back to his hut. He grabbed a ragged towel on a nearby chair and wipe the sweat off his forehead and chest. The hut, spacious enough for three people, sat on top of the 14th peak, Eclipse Peak, in Floating Cloud Sect. Sadly, this young man had recently became a disciple and did not have a bath house nor a decent siheyuan*. Luckily, he knew a cleaning spell and instantly washed off the impurity off his body. He took his time, putting on his inner disciple robes pondering over his cultivation. As of now, the young man was waiting for news from a spontaneous old man. He was told to be ready for tomorrow. His inner disciple long robes appeared pure white with a golden cloud sewn at both cuffs with white pants and shoes. Fixing up his robes, he sauntered down the mountain peak towards the entrance gate of the sect. He strolled down a small trail that connected to the crowded streets of White Lotus City. As if he was like a passing white blur, he immediately reached in front of a shop entrance. Above the shop hung a giant signboard "Golden Spring Merchant Association". Opening the doors, he continued towards the receptionist desk. A simple yet adorable young woman looked up at him, giving a elegant yet professional smile. "Hello, Fei. Is the manager around today?" asked the young man. "It''s been awhile since you last visit, Sir Silver," Fei spoke with a charming smile staring at the young man. It had been five year yet somehow she felt mesmerized by his handsome face. Silver had truly grown up and matured into a fine man ever since he came out the Isle of Wisdom. "Manager Poe is here today. Please head upstairs behind me and his room is at the farthest right. He would be very happy to see a familiar face." Nodding, Silver turned and stepped up the flight of stairs, stopping in front of the manager''s office. Knocking loudly on the door, he stood there and waited quietly. The door quickly swung opened, a stern chubby face appeared but soon the expression became startled. "Brother Silver! I''m so glad to see you. It has been 5 years!" Brother Poe excitedly exclaimed. He grabbed his arm, tugging Silver inside and waved him to take a seat. "I''ve been waiting for so long, I thought you died somewhere outside of the city. Where have you been all this time? I''ve collect all the items you wanted and kept them safe just in case you came back alive." "Hahaha, I''m sorry for not informing you after passing the exams at Floating Cloud Sect. Next thing I know, 5 years passed in a blink of an eye. Somehow I managed to become an inner disciple," Silver lightly laughed while answering Brother Poe''s question. "Besides the items I requested, is there any rare materials that made an appearance? I hope you thought of me when they did." "Inner disciple? You''re a Martial King now?" Brother Poe blurting in surprise. His facial expression instantly changed. His chubby jaws dropped as his mouth agape into a huge O. His face felt slightly exaggerated as he lost his cool. "I can''t really bother to explain the small details but I am indeed at the Martial King realm," Silver answered while showing his king''s mark. Brother Poe knew how hard it was to become a inner disciple in the Floating Cloud Sect. Even if one reached the Martial King, the had to do 3 major exams. From his intel, he knew that a little over a hundred individuals had become an inner disciple in the sect after being there for over a few decades. Some were still in the outer sect for a few decades. That was how harsh the requirements were to enter inner disciple. The next step is to become a personal disciple, a mighty status to have within the sect. Those who become personal disciples would be able to obtain their own peak and allowed others of their choosing to live on their peak. If Brother Poe knew Silver had his own peak with just his status as a inner disciple, he would kowtow a thousand times to Silver in reverence. "I knew you were extremely talented when I first met you but I never thought you''d be a inner disciple within 5 years! Very few could make an accomplishment in a short of time there. Those who are talented reach the inner disciple nearing their 7th to 13th year in the sect. A few years difference seems small but the road to advancement is quite tedious and long. Especially, in the Floating Cloud Sect." "Now let''s continue with my earlier question, Brother Poe." "Ahhh..Yes, yes. I did buy a few in thought of you. These materials and herbs seemed something you''d be interested in," Brother Poe recalled swallowing up his shock and envy. He had long reached the late stage of the Martial King, yet his sworn brother had more talent than him, reaching the realm in a mere 5 years from the internal realm. What kind of dogsh*t luck does Silver have!? Little did he know, due to Blacky''s training, it actually took Silver much longer to reach the Martial King realm. "Here''s the materials and herbs I gathered within the last five years. I''ll gift this to you, at no cost." Manager Poe pulled out a spatial ring from his spatial ring and tossed it at Silver. Silver grabbed the ring and began inspecting the items inside using his divine sense. Everything he needed to upgrade his void constitution to the second grade was there. Although it was good to have a strong cultivation, having a strong body is needed. With items gathered by Brother Poe, Silver chances to reform and strengthen his physical body had increased. The first five needed external assistance while the last four needed a special type of energy for each transformation but those thoughts were for future. With a smile, nodding in satisfaction, Silver took out a small booklet from his spatial ring and gave it to Brother Poe. "This is something I thoughtfully wrote during my spare time in the last 5 years. This manual that I created should suit your tastes. Hopefully it can help you tread further into your path of cultivation," Silver spoke appreciating the kind gesture. Throughout his life, he always repaid gratitude with gratitude with full interest. He did not want to owe anybody, keeping his heart firm and steady, free of future karmic obstacles. Brother Poe accepted the manual while grinning widely. He thought the manual would be gibberish, but he still quickly read through it as a form of respect for his brother. Flipping through the pages, his expression became more outrageous as each page increasingly became more profound than the latter. He deeply inhaled after closing the manual. Brother Poe stared at Silver, trembling in joy, as if he was his almighty god. With a big flop, he landed onto his knees. His enormous belly jiggling in fervor while he slammed his head multiple times onto the hard wooden floor. Of course, Brother Poe controlled his strength, if not, there would be a giant hole going through the floor after the first slam. "THANK YOU BROTHER SILVER, THANK MY GODLY BROTHER SILVER!," Brother Poe exclaimed joyously. He truly felt indebted after meeting Silver. He have never so much gratitude as he kowtowed passionately a few more times. Once he was done, he stood up with a face wet with tears of joy and running snot. His grin was quite comical in way. Truly unashamed. "This manual is extremely profound and I can tell its a one of a kind! I cannot express enough gratitude of what you given me. What I gave you isn''t even to the amount of how rare and precious this cultivation manual is. I will definitely follow you through the battlefields of life and death!" "Err¡­ No problems Brother Poe," Silver sheepishly replied unsure how to feel. In his lifetime, he never met such an exaggerated person like Brother Poe in his life. He created the manual on a whim based on the style of his brother. Never would he expected an erratic reaction from the recipient. "I wish I had more time to chat but I must return to the sect, Brother Poe. Thank you for helping me gather these materials. Please continue to keep an eye for more rare, precious and mysterious materials and herbs for me." If anybody could be given a profound manual, fit to their style, they would react the same way as Brother Poe did. They would even religiously worship Silver like a god, swearing undying loyalty for many lifetimes and definitely sacrifice themselves for him. In the past, his followers and friends alike had behave in such a way. They secretly protected him with their life without a shred of doubt and fear against his enemies. Sadly, he was a type to be unaware of his actions and the effect it may cause. "Yes, Brother Silver!" Manager Poe beamed while cupping his left fist with his right palm. As Silver walked away, down the stairs and out the entrance, Manager Poe quickly got out a small, white jade from his spatial ring. He placed it on his forehead, transmitting the necessary information into it. After that, he placed the jade on a small array inscribed in the drawer of his desk. If Silver saw it, he wouldn''t immediately recognize the array. It was a high-tier transfer array! The jade disappeared in a flash after he tapped 5 different sides of the array. Brother Poe swore his soul that he would protect his brother''s background and stop those who wanted to pry information on him. From today and so on, Silver''s existence will continue to remain a mystery from the eyes of the emperors and those around. Like a mirage, sifting through the streams of individuals as if in a dream, Silver could be seen strolling back to Floating Cloud Sect. - Siheyuan* - a courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides - Another chapter comes along~ I thank those who stayed with me and still chose to reread my rework! 19 The 7 Faction Leaders Silver strolled down a scenic trail, nearing the entrance of Floating Cloud Sect. Distracted by his thoughts, close to the sect''s gates, an old man stood there watching him at the center of the entrance. Sensing someone intensely staring at him, Silver looked up and stared back at the old man standing in front of him. "Inner disciple Silver, just in time. I just came out to find you," Old Yam spoke flatly. He actually waited for a few hours after causing a ruckus in the sect. It was the main reasons why there were no gatekeepers around at this time. They ran away in fear after the old man began swearing loudly to turn the world upside down if he couldn''t find his "son". Thus, it strengthened the rumor about Silver being Old Yam''s son throughout the sect. Waving his right hand, a rowboat flew out of his spatial ring, hovering above the ground between them. "We must go. The faction leaders are getting a bit antsy and want to meet young disciple, Silver." Silver nodded, unsure what to say and climbed onto the wooden rowboat. Old Yam took a glimpsed at the young man, noticing his troubled face. He decided to stay quiet until they reached the meeting place. ''Where can I find the rest of the materials I need to upgrade this into a void body to reach the fifth level of the [Chaotic Void Skill] body tempering stage. Based on the manual, I need to be tempered in flames that can burn in the void while surrounded by ice that can withstand such flames. I will also need the blood essence of a void creature and a Grey Spirit Lotus that can only be found in the underworld. I already have the necessary items but I''m not sure if Blacky is willing to give up a blood essence. Not only that, where can I find such flames and ice? How am I going to find such a place to temper my body. It even says I have fuse the blood essence and Grey Spirit Lotus while being temper in one shot. . .'' Silver pondered unceasingly. This was truly something that stumped him for a long time. Maybe he should ask Old Yam once this meeting was over. "We''re here," Old Yam announced breaking Silver''s train of thought. Looking up, a majestic and ancient9 story pagoda sat on a island surrounded by a huge body of water, mountains, and majestic trees. A mysterious fog hindering both vision and divine sense occupied the surrounding area. This was truly a serene and magnificent place hidden deeply within the sect. Silver was so busy thinking, he didn''t even notice how they both got here. What startled him further was this strong, mysterious power radiating from the pagoda! As if an auspicious secret was hidden within awaiting to be unraveled by those it deemed worthy. Soon, the rowboat slowly descended onto the water. It began drifting towards the island the ancient pagoda was built on. There was so many mysteries shrouding the Floating Cloud Sect. Why is it the weakest sect, yet, it held these hidden treasures. There was many questions blooming within Silver''s mind. Old Yam, unaware of Silver''s deep expression, brought out a white medallion with a gold dragon imbedded into it. Upon reaching the pagoda, the medallion shone brightly as a small entrance opened in the barrier surrounding the pagoda. Looking at the arrays, Silver felt shocked! These arrays here were of the highest heaven grade, something that couldn''t be possible since he''s only seen low and mid tier arrays within the whole city. From his guess, the Floating Cloud Sect founders must of been more than what meets the actual legend. Was it a true heaven-defying powerhouse who created it? Were they truly building a sect or was it to hide dark secret in White Lotus City? Old Yam got of the small rowboat, Silver following the same action, as they enter through the small entrance. They walked a few meters and stop at the steps connected to the pagoda. Looking up, a dark green robed old man stood there in front of the doors with a menacing expression. His white hair stood out wildly, as if they were trying to fly out of his head. ** "Took you long enough, old bastard!" the old man huffed lightly when sawOld Yam walking up the steps. He then set his emerald green eyes onto Silver, walking beside Old Yam, with an odd glint in his eyes. "We''ve waited hours for you, old bastard. Did you stumble upon Grandma Meng on your way here?" "Oh shut it, you useless old fogey!" Old Yam snapped in annoyance. "Can''t I take my time for once? Our young disciple had matters to attend to! All you do is complain. What is waiting for a few measly hours? For an alchemist, you sure do complain a lot about waiting." "YOU!" the old man angrily exclaimed pointing his finger at Old Yam. "I, the great alchemist Mochi, can definitely wait a few measly hours! What do you know about the patience of alchemists!?" "Patience, your dead mother!" "Are you two done arguing?" interrupted a seemingly young man standing at a height of 2.1 meters coming out of the pagoda''s entrance. The young man wore a long black robe that had gold cloud tinged with red on his cuffs. His black pants had two red stripes sewn on both sides that compliment his black shoes. On the side of his shoes, an outline of a gold cloud can be seen at the side of his heels. He had a fairly young face, sharp jawlines with sword-like eyebrows that fit well with his ruby red irises. His long jet black hair hung to his mid-back, slightly fluttering from the cool breeze. "Yes, Patriarch Dimsum!" Both Old Yam and the old man in green responded. They gave a quick bow salute to Patriarch Dimsum. "Good, let''s hurry our meeting with young disciple Silver," Dimsum gently spoke taking a glimpse at Silver. A hint of respect quickly flashed through his eyes as he turned around. The bickering duo and the young disciple followed behind as he ventured into the pagoda. After walking up a couple flight of stairs, they reached the third floor. Upon entering the floor, 5 other individuals could be seen sitting at a long conference table leisurely drinking tea and chatting. With the noises of shuffling steps entered their ears, all 5 stopped their idle chatter. They took a quick look at the 4 standing at the entrance. "Welcome back, patriarch," all 5 exclaimed after seeing it was Patriarch Dimsum at the front. All of them stood up and gave a salute. "Why do all of you choose to act like this?" Dimsum spoke exasperated. He felt unconvinced by their deceitful ploy. Every single one of them had a rowdy nature to best each other! How can he not notice the act they''re putting up for Silver. "I have never once seen any of you do this in perfect unison before me. You can''t fool me nor inner disciple Silver either!" Silver stood there feeling a ache in his head coming. He could clearly tell their intentions by the way they were staring at him like hungry ghosts. They didn''t even shed a glimpse at the patriarch. Even the patriarch was at a lost. They ignored his comment as if he was aworthless piece of dust on the ground. These fiends were ready to nab Silver the moment the patriarch took his eyes off him. Like hungry vultures hovering over the sky, awaiting for the beast to die. Hungry for a piece of precious meat. Sadly, he couldn''t escape. It seem they were ready to strike out for any possibilities of escape. "Disciple Silver greets the faction leaders," Silver announced respectfully. He gave quick bow after seeing their faction leader tokens hanging from their sides. Silver thought back to five years ago when he took first place. He finally understood what this meeting might be about. His small stunt to obtain the most resources backfired on him when he couldn''t help solve all the problems on the exam. ''At least I know why the acceptance rate were extremely low for the sect. Seems the main reason the 108 were accepted must of been due to a good mood. If not, only a guaranteed of 12-15 individuals would of made it passed the exams.'' "Alright, let''s begin the meeting. Silver you can rise up, after today, you''re now equal to all of the faction leaders!" Patriarch Dimsum happily announced as he pointed to the closest person left of him. "I''ll introduce everyone here starting from the left. I''m sure you have previously met most of them already. This is Divination Faction Leader Starfinder, Alchemy Faction Leader Mochi,Formation Faction Leader Qing, Inscription Faction Leader Velvet, Blacksmith Faction Leader Fang, Talisman Faction Leader Chen, and finally the Undecided Faction Leader and guardian of our sect, Old Yam. They are all the current leaders of each faction and a master in their own unique rights in Floating Cloud Sect." In his years after becoming the patriarch, he could only keep these old and unruly faction leaders at bay. The faction leaders, including him, all took a good read on Silver''s exam papers. His theories and solutions had enlightened them, breaking through their personal field! Every complexed and head aching problems they''ve come across had been solved. This breakthrough greatly allowed their Floating Cloud Sect to progress further causing every leader to feel uplifted and finally push through their stump! Using Silver''s exam papers as a based, they were able to enhance every single arrays in the sect. Patriarch had been searching for a replacement for Old Yam for a very long time. This guardian of theirs caused many problems as a substitute. His temper nearly made the talented ones in the undecided faction to quit and cry to their father and mother. Even then, he could only soothe Old Yam since he was weaker than him! The old patriarch must of been happy to rid himself of the title. The old master of his ran so quickly and left a message that he was going yo a hidden place to cultivate in seclusion. Not only that, Lord Baruch from the Isle of Wisdom recommended Silver in high spirits. He wanted to put all his faith and hope for such a person. Once everything was sorted out, everyone gave a quick nod and sat back down. "Let''s begin." - ** Think of Einstein''s hair - Another reworked chapter with more depth to it! 20 Meeting "As of today, we''ll be adding Faction Leader Silver into our ranks," Patriarch Dimsum decided as all the faction leaders nodded in agreeing to him. Originally they felt skeptical about it until the patriarch relayed some information from Lord Baruch. With Lord Baruch''s words backing up Silver on his knowledge, they no longer had lingering doubts regarding him. "We''ll give Silver the alias of vice-leader under Old Yam to prevent mass displeasure from the disciples. Please inform your vice leaders of Silver, as he will now be a part of our ranks.If any disciples have issues pertaining to this decision, announce his accomplishments. Tell them that during the 5 years, he helped us through experiments that we''ve successfully completed based on his insights. Do not say it is from his written exams. We need to ensure his status is set in stone. Silver, as the faction leader under the guise of vice, you must handle your responsibilities with care. You will always have ample time to cultivate, since there isn''t much happening in the Undecided Faction. I hope you can give the other faction leaders a hand to help further and strengthen our sect. Send me the details you want for your personal medallion, tokens and what you want built on your Eclipse Peak. This will ensure your status in and out of the sect. Another thing, I may add, is that your medallion allow access to everything within the sect and unlimited time on the Isle of Wisdom." "Thank you," Silver spoke with a heart filled with gratitude but he felt puzzled. He was stuck in the Isle of Knowledge for 5 years. What could give him this much status. "The reason you have earned this position is due to Lord Baruch, Silver," Patriarch Dimsum added when he saw Silver''s puzzled expression. "I see. I must thank everyone for giving me this once in a lifetime chance then. I hope to ensure the growth of our sect and protect it with the fullest of my capabilities!" "No worries lad, I enjoy your presence and the help you''ve given cannot be repaid in many lifetimes," declared Old Yam smiling brightly. He was dead set on having his Silver wed his daughter. Such a talent, multitudes of knowledge, and strong cultivation wasn''t something he would let go. He wanted talented grandkids and the rights to brag! He had to strike the iron while it''s still hot and not spoken for. "I''m sure you have an idea in mind of what your insignia for your medallion and tokens would be?" inquired Inscriptionist Velvet looking at Silver. "Yes, I would like to see what your insignia would be. If you don''t mind," Blacksmith Fang added. He created the molds of the medallions and sent them to Velvet, who inscribed the insignia, formation and/or arrays. "Let me draw it up write now," grinned Silver as a brush and paper appeared in his hands from his spatial ring. Everyone stared at the paper intently, curious as to what he would draw. Silver began drawing out his insignia. In one stroke, lasting 10 minutes, an image of a crow with three eyes appeared. Once he picked up his brush, a powerful and thick intent gushed into the atmosphere of the third pagod floor. A three-eyed crow ink drawing flew out of the paper, flapping its wings around the room and flaunting it''s intent. The intent was exceedingly compelling. It locked everyone, excluding Silver, in place. It felt as if the intent was from a supreme being above life and death, chaos and order, space and time. All of disintegrated under its pressure. This was the intent of emptiness that Silver comprehended when he attained enlightenment in the void. It begins with nothing. It ends with nothing. An unfathomable and untouchable power released from the void. The crow cawed three times before before returning into the piece of paper. Everyone release their breath, feeling amazed beyond words. "Amazing! This inscription can help me make a breakthrough!" exclaimed Inscriptionist Velvet full of exuberance. Even though she couldn''t recreate the intent, it still gave her invaluable insights! Just the thought of inscribing that profound insignia onto the medallion gave her an exciting chill. A geyser of euphoria. The bottleneck she''d been stuck at can finally be broken. "Looks like I get to finally use that Dark Star Ore I been dying to try," beamed Blacksmith Fang. He too, like Inscriptionist Velvet, needed something to advance his smithing skills. Creating a medallion is doable, at least in his current level, so he wasn''t to concerned about it. But after what he witness, making a medallion worth of this insignia could be challenge he needed. Finally the Dark Star Ore that was covered in dust finally had a use to him. The ore was quite rare but it was extremely heavy and nearly impossible hard to shape. He got it quite cheap when he bought it at an auction. "Dark Star Ore? Do you have one the size of my torso?" inquired Silver as he stared at Blacksmith Fang with a serious expression. Dark Star Ore was what his old halberd, Starless, wasmade from. The ore itself, once formed into a weapon or treasure, appeared pitch black like a starless sky. He truly wanted to make Starless once more! It was his strongest weapon, but sadly it was completely obliterated when he died. "If you do, I''ll give you a smithing technique as remuneration!" "Show me this technique first, then I''ll decide," Fang replied as an anxious feeling begun welling up in his heart. "Here you go. I never repay others badly," Silver reassured Fang. He brought out a piece of white information jade slip. Placing the jade on his forehead, he recorded the technique and the blueprint for his halberd within. Once he inserted the information, he gave the jade slip to Blacksmith Fang. "Alright . . ." Fang replied while grabbing the jade slip. He immediately placed it against his forehead with an awkward expression. Not long after, his facial expression began to redden with shock and elation. The more he read the information, the more he lost control of his emotions. Staring at Silver, one could see a faint feeling of worship within Blacksmith Fang''s eyes. "THANK YOU FACTION LEADER SILVER, IT''S AN ABSOLUTE DEAL!" Without giving Silver a chance to say anything, incase he would refute, Blacksmith Fang vanished out of the pagoda. He flew to his workshop with the highest speed he could muster. It almost appeared he had become possessed by a supreme being by the speed he flew. He truly felt delighted all over, fully satisfied that he actually came to this year''s meeting. He will definitely safeguard the Undecided Faction with all his heart. Hopefully some talented ones in the field of smithing would be sent to him after being directed by Silver. Everyone stared at Silver in awe, besides Old Yam, Inscriptionist Velvet, and Patriarch Dimsum. The rest showed calculative expression. They all felt envious of the excitement Blacksmith Fang expressed when he fled to his workshop. They decided to strengthen their relationship immediately with Silver. Who knows what treasure he gave Blacksmith Fang, but they want something equivalent to it too! "Not to worry, I''ll help when I have some free time," Silver hurriedly announced with cold sweat. He felt like he was a prey surrounded by vicious hunters. He had even better manuals but most of the manuals he gave out were considered mid-tier in his old world. The one he gave Blacksmith was actually a high-tier one, but it could be considered an extreme-tier in this world. "Everyone besides Old Yam and Silver is dismissed," Patriarch Dimsum commanded as he waved his right hand in a shoo-ing manner. Looking at the stern facial expression of their sect''s patriarch, everyone else still grumbled in displeasure. Contemplating in their heart, they would definitely trade anything to obtain Silver''s knowledge. "Hopefully within this week, you''ll get your medallion and tokens. Every faction leader is given 33 tokens allowing any individuals and disciples access to reside on your Eclipse Peak. They will be able to obtain monthly resources from the sect. They still have to accumulate merit points from tasks and missions like every other disciples. Not only that, every year, you must take on a mission from the sect. Your will be given in a month after this year ends. The mission can change depending on the outcome but most of it is traveling within the Desolate Tundra Continent. I wish you the best, Faction Leader Silver, in all of your endeavors. Old Yam, please take care of him, he may be our future pillar that our Floating Cloud Sect needs." After informing Silver, Patriarch Dimsum, waved them off. "Yes, Patriarch," Old Yam and Silver uniformly acknowledged as they got up from their seats. They gave Patriarch Dimsum a quick salute* and walk down the stairs and out of the pagoda. Old Yam summon his rowboat, when they got close to the edge of the island. Both hopped onto the boat and flew away. Staring at the leaving duo, Patriarch Dimsum sighed audibly. He hoped that the future of the sect would continue to stay bright but it''s future held something more catastrophic and menacing. This future included White Lotus City too. Based on the divinations from Starfinder, the city''s fate star had been flickering lately. This was an ominous sign written in the [Divine Records of Divination]. Every super sect leader already knew of the perilous situation and already begun preparing for a bloody and despondent future. Even their sect were of no exceptions. Time was running out. - - I been breaking the dialogue up since it makes it easier to read. You really get lost if the information is too long and clumped. 21 Guidance and Realization Silver sat besides a small table in a spacious courtyard, leisurely drinking his cup of tea. A day after the meeting, the patriarch sent a group of skilled laborers to build a siheyuan styled home on his Eclipse Peak. It took close to a week to finish after he finalized the designs and placement of the new home. Of course, any addons he wanted will be built by him as he kept the extra building materials in his spatial ring. There were a few things he wanted to build but decided to leave it alone for future uses. Not many tasks were given to him since Old Yam handled all of the menial stuff since there wasn''t much happening in the Undecided Faction. Most of the disciple were either isolated with the experiments or finding their fated field. The announcement of him becoming a vice faction leader ranged throughout the sect. Many inner and person disciple voice out their displeasure. Yet, they were shut down along with the strong evidence that tied to his reputation. This really concern him as much but he felt worried about his cultivation. Currently, it was atstandstill since there was no void qi to cultivate with. He finally understood why Blacky had been extremely strict with his training. The amount of void qi he need was far greater than he initially thought. Only the Isle of Wisdom contained an abundance of void qi. It seemed he needed to take another trip to the isle. Hopefully Blacky would be able to give him an array that could quickly gather void qi and keep it from seeping out. From what he also gathered from the [Chaotic Void Skill], was that only a true void constitution can absorb and refine the void qi with ease. He definitely had to find a way to reform his body into a vessel than can easily cultivate void qi. Luckily, his medallion came in time. If not, he would be studying all the books he memorized from the library to create a heaven-grade array that can gather void qi. Standing up, drooping his shoulder in reclunctance, he decided to go see Blacky again. Circulating his qi, Silver took a step vanishing from the courtyard. After taking a few steps, he was able to reach the edge of a great lake. Staring ahead, he could see the Isle of Wisdom shrouded in the mysterious fog of void qi. Silver turned his head to right, sensing a someone''s presence nearby. He could see a young woman standing at a height of 1.7 meters. She had a slender body and fair skin as smooth as jade which were free of impurities. Matching her slender body was her curvaceous bottom that complimented the aesthetically pleasing plump thighs outlined from her inner disciple clothing. Her face was covered with a see through red veil, but you can instantly tell she was a heavenly beauty. She appeared as cold and unmatched beauty, unfazed by the world''s desire emitting an isolated aura. A heavenly beauty shrouded in mysteries. But to Silver, he knew the young woman behind the red veil, Jing Shi. Her old man was still trying to play matchmaker between them two. He felt mesmerized as he continue to look at Jing Shi. Not by her astounding beauty but because his heart simply yearned for her. Suddenly, Jing Shi turned her head to the left. She felt as if someone was watching her. With wide eyes, her cold temperament changed as she showed a warm smile to Silver. He felt inwardly stunned when the smile appeared. The yearn within his heart became stronger from this point on. "Hello, vice-leader Silver. Your name has been popping up a lot as of late. What brings you to the Isle Of Wisdom today?," smiled Jing Shi. The anxious boulder in her heart flew of the cliff when finally saw Silver. She had been waiting this moment for 5 years. Ever since Jing Shi learned the [Glacial Blaze Manual] her cultivation grew in leaps and bounds. Before her slumber, she already reached Minor Origin. Her talent in cultivation was quite heaven-defying already.During the five years, her father had taught her how and what to do when she was ready to form her mark. With the assistance of the manual, she broke through into the early-stage Martial King after forming her very own king''s mark. But something was different with her king''s mark. Instead of the normal single king''s mark, she produce a second one when she reach Martial King. Floating beside her complete mark was a blurry mark inside her starry sea. Unsure of what to do, her father advised that she head out to the Isle Of Wisdom and search for Lord Baruch at the Temple of Knowledge. Lord Baruch was known to be a heavenly black dragon with vast and ancient knowledge, living through countless of ages or even eras. This being was shrouded in an unfathomable mystery. Before the creation of White Lotus City, the Isle of Wisdom had always existed but no one except the Floating Cloud Sect knew of this place. "I''m here to meet Blacky in the Isle of Wisdom. What about you, Jing Shi ?" Silver gently answered. He felt at ease and comfortable when he stood next to Jing Shi. It had been a rough month since he came out of seclusion, so this was a first for him. "Blacky?" puzzled Jing Shiwhile furrowing her eyebrows. She didn''t know the dragon as well as Silver did, unsure how to reply to such a casual remark. "Oh I forgot. That''s a nickname I gave to him when I was in the Isle of Wisdom for 5 years. It should be Lord Baruch, Guardian of the Isle Of Wisdom," Silver explained as he made a villainous smirk. "Alright since we''re both here, let''s fly together. Are you fine with that?" "Yes," nodded Jing Shi brightly smiling unaware of the villainous smirk he made. She really needed some guidance from Silver too, since he gifted her the [Glacial Blaze Manual]. Hopefully, She would receive advices from Lord Baruch when they venture through the isle. Activating their medallions, a small entrance appeared in the barrier, allowing them access into the isle. Landing on the lush, green grass, they made their way towards the library in hopes that Lord Baruch would answer their queries. Arriving closer to their destination through the dense forest, a black and lustrous scaled dragon appeared as it exited the void. It gazed at them with a hint of curiosity and knowing. "Brat, why do you return so quickly? Have you stumble over a pebble while cultivating? It''s quite rare for you to have such a puzzling expression," Blacky spoke with an intimidating voice releasing his grand and majestic aura. "And daughter of the sect''s guardian, what matters do have to come to the library? Hmm, it seems like you have quite the unique constitution. Interesting. . . A body complementing both ice and fire. Oh? You have two kings mark? It''s been such a long time since I seen something this rare. Head forth into the library, the answer you seek will appear before you. Go. I have much to speak about with this young brat besides you." Jing Shi woke up from her momentary awe, nodding her head quickly. She turned to Silver and gave him a respectful bow and headed into the library. Once she entered, only the black dragon and Silver were left alone. "What do you need, brat?" Blacky asked annoyed losing all of the intimidation he had after sending Jing Shi away. He could be himself around the young man without any repercussion, as they spent man-5 years together. During that time, they built quite a solid friendship. "I''m hoping you have a void qi gathering array that I can use for my Eclipse Peak. Without a true void constitution, it''s hard to cultivate the void qi. This also includes the absence in void qi too. Such a severe issue that''s hindering my path of cultivation," nagged Silver. He felt somewhat interested when Blacky mention that Jing Shi had two kings mark instead of one but it wasn''t an issue that concerned him. "Based on my [Chaotic Void Skill], to obtain a true void constitution I must be reborn within the flames that can burn in the void and ice that can''t be melted by that said flames. Do you know of a place?" "Let''s make a deal, if you can learn this void qi gathering array within 3 days time, I will tell you how to transform your body to a true void constitution," replied Blacky. He knew that this would happen sooner or later, so he was already prepared. "Alright, show me the formula, I''m sure I can comprehend it," Silver replied as his blood began to boil with the challenge. Because his mind was always about cultivating, he never noticed how quickly Blacky had answered him. With such a good deal, he grasped the chance the moment it came. He was an immortal with millions of years of experience born with heaven-defying comprehension skills and a divine grade talent after reforming his body to cultivate more void qi. With a simple nod, Black inwardly laughing sinisterly as he pointed his huge claw to Silver''s forehead. Floods of information transferred into Silver''s brain, permanently embedding itself into his mental library. After taking in the information, he sat down in a lotus position immersing himself within the formula. ''I hope you understand the complexity of this array. It took me several million years to create and hundreds of years of adjustments after experimenting and comprehending multiple universal laws to completely perfect it,'' Blacky inwardly thought staring at the Silver, silently comprehending the array. Blacky then turned his head and took a glimpse at the library, audibly sighing. He flew forward, instantly returning into the void. From here, this was all Blacky could do for both Jing Shi and Silver. ... Deep within the Floating Cloud Sect, in the Divination Faction Leader''s abode. A startled old man quickly got up and stared up into the night sky. "A new fate star is about to be born . . ." Starfinder mumbled. "Our world''s will is slowly awakening, but a catastrophic war is nearing. Will we be able to fight them and win? How will this new star fair? Are they one us or a part of the calamity too?" - - Last update for today, I''m quite tired e.e Heading to bed for work tonight. Enjoy the chapter! 22 A Roar and Screech Three Days Later¡­ Blacky stared at Silver with his jaws dropped to the ground. A miniature qi gathering array begun forming under him, almost near completion. Even though simple qi gathering array wouldn''t cause Blacky to face to be exaggerated, but it was mainly the fact Silver truly took 3 days to master the array! It took him ten millions of years to fully comprehend, develop and utilize this array. One must know, [Void Qi] was extremely hard to cultivate with! It took Blacky eons to get to his current cultivation, yet it seems Silver''s potential was limitless. In reality, the dragon was going to let him have the array either way. Due to his curious nature, he decided to assess the young man''s skills. Although he was suspicious of Silver, he could only let it be. Everyone has their own secrets. After seeing what Silver could do, Blacky finally decided on who he wanted as his inheritor. A void beast lifespan wasn''t truly infinite. It had already been many eons since he was born and he hasn''t picked a successor. The other void beings had mocked him for many eons because he had none too. Except one. ''If he can comprehend this array . . .then he can comprehend anything else I throw at him. I shall take him away for a "few years". That shrewd founder is lucky. The calamity that''s been clouding over White Lotus City and the Floating Cloud Sect has a single ray of hope,'' Blacky thought, staring at the Silver. Blacky was stared at Silver like he most juiciest and tender piece of meat before him. A cold shiver ran down Silver''s back as his eyes snapped open. For a moment, he felt a strong intent. As for what kind, he had never felt this type of intent before. Staying vigilant, Silver spread out his divine sense in the surrounding area. After realizing nothing was wrong, he continued his focus on the void qi gathering array. Blacky silently coughed, hidden in the void. He was nearly found out! Luckily he retracted his intent back into the void. Two hours later, Silver finally made a breakthrough in comprehending the array. He could finally gain some understanding towards the void reaching a new level. "Not bad. You actually took you a few hours into the third day to comprehend and execute the array. I can sense that your body has become more intune with the void. You''ve done okay, but you need to increase your cultivation realm," chided Blacky hiding his satisfaction, exiting the void. "Right now, your body isn''t completely transformed. This array can be inscribed anywhere on your body. It can even be inscribed to your soul. With a bit of tinkering, you can absorb not just [Void Qi] but other energies." "This qi gathering array is truly diverse," stated Silver after finishing his comprehension. "Of course. Once you get the hang of using it-" Before Blacky could finish speaking, Silver had already began tinkering with the array. Every ten minutes, or so, the energy the was being gathered continuously changed. After an hour, Silver nodded his head in satisfaction. "I didn''t think you could even comprehend this far¡­" marveled Blacky. "So, where is this place that you know of so I can temper my void body?" Silver asked enthusiastically after dispersing the array. He was curious to see if was in this world or a secret folded dimension he had to traverse to. "It''s coming here right now," informed Blacky in a mysterious tone. After Blacky answered, Jing Shi suddenly rushed out of the temple''s doors. Her body was enveloped in blazing black flames. Yet, each step she took, froze the earth beneath her. Even the air surrounding her became a mist of shimmering ice. Her aura and cultivation began rising at an increasingly fast rate. Jing Shi was close to advancing to the next cultivation realm, but it could be seen she was unaware of where she was. Realizing what Blacky meant, Silver quickly prepared all of his materials and rushed to Jing Shi. Using his qi, the necessary ingredients to advance his body to the next stage floated nearby his body. With a few more steps, he reached Jing Shi and began circulating his qi through his meridians. Watching the scene, Blacky formed a barrier around them once Silver came in contact with Jing Shi''s black flames and mist of ice. An unbearable pain assaulted him, as if billions of needles pricking into every single nerve of his body. The ice penetrated deeply into his internal body, instantly freezing him and the ingredients. Slowly the black flame began refining the ingredients, transforming them into a liquid-like substance that traveled into the crevices of his frozen body. The ice somehow started to dissipate as Silver''s body slowly transformed under the tempering of the scorching flames and numbing ice. An unending stream of void qi coated his body, entering through the pores helping the refinement process. Before losing his conscious from the pain, Silver could hear a ear-splitting scream near him. Jing Shi had lost control in her advancement. The flames and ice unexpectedly became unstable, harming her in the process. Silver, close to fading to the caliginous void, operated his qi immediately. Using all the strength he could muster and tapped Jing Shi''s forehead. By doing this, he could send his qi to calm her down and help her alleviate the pain. Jing Shi regained her clarity, clenching her teeth from the pain. She stabilized the unstable energy and slam against the bottleneck. Inside her starry sea, the blurry king''s mark took shape and became clearer as she continued to slam against the invisible barrier. Sounds of shattering ranged within her starry sea. Her secondary king''s mark had finally made its appearance, advancing to the true Martial King level. In reality, nearly all the cultivators would instantly reach Martial King once they formed their king''s mark but Jing Shi had two! Her constitution was truly frightening, allowing her to become one of the rare beings born with two innate marks. Successfully creating her king''s mark, black flames and an a ice mist of glacial blue spun rapidly around her and gathered to her upper back. Soon to realistic-like beast projected from the consolidated marks on that were neatly place on each side of her upper back. A black dragon made of flames and a blue phoenix made of ice flew out, twisting around each other as if dancing.Both a loud screech and roar resonated into the world, announcing their supreme awakening. Even then, Blacky already made counter measures in case something went awry. No one but him knew of Jing Shi''s great awakening as an extraordinary king. Finally, both mythical beasts quickly faded and the king''s mark near her upper shoulder blades formed. Immense power emanated from these marks. Her meridians were surging with power, flowing through every inch of her body. Jing Shi quickly sat into a lotus position, consolidating her newfound cultivation realm. From here on, she became one of many hundreds of thousands stepping into the true world of cultivation. After solidifying her cultivation, Jing Shi stared at the unconscious Silver with a bright smile filled with warmth. Her smile didn''t last long, her facial expression soon changed seeing the startling scene. Rays of violet, black, and white threads of light started wrapping around Silver. His body, still being tempered in ice and flames, had now become covered by the lights into a oval-shaped cocoon. This oval-shaped cocoon appeared like small universe, mysterious and awe-inspiring. Blinking once, Jing Shi could discern that the foreign qi around the cocoon had a faint pulse. If she wasn''t in the King''s Realm, she would just see this as a giant floating egg. She took a step forward, wanting to touch the cocoon yet it floated away from her hand. The cocoon began shrinking, stopping once it became the size of a melon. Slowly, it vanished into the spatial distortion it made. Hidden in the void, unaware of the reluctant Jing Shi. "Will he be fine?" Jing Shi asked dejectedly. For a split second, She nearly failed her advancement. But, at the very last moment, an encouraging qi spread through her mind and body. This allowed her to safely make it through the critical conjuncture to Martial King. She knew this qi very well. It was the very same qi that saved her in the darkest moment 5 years ago. "Alas, his transformation cannot be estimated. Return to the sect, he''ll be safe within my care," Blacky replied urging the little girl to leave. He had felt quite astonished from the events that occured within the barrier. Blacky''s respect for Silver had reach a high place within this heart. Not many could stop and guide an individual, close to failing their advancement while enduring immeasurable amount of agony. Even he could of never dealt with an incredible wisdom and precision within a situation similar to that. Truth be told, when Blacky saw Jing Shi close to blowing up, he was almost went in to save her and Silver. "Since you have transform your body of true ice and fire, here''s a treasure that can constantly nourish and allow your dual constitution to become even more powerful in the future." "Yes, Sir Baruch and thank you for such a precious treasure. I will won''t slack off in my path," Jing Shi glumly answered. She took a quick glimpse at the treasure she received.It appeared as a plain necklace with a red and blue yin-yang shaped jade hanging from it. Even though it appeared plain, she could feel an something hidden within. Curling her hands into a fists, she gave Blacky a final nod and left the Isle of Wisdom. If her father, Old Yam, witness the scene where Silver saved Jing Shi, he would be jumping in exhilaration. Combining with his personality, he would definitely boast about it to the faction leaders and patriarch for many decades to come. Of course, all the events that had happened would never resurface. Blacky flew into the void after Jing Shi left the isle. Within the void, he was staring at a drifting cocoon absorbing the surrounding void qi. Obviously pleased with Silver''s performance, he increased the qi density by 100 times which allowed the cocoon to absorb 10 times the speed. ''I should use this time to train him in the other world. It''d be interesting to see the choices he makes... ,'' Blacky thought. His enormous body transformed into a shimmering, black ray of light disappearing into the cocoon. ... **RUMBLE** **RUMBLE** Earthquake-like tremors from a seal, deep within the center, spreaded outward. Every single beings of every kind and race could feel it. Many ancient life-forms hibernating or deeply cultivating had been startled awake. The flow of qi increased at a noticeable rate. With the qi becoming denser, vegetation began expanding at an immeasurable rate. Even the beasts roaming around became stronger and fiercer as they felt these subtle changes. All the living beings and those with a spiritual will could feel something was about to happen. Something unpredictable. Eight demonic gods stood in unison in the area they reigned. They felt vexed by the sudden shake in the seal. Although the change was subtle, they knew within time they would lose their grasp amongst the ants. They had to find the cause of their plight or everything they''ve built up would crumble into ruin. In a dark room, somewhere in the 9 continents, one of the demonic beings furrowed their eyebrows in contemplation. 23 Three-Eyed Crow Deep in a vast foreign land, surrounded by gigantic trees, a child could be seen jumping across tree branches to tree branches. Behind each jump, a large black cat followed close behind. This small child showed a carefree expression in simple village clothing. After an hour of jumping around the trees, both the child and the cat, hopped down near a large village. Both ran into and through the village full of endless energy. Finally, they stopped in front of a old cabin house by a beautiful and glistening lake. The child open the front wooden door, creaking as he slowly pushed. He ran into the kitchen where a young woman could be seen making stew. The enticing fragrance of the stew assaulted the nostrils of the child walking in. "Mom! Mom!" the child beamed tugging his mother''s sleeve. He held up a reddish-brown plant in front of his mom. "Look at what I found when I was foraging with Blacky! Well . .Blacky sniffed it out first, I digged it up!" "Oh, what is it?" the mother spoke gently to the bubbly child. She stirred the stew on last time and looked at the plant in her child''s right hand "Wow! You found a hundred year old ginseng! We can put this in the stew and it''ll make you even stronger and healthier." "Will it really!?" the child exclaimed in shock. "Let''s eat it right now mom!" "Now, now Silver," smiled the mother as she took the ginseng from Silver''s hand. She brought out a stone pestle and grinder from the top cabinet and begun grinding hundred year old ginseng into a soft paste. Then, she teared the paste into nine pieces and rolled them into marble size balls. Feeling content with the ginseng paste balls, she threw them into the stew and stirred a few more times. "We have to wait for your father, he''ll should be coming back from hunting soon." "Did someone call for me?" a young man asked as he made his way into the kitchen. He held a green feathered chicken the size of an adult torso with his left hand and gave Silver''s mother a kiss on her right cheek. "Son, you want to eat without me again? Such a fatty son yet you''re still skinny!" "Dad!" exclaimed Silver, staring gluttonously at the chicken. His drool escaping from the corner of his lips. "Let''s eat, let''s eat! Come Blacky, it''s time to eat dinner! Eat. Eat. Food." "Alright, alright young child. Let mother cut up the chicken and throw it into the stew and you will get to eat soon," giggled Silver''s mother. She gave her husband a light peck on his lips andplayfully ran her finger through his hair, staring lovingly towards him. "Good, I''m starving! I''ll picked the feathers out then," laughed Silver''s father moving a chair out from the dining table. His hand suddenly moved, unable to be seen by the naked eyes. The chickens light green and blue-greenfeathers quickly came off, revealing a cold, naked, and dead chicken. "Nori, grab the sharp axe so I can chop up the chicken." "Yes, Galbi," replied Nori shuffling to the back. On a bench, outside their cabin, Nori grabbed a sharp looking axe and came back inside. Once she came back, she handed the axe to her husband. An hour later¡­ After they added the chicken to the stew, the small family began eating. Somewhere in the corner of the kitchen, Blacky was eating up the stew too. Three plates were neatly stacked near Silver''s current plate as he gobbled it down. Finishing his fourth and final plate of chicken ginseng stew, he burped in satisfaction. Both his father and mother smiled and laugh at their son in amusement while eating their stew. Silver was too busy eating to join in their miscellaneous subjects throughout the dinner. Once they finished dinner, the trio finishing cleaned up after themselves and cleared the small dining table. Silver played with Blacky for an hour, instantly knocking out on the side of it''s stomach. Galbi walked to his son and picked up the snoozing boy to his room. He laid him down, tucking him in bed while Nori hummed a little tune. They too, went to bed. Silver woke up at first light, stumbling around drowsy, walked to the bathhouse. Today was the Coming of Age Ceremony within their village. Every child, age thirteen, had to be present for the ceremony so they can obtain their star marks. Obtaining the star marks meant they would begin their path as a warrior like Silver''s parents. Putting on his white clothes, walking out of the bathhouse, Silver took a deep breath to calm his nerves. His father''s star mark was a Crimson Eagle while his mother was the rare Shadow Horned Snake. Although they had complete opposite marks, somehow, his father and mother worked extremely well together. They could be considered as the few strongest in the entire village, including the chief. Everyone admired them, even most of the young childrens wanted to be as strong as them too. The trio and the black cat sauntered to the center of the village, where the ceremony was to be held. Silver walking on ahead, as his parents and Blacky stayed back in the crowd. Getting closer to the village center, he could see the towering [Sirius Star Altar]. If one looked closely to his eyes, they could see small specks of violet in his honey brown eyes. He stopped and stood next to the other thirteen year olds, facing the altar. Although, Silver should feel scared, he felt exceptionally calm. In his mind, there something telling him that the star marking ceremony will forever change his fate. Staring the group of children, the chief nodded and turned around to activate the arrays of the altar. Many colors emanated from the altar, blinking a few times before it lost its colors. Minutes later, a shining white light shot from the heavens, into the altar, and at the thirteen year olds. Each individual was covered in a film of various colors, illuminating the center of the village. The first to be noticed was a chunky and round boy, his fat trembling from his star mark being awakened. An image of a black striped, white tiger appeared above him. Its projection fully formed, the white tiger gave a mighty roar that could explode the eardrums of the crowd. "Fey Luden has the mark of the Great White Tiger!" yelled a old man stared in complete shock. "Our vill-" Before he could finish his sentence a dragon''s roar, a bird''s screech and a rumbling yawn could be heard within the light. From the left, a fit boy with an arrogant look stood straight with an intimidating aura. Right of him was an adorable girl with cute smile and prominent dimples. You could tell she would become a true beauty in the future. Somewhere in the middle, village chief''s youngest and extremely lazy son, showed uninterested expression. He was the most relaxed out of the other three. Above all four, their divine beast projected above them. Each beast spread out their intimating and mighty aura as they fiercely announced their return. "Incredible! Gluttonous Fey Luden''s mark is the fiercest, Divine White Tiger!" "The genius Long Zhen is true prodigy! He definitely deserve the mark of the strongest, Divine Azure Dragon!" "Oh my! Yan Li''s mark of the fearsome, Divine Vermillion Bird! A future beauty like her would definitely become a powerhouse too!" "Aye... that good for nothing chief''s son. Can''t believe that bum, Fu Wonton, has the mark of the Divine Black Tortoise!" Everyone felt thoroughly astonished! All four divine marks would appear in their small village. And not just any divine marks, these four were the of the celestial grade! The highest grade one could obtain. Throughout history, the four divine marks appeared once during the creation of their world. From then, one of these marks would pop up once every millenia. It''s been a few millennia since they appeared! This could be an auspicious or ominous sign. A sign of a new era or the greatest calamity. For a small village like theirs, albeit larger than most, could create a large commotion with the neighboring villages. They would gain attention from the sects and powerful families in Wok City or even the from the imperial city of their North Star Kingdom. "Our Windfall Village has been blessed by the heavens!" exclaimed the chief kowtowing 9 times in front of the Sirius Star Altar. His stood up, unable to hide his euphoria, facing the children and the villagers. "Let us finish the ceremony! We have one left, who is still bathing in the heaven''s light!" Everyone became quiet, still in the state of elation, fidgetly waiting for the last person to obtain their star mark. Hidden within the glorious light of heaven, a dark cloud appeared. No one could see the child nor notice the changes happening inside. Rumbling could be heard, the child looked up with a surprised face. Although everyone had a different scene for their marks, it seems as if his was truly invisible to the crowd. Furrowing his brows, lightning began clumping together at the center of the dark cloud, ready to striked down at any given moment. Lights of violet formed on the forehead of the preoccupied, staring at the lightning with a fierce expression. For some unknown reason, he didn''t feel fear at this danger but felt like he should endure this one strike. **BOOM The lightning struck the child, but somehow he appeared unscathed by the strike. The stars above the heaven shone brightly, engulfing him in cosmic wonder. Scenes and images of memories poured into his brain, slowly transforming the body and mind. An aloof, yet lofty, Three-Eyed Black Crow appeared after heaven''s light dissipated. It flew around and over the young boy curiously, inspecting its new owner. Everyone stared at the crow in confusion, almost if they saw it nod in approval. Finally, the crow cawed in content, returning to the star mark on the child''s forehead. After it disappeared, the star mark on his forehead faded. No one but the four divine marked children saw the child''s star mark. For a split second, they could a frightening aura emanating from his forehead. It was at that moment, they all decided something within their hearts. What they decided, no one but them would know. Under the shadow of the trees, near the village center, a large black cat was staring at the young child. ''The mythological and legendary Three-Eyed Void Crow, the most powerful and mysterious being of us five void creatures. The first born from the void, disappearing in the river of time after training us for trillions of years. It finally made its appearance before you, Silver. You truly have stepped on the unfathomable void path that even fate cannot hinder but are forced to help you. It seems like I can only watch from afar and let your clouded path be revealed by each step you take,'' Blacky thought as he gazed at the flying crow entering the middle of Silver''s forehead. ''With this, your memories should be unsealed.'' - Small changes: Windstorm City -> Wok City Eclipse Imperial Kingdom -> North Star Kingdom - Thank you for reading! I''m sure the new readers will be confused about this chapter. I will explain the rest in the next following chapter(s) later today¡­ or when I have time e.e 24 Memories A few days later. Silver was laying on top of a grassy hill, overlooking the lake near his home. He watched the blazing sun slowly descend from its towering throne, returning to its comfortable bed. Ever since he regained his memories during the Coming of Age Ceremony, he had been coming up this hill to ponder often. He sat up, perking his ears upwards. Sounds of an animal footstep got closer, but Silver kept his relaxed position. "You''ve been missing for a few days, Blacky," Silver spoke listlessly once he confirmed it was Blacky beside him. "Did I die?" "No, and yes," answered Blacky. He took a moment to stretch himself out and laid besides Silver lazily. "You''re currently in the midst of completing your true void body. I safely split a piece of your soul into this world and joined along. I waited 13 years since the day you were born. From there, I waited for you to obtain your star mark and regain your memories." "Sounds complicated. How long will I be in this world?" "Until you pass the final obstacle to become a void being. Those who wants to transform their body into a true void constitution must undergo a difficult test. But not all tests are difficult, some are easy and passable. Each place you are tested in are different too." "Places?" "Those who decides to follow the void path must be tested during the transformation period. Although, many aren''t like me who just tags along for the journey but others keep an eye out. Usually here and there. Once you begin your rebirth, we must split a piece of your soul and send it to another world. Whichever world you go to is actually chosen by you." "I chose it? Is that even possible when you''re unconscious." "No, it''s possible. Everyone has a choice. Even your soul that had its memories sealed. You chose this world on your own. Why did you choose it, I do not have answer to that." Silver inhaled a deep breath, exhaling slowly. The soul, itself, was a complicated mystery. He was born from a piece of his original soul, but there was an interesting surprise element added into it . Coincidently, Blacky took out the piece where Kong Xing had fused into during the first three years he reincarnated. Another factor to add into his dilemma, his parents were the exact spitting image of his father and mother back in White Lotus City. When his memories resurface, Kong Xing took reign to enjoy 13 years of childhood with his parents. In his heart, Silver knew why his soul chose this place unconsciously. His soul yearned to be with his parents once more, resonating to this Windfall Village. This time around, Silver was sure that Kong Xing had completely merged when he regained his memories. No matter how many times he thought the kid finally fuse with him, something out of the ordinary happens. This time, it was a complete fusion without any regrets. The Kong Xing of the past no longer exist. "Alright, alright. What happens if I don''t pass? Or what happens if I pass?" Silver finally asked after collecting his thoughts. "You can live here until you die, returning to your main body if you don''t pass. The only serious repercussion is restarting your cultivation. You''ll no longer be able to cultivate [Void Qi]. Passing is just as simple too. Once you pass, you''ll have a true void constitution and would no longer rely on external aid to absorb [Void Qi]. Of course, it''s best to use the qi gathering array I gave you. There''s many functions that you haven''t found yet." "No worries, I''ll continue to study it. What is the name of this world?" "From what I know, this world is call the [Ethereal Expanse]. It''s bigger than the [Constellation World] and the laws here are more complete. This world has an abundance of [Void Qi]. Just training here will allow you to surpass many beings by leaps and bounds!" Even though Silver had more to ask, he didn''t continue. It was best to learn more of this world, exploring it to the fullest. Despite reincarnating and hoping to explore [Constellation World], he was sent to another place already. This time around, he had become an actual native of the [Ethereal Expanse] than reincarnating to a similar body. Silver wasn''t sure if he should laugh or cry because of this predicament. How could anyone be okay with this type of setting. Sometimes, he wished a life like the Lazy Emperor from his old world, Eastern Havens. Don''t let this emperor''s laziness fool you, he was the only individual who was in par with him back then. The Lazy Emperor traveled once every a few years. Most of his time was sleeping and eating! He was truly an infuriating character with ability to cultivate in his sleep! Even if he''s eating, lazing about or battling, his body would automatically cultivate for him without any disruption. Just trying to disperse his qi, cripple his cultivation or killing him would do no good. He was the definition of a walking cheat, 100 times the effect without any effort. Silver could only wallow in regret for not studying the Lazy Emperor''s manual when he had the chance. They were basically brothers and he gave him a copy but he never studied it. Sadly, he had reach the apex of all apexes at that time and set it aside. Both Blacky and Silver watched the final rays of the sun descending under the horizon. Looking up, they stared at the starry night sky as three moons hung high. Silver got up, brushing the dirt off the back of his pants and headed down the trail towards home. Blacky followed behind, both thinking about eating Nori''s delicious food. Silver opened the wooden door to his home, a big smile on his face as he headed to the kitchen. "Dinner is almost ready, prepare the table for me Silver," Nori nicely asked. "Yes, mom!" Silver enthusiastically responded. There was a few things he was usually happy about. One of those things was eating extremely delicious food and his mother always made the best in the whole village. An hour later, both Silver and his parents sat at the table eating and discussing over previous matters on the ceremony. "Son, it hurts my heart to let you go but you should head to Wok City for their annual tournament. Many well known sects attend there to watch for potential disciples. If you''re lucky, you could be accepted to a sect that''s part of the imperial city!" informed Galbi with a serious expression. "Your star mark is quite...mysterious and unique. I never seen it before but there should be a sect that could have information pertaining to that mark. Especially those ancient sects that''s been deeply rooted in the imperial city of our North Star Kingdom." "Oh that''s right, honey. The chief will be taking the those four children with divine marks to Wok City. Why don''t we ask the chief if Silver could join?" inquired Nori smiling at her husband. "I want to make that Silver''s decision. What do you think, son?" "Sure, mom and dad. I feel safer with a group, especially with the chief leading that way!" responded Silver to his parents. Right now, he didn''t have strength to travel alone so it was best to play it safe. From his guesses, Blacky seem to be unable to interfere with the test so he couldn''t rely on him. It felt like Blacky was truly just an omniscient spectator shaped as a large black cat. "Good. We''ll speak to the chief. They should be departing in a month which would give ample time to train and increase your strength. Now head to bed, I need to speak to your mother in private," said Galbi hiding his anxiety. "Yes," replied Silver. He had already saw through his worried parents, but could only feel inwardly happy. He grew up as an orphan, never meeting his birth parents in his whole life. His name was actually given to him from his master, he already forgotten his old name. Silver reach his bed, feeling worn out from today''s events. Moments of laying his head on the pillow, he instantly knocked out into a deep sleep. - - Another chapter! It''s short but hopefully it did its job as a light info dump. I''m happy that many has stayed to reread the rework and those new readers who''s interested in my novel! Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! 25 Setting Off Silver sat on a flat plain, hidden from the surround trees. Many small animals scampering around him, unaware that he was just sitting there. During this past month, Silver made progress with Blacky''s array and found it could do just more than gather qi. He only found two usable functions. The current one allowed him to create a type of illusion barrier to keep people from noticing him. Combined with this illusion array, he added another function to isolate himself from the world. Sadly, it could only isolate the surrounding 2 meters. The illusion array could spread out to a 5 meter radius. Ever since he use the [Chaotic Void Skill], he was making rapid progress in terms of cultivation. This skill was made for a world like the [Ethereal Expanse]. Within a day of cultivating, he broke through the second stage of the Essence Realm. The [Essence Realm] was exactly like the [External Realm] of the [Constellation World]. Both of them use nine levels but for him, it will always be ten. The key difference was the structure of the world. Instead of using [Heaven and Earth Qi] they used [Astral Essence]. This type of essence can be found in the [Ethereal Expanse], including the [Void Qi]. After two weeks, he had already broke through the [Essence Realm]* and reached early-stage of the [Axis Realm]*. Once you create your Sea of Essence, you''ll be able to reach the [Axis Realm] with ease. Not only that, his body went through a qualitative change, immediately transforming his mortal constitution into a true void constitution. Sadly, he didn''t know that his since his original body already transforming, he wouldn''t need to go through the previous hassle all over again. Of course, Blacky would never tell him this. The wonder of cultivations is basically finding your own path of power through an endless mystery. Just the elation of reaching new heights will make one feel more formidable. At the third week into cultivating, Silver reached the [Terra Realm]* once he condensed his Sea of Essence into a small sphere. This was the start of creating the Star Core, allowing him to break through to the [Primal Source Realm]*. This was the final week for him to reach [Primal Source Realm] since the chief approved of Silver tagging along with the four divine marked children. By doing this, he would ensure a decent survivability rate and if need be, he could attract the ancient sects of the North Star Kingdom. Blacky had been vague about this world since he came here. Luckily, he had ample experience in solving his own problems. Even with or without the cat, he could pull through on his own. Within the final phase of condensing his Sea of Essence, Silver revolved the essence slowly into his stable core. He cautiously inspected it for any abnormalities during this process. If he screwed up, there was chance to start over or he would explode from the excess of unstable essence. In the center ofhis shrinking sea, the core begun shining as it grew. This was the final step! As the Star Core becomes complete, it''ll reach a moment of instability. One wrong move from him, even a hair''s width, he might die. A deep violet light landed within the core, immediately swallowing up the final lingering essences. The Star Core begun expanding once more. This time around, Silver concentrated all his energy to ensure his core wouldn''t become unstable. Slight ripples emanated from the Star Core as it continuously expanded. Waves of energy coursed through Silver''s body, reaching all the way to the star mark on his forehead. Soon, the light began fading along with the influx of energy. Silver felt nervous, staring at the empty core that was full of vitality seconds ago. "Honglonglong¡­" An eye, black like the abyss and filled with stars like the night sky, appeared on his forehead. The Star Core suddenly shone in a blinding, deep violet light within his body, rotating at an tremendous speed. Streams of [Void Qi] flowed through his meridians and into the focal point on his forehead. Slowly opening his eyes, Silver felt he was above all beings. A powerful entity that wipe existence with just a swipe of the palm. His aura was truly overbearing! Even the barrier could barely contain his extraordinary change. "Finally¡­ early-stage of the [Primal Source Realm]," Silver revealed a look of excitement. "Just like [Constellation World], I''ve reached something similar to that of [King''s Realm]. Luck is on my side, this star mark allowed my body to become a void body once I broke through to the [Axis Realm]." Anyone under the [Primal Source Realm] would be instantly defeated by him. He could even contend against those ordinary cultivators in the mid-stage [Primal Source Realm]. ... At his final day of training, Silver used his [WolfBeneath The Wool] skill to hide his cultivation to early-stage [Axis Realm]. It always best to stay cautious, keeping many hidden trump cards. The element of surprise was something he learned in his years of battling powerhouses that underestimated him. He inhaled a deep breath and exhaled gently. It was time to head back to Windfall Village. Luckily, his parents knew he was out training everyday and he kept his cultivation low to make it seem he was progressing steadily. If word got out that he already reached [Primal Source Realm] he would definitely garner a lot of unwanted attention. Those with limitless potential would be received well into powerful sects but it will also attract envious and jealous individuals and groups. These type of groups were the ones you had to avoid the most, especially if you didn''t have any backings. However, you would still receive such treatment in the sects too. If such individuals and groups feel threaten, they would use any means to get rid of you. The path of cultivation is quite cruel. Standing up from his lotus position, he disperse the barriers he put up and left the dense forest. It was time to head home and pack up to embark on his journey to Wok City. ¡­ The following day. A group of 5 silhouettes stood nearby the entrance of Windfall Village waiting. All 5 knew each other very well since childhood. Four of them, excluding Silver, had trained to the late-stage of [Axis Realm]. Thus, it allowed Silver to somewhat mingle with them in terms of cultivation status. Sounds could be heard from Fey Luden munching on his large drumstick and light snoring coming from Fu Wonton. After waiting for a small period of time, he decided to lay under a tree and took a nap. Long Zhen stood next to the munching fatty, simply training his spear technique his father given him. Those two could be considered best friends since birth and always stayed in each other''s company. Yan Li sat on a rock near a small pond besides the village gates. What she was thinking, staring off into space was something no one bothered about. Silver, as a child, was the wildcard of the village. Everywhere he went, before regaining his memories, he would pull pranks on everybody. They were quite harmless and most of the children got along with his antics. From the corner of his eyes, Silver could see an old man walking up to the gates carrying a small bag on his left hand. "I see everyone has gathered to the front gate," the old man spoke in a rough tone. He took a moment to look at every person, furrowing his brows once he saw Fu Wonton asleep. Grabbing a item out of the small bag, he chucked it at the sleeping kid''s head. "Can''t I get some sleep, old man!" exclaimed Fu Wonton rubbing his head from the pain. He grabbed the item that landed by his side to inspect it carefully. "Throwing a priceless treasure at my head. Can''t you wake me up normally?" This old man was naturally Fu Wonton''s father, Fu Arus. "Hmph. Such daring words to your father!" retorted Fu Arus. This was a normal occurrence within their village. Fu Wonton would ditch his chores, finding a place to nap at. His father, Chief of Windfall Village, would always find him and wack his head with something he find on the side. The priceless treasure mentioned from Fu Wonton was actually a storage ring. In a village like this, the storage ring would be considered a treasure but Fu Arus was actually handing them each a ring. "These are storage rings. Just like the name, you can store any items that aren''t living into it. You''ll see these low-tier storage ring everywhere. They hold 5 cubic meters, shrinking the item down to fit within the space. Food and water can be kept in there and would never rot and stale, so it''s very useful to have when you''re traveling." "So I can put 5 cubic meters worth of food into this?" questioned Fey Luden. "Yes, you will be able to put that much food into it..." "Can store powerful treasures too?" asked Yan Li with interest. "Yes, as long as it can shrink and fit in the 5 cubic meters space. Most powerful treasures, that aren''t bound to us, can be stored with the right amount of space. Of course, there are some that cannot be stored but those are rare cases." Yan Li showed a very thoughtful smile, but Fu Arus could tell what she was thinking. "Don''t think about purchasing a high-tier storage ring. Only someone powerful and significant amount of resources would be able to afford it." "Then I''ll marry someone as such!" Fu Arus furrowed his brows for a split second, unwilling to bicker with the little girl. ''So young but full of grand schemes. She''ll definitely reach the apex..''though Fu Arus as he studied the 5 before him. "Alright, store your items and let''s go. It will take us about three days to reach Wok City, so make sure you have enough rations to last you to the city. If not, we can always hunt some beasts along the way." And so, the group finally embarked on their journey. - [Essence Realm]* -> [External Realm] [Axis Realm]* -> [Internal Realm] [Terra Realm]* -> [Origin Realm] [Primal Source Realm]* -> [King Realm] ::: >The [Ethereal Expanse] is a lot more simple than [Constellation World] in terms of cultivation. There are nine levels in [Essence Realm] and [Axis Realm]. Afterwards, the higher one will go through 3 stages which would be explained later in the novel. I will add a separate page relating to [Ethereal Realm]''s cultivation. - - The original characters will still be the same in the previous settings. It''s quite taxing to change the settings but I feel like this is heading to the right direction. Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! 26 Wok City Wok City was located southwest of North Star Kingdom, a few thousand kilometers away. This place had some fame throughout the Ethereal Expanse; it''s rumored that countless famed experts once rose in power here. These rumors also claimed that an expert of the [Star Immortal Realm]* was born from this city and saved the Ethereal Expanse from impending doom. Nevertheless, history of such an expert has now become a legend told throughout the last few thousands of years. A set goal that many cultivators, young and old, had followed on their path of cultivation. Not far from Wok City, a few silhouettes could be seen afar at the break of dawn. The outlines of a massive city could be seen in the distance as the sun rose to greet the sky. "We''ll reach Wok City soon. It''s the second largest city in North Star Kingdom following the North Star Imperial City as the first. Everything in this area is controlled by the Wok City Lord. Rumor has it that this person possesses the strength in the early-stage of the [Spiral Realm]. You could say he has quite a huge influence within the North Star Kingdom," informed Fu Arus. "Is he married?" asked Yan Li. Her innocent face seem quite cute as she looked up at Fu Arus in curiosity. Fu Arus couldn''t help but feel a cold shiver run down his spine, keeping up his poker face. He truly felt speechless and decided to ignore the little girl. "Let''s hurry up before it becomes crowded at the gate." Seeing that the chief was intentionally ignoring her question, Yan Li stomped her foot while pouting. The other four beside her shook their head slightly and continued to follow the village chief towards Wok City. As they approached, they could sense just how majestic this city was. The charcoaled color city walls gave off an elegant gleam from the morning sun. It stood several hundreds of meters tall, almost as if it was trying to reach the sky. Such a towering structure awed the four divine children, giving off an impenetrable feeling. This city was several dozen times greater than their Windfall Village. Something from their nighttime stories they heard from their parents Even though it was early in the morning, constant streams of people could be seen flowing throughout the city entrance. The bustling noise increased as they got closer, giving them ample information of the character of the city. "Let''s enter the city," smiled Fu Arus lightly waving his hands as he led the rest of the group into the city. "We''ll search for a place to lodge and then we''ll continue to the center of the city where the tournament is taking place. From there, all five of you will spar with many others to obtain recognition from the few sects that are attending. I''ve already sent a letter to have everyone here registered, so no need to sign up. Of course, you can decide which sect you would like to join." All five nodded their head in acknowledgement. Fu Arus then led them to an inn that was quite close to the where the tournament was held. After everyone had settled in their shared rooms, excluding Yan Li who had her own, they went downstairs to the dining area to eat. The journey took around two and a half days, a bit earlier than the chief estimated. Luckily, their path had been unobstructed since they left. Usually strong demonic beasts roamed the area as they got closer to the city, but somehow it was peaceful all the way. What Fu Arus didn''t know was that Blacky had cleared out the path beforehand. This seemingly harmless small cat, that accompanied Silver''s shoulder and their group, didn''t want to be pestered so he spreaded out his killing intent to keep the demonic beasts away. Even the most vicious and powerful beasts who controlled a set area cowered before the small black cat. After breakfast, Fu Arus had informed them he had to go meet and old friend. Naturally, they were allowed to explore the city on the condition that they stayed together and returned before sunset. Throughout the city, Yan Li lead the four boys and one cat to many shops to buy dazzling items that catches her eyes. Even the fatty, Fey Luden, took multiple stops at the bustling food stalls to gather and eat food. They watched both of them storing their purchased necessity into their storage rings at an unfathomable rate. How much money did these loggerheads have on them? As they continued their ''light'' shopping, their group gathered quite a bit of attention. Many ordinary citizens murmured around them, thinking that Yan Li and Fey Luden were little nobles and the three behind were servants. Yan Li, although childish, appeared sweet-tempered, playful and charming. Add Fey Luden to the mix, he seem like an prodigal son as he spent an extravagant amount on food alone. Before the group had left, both Yan Li and Fey Luden wore clothing that could only be seen on and worn by members of powerful clans. But this was something they were used too. Afterall, most of the villagers wore such clothing during ceremonies. The three helplessly exchanged looks and smiled. It seems the two extravagant spenders had unknowingly caused unwanted attention. The five of them quickly moved through the bustling streets, only to stop by a restaurant to eat lunch. They entered the restaurant and asked for a table. Since the floor level was already quite packed, they were sent to the second floor and situated beside the back wall. Not long after, they began ordering their food and begun to chat as they waited for their food. Silver swept his divine sense around the room as they ate. Usually, in this type of scenario, he''d expected some arrogant brat to pester them. Especially, since they had a seedling like Yan Li who''s bound to beautifully bloom during spring. He''d been through this situation many times before in his past life. As if on cue, a young noble actually appeared nearby their table. Everyone, besides Fey Luden who was eating vigorously, swept their eyes onto this youth. He was leisurely fanning himself as he stood half a step away from the table. This noble youth didn''t have anything special about his facial feature, barely above average in terms of looks. Sleek, but athletic under his silky, light blue robe. Definitely someone who was prodigal. Yet, the air he gave off was anomalous, stranger than a stringent clean freak. His eyes, a hint of fondness, shifted towards Yan Li, then Fu Wonton, and finally landing on Long Zhen. He brought up his opened, blue fan hiding his coquettish smile with his sleeves embroidered with white cranes sliding a bit down to his mid forearm. Beside him was a decrepit looking old man wearing a silky gray robe with the exact same white crane embroidered onto his sleeves. He had little to no expressions, albeit most of their attention were on his left eye lazing about. He appeared quite reserved unlike the young master in front. Although they hid their cultivation, Silver could perceive it without blinking. The young master was a late-stage Terra Realm expert. In terms of early, mid and late stages, each had their own name. Those who reached the early-stages of the Terra Realm were called True Mortals. Then it would be Spirit Force and finally, late-stage of the Terra Realm were called Nature Form. As for the lazy-eyed decrepit old man, his cultivation was quite high. Barely touching the threshold towards mid-stage of the Primal Source Realm. Basically, an Initial Source expert just like him. Just breaking through a stage took time and effort if one didn''t have a good cultivation manual. There were no minor stages between these 3 main stages of the Primal Source Realm. Each stage broken through would allowed one to soar into the star brimming with strength. Just gathering such tremendous amount of qi and refining it into source strands was quite taxing already. If one didn''t refine their qi to a pure source strand, it would cause severe backlashes. The worse case scenario that could happen is exploding to death. In most light cases, they would lose their source becoming crippled, unable to cultivate in their lifetime. "I''ve never seen your group here before," the young master said with a soft spoken voice. His eyes lingered onto Long Zhen, who already began eating along with Fey Luden, for a few seconds longer. Of course, no one noticed where his eyes landed besides Silver. It took him a minute to understand the situation, inwardly pitying Long Zhen within his heart. It seems his thoughts truly jinxed their group but who would of known that Long Zhen was actually the one that caught this young master''s attention. "I''m Xin Chuo of the Crane Clan within Wok City. I hope you wouldn''t mind me asking if any of you are of the Four Divine Marks?" Fu Wonton''s expression quivered as he looked ahead, gripping the fork with his right hand. The others glared at Xin Chuo, wary if this young master was going to cause trouble. Their chief had warned them not to cause any mischief before the tournament, keeping a low profile. Everyone had heard the awakening of the divine beasts due to their showy entrance, but they didn''t know which four individuals awakened them. Throughout the streets, light rumors travelled along the river of people, murmuring that the divined marked individuals would be showing up at this year''s tournament. Thus, it explained why this year''s tournament had more people noisily entering the city. Many powerful sects were joining this time around to scout these four talented youth born with the divine mark. It had been a few thousand years since all four marks awakened simultaneously in the Ethereal Expanse. "Do not worry, I am not here to cause any trouble. My martial uncle, your village chief had already told our clan about you. Furthermore, I''m here on orders to guide you to our Crane Clan." "Well, we''re almost done eating," smiled Silver taking a quick glance at everyone. "Let''s get going then." "Allow me to foot the bill," Xin Chuo offered with a toothy smile. Since Xin Chuo offered to pay, everyone expressed their thanks and waited out front. After a few minutes, Xin Chuo and his servant exited the restaurant, gesturing them to follow. "Now, let''s head to my Crane Clan. Your village chief and my father, the patriarch, are waiting." Silver slightly knitted his eyebrows as they traveled to the Crane Clan. It seemed that someone with ill-intentions had been following them for awhile now. From the moment that Xin Chuo exited the restaurant, was the moment he felt the ill-intent targeting their group. Specifically Xin Chuo. ''It seems someone has it against this queer young master¡­'' thought Silver locating where the ill-intent was coming from. He wasn''t bothered by it too much as long it wasn''t killing intent. If it was, he''d make an excuse to get rid of this stalker. Sadly, it wasn''t something life threatening so he allowed this individual to follow to their heart''s content. - [Spiral Realm]* -> [Sovereign Realm] - I''m basically winging the Ethereal Expanse cultivation ranks at this point. Bear with the odd names e.e - I''ll be honest, I had some trouble writing this chapter. My brain was stuck mid-way of writing this for the past week and I couldn''t think straight for awhile. The fatigue from work is really getting to me, but I''m trying to be more active in writing¡­ Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! 27 Crane Clan Silver and his group gathered within the main hall of the Crane Clan, waiting patiently for their village chief. Xin Chuo had already gone ahead to fetch both the chief and the clan''s patriarch. It was hard to speculate the current situation since they had entered the clan''s courtyard. There were a few guards out front, but once they strolled through the courtyard, not a single soul was in sight. In his heart, Silver guessed it was something important concerning the four that stood in wonder beside him. However, their wait wasn''t too long as they saw three figures sauntering towards them. Starting from left to right, they could see their village chief, an older looking gentleman and Xin Chuo lagging two steps behind. This older gentleman was slender, nearly thin in his loose light-blue robe. His ashen hair was tied into a loose bun, eyes with dark drooping bags and a weary face. It appeared he hadn''t slept well and eaten much for the past few years. Compared to the fatty, Fey Luden, he was basically a walking stick. "Welcome to our Crane Clan, young ones," greeted the patriarch with an earnest smile. His eyes went down the line, momentarily stopping at Silver, raising up his left eyebrow. "Old Bear, I thought you said there were four divine marks. Why do I see five instead of four?" "Ah, yes. The further most on the right is Silver. Because of his unique mark, his parents asked of me to allow him to journey with us to Wok City," answered Fu Arus attempting to jog his memories. "He''s the son of the Warrior of the Crimson Claw and the Shadow Mistress. Sadly, he inherited his mother''s mischievous side but I''m unsure of his prowess in actual battle. The journey on our way here was quite peaceful or I would of tested their skills against those demonic beasts already." "You''re quite lucky to be born under those two, Silver. A few decades ago, we use to battle alongside each other before I became a patriarch, including Old Bear. Since then, I been quite proud to have them as my life long friends. Alas, I''ve gotten quite old and become to busy to venture out and visit them in Windfall Village. I hope you''re path to greatness will exceed theirs. I have much faith in you." "I''ll take your praise to heart, sir patriarch," thanked Silver as he cupped his hand and gave a respectful bow. "Quite respectful, I see. Your parents raised you with good manners. I am Patriarch Xin Yanhua. But you five can call me Uncle Xin just like how my son calls your chief, martial uncle. Despite my appearance, I''m quite younger than Old Bear, here." "Why do you look so old then?" puzzled Yan Li with widened eyes. She could not fathom that such a person who appeared older than their chief by many decades was younger than him. It was quite surprising that their village chief appeared in his mid-forties while this patriarch appeared as if he had half his foot into the grave. "A sharp mouth indeed, just like your mother." "You know my mom? How old is she? She looks very young and everyone calls he my big sister!" "Ahem. Of course I know your mother but I rather not divulge on any further details regarding her. It''s best you ask her yourself." Yan Li stared at Patriarch Xin for a good minute, instantly pouting from his answer. She turned her head to the side with an angry huff. "It''s best to explain why they''re here," monotoned Fu Arus with his poker face, slightly shaking his head. He brought up his left hand and gave a light pat on Patriarch Xin''s shoulder. It was hard to deal with Yan Li. Just like her mother, she truly made one speechless. "The reason why I asked Old Bear to gather you all here is for your protection," explained Patriarch Xin with a solemn expression. "As of late, there''s been many rumors speculating that you''ll be coming to the tournament already. Although we''ve tried our best to keep your identity and location hushed in this past month, but somehow the general location was found out. Many clans and sects has already scouted the area around your Windfall Villages and many other villages too. Luckily, your village was able to play it off but it won''t be long until they find the truth. You''ll be under our Crane Clan''s care for tonight." "How does all these clans and sects know that the divine marks have appeared?" inquired the pensive Long Zhen. "We''re already aware of the gossips and rumors during our free time." "Your divine marks were quite showy during the awakening. Based on the history textbooks, the sky will darken when all four divine beasts are awakened simultaneously. The four symbols* and 28 mansions * will appear in heaven above the earth, projecting themselves and announcing their presence all throughout the Ethereal Expanse. I would not be surprised if the smaller worlds gotten a glimpse of their heavenly manifestation. From here, your fate will be uncertain. You must forge it yourself as you continue your path of cultivation." "Is that why we haven''t seen the members of your clans besides the guards out front?" asked Fu Wonton. "And those guards seemed a bit odd. It''s almost if they''re puppets but with real faces and expressions. They didn''t greet Xin Chuo when we entered through the gates." Silver was quite surprised at Fu Wonton''s deduction abilities. Despite his lazy and easygoing manners, Fu Wonton was quite intelligent since a young age. No matter how many times his father scolded him, he would always find ways to be even lazier. You could see him lounging around the village, concealing himself in odd places. Even his father had to feel some sort of pride with Fu Wonton and his efforts to hide from his responsibilities. The more one tried to seek him, the harder it was to find where he hid. Even the younger him, who played pranks on the villagers, had a hard time finding him. But then again, his memories was still sealed during that time. If it wasn''t, finding Fu Wonton would be easy as finding a piece of hay in a stack of needles. "Your son is quite perceptive, Old Bear," nodded Patriarch Xin taking a glance at Fu Arus on the side. "Yes, they''re puppets with some fixed arrays to allow them to appear realistic. These are high-grade guardian puppets of our Crane Clan but no one except the elders, my son and I know of them. however, they cannot venture out of the clan''s vicinity or they''ll lose function and strength. Currently, all clan members are to stay indoors of their home since your identity must be well hidden. Xin Chuo, bring out the masks." "Yes, father," Xin Chuo replied respectfully. With a wave of his right hand, a small wooden table appeared before the small group. On top of the table''s surface laid four colored masks giving off a light sheen. Each mask had their own profound, sophisticated and distinct designs brimming with a mysterious energy. It was incredibly hard for one to keep their eyes off it. These mask were true, powerful artifacts. "These mask can conceal your face and cultivation. Nobody under the [Star Immortal Realm] of the 7th Star and under will be able to perceive your identity. Our Crane Clan has a very odd history pertaining to the four divine beasts. These mask were passed down since ancient times and could be given to the four who awakened. We were quite lucky that martial uncle''s village actually awakened all four divine beasts. This was the main reason why he''d specifically came to Wok City." "Our Crane Clan are full of experts when it comes to finding treasures, intelligence gathering and movement skills. In fact, not many are aware of our small clan''s existence. Only the head of the four major clans of Wok City can know of our true existence and purpose, including the city lord of Wok City. Besides, many view us a merchant clan due to our various shops throughout the city. Please keep in mind, I''m only informing this due to your special status," added Patriarch Xin in all seriousness. "Then what about Silver? What makes him so special that he could hear all this information?" asked Fu Wonton. Even Silver and the other three wanted to know why. "Old Bear only spoken of you four and forgotten about him¡­ Furthermore, it was on a whim and I didn''t want to make things more difficult than it already was." The group of five stared at their village chief with furrowed eyebrows, feeling some displeasure. Especially, Silver, who was slightly irritated from his forgetfulness. As if in cue, Fu Arus turned his head to look out the windows, his cheeks tinge with red from embarrassment. ''That damn bro of mine actually brought the truth out and laid me bare under the hot sun. Such blatant betrayal!'' thought Fu Arus disregarding Silver''s eyes of dagger. "Please put on your masks and follow me to your rooms," coughed Patriarch Xin attempting to break the awkwardness. "Each mask is already marked for their corresponding individual." "What about Silver?" asked Fey Luden after noticing Silver didn''t have one. "Yea, he is part of our group! It should be polite to give him a mask too," added Yan Li agreeing with Fey Luden''s question. The other two gave a quick shrug and nodded their head in agreement. They were quite close since they all grew up from the same village. Even though there were troublesome quirks they didn''t enjoy about each other, they truly didn''t want anyone to feel isolated. Silver glanced at the four, a warmth emanating within his heart. In a similar fashion, he was close to these four since and wouldn''t allow them to be hurt. They were like his brothers and sister since they were babies. In his heart, these four, the chief, his parents and their village had a special place within. Patriarch Xin felt flabbergasted by their unity and strong comradery. In the path of cultivation, you were truly on your own to comprehend to a higher realm but having life and death brothers and sisters truly helped ease the loneliness. If he didn''t meet Fu Arus, and the rest of his life and death comrades, he wouldn''t be the person he would be today. It was easy to topple a building structure with one pillar with a flimsy foundation, but it would be quite difficult to topple a building with many pillars with a firm foundation. "Hmm, I only have this black mask here¡­it''s just that there''s no eye holes on it," responded Patriarch Xin bringing out a glossy black mask, placing it on the wooden table. He brought his thumb and forefinger to his chin, pondering over the artifact''s history. "Our ancestors found this in an old ruin they accidently stumbled upon. They searched everywhere in that ruin and only found this mask. Once they obtained it, they were instantly teleported out of that mysterious place, unable to to find nor return there. Since then, they couldn''t determine its uses and left it alone." Silver picked up the mask and stared at it with a vague familiarity. Finally, as if his memories synced up, he instantly knew what this mask was. - [Star Immortal Realm]* -> [Immortal Realm] but with star added in front. They go by 1 Star to a 9 Star immortal which would probably be introduced later on. Four Symbols* :Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North. 28 Mansions* : [East] - Azure Dragon - Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, Winnowing Basket [South] - Vermilion Bird - Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, Chariot [West] - White Tiger - Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak, Three Stars [North] - Black Tortoise - Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, Wall - :: Here''s the latest chapter! :: --- :: Just a heads up, from July 3rd to 7th I''ll be extremely busy volunteering. My work schedule will also change, so it''ll take some time to adjust to the hour differences. So much happening the next two months e.e :: ::Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments!:: 28 The Annual Tournament Begins As the sun rose, sunlight shone upon the Ethereal Expanse, thus beginning the annual tournament of Wok City There were many participants for the annual tournament, whereas the audiences for this year were countless. Ten thousands of people came to watch this year''s competition for one sole rumor. The divine marked individuals who obtained recognition from the the divine beasts were competing this year. The tournament stage was completely surrounded at the first rays of light. Even those who had lived in Wok City their whole life couldn''t help but be awed by the spectacular changes brought about this year. Upon the stage, there were only a hundred participants. Each of them gave off an aura of confidence once they gathered onto the stage. These individuals who joined this years competition were of the strongest. The weakest out of them all was at the mid-stage of Axis Realm, Intermediate Mark Fighter*. "Where''s Silver? How come I can''t see him!" Kong Nori depressingly said. The whole stadium was completely packed, it could also be described as being stranded among the sea of people. The fact this year''s tournament had too many new and exciting factors involved in it, so the many people present here was not strange at all. Every year was almost the same, very few will get into the sects they want nor were many noticed. This new type of change in the monotonous current was something many wanted. Fu Arus, Xin Yanhua, Kong Galbi and even the parents of the divine four were present. They were all squeezed into the crowd, looking at the large tournament stage. Fu Arus had already told them their kids had cloaked themselves. It took a few guesses to tell who was who as many of participants kept their appearance hidden too. All one hundred had already been registered with a numbers once they signed up. The limit was one hundred, unless you had a backdoor, it was nearly impossible to appear at final stage. Many would be tested and had to fight thousands of other contestants to obtain a spot. Those who entered through different means were naturally frowned up by ordinary participants. But as long someone had some form of power or backed by someone powerful, then they could only grind their teeth in silence. Everything is fair under the might of absolute power. Long Zhen and Fey Luden stood besides each other off the tournament stage, awaiting their turn to fight. Long Zhen carried the number five with Fey Luden carrying six, respectively. Fu Wonton was further away, sitting on a chair, sound asleep. He was number nine. One by one, exclamations burst out from the crowd as the participants fought on the tournament stage. Everyone was waiting for their number to be called up next. As the latest fight ended, participant 81 won with one poke of a finger. This was one of the cloaked individuals, their name was Faa Mu. An elder stood at the middle of stage, awaiting for the unconscious loser to be brought off the stage. "Ahem, next is participant 18 and 93! Yan Li and Sun Jiao, to the stage," announced the city tournament elder. Very soon, Sun Jiao''s tall and sturdy figure had stepped onto the stage. Across from him, Yan Li hidden in a maroon cloak, stood on the stage. Fu Wonton, Fey Luden, Long Zhen and Silver looked up at the very mention of Yan Li. She was the weakest of their group and they knew very little of her skills. Since traveling to Wok City, Blacky warded off many beasts around the premises. So, no one truly knew each other''s skills. The only thing Silver knew about his childhood friends were there cultivation level. Yan Li had broken through the night before, reaching the late-stage of the Axis Realm, Expert Mark Fighter. The other three actually reached the early stages of the Terra Realm, True Mortal. ''I can''t help but to admire Yan Li. Whatever she is cultivating, it''s giving off a vibe that she battle those two stages higher than her,'' thought Silver as he meticulously examined Yan Li hidden under the cloak. Although the mask could hide their cultivation, it was nothing to his black mask. The day before, the black mask was actually an artifact he created in his past life. He couldn''t help but be surprised when he first inspected it. A seal was placed onto the mask to ensure that nobody could use it to its fullest potential, unless it was the creator themselves who was using it. However, this gave him many unanswered questions as to why an artifact of his was in Ethereal Expanse. As he couldn''t find a clue from his many speculations, he unsealed the mask, unlocking it''s true abilities. It only had two functions; conceal one''s cultivation and appearance, and transform one''s appearance. It was his most used and prized possession, next to his halberd, that had helped him escaped many greedy bastards. He created this after obtaining "Wolf Beneath the Wool", implementing it into the mask. With so many identities, it was truly hard to find him, except for those who deemed life and death friends. "Hiding your appearance before you lost, eh," sneered Sun Jiao as he made his way towards Yan Li. His eyes were cold, full of unbounded pride. "Boy or girl, you''ll fall under these fists of mine." Before Sun Jiao could get near Yan Li, he felt a strong killing intent coming from her. Shivers of cold ran down his back, he took half a step back, sweat on his forehead. His instinct was screaming to back off from the mysterious person. Silver was pleasantly surprised, he didn''t realize that Yan Li could have a strong killing intent already. Sun Jiao wanted to scare her, but it hadn''t worked, and now he looked like a buffoon for saying such prideful words. Sun Jiao was furious, releasing more qi and struck out his right fist. "Take my Iron Fist!" Yan Li stayed silent, taking a step forward, appearing behind his back. The crowd had gone silent, unsure of what happened and how Yan Li got behind Sun Jiao. All they knew was that his right hand was missing and the mysterious person was beyond ruthless. Sun Jiao clench his teeth, holding in the pain he felt after realizing he lost his hand. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Thank you for being merciful," Sun Jiao shuddered as a group of doctors came up and took him off the stage. He felt his luck was good and the fact he wasn''t too arrogant. If so, he would of never made it off the stage. Once someone signs up for this tournament, there were a high chance of being severely injured, crippled or even dying. This was not a place for fools who couldn''t understand what cruelty truly meant. The crowd just stared at Yan Li with various expressions, most were of fear and awe. What made it more mind boggling was the fact they couldn''t see the technique used. It was too fast for their mortal eyes! A few of the sect elders that were sitting at first few rows of the stadium showed astonished expressions. Some of the disciples looked at their elders in confusion, trying to understand the situation. Finally, one of the elder composed himself and explained. Since many of the cultivators had good hearing, they listened in on this said elder. He actually seen this technique once during his path of cultivation. Mainly, a certain type assassin clan used this blade technique and are actually well known for it. This clan was naturally the White Raven Clan. Despite their clan''s odd name, it was a clan that brought fear to many powerful individuals and sects. They assassinated anybody who caused trouble to their friends, family and the clients that hired them. They wouldn''t even turn down confrontational duels, but no matter, it was always a life and death duel. But they were very respectful, unless you provoked them first, they won''t provoke you. They were the number one assassin clan in the Ethereal Expanse, a very mysterious group. A minority of them are quite well-known already, publicly declaring themselves, but no one dared to cause them trouble. Near the middles section of the stadium Fu Arus could be seen glaring at a young, plain woman who gave him a pleasant smile. [I can''t believe you taught her your clan''s killing techniques] spoke Fu Arus to the plain woman telepathically. By using his divine sense, he naturally able to communicate to her without saying a word vocally but mentally. [Aren''t you afraid your clan''s patriarch is here looking for you, Yan Hui? You''ve hid yourself for 14 years! Not only that, you''ve let her use your clan''s assassination techniques too. She''ll definitely be kidnapped by the White Raven Clan.] [Hmph, let that old man find me! What can he do to me and his granddaughter?] retorted Yan Hui using her divine sense. [She won''t get kidnapped by the members of the White Raven Clan. She has my token, and if they dare touch her, I will be instantly teleported to her! If he wants me to return, then he must apologize for banishing her father out of the Ethereal Expanse! Let''s see who dare touches my daughter.] Fu Arus shook his head and gave a light sigh after listening to what Yan Hui said. She had came to his Windfall Village to hide from her clan, pregnant, with nowhere to go. He had been great friends with her and her husband, so didn''t hesitate when he let her live in his village. When she told him the news of her husband, he was quite angry, almost storming to the White Raven Clan in anger. Yan Hui had begged him not to, so he could only consider her feelings and stay composed. Since that year, before Yan Li was born, she never smiled and changed her appearance to a plain village woman. But ever since Yan Li was born, she always smiled and taught Yan Li her clan''s technique. She was strict when she trained her daughter, but she also showed her love and care as a mother to her daughter. "He''s actually here," said Yan Hui with smile that wasn''t a smile taking a quick glance to the west of the stadium. There sat an old man wearing plain, faded grey clothing observing Yan Li with utmost attention. ''Who is this Yan Li? She knows our White Raven Clan techniques and her surname is also Yan¡­ I don''t remember hearing of child prodigy like her in our clan¡­'' thought the old man. At that moment, the old man sensed that someone was looking at him. He turned his head to the general direction where Yan Li was sitting at but couldn''t pinpoint who it was. Thus, he kept quiet and returned his focus onto the stadium. Especially, towards the maroon cloaked Yan Li. Everyone raised their heads and saw that the sun was directly above them, indicating that it was high noon already. "Participant 18, Yan Li has won," said the referee "Participant 5, Long Zhen and participant 27, Xin Chuo to the stage!" Both Long Zhen and Xin Chuo felt surprised at the match up when their names were called. At any rate, they proceeded to the middle of the stage. Like Yan Li, Long Zhen was also hidden within a maroon hooded-cloak. "Alright, same rules as always. Begin!" shouted the referee after moving off the stage. "Pfew¡­" Xin Chuo took a deep breath, hiding his mouth behind his opened fan. Long Zhen got into his stance, knuckle cracking as tighten his fist. He knew Xin Chuo was stronger than him, but he felt it was exciting to fight finally. Adrenaline rushing throughout his body, he was ready. Xin Chuo glanced at Long Zhen, a coquettish smile hidden behind his fan. Closing it the fan, he quickly turn around. "I give up," announced Xin Chuo walking off the stage. He returned outside of the stage, where those who lost would do a redemption round. "Sorry, I don''t feel like fighting this guy." "Ahhh¡­ Participant 5, Long Zhen wins!" exclaimed the dumbfounded referee after assessing the situation and composing himself. Even the crowd was thoroughly stunned, never had they seen someone act this way in the tournament of the past years. Intentionally giving up to an a person without batting an eye. Who are these mysterious maroon cloaked people? --- Those in the Axis Realm are generally called Mark Fighter''s. Names as followed: 1st Axis to 3rd Axis - Beginner Mark Fighter 4th Axis to 6th Axis - Intermediate Mark Fighter 7th Axis to 9th Axis - Expert Mark Fighter --- ::Another chapter done. I''m aware that my old novel is on RR and I have yet to update it to the current one as I am waiting to reach the same amount of chapters I had before. I understand that the changes in world will confuse many readers, but it''ll become clear later on:: ::Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments!:: 29 Red Valley Deser In a vast desert, a young woman was basked underneath the searing heat of the sun. She wore light-blue clothing slowly advancing through the desert. The deep footprints she left in the yellow sand behind her, slowly being covered by sands drifting along the wind. Despite the desert environment of the Red Valley Desert being extremely harsh, this young woman strolled comfortable under the exposure of the hot sun. As she continued, the wind blowing toward her face carried fine grains of sand that fluttered away. It was if there was an invisible barrier that allowed her to be untouched. The fire type energy that the desert contained made Jing Shi feel somewhat pleased. It was perhaps due to the exposure of the sun that resulted in this place having a much richer fire type energy, unlike the Desolate Tundra that was rich with cold ice qi. Moreover, the fire type energywas extremely suitable for Jing Shi to use to train the fire side of her constitution. An enormous beast-like worm broke out of the sand before her, screeching with ferocity, summoning thirty more worms as they surrounded her. Fiery gales made of black flames encompassed the thirty gigantic worms, incinerating them into fine dust. Their ashes scattered in the light wind, mixing together with the sand within the endless desert. She had read in the Isle of Wisdom that the Red Valley Desert held a small, secret flame world. This place kept a powerful flame that could increase her strength. ''Compare to the Desolate Tundra continent, the Red Valley continent is just an endless desert. Just like the textbooks I''ve read, it truly was a magnificent desert with red vegetation blooming with life. Even the oasis water were red! This Red Valley Desert has a strong concentration of yang qi¡­'' thought Jing Shi as she continued walking. ''But now, it''s lacking the fire type energy spoken in the texts. Isn''t this place suppose to be filled to the brim with fire type energy? Must be because of that demonic being that reigns this area. Luckily, Lord Baruch had given me that necklace. It could clearly conceal my presence and increase my power at stable rate. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Jing Shi was a definitely an otherworldly beauty, but she had transformed her physical being into a very common and below-average scar faced girl. Nothing on her screamed beautiful, her bust lacking, her buttox lost all of its alluring curves and her hair had become jet-black with stress induced gray hair. Her face appeared bland, bleak and scarred. This appearance could only make those who barely glimpsed at her feel discomfort. She seemed like a poor, undeserving woman who stumbled on some very exquisite clothes, strutting around, acting like a cold beauty. Her father, Old Yam, had always told her to be cautious when she traveled. Beauty can cause envy, lust and can get her killed for that very reason. ''Right now, I''m still weak compared to Silver. I need to find that flame in this desert¡­'' She had been crossing the desert for a couple of months now. During these months, she hasn''t gotten any news regarding Silver''s awakening. Jing Shi could only work hard and forge her own path of strength. ''I wonder how you''re doing . . .'' Sighing once again, Jing Shi stared at the huge sun in the desert sky. She brought out a map, copied from the textbook, checking the contents before returning it back to her storage ring. Even though she was under the extensive exposure to the hot sun, she always felt cool. Due to her unique, dual constitution of ice and fire, Jing Shi was never bothered by the heat nor the sun. To her, this was just like taking a stroll in spring-like weather. Jing Shi''s gaze swept across the desert, focusing on a vague structure like silhouette a few meters away. She then continued forward, only stop in front of many pieces of broken structures trying to break free from the sand. Based on the map, this was the general place of where the flame world was hidden. ''Where is the entrance¡­?'' After searching for two hours, Jing Shi opened her mouth and grinned. She finally found the entrance after finding neatly laid out stones between two broken stone columns about 20 meters away and dug up all the sand blocking the way to the entrance. From the looks of it, the sand couldn''t enter through the entrance as if a barrier was keeping it out. ''This should be the place¡­'' Jing Shi found herself at the beginning of a stone tiled hall, unable to see through the darkness ahead. She walked slowly, cautiously observing her surroundings for any traps of the sorts. One had to be careful when entering an unknown territory. She continued further, slowly coming to a halt in a large room with an ancient looking door ahead. Taking a step closer, the red and blue yin yang pendant Lord Baruch gifted her came off her neck, flying towards the door. Bright lights of blue and red illuminated the room, catching her off guard and blinded by the light. Jing Shi fell unconscious as the door opened, sucking her in like a strong vacuum, instantly closing right after. Hours later, Jing Shi opened her eyes, finding herselves laying on at the center of a small stone platform. She got up onto her feet, quickly brushing the dust off, staring out into a desolate and bleak land. Looking from afar, a flickering black flame hovered above a platform with a staircase going up, seemingly endless with steps. Broken, jagged rocks littered the ground, a place void of life but that black, flickering flame. It was unknown just what sort of individual had created such a place leaving a lone flame for thousands of years. It was as if she came to another space, a different dimension with an empty sky. Pitch black with no twinkling stars. The area, itself, was a place of extreme heat. If a mortal were to come here, they''d be instantly burnt into ashes. Because of her constitution, she was able to bear with it. In fact, it felt cool and relaxing in the space, almost as if it was like the warmth of her home. ''It''s like what the texts had described¡­'' thought Jing Shi as she stared at the flickering flames. Although she could tell She read of a small space created by a foreign cultivator who is vanished from the Constellation World long ago. After building this small world, they trained with the very black flame flickering on the platform. Alas, it was written that they had fallen to this very flame they created. The Isle of Wisdom truly had records of many powerhouses and their secrets. Jing Shi always wondered if Lord Baruch had written them or someone else had. He had always told her, he was just the guardian of the Isle of Wisdom. It was just, he lost a bet to the Floating Cloud Sect founder, so he allowed them to build their sect around the isle. ''This flame is a production of a cultivator!? What intense heat and power. I fear that I would be swallowed alive just like the creator...'' Jing Shi walked down the trail, stopping at the first step of the stairs. To her, it seem like trekking up the endless stairs was a test. She balled both her hands into fists, feeling more determination that ever. Her goal was the black flame flickering under the starless, pitch black sky. ¡­ ''I finally found an inheritor for you, Amaterasu. Born with a unique fire and ice constitution, she''s the only one who can withstand and possibly survive your flames,'' thought Lord Baruch noticing that his pendant had activated. He was good friends with Amaterasu and gave Jing Shi the notion to grab the textbook that led to this small dry, desolate world. It was quite saddening that Amaterasu couldn''t transform the flames into their body during their ascension. They were almost killed by it but he saved them on a whim, reconstructing their body and leaving the flames in the Constellation World. However, time got the best of Amaterasu, who died of old age at the end. They couldn''t complete their black flames and created this place. Finally, they left to meet Grandma Meng, hoping someone would inherit and advance the flames they made. A selfish, last request. Jing Shi kept walking up, step by step, aware of the possibilities that could happen if she were to refine the flames. In her heart, she wanted to run away from the heat emitting from this flame as she got closer. But, she crushed her fear with her determined will. Jing Shi wanted to become stronger. She needed to get stronger. Every step she took, got her closer to the black flames. With every step, she begun felt comfortable. This flame was calling to her, resonating in a way she has never felt before in her life. Finally, she reached the last step, walking onto the platform where the black flame flickered soundlessy. Jing Shi inhaled and then exhaled a deep breath, stepping into the flame. She quickly sat down into a lotus position, beginning her refinement process. Nevertheless, the will of the flame fought and tried to stall her refinement of it. She was ready to battle the will out to the death. Whoever lasts longer is the king and the loser become the servant. "Who are you?" asked a voice reverberating in her soul. "I am Jing Shi, and you?" asked Jing Shi as she continued to refine the flames. "I am the one of the many flames of Amaterasu, born eons ago into this world. My owner left me here to find someone suitable for me as they continued to journey across the universes. I been left here, alone in tortuous silence. You''re the second person who has come within and tried to make me theirs," responded the flame. "Flame of Amaterasu¡­ I want to obtain greater strength to fight alongside someone I love dearly. Would you join and fight alongside with me?" "Only if you can hand my flames, only then will I would accept you." Sounds of crackling flames echoed through the small, desolate world as the flames of Amaterasu began increased its output, attempting to burn Jing Shi into ashes. - ::Another chapter done. I felt evil for posting this up but we always have to make some progress. Hopefully you enjoyed the extra hehehe:: ::Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments!:: - 30 Asura Feng Versus Tortoise Wonton The annual tournament lasted for a total of one full day, one full night and 7 hours into the next. Today was the final round including the final rankings to be announced once it was over. Silver, Long Zhen, Fu Wonton, Fey Luden and Yan Li had made it to the final round without using their divine marks. Of course, no one could beat these 5 maroon cloaked demons even by using their divine mark. Attempts to overpower them were futile. Each individual that were somewhat famous for their battle prowess were all defeated by them one by one. The crowds were sure these five would battle at the end during the last round, an exciting round yet to be seen. "Everyone, thank you all for coming here today to witness the final round amongst these ten strongest fighters," announced an old gentleman standing in the middle of the dueling platform. "We have waited all day for this! Participant 9, Fu Wonton and Participant 1, Chu Feng to the stage!" "I can''t believe one of them is going against Chu Feng, son of the Wok City Lord!" "Finally, we can see those maroon cloaked demons show their true abilities." "Hmph, our city lord''s son will definitely beat that youngster!" Both Chu Feng and Fu Wonton took their steps onto the dueling platform. Chu Feng had a delicate face that was still young and tender. He carried an air of nobility, yet it was without arrogance. He was deem one with a heroic spirit, just like his father, composed but full of energy. Facing himself towards Fu Wonton, he gave a respectful smile and a martial greeting*. At the moment, after Chu Feng gave his greetings, everyone was shocked. Fu Wonton took off his maroon cloak and returned it into his storage ring. Although, the crowd felt surprise, they held in their desires to scream at Fu Wonton for foul play. Under his maroon cloak, was a thin looking man wearing a grey mask. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "He''s so skinny! How was able to beat that giant from the Bean Clan?" "Is everyone with the maroon cloaks wearing mask too? I was truly looking forward to see how these prodigies appeared!" Just as the crowd begun simmering down, the other four wearing their cloaks, took theirs off too. Similarly, the crowd started making noise once more at the surprise. "Settle down everyone!" shouted someone from afar. His voice carried throughout the stadium, silencing all down to a hush. Not to their surprise, their City Lord Chu was watching this annual tournament too. Everyone knew that the city lord was quite strict with their son but he truly doted on his one and only son. "Please, begin." Chu Feng took a profound glance at Fu Wonton, immediately using his star mark. In an instant, his fist reached Fu Wonton left face, ready to bash off the mask. He was curious as to who was under that mask. To his surprise, his fist stopped barely an inch away from Fu Wonton''s mask. As if there was an invisible barrier between them. "Chu Feng, I''ve heard your star mark was powerful. If you can destroy my barrier, you win but if you can''t, I win," stated Fu Wonton. "Such arrogance!" "Who dares to bet against the Chu Clan? He''ll get himself killed spouting nonsense," shouted someone from the stadium. "Which bastard raised such a presumptuous son!" When Fu Arus heard that comment, he sat down with his head hanging between his shoulders. He already knew his son was audacious but he didn''t think it was to this extent. ''I''ll make sure you get the beating of a lifetime,'' thought Fu Arus when he turned his head towards his son. ''Even if you win!'' "This is the not first time someone had asked me that question, but I feel that you can actually amount to your words," smiled Chu Feng activating his star mark. The color of his eye changed into a faint red glow while a menacing aura took shape into black mists, pouring out of his body. Hundreds of wailing ghosts appeared one by one, circling around him. He appeared as god of war, bringing out a pitch black greatsword wrapped in clean white cloth strips at the handle. Lifting it up with one hand, he gave a battle-crazy smile towards Fu Wonton. "Let''s go." "My gosh! The legendary Asura Mark? Chu Feng carries the Asura Mark!" sputtered an elder, standing up in astonishment. "Asura Mark?" asked one of the disciples. "Thousands of years ago, there was buddhist god who was betrayed by his 7 brethren. Ultimately, they incurred his wrath as he traveled far and wide to kill each one. Once he finished his task, he disappeared from history. There were two others who held such legendary star mark but they couldn''t handle it''s wrath and died. This is the first time I''ve seen it but it matches with the description from the [Divine Mark Index]*." "Does that mean¡­ Chu Feng.." "Yes, if he can overcome the Wrath from his Asura Mark, he''ll become much more powerful.." Nodding to Chu Feng, Fu Wonton unleashed his star mark accordingly. His being was covered with a shadowy projection, slowly taking its shape into a black tortoise shell. Once his shell took shape, the other three divine beasts attempted to project themselves unannounced. Yan Li, Long Zhen and Fey Luden masks gave off a light glow, keeping them tamed, instantly dispersing its desire to show themselves off. Cold sweats covered these three backs. It would be bad if their divine mark tried to show off again. All of this did not go unnoticed, especially with the few sect powerhouses and the Wok City Lord. It seems the rumors that were floating about was actually true. All four of the divine marked individuals came to the tournament. Not only that, they wore a mask artifact that could actually block of their divine sense. They were unable to see their true identities. "It c-a-an''t be! The divine mark of the Black Tortoise!" screamed another elder from the stadium. "The rumor is true then?" "I can''t believe it...then other three are here too?" "I counted five, one of them must be a fake!" "Hmph, shut up and watch! We''ll get to see who is who then." "Now I know why you''re confident," approved Chu Feng. His body moved at high speed, swinging his giant broadsword high above Fu Wonton''s tortoise shell barrier. Instantly swinging it down with tremendous strength. "Let''s see if your shell can handle my full strength!" Fu Wonton looked up at Chu Feng swinging down the giant broadsword, smiling underneath his mask. With a thought, his barrier started spinning with incredible speed as the sword slashed down. The ultimate offense and ultimate defense clashed against each other, producing sparks of qi as their pride wouldn''t allow the other to win. **Booom A bright light, followed by a loud bang echoed out the stadium. Clouds of dust hung around the air as the spectators, who couldn''t see through the cloud, held their breath in. Even if there was no fancy movements, it was an all out strike from the famous Chu Feng. They were unsure if the newly born bearer of the Black Tortoise could handle such an attack. As if their prayers were answered, the cloud of dust settled down. They saw a lanky masked boy standing inside a large pit, unbothered by the surprised faces. Looking across, they saw a tattered Chu Feng keeping himself up with his sword. His breath, ragged and blood dripping off him from the recoil of his full attack. "Your body is quite sturdy," complimented Fu Wonton. He was surprised that his barrier actually took full damage and came out unscathed. Not only that, his idea of spinning the barrier allowed him to rebound the force of Chu Feng''s slash. Know this, Fu Wonton finally felt at ease of where he could relax and sleep at without worries. To be lazy and safe was something hard to find in the Ethereal Expanse. If his father and Chu Feng knew what he was truly worried about, they would vomit blood in anger. With such defenses, how could one only think about lazing about! Then again, his father would probably shake his head in defeat if he knew this. "Hahaha! Even so, your barrier is sturdier than my body!" exclaimed Chu Feng happily. Even though he lost, he met someone who could possibly become brothers with. Exhaling lightly, he finally lost his conscious and collapsed. "Participant 9 has won!" exclaimed the referee in fervent excitement. Never had he seen such worthy fights during his time. Truly, the younger generation will overcome them. Many doctors accompanied the unconscious Chu Feng, examining his injuries. One of them gave a sigh of relief, realizing his injuries weren''t severe but still would take time to heal. [Sir, your son is alright. He would be back on his feet in half month] explained the Chu Clan doctor telepathically to the Wok City Lord. [That''s good. Tell me once he wakes up] nodded Wok City Lord Chu. He turned his attention to Fu Wonton, who was getting off the stage, heading to his small group. ''So young yet very intelligent¡­'' thought Wok City Lord Chu. At the very last moment, he saw that Fu Wonton intentionally slowed down his barrier''s rotation. With that slight adjustment, it allowed Chu Feng to survive the recoil of his attack. He was filled with gratitude for this lanky masked individual. - Martial Greeting * - Keeping a straight palm with either hand and making a fist, touching the palm. Kind of like /=lc=\ . . . I tried e.e Divine Mark Index* - a cumulation of all the marks known in all of Ethereal Expanse and few other worlds. No one knows who created this index but nearly every cultivator has it. - ::Yay, another chapter done today! T___T I''m trying my best to get back into the groove of writing often. Originally, the title was Nine Versus One but >.> now it change cause "misleading". Thank you for reading!:: ::Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments!:: 31 Do Not Anger The Fatty Soon after the battle of Chu Feng and Fu Wonton, a few randoms fought in the next few rounds. Despite Long Zhen being unable to show his true prowess as the Azure Dragon, he was quite curious to see if his brother from another mother would come up next. He had been best friends with Fey Luden since birth, him training and Fey Luden always eating. It was odd enough for everybody in their village to see them together, despite having completely opposite life styles. If one who hasn''t never seen them before, noticing how close they were, one would think they both swung the same preference. Soon, Long Zhen''s wishes became true. "Participant 6, Fey Luden and Participant 108, Tai Shan come to the stage," announced the referee monotonously. "Tai Shan¡­? Isn''t he the super genius from the bean clan?" queried one of the male disciple watching the two participants stepping onto the stage. "Yes, no one knows how he looks like though¡­" answered another disciples next to him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "This Fey Luden is part of that maroon cloaked group, I wonder if he''s a divine marked geniu- THAT''S TAI SHAN?" exclaimed an elder from afar. Many heard of Tai Shan but due to his identity being tightly disclosed, not many knew how he truly looked like. From afar, a shirtless "man" with short orange hair stood onto the stage at a height of 4.5 meters. His muscular body bulged out, massive pecs and 10 pack symmetrical abs. His thighs were as thick as an fully grown watermelon. Even his arms seem the same as his thighs, incredibly massive. Despite his massive body, those with eyes can see every muscle on his body was cut and well defined like an impeccable diamond. One could tell he was from the Bean Clan. They were hundreds of miles away from the word "bean", but natural born giants due to their unusual growth. Their clan average 3.6 meters in height, excluding the woman''s with an average of 2.7 meters, in their clan. Of course, they had a body art that could help them change their height to any size but they rarely used it. On the contrary, the mens were buff but the woman''s always had a very curvy and seductive appearance. They were quite proud of their giant appearances, instantly taking anyone down with just their innate strength. These giants from the Bean Clan were notoriously known for their loathing behavior towards unhealthy looking fat and skinny people. If one wanted to marry their kin, they had to battle with their body. No fancy movements, qi and techniques. Just pure, brute strength. "Hmph, how can one be so fat yet join this glorious tournament?" scoffed Tai Shan looking down on Fey Luden. Ever since he was a young bean sprout, he abhorred fat people. "What do you know? Just because you work out little doesn''t make you any better than me!" retorted Fey Luden. "Even I can get a body like yours without trying, but I stay fat to make you type of people look better! You should appreciate that fact." Everyone in the crowd stayed silent, unsure if they should cry or laugh at Fey Luden''s comment towards Tai Shan. Even worse, the fatty even took out a barbequed rigid boar''s thigh out and began munching on it. It was luck when he chose his mask, since it only hid the upper face and not his mouth. Tai Shan stood there, looking at Fey Luden eating, speechless and unable to retort to his comment. Yet, he still felt humiliated by how casual the fatty was. In his head, the opponent wasn''t even taking him seriously. Angered by their action, Tai Shan swiped the boar''s thigh out of fatty''s right hand and tossed onto the ground. He lifted his right foot up and stomped on it furiously, while fatty stared in shock. ''Oh no¡­'' thought Long Zhen as he stared at the poor boar''s meat in astonishment. He didn''t think the opponent was that ruthless. Back then, when both Fey Luden and him had met, he did the exact same thing once. Little did he know, it was probably the worst and best thing that had happened in his life. He made a best friend but completely fearful of this best friend too. After Tai Shan''s stomp obliterated the poor fatty''s food, he proceeded to punch him right into the gut, hoping to knock them out with one punch. With a loud thud, Tai Shan took his fist back in pain, startled by the sudden change. In his mind, he thought he would be punching a soft, jiggling flesh ball but it felt like he punched an incredibly sturdy steel wall. Looking up, fear broke into his heart as he stared at the eyes of a murderous beast. Strong waves of savage killing intent emerged from Fey Luden, drenching his muscular body with cold sweat. Taking a step back, Tai Shan tried to control his urges to run away as the killing intent began to materialize into a projection of a majestic white tiger. "This is the third time I seen Fatty lose his cool," murmured Long Zhen staring at the White Tiger projected above Fey Luden. There were two previous cases where the Fatty had gotten angry over his food. The first time was when he met him. Long Zhen had been training one time and his father urged him to make some friends, so he introduced his best friend''s son to him. Fey Luden was always bullied about his weight, but never stopped eating as he enjoyed food too much to give it up. Such eating allowed him to grow into a plump and well rounded fat teenager. One day Long Zhen had gotten mad at Fey Luden for never defending himself, so he snatched the cooked chicken thigh he was eating and stomped it furiously. Long story short, his ass got beaten black and blue. Not only that, he had to barbeque a whole chicken for the glutton after his several rounds of beatings. This was when he knew Fey Luden was quite nimble and stronger than him in terms technique and combat experience. Every meat the fatty had eaten were all hunted by the glorious fatty himself. Thus, it marked a friend born out of respect and fear. Since then, they always ate and trained together. Of course, the second was related to the mischievous two. Both Silver and Yan Li furrowed their eyebrows from a past memory when they bullied Fey Luden as kids. Everytime Fey Luden went out to hunt, after they found out his barbeque tasted amazing, they would always snatched his cooked food. Using many forms of distraction, Fey Luden would always go check his surrounding but would never venture to far from his food. Sadly, this was enough distance for Silver to snatch the food from him. This game went on for a few weeks, until Fey Luden finally caught them in the act as Yan Li triggered one of his traps this time around and Silver got his foot stuck in unnoticeable hole near the fire pit. Due to the built up anger, Fey Luden teared up a whole tree nearby and chucked it like a spear at Silver while Yan Li was dangling upside down on a tree like a trapped insect on a spider web. Luckily, Silver was saved by Blacky and Fey Luden wouldn''t dare to harm Yan Li. He was quite fearful of her mother after being beat to a pulp for smearing some cooked beast fat onto her clothes. After releasing Yan Li, he returned to his fire pit and continued to cook. This time around, both Yan Li and Silver, had came back and requested to eat with him too. Although he was still angry with their previous antics, he didn''t mind sharing his food with other people. In fact, he loved eating together with people! Later on, Fu Wonton joined the group in attempt to hide from his father as he stumbled upon during one of their roasts. Since then, the five had been good friends for many years. Everyone in the stadium gawked at the fearsome White Tiger that emerged from Fey Luden''s killing intent. Those who weren''t use to such killing intent felt suffocated while others dispersed it with their powerful cultivation. Although the referee and a few tournament elder had contained and dispersed the surrounding killing intent, they could still feel a miniscule pressure within the stadium. Tai Shan stared at Fey Luden, taking a half-step away from him. His instincts were screaming in uncontrollable fear, as if he had poked fun at a hornets nest. Fey Luden casually took a stroll, getting closer to Tai Shan, who was standing still and unable to move due to complete fear. "Are you going to replace the food you stomped on?" asked Fey Luden with a cold smile on his face. Everyone, including Tai Shan, felt a cold shiver running down their spine when they saw his smile. Even the most fearsome demons couldn''t match up with this smile. Many prayed for Tai Shan to make it out unscathed, but the ones who really wanted him pummeled to an inch to death were the other fatties. Each one of them insidiously laughed at his misfortune. ''You deserved to be beaten to a pulp,'' thought all of them. "Hmph, why should I?" scowled Tai Shan staring menacingly at Fey Luden. He was truly afraid of the him, but he still had his pride. As a member of the Bean Clan, their pride were as sturdy as a mountain. Without saying a word, Fey Luden left hand grabbed Tai Shan''s left arm with immense strength, bringing down the 4.5 meter "man" down to his knees. **PAH A resounding slap went across Tai Shan''s face onto his left cheek. Staring daggers at Fey Luden, clenching his teeth from the pain of being slapped, he attempted to get out of the Fatty''s grip. But to no avail, unable to budge a millimeter. "Are you going to replace the food you stomped on?" repeated Fey Luden calmly staring at Tai Shan. "Heh. This pain is nothing. Felt like being smacked with a pillow," taunted Tai Shan. **PAH **PAH **PAH ¡­ Several resounding slaps echoed throughout the stadium, not even a cricket would chirp under the surging killing intent.By then, Tai Shan''s face had swelled so much, it was hard to not laugh. His disfigured face did not match up with his massive and toned physique, appearing comical to the spectating crowd. Many of the fatties who were once cheering for Fey Luden felt a bit fearful of him and couldn''t help but feel pity towards the Bean Clan''s genius. In the end, Tai Shan finally gave up after being humiliated with slap after slap from Fey Luden. After promising to hold a grand feast for Fey Luden, he slowly got off the stage as he couldn''t see well with his swollen face. Even then, the crowd stayed silent this time around, pitying the poor Tai Shan. This boy had eyes but couldn''t recognized the true Mount Tai before him. Without much happening, Fey Luden got off the stage in great spirit. ''I should beat people up to get some meals or even high class meat from them,'' thought Fey Luden getting off the stage. From what he learned from minor gossips, the Bean Clan was well known for the cooking and huge feasts. One should know it was hard to cultivate one''s external body without treasured medicine and succulent meat. And this Bean Clan was truly known for having such resources. Most of them were a part of the mysterious Spirit Gourd Sect, known for cultivating their external body. Nearly every famous external powerhouses came from that sect, boasting incredible physical strength and nearly indestructible body. If one were to learn of his thoughts, they would instantly vomit blood from anger and surprise. This glutton could only think of using his overpowered strength for eating. "Participant 6, Fey Luden has won!" exclaimed the referee still shocked from Fey Luden overwhelming Tai Shan with unmatching strength. It was quite absurd to see many overpowering scenes in tournaments, then again, this was the divine marked individuals they were watching. "Next up is Participant 4, Silver and Participant 3, Tang Bai!" - :: July 3rd to 7th is my volunteer week :: :: Yay, another chapter done today! Still trying my best to get back into the groove of writing often. It''s quite busy at work and I''ve been physically exhausted to the point I even slept with my work clothes on a few times. Not only that, schedule is changing to accommodate the workload. AISH e.e :: ::I''ve uploaded my second novel, Leveling Up My Cultivation, please give it a read! Ultimately, my focus would be mainly on this novel, and I would update once or twice month with ''LUMC'' :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 32 Training Tang Bai Both Silver and Tang Bai stood on the platform, carefully checking each other out. Silver could instantly tell that his opponent was quite strong for his age, stronger than Chu Feng who fought Fu Wonton earlier. Out of all the participants of this annual tournament, Tang Bai was definitely the strongest out of them. However, this didn''t necessarily affect Silver at all. Even if Tang Bai had reached the early-stage of [Primal Source Realm] during battle, who was currently at Nature Form, Silver wouldn''t even bother trying. He thought about giving up before the fight, but he noticed his opponent''s battle-crazed eyes. A thirst to battle, to experience a fight with those stronger than them. Without a second thought, Silver came to a firm decision to give Tang Bai a decent battle. He at least owed Tang Bai this much for joining the annual tournament. "Do you use weapons?" asked Tang Bai once he got close enough for Silver to hear. "If not, I can use techniques too." "I do, but I hope you won''t feel insulted," smiled Silver as he took a six foot wooden staff out of his storage ring. Tang Bai felt startled by Silver''s choice of weapon but nodded anyways. He took out two high quality, black steel twin longswords from his storage ring, holding it with both hands. For some reason, his instincts told him that his opponent was not to be taken lightly. It was best to fight with all of his abilities. "Eh? That blacked masked Silver took out a wooden staff. He''s crazy to go against Young Master Bai''s black steel twin longswords!" exclaimed one of the Tang Clan''s young member. "Who raised this foolish child?" added another Tang Clan member. "Can''t believe Tang Bai will get an easy win like this! Hahahaha!" "Everyone knows Tang Bai is only serious when he uses his black steel twin longswords! Maybe this Silver is stronger than we think." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Hmph. Our Young Master Bai must be overestimating his opponent." Although the Tang Clan''s elder didn''t say anything, they didn''t refute their younger clansmen either. With all honesty, they were quite confused on why Tang Bai would use his twinswordsbefore the battle. Maybe he could sense something from Silver, since they couldn''t sense him from the stadium. Kong Galbi overheard their rude comments, controlling his anger from strangling the younger generation of the Tang Clan. He too, was surprised that his son took out a wooden staff but it didn''t mean he wanted to hear these ignorant buffoons slander his only son. Kong Galbi and his wife, Kong Nori, attentively watched as the battle had already commenced. ''Cross Form!'' With a quick swing of his right and left sword, forming an X, Tang Bai slashed towards Silver''s head. Smiling at the incoming attack, Silver lightly spun his wooden staff, instantly knocking against the tip of both blades simultaneously. After knocking the blades, he quickly thrusted his wooden staff against the small opening he created, jabbing towards Tang Bai''s chest in the process. However, Tang Bai''s keen senses follow pursuit, backing away from the quick jab. After dodging, he switched to a lower posture, using his next twin sword technique, ''Sweeping the Grass'', aiming for Silver''s legs. With his left sword performing ''Sweeping the Grass'', his right sword swung upwards with ''Rising Sparrow''. Taking half a step back, Silver dodged Tang Bai''s ''Sweeping the Grass'' by a hair''s width, while holding his wooden staff with both hands, diagonally, he flicked the bottom portion up. Thus, the staff accurately smacked against the spine of the black steel longsword, deflecting the sword away from his face. Soon after, he brought down the top portion of his staff, quickly changing his hand positioning, ready to smack Tang Bai''s unprotected head. Quickly shifting his weight, Tang Bai was able to deflect the incoming attack using ''Rising Sparrow'' with his right sword, instantly rolling away from Silver within a safe distance. His whole body was already drenched with sweat. Although it seem like they took time to fight, they already made a few moves within seconds into the battle. ''Luckily, I was cautious and brought out my twinswords,'' thought Tang Bai strategizing his next moves. ''This guy has no openings, his defense is impenetrable. Even that Fu Wonton defense seem like child''s play compare to this guy!'' "You''re techniques aren''t bad," praised Silver aloud. He truly felt admiration from the bottom of his heart. Tang Bai''s Sword Intent was close to forming. With a little bit more pressure, he would be able to reach the first level of the Sword Intent, Sharpening. "You didn''t use any flashy moves. Each attack is well-practiced and I can see the efforts of your training." "I can''t say the same for you, senior. Your defense is impenetrable, I can''t find even the smallest opening. I can say you that you''re at least second or third level with your wooden staff. But it seems you handle it differently than what a natural staff user would," chuckled Tang Bai as he recalled the techniques Silver used. "What is your preferred weapon of choice?" "Hahaha, you have great observation skills! My weapon of choice is the halberd! I couldn''t find a decent one so I bought this wooden staff as a substitute. Would you like to continue?" "Yes!" Tang Bai ran up to Silver, using all of his strength and abilities this time around. He understood the only way to learn was to fight wholeheartedly against him. Using the same ''Cross Form'', Tang Bai gripped his twinswords tightly, loosening his arms simultaneously. Performing much better than he did last time when he first performed the ''Cross Form''. Noticing the change, Silver smiled as he blocked the strike, jabbing faster than what Tang Bai could react to. After being knocked back two meters by Silver''s jab, Tang Bai felt his adrenaline pumping, taking his sword techniques to the limit. He began with ''Sweeping the Grass'' followed by another ''Rising Sparrow'' then brought his right sword back down with ''Setting Sun''. With each failed attack, he continued to grind his techniques to the fullest. For some reason, he felt that Silver was giving him chance to train using him as a grinding stone. Subsequently, Tang Bai entered a moment of enlightenment as his attack continue to strike at Silver''s wooden staff. Once he struck down with ''Setting Sun'' he shifted his footing to the right and spun around with ''Twirling Leaf Falling From The Tree''. As always, Silver kept dodging, blocking and deflecting each attack, aware of Tang Bai in the state of enlightenment. Similarly, the crowd had gone quiet, struck with both horror and awe at the level of techniques that these two were showcasing. Many sword, spear and staff users watched intently, not daring to let this once-in-a-lifetime chance drift along the winds.Some of the seniors of the sects,including a few, had become enlightened like Tang Bai and broke through the first or second level of their sword intent. Even Long Zhen, who was feeling down earlier, watched the battle attentively. His gaze was focused onto Silver moves, since he used a spear technique too. Clearly, the many groups who had ignorant views of Silver had flipped a 180 since the first strike from both Tang Bai and Silver. Furthermore, as the crowd continued to watch and observe, Tang Bai had finally formed his first sword qi. Thus, allowing him to reach the first level of Sword Intent, Sharpening. Still, his enlightenment didn''t stop there as he continued to use technique after technique against Silver. Another sword qi had slowly form, as he curved and twisted his slash across performing ''Swipe of the Dragon''s Tail'' while dodging Silver''s staff thrust. At last, Tang Bai dashed towards Silver, twinswords at hand and 3 fully formed sword qi following pursuit using all of his techniques, including a new one, ''Phases of the 2 Moons''. With every phase he used, Tang Bai constantly changed his posture, his form, and the direction he swung his swords. However, Silver blocked every single strike that Tang Bai struck as he slowly regained his clarity from enlightenment, instantly backing off. He stood still, immersing himself with his new experience of his Sword Intent. Likewise, Silver stood afar, unmoving and observing the changes within and around Tang Bai. "As of today, you''re half a teacher to me!" thanked Tang Bai as he gave a martial salute, bowing his head to Silver. Whether in this lifetime, or all of his lifetimes, he would absolutely come to Silver side as a life and death comrade. "If you have any problem, please come to my Tang Clan! As of now, I surrender to Silver." "Hahaha, please don''t call me your teacher. I''m too young for that," grinned Silver in amazement. He admired Tang Bai''s personality. It was straightforward, honest and stubborn; a quality that was quite rare nowadays. "Just take me as your brother." "Sure, brother Silver!" After the two shook hands, the crowd went wild in fervor. It wasn''t even close to the finals yet they had seen such a spectacular battle that already outdone Chu Feng and Fu Wonton short battle. In addition to the battle between Silver and Tang Bai, many had attained enlightenment in their respecting path! Most of the sect elders and seniors treated Silver as their half teacher, since he allowed them to observe and learn from his precise and incredible techniques. To them, whoever dared to cause trouble to their half teacher, would absolutely deal with them too! "Participant 4, Silver wins!" announced the referee filled with jubilation. The crowd went wild with fervor once more, chanting Silver''s name in admiration. Of course, many of them glared at him full of envy and jealousy. A minority wanted to kill him once the tournament ended. Sadly, they wouldn''t dare act upon it within Wok City. Such an act would definitely get them killed by those who deemed Silver as a half teacher. If they could kill Silver with their glares, he would of died many times over. - :: July 3rd to 7th is my volunteer week :: :: Yay, another chapter done today! I''ve uploaded my second novel, Leveling Up My Cultivation, please give it a read! Ultimately, my focus would be mainly on this novel, and I would update once or twice month with ''LUMC'' :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 33 Visitors After the bout between Tang Bai and Silver, the referee had announced the final top ten of the group. Each battle proceeded with ease, yet, it lacked the same enthusiasm between the prior fight before the final round. Reasons as to why, Silver had surrendered and was ranked tenth on the top ten board. Not only that, he had left right after their rankings had been finalized. Surprisingly, Long Zhen gained some attention, placing himself as number one on the tournament rankings. If Silver hadn''t publicly train Tang Bai, Long Zhen would of never broke through his bottleneck at the first level of the Spear Intent, Piercing, so quickly. As the final round had ended, everyone had dispersed and returned to their homes. Many sects attempted to locate the five masked individuals after the tournament, but to no avail. Some secret and powerful sects who were impressed by Silver''s performance tried locating him too. Sadly, none of them could find Silver and the four divine marked individuals. It was as if they only existed during the tournament and nowhere else within Wok City. Of course, they would never think to find these five powerful geniuses in a small sect within the city. Three days had come to pass, Fu Arus and the five teens were ready to pack up their belongings and head back to Windfall Village. However, before they could get going they could hear numerous voices chatting amongst each other outside of the main hall of the Crane Clan. Walking out of the court yard, they could see 5 groups, 2 individuals in each, chatting with the Crane Clan''s patriarch, Xin Yanhua. Once these 5 groups heard the oncoming footsteps, they turned their heads to look at the Fu Arus and five teenagers waltzing out of the main hall. "Old Bear, these are¡­" Before Xin Yanhua could finish, one of the 5 groups of two coldly spoke out: "We''ve come to ask if the four divine star marked individuals would accept our invitation. Hurry now, we don''t have much time." The man who interrupted Xin Yanhua came into view. They could see his belly jutting out like a pregnant woman on her final stages of pregnancy, barely jiggling and somewhat firm. His fat face complimented his torso, as he glared at them with condescending eyes. Sadly, no one could tell very well as it appeared like he was squinting with the amount of fat on his face. "I don''t enjoy wasting my time with useless pleasantry." "Hmph! How dare you be rude to my brother!" shouted Fu Arus circulating his qi. An image of the Big Dipper Bear, over 8 meters tall, emerged behind him as a merciless intent engulfed the disrespectful fat faced man. With just his killing intent alone, Fu Arus intent smashed against the fat faced man, flinging him across the courtyard. "Begone from here! And tell your sect leader if he has any problems, he can speak to Demon Bear Arus!" "Y-y-o-uuuu!" stuttered the arrogant fat faced man, staggering to get up. Fear engulfed the deepest part of his heart, as he suddenly remembered why the patriarch told him to be immensely respectful to the guest within the Crane Clan. Due to being an elder of a powerful sect, he thought it was below him to be respectful towards the younger generation and a small time clan. It seems the fat faced man regretted ignoring his patriarchs warning, but now he caused himself immense grief. If there were medicines for regrets, he would definitely take them right now. Standing up, swallowing his shame in his throat, he urged his companion to turn around and head back to the sect. He wouldn''t dare duke it with the infamous Demon Bear Arus. It was once known that Fu Arus slaughter 100,000 enemies by himself, trying to gain time for more support during the war years ago. Who would go against a madman like him!? Even his patriarch mentioned Demon Bear Arus as one of the individuals he wouldn''t dare cross paths with. Knowing this, once the fat faced man has given the sect''s patriarch this news, he would be demoted for his insolent actions. The companion that journeyed with him shook his head in disappointment. The fat faced man didn''t even know that he was being secretly evaluated by his partner. ''A waste of resources, can''t even see through the heavens while ignoring the brightest star'' the old man thought inwardly as he followed the once arrogant, now gloomy, envoy. Turning around, they both left in disappointment. "I''m sorry for the small inconvenience," continued Fu Arus, smiling at the rest of the group as he retracted his cultivation level. If the four groups did not see his cultivation, they would have thought he was just an insignificant chief with four lovely treasures. Luckily, their patriarchs already informed who Fu Arus was. Such a powerful man stood before them, especially since his history was already imbedded in the last war. With his last ditch effort to gain time, killing over 100,000 enemies, this allowed the North Star imperials to take a firm grip onto the current Ethereal Expanse. They wouldn''t dare to look down on him, even if he seemed like an old and ordinary mortal. Not only him, even Xin Yunhua couldn''t be underestimated nor the others who accompanied them during the war. Each individual who survived the war and obtain high achievement were actually monstrous geniuses that could not be compared to the current generation. Soon, the awkward atmosphere diminished once a young man took a step towards them, cupping their hands. "I am Zhi Zan, a personal disciple of our great Patriarch Kai and the Drifting Leaves Sect! Fierce, bold and strong! Coming and going as we please. As of now, we hold the current number one ranking of all sects within the Ethereal Expanse. Child of the Azure Dragon, we would like to invite you to join our ranks! What do you say? Everything you need will be given to you, but you must be able to keep your rank in the top three as time goes on. We only give such treasured resources to the elites of elites. Are you a dung beetle ready to be stepped on or a heavenly dragon smiting those who harms you and your precious ones?" asked Zhi Zan, keeping his eyes firmly rooted on Long Zhen. Although the way he spoke seemed clever and tempting, he truly meant what he said, as he was told the exact phrase back then. With his strong determination and excellent talents, rising to the personal disciple, beating those around him in one fell swoop. He was ranked 2 out of 50 in the Drifting Leaves Sect''s personal disciple rankings. "Do you have powerful spear arts?" inquired Long Zhen, tempted with how Drifting Leaves Sect functioned. He could clearly tell it was highly competitive, something that could ignite the fire within his heart. "Spear Arts? We have tons of them for you!" approved Zhi Zan nodding his head to Long Zhen''s question. Although not many disciple''s studied spear arts in their sect but their patriarch and great elder did.Both had already reached the highest level, One with the Spear. "Then I will go," Long Zhen finally agreed. "Let''s go! Farewell Chief Arus, your reputation will indeed skyrocket once more in this generation," exclaimed Zhi Zan, quickly taking Long Zhen away. For them, there was a long and arduous journey to the Drifting Leaves Sect. Only one could be invited by their sect, or at best, fatefully find their hidden sect. "Hahaha, it seems we all came for a certain individual! I''ll go next," a buff and humongous middle-age man announced. He turned his head to the left, walking to a seemingly chubby teenager. "I am Hong Gang of the Spirit Gourd Sect. We are the best in fist, kicks and body training arts! We eat until--" "You had me at eat, let''s go!" agreed Fey Luden without missing a beat. His whole life involves food and if he can eat many scrumptious meals while cultivating, nothing would change his mind. "I like this boy!" marveled Hong Gang, not at all surprised on how fast the boy reacted. They truly did eat to gain this massive and muscular body due to an external body cultivation method. Nearly a 75% of the sect was filled with foodies. Most of them even learned the Art of Cooking, garnering attention from the noble clans within North Star Kingdom, North Star Imperial City. Those who study the Art of Cooking would usually end up becoming a personal chef of the noble clans, especially those within the Spirit Gourd Sect. Grabbing his small bag, loaded with food, drinks and snacks, Fey Luden followed Hong Gang and his companions to their sect. "I am Hua Yaling, a personal disciple at Great Willow Sect," announce Hua Yaling, a stunning beauty in a slight loose robe. However it could not hide her hourglass body as she sashayed towards a seemingly adorable girl. "Although we are only an all female sect, our techniques are quite renowned throughout the Ethereal Expanse," said Hua Yaling, tapping Yan Li''s forehead. "How about it?" " Mmm... Yes!"smiled Yan Li, happily following Hua Yaling and her companion without a care. No one knew what Hua Yaling sent her but it seemed to really attract Yan Li''s attention. Although, she was known as a troublemaker like Silver, she did enjoy reading. If someone took her book or somehow damaged it by even a scratch, her temper could even make the king of hell hide fearfully in a pitch, black corner. "Yes, I will join your Long River Sect," Fu Wonton glumly announced to the last group. He was already aware of their intent as the envoy eyes kept their focus onto him. "I already know of you and your skills, youthful as you look, the age in your eyes can''t lie to me." "Ah . . . yes. I am personal disciple Mu Bo, in charge of taking you to our Long River Sect," Mu Bo responded, a bit surprised. Their Long River sect was shrouded in an actual foggy mystery, unable to be found no matter how powerful the expert was. It was even rarer for anyone to gain their interest, yet there an even smaller percentage of individuals who could discern their true age with a glimpse. Fu Wonton was quite keen compared to the other 3 who had left already. "I''ll try to visit you father, hope no one misses me too much," yawned Fu Wonton, lazily following Mu Bo and his companion. "Only fools could sleep and dream every night, but wise fools can sleep and enjoy the dreams they made come true everyday." "Hmph . . .Stay safe son," sighed Fu Arus glaring at the back of his son. If one looked closely, the right corner of Fu Arus right eye showed a slight twitch from irritation. "I truly hope you can become a great cultivator, just like that sharp tongue of yours." "Yea, yea," Fu Wonton chirped, waving his left hand in farewell. After everyone had left, it was just Xin Yanhua, Fu Arus, and Silver alone in the seemingly larger courtyard. Fu Arus gave a heavy and audible sigh after he no longer could see his son''s silhouette. He then turned around, looking at the last person out of the group, Silver. Before he could sound out his words, a mysterious yet powerful aura appeared near them. Both Fu Arus and Xin Yanhua hurriedly let out their cultivation, staring at a lonesome man standing by the entrance of the Crane''s Clan main hall. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. This lonesome 2.1 meter tall man appeared young, yet devilishly handsome with long void-black hair reaching his buttocks. His clothes were black and fitted, visibly outlining his perfectly toned body as he continued to walk closer to them. The haziness of his appearance began to clear up as a noticeable violet streak of long, braided hair hung on the left side of his proportionate face. He smiled warmly with his pearly white teeth, perfect jawline as his gaze seem to be focused on Silver the whole time. However, Silver was bewildered by the devilishly handsome man''s completely black eyes. He could see twinkling lights in those abyss like eyes, replicating the exact view of the starry night sky. A shudder of excitement could be felt in his stoic heart, as he continued to gaze into the miniature starry night eyes of the devilishly handsome man. "Who might you be, Senior?" inquired Fu Arus in high alert. - :: July 3rd to 7th is my volunteer week :: :: Yay, another chapter done today! :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 34 Kowtow Everyone stood still, staring back at the lonesome man in all black. Suddenly two more individuals emerged from thin air, appearing behind the devilishly handsome man. They too, released their mark of a Crimson Eagle and a Shadow Horned-Snake, carefully observing the moves of the unknown individual. "To be received by so many experts from the last war, but you should know I can demolish this place without fear," chuckled the devilishly handsome young man in unknown joy. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Well, what does our esteemed guest want? What would have an astounding interest to bring you here?" puzzled Arus staring coldly. He already realized who that man was by their eyes. One of their kinds had started the great war, causing great changes within the Ethereal Expanse. "That boy," the devilishly handsome man chirped, pointing his right index finger at a young boy with a small black cat perched on their shoulder. "Be my disciple, young one." All three turned around, almost to have forgotten Silver was standing there in the courtyard with them. But why would a powerful immortal would want from Silver? However, Silver felt different from the urgency within the courtyard. His heart gave the same feeling when he first met his master in the previous life. It was screaming for power, a thirst for knowledge, a feeling he once felt before rumbling through his heart, mind and soul. To him, this mysterious man clad in all black, was someone who would definitely understand his star mark. "Disciple greets master!" Silver decided without a shred of hesitation, kneeling onto the ground kowtowing. He knew this man''s intention to have him as their disciple. "Master accepts his first true disciple," acknowledged the devilishly handsome man, still smiling. "I am the current and only leader of the Nihility Clan, Aeon." Everyone stared at Silver, who was still in a disciple kowtow, feeling baffled. They were prepared for everything except this current outcome. The infamous Aeon, who banned the Nihility Clan from returning to the Ethereal Expanse, had came to find a disciple. Furthermore, Aeon''s true power was shrouded in mystery but they knew he had the ability to annihilate the whole Ethereal Expanse. His prestige were renowned throughout their world, the world of ascension and lower-realms. A powerful individual that traverse through all worlds and realms unhindered. Only a few are aware of his true appearance throughout the realms, excluding the members of the Nihility Clan, but the rest had only heard of his feats. Many years ago, during the great war of Ethereal Expanse, he outcasted some bad eggs from his clan. One of the main reasons for their exile were their destruction amongst the world and realms. Causing havoc in their pursuit of power and domination. Finally, it came to the point every powerhouse had gathered to stop them. Consequently, they could only halt these 9 individuals, unable to kill them off as planned. This group of 9 were too powerful, so instead Aeon had chosen to use a powerful skill to banish them into a different universe.Since then, the North Star Kingdom was born and allowed them a breath of fresh air. What happened to them after Aeon finally banished them, due to many complaints, was none of their concern. They were glad to get rid of those 9 troublemakers. Kong Galbi and Nori still glared at Aeon fiercely, clearly discontented with his wants and needs. "Don''t give me that look. You should know our kind do not bother with the messy predicaments of this world. Those foolish individuals from the last war were only outcasts who became possessed with their greed and poisoned mind. Only I can come out, you know?" said Aeon, defending himself through facts. "And rarely do I come out unless it involves my clan or something of interest emerges in this world." "Mother, Father. I want to go!" declared Silver emanating a firm, unbreakable intent in his decision. "Alright . . ." Galbi and Nori reluctantly agreed with a proud smile. Although they didn''t like Aeon, but they didn''t necessarily hate him. With this, they instantly caved in with their son''s determined eyes. They knew all too well on how stubborn their child was. "Visit us when you have time, take care of yourself and cultivate hard!" "Yes, mother and father," smiled Silver feeling relieved. He turned his head to the left, looking at his new master who still kept a warm smile. "I don''t have much but I want to bring Blacky." "As long as he does not hinder your progress, I will allow it," spoke Aeon in a mysterious tone, opening a dimensional path and walking into it. "Follow me." Silver, puzzling over the odd answer, but still followed the mysterious Aeon into the dimensional pathway. Blacky stayed perched on his arms, already aware that Aeon knew who he was. They were of the same existence, but Silver was unaware of that. Soon, the trio of two men and one beast disappeared from the Crane''s Clan courtyard. Both Kong Galbi and Nori stared at the now vacant spot where Silver once stood. In their hearts, they hoped their son would return. Fu Arus and Xin Yanhua shook their heads, looking at the married couple, hoping that their child would return safely too. ... Chaos ensued all over Desolate Tundra and the other 8 continents, the emperor''s launched a full-scale search for the individual or group causing the changes in the world. Many slumbering clans and sects, preparing for their rebellion, began their attacks on those who sided with the foreign and demonic emperors. It was an all out bloody war with death reaping the most benefits. A new era, emerging, as the old one has already begun crumbling. ''Fate is finally revealing itself. To overcome a dark era into a new prosperous era they must fight through the calamity and wrath of the outcasted cultivators of our Nihility Clan,'' Aeon thought, peering into Silver''s true world. Eventually his eyes moved slightly to the left, a large sect was shown before him, landing his gaze onto a violet-black cocoon drifting alone within a void. If one were to carefully observe, they would be able to see a energy-like pulse emitted from the cocoon. ''Once you experience this universe test and passed, your soul will return to your original world.Transforming into a true void-like being like us. You are the true inheritor of our clan and that three-eyed crow. Hopefully¡­ you pass on time.'' - :: July 3rd to 7th is my volunteer week :: :: Another chapter done today, but it''s a bit short! :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 35 Yo, Long Zhen "Master Aeon, are you trying to get your only disciple killed!?" shouted a young boy, surrounded by swarms of angry beasts. At first, it was only a small swarm of hungry beasts when he was cultivating but as time went on, these groups of beasts only grew larger and larger. A giant great flood dragon, standing behind the swarm, glared angrily at the young boy. Tilting its head up, the great flood dragon released a draconic roar inciting the beasts to massacre the insignificant mortal. "Silver, you seemed quite bored while cultivating. I thought it was a nice gesture to add a little bit of excitement," chuckled Aeon, floating in the air hidden from the eyes of the demonic beasts. "I wasn''t even bored!" shouted Silver, swinging a 2.8 meter halberd towards the closest beast clawing at him. He was grumbling inwardly, irritated with his current obstacle. Everytime he was close to breaking through, his master would always cause him some form of grief. "I was just silently cultivating fine and now I''m surrounded by an angry mob of beasts again!" Only 2 years had passed, Silver''s cultivation had been rapidly increasing with his master''s teaching ever since that fateful day. With such rapid advancements, his physical body hit a growth spurt to accommodate the rising power within him but it was probably because he was a growing boy. However, this rapid advancement was due to his master mischievously changing his appearance, similar to his, causing havoc amongst the head honcho of different territories. Thus, inciting many dangerous situations that nearly killed him during the last 2 years. Quite frankly, Silver had doubts as to why he was chosen to be a disciple. To him, he was 99% sure that his master was bored and saw him as a pleasant toy. The 1% was that Aeon truly wanted a disciple that could inherit his skills. As the years had steadily went through its course, Silver now stood at a height of 1.9 meters with an exceptional toned physique under his black-robed clothing. His light-brown, above-average, face radiantly shone under the rays of the sun with chiseled jaws, straight nose and slightly thick sword-sharp eyebrows. His originally brown irises had mysteriously become violet, giving a faint and mysterious glow under the shade of the trees around him. If one look closely to his eyes, one could see glints of light almost as if the starry sky was forming within. Although he looked vexed, but his intent was poorly hidden as it oozed out from the excitement of welcoming another battle. In his heart, only the heat of battle could ease the monotonous routine of steadily cultivating and constant solidification of his foundation. Silver lips curved into a battle-crazed smile as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. With an incomparable swing, his halberd slashed against the tides of incoming rage-filled beasts. His goal was the great flood dragon at the end. Silver could only imagine how the meat of the flood dragon would taste like as a drop of saliva rolled down the right corner of his lips. Alas, if all the foodies had strength like him, they would too, drool unconditionally once they could land a taste on such meat. Cries, shrieks and whimpers filled the blood-stenched air with every swing and thrust from Silver''s black-lustered halberd. With every move, he was piercing through their throats, chopping off their heads, slicing them in half, and smashing them with the blunt side of the halberd in great force. One had to be extremely strong when using a great halberd, constantly breaking the restraints of a mortal body, especially for this weapon weighing a bit over four tons. Even those who follows the path of cultivating the body could only bow their heads in shame in front of Silver. Previously, when they began their journey, his master gave him a body cultivation technique. This technique allowed him to engorge on different kinds of beast meat, rare herbs, heavenly elixirs, and pills to purify and strengthen his body. Of course, he would still have to fight and have his body constantly battered to maximize the body refinement. Not only that, his star mark was sealed every time he fought to ensure he would obtain the maximum benefits. Even so, the pure black halberd he used was fixed with many gravity seals. Which means, every time his body made some form of advancement, even if it was a miniscule amount, the weight of the halberd would increase. Just this type of body cultivation could put all body cultivators to shame! The gains outweighed the pain Silver had to endure the past 2 years. Especially, since Silver couldn''t use any qi with his Archaic Halberd Arts, he had to demonstrate each move with just his physical prowess and comprehension. ** ROOOOOOAAAAARRR After killing every single beast, the great flood dragon stood there on its four limbs stunned andblinded by an eruption of rage. It grew 5 times its size as its roar resonated into the sky. Soon, dark and gloomy clouds began forming above them as lightning flickered across the gray sky. Multitude drops of water fell, drowning out the strong stench of blood that once occupied the air. Occasionally, a few lightning bolts struck the trees and grounds around them, randomly destroying everything in its path. The transformed great flood dragon finally reached the peak of its anger, glaring at the tiny ant that infuriated him. ''It was already huge enough . . .'' thought Silver, quickly running away. ''Let''s just end this. I''m hungry.'' Silver ran to the nearest tree with insane speed, using the momentum he gathered, he ran up and leapt off the tree and hack down the 4 ton halberd down to the skull of the enraged great flood dragon. With his impressive muscular strength, he was able to slightly damage the tough scales covering the flood dragons head. Failing to cut through the scale, he quickly dodged the gigantic jaws trying to snap him in half. Nevertheless, Silver continued his barrage of attacks, taking a quick swipe at the abdomen. However, it swung its tail and knocked him back with tremendous force causing him to nearly lose his balance. With a few flips in the air, adjusting his position, Silver landed onto the ground safely. Luckily, his body was extraordinarily sturdy, so he continued his attacks against the great flood dragon. As the hours went on, wounded in many areas, Silver stubbornly continued his onslaught of slashing, thrusting, smashing, and so on. With his body, the injuries he gained were comparably light despite the bloody appearance. At the rate they were fighting,the severely injured flood dragon was close to exhaustion as it used its claw for a final swipe. It could not keep up against Silver''s in endurance, since he always came back up after being smacked with full power. "Break for me!" screamed Silver, smiling victoriously. His halberd colliding at the incoming claw, a noise rumbling within his body, giving the final push as the halberd blade sliced through the claws towards the head. In a single move, Silver finally beheaded the great flood dragon. Its eyes were still wide open as its head fell onto the ground, a few meters away from its collapsed body. Finally, after long and tedious fight, the great flood dragon breathed it last breath. Silver stood still, in front of the fresh carcass of the flood dragon, feeling the new changes to his body. A fierce, chaotic and extremely vigorous blood energy coursed through his veins, healing him at a noticeable rapid rate. Without much thought, he punched out his right fist followed by his left fist in a piston-like motion, breaking the air around him. After a few sets of fist moves, he grabbed the halberd near him and begun training with it too. Due to him breaking through, the halberd weighed three times the weight it was before. Each technique he used, with only his physical prowess, caused countless of spatial cracks in the air. With the power of his halberd and newfound strength, it is easy enough to create a crack in reality to open a small void. To him, the Nhility Body Art and Archaic Halberd Art were truly a godsend. Therefore, this made Silver realize how immeasurably strong and mysterious his master, Aeon, is. In addition, he had gained a huge amount of delicious and precious meat that could last him a couple of weeks. From the corner of his smiling lips, more saliva snuck out, dripping onto his clothes. Immediately, Silver quickly made campfire, more like a large roasting pit, while slicing the meat and putting the excess amount into his spatial ring. Master Aeon was truly amiable, giving him plenty of resources for his cultivational uses. Sadly, there were no free lunch in this world as he had to go exceptionally strict and ruthless trainings. At times, it somehow reminded him of his first steps of becoming a powerful cultivator. Several days later, since the battle with the great flood dragon, Silver wandered around the forest waiting for his master to return from his "quick" errand. To kill more time, he ventured deeper into the forest without fear. Not long after, loud screeches and squawking could be heard from afar. Nearing a small cliff, Silver noticed flocks of bird-like beasts gathering around the edge of the cliff, swooping down here and there. Curious, Silver continued to jump from tree branches to tree branches, speeding towards the place causing the fierce reactions from the birds. Peering and hidden away in the leaves of the tree top, Silver could see a small group of disciples with their weapons drawn, fending off the flocks of bird beasts. However, he wasn''t concerned anymore but before he left, a faint blue light shone in his peripheral vision. Turning his head to the left, a azure-scaled individual could be seen thrusting his long spear against a towering metallic blue-feathered vulture flapping its humongous wing. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Each flap from its wing brought up a powerful gust of wind that could slice any ordinary foe butit could only damage the scales covering the azure-scaled individual. Unable to handle the next set of wind blades, the azure-scaled individual fell onto his back as blood oozed from the cuts and broken scales all over his body. Even though his attempts to defend were futile, he showed an indomitable will. With the spear as his support, he stood up once again to face his savage foe. Silver stared at the stubborn azure-scaled boy, sighing audibly, leaping out of the tree and down to the bottom of the cliff. Even though 2 years floated by, like a piece of rotted wood bobbing up and down a serene stream, he knew who the azure-scaled boy is. It was Long Zhen, from their old Windfall Village. Dropping above from the highest tree top, readying his twelve ton halberd into a swing, Silver plummeted and took swung his halberd at the head of the blue-feathered vulture. Sensing a strong killing intent above it, the blue-feathered vulture looked up. Cold shivers ran down its spine as it noticed Silver, its instinct telling it to run or it would die. With a flap of it wings, the vulture tried escaping but Silver was even quicker, slicing off its right wing. Seeing its wing sliced off, the vulture painfully screeched into the heavens, its power erupting from fury. To be afraid of a tiny, insignificant mortal, caused it to lose its wing and brought shame within its heart. Mixed with fury, shame and pain, the vulture who was stuck at a bottleneck, broke through and became an Elemental King Beast. Immediately adapting to its new strength, the vulture quickly regenerated its right wing back and glared menacingly at Silver. "Hmm. . . I didn''t expect this to happen," Silver muttered aside, landing onto the ground safely. Unlike humans, who obtain star marks from the stars, demonic beasts were innately born with elements that allowed to exclusive control either a sole or multiple elements once they broke through to Elemental King. Of course, this wasn''t the first time he fought against an Elemental King. The great flood dragon was a mid-stage Elemental King, but this vulture had recently become an Elemental King. Thus, fighting it should be a breeze. "Yo, Long Zhen." "Silver?" inquired Long Zhen, staring at the familiar young man that dropped from the sky. - :: July 3rd to 7th is my volunteer week. Basically the first week of July :: :: Another chapter done today! The novel is finally back on track and I''m extremely thrilled for those who stayed. You have no idea how much it means to me! To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: Original title was "Sworn Brother" but since I changed the storyline a bit, the title had to change :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 36 Breakthrough Since the Wok City annual tournament, Long Zhen had met the others numerous times but they didn''t change as much as the person before him. He remembered Silver as the pipsqueak with a very comfortable and lively attitude. However, not much had changed from his attitude but definitely his appearance was a true makeover. Silver was even taller and undeniably more toned than him. If the other three were here, they would probably agree Silver was quite handsome now. Besides the main point, Long Zhen felt Silver''s strength exceeded all four of them together. An envious feeling grew within his heart followed by admirable respect, when he realized this. The trouble he had against the vulture was like night and day when Silver sliced the vulture''s right wing like butter. "Yes, don''t I look cool in these clothing? Truly mysterious, huh?" chuckled Silver, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. With another wide swing of his halberd, many of the bird beasts were ripped and sliced to pieces with just the air pressure alone. All of the exhausted looking disciples, including Long Zhen, stared in shock at the scene they just witnessed. A few of them fell on their butts, unable to register the physical prowess exuded by Silver. It was hard to imagine someone around their age was stronger than Long Zhen. However, they were glad this person seem to know and was well associated with their senior brother. "Help me out, we''ll do this in one move. I''ll attack the bird brain''s head and Long Zhen, you''ll aim for the heart. Everyone else who has enough star qi to do one last attack, distract the vulture for us! Let''s charge!" commanded Silver in a very spirited tone. Those that could fight gripped their weapons, unleashing the techniques at the vulture feeling their morale returning. With such an expert on their side, they felt their blood boiling, attacking the vulture in every direction and angle. It was as if Silver charismatic words were natural, someone born to command and lead an army. "En, I''ll trust you since we''re fellow villagers," nodded Long Zhen. Gripping his scarlet red spear tightly, Long Zhen activated his skill Roar of the Azure Dragon.While surrounded by a luminous azure glow, he charged towards the heart of the vulture, stabbing into it with precision. **Puchi ** Boom Silver charged in at the same time as Long Zhen did. Using his full strength, combined with the weight of the twelve ton halberd, a devastating sound reverberated as the blunt side of the halberd smashed against the vultures head. During its slight confusion, Long Zhen''s spear pierced into its heart. The blue-feathered vulture, filled with anger and regrets, died at the hands of both Silver and Long Zhen. "Everyone, please take care of your unconscious disciples. Heal and rest up," announced Silver. Walking around the battlefield, grabbing thick and small branches alike, Silver began making a huge roast pit. "Long Zhen, slice the vulture up. Let''s roast it up and eat together!" Furrowing his eyebrows, Long Zhen reluctantly accepted his task, slicing up the vulture and bringing it to the campfire. He had already known Silver was a true foodie back then too. The rest of the disciples who had light injuries went around and gave healing pills on those were severely injured. While the others were given medicinal paste since they didn''t have life threatening injuries. A few even spread out to gather the most edible bird beasts, that wasn''t ripped to shreds by Silver, to roast over the fire. Hours went by, everyone was finally healed from their injuries, had gathered around the roasting pit to eat roasted bird meat. Long Zhen stood up and walked to Silver, who was seasoning his vulture meat, andbowed to him. Everyone seeing Long Zhen''s action, followed suit, bowing to Silver too. "Stop, stop. There''s no need to bow like that. Let us all swear brotherhood!" exclaimed Silver, taking a few wine cups out, pouring wine into them. He then handing them out to the Drifting Leaves Sect disciples. "It doesn''t matter if you''re born female, male, creature or some humanoid beings, we will always be sworn brothers no matter what and who you are!" Tears formed at the corner of every single disciples eyes, taking the wine cup, they gulped down the strong medicinal wine. Once they drank the wine, realizing it wasn''t just an ordinary wine, they felt power welling inside them. All of them quickly sat down in a lotus position, breaking through to their next realm or gain a boost in strength with their star mark. Within their hearts, this small group swore allegiance to Silver. No one would waste their precious treasure, but Silver did without any ulterior motives. This small group of the Drifting Leaves Sect will definitely give him a helping hand if he ever came into trouble. To them, loyalty, respect and power was what their sect preaches the most. In which, this small act of kindness, Silver gained a powerful ally. Long Zhen stared at the carefree brother of his, smiling in his heart. Without Silver help, he truly wouldn''t know if he could survive against an Elemental King Blue-Feathered Vulture. Curling both of his hands into a tight grip, he silently swore to help his fellow brother through thick and thin. A legendary oath that will shake the universe! "Thank you for helping us recover, but we must head back to the sect," informed Long Zhen, feeling reluctant to leave Silver. "En. Don''t thank me, we''re now brothers! Here''s the king vulture''s core, I''m sure it''s what you came here for," replied Silver, handing them a lustrous, smooth and round demonic core. "It''s not useful for me, so don''t think about denying my gesture." "En. Thank you!" accepted Zhen, a strong sense of gratitude spread into his heart. He grabbed the demonic core and placed it into his spatial ring in one quick motion. "Come to the North Star Imperial City next year, they''re having a ranking tournament and I wish to battle you at least once. You''ll even meet the other three from our village there!" "Hmm. If we''re fated to meet there, then I wouldn''t mind," chuckled Silver, waving farewell to them. "I truly hope so," mumbled Long Zhen, staring at the back of his brother. Silver finally disappeared behind the leaves and shadows of the forest. "Everyone, let''s return to the sect!" Weeks flown by for Silver, who was cultivating earnestly. During his lonesome adventure, he focused on his halberd techniques while waiting for Aeon from his ''quick'' trip. Thrusting his halberd for the nth time, a small spark grew into a brilliant light within his mind. Without knowing it, enlightenment took its course as he became one with his halberd. The sounds of chopping, thrusting, slicing, swinging, stabbing, and slashing filled the air. With each foot work befitting the next move, gusts of air thundered along each move. Soon, Silver was encased in vortex of swirling wind while the trees, leaves and the earth around him became riddled with holes and slice marks. Floating afar from Silver, a devilishly handsome young man appeared under the shadow of the trees. Observing him with deep abyss-like black eyes, a faint smile emerged on his face. On his right shoulder, a black cat licking its left paw was perched on it. ''The amount pain would awaken any individuals yet he could suffer through without breaking the midst of his enlightenment. I found a worthy first disciple to groom indeed,'' thought Aeon watching in awe. He never imagined that his first disciple had limitless potential. Silver was constantly breaking through many stages in his halberd techniques and external body art. If one rogue traveler heard such loud sounds and seeing a giant tornado appearing out of nowhere, they would think there was a huge battle happening. Even so, a few curious beasts such as the king of the area would of came to investigate such a weird occurrence. Oddly enough, none of them approached the still tornado as if some life-threatening intent filled the surrounding area. Their beast-like instincts warned them that they''ll die without a second thought if they were to approach it. Soon, Silver gradually woke up from his enlightenment as tornado died down. An exhilarating feeling coursed through his body as an enormous amount of blood energy supplied him with limitless strength. It seemed he had broken into a new realm of body cultivation. Immediately, Silver trained for a couple of hours more to ensure complete control his strength. ''If I was attacked by the great flood dragon again, even the elemental king blue-feather vulture, its claw wouldn''t even make a scratch on his skin much less budge me¡­'' thought Silver, doing a final check up on his body. Never would he know that his current external body strength was even stronger than those practiced by the Spirit Gourd Sect. None of them, including geniuses of geniuses, could climb to his level in less than 2 years. Even if there were those who could, they either had a powerful body arts and an abundant of heaven-grade resources. This included that these individual must have a strong mental fortitude since each time the improved their body, an unfathomable pain would usually accompany each breakthrough. "Good job," congratulated Aeon, walking out from the shadows of the trees. "Disciple greets master," beamed Silver, bowing towards Aeon in a respectful manner. "Thank you." "Good, good. You are definitely a one of a kind, it''s time for us to go. Follow me," ordered Aeon in a relaxed tone. With a wave of his right hand, he created a dimensional rift and walked into it. Silver, quickly nodding, followed his teacher through the dimensional rift. As they walked through, hundreds of sceneries constantly change like a strip of film. Soon, vibrant and colorful lights illuminated the rift as they exited. Silver blinked a few times, adjusting to the brand new world, as he stood in front of an opened gate. . . . Within the void, a small symbol shone brightly on a silky black and violet cocoon, slowly transforming. As this symbol finished its transformation, its reverberating power shook across the Desolate Tundra and the other 8 continents around. Powerful waves of unknown qi aroused the slumbering ancient in the deep ocean abyss, the burning hell of magma and those tucked within their own folded-dimensional space. All of them attempted to locate this mysterious power, but to no avail. "A new sovereign will appear, will it plunge us into further chaos or rebirth our sleeping world?" muttered Starfinder. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. He stood in the center of his courtyard, staring up at the star filled night sky as a mysterious violet star appeared. Soon, the whole world was illuminated in a majestic violet light, gaining every being''s attention. "But who is this mysterious ruler?" - :: July 3rd to 7th is my volunteer week. Basically the first week of July :: :: Another chapter done today!:: :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 37 Surreal Dream A colossal and grand temple appeared before Silver''s eyes, surrounded by towering yet ancient looking trees that spread far and wide upon mountainous terrains. Waves of mysterious fog drifted within the world, filling up every nook and cranny around the temple as a vast and starry sky hung and shone above. This small world was incomparably beautiful, illuminated under the bright stars. As if a dream brought into life by a creative dreamer. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Welcome to the Nihility Clan. Our clan is situated in a dimension that cannot be invaded by any beings since its protected within the Void," informed Aeon, staring at the vast, starry sky. "Only those who has access or of a void descendant can traverse to here and any other clans protected by the Void. We do not bother the outside world but we can take disciples as we please and train them if we are allowed to do so. Silver, you are the first in the last billions of years to be brought here. The time here in our Nihility Clan dimension is different than your birth world but I will not disclose that to you. Cultivate hard, you''ll be learning from everything we have to offer from the others of our clan." "Yes," answered Silver, unsure what else to say but be filled with gratitude and devotion. Silver felt a sense of comfort from the qi around him, as he followed Aeon into the Nihility Clan. After a few minutes of strolling, they finally stopped in front of a huge courtyard on the east side of the temple-like structure. Silver quietly turned his head, staring at his teacher, awaiting further instructions. However, Blacky hopped off Aeon''s shoulder, running off to somewhere unknown. Before Silver could yell for Blacky, he heard footsteps come their way. "Husband, welcome home!" exclaimed a soft, sweet honey-like voice coming from inside the house. A young woman stepped out onto the courtyard in graceful manner. To Silver''s surprise, this woman was truly a heaven-defying beauty compared to her devilishly handsome husband, Aeon. Her beautiful silvery-white hair cascaded down like an elegant waterfall, and her snow white shimmering skin seem to be crafted by the finest and most exquisite piece of white jade. A set of pearly white-like teeth lined up behind her soft pink lips fitted on her oval face, and her eyes were as deep-black as the void, like her husband Aeon as she gracefully leapt into his arms. Staring at the duo hugging each other in a loving embrace, completely stunned in body, mind and soul, Silver could only feel like he was staring at a mystical painting of a couple. These two had unmatched beauty that even heaven would be jealous of. Heck, he couldn''t even feel jealous but truly admire such heartfelt love from this husband and wife. Sadly, his mind wasn''t set to romance but cultivating and becoming strong. Silver waited in silence, hoping they would notice his existence after their loving embrace. Just listening to their lovey-dovey conversation almost made him gag. "Ahhh, I''m sorry!" exclaimed Aeon''s wife with a flustered expression, noticing the silent boy standing on the side. "You must be my husband''s first disciple! He happily came by to inform me a few days ago, truly satisfied in having such an extraordinary talented disciple. You''re a lot better looking than how my husband described you, too! Oh, my name is Lian, it''s very nice to meet you." "Disciples greet master''s wife, Lian," greeted Silver, feeling complicated in his heart. He thought his abnormal master was rather mischievous but his wife was just plainly whimsical. Literally a match in beauty and personality. "Disciple name is, Silver." "Such a respectful child, I already adore you," approved Lian, winking with her left eye and smirking at Aeon. "I''ve prepared food already so let us go and eat! I hope you enjoy meat as much as Aeon does." Lian smiled brightly, grabbing both Aeon and Silver''s arm, dragging them into the house with her. She then, commanded them to take a seat at an extremely large dining table. Aeon gave Silver a quick smile while Lian placed over a hundred plates of food onto the table. Right after, all three began grabbing slices of meats and vegetables with their chopsticks while pairing it with freshly made rice and wine. ''I miss my father and mother,'' thought Silver, quickly stuffing his mouth with food. This moment reminded him of the same warmth back home. Eating and chatting amongst each other, smiling and laughing without restraints. . . . "KILL!" Numerous evolved and ranked beasts, few floating in the air, unleashed their attacks in a battlefield against thousands of sect disciples. An enormous king beast flew loftily across the sky, displaying contempt within its eyes. It glared down below, watching all the miniscule ant-like human beings scrimmaging in the battlefield.. "PROTECT THE SECT!" screamed an old man, slashing at a demonic green ox while thousands of more disciples charged at the incoming horde of beasts. With every beast killed, a few disciples died alongside it. Stenches of blood polluted the air including the screams and curses, roars and screeches, sounded throughout the gory battlefield. Many lives were lost along with broken promises, regrets and swallowed sadness. Thus many had fallen in a boiling pot of oil, spurting the madness of frustration, vengeance and ferocious savagery. Such is life when one fights in a chaotic war. Bright flashes of light, flaming red and ice blue, from a young woman as she fought against a king ranked beast, the Flying-Storm Dragon. Her footwork were elegant and natural as if she practiced arduously millions of time, gracefully dodging the Flying-Storm Dragon with every refined step. Simultaneously, her hand lightly tapped on various parts of the dragon''s forehead and body. After each light and ordinary taps, a raging fiery red to a fiendish black flames burst around the dragon, slowly constricting it as it squirmed within. The Flying-Storm Dragon finally shown hints of fear before the woman, engraving her image into its scorched eyes as the fiery black flames consumed it. Not long after, its ashes fell like snow onto the gory battlefield while the woman raised her left hand that gave sheen of icy-blue. With 3 taps onto the air around her, a gust of cold air swam across 100 meters and froze thousands of beasts to a standstill. Fear gripped into their hearts as many stronger beasts tried to break out but as the woman began walking away, they shattered like glass with little time to struggle. The woman of ice and flames strolled along the glittering ice, sprinkling around her with every step, slowly vanishing from the group of people who witnessed it in awe, respect, and piety. Silver stood there, in his dream, mesmerized by this breathtaking blurry beauty. He was unsure who she was but a familiarity spoke to him as she elegantly changed the tides of the battlefield. She had an undeniable charm that one could discern through her ice-cold appearance. This young woman stood roughly at a height of 1.7 meters. She had a slender body and fair skin was as smooth as jade, free of impurities. Thus, matching her slender and athletic body with a curvaceous bottom that complimented the aesthetically pleasing plump thighs that was outlined from her fitted red and black clothing. Her face was covered with a see through red veil, but you could instantly tell she was a heavenly beauty. Somehow, her appearance, gave him a slight heartache as he watched her continuous battles. However, the scenes quickly changed, as he stood in front of a lonely isle shrouded in a mysterious fog. Once again, he could see the same beauty that was fighting in the gory battlefield. Her apathetic face slightly forming into a dejected look, perplexed from her thoughts, scrunching her eyebrows with an inkling of isolation as she beside the lakeside. She appeared like she was waiting for something or someone there on the isle across them. "He''s not back yet . . . " sighed the young woman. She turned her head towards his direction, unaware that he was staring at her, tears dripping down her cheeks. "Father has been missing since you been on that isle, I hope you''re both okay . . . it''s been a couple of years since I have been by myself." Suddenly, a gust of green wind spun around him and clouded his vision. Blinking once and twice, Silver notice he was moving through the skies along with the drifting clouds. Finally the gust of green wind dropped him off in front of two old men playing a board game of Go while another sat beside them, leisurely drinking wine. "It''s been a couple of years now since we went on this damn journey. How long do you think we''ll be stuck in this crappy trap?" asked the old man with wild white hair, wearing all green clothing with golden clouds sewn onto his cuffs. "Why do you care? Aren''t you an alchemist with unmatchable patience? Let''s finish our game, you been pondering over this move for a few days now!" snapped the old man in wearing all white with red clouds sewn on his cuffs. His red and black medallion swayed from his neck as he raged at the green clothing old man. "Relax, let''s enjoy a cup of wine. I''m sure we''ll find a way out. Didn''t we join you for this journey because you had a feeling your wife never died?" hummed a middle-aged man, casually drinking his wine. He wore a golden-silk clothing with light-purple clouds sewn onto his cuffs. Looking up, his eyes landed on Silver for a brief second. He smiled brightly, winking at him as the other two old men bickered back and forth. "Don''t worry, help will arrive soon, maybe your ''son'' would come save us." "Him? I haven''t heard any news from him since he went into that isle! My daughter must be worried sick since both of us aren''t around. I hope the changes in this world won''t attract any problems . . .and I hope I can solve the mysteries involving my wife," the old man with the red medallion glumly replied shaking his head. He stared at the board game with a worried expression permanently fixated onto his face, continuing his game of Go. Without a chance to talk to them, the scenery changed once again, bringing Silver into a world shrouded in nothing but darkness, standing there without a path to tread on. Slowly taking a few steps forward, noises of his breathing and beating heart accompanied him in the world of silence. He began to aimlessly wander wherever direction he felt right. Soon, the hours wasted away as he finally saw a glowing ember of light from afar. It was faint yet fairly discernible, so he continued to stroll leisurely as the ember seemed to be burning unexpectedly brighter once he got closer. As he got close enough to the violet colored flames, it began to encompass him in a violet radiance while his body automatically began absorbing and cycling the qi. With each cycle, a cool sensation followed along as the mysterious violet colored qi circulated through his star meridians. Silver began drifting deeper and deeper into his conscious, but soon the sound of wings flapping nearby struck him awake as it grew louder and closer. **CAAW **CAAW **CAAW Silver opened his eyes, the sound of the crow''s caws still reverberated deep within his waking mind, as he stared at the familiar white ceiling. Turning his head to the side, he glimpsed at the crack of dawn rising behind the curtains of his window. Ever since his master unsealed his meridians, bizarre dreams accompanied him. As most of them had been related to the people he has met in the Desolate Continent. Getting off his bed, Silver grabbed and put on his clothing for training. With those dreams lingering in his mind, he wanted to start his morning practice as soon as possible. Not long after, a couple of painted perfection, floated in the air above the courtyard, hidden away from Silver''s sight. They observed him sweating and moving around in his sleep to waking up and starting his morning practice. Aeon pondered over the fluctuation of void energy that was gently pulsing from Silver''s body as his wife stood beside him. "Will he be alright?" inquired Lian, soft spoken. "Yes, one of the Three-Eyed Crow abilities is allowing him to peer into another world through his dreams," answered Aeon thoughtfully. "We must guide him thoroughly, there seem to be changes in his world. Hopefully he''s able to inherit the legacy before ''it'' happens." "Yes, husband. I''ll grab all the masters and instruct them to triple his teaching. Luckily, this boy learns quite fast and put his knowledge into action . . . I wish he could stay longer. He really makes this clan lively, we all cherish him greatly," marveled Lian, smiling brightly. ''Hopefully his original world is fine . . .'' thought Lian, glimpsing at the her husbands furrowed eyebrows. Gliding down, both husband and wife headed down to the courtyard, gently landing onto the tiled floors, strolling towards Silver''s direction. - :: July 3rd to 7th I''ll be at Anime Expo! Basically the first week of July :: :: Another chapter done today!:: :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 38 History Silver sat in a small classroom, paying no attention to the black-clothed great elder lectures. His mind lingered to the eventful dream he dreamt this morning. His heart yearned to see the downcasted young woman again, including his parents and friends. Preoccupied with in his own world, the great elder stop speaking when he noticed Silver''s lost and dejected expression. Shaking his head, the great elder walked over and knocked on Silver''s head with his knuckles, shocking the boy awake. "I understand I''m monotone, boring and a bit strict but please pay attention. Our clan leader, your Master, wanted us to drill every bit of knowledge we have into your head. Please respect our clan leader''s wishes," the great elder stressed after shaking his head in disappointment. As if the great elder words dawn onto him, Silver quickly dropped his idle thoughts and expressed a face of filled with determination. "Thank you," spoke the great elder nodding his head in approval. "The most important topic in the history of our Nihility Clan is our great creator, only a secret known to our clan, Xyen. Although, it is not known to what appearance Xyen had, we believe it should be something of a humanoid being based on our theory. Even within the textbooks, our clan''s history still remains vague on its founding. As far as I can remember, a few billion years ago, Aeon took reign after the last clan leader decided to let go of his duty and head onto a more exciting journey. Our old clan leader was a quiet but a very lively man. Back then, he always caused some mischief around the clan by pulling small pranks here and there. Not much has changed since he left because Aeon is a prankster too. However, ever since the incident many years ago, Aeon mischievous personality had become quite... solemn. Remember this, once you leave the clan, you can never come back unless you become the Nihility Clan leader or obtain approval once you inherit the clan''s legacy." "How do I inherit this legacy?" inquired Silver. Although he enjoyed being his master''s disciple, he truly did not want to stay in this place forever but also have the right to come back. He inquired about visiting his parents and friends to Aeon but his master only showed a pained expression. It seems there were complications when he set foot into this world. "Well, that''s for later. You need to obtain approval but it is not from us, but the place of the inheritance. That area itself is restricted, no one can enter unless they are fated to." "Fate?" "Yes, everything is based on a person''s fate. Nearly a high percentage of everyone''s fate have already been set into motion, but rarely does one not have a fate but are born with the ability to alter it. Those who can alter their own fate are truly extraordinary existences, actually, your master is of such person. Because of him, our first clan leader gotten excited, immediately dum---making him our new clan leader and disappeared, leaving a simple note. That note is actually somewhere in the main hall altars . . . continuing the history, our clan was created to guide those who are fated to be guided. This was how you were able to set foot into the Nihility Clan." "How do you know I am fated and allowed to be here?" "How do we know? The valley that holds the inheritance will teleport the clan leader to the person that he is to guide, which is why you are naturally here. Of how he felt, I believe you should ask him. Our history is extremely vague especially what would happen if the inheritor finally obtain what''s within the Valley Of Dusk. Everything in this clan, the knowledge, is the accumulation of billions of years from our clan leaders going out to obtain the texts for us to learn. Everything you have learned for the past years is from multitude of worlds within our universe. Surprisingly you''ve learned, memorized and utilized everything we taught you from our whole library, which of course, given us something to talk about for the next nth years." "I don''t want to disrupt but how about those that left? What happen to them?" "Good question. Those that leave are usually the ones who want to experience the world, cutting ties with the clan. Some extremely rare cases, are banished due to their inner desire possessing them. We are birthed from the void, born without emotions, a lack of empathy but due to our clan leaders giving us a sense of life, knowledge and recorded arrays of the worlds, we began gimmicking those emotions. Millions of years later, bearing our own personality and style of how we want to enjoy our lives in the clan. Just like those who journeyed out of the clan, but those who are possessed by their inner desire . . . they''ve come disdain our way of living, conceited and poisoned on their skewed views of the outside world. We are powerful, undying and knowledgeable of nearly everything in this universe but they wanted to wreak havoc. They claim to have obtained a sense of godhood, which allowed them to be haughty to those that are below them like ants. Nine of them, one which was close to becoming your master''s wife first disciple. They are a stain of our clan, sadly we cannot kill our own clan members due to a mysterious restriction. We can harm each other yet cannot kill each other either but those who are not of void cannot even make a mark on us. It truly gave many of us elders a terrible headache, including your master but his wife, sadden that the disciple she finally wanted to accept turned on her. Despicable, but we cannot do much about it than prattle for very long time." "What happened to those nine individuals?" "They were banished from this universe, supposedly stuck in a dimension rift, but I doubt they''re in it now. It''s been a few million years, they must of found a world to either rule or cause some form of havoc to. Even I''m not to sure how possessed they''ve become but I rather not deal with such hooligans like them again. In our case, they were exiled from our clan, caused mayhem in your birthworld, Ethereal Expanse and basically your continent gave a strong complaint. Hence, your master banished them into the dimensional rift. Numerous things aren''t as simple as they seem in this universe, which can be quite complex if you don''t have the accumulated knowledge and comprehension. Various life forms fill different planet, while others cant be occupied due to their uninhabitable state. Some world are even layered by realms, like your Ethereal Expanse. Above that continent is the Divine Horizon, basically like a heavenly world filled with strong beings at birth. We do know of the other universes, albeit the laws are identical but the way they function is different from us which you''ve already learned. The universe is vast, expanding at an infinite rate and full of infinite possibilities. Our Nihility Clan members wish to travel out of the clan without fear and able to return to our home anytime we want. Someday our wish will be finally granted . . ." The great elder stood there, staring at the starry sky through the window, pondering over the thoughts deep within his heart. A solemn expression plastered onto his face, as a crestfallen mood filled the atmosphere around him. Silver sat there, taking everything the great elder spoke of. He felt stinging yet swelling sadness when ''home'' was mentioned. Wishing to see his parents, the love, care and warmth they gave him yet he also enjoyed the warmth the clan gave him too. There was a difference when it came to being alone and being lonely. His master, Aeon, and his wife, Lian, allowed him to stay vibrant, supporting him, silently guiding him in unusual ways and gave him a sense of belonging. Thus, Silver never felt truly alone nor lonely. He was a man who always repaid gratitude and kindness towards him, while repaying the enmity that cause harm to his family and friends. "Right, Silver, tell me what is your thoughts on our clan?" asked the great elder, snapping back to reality. "I love it, but I also enjoy having my own freedom and to experience this vast universe. I want to become unfettered from these chains and shackles that limits my freedom. My mind is broad, unhindered by the narrow ideas of the society that we live in. I want to travel to new destinations, advancing to the unknown, whether I''m by myself or with someone" answered Silver in a profound manner. "The universe is meant to be explored, not feared." **Hong long long As if something mysterious door had opened in the path of his soul and mind, a flash of inspiration shone upon him. Closing his eyes, a purple line form in the middle of his forehead, a violet eye surrounded by a starry black, gradually opening itself in front of the stunned great elder. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. The sound of wings flapping grew closer to the small classroom, a three-eyed crow, cawing across the sky, leisurely flew past, heading to the Valley of Dusk. "The inheritor is. . ." muttered the great elder baffled, turning his head at the enlightened Silver. Soon a column of light shone within the Valley of Dusk, pulsating void energy while the caws of the crow, that passed by, reverberated across the whole clan. "Silver . . ." murmured Lian, staring at the light of column in the sky. "It''s beginning." "It''s time for him to inherit the clan''s legacy," observed Aeon, gazing at the column of black-purplish light shooting into the sky. Taking a step forward, Lian staying behind, Aeon faded into the subtle ripple of space. - :: July 3rd to 7th I''ll be at Anime Expo! Basically the first week of July :: :: Another chapter done today! I''ve broken it down so it makes it easier for my readers to read. :: :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 39 Find A Worthy Wife "Where am I . . .? How did I get here?" Silver spoke perplexed, feeling something was stuck on his forehead. "Uh . . ." Grabbing the item off his forehead, Silver inspected it carefully. It was a bunch of papers neatly folded with a ''Read when you wake up'' written on it. Unfolding the pieces of paper, Silver read the following: ''Silver, I didn''t want to wait until you wake up from your enlightenment, so I just teleported you into the Valley of Dusk. Not many of us, including the previous clan leader, know about the valley you''re in. It''s filled with many mysteries, whereas a strange power keeps us from going in. Unless you''re fated to go in, none can enter as they wish. I went in once, but could only stay in the outer perimeter of the valley and not deep within. I wish I could help you, but even I am at a loss when it comes to this place. Everything about our Nihility Clan is shrouded in vague mystery, we only know what we can learn from fragmented pieces that was left behind. This letter will tell you everything about us, the valley, inheritance and why the nine defected. I know the great elder has spoken to you about our history but some are always excluded due to inexplicable reasons that I can''t even understand either. It''s true we are born of the void, but we are also born as Primordial Souls. There''s only 33 of us Primordial Souls, those that defected are actually Vehement Souls. Which are souls that have taken in the power of void energy but died due to their inability to handle such pure void qi . Pieces of their souls would reform when absorbing an unimaginable amount of void qi. During this transformation, which ever emotion they had before their death becomes their source of power and an incredibly skewed goal will be formed. From there on, they will become a void being but not a true void being as they are not of Primordial Souls. They become an unsafe mixture that can cause them to be mentally conflicted about their identity. Soon their past lingering emotions will take over, the last regret they wished will become a demonic obsession allowing them to become possessed by that very lingering desire. However, it takes a long time for their old self to awaken so it''s hard to find any differentiation from a Primordial Soul and a Vehement Soul. How I know is based on what your grandmaster, the clan leader before me, had informed me before he left to experience life. Basically, that old man threw all the responsibilities on me and left as fast as he could. Now I have to deal with the clan''s issues. Anyways, the valley and the inheritance has never been explored as I''ve explained. Our curiosity had once driven us to try and explore the valley, but every time we go in, we''ll black out and appear outside the valley or inside our homes. We did go in at different times to check out our theories but for some weird reason, everyone blanked out, including me. Such phenomenon was truly astounding but we gave up after a couple million years of attempts, sulking in defeat. I was told that the inheritance has a special significance for our clan, something we all wish for will happen once the inheritor comes. That is how I met you, Silver. You are the light in our dark abyss, paving a path of light for us. We have been waiting for billions of years for this moment. Each and everyone one of us are truly excited to see what this interesting wish of ours will come true. Idealistically, we feel we''ll never be able to leave because we will miss our homes too much, our memories and love is attached to it. I met my wife when I first went out, she was a stunning beauty I''ve never seen in my life, too bad she hated me for many years before we got together. I don''t want to get into the details but I was rather honest and accidentally called her a man. You shouldn''t say to a woman, especially a beautiful one even if she is slightly tomboyish. You''ll understand too . . . one day, unless you like the same sexuality, then you might get away with much more than I did or more like do, still. I''ve gotten off topic but really, if you have a girl you like and she wants to be with you, just compliment, comfort, and protect her, you won''t regret it! And don''t take all her food, my wife hasn''t gotten over that for the last million or so years, she shouldn''t of said she wasn''t hungry¡­ Aish. Women are surely complicated and mysterious creatures . . . I''m only saying this because once you go in the valley and inherit the clan''s treasure, you''ll return to your world but not the Ethereal Expanse. As your master, you''ve made me proud, you will always be the only disciple I will ever have in my life. When I found out, I was truly excited, we rarely get new Primordials, so just us geezer stuck in the clan forever. I''m the only one who is married but we cannot have children! We tried many times already . . . but when you came, it was like having a son. We tried many things for that last three million years with you, it gave us a sense of accomplishment and a wish from our heart that came true. Yes, time works differently in the Nihility Clan, you will think it has been maybe a few years but reality is dangerous, but three million and a little over years on Ethereal Expanse. Although I am your master, you were exactly how I imagined a son I wanted to have or grown up to be which reminds me I''ve already spoken to your family, and those sworn brothers of yours that you will never be able to return since our time is different from theirs. They have come to accept it, I hope that one day all of us are reunited. I''m sorry that you weren''t able to see them one last time but I made sure they''ll reincarnate safely. Their memories will awaken the moment they see you. However, I''m unsure where their destination in fate will take them. You will get to meet the Azure Dragon and the other three divine beasts. They will recognize you the moment they see you, since you have the same appearance in this world and the other too. P.S. All thirty-three of us made a huge betting pool! I''m betting that once you obtain the inheritance, we''ll be reborn at different timelines but meet each other in the close future. Lian had a very odd bet though. All of us, as a whole clan, will be given two choices and what that would be her little secret. It''s like she knows everything . . . Make sure you eat plenty, I already know what this letter said and I''m going to bash your father''s/master''s face deeper than a black hole. We both love you, so does your family and friends! Find a worthy wife. -Your mother, Lian'' Tears began sliding down Silver''s face as he finished the letter, but couldn''t help smiling at the last portion. He really had a great life, a kind of void in his heart had been filled. "Wait . . ." muttered Silver, but abruptly stopped his thoughts as the sound of wings flapping neared him. **CAAAW Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. **CAAAW Staring up, a crow could be seen flying above, hinting at him to follow deep into the Valley of Dusk. Folding up the letter, a feeling of determination overflowed in his heart, he followed the Three-eyed Crow into the foggy valley shrouded with mysteries. . . . Deep within the void, small cracks appeared on a starry cocoon.Various shimmering lights of violet shone between the cracks, ready to break open at any time. Floating before the breaking cocoon, a large black scaled dragon stared at it with immense anxiety. "Your master is rather despicable sending me back to protect this sect. I wanted to see how powerful you became there . . . but I finally made a powerful breakthrough because of him so it is indeed a good trade altering the sect''s fate. Hurry, even I cannot interfere too much." muttered the black-scaled dragon, wishing the cocoon could hear every single word it said. - :: July 3rd to 7th I''ll be at Anime Expo! Basically the first week of July :: :: Another chapter done today! Small changes and the title used to be "Valley Of Dusk" :: :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 40 Caw! Make Your Choice! **CAW **CAW An annoyed crow could be seen flying towards a column of black-purplish light pulsating a mysterious power. Under the flying crow, a young man was walking at a leisurely pace. If one observed the crow, one could tell that it was cawing in displeasure at the young man. Probably close to infuriating the poor bird. Staring up the crow, a smile formed on his face as if he understood what the crow was trying to say. Without a care for the annoyed cawing, he continued to stroll at his own pace. Time was not a problem to him at all. The crow felt truly vexed and begun to grow four times larger than the young man below him. Suddenly, it grabbed the young man''s clothing with its talons up into the air. It then flew a few hundred meters towards the column of light, and chucked him into it. Before the young man disappeared into the light, a cackling caw resounded afar as if the crow was laughing. It was finally free of the annoying man. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "I''ll get back at that crow later," mumbled Silver, floating within the column of light. His eyes planted themselves at a white orb floating in front of him. Full of curiosity, he touched the white orb with his right hand. Barely a second later, a startling flash of light temporarily blinded him, engulfing everything within its way. Eventually, the light subsided whereas Silver was nowhere to be found. Silver felt the atmosphere around him had changed, so he slowly opened his eyes. Taking a peek, he felt stunned at the spectacular scene, widening his eyes to see stars, planets, comets, and many galactic wonders. "So, you''re the inheritor, huh? I thought you''d be at least a female," inquired a feminine like voice behind him in a disappointed tone. Startled, Silver turned around to face the feminine voice, but saw nothing except the vast space. Unsure of whether to speak or not, he chose to stay silent, waiting for the voice to speak again. "You won''t be able to see me unless I allow it, this universe is my domain. Actually, a few billion universes to be exact. I''ve been waiting for quite a long time for an inheritor, it''s a shame you''re not a female. I would be happier to cater to a female than a worthless male." "Well, can''t help it if I was born a male," grumbled Silver after waiting for voice to speak again. "Well, either way, you making it this far means you''re fated to gain my inheritance due to my promise with that damn crow." "The Three-eyed Crow?" "Yes! That hellspawn of a crow! Your star mark is born from his power, that''s why he chose you to be my inheritor. Why? Why? Why me? Why did I have to meet that hateful crow!? Hurtful! Despicable! WHY!?" Silver stood there quiet, listening to the voice ramble on for hours of their hate for the crow. Scrunching his brows, wondering what had the crow done to make this voice banter so much, it felt like he''d been floating for years listening to their tirade. Silver witnessed a few planetary destruction, a star crumbling into a supernova, and a few planets being sucked into a black hole. Somehow, for a split second, he saw an individual using all of their fingers, individually fast, pressing on a weird letter board, staring at a glowing device, scrunching their eyebrows too. ''Am I going insane?'' thought Silver, pushing the otherworldly scene to the back of his head. "Where was I? Oh right . . . the inheritance. You have to pass my test, it''s not one of those battle type quests either! A bit more complicated, sort of¡­ not really," informed the voice, finishing their rant. "You will go through two scenarios, so choose wisely." Just as she finished speaking, Silver found himself in an enclosed cubicle space. Two orbs, floating in the air, giving him a view of two different worlds. Both gave him a sense of longing and familiarity. One scene, placed him into a world full of chaos. Many rebelled within the continent, fighting back against an army of demonic beasts and beings. Beaten, battered, bruised and dying, they all continued to fight with impenetrable determination. They only had two choices, to keep going or die trying. Every individual, group, army were filled with unmatched spirit, continuing to fight until the end. Even those considered cowards chose to protect the weak with all their might. A sense of unity, expressed within the horror of a great war. If the world crumbles, they will crumble too. They marched on through the war, patching up every cracks, scars, cuts, stabs, and wounds, holding themselves together without a look of defeat. Those that couldn''t fight, supported and tended to every wounded person, running around in fervor tinged with fatigue but they continued taking quick breaks. Not a spill of complaints came out of their mouths. As Silver continued watching, his heart began thumping, blood boiling in rage, sympathizing with these unknown people, wanting to fight with them too as if they were close brethrens of his. The scene finally faded, allowing him to assess his other choice. Looking to his left, a new scene appeared. It was Ethereal Expanse. Peaceful and serene, a life of simplicity. He watched himself leisurely living the life as a husband within Windfall Village. Not the old one he remembered, but a new one, enough to be called a city. This version of him overlooked the whole area with great power and respected by all. His mother and father sat behind him, drinking tea, relaxed yet seemingly proud. A young girl stood beside, grabbing his arm lovingly, announcing the great news. A loving stare, as excitement filled the air. Their parents showed joyous expressions, congratulating his wife. Four individuals came by and greeted him with respect and familiarity. The four divine beasts had become his sworn brothers (and sisters) as they spoke about the good news. Years flew by, tending to his wife and three year old daughter. He taught her how to read, write, speak, and show etiquette. Living his years happily. Soon, the orb fast forward and showed his life thousands of years later. Silver had become even more powerful, taking his wife to ascend to the greater world, Divine Horizon. ** zzz . . . tzzz . . . (Like a radio tuning) Before it continued, the scene on the right abruptly turned on, even the voice exclaimed aloud but Silver couldn''t hear her. Something like this has never happened before when she created the Orb of Choices. Both of them watched the right orb, revealing a tall, slender woman floating in the midst of a battlefield. She stood at approximately 1.7 meters in height, surrounded by an incandescent black flame and icy-blue mist clouding the air. Her right hand held a black handled, crystal clear bladed sword, slowly lifting it up. Her long luminous white hair with sheens of crimson-red, fluttered in the wind covering her mournful expression. She was a significant beauty, but one could tell she was truly exhausted. But, her eyes shone with an unbreakable resolve, ready to die fighting. With her left hand, she took out a strange medallion. It was black and red, as a black and blue energy swirled around a pure white Huli Jing that was imbedded within. This Huli Jing appeared untainted by the vile''s of life, ready to battle alongside the exhausted beauty Raising her right hand, gripping the medallion with the left, she swung her sword with all the strength she could muster. Every single enemy, before the incoming slash, were incinerated and frozen instantly. Thus, this powerful slash alerted the powerful being hidden within the dark-clouds. Soon, they floated out and stared at the exhausted woman. "You think with your cultivation and weak dual constitution can stop us? Even that insignificant fox was barely enough for me to lift two of my fingers. This also included that damnable ice wench joining him. They should be honored to have me exert a little more qi!" exclaimed an ice cold, arrogant young man with a strange mark on his forehead that exuded tremendous amount of frost qi. "You seem similar to those two. Are you their child? Heh, enjoy the afterlife with him and that damnable wench then!" He gave a flick with his fingers, condensing a vast amount of frost qi into an ice spear. With another flick, the ice spear shot out, heading towards the exhausted woman. Before the spear neared her, she gave a heart-warming smile and released all the qi she cultivated throughout her lifetime. This was her final attack, using her own life to stop the ice-cold faced young man and the seven around him. These seven individuals began laughing in a deranged enjoyment, staring at the dying girl in crooked amusement. "An ant will always be an ant, what make you think you can stop us gods," spoke one of the eight, laughing maniacally afterwards. "I wish I could see you one more time . . ." mumbled the young girl, disappearing into motes of light. Streams of tears rolled out of the corner of her eyes, sliding down her hardened cheeks. Finally, she exploded as her power quickly engulfed the deranged demonic-beings. Both the ice and flame clung onto them as they tried to retreat but they were too late. In the midst of the attack, a shadow flew by, unnoticed and gathered the motes of light. Even Silver didn''t notice it, as he was too concentrated with the suicidal attack. "Damn, she almost got us!" shouted the female, her left face covered with ice, trying to break it off. "These flames and ice won''t come off!" "Argh, it hurts" "Let''s retreat, we need to recuperate, let them temporarily have their peace¡­ for now," insisted the cold-faced young man, cutting of his left arm still ablazed in black flames. "Fine, let''s go" "Hmph, if I find the reincarnation of that woman, I will torture her for eternity!" The scene ended, a battlefield covered with an never-ending flame and unmeltable ice separated the continent filled with ice and snow. With this last stand, it allowed the others to safely retreat and recuperate too. But this peace will only be temporary. Those who had been affected harden their resolve to become a mighty and powerful being to protect those they cherish. Even the most vile and crooked felt a strong hate for these demonic-beings, wanting to rid them from this world. This encounter only lasted a moment''s time. However, it brought a unity that was once seen before the world was sealed during the first great war. Strong emotions stampeded in Silver''s heart, filling it with intangible sorrow following with a heated wrath that he never felt before. Without a hint of hesitation, he instantly chose the orb on the right. His heart was telling him he broke a simple promise, allowing his mind to open up while an unimaginable power flooded through his entire being like a great tsunami caused by a dive of the divine Kun Peng. "I WILL NEVER LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS," screamed Silver, breaking the limits of his body, memorizing the eight faces. His soul finally returned to the void, as his current body crumbled into ashes floating along the breeze. . . . Deep within the vast void, a cocoon drifted without a destination. Hundreds and thousands ofcracks appeared on it as rays of violet light broke through the cracks. Finally, the cocoon shattered, illuminating the world of darkness into a world of violet. The sound of a beating heart, loudly palpitated throughout the void, reverberating across the Desolate Tundra and other 8 continents. Which each beat, the seal on the will of the world slowly crumbled, attempting to break free from the confines of its prison. Blacky, in a humanoid form, stood there listening to the heart beat that echoed throughout their world. Blinking once, he turned his head to the left, staring at a few floating wisps of souls in front of him, pondering silently. The wheel of fate began turning at an unstoppable rate. ''Will a new era emerge or will the current chaos continuously run rampant in this world.'' - :: July 3rd to 7th I''ll be at Anime Expo! Basically the first week of July :: :: Another chapter done today! :: :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 41 Return An infant is born, drifting along the wonders of the universe, forever untouched by the river of time. Unaware of the constant cycle of life and death by every universe that crumbles, every stars that supernova, and every planets ruined by their inhabitants. However, the infant continued to be untainted by such a cycle, endlessly drifting with sublime supremacy. Unfettered by the laws of the universes, interweaving the transparent threads as one. As this being slowly matured, they began to observe curiously of the life within the void. They observed these beings born from planetary life. These new life was filled with vigor and spirit, shrouded in the mystery of their emotions. They spoke to each other in weird gestures, sometimes actions, sometimes bellowing in anger or excitement, crying in joy or sadness, laughter, lies, and deceit following after. Some even died over a piece of crumb while others, a piece of shiny metal. It seen friends, for many years, suddenly turn enemies over an item or another being, usually the opposite sex. Soon, its curiosity overtook its mind as they began mimicking these beings. Traveling numerous lifetimes, becoming indefinitely stronger each time. They enjoyed the miniscule monotonous routines, sometimes reliving insipid scenes in each new rebirth. A cycle of existence. One day, reborn once again, they found themselves in a world of cultivation. It searched for the way of life, a path to push forward. Something these cultivators called Dao. Evenso, this being was already powerful, brimming with otherworldly knowledge. Finally, it birth a wisp of its own soul. Finally it bore its own emotions. They found a rare emotion of joy in this cultivation world. Satisfied with their life and death friends, but soon, it learned of Fate. Alas, with the knowledge of Fate, it tasted bitter defeat. It felt the betrayal of long time friends, deep anger, unresolved revenge, and abandonment from the world around it. This was not the void that spoiled it but the so-called Heavens that reign in these worlds. The so-called Fate that is controlled by these contemptible Heaven or Heavens. With its own strength, they caused an undeniable sensation. Heaven quivered in fear before its wrathful strength. The shackles of Fate no longer bounded its existence. It finally understood its true existence from being born in the void. . . . ''I was born from nothing, but with life, I gained something. One day, I will truly die forever. Perishing within the void that birth me. Yet, the void will still continue to exist. Life and Death will continue its cycle. Time will continue to flow forward. I was alone within this void until my own soul came into being. I bore these heartfelt emotions, building millions of relations with millions of beings through many lifetimes. Yet here I am, drifting carefree in this void again. We are born from the Earth, we are born from the Heavens, we are born from universes that lives within the void. However, we are also born from that very void that let us live freely, unfettered by its dominance over everything. The void cannot restrain me, neither can I restrain the void.'' **Hong Long Long . . . Resplendent light gathered around the being drifting in the void. The void heard its childs call, assisting its transformation. As the light faded out into oblivion, a tenebrous crow with two starry eyes and a violet eye in the middle of its forehead appeared. Tremendous amounts of energy fluctuations began unfurling across the vast void, shaking many universes in the process. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. ''I am born from nothing yet the void cannot restrain me. Neither can I restrain the void. I can feel and see these other forms of life, born from the void. I shall dub them Primordial Souls and gather them to create the Nihility Clan! Killing each other, as they are kin, are forbidden. Even those lingering Vehement Souls who stumble across and born from the void, too! But my inheritor can lift the curse, allowing them to kill! They can kill these Primordial Souls and Vehement Souls as they please and no harm can befall onto them! They can bend, change and destroy the rules of the Nihility Clan! They can alter these beings Fate! Only those who can challenge and overcome the Fate of the Void, besides the inheritor, can become the truest void being to I, Xyen!'' **Krrrrrchek (sounds of shattering/cracking) **Oooommmmmm (a power up noise . . .) Silver opened his eyes after receiving the memories of Xyen, the first Primordial Soul and creator of Nihility Clan. Blinking once, he looked around to see only the darkness of the void as his slow drifting came to a halt. Soon after, Silver closed his eyes once more, sorting all the information he inherited from Xyen while inspecting his new body. He could feel that every fiber of his being was brimming with power. A strength he would of never reached in his past life. "I see you''re finally awake, it hasn''t been too long since you''re not in the confines of time," spoke the feminine voice. "I envy you, that intense passion and resolution really struck me! Rarely do I get to see such a scene. Ahahaha, you are the first inheritor that succeeded in the last trillions of years! The last 3 couldn''t even obtain it so I stuck them in different parts of the void to watch the universes out of pity. Although, they are quite stronger than you but time will only tell. You''re definitely better than that despicable three-eyed crow, Xyen . . . so, how do you want the Nihility Clan to live, successor?" "Let them be free without worries of not having a home. I want all of them to be able to return anytime they want but with an added twist. Those that betray the whole void race with hidden unjust agenda, they will immediately lose their abilities. They will no longer carry, not even a miniscule, of the Void Bloodline. Thus, they can either be killed or expelled by the current clan leader! Only those with absolute standing, an impartial yet kind heart and a truly powerful individual can lead the Nihility Clan. I will leave it to my master, since he''s the only one who foots the bill. At best, I''ll deal with those foul eight that I''ve seen. I feel the ninth one is a bit more complicated, since they weren''t there. " "Quite the vengeful person, I like it. If you have anymore, you can do as you please since I, nor Xyen, no longer need to worry about the clan anymore. And don''t worry much either," informed the feminine voice as it faded into the void. "What do you m--" Before Silver could finish asking, a powerful energy pushed him out of the void. Soon, he found himself back in front of the Temple of Knowledge, standing in front of a middle age man wearing black and white clothing. "I don''t know much what that clan does, but this world''s custom is different, you know?" joked the middle aged man, also suppressing most of his laughter and tossing a spatial ring at Silver. "Here''s your stuff." "Blacky?" inquired Silver, grabbing the ring with a face flushed with scarlet red and escaping into the void. Not long after, Silver came out of the void, awaiting for the middle-aged man''s answer. "I thought this form was convenient," answered Blacky, giving himself away. "Can you tell me what happened while I was in the Ethereal Expanse?" - :: Back from Anime Expo! To those who care to know, I had a lot of fun but it was very busy too!:: :: Another chapter done today but it''s short. There''s going to be a lot of changes to the storyline from here on :: :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 42 Frog in the Well "It seems I have missed a few years?" inquired Silver, fully clothed, scrunching his eyebrows in deep thought. "Yes, I thought your void body would finish its transformation in less than a month''s time, so I travelled to see how you would fair in a new world, wanting to see you grow. Somehow, a change occurred when you obtained the Three-eyed Crow''s mark. In reality, instead of a month from what I estimated, it took over three years for your transformation," replied Blacky, stroking his chin, pondering over the past. "The flow of time in the universes is quite complex¡­ even for me. From what I estimated, it had been three million years in the Ethereal Expanse, whereas, it had been 3 years here in this world. "What of the ...war? How is the Floating Cloud Sect? Old Yam and Jing Shi?" "They''re no longer in this world, but I was able to save Jing Shi, Jing Yam, Jing Xue, Starfinder and Mochi''s soul already. They should be beginning the cycle of reincarnation by now. However, it will depend on fate for you to meet them again. Even I do not know where they''ll be reincarnated in this vast universe." "Jing Xue?" "Mother of Jing Shi and wife of Jing Yam, Jing Xue. She played a huge part by weakening the reign of the being who rules the Desolate Tundra, Arctic Emperor. Sadly, I didn''t expect Jing Shi to willingly give up her life to ensure to injure the eight vehement beings. She would of been a respectable cultivator within time, alas, it is a shame she will have to start all over. I already ensure those three will be a family in the next life, but for Mochi and Starfinder, I am unsure where they will end up." "I see..." Silver stood quietly, digesting the information Blacky relayed. His heart ached tremendously at the thought of them dying as he leisurely lived in Ethereal Expanse. However, that is life in the cultivation world. If you weren''t strong enough, you can only watch those beside fall one after another. Silver thought he could change his fate, ensuring those close to him wouldn''t die but he felt genuinely powerless. He could only avenge the Jing''s and the others who had fought during the war. The cycle of reincarnation was mysterious, he could not tamper with fate as well as Blacky could. He had to become stronger. "Is there anything else I should know?" "Yes, seeing that crow.. Xyen again, my memories had unsealed. I sealed my memories about them due to a small scuffle eons ago, but now I can only remember it all over again," sighed Blacky, discourage from his past memories. Silver thought deeply, pondering why Blacky would seal his memories over a scuffle. Although, he was curious it was best not to poke into his business. He was strong, but he knew he couldn''t take on Blacky at his current cultivation level. "Xyen is the first Primordial Soul void-being, rarely appearing and very mysterious. You remind me of him, since Xyen enjoys causing small mischief¡­ at a universal scale. Nothing else is known about him but only the second knows. The second void being is Moon Frost, the first Vehement Soul void-being. She was born a few million years later after Xyen and knows more about that crow than I would. From what I can gather, they''ve met each other in many worlds, rebirth after rebirth. She has spoken to me once about the crow, an extremely long and tortuous tirade . . . so Xyen is a forbidden topic when we''re speaking to her." Silver furrowed his eyebrows, remembering the rant Moon Frost gave him. He truly sympathized with Blacky. So many scenes reappeared in his mind as Blacky, frowning with a miserable expression, stayed quiet in attempt to reorganize his thoughts after brushing upon Moon Frost''s tirade. If Blacky knew how long Silver had to deal with Moon Frost, he''d be willing to trade spots instantaneously. Back then, Moon Frost forcibly trapped Blacky a few billions of years when he reached over a few hundred thousands of years of age. The old hag would never stop speaking, venting her pent up frustration over every single thing between her and Xyen. This allowed Blacky to realize why the others avoided her. It wasn''t because she was powerful and amazing, it was 100000% because she torture them with her words alone. If words could kill, she could kill all of them over and over and over again. "Next is Mapo, another Primordial Soul, but try not to talk to her too much. You''ll understand when you meet her someday. She has trillions of avatars all around our universes, one in each world that has formed life, but they all seem to be of the same color and/or pattern. There''s a high chance you may of met her avatar which roams around the Desolate Tundra. Actually, I''ve spoken to her many times before since she visits this Isle and boast about all the individuals she frustrated. Most of them always end up being powerful or died a terrible death. She''s basically one of those fortuitous or ominous encounters. There''s quite a few legends about her within this world," continued Blacky, finally over his small slump, breaking the gloomy silence. "The fourth is a pure hearted, somewhat idiotic muscle head. He goes by Amro the Monk, the second strongest in terms of body, between us four originals. All Amro does is wander around the universes that we oversee, teachingthose he deems worthy of learning his many body cultivation arts. Basically, he''s an external training fanatic. His appearance is always the same, 2.8 Meters tall, bald-headed with a fu manchu. Amro wears these ugly green monk-like clothing. His body is quite proportionately muscular with 9 dots on his forehead or what we call a jieba. The best way to know it''s truly him is his giant obsidian prayer bead necklace. Only us void-beings can see the stars within, any other will just see a plain giant obsidian prayer bead necklace. His disciples wear a simpler version of it after they''ve completed his training, but they all have his apprentice mark within. Last but not least, the youngest of all the original five, me. I am one of trillions of avatars in the universes that I oversee, keeping order in check. There''s a few times, out of boredom or some form of admiration, I can alter a group of people''s fate but only thrice every few hundred thousand years. I was rather surprised Moon Frost helped you. She''s known to be exceptionally shrewd with these type of things too." "How did she help me? She only gave me two choices and allowed me inherit Xyan''s inheritance." "Moon Frost altered the Jing''s fate, allowing them to live together in the next cycle. She also added a bit of her power when Jing Shi released her powers to boost the damage the eight vehement beings received." Silver stood there nodding, keeping the new information on the four original and powerful beings into his heart. He even felt grateful towards Moon Frost for allowing the Jing''s to live as a family. However, everything he knew felt like a mere piece of a page in a book, written with profound words, taking time to comprehend that one page. Silver knew he lived his whole life like a frog in the well, but with many fortuitous encounters, he was finally able to jump out of the well. Thus, allowing him to find out there''s something beyond the view of that very well he was trapped in. ''I truly did not expect to be fortunate when I reincarnated, it seems drastic measure has to be taken now,'' thought Silver, audibly sighing and shaking his head with slight worries. "Blacky, I need to train and understand my new strength," Silver glumly said. "It would be disastrous if I have no control of my own strength." "Yes, that is a major concern but it''s only a small matter," chuckled Blacky, organizing a training regime in his head. "Alright, but before that, I''ll have to send some information to the patriarch." Not long after, Silver flicked out a teardrop-shaped green jade that flew out to a certain direction. "Since that''s done, let''s begin." . . . Deep within an ancient pagoda, sat a young man wearing a long black robe, gold cloud tinged with red on the cuffs, black pants with two red stripes on both sides of the legs and black shoes with a gold cloud outline on the outside of the heels, eyes closed with a teardrop shaped green jade held close to his forehead. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Smiling warmly, opening his eyes, he stood up in a relaxed manner. His ruby-red irises expressed a shock veneration. When he looked at the jade again, his seemed to soften, as if this jade was his precious child that needed protection. The information within the jade was an invaluable treasure that could bring out a new and more powerful era. He had to protect it with his very life. Carefully, he put away the jade in a special storage ring and brought out his medallion. Inserting a steady and small stream Qi into the medallion, the transparent white with a cloud that was imbedded gave a subtle glow. Throughout the entire Floating Cloud Sect, the 4 faction leaders stood up flabbergasted by the information they received. All 4 faction leaders exited their abode, gripping their faintly glowing medallion, preparing for the upcoming changes within the Floating Cloud Sect. Just as Starfinder predicted in the past, a new era was about to emerge. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: Don''t hurt me, this was the only way the story could progress ;-: :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 43 Seclusion of the Floating Cloud Sec Two months later, the entire Floating Cloud Sect had gone through drastic changes since the faction leaders and the patriarch made an important announcement: [All disciples will go into secluded cultivation starting in two months. Those that are currently on mission or going onto an arduous mission will be brought back, points will be rewarded regardless of finishing the task. Due to the severity of the Great Ice and Flame War, we will close our gates to all of White City Lotus. We will begin a major seclusion from the outside world for an undetermined amount of time. If you cannot make it back or choose not to follow instructions, you will no longer be a disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect. Your status will be stripped and you''ll be labelled as a deserter if you choose not to abide by the sect''s rules.] Although the disciple''s felt disgruntled over such drastic measure, they had no choice due to tremendous loss during the war where many of them died or became incapacitated from serious injuries. They were, of course, rewarded for their bravery and loyalty to their kin but the demons within their hearts became a heavy shackle. It felt as if they were dragging a ball of insurmountable burdens around in an attempt to regain control of their fate. For them, a major sect seclusion to grind their talents and cultivation seem more favorable than moping around in regret. They needed strength to fulfill their hatred and plot revenge against those demons. Under the information given by Silver, the Floating Cloud Sect started purchasing all sorts of herbs, metal, mysterious treasures, and other resources. Even the manager of the Gold Spring Merchant Association in White Lotus City gave them a hand in finding and purchasing all sorts of items that could be of use. The sect''s patriarch had a vague idea that it was related to Silver, but since they were helping, he had no problems obtaining such resources with such a great discount of 60%. Back then for the Floating Cloud Sect, they could only get a measly 10% discount on common grade and 5% on slightly rare but attainable resources. At the end of the second month, the Floating Cloud Sect closed their gates and announced their seclusion for an indefinite amount of years. Many sects at the level of Floating Cloud Sect and higher began to follow the same pattern, closing their doors for an indefinite amount of time. With many sect doors sealed, they became even more mysterious than ever. Although, it was surprising, everyone within the White Lotus City had a vague idea of why such an event was happening within their city. Since the Great Ice and Flame War, many cities, clans and organizations in all nine continents went through a tremendous domino effect. Devastation can cause many people to understand their weaknesses, hide in the shadows to train, becoming unheard for a long period of time. Soon the city became a ghost town, without the super sects and large sects looming around, many small and medium sects took charge of their corresponding areas to seize the chance to rise into power. At the very top of Eclipse Peak, Silver could be seen leisurely drinking tea. As of now, Silver''s cultivation had already reached Early-Stage Saint of the Sovereign Realm. "Silver, are you really leaving while we go into our long term seclusion?" asked Patriarch Dimsum with his brows slightly furrowed. He really wanted Silver to stay. Without him, the Floating Cloud Sect would be recovering slower than the other hidden sects. "With you here, we can make quick advancements, increasing our strengths manyfolds." "White Lotus City is my home but it cannot contain me forever," replied Silver after a few minutes of silence. "So I will be leaving at the crack of dawn." "I understand. I cannot contain a dragon amongst men in a small place like Floating Cloud Sect, but I hope you have a safe journey. I want you to have this old treasure of mine that has been passed down for many generations. None of us, including the founders, knows the use of this item. Hopefully, with your knowledge, you''re able to discern this item and use it. Farewell, Silver." "En. Thank you, Patriarch Dimsum," smiled Silver, putting away the wooden box into his storage ring. Although, he was intrigued but he wasn''t concern over what the patriarch had given him. After a few more minutes of silence, Patriarch Dimsum left after saying goodbye, ready to prepare for his long term seclusion. Silver continued to drink his tea in silence, pondering over the matters pertaining to the sect as he watched the patriarch vanish. Luckily, he never really made any friends within the city and sect, besides the few he met before his multiple seclusion within the last few years. Last week, he met with his Brother Poe once more and relayed some menial information to increase his strength. Of course, Silver even threw in a few random formulas to exchange for some travelling funds and other items of value. If Brother Poe found out these powerful formulas were just randomly given to him, he would definitely puke blood. Just these "random" formulas could cause a few sects to duke it out! "I hope we all can change and start a brand new era . . ." mumbled Silver as he remembered the wooden box. "I''ll give a good look at it when I have time. I should begin my preparations." ... An orb floated within the empty void as a scene of a distant world appeared. Within this scene, a young gentlemen sat next to young red-faced woman who was currently holding an infant while a few servants and maids stood at the side. One could tell that these couple came from a prestigious clan as these couple wore expensive clothing made of unknown material. In addition to their expensive clothing, they had powerful cultivations. Even their newly born child emitted waves of qi without even cultivating! "Jing Xue, what do you want to name our daughter?" asked the young gentlemen, staring lovingly at his wife. "How does Jing Shi sound, Jing Yam?" replied Jing Xue after some thoughts. "I feel like this name resonates deep within my heart and soul¡­" "I do too. So Jing Shi shall be our newborn daughter''s name." "Yes, yes. I agree, my wife." The married couple stared lovingly at each other and then at their daughter, Jing Shi as began crying. They both laughed as they heard their daughter cry and soon, tried to soothe her to sleep. Soon, the scene disappeared from the floating orb and a new scene appeared as a young man was traveling on foot to an unknown destination. "I hope my efforts I made aren''t wasted on you¡­" mumbled a feminine voice. Just as the scene was about to fade, the noise of wings flapping could be heard nearby. "CAW!" exclaimed a shadowy crow with three-eyes, flying by. "YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE!?" - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. - 44 Blue Dream City ''What kind of luck do I have?'' thought Silver. He was dumbfounded when woke up and realized he was surrounded by a group of bandits with their weapons pointed at him. "Quit gawking! Give us all your valuables!" shouted a huge middle-aged man with a comical eyepatch over his right eye. Silver stayed in his spot, unsure whether to laugh or cry in his situation. It had been almost a week since he left White Lotus City onto his journey. Everything seemed normal when he met a few caravans and other travellers on his way. As a way to kill time, he chatting amongst them, ate a feast and drank some wine with these travellers. Somehow, by the time he woke up, he found himself duped by the caravan as he stood up to stretch and yawn. That was when he realized he was surrounded by a group of bandits when he finally opened his eyes. It seemed he became too relaxed, forgetting the insidious nature of a mortal. Although he kept his guard down, no one could really hurt him since he was somewhat on par with the nine exiles. "So, you''re unwilling to speak? Hmph! Men, beat this cowardly sheep with half an inch to his life and take all his belongings!" Following the leader''s command, the bandits began closing in on Silver, chuckling and sneering with vile remarks. "Please... I-I, will give you all my food and money. Please spare me¡­ I''m just a warrior that''s trying to survive" quivered Silver in a fearful manner, taking off his travelling bag, placing it on the ground. If one saw how he acted, he could definitely win an oscar with his superb acting skills. "Cut the crap! Am I negotiating with you? Beat him to death instead!" With a mean and wicked smiling expression, the big middle-aged man swung the saber in his hand at Silver. "Stop right there!" shouted a person, jumping over Silver''s head, shoving their fist to the bandit leader''s face. A loud thump was heard as the bandit chief was sent flying, twirling into a tree, breaking the tree in half. Several bandits hurriedly went to check him as the others began attacking the mysterious person. Being attacked by all sides, thrusting their fists, every single bandit were knocked out by one punch. The bandits nearby their leader stood in shock, watching their brethrens get knocked out left and right by some random passerby. The last five bandits did not move from their spot as the others kept attacking. They were waiting patiently, guarding their unconscious leader. They were unsure if he was dead or not but could only watch the attacker fiercely. Seeing the attacker busy with the others, they sheathe their weapons and carried their unconscious leader away. Sadly, before they were able to run a few more feet, another person flew down and decapitated them all with ease. Silver stood there, dumbfounded again, watching an odd scene play out right before his eyes. The mysterious duo started walking towards him, a young boy and girl appeared, one smiling the other with a stone-cold face. The young boy''s steps were somewhat unsteady, a bright red hand marks on both sides of his cheeks, swollen enough to make him appear like a goofy iron-tooth chipmunk. "Don''t ever rush in like that, our master may be lenient but just cause you see injustice doesn''t mean you can act upon it" chastised the stone-faced girl. "And why can''t you kill them properly? You just enjoy fist fights too much, a swift kill is how you ensure they won''t cause us any future problems!" "Mmmm, yes sis," grumbled the young boy, tears leaking from his eyes, rubbing his cheeks to soothe the pain. Looking up, staring at Silver, he gave a wide smile. "I hope you''re alright! We were just passing by and I couldn''t help myself when I saw your situation." "I don''t see the point of saving a coward," sneered the stone-faced girl. In her eyes, Silver was unfit to become a warrior. She only showed contempt to those who cowered than fight like a man. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Uhm . . . Thank you for saving me," thanked Silver appearing sheepish and startled. His thought process halted throughout the whole situation because it was truly out of the blue. "No problems! Hahaha, where are you going? Do you want to join us? We''re headi- oof" asked the young boy before being abruptly stopped by a young man who ran in and kicked him right into the stomach with full force. "Who gave you permission to let a straggler join us? You are speaking out of term for our young master!" snapped the young man still kicking the young boy who was curled up on the ground trying to defend himself from the incessant kicking. Not long after the young man entered the play, two strider horses appeared pulling a normal, black carriage into view. Young master, I ask your forgiveness for Yong Satay''s brash behaviour," asked the young man as he stopped kicking Yong Satay. He gave a bow in front of the halting carriage. "Not to worry, this happens to often for me to bother, Bu Keng," ranged a young boy''s voice within the carriage. "Yong Dango, take care of your brother. Bu Keng overdid his kicking again." "Yes, young master," replied Yong Dango bowing towards the carriage. Next she threw a healing pill towards her brother''s head, to which he quickly grabbed with his right hand. "Thanks, young master," grumbled Yong Satay. He bruised all over from Bu Keng''s strong kicks, but didn''t complain and popped the healing pill into his mouth. A couple minutes later, Yong Satay looked as good as new, standing up and brushing the dirt off his clothes. "Young master, can this young warrior join us to the next city?" "Why would we want a straggler to join us!?" scolded Bu Keng folding his arms and glaring angrily at Yong Satay. "I will allow it," the young master agreed. "But young mast-" "Do not question me, Bu Keng. What is your name, sir?" "My name is Silver," answered Silver pondering over the play he had just seen. He felt like dealing with the bandits seemed better than dealing with a bunch of oddballs. Since the start of his morning, everything seemed natural but somehow it became weirder as the minutes went by. ''Is my life a comedy?'' "Silver? Such a peculiar name . . ." remarked the young master. "I am Kiu Thao of the Kiu Clan. We are heading to our home in Blue Dream City, come enter the carriage and accompany me." "This is my first time travelling outside on my own, I''ll be glad to be in your care," responded Silver accepting Kiu Thao''s offer. He didn''t mind these oddballs so he chose to go with the flow. Silver opened the carriage door, and entered to see a bright and gentle smile on Kiu Thao''s face. He could tell the Kiu Thao did not mind another person accompanying them, in fact Silver could feel that Kiu Thao was intrigued by him. Silver stared a bit longer at Kiu Thao''s face, suspecting something was off with the young man. Using his divine sense,he figured it out and gave a warm smile back at the young master. ''Quite an interesting fellow'' Bu Keng grumbled quietly and sat at the front of the carriage as Yong Dango followed right after him. Yong Satay closed the carriage door and joined Bu Keng in the front of the carriage. His eyes moved left to right, vice versa, surveying the surrounding areas for any form of threats. Thus, they continued their journey to their destination, Blue Dream City. Silver sat in front of Kiu Thao while Yong Dango beside her young master. Kiu Thao appeared young, sharp jawline with a touch of baby fat on his cheeks, short and thick metallic-white hair lifted slightly to the left. He had a pair of sharp eyebrows with a sword-like tail above his asura red eyes that had a tinge of grey mixed in. Their collar bones was quite pronounce as it complimented his toned physique in his marginally loose black clothing with red silk robe worn over it. Right besides him was Yong Dango, a stoned-face beauty emanating a very isolated aura. Even around her young master she seemed cold and aloof. Yong Dango had black hair with the left side braided. Her hair was quite long, hanging over her right shoulder. Even then, her sky-blue eyes shot daggers at him, patiently waiting and ready to attack at any given moment. Silver sat there lightly coughing, hoping Kiu Thao would initiate the conversation. He really wanted to get rid of this intense atmosphere from Yong Dango. Especially Bu Keng, who was radiating a killing intent openly. It felt like allowing a few mosquitoes fly around you, as it patiently decides the next spot to suck up blood from. "Where are you from?" inquired Kiu Thao as if they noticed the cue. He was quite unbothered by the awkward atmosphere, like it was a normal everyday thing for him. "White Lotus City," responded Silver, casually smiling back. "Quite the journey you have going, any reasons?" "I just wanted to broaden my horizons. The world is full of opportunities, so instead of waiting, Irather seize the chance myself." "I feel a bit startled by your insights, not many warriors such as yourself would think this way." "I had a small enlightenment during training, so I gathered up a few necessities and left onto this journey this week. Didn''t expect to encounter bandits on the way nor foreseen a kind stranger to give me a ride." "Well it seem like we are fated to meet, so I have no qualms offering a ride to you. Luckily, Blue Dream City isn''t too far off. Only an hour''s ride to get there. If you like, I can lend Yong Satay who can give you a tour of the city during your stay." "That sounds great, but I would like to know if there is any alchemist associations?" "ALCHEMIST? YOU''RE AN ALCHEMIST?" shouted everyone in unison, even Yong Dango couldn''t keep her stoned-face in check, showing an adorable yet astonished expression. "Yea, my master taught me alchemy before he left on a journey a few years ago," fibbed Silver, startled by their spontaneous exclamation. "Is there something weird with the alchemist profession?" "No, no, no. It''s just that rare to have one! Especially in the Desolate Tundra Continent," explained Kiu Thao, smiling brightly with an excited expression. "After the war a few months back, many alchemists were killed during the assault, making them rare but not as much as a phoenix''s feather. Floating Cloud Sect of White Lotus City is the only sect with the most abundant amount of alchemist left! They evaded the alchemists purge and from hearsay, have sealed off their gates to the outside world. Even the other super sects followed their lead! Nearly all of those large sects, hidden sects and super sects that follow suit have become even more mysterious throughout the whole continent! Just being able to befriend a tier 1 alchemist is quite fortunate. Right now, we have at least three alchemist who survived in our Blue Dream City. Two of them are from the Gold Spring Merchant Association while the other is in the Yen Clan, which is the Kiu Clan''s greatest competitor in the city. Due to the ice wall covered in black flame splitting the continent in half, we can only depend on what we have on our side. Many of the surrounding cities have tried to remove or at least subdue this strange wall but none has prevailed. We''re just glad that the Goddess of Ice and Flame protected us with all her might . . ." Silver nodded at Kiu Thao, keeping his mouth as the young boy spoke highly of his mighty goddess and her amazing prowess during the Great Fire and Ice War. Never would they know, Silver actually knew this goddess of theirs and they were fellow disciples at the same sect. Sadly, he no longer knew where she was and when she reincarnated. Luckily, no one had a solid description of her physical features beside that the hero was a female and clad in black flames and gelid ice. "Uh, sorry about that, I got carried away," apologized Kiu Thao, grinning in childlike manner. He was daydreaming aloud, hoping to meet his celebrity one day. "Continuing on, you can get certified and take the alchemist exams at the Gold Spring Merchant Association. As I have matters to attend to, I will not be able to join you until a later time." "We''re here young master," announced Bu Keng as the carriage slowed to a stop in front of Blue Dream City''s gate. "Here''s my personal token if you want to come by and visit," smiled Kiu Thao. He brought out a red token from his spatial ring and it to Silver. Taking a look at it, Silver could see ''Kiu'' on the red token. "Just present this to the guards in front of the Kiu Clan gates and they will immediately let you in." "Thank you. If you need any help, just ask," hinted Silver. He then took the token and placing it into his white robe. He would usually throw it into his spatial ring but to ensure he didn''t arouse much suspicion, he kept in the pocket of his robe. Rocking slightly, the carriage proceeded through the gates and headed into the city towards the Kiu Clan. Silver stood beside the main gates and spoke to the guards there. After paying the fee and showing his identification, he followed Satay onto the busy streets of Blue Dream City. Their destination, Gold Spring Merchant Association. It was best for him to have a good background so he chose to take the alchemist exam. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: Long chapter, not much changes from the previous upload months ago, but enjoy :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 45 Alchemy Division Exam "To proceed and take the exams for the Alchemy Division requires you to pay upfront fifty sols coins," a stern male receptionist said, looking at Silver. "Fifty sols coins? Could this help me lower the cost?" replied Silver, grabbing a sleek black card with Gold Spring Merchant Association VVIP in gold lettering imprinted on it. Even though he is extremely wealthy, a stingy person will always be stingy even if they became the richest person in the world. "Definitely! It will be 10 sols coins," beamed the stern receptionist. "Thank you, here''s the 100 etha coins," smiled Silver, chuckling softly, turning around to face Yong Satay who stood nearby. "Alright, I will see you after the exam!" "Silver, good luck!" replied Yong Satay, respectfully bowing. ''I must inform young master about Silver being a VVIP of the Gold Spring Merchant Association! This is great news for him and the Kiu Clan!'' After hearing Yong Satay''s response, Silver turned back to the receptionist. "Follow me," directed the male receptionist as he walked through a side door. The Alchemy Division exam was located in a large courtyard behind the association, taking a short trail that lasted fifteen minutes. Many numbered doors aligned as they strolled further into the Alchemy Division building. Finally, the two stopped in front in a large open space within the building. Turning his head around, the male receptionist gave Silver a golden medallion with the number 18 engraved into it. Without wasting anymore breath, the receptionist left Silver alone with seventeen other participants that stood within the open room. Most of these participants were middle-aged men with a head full of white hair, mixed with some black. Taking another glimpse around, there were a few young participants mixed within their group of eighteen. Soon, a group of high-tier alchemist came out from the left corridor of the building, following two old men emitting an imposing presence as they took long strides down the corridor. Event then, a few of the tiered alchemists, from afar, took a glimpse and inspected Silver clothes. They mentally kept a note, figuring out Silver did not belong to any major family within Blue Dream City. None of them belittled him for that reason, but held a strong curiosity. An individual with a VVIP status had to be someone with a strong backing and of prestiged stature. Not long after, the examiners stood in front of their group of eighteen. "I am Grandmaster Guiying of the Alchemy Division," announced Guiying, cupping his hand respectfully towards the group. He then gave a soft smile, nodding with approval with the current batch of examinees. "This here is my fellow Grandmaster Rain. We hope everyone here passes since we are in dire need of outstanding individuals in the field of alchemy. Many should be aware of the aftermath of the Ice and Flame War...those demons massacred thousands of alchemists to ensure their next victory. Although it is unknown when they will return from their injuries, we must ensure the alchemist continues to exist and have a firm foundation. There are three rounds containing three different topics. Each exam topic will be announced once you passed the following exam given. Currently, the first topic is alchemy knowledge. Please find your rooms based on the number given to you on your token. Your test will be shown on an array screen, inscribed into the desks within the rooms. Once ten hours are up, the array will disappear. Thus, concluding the first round. You will be using these room during the whole three rounds as well. Dismissed." Hearing Grandmaster Guiying''s instructions, all eighteen examinees took out their token and wandered around to find their testing room. Everyone felt a wave of admiration from Grandmaster Guiying''s speech, giving their all to become alchemists. Each individual had thier own unique reasons to become alchemists. Some for fame, some wanted power, some pursued money, while others wanted to travel their own unique path . Soon, Silver found his room and continued inside. After all the examinees entered the room, the group of examiners sat at a table in a large room near the main corridor. Some were leisurely drinking herbal tea, reading books or writing down their experiments detailing the cause and effects of each experiment they handled. Within each of their hearts, they hoped a few would pass the exam with flying colors. Silver took his time to get ready, sitting on a chair as a floating small screen appeared over his desk. [There are five hundred and thirty-one questions for the first round. There are all sorts of alchemy questions that you must answer to your fullest abilities. If you cannot answer it, you''re allowed to skip and proceed onto the next. Must have a 98%or more to proceed onto the next round. Time will automatically start once you answer the first question.] ''No wonder there are so little alchemist! Just the passing rate for the knowledge exam is at a whopping 98% for the first round. I could understand where Mochi get his narcissistic personality from¡­'' Silver''s gaze swept across the questions shown on the array as the corner of his lips curved up mischievously. These questions were simply too easy for him as his understanding towards alchemy had long surpassed this world''s realm! Twirling around the pen specifically made to write onto the array, he felt a tinge of worry if he went too far with the procedures and answers. With extreme effort, he deliberately simplified his answers to where even a donkey could understand alchemy. Although Silver wanted to remain low-key, he knew that without a strong backing, it would be harder to get by in this chaotic world. **Ring (from a bell) ... The two Grandmasters looked at each other, then stared back at the glowing array with the number 18 on it. It had been barely 3 hours since the first round started. How can anyone easily answer so many complex questions so quickly and easily? "Most likely a person who has given up?" asked a Tier 8 alchemist, sitting closest to the array that rung. "Impossible, it would have begin blinking red if they gave up or if the answers are under 90%!" replied another tier alchemist. "I will check their answers. Please settle down," Guiying decided after raising his left hand to quiet down the alchemists. Under normal circumstances, an ordinary person who has started the path of alchemy would need to take their time in answering each and every question carefully. To be able to answer three hundred and sixty questions or over while having a 90% or above within the allotted time frame was extremely hard but not near impossible. Many individuals would be stuck by a few difficult questions which they would usually skip and proceed onto the next. After carefully reviewing the answers, despite a few mistakes, Guiying felt the world spin around him. Some questions were skillfully answered to point that it was simpler than simple itself. Over four hundred questions were correctly answered! Guiying took a few steps back in jubilation, allowing the others to take turns reviewing the answers. To be even more exaggerated, a few fainted from their excitement. Not only that, the higher tier alchemist gained tremendous benefits reaching a state of enlightenment as the continued reading the answers. "This is a true genius!" "A completely insane and monstrous genius! I would of never thought of those types of possibilities, I must memorize this and try them out myself." The two Grandmasters were dumbfounded as their mood shot up like a flying sword into the sky. They all wondered who was this young man''s master was. His master must be proud to have hidden an alchemist prodigy or even god in the making. No one would be able to guess that this person from room eighteen was actually a reincarnated being who once followed the dao of alchemy. Within their hearts, someone this invaluable had to become a member of the Alchemist Division in the Gold Spring Merchant Association. No one was willing to give up an invaluable treasure that waltz right into their palms. "If I remember correctly, he is the one with the VVIP backed by Manager Poe of White Lotus City," informed one of the tier alchemists, brightly smiling. "His name should be Silver. Our receptionist contacted me about a VVIP member joining, so I did a background check and contacted the manager of this shop about him. Although I tried to inquire more about Silver, he gave me some vague details about him. I could tell he was unwilling to explain any further." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "It seems Silver has a powerful background that our manager is unwilling to divulge on him. Let''s continue to observe him for the mean time. He will definitely pass the next two rounds based off his profound knowledge within alchemy. Hopefully, he would take the tier promotion exams as well," replied Rain, a glint of delight shone in his eyes. Soon, everyone began paying close attention to the array for room eighteen, thirsting for more knowledge. They had high hopes that Silver would become the very saviour that would allow Alchemy to flourish in this chaotic era. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: Sorry for uploading so late! My friend''s birthday is coming up and they wanted to do a kbbq day before they leave for vegas, so I spent my day off making more memories. :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 46 Revised Formulas [If your array is blinking red, please exit the room as you have failed the first round. If it is not, congratulations on passing the first round.] [The second and third round will be a back to back exam. You can choose to improve a current alchemy formula or create one at your own risk. Once completed, two examiners will be sent down to your room to check your formula and creation.] [A cauldron is already provided on the shelf to the right of your desk, on the grey shelf. You can choose to write onto the array. If you want to maintain secrecy, then check the drawer of your desk. Inside the desk will contain ten scroll papers, black ink, twine, a wax seal, alchemy division stamp and a rainbow feathered quill pen.] [Once you begin your creation, list all the ingredients you need, the array will blink blue three times to inform that the ingredients are on there way. They will be contained in a spatial bag. Please remember to retrieve them. You have 12 hours to complete both rounds.] ''Hmm, which formula seems the best,'' thought Silver, perusing through his memories. His options were not limited but making a heavenly pill would garner much attention from unwanted individuals. Especially if the other demon emperors got wind of it. Per usual, taking the easiest route is definitely beneficial to him as he chose the most basic of all, creating two sets of improved formulas: Body Strengthening Medicinal Bath Formula and Foundation Setting Pill Formula. Both original formula used rather uncommon materials but could be easily recreated with common and easily found materials while tripling the efficacy for those who are within the external realm. His main goal was to ensure the younger generation could prosper during this chaotic era, so they had some means of surviving. By using the Body Strengthening Medicinal Bath Formula would allow one''s body to become sturdier and stronger. Of course with each use, the effect would generally weaken. However, it would assist those in external realm to build a body foundation. However, the Foundation Setting Pill was a heavenly pill that allowed a person to breakthrough with ease into the Internal Realm. Not only can it assist in breakthroughs, the pill has many great medicinal properties to nourish and strengthen the meridians. Thus, allowing one to easily breakthrough into the internal realm without harming oneself. Silver began jotting down the Body Strengthening Medicinal Bath Formula [Revised] onto the array. Listing over 49 common herbs. Soon after he finished jotting the ingredients, Silver continued onto the next formula. Once both formulas were written down, he contacted for an examiner to deliver the ingredients needed to create the Foundation Setting Pill. It was best to complete both at the same time to ensure his success in passing the second and third rounds. If those alchemists knew what Silver was thinking, they''d foam out of their mouth as working on two different formulas was aching to defying the heavens. It was difficult enough to focus on making a pill. **Ring (sound of a bell) "Room eighteen has finally requested for ingredients," announced a tier 7 alchemist examiner. "Which pill is he going to make?" asked Grandmaster Guiying. He turned his head towards the tier 7 alchemist, ignoring the notes he was studying. If one were to look over his shoulder, these "notes" were the answers of Silver''s exam papers. "It says the Foundation Setting Pill, but the materials he requested are . . . unusual." "Unusual? Must be trying to improve it then. Alright send the material down! I want to see if this boy is a genius in theories or an individual that could become a great grandmaster alchemist in the future." "Yes, Grandmaster Guiying." **Knock, knock, knock "That was rather quick," mumbled Silver in surprise. It had been barely ten minutes and all the 27 ingredients he asked for were already gathered. Opening the door, an examiner held a tray with a spatial bag laying on top. "Here are the materials you requested," informed the young examiner with a poker face. "En, Thank you." Closing the door, Silver went back to his desk and begun preparing the materials. After ensuring he had all the correct ratios and herbs,, Silver grabbed a bronze dragon cauldron off a grey shelf. Soon, he sat in the middle of the room and placed a floating technique onto the cauldron. Within seconds, the bronze dragon cauldron rose into the air to where his collars were at. Adjusting his breathing, Silver began condensing his qi. Wisp of qi floated around him, gathering under the cauldron. Soon, a purplish-black flame formed while emitting soft waves of heat. After a quarter of an hour, the bronze dragon cauldron became blisteringly red hot. However, the heat seemed contained, leaving the room unaffected. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Seeing that the temperature was right where he wanted it, Silver began grabbing the materials and carefully adding them into the cauldron. To ensure there were no mishaps, one needed a high level of concentration and powerful divine sense. Once everything was in the cauldron, he finally placed the lid on. ''Sigh...The first step was finally completed with no mistakes occurring. I''m a little rusty compare to back then'' Under Silver''s manipulation, the purplish-black fire wrapped around the cauldron like a dragon''s tongue, ready to devour the treasures within. At the same time, he slowly rotated the bronze dragon cauldron that was floating in midair, constantly aware of what was happening inside with his divine sense. Finally, the purplish-black fire concealed the cauldron into a ball of roaring flames. As time passed by, after hundreds of adjustments, the bronze cauldron released a medicinal fragrance that could stir up a person''s spirit from the grave. Such a medicinal fragrance could make a rock salivate. With his thoughts, the purplish-black fire under Silver''s control became even more intense. It was as if the flames wanted to consume the entire bronze dragon cauldron into ashes. Like the spring breeze that carry the scent of blooming flowers, an exceptionally strong medicinal aroma emanated outside of Silver''s room. The scent wandered all within the Alchemy Division causing many of the examinees to become minutely distracted. Despite the minute distraction, this caused many to lose focus and blow up their cauldron in succession Most of them were shocked by the strong medicinal odor and wondered who could of made a monstrous concoction, while the others felt horror and fainted once their cauldron exploded. It could be said, this particular exam could be a blessing in disguise. But to Silver, it didn''t matter as he was focused on his pill making. Even if he knew many failed because of him, he still wouldn''t care. How can one call themselves an alchemist if they couldn''t endure some setbacks and mild distractions. Silver knew without a thought that the Foundation Setting Pill, in liquid form, were beginning to coagulate into a pill.This time around,he had to be extra careful in slowing the rotation speed and the amount of flames needed. Moments later, the lid of the cauldron began rattling, causing Silver''s mind to be on the alert, focusing on the last push onto the final step of the concoction. ***Bzzz . . . Silver smiled while nodding his head after hearing the light buzzing noise. Carefully removing the lid, while the cauldron was levitating towards him, Silver peered inside. Nine lustrous red pills sat at the bottom, emitting strong waves of energy as he carefully placed all nine pills into a jade bottle. After completing all of this, Silver went back to sitting at the desk and sent his two simplified formulas. Now, all he had to do was wait for an examiner to test his pill. Within the examiners room, two old men were shocked beyond belief after unfurling a scroll in a secret room. However, outside of the room, their team of highly skilled tier alchemists fainted from sheer exhilaration from the revised formula room eighteen had sent. Of course, these were the revised versions of the Foundation Setting Pill Silver and Body Strengthening Medicinal Bath. Both grandmasters stared at the formula in awe. Only a single thought crossed their mind: ''Who is Silver?'' - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: Sorry for uploading so late! Why is my work so busy lately T^T :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 47 Tiers and Grades "Ground one gram of dried star leaves, two grams of calen petals, a stalk of dragon wort, three sun-dried emera pit, a kilogram of two hundred year old scarlet timber bark, toss in four grams of brown iron sand, pair of wings from a croaking nemur moth, two sun dried rivertail, one gram of shaved demon boar tusk . .. this is an amazing breakthrough for our Alchemy Division!" exclaimed Rain, his eyes almost popping out as he continue to read further. "This revised formula is truly simplified! Based on each property of each individual item, they can increase the medicinal strength by at least three-folds...if this formula is shown to the public this could cause mass disorder. Especially amongst those clans, sect and nobles. Lo Cheng, send that young genius a message for me. Ask him, how much he wants for the formula." "What do we do if he says he won''t sell it to us?" inquired Lo Cheng. "Then we''ll ask what he wants in return! Our Alchemy Division name cannot be tarnished since we also represent Gold Spring Merchant Association too! Added to the fact Sir Silver has an extraordinary unknown background that our superior won''t speak off, we must act carefully!" "You know what? Shui Guiying and I will go see him instead. Lo Cheng, you and the others go examine the other two alchemists who has passed the third round. The others have failed! We don''t need alchemists who loses their concentration over a slight medicinal odor." "Yes, Grandmaster Rain and Grandmaster Guiying!" **Knock Knock Knock After hearing the knocks, Silver got off his chair and reached out to open the door. To his surprise, both Grandmaster Guiying and Rain stood before him, smiling amiably. Both showed eyes full of admiration as they continued to look at each other. "Grandmasters are going to check my work?" asked Silver, acting as if he was in awe and slightly fearful. If Alchemist Faction Leader Mochi saw how well Silver could act, he would be hysterically laughing as the fact Silver was better than him, a great grandmaster of alchemy. Alas, Mochi was no longer in this world but these grandmasters would go through cardiac arrest if they knew that even Mochi had to concede to Silver. Great Grandmaster Mochi, a legend of the Floating Cloud Sect that achieved many unprecedented achievements during his later years. He became renowned at the age of 68, becoming the youngest Great Grandmaster of Alchemy. "Yes, examinee Silver," replied Rain, passionately eyeing the pills sitting on Silver''s desk. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "En." "Silver, I want to know who your master is. I wish to meet such a master who can teach a young prodigy like yourself," inquired Shui Guiying with curiosity. Yet, unlike Shui Guiying who wanted to know about Silver''s background, Gu Rain continued to walk towards Silver''s desk in a tranced manner. His eyes sparkled as he carefully inspected the pills Silver made. In Shui Guiying''s mind, there''s nothing better than to admire an alchemist who can train a disciple in a very time consuming field. Many great alchemists would either have disciples or "fake disciples" which are known as pill tester. A majority of them had these so called pill testers in their communities. Using these individual fanaticism, the masters who take these individuals who lack the skills in alchemy and make them unknowingly become their pill tester. As such, there were thousands of cases where one was forced to try an experiment, eventually dying from too many ingesting poisonous pills. Some were killed from toxic fumes, a high percent will die from a cauldron exploding or in rare cases, their master''s will go into a deranged state and use them as materials. However, those that do become deranged from their obsessive desire in the path of alchemy are deemed Lost or even some called Tainted. These individuals or groups have strayed off the path of alchemy and begun losing their humanity and morals. They''ll experiment on unsuspecting fools who can be conned in becoming a disciple of a "great alchemist" but then turned into a dark pill, a human furnace, or a mindless slave. Without a firm foundation, any masters can become fodder for their own very heart demon. "Hmm, I''m sorry I cannot inform you on who my master is due to swearing his secrecy," replied Silver, expressing a stern face, completely erasing his naive acting, convincing the grandmaster duo. ''Maybe I should become an actor instead . . .'' "Ahh, I''m sorry to ask for something disrespectful," apologized Shui Guiying. "I''m sure tha-" "THE HEAVENS ARE BLESSING OUR ALCHEMY DIVISION!" shouted Rain, staring at the Foundation Setting Pill between his right index finger and thumb. "Silver, do you know what you have created!?" "A standard pill . . ." replied Silver, scratching his head sheepishly in confusion. He was actually unsure what the huge deal was. ''It''s just a Foundation Setting Pill. Did the standards of alchemy drop since that war? Or do I know too much?'' "Pills have percentage ranks, where basic 10-20% efficacy is considered the standard, anything lower would be mortal. 30-40% are above average, 50-70% are imperfect, 80-90% near perfect while anything higher would be considered perfection," informed Gu Rain, eyes were still glued to the pill he was holding. "These pills, based on the efficacy, are 100% more potent than a mortal Foundation Setting Pills! The texture is smooth, not a single impurity within by looks, taste and its potent smell. Just going by pill aesthetics, it so round and not one scuff, dent or mark could be seen and felt. Even with my high cultivation, just tasting a small shaving of it could make my foundation a tiny bit firm. It''s truly heaven defying!" "I''m glad I was able to make a pill up to your standards," smiled Silver, acting naive with a mixture of pride hidden within his eyes. "Such a humble and modest young alchemist!" exclaimed Shui Guiying, patting Silver''s shoulder in excitement. "We''ll be glad to have a growing prodigy like you into our ranks!" added Gu Rain, excited. "Thank you, Grandmaster Guiying and Grandmaster Rain. So I''m hoping to know if I certainly passed in becoming a tier alchemist for the Alchemy Division?" "Yes, yes! Definitely passed, we will review your work, come back in a few days since such an amazing findings so we cannot calculate your tier on the spot. Here is a temporary badge we prepare for those with extraordinary potential," beamed Shui Guiying reaching into his robe,handing Silver a black cauldron shaped badge. "Thank you again, Grandmaster Guiying," smiled Silver, formally bowing in respect. He accepted the black cauldron shaped badge from Shui Guying and took a glimpse at it as he put it away. On the badge was the name "Alchemy Division" in gold lettering embedded into it as the outer edges were outlined with a glossy red. Below the "Alchemy Division" were tiny engravings of intricate symbols. "How does the tier system works for the Alchemy Division, if you don''t mind me asking." "The tier system is not as complex as it seems. Although we are all considered Alchemy Masters, the tier is a way to differentiate our grades and current skill level. Tier 1-3 are considered Black Grade Alchemists, which are many in the thousands. Tier 4-6 are Azure Grade, Tier 7-8 is what we consider a Master Grade Alchemist. But, Tier 9 is Great Master Grade which is then followed by those who are Grandmasters of Alchemy at Tier 10. Once we reach Tier 10, we go by a different way to differentiate our alchemical prowess. Every tier goes through many complex and onerous tasks and/or exams. To become a Grandmaster requires acknowledgement from the association, Alchemy Division, and your reputation throughout all the Desolate Tundra," explained Guiying, perusing his memories, nodding habitually like a wooden drinking bird. "I''ll let you in on a secret, there''s another title, which only one individual can gain, Alchemy God. Only someone who can become reputable throughout all the nine continents can obtain such a title, but how to actually obtain it, I do not have enough information about it. All I know is that the founder or whoever is in control of the Gold Spring Merchant Association is a power that even the nine demonic emperors, more or less, are wary of. Back then, they never seem to bother our association too much but as of late, they killed many of our Alchemy Division people. It seems like the treaty or peace agreement with them has been broken since the end of that war. I''m only telling you this since our association and division as a whole cannot lose anymore talented individuals! You must stay cautious and ensure that safety is your priority, as well as increasing your comprehension in the Dao of Alchemy." "Thank you for explaining and giving me valuable tips, Grandmaster Guiying." "Alright, come back in about four days time to our Alchemy Division. There''s a good chance you''ll have to do another set of tests or tasks to ensure you have the proper grading." "Thank you." Silver watched the grandmaster duo stroll out of his room. With an audible sigh and his perfect acting, the duo didn''t suspect a thing about him. Of course, Silver wouldn''t have guessed they didn''t suspect him due to his extraordinary and mysterious background. If they could not divulge such confidential information, how can they suspect him? It was better to go along the stream and increase their strength than to meddle with someone who could potentially help them. Not long after,Silver exited his room and continued to exit the Alchemy Division building and out onto the busy streets of Blue Dream City. With his main goal finished, Silver decided to pay a visit to the Kiu Clan. "Excuse me, do you know the way to the Kiu Clan?" asked Silver, stopping a random person on the bustling main street. "Kiu Clan? Just head south, take a left when you see the Jade Dragon Restaurant. Once you reach the restaurant, you''ll reach a fork road, take a right and keep following that street. After, you''ll reach a red wooden bridge crossing over the river. Once you cross that bridge, you''ll see a small fork on the road once more and take the right one too. From there on, the Kiu Clan''s main gates will be right before you. If you take the left road, it brings you to our Blue Dream City famous and beautiful lake, Dragon''s Gate Lake! Legend has it that an ordinary carp once jumped out of its water, transforming into an Azure Dragon, ascending to the heavens!" "En, thank you! Here''s a few coins for your service," smiled Silver handing the informative person the coins. Not long after, Silver began sifting through the streams of individuals as if a ghostly mirage. His destination, the Kiu Clan. ''Twenty sols!!'' thought the random person, exclaiming inwardly. ''I''ve finally met a blessing after all these years!'' This amount of sols could feed his small family for their whole life and allow his kids to receive the best education they could get their hands to. With such a large fortune, the random man was in a state of pure euphoria. But, before he could thanked the kind stranger, Silver disappeared before him as if he dreamt the whole situation. ... "Sir, we have the reports from Grandmaster Rain and Guiying," informed a messenger clothed in all black. The mysterious face was covered with a half black, half orange mask with one eye hole on the orange side. They stood there in a fully lit room respectfully saluting. Within their right hand, it held onto a scrolled document with the Alchemy Division Grandmaster Seal stamped on it. Across the mysterious masked person, a middle aged man sat on a chair behind a wooden desk whilst staring out the windows. His gaze firmly onto the spot where Silver had vanished. "Hmm, brief me on what is on the report" replied the middle-aged man. His head slightly shifted towards the mysterious person, taking a quick glimpse and back on to the bustling streets of Blue Dream City. "They would like to formally request on giving an individual a considerate grade and check their background to ensure this individual would not cause harm to them and the association. They''re also hoping you to check and possible revise the two formulas by this individual to see if it is deemed necessary to post or sell them publicly." "To catch the attention of my grandmaster alchemists and make them ask for this much . . . what is the name of this individual?" "He goes by the name, Silver!" Hearing the name, the middle-aged man ears perked up for a split second as he turned himselfaround and gazed at the reports in the messenger''s hand. "Pass me the reports, return to your duties." - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: I have been taking my time to learn how to write fancy and descriptive but my writing and grammar skills are horrid. How do they write so poetically? Such amazing metaphors, idioms, similes and much, much more T^T :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 48 Kiu Thao "Halt!" exclaimed a guardsman standing in front of the Kiu Clan''s gate. "State your name and reason as to why you are here!" ''Quite a strict clan aren''t they,'' though Silver as he stopped in front of a muscular yet old looking guard. "I was given this if I was ever to come visit from Kiu Thao," replied Silver while grabbing a red token out from his robe pocket with the word ''Kiu'' imprinted onto it. He then showed the token to the guard. "A-aaah, I''m sorry for being rude to such a distinguished guest!" the guard shuddered, staring at the red token in trepidation. "Please follow me, I will inform a messenger that sir . . .?" "Silver." "Yes! I will get the messenger to inform young master Kiu Thao that you are here to visit. I hope you would excuse my rude behaviour, Sir Silver" "You are doing your job. Actually you are quite nice compared to some guards I''ve met." "Thank you for your compliment, Sir Silver." "En." "Hello Silver! I''m surprised to able meet you again so soon," exclaimed Yong Satay, walking towards Silver who was still facing the old guard. Oddly enough, Yong Satay was around the vicinity and basically wandered around the clan in a slump. As he wandered around, he began tapping on many trees as hecould see while dragging a dreary rain cloud above his head. By the time he reached the front gates, Yong Satay noticed a familiar person speaking to the guard who then sent a messenger out. Quickly stopping the messenger, Yong Satay took on the task to bring Silver to Kiu Thao. "Yong Satay, I''ve decided to drop by to kill some time. Is Kiu Thao here?" inquired Silver. He could sense thatYong Satay was feeling rather low but chose not to bother about it. From his guess, it could be related to that Bu Keng fellow and Yong Satay''s sister, Yong Dango. "Yes, young master Kiu Thao is here and had already finished their business," informed Yong Satay. "I will guide you to him right now." "En," nodded Silver, inspecting the bruises on Yong Satay''s body. ''It seems he is secretly revealing his bruises. This man is quite sturdy to be even bruised. How can he bested by both Bu Keng and his sister. What an odd fellow . . . is he an M?'' "We''re here!" announced Yong Satay, both stopping in front of a large courtyard. "Wait here, I''ll go inform master." Nodding his head, Silver stood in front of the courtyard biding his time. A few minutes later, Yong Satay came out, bowing slightly, asking Silver to follow him. Strolling through a narrow corridor, passing the courtyard outside, they headed into a large room filled with antiques of all sorts. Close to the entrance a scroll hung in the front, depicting a painted woman clad in the blackest flame and the bluest of ice holding her sword at eight demonic looking beings. Of course, the demon-like appearances were just a representation of the human-like demonic emperors. Standing across the painting was Kiu Thao, admiring the woman with a fervent gaze. Yong Satay bowed once more, leaving those two within the large room. A brief awkward silence pervaded the room as Silver stood there, the corner of his right eye slightly twitching. ''Seems like Jing Shi has a very . . . devout follower,'' thought Silver, gazing at the infatuated Kiu Thao. ''However, this scene is incredibly intriguing.'' After ten minutes of long awkward silence, Kiu Thao heaved a sigh, turning his head at Silver''s direction while curving his lips upward into a warm smile. "Sir Silver, I''m glad you can make it today," beamed Kiu Thao, pacing himself to Silver. "How did your exam go for the Alchemy Division?" "Hmm, it went by faster than I thought. I''m currently waiting for the results," replied Silver. "You have passed?" "From what the grandmasters told me, yes. They gave me a temporary badge." "G-g-grandmaster??? Gu Rain or Shui Guiying?" "Both actually." "WHAT!? You were able to have these otherworldly grandmasters come personally? Please show me the badge." "En, I can''t say much about the whole happenings. They both enjoyed what I''ve done during the three rounds," nodded Silver, taking out a black cauldron shaped badge out with Alchemy Division in gold lettering embedded into it. "I''ve seen these before . . . Only those with higher than excellent qualities in the field of alchemy can acquire this unique badge!" Kiu Thao shivered as he slowly inched his face closer to inspect the badge. ''I must give Yong Satay some praise for saving such an astounding alchemist! It seems I''ll double his resources, no¡­ if I can get this genius to help us, I''ll just give him four times the resources but I have to make it discreet. Can''t have him become too arrogant like Bu Keng has become.'' "I know we have just met, but I would like to know if you would like to become an esteemed guest for the Kiu Clan?" asked Kiu Thao. Cold sweat ran down his back as he directly into Silver''s brown eyes. He was well aware how proud an alchemist could be. "Your group is one of the first few I met who helped me out today, so I wouldn''t mind becoming an esteemed guest but what benefits does that give me?" inquired Silver, raising his right eyebrow. Of course he didn''t care about the resources due to his unique cultivation technique but still pretended to be concerned of the benefits. For him, nothing can benefit him more than finding a natural place filled with void qi but his main objective is to have a "chat" to the Nihility Clan exiles. "Yes, as an esteemed guest you have a lot more freedom than those who are within the clan. We ask for guidance and you can obtain ample resources for your field of expertise. Sadly, we are not allowed to let you see our martial art and cultivation manuals but you can use our library to read many subjects pertaining the clan''s history, the city and other fields that are known throughout Blue Dream City and Desolate Tundra Continent. Although our library isn''t much but our clan salvaged many ancient textbooks that can be read but they are written in the olden language." "To return the favor for saving me, I would become your esteemed guest," smiled Silver, nodding at the fumbling Kiu Thao. "As long as you do not betray my trust. I do not mean the whole Kiu Clan, but you. If you can do this, then all will be well. You can call me Brother Silver if you''re willing." "Ahh . . . Yes, Brother Silver," nodded Kiu Thao, shuddering inwardly at the light warning he received. Usually if he would hear from others, he''ll berate them publicly but for some odd reasons his intuition told him not to. If he ever did pull such a stunt on this new brother of his, something bad would come to him and maybe his clan. It was best to proceed with caution and go along with his new brother''s whims. "Let''s head to the main hall of our clan, I must have you registered as an esteemed guest." Silver nodded at Kiu Thao and followed him out of the large room. They strolled pass the courtyard and onto a well built trail leading to the main hall. Many clan members stopped their training or leisurely activitiesto gawk at Silver, whispering among themselves. "Who is that following young master?" "Young master has invited someone?" "What a handsome man, I hope he becomes a part of our clan. I would love to have a night with him." "He seems strong, I want to fight him." "Kiu Char Siu, shut up. You can''t even beat your younger sister." " . . . but she just turned one this month!" "Hmph, you''re so weak that you still wouldn''t be able to beat one year old her!" Hearing all the nonsense from the clansmen, Silver just tuned them out just in case he heard something he shouldn''t be hearing. Following Kiu Thao, they stopped in front of a large building with a sign that showed "Kiu Clan''s Main Hall". "This is our main hall where we do the important procedures, clan meetings and other such. We''ll have to meet my father, who''s the patriarch, to approve your status as an esteemed guest. Just a fair warning, our clan is rather strict. Ever since a group of spies, pretending to be our clan members, plotted to destroy us many years ago. Since then, we administer strict guidelines when it comes to newer members marrying into the clan and every guest we have invited." "Hm, seems like a lot has happened for your clan but it''s alright, I have nothing to hide," said Silver keep calm and relaxed demeanor. ''Even if my father wanted to find something on you, he wouldn''t be able to. I couldn''t either using the clan''s special intelligence team,'' thought Kiu Thao, controlling his urge to sigh. "We''re here, I''ll speak to my father about you," informed Kiu Thao after leaving Silver in the empty main hall. ''Usually the main hall is always bustling with people,'' thought Silver, observing the surrounding area with his divine sense. ''Secret guards, trained rather well and even a few elders hidden amongst the shadows. It seems like they''re well guarded against any new guest invited into their clan. This clan is rather organized, I wonder what happened back then to make them feel so guarded against newcomers.'' Looking at the east corridor of the hall, Silver noticed Kiu Thao coming out with a sullen expression. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Let''s go, the patriarch would like to meet you," monotoned Kiu Thao as he sulked inwardly. "En." With Kiu Thao leading the way, Silver followed behind. Not long after, the elders hidden in shadows exited their positions and silently followed them. Every single one kept their distance, cautiously ensuring their presence wouldn''t alert them. However, unknown to them, their presence had already been found by Silver since he first stepped into the main hall. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 49 Esteem Gues "Patriarch, here is the esteem guest I was informing you about," informed Kiu Thao. Both Silver and Kiu Thao stood in silence as they watched the patriarch gazing out the window. "Alright, you''re dismissed," replied the patriarch in cool tone with his back still face towards them. He brought up his left hand up, slightly tilting it back, as a signal to be dismissed. "Yes," monotoned Kiu Thao as he turned around and headed out of the room. With a quick glimpse, Kiu Thao turned his head to Silver, showing a small yet sullen smile as he finally left while closing the door. "Have a seat," the patriarch instructed flatly as he turned around. His head didn''t move, but his eyes were carefully probing Silver with his divine sense. But all he could find out was Silver''s cultivation in the early stage of Nova Origin. Right after, he noticed Silver''s calm demeanor, unfazed by his probing. "How did you meet Kiu Thao? I also hear that you''re an alchemist?" "I had gotten duped by a caravan while travelling and somehow after an hour of walking aimlessly, a group of bandits surrounded me. Kiu Thao''s servant, Yong Satay, came out of nowhere and took care of the bandits while Yong Dango finished them off. From then on, I got acquainted with Kiu Thao," explained Silver, recounting the events. "After that, they dropped me off and I went to take my alchemist exam. Here''s the badge." Finishing his narration, Silver took out the Alchemy Division cauldron shaped black badge and placed it onto the desk. The patriarch took a moment to inspect the designs thoroughly. It was near impossible to fake the badge but it was best to ensure it was the real deal. Something like an alchemist was a godsend to their clan, but as of late, they had no way to obtain any resources as the enemy clan had bought most of the things they needed. His enemies had been quite cunning over the years, patiently chipping away their Kiu Clan''s power. "What did my . . . child say to you on the account of becoming an esteemed guest for our Kiu Clan?" asked the patriarch. "I was told as an esteemed guest I have freedom than those who are within the clan while guiding the exceptional clan members. I would also obtain ample resources for my experiments but restricted to see the martial art and cultivation manuals. However, I''m allowed to use the library of your clan for basic usages," replied Silver. "Ah, yes. Based on the badge, I seen it a few times in my life in Blue Dream City. It''s rather amazing for someone talented in the field of alchemy becoming a good acquaintance of my child. Fate is a wondrous yet a terrifying thing . . . as of today you''ll be an esteemed guest. I will write your name and give you our Kiu Clan Guest token. Based on your characters and how you treat Kiu Thao, it would be alright to go along with that child wishes. If I do find you a vulture mimicking a majestic eagle¡­ the consequence will not be so simple." "En. I understand and Thank you." Silver stood up, cupping his fist towards the patriarch after receiving the red and white token that the patriarch given him. Taking a small glimpse at it, the token was shaped like a pentagon with a turquoise border and grey interior with "Kiu" written in turquoise on the grey background. He carefully placed the token in his robe pocket, returning his gaze at the patriarch. "Any tasks for today since I''m now a guest of your Kiu Clan?" asked Silver. "Not yet, although you have that badge, it is only temporary. When do you go back to retrieve your badge and be informed of your tier?" asked the patriarch. "In a few days time. I would like to enjoy the free time I have and explore the city." "Yes, yes as you should. You''ve just recently came into our city. The Dragon''s Gate Lake is a famous area within our city, it''s quite easy to get to once you head out. Just take the other trail when you reach the fork by Jade Dragon Restaurant. From there, continued on that trail until you see the lake. The best is at the crack of dawn . . ." "I thank patriarch for your suggestion, I would definitely check out the Dragon''s Gate Lake during my stay in the Kiu Clan." "Oh yes, I have been a bit rude. I am Patriarch Kiu Hanbe," said Kiu Hanbe, cupping his hands towards Silver. Since Silver was now an alchemist, they stood at equal footing in status. To have such promising alchemist was akin to giving wings to a tiger. "En. I will head out to meet with Kiu Thao now," informed Silver as he turned around and walked out of the room. "Ah, yes . . ." mumbled Kiu Hanbe, turning his head back to the window. A sharpness could be seen in his eyes as he gazed at a lake within their clan. Kiu Thao was standing at the side of the door with his head down. His mind was full of needless thoughts as his expression was quite gloomy. Soon, he lifted his head after hearing the door being opened and closed. Turning his head left, he stared at Silver with an anxious expression. "How did it go?" queried Kiu Thao, a heavy rock sinking into his heart. His father was unusually cold and rarely accepted any request he made for many years. His mother, on the other hand, was forgiving, kind and always supportive of whatever he liked or do but she hadn''t been appearing as of late. From what he could gather, something was brewing within their clan but he was left out in the dark as well as the other younger members. "It went well, I am now an esteemed guest of your Kiu Clan," answered Silver, showing a relaxed smile. "That''s good!" smiled Kiu Thao, relieved that everything went better than he imagined. This was the first time in many years since his father approved of something he suggested. With Silver in their clan, it would definitely be a blessing. "It''s nearing dinner time, would you like to go out and eat? And have you found a place to stay yet?" "I did walk by a restaurant not too long ago, let''s head there," answered Silver. Although he had reached a high cultivation, he could still get hungry from time to time but he still enjoys eating good food nonetheless. "Nothing beats food accompanied by wine after a long day." "Hmm, oh! The Jade Dragon restaurant is quite popular for both food and wine. It''ll be the best place to eat. " "That''s great. Let us gorge ourselves in good food and wine then!" "Hahaha, it seems you''re quite hungry. I''ll grab the other three and we can walk to the restaurant. What do you say?" "I don''t mind. Food and wine can bring many people closer, it''s a universal language that can never cease just like music and emotions." "For an alchemist, you have a lot of wisdom." "Mmm, most likely. Just the thought of good food and wine is getting to me. Let''s hurry." Both Silver and Kiu Thao, walking side by side, headed towards the courtyard of Kiu Thao''s to grab Bu Keng, Yong Satay and Dango. Upon getting there, an odd scene played out as Yong Satay was furiously dodging both Bu Keng and his sisters attack. His skill in blocking each hit in a slow yet relaxed manner were quite profound. As for the duo, they were sweating non stop as they continued their barrage. "Why did I do this time!? Why do you both gang up on me whenever you''re both mad!?" screamed Yong Satay while countering every move they used against him. "How are you stronger than I, Bu Keng!?" yelled Bu Keng, throwing his kicks faster and faster. He felt infuriated by the fact he had been played by the buffoon in front him for many years. "How did you, Yong Satay become stronger than I, Bu Keng? How dare you make a fool out of me!" Even though Yong Dango didn''t say much but Silver could feel that her mood was in disarray. Her younger brother was surprisingly stronger than her, so strong that both Bu Keng and her couldn''t even break his defense. The more she attacked, the stronger her heart demon grew. She was supposed to be strong enough to protect him and her master yet somehow he was already walking further away from her view. "He''s grown strong," beamed Kiu Thao, staring at the stern faced Yong Satay. "All the hard work he''s been secretly doing is finally paying off, hopefully Bu Keng doesn''t do anything cra-" "DAMN YOU YONG SATAY, I WILL MAKE SURE YOU''LL NEVER USE THOSE FISTS AGAIN!!" screamed Bu Keng, taking his sword out of the scabbard. With a quick and precise swing, he directly aimed at Yong Satay''s arms. His eyes were blinded by fury, arrogance clouded his narrow mind for many years. It was as if his pride was on the line, nearly crumbling into the ravine of his wrath. "NO," yelled Yong Dango, after seeing Bu Keng swinging the sword at her younger brother. She hastened her steps, attempting to run in between the two. As she got closer, Bu Keng kicked her ribs which knocked her back a few meters. Compare to her strength with Bu Keng, it was like night and day. He was obviously stronger than her by a realm. "Truly despicable, blinded by rage and arrogance and cannot even uphold your brittle pride," chided Silver as he took a step forward. With that very step, he unleashed a raging torrent of killing intent onto the bickering trio. "I will give you three a taste of what it means to face a nightmare. A nightmare so horrifying that even your egotistical pride will do you three no good." An incredible murderous intent fill the area Bu Keng, Yong Satay and Dango as their bodies had forcefully stopped. Their minds went into shock as they dropped to the ground convulsing in fear. Their eyes were wide, finding themselves in an inescapable illusion as they continuously were sunk deeper into the killing intent. Tears streamed down their cheeks as mucus poured out their nose like a faucet. Waves of hellish nightmares twisted their minds, forever petrified in their current state. ''What is true fear? This is true fear!'' Nodding, Silver gave a huge smile, releasing his intent that hovered the trio. All of this happened in less than a second, but to them, it felt like years. All three blinked their eyes slowly, their minds crawling back into reality. They inhaled and exhaled heavily as they slowly stood up, attempting to process what they had went through. Bu Keng puked on the side, using his sword to prop himself up as he got the worst of it out of the siblings, a befitting punishment. After tidying themselves up, all four stared at Silver in awe and fear, unsure what to do or say. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "I hope you''ve learned your lesson," Silver chirped, smiling brightly. "Unless you haven''t learned yet?" All three nodded their heads in unison, admitting they had learned their lesson. To them, the smile Silver gave them became eerie and devilish as the cold sweat ran down their backs. Whatever little pride they had was crushed by an alchemist they had met on the way to Blue Dream City. It even changed the way they thought about Silver to the point it sparked Bu Keng''s admiration to the point of fervent devotion. If Silver knew that Bu Keng was actually the M of the group, he wouldn''t have done such a thing and just knocked him out using Kiu Thao as a decoy. "It seems like you been given an ample punishment," smirked Kiu Thao, staring at his three servants. He was giddy inwardly as he realized Silver was a true expert. They didn''t even need to save him, but it seems they were fated to meet which created the previous scenes earlier in the morning. "Alright go clean yourself up and quickly change, we''re going down to the Jade Dragon Restaurant to eat. Don''t worry about a carriage, it''s not a far walk and it''ll help you cool off a bit more." - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 50 Delicious Food and Troublesome Wine A group of five people stood in front of a three story restaurant with dark green shingles fixated on the upturned roofs as it was supported by several green jade colored columns. Its wall were impeccably clean and white with several large green octagon shaped windows. Above them hung a large rectangular jade sign bordered in gold with "Jade Dragon Restaurant" written in green as they strolled towards the restaurant''s arch shaped double doors. Walking in, the restaurant''s interior seemed rather standard compared to the exterior, popping out like a sore thumb at the split path. However, the inside of the restaurant was plain as day. Based on the layout, the dining for customers were on the second and third floor, while the ground floor consisted of the entrance and built staircases on both sides that lead up to the upper floors. The door behind the reception desk lead to the kitchen, where a lofty scent of delicious cooked food lingered out from the cracks of the kitchen door. Thus, piquing the hunger of the group. A young woman stood behind an ash-brown reception desk, looking up as she heard the sound of an audible creaking from the double doors opening. Soon, a professional and welcoming smile appeared on her face as the group walked towards her. "Evening, Young Master Kiu Thao," greeted the female receptionist in a subtle yet delightful manner. "I see you''ve brought one more person around this time. Third floor as always?" "Yes, Long Chaoxing and thank you," answered Kiu Thao giving her a charming smile, his pearly white teeth peeking out from his lips. "Alright, please follow me to the top floor," chirped Long Chaoxing, unfazed by Kiu Thao''s charming smile. Audibly sighing, Kiu Thao followed Long Chaoxing up the long curving staircase with the other three following behind him. Silver stopped for a few seconds, reaching the staircase to the third floor, sensing someone from downstairs, in the kitchen, inspecting him with their divine sense. ''Interesting . . .'' thought Silver, pretending that he couldn''t sense the other and continued to tread up the stairs along with the others ahead of him. Upon reaching the third floor, a few scattered groups comfortably dining could be seen, laughing loudly and a few drunkenly sputtering nonsense about their day. The group kept following Long Chaoxing to farthest back corner, where she seated them at a medium-size table with a window view. The table seemed as if it was recently cleaned up not to long ago as the table plates, cups, wine cups and chopsticks were already laid out for five people. ''This place seems plain but the service quick and excellent¡­'' thought Silver as sat himself down on the seat closest to the window. After seating the group, Long Chaoxing quickly left, using a mysterious movement skill. Silver blinked once, impressed by Long Chaoxing as he noticed she was close to reaching ''one with oneself'' in her movement skill. To him, it seems this Jade Dragon Restaurant was truly not simple. ''This restaurant is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons,'' thought Silver. After observing his surroundings, those of the third floor were of high status or hidden king''s realm cultivators and Long Chaoxing was in the latter stage of the King''s Realm. She was already at peak True King, half a step away in forming her Emperor Mark to step into the early stage of Mortal Emperor. ''This place is rather suspicious, so many strong individuals casually hiding their cultivations. No one has caused any commotions here with a stunning beauty like Long Chaoxing as a receptionist. Hopefully, there''s no cliche scene popping out of nowhere..'' "Hello, I will be your waiter for this evening," announced a soft spoken female voice. "Ah, its Young Master Kiu Thao. I see you brought a new face this evening too." "Hello, Long Li Mei," greeted Kiu Thao, showing the same charming smile he gave to Long Chaoxing. "Beautiful as always, like the plum blossoms that bloom during the first dew of spring." "Don''t flatter me so much Young Master Kiu Thao, I may get scolded by my older sister again for being enticed by your sweet words," giggled Long Li Mei, bowing apologetically. "Yes, I remember your sister berating me about it last month," smirked Kiu Thao, nodding his head in agreement. "Alright, I''ll order all your specialties, side dishes and you''re number one, Dragon''s Breath Wine!" "Oh, all five must be either extremely hungry or your new friend is quite the glutton despite his toned appearance," joked Long Li Mei, bowing again and turning around. She then headed downstairs to give Kiu Thao''s orders to the cooks. "Seems like you''re very well known here," smiled Silver, staring directly at the playboy. He let out a slight chuckle at the fact Kiu Thao got rejected twice in less than ten minutes of coming into the restaurant. "Yes, I''ve come here many times in the past decade or so. I''m actually a childhood friend of Long Chaoxing, so she''s used to my charming looks and feeble flattery," chortled Kiu Thao while staring back at the smiling Silver. "They have the best wine in the whole continent, it''s quite strong and very beneficial for cultivators but the price is quite hefty. Usually I wouldn''t order it but today is a good day for celebration for our Kiu Clan''s new guest and for passing the Alchemy Division''s exam. Take it as my treat!" Silver smiled when he heard Kiu Thao''s words, taking it into his heart. Twenty minutes after the speech and having a friendly chat, Long Li Mei came out with a rolling cart filled with delectable dishes while holding a decent sized jar of wine. She quickly placed all the main dishes around it with the side dishes right after them, resembling a swirling galaxy from the variety of food in different blend of colors with ease. Soon, she uncorked the jar of wine, overwhelming their nostrils with the aromatic medicinal alcohol. "I hope everyone has a great time enjoying their food and wine," chorused Long Li Mei, leaving with her now empty rolling cart. "We''ll lock arms and swear brotherhood, all of us!" decided Silver, touched by their pure and thoughtful sincerity. Inwardly, he was struggling to hide his intention to try the wine. Oddly enough, the wine mildly exuded chaos qi, lightly inciting the chaos qi inside him so his curiosity was piqued by this sudden change of events. "Yes!" exclaimed Kiu Thao, the other three silently nodding in agreement. All five got up, after pouring wine in their cup, locking each other arms and taking a large gulp of wine in jubilation. Afterwards, they sat back down full of content with the powerful and flavorful wine. Not long after, with bright smiles, their face showed a tinge of drunken red. Although they were cultivators, it was best to enjoy such wonderful wine to the fullest. "This is amazing wine," chuckled Silver happily savoring the wine. "Let''s eat everyone, we can''t be too drunk to not appreciate the flavors of each dish!" "True, true! Let''s start with the Black Tail Fish," answered Kiu Thao, smiling wide with bright red cheeks contrasting his light skinned complexion. "It has a light yet refreshing spring flavor, lightly roasted over a fire. You cannot even taste the fishiness, like other so-called high class restaurants. It''s prepared using the finest ingredients starting with slicing the Black Tailed Fish with fine shavings of a three thousand year old white ginseng root on top. Then it''s wrapped in Green Lotus Leaves to be steamed in Spiritual Spring Water and finally lightly roasted over an open fire." Once Kiu Thao finished explaining, Silver picked up a piece of fish meat with his chopsticks, putting it into mouth and started chewing. The season of spring gushed into his mouth, revealing an image of him watching the Black Tail Fishes swimming in a breathtaking clear lake. It was as if he could feel the spring breeze caressing his long, raven-black hair, gazing up at the drifting clouds while a group of fishes swam under the rays of the warm sun in the clear and beautiful lake. "The art of cooking has long surpassed, One With Oneself, reaching the next realm, Spiritual Illusions," muttered Silver as he kept picking up more fish meat to eat. Spiritual Illusions could only be reached by those who have perfected the arts of painting, cooking, poetry and/or music. Very rarely can an individual attain the legendary Divine Realism, the essence of their work coming to life for a brief moment. Then, he continued to try the other dishes. The speed of how much Silver grabbed pieces of different dishes and eat it could be compared to the speed of a turtle walking on land yet somehow they couldn''t catch up to it. To the four, the way Silver ate appeared astoundingly slow yet the food was diminishing at a rapid pace. Feeling like they wouldn''t have enough food, they began trying to grab as much as they could before Silver could clean out the whole table in one sitting. It seems Long Li Mei light-hearted joke became a jinx instead as it became a competition on who can grab more food than Silver before he ate it all. **CRASH "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" screamed a young man across the room, in a drunken and angry stupor. He was pointing his finger at a calm grey-haired old man seemingly unfazed as he continued to sip his wine in enjoyment. All five instantly stopped eating, distracted by the broken table that was thrown across the room. His shrill screaming alerted the others as they watched young man yell at the composed elder. Many turned their heads to watch how the intriguing scene play out. Silver stared at the old man sitting afar, who looked up at the drunk young man, unfazed by his broken table while holding an uncorked wine jar. ''Such an unlucky fellow . . . stuck at the peak of Null Origin while drunk and berating a person in the late stage of Exalted Emperor,'' thought Silver, inwardly laughing. Ignoring the scene, he picked up his chopsticks and began eating again as the other four were still distracted by the commotion. "No, but I prefer that you don''t try to grab my Dragon''s Breath Wine from me," replied the old man in a cool and relaxing tone. "I paid a lot of money for just a small jug, so please calm down. If you asked nicely earlier, I wouldn''t mind giving you a cup to try." "I, WANG LEI OF THE WANG CLAN, CAN TAKE WHATEVER AND FROM WHOMEVER I WANT!" screamed Wang Lei clearly aggravated by the old man''s calm demeanor. Without much care for Wang Lei, the old man took another swig from his jar of alcohol. "WITHOUT THE WANG CLAN''S RULING, BLUE DREAM CITY WOULD OF BEEN DESTROYED, SILENTLY WASHING AWAY IN THE TIDES OF HISTORY! WITHOUT US, YOU WOULDN''T BE HERE DRINKING SUCH PRECIOUS WINE!" After furiously screaming, Wang Lei threw a punch, intent on killing the old man. The old man dodged the clumsy fist, then lifted his foot up, tripping the drunk Wang Lei flat on his face in one motion. Wang Lei''s face smashed against the wooden floors with a loud thud. Soon, a group of 5 mid to late stage Spirit King''s and one early stage True King broke through one of the windows, one after another. They quickly surrounded the old man with cold, vicious expressions. "I''ll make you regret going against my Wang Clan," hissed Wang Lei, his nose bleeding after falling face flat against the wooden floor. Wang Lei was too drunk to use his qi to protect his face, which ended with an easily avoidable injury. One could easily tell he was close to exploding like an active volcano. Although what he ordered was a tier weaker than the Dragon''s Breath Wine, it was still strong enough to knock him off his arse and get incredibly drunk after three cups. "WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR? GET HIM!!!" - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: I had some down time at work to edit this chapter. It''s really difficult to edit on a phone than on a computer/laptop :: Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 51 No Wine For 20 Years "Ah, good wine," beamed the old man, smacking his lips in pleasure. "I don''t remember the Wang Clan being this arrogant the last time I came to this city. Heck, I was even born here. The Wang Clan I remember were prideful yet always the first to extend their hand to help those in need. You must be adopted!" "YOU-U! . . . ATTACK HIM!" screamed the furious and drunk Wang Lei. However, the six Wang Clan experts stood in place. They kept a cautious eye on the old man, perspiring heavily on their forehead. "What''s wrong?" Wang Lei stared at the six, as all of them were acting strange. He noticed they were afraid to even move a tiny muscle in front of the smiling old man. Not long after, a middle-aged man swooped through the broken window, east of the restaurant, standing between the old man and the six experts. Once this middle age man came in, all the Wang Clan experts kowtowed towards him respectfully. "Grandson greets grandfather!" announced the middle-aged man still kowtowing towards the old man. He stayed in that position, awaiting orders to stand up. "So that''s the son you''re proud of, Wang Qiang?" asked the old man still smiling in a calm demeanor as if the question was rhetorical. He got up and placed his empty wine jar neatly on a nearby table. Afterwards, he walked back and took a glimpse at the quivering six Wang Clan experts then back to Wang Qiang, who was still kowtowing. "Stand up, Wang Qiang. You''re lucky this True King Wang Clan cultivator recognized me," informed the old man, taking a good look at the True King, nodding admirably. "You''re not bad kid, what''s your name?" "I am Wang Yongzheng!" announced Wang Yongzheng. "For someone upright like you, especially reaching True King, working under Wang Lei? I can only feel bad." "I''m sorry Third Patriarch, I can only do my duties that I am assigned to. I am here to protect Wang Lei from any form of danger and trouble." "Even if he caused it?" "Even if he does cause it, my loyalty will remain as I am tasked to keep him under my protection!" "The expenses must be frighteningly high, isn''t it Wang Qiang?" asked the Third Wang Patriarch turning his head to his grandson. He was quite satisfied with Wang Yongzheng attitude. This was someone worth nurturing in his Wang Clan. "Yes . . ." nodded Wang Qiang, a feeling of shame became visible within his eyes as he glanced at his son standing on the side. During their conversation, Wang Lei had already sobered up. However, the feelings of deep regret and shame filled his soul to the brim. If regret could be cured with a simple pill, he would swallow the pill without a second thought. He was a smart boy as he was able to discern the situation when his guards didn''t dare to do anything to the old man. Just the uncanny similarity of his father and the old man gave it away. Thinking it through, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Cold sweat ran down his back, awaiting his punishment. One could see this young master''s head was tilted down in shame. Had his father found out, then it would of been a slap on the wrist but he vaguely remembered something all the older Wang Clan members had casually warn the others about. The Third Patriarch, his great grandfather, was a usually a happy man but if any of the clan members caused problems within the city, catching his ear, he would give them a hellish punishment that even demons could never hope to compare. Wang Lei shuddered once more as he remembered this warning. He was truly afraid of his great grandfather. "What do you want to do grandfather?" inquired Wang Qiang, staring at his son with blazing anger under his green irises. If his grandfather wasn''t here, it would have been fine. However, it still wasn''t going to go well since Wang Lei caused damages within Jade Dragon Restaurant. The owner was rather cool-headed but when his restaurant was involved, his cruelty showed. If it was any other restaurant, Wang Qiang wouldn''t care so much and pay for the damages but instead he felt a strong headache coming his way. "Hmm, if I punish him, he''d have to go into the Frozen Spire for a year," guessed the Third Patriarch, tapping his chin. After a few moments, he nodded to Wang Qiang after finalizing his punishment for Wang Lei. ''The Frozen Spire!'' thought Wang Lei, crying inwardly. He really was in deep waters this time around. With his grandfather here, he couldn''t make a false accusation or lie his way out. Such horrifying luck he had. "I''ll settle the expenses with the owner, take Wang Lei and toss him into the Frozen Spire! I''ll be a bit lenient and allow a small rucksack, no spatial items either!" "Yes, grandfather!" replied Wang Qiang, cupping his hands and bowing to the Third Patriarch, then turning to his hateful son. "Wang Yongzheng, knock him out and bind him. Make sure to keep an eye out as we go back to our Wang Clan!" "Yes, Patriarch!" responded the six king realm''s in unison. After they left, a middle-age man could be seen walking up the staircase onto the third floor. Long Chaoxing, Long Li Mei, and a teenage boy also trailed behind him. He stopped in front of the Third Patriarch, scanning around the whole third floor, calculating the cost of damages in his head, stopping his eye on Silver who was still blissfully eating his food while drinking wine out of a cup. An unnoticeable curve on his lips, to the right, appearing and disappearing quickly. Finally, he turned his head back to the Third Patriarch with an annoyed expression. "Hmph. Your great grandson of yours caused quite a commotion!" fumed the middle-aged man glaring at Wang Mo with his azure irises. The middle-aged man was tall and muscular with sharp jawlines, thin eyebrows and nearly-straight nose with a slight crook at the bridge. He had long black hair with blue streaks pull back into a ponytail revealing his masculine face. "You owe me Wang Bo! It''s going to cost a whole lot to replace and fix the broken window, chairs, dishwares, and tables, and to prepare a new set of dishes to my customers caught during that Wang Lei''s ridiculous childish fit!" "Sorry Old Long. I never knew the younger generations of my clan would act like that," apologized Wang Bo, still smiling in a calm manner. "I also didn''t think my great grandson would have a tantrum when it came to wine! Truly a kin of mine." "You started the mess! Clean after yourself!" Wang Bo stared at the shameless Old Long. How was it his fault? He was drinking wine and that incredulous scene played out of nowhere! "I''m sorry, the money and materials in this spatial ring should be able to cover the fee." "Hmm, not bad. It''s exactly everything I need . . . you''re banned from ordering the Dragon''s Breath Wine for a decade while your Wang Clan is banned from this restaurant until I decide to lift the ban!" "Don''t be like that Old Long, can''t you cut it down to five years instead?" "Twenty years now." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "Fine, fine! Please don''t raise it up anymore, I''ll re-educate my Wang Clan." "Hmph." An audible sigh came out from Wang Bo as he scrunched his eyebrows. He was quite angry as his face was stuck to a frown. Without anymore needless words, he turned around and flew out through one of the broken windows. "Long Chaoxing, Long Li Mei, Long Dijon, please clean up the mess. I must head back downstairs and tell that muscular glutton of a chef to cook up the new dishes," informed Old Long. He took another good glimpse at Silver again, a smile quickly formed as he strutted back downstairs hidden from everyone''s view. "Yes father," exclaimed the trio in unison before their father left. None of them saw his smile as they quickly cleaned up the mess. "Oh, everyone eats free today and get another set of what they ordered. Including their wine!" announced Old Long, continuing his way down stairs for everyone to hear. The trio looked at each other in awe, rarely did their father showed any form of benevolence. Even when they were training or working in their family restaurant. All three were showered with a lot of love and familial affection from both their mother and father, but their father had always been a strict individual. No of them could slack off or the punishment they received would be severe. However, his strict teachings allowed them to become quite strong and formidable than those in the same realm. ... "Hey Fatty ! Looks like we have come to the right world," grinned Old Long staring at the back of a muscular, middle-aged man cooking in the restaurant''s kitchen. As this cook turned around, one could see he his short military cut hair alongside a set of bushy eyebrows. His face carried an attractive appeal with his chiseled jaws, straight nose and fair jade-like skin illuminating a healthy glow. Even the heaven would be jealous of how perfectly this man appeared. He stood at a staggering of 2.4 meters in height accompanied by his fitting, muscular physique. However, a bloodthirsty aura emanated from his golden-yellow slit like eyes as it squinted carefully at Old Long. "Really? We''re quite lucky to be settled in the right city then," responded the muscular man nicknqmed Fatty. "Should we contact the other two?" "Not yet, let''s take our time and make a new friend. I doubt that person would remember or know of us. Many years have passed, even I would have trouble remembering those from millions of years ago." "It''s been awhile since I seen that gloomy face of yours." "Yes, it''s been a very, very long time . . ." " . . . Yes it has." "Our journey in finding that person has ended but a new path has been opened." - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: It is still difficult to edit on a phone than on a computer/laptop :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 52 Lesser Yin Yang Constitution Within a courtyard, a young boy and girl could be seen sparring diligently, correcting their posture with each move they make. Nearby was another young man positioned in a horse stance, holding two dumbbells, one in both hands. One could clearly see this young man was pouring sweat all over his body under the high noon sky. "How long are you going to punish Bu Keng for?" asked Kiu Thao sitting besides Silver, Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "His punishment was already finished when the sun reached the highest," smiled Silver sipping a cup of warm tea. He truly admire Bu Keng''s perseverance. "Let''s not bother about it, we''ll use this as an early morning training regime for him." "En. Has my father given you any tasks so far? It''s been two days since you''ve been here." "I''ve spoken to him yesterday while you were out, but he''s waiting for my official status as an alchemist before he proceeds." "Sounds like something he would do but I''m curious as to why you''re hiding your true cultivation?" "It''s better to stay cautious and under the radar. Why not become a wolf wearing sheep''s clothing? You can change the tides of battle in the blink of an eye by letting them underestimate your strength." "Hmm, such profound words. I truly admire your wisdom, Silver. Bu Keng, Yong Dango, Yong Satay and I won''t speak a word." "I trust that you won''t." "Thank you. What of my training too?" "We''ll start tomorrow for you. Do you know well hidden and open area nearby?" "Yes! It''s within the Crescent Forest, a little past the Dragon Gate Lake. I can show you after their training," nodded Kiu Thao. "Training is finished!" exclaimed Silver as he got off his chair. "Let''s get ready then." **Thud Bu Keng fell dumbly onto his back due to relaxing his shoulders too fast as the one ton dumbbell shifted his balance. His face could only turn beet red from embarrassment as he stood up and brushed the dirt and grass stuck on him. Both Yong Satay and Dango held back their laughter in their throats, breathing heavily as they stood in a straight posture awaiting for the next task. "Go wash up and get ready," commanded Kiu Thao chuckling lightly at Bu Keng''s mishap. An hour later, everyone had washed up and change into new robes, finally setting off to Crescent Forest. They travelled down the trail towards, past Dragon Gate Lake and entered into the Crescent Forest. As time went on, walking uphill, through winding unmarked trails, and small mountains, they finally stopped as they walked into an enormous field. Surrounding this field were giant oak trees growing as tall as 20 meters high. "This field is well hidden. It''s impossible to find such a nice area like this with such tall and thick trees hiding it. This would be a good area to live in," informed Silver as he glanced around the field as the sun shone through the open spaces between the green and purple leaves of the giant oak trees. After some thoughts, Silver used his divine sense to spread throughout Crescent Forest to ensure there were no underlying issues.From what he could see, there really wasn''t much around in range of 100 kilometers. Any further would be some beast king territories, but to him, there were just super ants that need extra strength when stomping them. "Everyone, come here early in the morning for your training," announced Silver as he stared at the four with a serious expression. "I will go through all the training regime with all four of you but Kiu Thao will have his own individual training. No one can intrude until he is done his training. I''ll be only training you and giving pointers, but don''t expect me to be lenient either." "Ah, yes," replied Kiu Thao, feeling a bit surprised. Although he was confused about why he had to train by himself but he trusted Silver to make the right judgements. The other three nodded in unison, after all, their master had requested Silver to train them ever since that day. They all shuddered at the mere thought of sinking into a sea of killing intent once more. "I must inform my father I will be training with you, including these threes," informed Kiu Thao. "I will return before the sun sets." "Do what you need to do. I have no problems," replied Silver. "Thank you, Silver," all four thanked in unison, smiling brightly. They were happy to have met Silver. Ever since they met him, they learned all sorts of new ways to train and improve themselves. With such an expert guiding them, it granted new possibilities for the newer generation of their Kiu Clan. Hopefully, in the near future, they could rise in prominence. Once they said their goodbyes, the four went back down the trail they came from, heading towards their Kiu Clan. After they left, Silver began his preparation to form the arrays in various areas. Browsing through his spatial ring, millions of items mentally appeared before him. He carefully inspected each individual pieces he could use for his multi-formations. ''I should try to implement the first portion before they come back'' thought Silver, tapping his chin. It was hard deciding on the foundations he deemed necessary. At best, he''ll create the outer formations at the 100 kilometer mark and work from there. The next day. Kiu Thao stood still as sweat slid down his back, drenching his loose white shirt. The only sound that could be heard was his heart beating anxiously and haggard breathing. After his finishing his first training regime, he could only feel like a deer in the headlights with Silver''s question. It was nearly impossible to tell unless someone knew. Even those in the Kiu Clan had been hushed as if it were a disgraceful act. But this seemingly young man found out with little to no hints. "How?" questioned Kiu Thao as he stood under the sun in an empty field, isolated from the others. "When did you find out?" "The moment I met you. Although you''re clever and self-aware, a cultivator at a higher realm could instantly see through your simple facade. That skill you''ve cultivated can fool and block most divine senses, but my sense is quite unique, so finding out is really a child''s game," answered Silver in calm and collected tone. He was unbiased to the way Kiu Thao lived their life. Why bother with another life when you have your own life to live. "This is why I wanted to speak to you alone. If I said it in front of the other three, they may go hostile and attack me. Of course, that would cause a small matter into an unwanted situation." "They would. They''ve already been trained to kill anyone who finds out and may use that information to control me. My father had been very strict on the information pertaining to me, silencing hundreds of people." "Like I''ve said before, your clan is rather strict but that''s not something I should worry about." "Yes, my father wanted a successor but instead I was born. As I got older, he noticed that my features were different, like a curse. Luckily, both my parents had enough senses to read the ancestry of both families, finding out it was a normal thing that happens every other generation of my mother''s Bing Clan." "A young, androgynous woman, dressed as a man that pursues females are quite common. I have no problems of who you are. A sworn brother will always be a sworn brother, no matter what and who they are." "Thank you, Sir Silver," sniffled Kiu Thao, tears sliding down from the corner of her eyes. For so many years since she was born, she always felt different and unattracted to the opposite sex. Although her childhood friends knew, some left due to obvious reasons. Growing up, only Long Chaoxing and her family accepted her of who she is, including the trio who has served her since birth. She would be harrassed constantly by many men, even women, telling her it''s not someone of a noble clan should do. Evenso, her father still doted on her. However, he was the patriarch of their Kiu Clan, so he had to stay impartial to minor issues due to the clan''s rules. When she introduced Silver, her father berated her for doing something irresponsible. As a father, who wouldn''t believe a random passerby they met out of the middle of nowhere could be trusted so easily. They could have bad intentions for their clan in secret, plotting to overthrow their Kiu Clan. However Kiu Thao stayed firm in her decision as her intuition were always correct. She was sure Silver was a person worth befriending and possibly, a blessing for the clan. Her father couldn''t deny her intuition as her mother and her Bing Clan were born with keen intuition. Due to their strong perception, they had always befriended and marry whoever they wanted without fear. It was quite rare for their Bing Clan to be wrong, but they always tackle the problem from the root. Their clan were considered a fortunate clan, with strong and desirable bloodlines despite how small they were. Because of their connection through marriage and friends, they scared off many clans or individuals who had bad designs for them. Who dare to offend someone who had a powerful background? Legend has it that her mother''s Bing Clan were descendants of a divine being called, Fenghuang. This legend were told down hundreds of generations as many of the females in the Bing Clan produced an androgynous child every other generation. Kiu Thao was one of those who was born androgynous. "En, let''s focus on the true matter here. Your body, due to your bloodline, has a mixture of both yin and yang," informed Silver, squinting his eyes into Kiu Thao internal structure. "It''s quite interesting. I know of another person of dual constitution of fire and ice but yours is a lesser version of a person with a true Yin Yang constitution." "Yin Yang constitution? What is that and why is mine a lesser form?" "True Yin Yang constitutions are very . . . infuriating. In the day they become male and during the night, female. They''re really apathetic, a face that can be discerned as either male or female, depending if the sun or moon is out, just some slight .. . physical changes. Luckily, you do not have that problem. If you did, I''m sure you''ll be stuck in your home forever, unable to leave. At worst, you''ll probably be kidnapped and experimented on. The only way to lose that constitution is to give up your chastity, during either Yin or Yang mode but the downside, you''ll be stuck in that gender forever." "Which mode do they choose?" "It varies so I cannot give you a solid answer." "How do you know of this?" "My master told me of it before. He has great knowledge as he traversed through all the nine continents." "I wish I could have a great and powerful master like that . . ." "It''s fine, he''s no longer with me." "Oh . . ." "Those of the lesser Yin Yang constitution just become androgynous, either looking female with male parts or male with female parts. Many born with True Yin Yang Constitution would truly be jealous of you, as you can understand based on the information I have given you. However both True and Lessers can learn any art, skills or techniques of either yin and yang energy. I would prefer you to master them one at a time, ensuring that your foundation is solid. Your Kiu Clan has a very neutral art, which anyone can learn. This includes your Bing Clan, which is quite rare. Not every clan would have a neutral and informative cultivation manuals. Most would be incomplete or kept in utmost secrecy." "What will I learn then, if not the Kiu or Bing Clan manuals?" "I''ll write it down based on your answer. Now the main question is, would you restart your cultivation over?" Kiu Thao stood there pondering over the matter. Silver had given her servants the ultimatum to start over or continue their cultivation path with his pointers. All three chose to start over as they trusted Silver''s words. So, in return, he wrote three different cultivation manuals on the spot. Once he finished, he gave the manuals in a specific order as each were specifically catered to them. All they had to do was memorize their manual and destroy it before him. This ensured no one but themselves had these types of unique style. Of course, they were allowed to pass it down to future disciples or children as he added a simplified version that could be cultivated by anyone. They felt indebted to Silver, treating him like a half-master, as they went their ways to comprehend and cultivate their new manual. In their hearts, Silver was on top of a high pedestal that was above the heavens. "Alright, I will start over just like the other three," replied Kiu Thao after thoroughly making his decision. She wanted to be strong and unique in her own way, a chance like this will never come again. It''s better to seize the chance the moment it arrives or you''ll be living a lifetime of regrets. "Let''s begin," nodded Silver sending the information by tapping Kiu Thao forehead with his index finger. Afterwards, Kiu Thao kowtowed three times after obtaining new information. "Alright, I must head to the Alchemy Division," informed Silver exhaling a heavy breath. It was time to pick up his badge and become a full-fledged alchemist. "Make sure you train well. Do not worry if I do not come back. I have other things that I have to do while in the city too." "En. I''ll inform the rest," smiled Kiu Thao feeling elated. For her, Silver was a godsend, someone worth more than her life. She would protect, defend and fight alongside him, disregarding her own just to repay him. Even Bu Keng, Yong Satay and Dango felt exactly the same as her. Silver exited the secret field, traveling out of the Crescent Forest and down the winding path into Blue Dream City. But, before he got to the path towards Blue Dream City, Silver sensed two foreign individuals following him. Based on his keen senses, these two individuals had no bad intentions but he felt slightly annoyed. In the end, Silver pretended to not notice as he entered the busy streets of Blue Dream City. Upon stepping onto the street, the feeling of being followed, disappeared into thin air. Silver felt surprised, he was a powerful Sovereign Realm cultivator but he couldn''t see the appearance of the two stalkers nor track them.At best, they weren''t harming him in anyway nor showed any ill intent so he threw the thoughts into the back of his mind as he reached the Gold Spring Merchant Association building. "You think he caught us?" asked mysterious stalker one. "I''m sure he didn''t, or he would of turned around and looked at our direction," replied mysterious stalker two. "What if he''s just playing dumb?" added mysterious stalker one. "If so, then that''ll be fine as well. We''ll lay low. Let''s return to the restaurant quickly or my daughter will give us an earful for not doing our part," responded mysterious stalker two. "Better her than your wife." " . . ." - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: It''s a long chapter, I know :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 53 Official Alchemis \"Welcome to the Alchemy Division,\" greeted the receptionist. \"How may I help you today?\" \"I am Silver, I was told to come a few days later to obtain my tier for the Alchemy Division,\" answered Silver. \"Ahh, you''re Silver? Yes, Yes! I just got the notice this morning for whenever you come in! I need to see your temporary badge and then notify the grandmasters.\" \"En. Here you go.\" \"Thank you, I will notify the grandma-\" \"Ah, Alchemist Silver! I didn''t expect to see you already,\" exclaimed an old male voice from behind. Silver turned around to see the person behind him was Grandmaster Guiying accompanied by Grandmaster Rain and a middle-aged woman wearing red clothing and a silky black robe, a gold medallion hung on her side, \"Yen\" embossed onto it. \"Hello Grandmaster Guiying and Rain,\" greeted Silver. \"I hope both have been doing well?\" \"Yes, yes. It''s been quite busy for us but let''s head to our office, it''d be easier to speak there,\" answered Grandmaster Rain, smiling amiably at Silver. He felt more respect for Silver as he chose to ignore the presumptuous attitude of his fellow \"Oh, I forgot to introduce the grandmaster of the Yen Clan, Fen Hua.\" \"Greetings, Grandmaster Fen Hua.\" \"Hmph,\" grunted Fen Hua glaring at Silver with her eyes showed undisguised ill intent. Without any other words, she turned her head to the side in disdain. \"I forgotten, you''re now an esteemed guest of the Kiu Clan. She''s cold to them due to some past conflicts, but don''t worry, she''ll warm up to you soon,\" assured Grandmaster Guiying patting Silver''s shoulder \"Let''s head to our office,\" insisted Grandmaster Rain walking on ahead of them. Both Shui Guiying and Silver, nodding their head in agreement, Fen Hua already behind Rain, they headed towards Gu Rain''s main office within the Alchemy Division. Sitting at a medium-sized tea table, all three grand masters and Silver sat, sipping on a fragrant and soothing tea. \"All of the Alchemy Division important members, including us three, have unanimously decided to include you into our ranks,\" spoke Grandmaster Guiying handing Silver a similar badge he had before. \"Thank you,\" smiled Silver taking the badge, it was shaped like a cauldron, a dragon-like decorative design with eight golden sphere and a translucent ninth one embedded into it. Turning the badge around a simple array was fixed into the back, adding his qi, his name popped up [Silver] [Alchemy Division] [Tier 8]. \"I''m a Tier 8?\" \"Yes, after going through the tedious process of testing the two formula you have given us, we all decided you definitely worth a Tier 8. Despite being the most basic, it is quite hard to create and improve any existing formulas at hand. If you feel like you deserve a higher tier, you can continue on to take exams to move up in our Alchemy Division. Not only that, you''re also qualified to take the grandmaster exam too,\" answered Grandmaster Rain. \"En. Thank you,\" smiled Silver in acknowledgement. \"Is there any other information pertaining the Alchemist Division?\" \"Yes, there is,\" answered Fen Hua stunning the other two grandmaster''s as they didn''t expect her to speak to Silver, a guest of her clan''s nemesis. \"Although you are a guest of . . . that clan, as a fellow alchemist, I wish you will follow the rules. We do not want to see our fellow alchemists in our division be harmed due to small grudges and warped pride. I''ve seen many become deranged on the alchemist path . . . even I was once close to falling out and becoming a ''Lost One''. Although we are competitive, no matter where we go, sharing our experiences and finding new ways to our path is what truly make alchemy very exciting. We are enemies due to our status but in here, we''re just any obsessed cultivators on our path of alchemy, especially since the war. We need to hold each other up and build a stronger new generation.\" \"Thank you for your kind explanation,\"smiled Silver genuinely happy. He would have never thought Fen Hua to throw her status as a Yen Clan to say some encouraging words. She indeed deserved her status as a grandmaster. \"Hmph.\" \". . .\" \"Err . . . continuing on from Fen Hua, those from Tier 8, 9, and Grandmaster will hold a meeting on the last day of every four months. The next one is in a week, so I hope you''re able to attend. The meeting is a way to meet new alchemists and create connections. We share our thoughts, experiences and find solutions to present failures,\" added Grandmaster Guiying. \"You are an official that represents the Alchemy Division now, please do not tarnish the Alchemy Division reputation. If you have a grudge to settle, we do duels using our knowledge or pill making within our field. Those that break our rules will become stripped from their status, labelled as a Tainted.\" \"What''s the difference between as Tainted or Lost One?\" asked Silver as he had never heard such a term before. \"Lost One are those who have drowned themselves down the spiral of failure, unable to destroy their heart demon. They become extremely deranged, usually keeping themself in solitary confinement. It''s a very hard to remove the heart demon too. Some alchemists are killed by their very own heart demon while others lose their sanity and become Tainted,\" replied Fen Hua with a gloomy expression. \"The first are Lost Ones, as I explained before. However, Tainted are those who have become obsessed with their own insanity, slaughtering and turning anything and anyone into a pill. There are not many of them, but they are still dangerous nonetheless.\" \"Yes, I remember a time when there was actually four of us, another known grandmaster. We were never always this strict until . . . that fateful day. We had some suspicion as many alchemists kept disappearing while on their missions. After losing so many alchemists, we finally tracked the perpetrator attacking our alchemists. However, we weren''t able to detain him and he escaped our grasp successfully,\" added Grandmaster Guiying taking a sullen glimpse at Fen Hua. Inwardly sighing, Silver waited for the three to speak. He could tell by the story this person was a close colleague of theirs. \"That is all, Silver. We''re glad to have met a genius like you. I hope that your insights in your path can enlighten us in the upcoming meeting,\" continued Grandmaster Rain breaking the awkward and disheartening atmosphere. \"En. Thank you for your time,\" replied Silver turning around, about to leave. \"Oh yes, Silver!\" exclaimed Grandmaster Rain. \"Yes?\" There''s an auction going on in a few hours for our Gold Spring Merchant Association, you should go by and check it out.\" \"Alright, I will check it out today then.\" \"En.\" As Silver left, the trio grandmasters entered a half lit room. Once Shui Guiying closed the door behind, he activated an array besides the door. This array blocked sound, no matter how loud, from exiting the room. \"Since that''s over with . . . Fen Hua, any news about him?\" asked a mysterious voice. The trio grandmasters turned their heads to the voice as an individual clothed in all black stepped out of the shadows from a corner of the room. Their physique appeared slim as their face was hidden behind a half black, half orange mask with only a single eye hole on the orange side. \"He is still missing . . . but his marking has been found in a few spots out in the slums. It''s been reported that someone noticed a hooded figure entering and exiting that deceased Tier 9 alchemist home,\" answered Fen Hua curling her hands into a fist. \"I don''t want to use this new alchemist as a bait as he''s a monstrous genius at such a young age\" mumbled Grandmaster Guiying scrunching his eyebrows in distress. He really wanted Silver to become his disciple or at best, a fellow grandmaster. \"Can''t be helped, the manager has given the orders,\" sighed Grandmaster Rain staring at the now empty corner. ¡­ Silver sat in front of a small shop, casually eating his noodles in delight, pondering if he should head to the auction. After slurping a few strands of noodles, he decided to check it out. At best, he could find something decent. Finally finished with his noodles, Silver strolled back to the Gold Spring Merchant Association for the auction. The shop wasn''t far but it still took ten minutes to get there. Once he reached the front of the shop''s doors, Silver entered and headed towards the reception desk. \"Hello, how may I help you?\" asked the old receptionist as he looked at Silver, professionally smiling. \"There''s an auction beginning soon, I hope I''m not too late in having a private room?\" answered Silver getting to point. \"Ah, we do not have anymore private rooms except for a few, which is reserved for VVIP members of our association.\" \"I will take that room,\" responded Silver taking his VVIP card out, handing it to the receptionist. \"I''m very sorry for being rude to our important guests! An attendant of ours will show you to your room,\" the receptionist apologized while bowing a few times. \"It''s alright. Thank you.\" Few minutes later, a young female attendant came downstairs to greet and lead Silver to his private room. The attendant explained the functions of the room, ensuring nobody could see his face. His room also had an array where he could silently place his bid. Not only that, only those that are invited were able to join his room during the auction. If they weren''t, there were many strong experts that guarded the VVIP rooms. This was to ensure their guest could be safe and comfortable. Silver thanked the attendant, tipping her generously, as she bowed heavily and left the room. Without much to do, but wait, he sat on a luxurious and comfortable chair that overlooked the whole auction area. His room was the highest of four private rooms, including his, that oversaw the auction. As Silver got comfortable, a strong divine sense entered his room, bypassing the arrays, as they tried to inspect Silver. There were more and more people filling up the seats before the auction started, so one of them tried to snoop around. Silver''s eyes lazily fixated at a room parallel to his and sent a powerful killing intent towards the peeping tom. At the same time, an old man fell over his chair in fear and awe. His eyes stared at the room he tried peeking into as cold sweat ran down his back. \"Grandfather, what''s wrong!?\" shouted a middle-aged man as he stared at his grandfather in shock. He quickly got over and helped his grandfather back onto his chair. He had never seen his grandfather showing a fearful expression before. To him, the strongest existence he has ever known throughout his entire life was his grandfather. Who could make him fall over in fear? \"Wang Qiang, whatever you do, try not to bid against the room across us,\" answered the old man finally calming himself down. \"This person¡­ He''s even more fearsome than I, Wang Bo! At some point, send him something of value as a form of apology.\" \"Yes, Grandfather!\" answered Wang Qiang struck with fear. This was the first time these foreign words came out of his grandfather''s mouth. Only someone that could eradicate the whole Wang Clan, including the city, could make his grandfather respectful with his head kept low. ''Who was this person?'' **BANG **BANG **BANG (sound of a small mallet slamming on a table) \"I welcome everyone to our Gold Spring''s monthly auction!\" shouted a short, pudgy middle-aged man standing behind a podium on a large stage in the auction room. \"As always for newcomers, I am Cui Pang! If you bid, you must have the funds and if not, well you''ll be banned from all of Gold Spring Merchant Association''s shops for trying to sabotage! Think before you want to avenge yourself or spite others! If anyone attempts to cause a commotion, you will be kicked out and banned. Don''t think our association is easy to bully. Now let''s begin the auction!\" Two physically alluring young woman, respectively wearing a bunny and a fox mask, came onto the stage while pushing a cart with a large wooden chest on top. They placed the pushing cart, with chest on top, in front of the audience. The young woman wearing the bunny mask slowly strutted to the front of the chest, swinging her hips in a hypnotic manner, opening it and strutted back to the left side of the chest in the same manner. \"Our first item to be auctioned is . . .\" - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 54 Auction \"Our next item is a spatial artifact found in the ruins in one of the oldest civilizations during an exploration. After a week of tests, we can absolutely say this spatial artifact can contain life!\" announced Cui Pang as the bunny masked woman held it up. \"To prove it''s authenticity we''ll do a demonstration using this grey-eyed wolf!\" The bunny masked woman inserted her qi into the artifact which allowed the grey-eyed wolf to enter the spatial artifact. After waiting for five minutes, she brought the wolf back out onto the stage. Everyone in the audience awed in astonishment, muttering over such a spectacular artifact. Some ever showed a trace a greed, carefully observing for any bidders. \"We have attempted to see if we can send in a human but it only allowed beast type beings to live within the space. Inside the spatial artifact is a small paradise, around hundreds of cubic meter of liveable land with vegetation, water and air. These beasts can live within indefinitely as long as you are able to feed them periodically. Of course, if they could fit inside this small domain. In most cases, we cannot fathom the mystery on how it is constructed as this is why we chose to auction it. Do we have any bidders?\" \"1.5 MILLION SOLS!\" exclaimed a male voice within the audience. \"We have 1.5 million! Anyone else?\" \"5 MILLION SOLS!\" \"18 MILLION SOLS!\" \"78 MILLION SOLS!\" . . . . . . . . . . . . \"78 MILLION SOLS!\" \"We have 78 million sols from one of our esteemed private guests! Any bidders?\" A wave of silence pervaded the audience, none of them had the audacity to go against someone from the private rooms or else they would find themselves meeting Grandma Meng right after the auction. There were many a time during the past, certain well-known individuals would disappear an hour after the auction, never to be heard nor seen again. \"Sold!\" exclaimed Cui Pang nodding his head in excitement. 78 million sols was the highest bid so far after the last seventeen items that had been auction. Although spatial items were common, those that contained a small paradise was truly rare, sadly not many would want to have a spatial artifact with restrictions and of unknown origin. Just having it sold for that much was quite good enough, if it could contain any type of beings while including legendary functions, many would slaughter gruesomely just to have it. **Knock **Knock **Knock Silver heard a few knocks coming from his door. Without thinking much, he stood up and walked towards the door to open it. A petite and young woman stood there as he held the door open as she held a small wooden chest. \"One of our guests would like to present this to you,\" informed the young woman. \"They wish that you accept it as a form of an apology.\" \"En. Thank you, tell them I value the present,\" instructed Silver using his divine sense to inspect the wooden chest. Within the chest, a green spatial ring laid on a small silk pillow. The green spatial had intricate and detailed mountains inscribed onto it as it gave a faint greenish glow that could only be discernible by him. He then grabbed the wooden chest, nodding at the young woman with a smile of acceptance and closed his door. Walking toward his chair, he sat on it and began to inspect the spatial ring more thoroughly. To his surprise there was a strong seal within the details of the mountain. Using his qi, he broke the seal with little resistance. He felt quite satisfied with the present he had obtained after giving a second and more thorough inspection. The world within the ring became majestic and vast, spreading out for hundreds of thousands of miles of vegetation. Not only that, the ring began automatically collecting vast amounts of qi as it poured into the ring like a cascading waterfall into a large riverbed.. Before anyone could sense it, Silver created a restriction around him as the ring continuously absorbed the qi. With the seal broken, it''s true abilities took flight, allowing any beings to live within. However, it needed to store vast amount of qi to truly allow the add-ons to take effect. ''Hmm, it''s name is Green Peak... who knew this ring which I thought was insignificant was actually a true spatial treasure. Now I don''t need to worry and just slowly refine it,'' thought Silver chuckling out loud. Without further ado, he placed a small drop of his blood on it. A tiny green light devoured the blood, instantaneously becoming Silver''s sole ring. Seconds after absorbing the blood, the ring lost it''s glow as if it were just a normal ring. \"Did he get it?\" asked Wang Bo staring at a young and petite woman before him. \"Yes, he thanks you for giving him a valuable present,\" answered the young woman respectfully. \"En. Good, good. You can go now.\" \"Thank you, esteemed guest.\" Wang Bo smiled delightfully, even though a spatial artifact as such was useful to him, it was rather limited after he inspected it. But, if he had the experiences and incredible perception like Silver, he would never give such an invaluable treasure away. \"Next is our final item, concluding this month''s auction! Although rare, we do bid slaves of quality and value. We have two very special humanoid beings. Although they may seem like mortal children, they are young and very rare half-beasts that are highly sought after. We would like to sell them individually but they must go as a pair based on the information given by our client.\" Hearing the announcement, Silver felt piqued by these so called half-beasts children. Without much thought, he decided to linger a bit longer to see these so-called rare half beasts. As he stared at the stage, both masked beauties brought a cage with two small kids in it. One appeared skinny boy and malnourished. His body was ridden with horrifying scars as if he had been beaten and tortured for years. But within his eyes, a fierce expression of resent and wrath emanated. For such a frail looking youth, he was quite menacing to the crowd. Behind him was a female youth who showed eyes of resignation. It seemed she was a tad more nourished than the male youth, as she clung to his arms in fear. Her clothes were covered in dirt, as so did her face. It appeared that the male youth had been taking the beatings, as she had no scars and bruises. With a glimpse, something within his heart and soul told him to buy them. It was as if a connection that could not be broken from the river of time. This time he didn''t want to vocalize his voice as he grabbed a transmission jade nearby his chair, that was placed on a small table. With no time wasted, he sent his bid through it using his divine sense. ''This will definitely give me no competitors,'' thought Silver calmly staring at the caged pair on the auction''s stage. \"These two are brother and sister! Their origins are unknown but they are already powerful beings at a very young age. You may be thinking what makes them special? They both have a very unique ability! A drop of the boy''s blood can increase your lifespan by a hundred years. The downside is, this drop of blood will only work once. As for the female, her blood can heal your wounds faster and better than a medium tier healing pill! Their blood alone can even allow the success rate of your pill making reach an outstanding 30%.\" \"I want them,\" exclaimed one of the guests in the audience. \"Hmph! What if those up there bid? What can you even get? We''ll be lucky enough for them to auction those beasts blood!\" **BANG **BANG (sound of a small mallet being stuck on a table) \"The bid starts at 5 million sols! Any bidders?\" announced Cui Pang as he silenced the excited audience of bidders. \"8 million!\" exclaimed a voice coming from one of the four private rooms. \"10 million!\" \"20 million!\" \"60 million!\" exclaimed Wang Qiang as he eyes shone with gleam. If carefully trained those siblings into his clan, obtaining absolute loyalty from them, his position within the city could be considered solid. \"We have 60 millio-- wait, we have a silent bidder from one of our esteemed guest!\" announced Cui Pang in jubilation. \"It''s ¡­ my heavens! 300 Million Sols! Is there any bidder who like to outbid this individual?\" \"Crazy!? Who would buy these children for that amount?\" \"Can that person buy my virginity instead for that much?\" \"What if they''re not a woman?\" \"With that much money, I couldn''t care less!\" An uproar surge throughout the audience as they vocally debated on who this esteemed guest was. They all wondered if this individual was male or female and if they were a powerful expert. Some even guess it was Wang Clan bidding for these half-beasts. With that amount, it would ensure that no one would attempt to bet with them or even the famous Alchemy Division. \"WHAT!? 300 MILLION!!??\" shouted Wang Bo as his eyes nearly popped out of his eye sockets. Why would anyone bid that much? At most, the pair of siblings could be sold for close to 100 million sols. Who would have such extravagance and throw away so much money. \"Who is this madman? Our Wang Clan cannot bring out that much sols in one go!\" \"400 million sols!\" exclaimed a monotone voice from one of the four private rooms. Inside sat an individual fully clothed and hooded in black. Their face was covered with a demonic looking mask as they stared silently at the very room that made the bid. \"400 million sols from one of our other esteemed guests! Any risk takers that would outbid this guest?\" exclaimed Cui Pang in jubilation. With every item he auctioned, a 10% cut will be given to him, so it was in his best interest to excite the bidders . \"Going once! Going twi-! Our silent, esteemed guest has place another bid! 600 million sols!!\" Everyone within the auction became silent, fully shocked by such a high and luxurious bid. Even one of the richest clans wouldn''t throw their money away for a pair of beasts. It was truly incomprensible, no one would ever think someone would waste so much money. \"600 MILLION GOING ONCE! GOING TWICE? SOLD!\" shouted Cui Pang unable to control his excitement. \"This ends the auction! We will deliver the pair of siblings to you, esteemed guest!\" Many individuals got up, leaving the auction while shaking their heads. They were depressed throughout the auction as they were unable to buy what they needed due to their lack of funds. Others got up, hoping to find a glimpse of the madman who bought a pair of siblings for 600 million sols. In their eyes showed a hint of greed, ready to kill for momentary gains. \"Here you go sir,\" spoke a young woman as she dropped the sleeping beast duo off in front of Silver. After bowing politely, she walked away quickly and closed the door. Silver stared at the sleeping duo and waved his hand, instantly transferring them into the spatial artifact he was gifted, Green Peak. Because they were unconscious he could easily put them in without their consent, allowing him to move out without being suspected by anyone. Opening the door, he waltz down the stairs, through the auction area and out onto the busy streets. Once he got outside, Silver turned his head to the direction of the Kiu Clan, eyebrows scrunching. A sense of dread filled his heart, taking a step forward, instantly vanishing within the bustling and crowded street. \"Looks like I have no choice,\"chuckled the mysterious, demonic masked individual as they stood up. Their head turned towards the closed door as the sounds of subtle footsteps came closer and closer. \"I will find you¡­\" Moments later, a young male attendant opened the door and dropped the requested items onto the floor as he witnessed a bloody scene before him. Pieces of limbs and gore of both female and male covered the walls and the floor of the room as a nasty smell of rotting flesh assaulted his nose. Shuddering, the young attendant quickly ran downstairs. With each shaky step, he stumbled on his way to inform his manager. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: Sorry for the delay, I have been busy as of late with work and life :( :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 55 Ghost Asura \"Has Silver been training you?\" asked Patriarch Kiu Hanbe. His eyes gazed outside the opened window, carefully studying the lake nearby. \"Yes, Patriarch,\" answered Kiu Thao as she bowed slightly without a wink of an expression. \"I hope you''re learning well. He''s quite mysterious, as well as his background. There is a high chance he''s a hidden ancestor.\" \"Hidden ancestor?\" \"Yes, as of late, many clans'' hidden ancestors are awakening. He could be one of them, but most likely touring the continents to perceive the new changes in our world. It could be said it''s fate for you to meet Silver. There may be an unfathomable journey awaiting for you, opening your eyes to something far more than our small city.\" \"Why are you telling me all of this?\" Kiu Thao watched her father stay quiet for a long period of time, anxiety overtaking her mind as she stood there waiting. Finally, after a brief moment of time, her father turned around her with swollen, red eyes. A faint feeling of sadness, a burden that she could feel yet couldn''t place within her heart brought an overflowing river of complex emotions. \"Kiu Thao, my daughter, I''m sorry for treating you so coldly for the last decade. As a patriarch, I must oversee every clan member as a whole, but I could not express myself as much as I wanted to.\" \"Father¡­ What are you going on about?\" \"A calamity will be upon us. The seal is loosening, our ancestors had already passed on but his enemy¡­ it is sealed under us. It is readying itself, hoping to exact its revenge. Our Kiu Clan''s elders are doing their best to slow down the seal, including your mother, but the seal is close to shattering. You have to live.\" \"What do you m--\" Kiu Thao suddenly fainted, slumping down onto a young boy who held her unconscious body over his shoulder. His azure gave a subtle glow as his emotionless eyes stared at Kiu Hanbe. \"I''m sorry we could only do this much for you,\" spoke a soft, female voice from within the large room. \"We cannot interfere with others'' fate besides our younger brother as he was born into this world.\" \"It''s fine, the younger generation of our Kiu Clan needs a leader. My ¡­ daughter.. she will find and lead them, they must live. She must live!\" exclaimed Kiu Hanbe tightening his fist, tears sliding down his cheek, uncontrollably. \"Thank you¡­ Please give her the letter and the clan token once she wakes up.\" \"En. I hope you''ll be able to get through this.\" \"I hope so too¡­\" The young boy took a step forward, disappearing, leaving traces of azure sparks of lightning in the air while the female softly sighed, leaving the despondent Kiu Hanbe alone. **BOOM **BOOM Kiu Hanbe turned his head towards the sound, the lake across the building he was at had begun to churn violently. Soon, the lake spouted up into the air like a large geyser. As the lake water fell back into its place in forms of rain drops, a single person could be seen within the falling drops. This individual appeared as a child with long black hair wearing a simple black dress hovering above the now subtle lake. Their pale face and wicked blood-red eyes stared at Kiu Hanbe as a sinister smile appeared on their face showing two rows of sharp white teeth. \"Hehehe. I''m free!!!\" exploded the sinister looking child in laughter. \"Sinister monster! Our Kiu Clan will never let you live!\" shouted Kiu Hanbe as he appeared in front of the black hair child. \"Begone!\" \"Weak! Every single one of you Kiu Clan members of this generation are weak,\" insulted the long-hair child, staring down at Kiu Hanbe in disdain. Using a flick of his left index finger, the sinister black hair child gave a chilling smile. Kiu Hanbe felt something amissed, barely dodging the incoming danger. His left arm became riddled with bloody holes the size of a rice grain. \"It can''t be? How are you still this strong after being sealed for so long?\" \"Back then, your ancestors were more fearsome. It took three of your top experts to have me sealed, but as the years went by the seal began to weaken. Although minuscule amounts of qi were able to leak in I took this chance to recuperate.\" Without another word, the sinister black hair child used the same move once more against Kiu Hanbe. Although it appeared the same as before, they added a little more qi to the attack. \"Our main clan will get their revenge on you!\" roared Kiu Hanbe dropping to his knees, coughing up blood from his severe injuries. He felt shocked. Even though Che Myoga had been sealed for a very long time, they still had this type of power. This type of power he could only dream of having despite inheriting the Diva of the White Flames bloodline. \"Main Clan? So this is a branch clan. No wonder everyone here is weak. No matter, they will pay for such arrogance to seal me and build a trifling branch clan to keep an eye on me! It does explain why a weakling like you is unable to bring out the full potential of the White Flame''s bloodline!\" Kiu Hanbe was at a loss for words while slumping into depression. The only hope left was his daughter, Kiu Thao. Luckily, she was being sent to the Main Kiu Clan where she can obtain the best resources. After considering her future, Kiu Hanbe clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Riddled with injuries and a strong intent to fight back, Kiu Hanbe''s White Flame bloodline showed a sliver of awakening. His eyes gave a subtle white glow as he stared at the black hair child with fiery rage. If one carefully inspected the injured Kiu Hanbe''s, his body was wrapped with a subtle white light that emitted a barely noticeable but growing heat. Their Kiu Clan, although a branch of the main, had been keeping track of the seal on Che Myoga for thousands of years. However, due to the world awakening and the Great Ice and Flame War, it made a crack in the sealing formation. Thus allowing the asura to absorb an astonishing amount of nether world qi like a hungry ghost, breaking free from his prison. Only such nether world qi could only be formed from countless deaths or areas that contained such qi. \"Tch. The main clan could probably give me more excitement with your useless staring. I''ll make your death quick,\" scoffed the black hair child as he pointed his left index finger at Kiu Hanbe. \"Die.\" ''I''m sorry, I wish I could have been a better father for you, Kiu Thao. And a better husband to you, Bing Bing ¡­'' thought Kiu Hanbe staring at Che Myoga, releasing his will to fight. \"I WILL NOT DIE A COWARD! DIVA WHITE FIST!\" With a great leap, using all of his strength, Kiu Hanbe thrusted his right fist with an amazing force while being surrounded by flames of white. Every part of his body began breaking apart, putting his all into his attack. Despite the sliver of awakening of his bloodline, increasing his Diva White Fist, his meridians still ruptured within his body. His blazing white flame became larger, emitting waves of unbearable heat as he roared like an enraged Diva in the heat of battle. \"Ahahaha, that''s the type of stubbornness I like to see from the inheritor of the Diva bloodline!\" cackled the black hair child extending his left index finger out to the fist flying towards him. \"Too bad you''ve barely awakened your bloodline. Break for me!\" \"I''m a little too late,\" sighed a mysterious voice as a spatial hole formed between Kiu Hanbe and Che Myoga, instantly disrupting their attacks. Despite the interference, a tiny amount nether qi got into Kiu Hanbe. Even with this little bit of nether qi, it was already corroding Kiu Hanbe''s body showing how potent the nether qi was. \"How dare you kill my fun!?\" screamed the Che Myoga as he raged at the mysterious person. It was throwing a tantrum like a child who got their steam bun stolen. \"I''ll kill you!\" *** Snap (fingers snapping) \"Where am I? GET ME OUT! WHO ARE YOU?\" shrilled Che Myoga. Before he could attack, he found himself in a space filled with everlasting darkness. Uneasiness struck his heart as he screamed and attack within the dark world in a frenzy. \"I''ll deal with you later,\" echoed the mysterious voice. \"Sir . . . Silver?\" asked Kiu Hanbe, trying to stay conscious. His eyes laid on a familiar but blurry figure. Without much thought, Kiu Hanbe brought out a vial with a drop of blood in it and handed it to Silver. \"His nether qi is already corroding me from the inside, I don''t have much time. Please give this to my daughter. You will be able to find her at the Main Kiu Clan in the Tell her... I''m sorry.\" After Kiu Hanbe finished speaking, his body deteriorated into dust leaving a wisp of his soul as a ghost-like being tried to swallow it whole. Silver grabbed Kiu Hanbe''s soul while flicking his void qi at the ghost, instantly killing it. Staring at the floating wisp, gently wrapping his chaos qi around it while another glowing orb flew to his left palm from the broken seal, wrapping it too, sending both of them away. \"This should protect both of you . . . you two shall be able to be reborn without a problem,\" whispered Silver, staring at the souls falling into the Earth, returning them to the River of Souls. Taking a step forward, opening a spatial hole, Silver walked into the rift to see Che Myoga exhausted and floating in the dark world with a miserable expression. Left with little to no nether qi once again, they felt resigned as they cursed their bad fate. They finally became free but instead, an expert stopped his fun and trapped him in a weird world full of mysterious energy. Through its life, they had never been through a weird experience like this before. For now, it was waiting for the mysterious person to reappear. \"What''s your name?\" asked Silver, staring at the exhausted long-haired child quietly sealing them. \"Why did you save this small branch of the Kiu Clan? An old fruit like you should be dwelling and cultivating silently in a cave!\" sneered Che Myoga. Their blazing red eyes gazed at Silver with indignation. \"They shall all die! Every Kiu Clan and those enemies of mine who have sealed my fun! MY SLAUGHTER! I AM THE GHOST ASURA CHE MYOGA!\" \"It seems after becoming a Ghost Asura, you''ve been deranged by meaningless slaughter, thus allowing your nether qi to warp your train of thought. It''s rather saddening.\" \"I can tell you''re powerful enough to wipe this city with a flick of your finger hehehe! So why don''t you KILL ME!\" \"I would like to kill you seeing that you''ve harmed an interest of mine, but I will need you as a grinding stone for my sworn brother. It''ll be more useful to let you live than a swift, painless death.\" \"NEVER!\" screamed Che Myoga attempting to commit suicide. Sadly his body wouldn''t listen to him. Not only that, this world restricted his cultivation to the point it felt like he was truly a mortal again. Thinking fast, he bit his tongue with an indescribable desire to die but it didn''t do anything to him. Now he had to bear the pain of nearly biting off his tongue. As a Ghost Asura, dying wasn''t bad, he could possess a new individual after discarding his current body and work from there. This was one of the abilities the ghost asura bloodline possessed. Once the bloodline awakened, they would be able to live without a body as a spirit. No matter how many times they died, they could always escape and possess a new body. The only downside about their bloodlines was the change of personality. If you are kind, the awakening of the bloodline will begin turning your personality into of wickedness. \"What did you do to me!!??\" \"I just sealed you so you wouldn''t resort to suicide so easily. I already know of your bloodline''s cheap tricks.\" \"Impossible. Impossible. IMPOSSIBLE! I would of felt my nether qi resisting your qi! \" \"Nothing is impossible, especially to those who are stronger than you.\" \"AHAHAHAAH! WELL SAID! AHAHAHAHA!\" Silver shook his head, unwilling to speak to a person who lost their sanity and exited the closed space. Hovering above the ruined Kiu Clan, with a swipe of his right hand, the entire area vanished into a vast plain, untouched by civilization. \"I should set up an illusi--\" **DING! **DING! **DING! (Bell tower being runged) \"BEAST TIDE! PREPARE YOURSELF!\" someone announced from the central of Blue Dream City. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: I apologize for not updating the past month. I''m being tackled by a lot of unwanted situations so I may take some more time to get through it. :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 56 Beast Tide Every beast tide was considered the worst possible situation that Blue Dream City could come across. With each assault throughout the years, these beast tides had put the city into a state of emergency. Numerous experts varying from different families and clans were arranged to and all sides of the city with the Wang Clan leading the main operations. Wang Qiang and Wang Bo gazes made contact, expressing their worries and anxiety through their eyes. The beast tide would arrive in approximately five hours, if not earlier. \"Why is there a beast tide earlier than expected?\" asked Wang Bo, raising his right eyebrow curiously. \"This isn''t normal. This current beast tide is larger and a few times more menacing than those before them. Aren''t there a few of our members specialized in finding abnormalities during their field missions? Where are they?\" \"It seems we have been given a false report by one of our members,\" replied Wang Qiang narrowing his eyes, quickly realizing some discrepancy from the reports. Within his heart, Wang Qiang sensed uneasiness from this turn of events. He had been living so peacefully, nearly neglecting his duties. \"Find them for me!\" \"Yes, patriarch,\" ranged a voice from afar, a light breeze brushing past Wang Bo''s hair. With the demon beast tide coming to the city at an incredible fast rate, Wang Bo wasn''t sure if they could find the traitor on time. This level of disaster was nearly on the same level during the Great Fire and Ice War. They had barely gotten this crucial information, working as fast as they could to alarm the whole city and take the correct defensive measures. \"Sir, every single individual from the exploration is dead. Dried to the point of mummification. It seems they''ve been dead for a very long time, so I''ve extracted some type of green liquid oozing from their eyes,\" informed the mysterious person returning from his scout mission. \"Grandfather, do you know what this is?\" asked Wang Qiang as he tooked the vial from the scout and stared at the slimy green liquid. He slowly swirled the liquid as it gave off a putrid smell while it was still closed with a cork. \"Tainted Alchemy . . .\" replied Wang Bo, staring at the vial in disgust. \"This is the work of that man... This is bad! Wang Qiang, alert the Alchemy Division now!\" There was still five hours to prepare until the arrival of the beast tide. Under the commands of the Wang Clan, thousands of experts gather at all four entrances, fortifying it with haste. Time was ticking away, the fear within the city became more apparent as everyone rushed to prepare defensive measures against the demon tide. Looking afar, a few experts could see a cloud of brownish green miasma rushing towards the city like a rushing wave of water. The setting sun allowed the green miasma to appear dreadful and cold, filling the air with the stench of blood, rot and death. Countless warriors died, vegetations shriveled like a plant under the blazing sun while the miasma came crashing in. Even the beasts fell into its smog-like grasp. On the city wall, an individual cloaked in all black could gazed upon the panicked city with delight. If one were looking close, they could see this mysterious person''s delighted face seem diabolical as they held an open vial with green liquid within. \"I should find that person now, but first, let''s have some fun!\" chuckled the mysterious black-cloaked individual tossing the vial towards a group of experts. \"I hope the Alchemy Division enjoys my latest creation!\" At this current moment, Grandmaster Guiying, Rain and Fen Hua appeared in front of the mysterious individual grabbing the vial, putting a cork in it on time. \"So you started the beast tide!\" screamed Fen Hua pointing at the mysterious person with her right index finger shaking from anger. With a glimpse, she could tell this was her brother''s work. Although it was stronger, this exact poison was exactly the same that wiped out their Fen Clan. \"Fen Diao! Why?\" The corner of Fen Diao''s eyes glanced at Fen Hua, he shook his head and looked away, vanishing into the ever growing mist of miasma. Grandmaster Guiying was the first person to react towards Fen Diao''s escape. He instantly threw a sealing talisman from his sleeves into the lingering miasma. Within seconds, the miasma began to clump together once more, revealing Fen Diao''s ferocious face. The right half of his face was scarred and mangled as his empty left eye socket remained open with dark green liquid running down his cheek. \"I see your talisman skill has gotten better than last time, Shui Guiying,\" sneered Fen Diao as a faint line of golden light wrapped around his half foggy body. \"Nice to see you too, Gu Rain and my dearest sister, Fen Hua. I''m happy to meet my three, dearest friends again. How have you been?\" Gu Rain and Shui Guiying stayed silent, staring at their so-called friend. \"Tell us why you would do this to your home?\" asked Fen Hua, breaking the awkward silence. \"Since the beast tide is coming, some of you may not survive, so why not? I''m here to take my revenge from all those years ago,\" answered Fen Diao grinning wickedly. \"I''ve finally finished my creation and soon this whole place will become a slaughterfest with mindless people catering to my will! I will show you what I''ve made! I''m not tainted! I''M NOT TAINTED! AHAHAAH! I''M AN ABSOLUTE GENIUS IN ALCHEMY! And you cannot stop me!\" \"You''re still the same foul man! I will rid this world of you!\" screamed Gu Rain unable to control his anger. \"Heh, still a man romanticizing justice,\" sneered Fen Diao, crushing a small jade between his fingers, breaking the talisman entrapping him. His body quickly dissipated, escaping the trio. \"We''ll meet...if you survive my disaster..HAHAHAHA.\" \"He escaped,\" sighed Gu Rain in disappointment. They were very close, but not close enough to catch him. \"Let''s clean this mess up and help the rest out,\" commanded Shui Guiying, shaking his head in disappointment as the miasma vanished. \"We may come across him later. Let''s go.\" Finally, the beast tide arrived. Everyone fought against many ranked and evolved beasts coming their way. Even a few were attacked by their own brethren due to the odd concoction created by Fen Diao. Chaos ensued in and out of the city while the stench of blood filled the air mixing along with the miasma coming from outside the walls. ''A malicious guest is here,'' thought Silver as he neared the east city gate. Brownish-green miasma could be seen sneaking under the crevice between the east gate. Within mere seconds the green miasma began condensing quickly into a silhouette of a person. As this person quickly became corporeal, they got rid of the nearby guards with the same miasma, opening the east gate. Thus, allowing the beasts to rampage about as they stampeded through the now opened gates. Accomplishing their mission, they flew off to a nearby tower. The horizon of the sky became lit with an eerie rising moon as the last glimmer of sunlight vanished in below night sky. Looking towards the sky, flocks of flying beasts could be seen under the moonlight as they charged towards Blue Dream City. \"I wonder who this guest can be? May I ask why you''re visiting my humble self?\" asked Silver in a low tone. He took a light glance at Fen Diao''s horribly scarred face as they reached the top of one of the city''s highest towers. Without much thought, Silver turned his head back to face the moonlit sky. \"Hehehe. I am Fen Diao, I''ve come to take those siblings you bought earlier. Those specimens are mine,\" demanded Fen Diao, raising his head in arrogance. Although he was very well prepared for any situation, Fen Diao still felt cautious against this weak yet lonesome young man in front of him. \"Interesting!\" exclaimed Silver smiling eerily, keeping his back towards Fen Diao. \"First my sworn brother''s clan met their demise from a lowly idiot, now an arrogant man deranged from his demon heart is threatening me? My patience is wearing thin. You cannot have what I deem already mine.\" Fen Diao felt a cold shiver run through his spin, branching throughout his nerves. Cautiousness became an instinct but this time it brought upon his fear. It was as if he was pitting against something far more dangerous than the beast tide and his concoctions combined. His instincts were telling him to escape quickly. Cold sweats began sliding down his back as he proceeded to get further from the young man, step by step. He slowly stopped his steps near the edge of the tower. \"Hmph! What can a weakling like you do?\" sneered Fen Diao finding the little courage within his heart. His confidence grew as he threw a bottle filled with his strongest concoction at the strange young man. Every strong being he met had fallen under the effects of his creation, thus inflating his ego over fear. . . . Far away from the east gate, roars of thousands of beasts echoed throughout the city. Many gigantic King ranked beasts began appearing in different parts of Blue Dream City. As the king ranked beast appeared one after another, the city became silent in fear. Usually one or two King ranked beasts would show up but this year contained an irregularity. With so many king ranked beasts invading the falling city, the maddening beasts became more excited as they tore up their opponents with incredible vigor. The fate of Blue Dream City may come to an end. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: I apologize for not updating for the longest time. It''s been a very rough year and combined with this pandemic, it has become more nerve wracking. Not only that, this chapter has stumped me for the longest time so I''ve decided to throw it in and hope to come back to it. Now I have a good amount of free time due to shelter-in-place. :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 57 Demons Pawn **Clang **Clang **Boom Fen Diao slammed down onto the earth after being wacked by the back hand from a small pale child with bloody red-eyes. His anger was close to exploding from never felt before humiliation as he glared at the pale child lazily hovering over him . Before he could begin his retaliation by chucking his vial at Silver, that same bloody red-eyed child was tossed at his face. Just this surprising action gave him an unwanted bloody nose. However, the child jumped back onto him and began smacking him in the face before he could do anything else. Fen Diao laid there stunned while the pale child repeatingly spewed obscene words that have never been said to him in his life. Most of them were to his so-called master, ancestor, family and dog as they held him down with one hand and smacked with the other in fervent rage. \"Is that all from you, ugly monkey!?\" scoffed Che Myoga as he tossed Fen Diao into a nearby tree. \"Your daddy''s going to teach you a nice lesson. Hope you like spankings. AHAHAHA!\" Fen Diao quickly swallowed a batch of pills as Che Myoga charged up at him, ready to back hand him to the face. A gust of dark qi swirled around Fen Diao, his body grew massive and transformed into an ugly demonic being. He quickly thrusted his palm forward, smacking Che Myoga away. His overly muscular and bulky body towered at the height of three meters as his empty left eye socket began regenerating. Three horns grew out his forehead while his emerald eyes shone in sinister light glaring at Che Myoga with ferocity. Taking a step forward, almost as quick as lightning, he slammed his huge fist down. Fen Diao smiled as the dust flew up into the air, slowly settling down. However, the image of a squashed child wasn''t there but only broken earth underneath his fist. With his new demonic instinct, Fen Diao immediately looked above him to see Che Myoga lazily hovering in the air. **ROAAAAAARRRR Che Myoga stared at the transformed Fen Diao with a frown on his face, gathering his qi to his five fingers and palm. Suddenly, Fen Diao stopped mid-air before Che Myoga could even strike. His body began changing again, rupturing everything within. Strong miasma poured out of his pores, wrapping him into a fog-like cocoon, instantly transforming his body again. \"Demon Transformation Pills,\" uttered Che Myoga, suddenly realising the true nature of the pills that Fen Diao swallowed. \"Hmph. A donkey of a master who left me here to handle this ignorant pest and finding out this pest is a pawn of the demon clan. I wished I never escaped from that dumb prison. Seems these pills are from that demon clan too.\" \"Hehehe. This is true power,\" exclaimed Fen Diao walking out of the dispersing miasma cocoon. His physique had become well defined and toned, standing at 3 meters wearing his now ragged pants. No longer hideous but his face had become charming, beautiful and chiseled, complimenting his glowing emerald-green irises and his sword tailed eyebrows. His grey-skinned glistened under the moonlight. Three menacing horns protruded from his forehead that added to his creepy yet charming smile revealing a set of razor sharp white teeth. ''Rank 8 Demon Transformation Pills? Argh¡­ this is truly more annoying than being a slave,'' thought Che Myoga staring at the transformed Fen Diao. \"It''s impossible to win now,\" chuckled Fen Diao smiling at Che Myoga with a triumphant look. \"I''ll make you swallow those words you threw at me!\" \"PURGING FIST,\" roared Fen Diao thrusting his fist at Che Myoga, who was constantly dodging his attempts to land a hit. Che Myoga quickly smacked Fen Diao''s hardened face every chance he got, laughing sinisterly while his opponent became angrier by the minute. He really never treated a pawn of the demon clan seriously, they were barely enough to let him use a percent of his skills. Albeit that demon clan was annoying to deal with, he wanted to have fun and some fresh air before getting back to Silver. Each time Fen Diao got closer, Che Myoga would back hand his cheeks extremely hard to the point Fen Diao almost looked like an iron-tail chipmunk. **Boom The two King ranked and an early-stage Emperor beast slammed against an invisible barrier, letting out a light whimper before attempting to shatter it again. At this moment, Wang Qiang''s face turned slightly pale watching the destruction play out as he continued to block more incoming attacks. Turning his head to check on his grandfather, Wang Bo, his face became paler. His grandfather had blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, plus a few others, in an attempt to keep the barrier going. This year beast tide was definitely the worst out of them all, a true calamity for the city. Every alchemist, including the grandmasters, travelled throughout the city to help those in need, healing those that needed healing using their Alchemy Division reserves. **Boom **Crack **Shatter (sound of the barrier shattering) Wang Bo and the others heavily fell onto the ground. Wang Qiang ran up to his grandfather, checking his health, inserting a rank 9 healing pill into their mouth. Wang Bo couldn''t help letting out a groan from the momentary pain he felt when the barrier shattered. Although his cultivation had already reached late-stage Exalted Emperor, he couldn''t contend against an early-stage Emperor Ranked beast physical prowess. \"Wang Qiang, gather the clan and leave first!\" exclaimed Wang Bo in an anxious voice as he flew out to meet the emperor beast. \"Hurry!\" \"Grandfather, you¡­\" muttered Wang Qiang looking up at his grandfather, feeling a slight pain in his heart. \"THE WANG CLAN SHALL LIVE ON!\" No matter how many years have passed, he still remembers the time when he was very young. Always indecisive and wimpy during his teens. His grandfather always doted on him as time passed, encouraging him to become the man he was today. He wanted to stay and fight but he understood that the clan needed him to lead more than ever, he couldn''t put the burden on his son. He fled the scene without noticing the tears his grandfather had shed. \"You''ve become a splendid man, my grandson,\" mumbled Wang Bo tightening his fist and staring at the Emperor beast. \"Emperor Blue Feather! Why have you broken our treaty!?\" \"It cannot be helped. I no longer am the Emperor Blue Feather but an underling of that insidious demon clan!\" informed Blue Feather avoiding eye contact. \"I can only do what my master has tasked me to do. I apologize.\" \"I see . . . well old friend, let us find out who truly is the strongest!\" \"Yes, I''m better off fighting against a worthy adversary to the death!\" **BOOM Silver continued to keep his back at the fight between Fen Diao and Che Myoga. Watching afar, using his divine sense, he saw the situation within the city. Without much thought, he caught Che Myoga after they got punched from the demonized Fen Diao. \"You play around too much,\" scolded Silver, tossing Che Myoga back at the demon Fen Diao. \"Finish it up.\" \"Imputenance!\" shouted Fen Diao curling his right hand into a fist, ready to punch out at Che Myoga who was being tossed at him again. \"Hmph. Fine.\" snorted Che Myoga, turning his head to Fen Diao, curling his fist too. \"ASURA CLAW!\" \"PURGING FIST\" The air between the two fists exploded as they touched, causing only a slight pause in the movements of the two opponents. Fen Diao furiously roared, and punched towards Che Myoga again. Dodging the straight punch, Che Myoga threw an uppercut at Fen Diao''s chin, twirling him into the air. He then jumped up into the air above Fen Diao, lifting his right leg and slammed his heel against Fen Diao''s scalp plummeting him into the ground. \"ASURA FIST\" A bright red fist slammed into where Fen Diao laid, smashing him further into the already shattered earth. \"He escaped. Damn that coward,\" grumbled Che Myoga peering into the empty hole. His face scrunched up in disgust, narrowing his eyes. ''We''ll see each other again, demon clan''s pawn.'' \" What do you want me to do ''Master'',\" asked Che Myoga appearing beside Silver. \"I need you to assist those three,\" commanded Silver, scanning outside of the city with his divine sense. He immediately narrowed his eyes after finding the culprit of the beast tide. Even though he didn''t intend to intervene, he also didn''t want his sworn brother to lose his hometown either. \"I have important matters to attend to.\" Che Myoga''s eyes twitched slightly in anger, cursing Silver inside his heart. He had to babysit a bunch of ants without any ability to deny the order of his master''s command. Fuming inside, he left quickly in case his ''master'' wanted to torment him again. Silver shook his head after Che Myoga left the vicinity, he too vanished in a single step to the edge of the forest outside of the city. 58 Plan Dark clouds loomed over the crumbling Blue Dream City, filled with slaughter, helplessness, fear and dread. Nearly all the warriors had become fatigued, unable to continue their fight. Their morale was running low as more became severely injured. Even so, they did their best attempt to avoid entering a state of qi deviation. Sounds of roaring beasts of all ranks and sizes ranged outside and inside the city. They attacked anything and everything that stood against their way. It almost seems as if Blue Dream City will become a ruin just like those before them. Observing this scene, Silver showed an indifferent facial expression. To him, it was another part of life but to the others, it was their home and life. He watched three individuals running around slaying hundreds of beasts in their way. However, it only seemed their effort may seem futile due to the amount of their small party. Yet, he could only break his indifferent expression with a light smile and nod as he continued to observe. \"What should we do?\" asked Yong Satay, fighting beside Bu Keng. Yong Satay was frightened within his heart. They were unaware of the destruction of the Kiu Clan caused by Che Myoga as they waited for Kiu Thao. Although they couldn''t grasp the situation at hand, they continued slaughtering the beasts. \"It seems brother Silver won''t give us a helping hand until it''s required,\" added Bu Keng looking at Yong Satay with a puzzled expression. He too felt the same within his heart as Yong Satay. \"From what brother Silver had told me, he will help us only if our life is endangered,\" answered Yong Dango, scrunching her eyebrows. \"I feel like he''s testing us to see how far we''ve gotten in our path of cultivation. This could be considered training for all three of us. Only a life and death situation can let us break through the bottleneck. We''ll split up and assist the other groups, we''ll regroup once it settles down.\" \"Let''s go!\" exclaimed Bu Keng, as the rest split in different directions. *Woosh!* \"Hmm? Who are you?\" asked the hooded individual as Silver appeared before them. As an early stage Divine Emperor, the man could not sense Silver''s cultivation. Quickly, five other individuals joined in, surrounding Silver, bringing out their weapons. The group felt startled. Their fear crept into their hearts as they tightly gripped their weapons. Anybody would feel afraid if a person appeared out of nowhere escaping their detection. They only noticed when their leader spoke out, thus alerting them into an attack formation. \"No privacy, eh? Let''s take this elsewhere,\" responded Silver, grabbing the leader of the group and vanishing away from them. In that mere instant, the group of five attacked where Silver once stood. However, they felt flustered as if their leader and the weird man never had been there. Seeing this scene, everyone exclaimed in shock. \"Find them!\" shouted one of the five. \"Kill anything and anyone suspicious!\" **Woosh! Waves of red fists flew across the sky, blasting the beasts into pieces as they came in contact with it. They furiously roared, trying to charge at the man punching out the red fists. Even the strongest evolved ranked beast could only transform into mush against it. **Boom Yong Satay turned his head to find where the reverberating sound came from, only to see the old man from the restaurant fighting a humongous blue bird from afar. He could tell the old man was having problems defeating the blue bird with a dangerous miasma covering its body. The way the beast fought seemed as if it lost it''s rationality as the miasma thickened. Finishing off the last crowd of beasts, Yong Satay sped up to the fight with an intent to support the old man. Gathering the red qi into his fist, he blasted a giant red fist towards the humongous deranged blue bird. Luckily, they weren''t too far or he would be too late. \"My friend, it seems you no longer have control of yourself . . . pity,\" mumbled Wang Bo continuing his onslaughts of attacks. \"Hmm?\" Wang Bo quickly moved away from the giant red fist that punched right at Emperor Blue Feather''s left eye. An anguish scream broke the intensity of the battle he was in. However, the miasma covering Emperor Blue Feather diminished slightly while angering the bird. \"What a strong fist art!\" Wang Bo turned his head, noticing a young man with a sharp jawline and a touch of baby fat on his cheeks. His black hair was short with a pair of bulky brick shape eyebrows uglifying his face. His golden eyes gave a tinge of red emanating within his pupils complimenting his straight nose and average grin. Yong Satay stood shirtless showing off his pronounced collar bones and toned physique in a marginally loose black pants with golden lining. He appeared like a deity cursed by the brick shaped eyebrows, almost like a God of War with qi shrouding him in a red sheen. This wasn''t the first time Wang Bo had met someone like Yong Satay since the reign of the demonic emperors. In the past, he met many like him but they have already hidden or died by the hands of the demonic emperors. To him, Yong Satay''s potential must have made its appearance during the crisis. \"Thank you for helping me,\" spoke Wang Bo. His body was riddled cuts, bruises, and deep punctures from Emperor Blue Feather. The punch allowed him some breathing room to recuperate, even for a few seconds. \"I would like to know my benefactor''s name?\" \"Yong Satay of the Kiu Clan!\" answered Yong Satay, bowing to Wang Bo. After getting closer, he realized this was one of the old patriarchs of the Wang Clan, Wang Bo. He felt grateful for assisting such a well known individual and powerhouse of Blue Dream City. \"Kiu Clan? I never knew they had a talented clansman like you! I am Wang Bo of the Wang Clan. Let''s cut the chit-chat and stop Emperor Blue Feather. It seems like he isn''t himself anymore.\" \"Yes sir!\" **ROAR The Wang Clan were surrounded by a swarm of demon beasts, over a hundred, madly charging against the experts that were fending them off. Wang Qiang felt a moment of despair, busy going against two king ranked beasts which took some time to deal with. Soon, the swarm continued to break their formation while his son, Wang Lei, tried to protect the weaker members. Flying above, seeing this scene, Yong Dango dropped in from the air while cutting down a few beasts. **CLANG Not long after, Bu Keng saw Yong Dango from afar and saw and recognized the patriarch of the Wang Clan, Wang Qiang, fighting against two king ranked beasts. Without much thought, he joined in and swung both his sabers at one of the king ranked beasts, alleviating the stress of two versus one. **BOOM An enormous King Ranked Bronze Boar broke through a building behind them, charging at Bu Keng. Noticing the boar charging towards him, Bu Keng prepared himself and dodged the incoming charge. As he dodged the boar, cutting off its head with his right saber, he blocked the attack with his left saber from the king ranked beast. After a few more exchanges, both king ranked beasts fell from the blades of both Wang Qiang and Bu Keng. Not long after, Yong Dango finished up the remnants of zombies and beasts around the weak clan members. **BANG **BANG \"Where am I?\" asked the leader after being captured by Silver. \"Just a sealed space that you can''t escape nor can anyone find, hear and see you,\" explained Silver looking at the hooded individual before him. \"I''ll ask nicely, demon. Why are you attacking Blue Dream City?\" \"Heh, looks like we''ve been found out. I would never tell the likes of you human trash. Dying is more pleasant than betraying my king!\" sneered the hooded demon. \"Well I did ask nicely¡­\" mumbled Silver gripping his hand over the demon''s head, instantly killing them while extracting the necessary information. Sadly, the demon didn''t know how powerful Silver was or they would have given up quickly. The ability to extract memories from the mind and soul was something they never considered, something told from an ancient legend. Silver stood there, perusing through the demon''s memories to find the motive for the destruction of Blue Dream City. Once he got the necessary information, Silver scrunched his eyebrows with a frown. \"It seems this world is more complicated than I thought,\" mumbled Silver disintegrating the lifeless demon body. From what he learned, the demon clan found a way out of their entrapment. After hundreds of years of planning, with the help of the Great Ice and Flame War, they were able to create havoc within the world once more. This time around, it wasn''t the king leading them but one of the demonic emperors. Based on the memories, it also seems they were searching for a culprit so they began operating at a large scale destruction in search for them. Blue Dream City wasn''t the only place being attacked, a few others over the nine continents were being invaded too. These beast tides were a diversion from the truth. The nine emperors were intent on finding the culprit using any means necessary, even killing two thirds of the population would be something they wouldn''t mind. After all, humans can birth more, so why should they care? Thinking about it here, Silver wondered what they were searching for. Flinging the thought to the back of his mind, he continued to keep an eye on the city. Browsing through his spatial ring, he sent out four transmission jades to Bu Keng, Che Myoga, Yong Satay and Dango''s locations. All four grabbed the transmission jade, intently going through the contents within, crumbling the jade into dust and began their mission. \"Benefactor Yong Satay, are you alright?\" asked Wang Bo as he kept countering Emperor Blue Feathers attack. \"Thanks for the concern, Wang Bo,\" smiled Kiu Thao after crumbling the transmission jade. \"My master servant is coming to give us a hand, while my other companions gather the survivors. \" \"Oh?\" 59 Highly Dramatic \"What is this plan you''re speaking of?\" Wang Bo laughed, unsure of the order that Yong Satay had given. He had been living in Blue Dream City for many years himself yet never heard of such an odd plan. Why should they wait in the center of the city and do nothing like sitting ducks in a lake full of crocodiles? \"I''m quite unsure why he would give us this order but we believe in him,\" explained Yong Satay. \"It is your choice to follow me but I will dutifully do what I am tasked to do. Let''s hurry and finish this battle.\" Without hesitation, Yong Satay gathered his qi and punched out another red fist at Emperor Blue Feathers. Wang Bo gave a thoughtful look and proceeded to attack too. Before they could throw in another attack, an enormous transparent fist slammed Emperor Blue Feathers to the earth below. Both were alarmed, turning their heads to where the fist came from, they saw a pale child flying towards them. \"Hurry and finish the master''s task. I''ll deal with this blue baby chicken,\" scoffed Che Myoga as he glanced at Emperor Blue Feathers getting up. \"Don''t bother with questions or I''ll knock on your rock filled heads with that same fist.\" Yong Satay blankly nodded and left quickly, he didn''t dare to take on one of those fist art. Wang Bo stayed quiet and chose to follow right after. If he could, he would have thrown an insult back but the pale child emanated a strong killing intent. Thus, he chose to swallow his words and leave too. ''That pale child exuded not just strong killing intent but I couldn''t tell their cultivation either. That wicked aura reminds of some old texts I read long ago. Why haven''t I heard of that pale looking child. Even so, it seems this master must have some ties to Blue Dream City to save it. Who is this master of theirs? '' \"Hmph, that shitty master wants you alive. So I''ll hold back a little you lucky drumstick,\" sneered Che Myoga watching the two useless lumps leave the battlefield. . . . On Bu Keng and Yong Dango''s side, they had no problems leading their small group to the center of the city. As they continued, about a hundred meters away from the center, a few members of their group began acting up. A thick purplish miasma oozed out of their body, transforming them into a hideous demonic being as they attacked the nearest person beside them. Even though the remaining Wang clan members didn''t know why this was happening, they had to act fast and attack the demons. Those that were too weak or injured backed off instantly, giving the rest ample room to fight. \"Hehehe, you humans will never survive! Our great emperor will eradicate you all,\" one of the few demons declared, intent on killing Wang Lei nearby. \"Too slow'',\" sneered Bu Keng, slicing the demon in half saving the stunned Wang Lei. \"Grab your sword and help.\" \"Alright,\" Wang Lei agreed, unsheathing his sword from his waist. He stood back to back with Bu Keng to counter the attacks from the other demons. Out of the blue, Yong Satay suddenly jumped over Bu Keng while striking the demon Wang Lei was fighting on the right shoulder, instantly blowing it off while switching into a kick at another one. Meanwhile, Wang Lei swung his sword at the two that Bu Keng was defending against, beheading both of them in one fell swoop. Both Wang Lei and Bu Keng turned around on the last one asYong Satay smashed his fist against the demon''s spine, pushing them towards the duo as they slashed the demon in pieces. \"Alright everyone let''s hurry,\" informed Yong Satay casually strolling towards the center of the city. \"We''re almost there.\" Wang Lei let out a sigh of relief as he and the rest followed Yong Satay towards the center of the city. Although he had a lot of questions, he could only wait until they were truly safe. ''Never thought I would ever fight like that'' thought Wang Lei staring at both Bu Keng and Yong Satay''s back. It felt as if they were both guiding him into the right direction, complementing their battle style despite never having fought together before. He didn''t care much for cultivation, but loved being a prodigal young master and what it offered him. Somehow, after fighting alongside this stranger, a strong will to become stronger emanated deep within his heart. ''Father always told me if I ever met such a stranger like that, they are worth befriending. A friendship for a lifetime.'' Wang Qiang hasn''t spoken once, even when Yong Satay joined in the fight. He wanted to ask once they got to somewhere safe as they continued to travel. As they came closer to the center building, he stopped his thoughts. From afar, Wang Qiang could see someone familiar standing by the entrance there in a calm composure. Immediately, both Wang Lei and Wang Qiang ran to the familiar figure and dropped to his knees in kowtow in front of them. \"Great grandfather! I, Wang Lei, could not save most of our clan members,\" exclaimed Wang Lei trying to spit the words out as his throat constricted. \"Please punish this unfilial great grandson!\" Even though it had been barely a day, he couldn''t defend his clan members to the best of his abilities. Half of them used themselves as decoys to ensure that their Wang Clan could continue safely in finding an escape route. He wished he could have met the trio before, at least they could have lessened the casualty. Even so, he fought alongside his father with complete faith they would survive till the end. \"Wang Lei . . .\" murmured Wang Qiang, his eyes becoming red as he fought his tears back. ''It seems you have finally grown up.'' Within the center''s main building, the groups that made it took their time to heal as they waited for their saviours announcement. Wang Bo took in a deep breath, groaning inwardly about how many Wang Clan members were left. He raised his head, scanning the groups and counted who made it to the building. The trio had been coming back and forth with small groups in the past few hours. Most were remnants of clans and citizens who were luckily enough to meet their saviours. At the most, only a few thousands were able to make it safely with minor injuries, while others became disabled. Horrific shrieks could be heard as another group barely made it through the entrance. Swarms of beasts began surrounding the poorly made walls protecting the last line of defense. Most of the experts looked a bit pale-faced, but still readied themselves for another battle. It was either survive or die trying. Seeing the situation going for the worst, Wang Bo ran quickly to the center of the main building to activate the emergency arrays. At best, the array could handle two attacks from an emperor ranked beast. With it activated, it gave enough time to rally everyone to the secret escape tunnel under the city. Just as he was close to activating the arrays, Emperor Blue Feather''s humongous body smashed through the building along with three other emperor ranked beasts. Alarms went off in Wang Bo, instinctively dodging the huge bodies in the nick of time without a chance to activate the arrays. He stared at the limp Emperor Blue Feather in front of him in astonishment. ''Not only Emperor Blue Feather is here laying like a sack of rice, the other three are of similar rank in strength! These four ruled the Great Range surrounding our Blue Dream City. Who could have done this?'' Finally, Wang Bo noticed a pale child laying down on Emperor Blue Feathers back like a lazy cat. His eyes opened wider in surprise finding out it was the same expert who came to help them previously. Before he could blurt another question, he picked up a powerful qi from where Che Myoga pile of emperor ranked beasts came through. Outside of the front building where the pile crashed through, a mysterious figure floated down in front of the raging beasts and lifted their right hand. Their right thumb and index finger touched in the shape of an O, flicking the empty air followed by a gale. Within the crowds'' very sight, every beast disintegrated wherever the gale blew. Even the king ranked beasts were tossed into the mix, especially the one nearing emperor ranked. At their darkest moment, a single person wiped out nearly all the beast in the city with a flick of their fingers. They watched as the mysterious figure turned around and landed in front of the broken building. This mysterious figure stood at a height of 1.9 meters in black and white robes with violet colored hair cascading past their shoulders. Their face was covered with a glossy black mask with an odd eye shape symbol near the center forehead. Nearly everyone turned their sights from the symbol in fear as if it could peer into their soul. However, most tried to ascertain the identity, carefully looking at the eye holes of the black mask hoping to figure them out by their eyes. Sadly, all they got were the stars within the vast yet beautiful night sky. ''Why does this scene feel highly dramatic¡­'' thought Silver as he observed the dazed crowd before him. After changing his appearance, he created a special array around the edges of the city walls. Afterwards, he went to the center of the city and cleared all the beasts including the hidden threats. Everyone stayed in their spots in a quiet daze, waiting for further news as they watched Silver in a fervent reverence. In their eyes, his entrance was like a deity wiping out all threats against his people. He was able to light up the fire of hope within their hearts to keep living. \"We greet Master Kong Xing\" announced the trio composed of Bu Keng, Yong Satay and Dango. Silver inwardly chuckled as he looked at the three following his last minute script. He could of used his real name but ended with Kong Xing as his alias since Blue Dream City was in ruins. Under careful thoughts, he decided it was worth saving them and to start a secret faction under the noses of the nine emperors. Within a dire situation, many individuals affected by the tide will have an unmoving resolution to become stronger, a blessing disguised as a calamity. \"We will begin reconstructing Blue Dream City,\" informed Silver, acting in a mysterious manner. \"I will activate the arrays and deal with the small issues.\" \"What do you mean?\" asked Wang Bo trying to figure out this Kong Xing in front of him. However, Silver vanished and left Wang Bo with an open question. With no answers by the city''s saviour, he turned to the trio who greeted their master. He stared at them, waiting for a type of answer from one of the three. \"I will explain for our master,\" informed Bu Keng in a stringent manner. \"If you take the chance to stay, you''ll not only be safe but hidden from the rest of the world. At best, Blue Dream City will become a forgotten city buried under the foot of the beasts. Those that choose to stay will not be able to return outside for a few years since our master will seal this place into another space. From here, we will rebuild our city and await further news from our master. Furthermore, everyone has a choice to leave or stay. Choose carefully.\" After Bu Keng informed survivors, he quickly left to finish his other task. Both Yong Satay and Dango left right after Bu Keng to do their tasks too. Upon seeing they were gone, everyone began to relax and discuss among themselves if they wanted to stay or go. Most of them were human citizens and clan members of the lowest cultivation. Even though Wang Bo had more questions, he could guess the objective of the trio. Similarly, he began delegating tasks to abled clan members to help out. Che Myoga glanced at Wang Bo approvingly from afar. Only those who are smart with what to say and what actions to take could control the situation appropriately. If they were to make rash decisions, they would have been killed by him. This was one of the tasks given to Che Myoga by his master. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: It is still difficult to edit on a phone than on a computer/laptop :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 60 Birth of Xings Within a majestic and vast scenery filled with vegetation, mountains, rivers and an endless blue sky that spreaded out for hundreds of thousands of miles, a young man stood in front of two young children bowing at him with respect. \"Would you like to finally go out?\" asked the young man smiling at the two young children. \"We will follow the master wherever he goes!\" exclaimed the young boy as the young girl besides him shyly nodded. \"En, what of both of your revenge? Will you still find the culprit that destroyed your clan?\" added the young man nodding in approval. \"Yes!\" exclaimed both siblings in vigor. The determination to settle their revenge shone brightly, they would stop at nothing to have their injustice meted out. The young man chuckled, approving of their determination to get stronger to avenge their clan. It is best not to have any lingering regrets when one cultivates to the top. If they could not clear their heart and mind, they would have a heart demon that would continue to grow and fester within them. Future tribulations can become harder, if not impossible, if one allows unresolved feelings or goals to go unchecked. In the world of cultivation, anything goes, there was no need to cut mortal ties nor become abstinent of your worldly desires. You must be able to grasp every chance to obtain strength while cutting loose ends, only then would someone give you respect as you tread along your own path of cultivation. Every choice you make, there are those who will oppose it and stop you in any form they deem necessary. Like a cultivator who follows the just path, always thwarting demonic cultivators and slaying them for the sake of justice and righteousness. Without power, many types of cultivators will trample you down, turning you into their stepping stone. \"The world is cruel, so we cultivators must defy heaven and be just as cruel to ourselves. Never feel complacent. Even at the top, someone will try to take you down,\" responded the young man in seriousness. \"Every decision you make can create many outcomes, so it''s best to be cautious and follow the path you most desire. There are only winners in the tides of history, whereas the loser becomes the forgotten thief. When the time is ripe, you''ll know when to avenge your clan but right now, both of you are weak. You''ll continue your study outside once I finish my tasks.\" \"Yes, master!\" \"Good, good. What I have given you two will help you along your path.\" \"Master, you haven''t given us names yet,\" informed the young boy staring at the master before him. \"What were your names back then?\" \"I am Soba of the Ithyu Clan! Ithyu is our surname,\" replied Ithyu Soba bowing in respect to the young man. \"I am twelve years old, turning thirteen this year!\" \"I am Ithyu Mei. I will be turning sixteen this year\" added Ithyu Mei following the same gesture as her younger brother. Although the two were three years apart, her little brother had always been overprotective of her. She was always bullied by the other children for her shyness and lack of battle prowess. Since then, she was always saved by her little brother many times including the destruction of their clan. Had he not grabbed her while she sat there frozen in fear, she would have been through something worse than death. \"Thirteen is a good age to start cultivating but sixteen isn''t too late,\" answered the young man as two manuals appeared from thin air into his hands. \"I want you to memorize everything in this manual within a day, then I will then burn it right after. You will remember what you can retain. How far you will go with these methods concerns how astute you are in becoming strong. Contained within are unique breathing exercises you cannot tell anyone about! We will form a contract right here to ensure you can never speak of it. This will automatically end your life if you leak it willingly or not.\" The two teenagers stood there and nodded their head as they formed the contract with the young man without hesitation. To them, they were willing to risk everything for the sake of revenge and power. After making the pact, they began studying the breathing exercise manual and committed it into their brain. Luckily, they were from a cultivating clan and cultivated a bit so their memories were better than a person who just started cultivating. A day had passed and the young man destroyed the manuals. From here, the two siblings will be on their own. \"You can continue to bear the Ithyu Clan''s name or take on a new surname. What would it be?\" asked the young man watching the two glance at each other for a few minutes without a word. \"We will bear a new surname, a new life,\" answered Ithyu Soba staring at the young man with a newfound resolution. \"Good, good. I am known as Master Kong Xing. From here on, your new names will be Xing Soba and Xing Mei. Both of you will live a brand new life, but do not forget to complete your unfinished business. If one string is riddled with knots, how can you continue further?\" informed Silver bringing out a black mask and placing it on his face. On the forehead of the mask laid a mysterious violet symbol, similar to a vertical eye. He then brought out two other masks, green and orange, both inlaid with a black four-pointed star. Next, he handed Xing Soba the orange mask with the four-pointed star on the left cheek. Then, he handed Xing green mask where the four-pointed star appeared above the right eye hole. \"Begin practicing the breathing technique I gave you while wearing these masks. These masks will mark you as my disciple as they are made from a special material with intricate runes inscribed onto them. It will be beneficial for the start of building your foundation, laying down the path of a cultivator for you. These masks will not only hide your cultivation, but you will be able to alter your appearance at ease. Excluding the color and the placement of the four-pointed star, you can shape the mask as you wish. Begin cultivating until I am back.\" During his free time, he inspected the box Patriarch Dimsum had gifted him through Jing Yam. Inside the wooden boxed covered in complex arrays, is the current mask he is wearing. The material it was made from was not of this universe but from another. It came from the Stardust Continent, a mask made out of an extremely rare kuta comet crystal which is harder to find than a phoenix feather or a qilin horn. The crystal itself was pure white without any impurity, and not much material could be fused to it. Such a mask, made from a scarce and rare material, utilized a powerful and mysterious property to hide your cultivation simultaneously blocking all divine sense and intensifying any intent you release. Luckily, Patriarch Dimsum was unaware of such a useful treasure due to his lack of experience and knowledge on other universes. Luckily, this mask came from somewhere he was familiar with and despite it''s flimsy appearance, the kuta comet crystal was extraordinarily resilient. Only a certain type of flame can mold or destroy it and the same kuta comet crystal can scratch another kuta comet crystal. Although he was unsure if there was even rarer material that could scratch or even destroy his mask. However, Silver had many questions about the mask and how it got here as it slightly reminded him of the first void being, Xyen. Whenever they meet again, he would ask about the mask. If not, he''ll solve all the mysteries of the mask and it''s peculiar uses. He continued to inspect the pair of siblings as they struggle with circulating their qi, matching the rhythm of their breathing exercise. Sadly, their masks were made of a less rare material that could only be found in the Isle of Wisdom. ''It seems someone purposely sealed parts of their meridians and acupoints since they were born,'' thought Silver as he peered inside the siblings internal structure leisurely walking behind them. Each step he took, Silver poked at various spots of their acupoints and meridians while infusing his qi into his index fingers. As he finished unblocking their acupoints and meridians, the atmosphere changed between the siblings as their potential became unsealed over a small period of time. Qi began to gather around them at a rapid rate as they continued to circulate it in correspondence to the cycle of the breathing exercise. ''Now the rest would be on you two.'' Silver glanced at the sunless blue sky, reminiscing about his past. The breathing exercise he gave them once belonged to his two disciples from his past life. They were his only disciples from the beginning and the end of his life as a powerful cultivator. Xing Soba and Mei had similar constitutions like his past disciples, so in a way, he was making up for his little bit of regrets he had left. A week had passed as he watched over the siblings cultivate fervently, before he left, he told them to relax and become acclimated to their newfound abilities. Afterwards, Silver left and transformed to his other identity, Kong Xing, returning to Blue Dream City. It was time to enact his plan. . . . Nine silhouettes could be seen standing in a circle in a large room without any lighting. \"We''ve attacked many places yet we cannot find the person or group who is exciting the will of this world!\" shouted a male voice shrouded within an icy fog. \"What about everyone here?\" \"Hmph. If that wench didn''t get in our way and injured us with that weird flame, we''d find this group or person or thing!\" complained a high pitched female voice. \"I still can''t find those three souls in the Eternal Crossing River! It seems like they''ve been consumed by other treacherous souls or soul devourers within. They''re lucky to have died for good or I would of made sure they''ll have never ending torture!\" \"Torture this! Torture that! Is that all you think about, Aries? I almost died since I got the brunt of that wenches attack! Your face is back to normal now, quit complaining. My true body is still recovering while I possess this useless body,\" chastised a childish male voice standing within the circle, shaking their head in grievance. \"I have no leads either.\" \"Quit your childish whining, Weiss! Oh wait? HAHAHA!\" cackled Aries as she pointed at Weiss''s child appearance. \"I sent a beast tide in all of the nine continents with the demons commanding them. Oddly enough, a strong commander of mine had died in your continent, Arctic Emperor. I think Blue Dream City is the name of where they died at. I can''t find the culprit but the city is now in ruins,\" responded a deep, husky voice ignoring Aries mocking words towards Weiss. \"I imagine that a group of the hidden powerhouses have finally come out from hiding, taking him out. It seems the small cracks on the seal are reawakening them. I might actually have someone worthy to fight.\" \"Heh. A fighting maniac like you, Melik, is too impractical! Stealing the virginity and cultivation of young women, eating the finest of food, enjoying and living a luxurious emperor life is where it''s at,\" sneered an evil sounding male voice from across Milek. \"Oddly enough, the flames that I was ready to refine have suddenly disappeared. The pocket dimension it was in is no longer there. Seems like someone got it before I, Vilden! I like them to try and use the flames without me detecting it.\" The other exiles exchange the news on their side, except for one who stayed quiet during the trade of information. Arctic Emperor had noticed this, as did the others, and stared at the female silhouette across from him. Even though it was a dark room, everyone could see each other clearly as if they were in the daylight. Once a cultivator breaks into the internal realm, the darkness wouldn''t affect their vision. Everyone stared at the quiet female, awaiting for her to answer. Noticing the glares she was getting, waking her from the idle thoughts, she took a glimpse at everyone. \"I have nothing,\" responded the female with a soft, yet cold tone. Turning her body away, taking a single step, she vanished from the dark room. \"Such arrogance that woman! We never forced her to join, she came with us willingly,\" complained Aries frowning at the spot where they disappeared. \"You''d think her owning and controlling the Gold Spring Merchant Association, she''d side with us. But she has stayed neutral and we have to pay an astronomical fee just to obtain a piece of information! Such a cold-hearted woman.\" \"Leave Autumn alone,\" chided the Arctic Emperor shaking his head lightly. He could never understand why she would betray her master, Lian, joining their exile group. Every member had a strong desire, acting upon it with veneration. They could never stop it, slowly consuming everything about them. Whatever motive they had weren''t his problems unless it clashed with his. Then he would have no choice but to duke it out with whomever went against him. \"She has helped us many times, but she has helped those fools too. It has given us some form of entertainment for quite some time now. So we''ll let her be neutral until the time comes, then she will be forced to make a decision.\" \"Hehehe. I look forward to that day,\" Vilden chimed in. To him, Autumn was a delicacy he had to save for last. His skill allowed him to detect female virgins and she was the main course. If Autumn chose to side with the world''s will, she would become a free for all. Taking her cultivation would give him a boost, if he was able to snatch her before the others, the number one strongest would be him. Autumn was the strongest of all the nine with Arctic Emperor being the second, Aries third, Milek fourth and so on. He was weakest of the nine but sooner or later he''ll overcome them and turn them into his slaves. After a few minutes the discussion room became quiet, everyone had parted, leaving the Arctic Emperor alone to his thoughts. Slowly, the icy fog began to dissipate, leaving an empty dark room. A silhouette of a woman stepped out from the darkness, deep in thought as she stood in the middle. None of the other eight had noticed her presence, since she never left in the first place. \"Silver¡­\" mumbled Autumn stuck in her thoughts, disappearing once more. \"Master¡­.\" - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: It is still difficult to edit on a phone than on a computer/laptop :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 61 Eclipse Dimension \"Thank you for saving us,\" smiled Shui Guiying, assessing the masked individual before him. Gu Rain stayed silent while he held the unconscious Fen Hua over his right shoulder. Her injuries were severe, but they gave her a life-saving pill to keep her alive. Before her injury, all three were finishing off two king ranked beasts as a transformed Fen Diao suddenly appeared before them. Such attacks were swift and precise, ready to puncture through the unsuspecting Gu Rain''s heart. Fen Hua immediately noticed Fen Diao coming between them so she pulled Gu Rain away and took the brunt of Fen Diao''s attack. Gu Rain turned to see Fen Hua as she pulled him behind her as a demonic hand punctured through her back. Enraged, he quickly grabbed Fen Hua and thrusted out his strongest palm strike at the demon''s head, intent on killing them. Consequently, it felt like Gu Rain smashed his palm against a steel wall. Unable to fight back a monster, Gu Rain tried to escape whilst carrying the unconscious Fen Hua. Shui Guiying just finished killing a king ranked beasts but was grabbed by the collar and instantly teleported to a region a few hundred miles away. Before he could say anything after seeing it was Gu Rain a roar could be heard from where they were earlier. A menacing aura grew stronger as it sped to their location in an outrageous speed they never felt before. Having reached them, Fen Diao attacked once more as Shui Guiying tried to counter him. As they fought, Gu Rain took his time to stop Fen Hua''s bleeding and fed her a treasure medicine said to bring back the dead to life. Although the hole closed up, Fen Hua wasn''t waking up from the shock she received earlier from Fen Diao''s attack. Meanwhile Shui Guiying was on the brink of losing against Fen Diao. With his little bit of qi left, he made a small mistake allowing Fen Diao''s attack to sneak in and give the killing blow. Fen Diao chuckled as he imagined his hand going through Shui Guiying''s heart but instead felt a strong resistance. Fen Diao realized he had been stopped by an unknown cultivator, but chose to escape instead. If someone could stop his arm with little to no resistance, it was best to give up and do it once more at a later time. He didn''t want to deal with another situation like he did with the pale child. Thus, he left as quickly as possible. \"May I know who our benefactor is?\" asked Gu Rain after stabilizing Fen Hua''s condition. \"We''ll talk after you three recuperate,\" answered Silver emotionlessly under his mask. \"I''m sure you''ll figure it out but do not speak of it out loud. Follow me.\" The two grandmasters stayed quiet, Gu Rain carried the unconscious Fen Hua once more as they followed behind. It was best to accept their situation and go along with it. They continued following the mysterious masked cultivator, finally reaching their destination at Blue Dream City. ''Where are all the beasts¡­?'' thought Shui Guiying staring at the empty city. His instincts told him that an unfathomable event was going to happen. Finally, they reach the center of the city. Thousands of survivors bustled about and tended to their kins, neighbors, soldiers and strangers. Even then, no matter how busy these helpers were, nearly all of the survivors slowly halted and stared at the group of four. Especially at the individual with the black mask with the violet eye symbol. Silver, under the alias of Kong Xing, stood before the huge and silent crowd of survivors. Many wore an excited expression, as others were sullen. Each and every one of them had mixed feelings of the ultimatum given to them by this masked individual. Before Silver had left to save Shui Guiying and the others, he sent a mental announcement to every survivor. \"Those who want to leave will follow Bu Keng through a hidden trail out of this city and into a safe spot within the vast forest. Once you leave, the trail will disappear and you will no longer be able to find Blue Dream City until it is unsealed in the later years,\" monotoned Silver informing the survivors. \"If you choose to stay, you''ll be under our jurisdiction. You must follow our rules and if you break them, punishment can either be light or severe. Worst case scenario, many can result in the death of an individual or a group based on the results of the investigation. Any questions, concerns?\" Everyone stood there with furrowed eyebrows, finalizing a life changing decision. Many of them were regular citizens so they had no choice but to concede into staying with optimistic thoughts in mind. Others that were hesitating were once powerful clans with years of history, rooted firmly into their once now ruined home, Blue Dream City. \"As I was told when I was a young child, when a once in a lifetime opportunity arises, take it with a firm grasp and never let go! Our Wang Clan will join you without hesitation!\" exclaimed Wang Bo in jubilation. After seeing what Kong Xing could do when they first got here, he didn''t mind joining such a powerful and mysterious group. Especially the help they have received was exponential. Under true power, others will bow before it but add benevolence, loyalty ensues. Silver smiled under his mask, admiring the keen instincts of the Wang Clan ancestor. Soon after, the surviving clans decided to follow the Wang Clan''s decision. If the all powerful Wang Clan conceded to a mysterious person without caution, why should they? Everyone stayed firm with their decision to stay. The natives of Blue Dream City didn''t want to lose nor leave their home, even if it helps gain reputation they would continue to protect it. And with such a powerful backer, albeit mysterious and suspicious, they had no choice but to follow through. Furthermore, many of the clans in par with the Wang Clan had underlying motives. What can one small group of measly cultivators do? They would allow them to live in the moment but will swiftly take them down one by one. Yet, they could only bide their time as the small group had the Wang Clan backing them. No matter how many times these clans used underhanded assaults, they could never take down the Wang Clan. There was a saying that spreaded through the other clans, \"Heaven favors the Wang Clan, why bother trying?\" \"I did not expect everyone here to stay but it doesn''t matter,\" exclaimed Silver with a big grin hiding under his mask. \"In a few minutes, the Blue Dream City will vanish from this world into a dimension I''ve created. There will be ample resources within this world so your first mission is to find a suitable location to live in. Of course there are invisible boundaries that''ll stop you from entering a certain location outside of the city. The basic needs of clean water, land and vegetation will be met as the rest will be procured by yourself. Until then, I will announce other details at a later date once everyone has settled in.\" Silver then asked Wang Bo to gather the other patriarchs for an emergency meeting. After hours of debating, they finally came up with a decision for their first topic. The meeting was quite awkward, especially for Silver, as it concerned the name of the dimension. He had terrible naming sense, gathering a huge group of people for a simplistic decision. In his past life, his naming sense was so terrible that his two disciples did the naming for him. After naming the dimension, Silver left the rest of the work to Wang Bo and Bu Keng. The Yong siblings had no interest in politics so they instantly backed out leaving Bu Keng and vouching for Wang Bo''s help. They came up with a plan to start the process of living, housing, currency, agriculture, rules, and other necessary arrangements. Later that day, Silver flew outside the Blue Dream City''s wall and began activating the transferring array he created earlier. Although it would use a small amount of his qi, it was still mentally exhausting to make a whole city disappear as if some powerhouse destroyed it. He had to make sure his plan was truly foolproof, readily adding fake ruins after the transfer to fool the enemies. If Wang Bo had told him correctly, there was a monster sealed under the city, protected by the Kiu Clan. Of course, Wang Bo didn''t know that Silver had taken care of that \"monster\" called Che Myoga. By using this method, Silver was to create a scene to surmise the destruction of Blue Dream City due to an ancient \"monster\" that was finally unsealed. Without any useless thoughts, Silver activated the arrays to transfer Blue Dream City to the Eclipse Dimension simultaneously laying down the \"ruined\" city. To the nearby inhabitants, demons, beasts and cultivators, all they could see was ominous purplish light reaching towards Heaven emanating wrath and death. Those close to it became affected, decaying into corpses and becoming wailing ghosts that surrounded the now \"ruined\" city. Finally, Blue Dream City was wiped off the map in the Constellation World. - :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: It is still difficult to edit on a phone than on a computer/laptop :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 62 Avatar Many months had passed within the Eclipse Dimension since Silver used his transfer array. After exerting a great amount of his void qi, he was forced to settle down and recover. Transferring a complete city into the Eclipse Dimension, actively sealing it while hiding the spatial disturbance was extremely taxing despite being in the sovereign realm. Within the Constellation World, Silver was the only person in the sovereign realm that could do it. It was extremely rare for those who had broken through the sovereign realm to fully grasp and utilize the world laws. Even then, those who knew world laws at that cultivation level were rarer than a phoenix feather. Silver looked up at the sky of his sealed dimension, gazing out into the outside world. Many cultivators, demons, and beasts have tried to explore the "ruins" yet none could pass the first layer alive. One had to be resistant to both the corroding and toxifying effects of the nether qi, including the death qi that was mixed in. If another compared Fen Diao''s concoction to this dangerous miasma, his was basically childs play. Gradually, within the tides of time, this "ruin" will become the most dangerous spot in the Constellation World. "Bu Keng, how is the city coming along?" asked Silver glancing at Bu Keng, holding a huge stack of papers. Silver narrowed his eyes for a split moment, feeling dreadful as he watched Bu Keng placed the papers on his desk. He truly hated doing paperwork. "Much work to do, including the paperwork you tried throwing onto Wang Bo and I again," chided Bu Keng, narrowing his eyes at Silver as he handed him the stack. Most of the things requested had to go through the chain of command, needing Silver''s actual approval. "I seem to have misplaced this stack. We need to make sure the papers are sorted out properly. I can''t have our workload being mixed up..." ''It feels like you''re avoiding your responsibilities again¡­'' thought Bu Keng. After being in the Eclipse Dimension for nearly half a year, he realized Silver enjoyed dodging his responsibilities when it came to official paperwork and anything that had to do with structural progress of the city. "Alright, I''ll get to it but let''s drink some tea and relax," responded Silver putting the papers aside and then bringing out a tea set. By using his qi, Silver generated a mild and moderate heat to warm up the water he poured into the teapot while preparing the tea leaves. After several minutes had passed, the tea was ready to drink. "Calculating the time, we should be ready within these next few days. The mortal villagers had already settled in and adapted to their new land.All of the clans, including the top three, have decided on their representative for their weekly reports," continued Bu Keng sipping on his cup of tea. "Thanks to your display of immense prowess, no one dares to fight you over the Eclipse Dimension. However, they''re displeased that they cannot create any sects since you keep rejecting them continuously during the past three months. At the rate of development, everything should align accordingly to this new environment. May I ask a personal question?" "Bu Keng, I thank you for the work you''ve done since the transfer and sealing. Without the help of Yong Satay, Yong Dango, the Wang Clan, and you, I wouldn''t be able to resolve the situations as quickly and cleanly as it is now. What is your question?" "Where is the Kiu Clan and our Master Thao?" " In regards to the Kiu Clan, only four members are left. I need not explain which four are left but the culprit for their eradication is still alive and well. I forgot about that rascal until you brought it up." "You didn''t kill the culprit? Why?" "He''s too strong for the current you but if you want, I can hand him to you. I already took a portion of his soul, turning him into an independent slave. Do whatever you feel necessary," informed Silver snapping his finger. A small child appeared before Bu Keng, seeming to be around ten, wearing all black. Their long black hair grew past their feet, hovering in the air before them. Their blood-red eyes stared at Silver with disgust and fear while ignoring the quivering Bu Keng. "Here''s the small jade containing a portion of his soul and blood. He is the Ghost Asura, Che Myoga. Crushing this jade will harm him but it will let him listen to your every order," added Silver, giving Bu Keng three glistening red jades. Che Myoga turned his head away from Silver and stared at the red jades in Bu Keng''s right hand as held onto them. He truly wanted to break free from his slave seal but he couldn''t get near the red jades that controlled him nor could he lash out to anyone unless commanded. If he ever got a chance to be free, he would definitely hide in a place from this horrible demon in human skin. Never had he been treated worse than the shit under his shoes until he met Silver. Just remembering all the torture made him quiver inwardly with fear. "This is the culprit..?" "Yes, that is the one who was sealed under the Kiu Clan. Not only that, your clan is a branch clan of the main Kiu Clan. It seems only the patriarchs and a few elders knew of this but kept it a secret. As to where the main clan is, I have a feeling that is where your master Kiu Thao will be heading to or is at currently. However, you cannot kill Che Myoga due to the difference in strength. At best, I can make him your lackey and bodyguard. Why not use, humiliate and let them suffer? Or would you rather give them a swift death? Although I cannot help you avenge your clan, I can have Che Myoga listen to you. Be creative but also wary. Give the other two to Yong Satay and Dango." "Thank you, Master Kong Xing," replied Bu Keng as he showed a thoughtful face. Even though he could not beat nor harm Che Myoga, he and the others could at least do other "fun" things with the perpetrator. "En, continue your hard work. I will be away for awhile too," informed Silver as Bu Keng gave a slight nod and left in a hurry. He watched Che Myoga give him one last glare before following Bu Keng with an aggrieved expression. In the near future, shrilling screams would be heard throughout the Eclipse Dimension followed by strings of curses and more screams. Although many were concerned at first but as the days went on, they got used to it and went on with their lives. "Xing Soba, Xing Mei, come here," called Silver as he entered the courtyard to his home. "Yes Master," replied Xing Soba and Xong Mei in unison walking towards Silver. They gave a respectful bow, listening carefully for his next words. "Tomorrow you will both begin exploring the Constellation World to find your cultivation path. You''ve already understood the basics and consolidated your foundation firmly. However, I will create an avatar to travel alongside you both incase of emergency and some guidance. Do not depend on me to save you as my avatar will only help in extremely dire situations. Understood?" "Yes Master." Silver showed a touching smile and handed Xing Mei a black jade bracelet and Xing Soba a black jade ring. In addition to the black jewelry, he gave Xing Mei a green ring while Xing Soba was given an orange ring. "These are specially made spatial artifacts made for the both of you. Similar to those that have an array built to safeguard the materials within, these will disintegrate once you die including what''s within them. Once you put them on, it''ll instantly hide itself as if you aren''t wearing it. Those other rings are your identification rings, it should help you two when you go through cities that use such identifiers." "Thank you Master Kong," thanked the two disciple bowing respectfully. To them, Silver was their savior and teacher who did not use them but helped them with opened arms. After they gave their bow and looked back up, their eyes showed a dazed expression. Their master was no longer there but an average looking donkey took his spot. "We''ll head to the Black Swamp starting tomorrow," informed Silver''s donkey avatar. :: To my readers, LOABA is just an abbreviation of Life Of A Boring Asian! You can find my twitter @loaboringasian and my fb page, Life Of A Boring Asian. I rarely update them, so it wouldn''t matter much :: :: Thank you for reading! :: I noticed I should get back on track with my life, so I''m going back to college to get a degree. Sadly, it''s not going to be related to writing/literature since this is more of a hobby :: :: Please send some stones my way, reviews and/or comments! :: - 63 Wherever You Are Silver estimated that it would at least take a month to travel throughout the Constellation World to "greet" the Arctic Emperor and the other eight vehement souls. Not only that, he had to ensure his disciples were properly trained as they traversed the Black Swamp and deal with the Eclipse Dimension. With so many responsibilities, he created two avatars to deal with the tasks at hand. One of them oversaw the Eclipse Dimension and the other guided his disciple, while he, the original, traveled. With the way he delegated his avatars, everything should go to plan despite his donkey avatar being two realms lower than him. Whereas the one overseeing the Eclipse Dimension was only a realm lower. Despite having two avatars, his soul was in a state of recuperation due to the immense pain to ensure both avatars had enough strength to handle unforeseeable circumstances. Thus, Silver had decided to travel and recuperate to his peak before he fought against the Vehement Souls. He was already reaching half-way to where the Arctic Emperor resided, so he took a break to see how the avatar overseeing the Eclipse Dimension was doing. Searching through his memories, Silver could see that they began creating a sect and setting up the guidelines with the other patriarchs. Many rules were created but the most prominent that garnered the most attention was the Challenger and Death Stage. The Challenger Stage allowed others to challenge each other through sparring or skills. Anyone in the sect could initiate a challenge to whomever and those being challenged can either accept or deny. But once they were challenged, they could not be picked again for three days. This gave those who were challenged ample time to rest and learn from their experience. However, the Death Stage was created for settling grudges that could only be settled through one''s death. This stage allowed one to become more cautious, as any of them could go through life and death matches anytime. Luckily, the one who wins in the Death Stage is given three days of immunity from both issuing and receiving such summons. To ensure fairness, none were able to enact revenge on the other''s family behind the scenes. If such underhanded means were used, well, they''ve already seen what Silver could do to them without moving an centimeter to escape. He was a god in the Eclipse Dimension. As the days went on, there were several who became personal disciples from elders in all three testing areas. The great elders stood at the front of their respective area, keeping a keen eye on who they wished to make their disciples, including Yong Satay. Out of the many outer, inner and primary disciples that had been decided on, they couldn''t find anyone worth nurturing. They only had this mindset because of the absolute strength and knowledge Silver possessed. Silver sat in a hidden cave, reviewing the changes of the sect and other events within the Eclipse Dimension. After sorting all the memories received, he sorted out his donkey avatar''s memories right after. During their travels, both Xing Mei and Xing Soba reached the late stages of Internal Realm, Expert Internal Warrior. Once they reached this stage, Silver decided it was time to check their spiritual roots and begin their first step into the world of cultivation. The Origin Realm marked the beginning of every cultivator. This was where they combined their spiritual roots with their dantian to become reborned. Within the nine continents, spiritual roots could be categorised into five basic elements: wood, water, fire, earth and metal while the three rare are: light, dark and spirit. Majority of cultivators had an impure mixture of four or all five of the basic attributes. Although they were able to absorb Qi of Heaven and Earth, their cultivation will progress extremely slowly in terms of absorbing Qi. At most, they could only reach the seventh or eighth level of the Internal Realm before reaching a bottleneck, halting all hopes of breaking through to Origin Realm. Those who have a mixture of four or five attributes within their spiritual roots are known as "chaotic spiritual roots" in the Immortal world, while spiritual roots consisting of two to three attributes, were known as "superior spiritual roots". Those born with superior spiritual roots would naturally cultivate and absorb qi many times faster than those with "chaotic spiritual roots". As for spiritual roots with only one attribute, they''re known as "divine spiritual roots"; those who received them were truly born with divine blessing from the heavens. With "divine spiritual roots", regardless of which of the five basic elements the spiritual root belonged to, their cultivation and Qi absorption rate would be faster by two to three times when compared to those with "superior spiritual roots". And upon reaching the peak of Internal Realm*, they would not encounter any bottlenecks when attempting to break through to the Origin Realm. If "superior spiritual roots" already increased the rate of cultivation, the"divine spiritual roots" would make people angry to the point of vomiting blood caused by hateful envy. But those born with even one of the three rare spiritual roots, whether mixed or alone, could cause one to die from shock and envy. Those born with any of the light, dark and spirit elements are meant to be gods among immortals. It can either be obtained from an inheritance or awaken from one''s bloodline. Not many cultivators are born with such a rare spiritual root but those who are known to have them are either dead, strong enough to defend themselves or in hiding. One cannot blatantly boast of their talent, unless they have a powerful backer or already have the strength to brag without fear. In either situation, these talented individuals will always become a target by many due to jealousy, greed and/or competition. Silver tested them with a small crystal ball, telling Xing Mei to place her hand on it. Looking at the crystal ball, he showed a poker face. After seeing Xing Mei''s spiritual root, he passed the crystal ball to Xing Soba. The Ithyu Clan had a long history of natural wind spiritual roots holders throughout their lineage, but they had rare cases where they were either born with wind and dark spiritual roots or wind and light spiritual roots. Xing Mei was the former while her brother was the latter. Both of them were the main cause of their clan''s annihilation due to their very special spiritual roots. This was caused when one of their clan members mentioned it to another fellow member, drunk off wine at a restaurant they frequent. They were overheard by a few nobles who began scheming a "bandit raid" immediately. They only knew of this due to the "bandit leader" boasting about it when they were hiding as their parents fought back. Once they escaped, they were captured by an actual group of bandits and sold off to a slave trader for some pitiful amount of money. Xing Mei was lucky enough to not be raped due to her brother''s persistence in protecting her. Xing Soba had met the edge of death many times. Weeks later, the bandit leader lost his mood and instantly traded them off to a slave trader. Soon after, they were auctioned off at the Gold Spring Merchant Association''s auction house. With a stroke of good fortune, they were bought by their kind master, Silver (Kong Xing). Since meeting him, both Xing Soba and Xing Mei finally regained the confidence in enacting vengeance on the nobles who schemed against their Ithyu Clan. After confirming their spiritual roots, Silver the Donkey gave a slight nod and tapped his right hoof on Xing Mei''s forehead, then he tapped Xing Soba''s. "Sort the information I have given you two. We will begin the fusion of your dantian and spiritual roots so you can truly take your first step into the cultivation world," grinned Silver as he remembered back when he first began his cultivation journey in this world. But the mood disappeared when the thought of her crossed his mind. ''I hope we will meet someday.'' . . . A huge crowd of spectators kept their gaze on a single girl stepping onto the combat platform. She appeared many times throughout their test, always taking first place with elegant coldness. Many followed her gaze, looking at the calm male combatant that stood in her way to become a disciple. He was the runner up in many of the six tests right after her, finally reaching the final round. The girl kept a cold and distant gaze, an unmatched beauty ready to blossom in the near future. As for the male, he was a handsome young man with an irresistible smile and incredible stature. They both waited for the vice-sect master to start the match, hiding his deep contemplation. "Begin!" exclaimed the vice sect master with a faint smile. He had much optimism pertaining to these two beginners but only one can join their sect. If it was him, he would take them both within a heartbeat. However, only the sect master could make that call. ???Hmph, I''ll show that you''re nothing special Jing Shi," sneered the young man. "I, Shu Bai, will make sure of it!" After coming second place to Jing Shi so often, Shu Bai became increasingly frustrated. He was supposed to be the one at the top with his extraordinary background and talent. His eyes narrowed quickly as he brought out his sword, stepping forward into a sword lunge. The seemingly normal sword struck in towards Jing Shi with precision and swiftness. It was as if the sword followed her with every step she took, but it never reached her despite how quick the lunge was. ''Hm?'' Shu Bai thought. He could already see the sword piercing through her yet the sword tip stopped half a meter from her chest. However, to the crowd, one could see Shu Bai stopping his sword in front of her chest, unable to move forward. No one could understand why he suddenly stopped his ferocious sword strike. "IS THAT AN ICE WALL?" exclaimed one of the eliminated participants. Those who had good eyes to discern the battle were able to tell she had set up an ice wall the moment Shu Bai began his lunge. The wall was created so quickly, it took the vice-sect master a fraction of a second to notice it. The comment shook Shu Bai as he began to see the wave of heat from the sun gliding around her. Turning his head to the center, he examined Jing Shi ice wall cautiously. ''Ice as clear as crystal?'' thought Shu Bai as he backed off quickly. "You are of the Jing Clan?" Jing Shi stared at Shu Bai without a word and shot out six icicles in his direction. ''Fuck! That''s definitely a skill from the Jing Clan. She''s a member of that Jing Clan! I might as well be serious now.'' Consequently, as he was distracted by countering the icicles, his lower half became encased in ice. His mobility immediately fell and the final icicle stopped an inch away from his face. Shu Bai took a hard gulp, unable to do anything and dropped his sword to show that he forfeited. To him, to lose against the Jing Clan was nothing shameful. They weren''t a clan to be trifled with in the whole Xia Kingdom. ''Definitely a family full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, even this harmless looking child is resolute with her opponents.'' thought the vice-sect master. "Jing Shi is the winner!" - Hello readers, Sorry for the late update on the novel. I had tried to migrate my files to my new pc but I somehow made many big oops. I wasn''t able to recover any of my files and it never crossed my mind to create a backup. Luckily, I found out one of my chapters was still in google drive weeks later after some...mood swings. This was the only chapter that I kept on google drive when I switched to microsoft word. T__T -