《Wudang: Legends Of Qi Earth》 -4 History of Qi Earth July 12 1674 The Chinese began their conquest of the known world after discovery of an unknown energy source they have dubbed with the name qi. January 19 1700 The entire Asian continent and it''s adjacent islands had fallen to the Chinese royal family, bringing about the dawn of a new age. The rest of the world watched on in fright. August 28 1717 The sect convocation act was released, allowing for the creations of sects,propagating the teachings and creations of martial and cultivation arts. February 3 1720 The first tri annual sect tournament was held. And for it, the five great sects were born into the modern world. The Wudang sect, the Beggars sect, the Tangmen sect,The Emei sect, and the Shaolin temple became the true pioneers and masters of modern martial arts. And together with the Imperial academy of the royal family, they became the six great giants of the Wulin(Martial world.) March 22 1750 The unified Asian continent, now called the empire of heaven launched the quest for worldwide colonization. War began anew. November 30 1780 The continent of Australia, Antarctica, and south America had fallen under the command of the empire of heaven. They were winning. December 12 1800 The entire American continent has fallen, and so has Africa. Europe remains untouched as they also have created an elite force of cultivators they call knights. January 1 1900 After one hundred years of skirmishes and war, Europe now known as the empire of Albion, signed a ceasefire clause with the empire of heaven and all its colonies. Advancement began anew as the world began to change. September 2 1969 A radical terrorist group came into being with the belief that all governments were false and should not be allowed to exists. April 10 1974 In conjunction both empires came together to create Guardians. A joint military operation that saw students from every major sect and school attending for a two year service. They were tasked with keeping the peace. January 1 2000 at 12:00 Both empire finally sign a peace treaty and became united in marriage, choosing unity in preparationsfor a coming threat. September 11 2002 The first cultivator to ascend to a higher realm of existence tore open the fabric of time and space unleashing fearsome animals and creature from mythology and extinct history.They all became stronger under the Qi rich atmosphere of the earth. Becoming a threat to humanity. .... March 20 2018 Wudang host it regular five year entrance examinations to admit new disciples into the sect. And this time an uncle is coming to the western edge of the African continent, were the mixed blood child of a citizen of Heavens empire waited for a chance to find his mother. And his destiny. -3 Cultivation Chart Of Qi Earth ¡Á CULTIVATORS¡Á MORTAL GATE: (9 levels each) [BODY REFINING REALM] [OPEN MERIDIAN REALM] [OPEN DANTIAN REALM] [TRUE ESSENCE REALM] [TRUE ELEMENT REALM] EARTH GATE:(7 levels each) [SOUL REFINING REALM] [SOUL DANTIAN REALM] [SOUL ESSENCE REALM] [SOUL ELEMENT REALM] [SOUL UNION REALM] HEAVEN''S GATE: (12 levels each) [IMMORTAL REFINING REALM] [IMMORTAL MERIDIAN REALM] [IMMORTAL DANTIAN REALM] [IMMORTAL ESSENCE REALM] [IMMORTAL ELEMENT REALM] [IMMORTAL UNION REALM] +KNIGHTS+ STUDENT GATE:(9 levels each) [BODY SQUIRE REALM] [CORE SQUIRE REALM] [ENERGY SQUIRE REALM] [ELEMENT SQUIRE REALM] [BATTLE SQUIRE REALM] WARRIOR GATE: (7 levels each) [AWAKENING KNIGHT REALM] [CORE KNIGHT REALM] [ENERGY KNIGHT REALM] [ELEMENT KNIGHT REALM] [BATTLE KNIGHT REALM] GENERAL''S GATE: (12 levels each) [AWAKENING NOBLE REALM] [CORE NOBLE REALM] [ENERGY NOBLE REALM] [ELEMENT NOBLE REALM] [BATTLE NOBLE REALM] [ROYAL NOBLE REALM] AUXILIARY / HIDDEN CULTIVATION STYLES [MAGES] : INFORMATION FORTHCOMING [SPIRIT KINGS]: INFORMATION FORTHCOMING [ELEMENTALIST]: INFORMATION FORTHCOMING -2 List Of Characters ALEX FENG MATTHEWS/ZHANG XIAO FENG/ ALEX ¨¦L¨¦¨®J¨° ¨¢L¨¨ MATHEWS (PROTAGONIST) BENJAMIN OJ¨®NUGWA ¨¢L¨¨ MATTHEWS (FATHER) ZHANG SUIYAN (MOTHER) ZHANG XIAO MEI (SISTER) ZHANG WUYAN (UNCLE) BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ (FANATIC ANCESTOR) ANYAJA ''ANYA'' OMAKPE (BEST FRIEND) (LOVER) LU YAN (NEMESIS) CRONOS VON DELHEIM ( LEADER OF THE COMMUNION OF TRUE SONS) ...¡­ Will be updated as the story progress -1 Grades @@ TECHNIQUE GRADES: BRONZE GRADE => IRON GRADE => SILVER GRADE => GOLD GRADE => PLATINUM GRADE. WEAPONS GRADE: MORTAL WEAPONS: LEVEL 1=>9 SPIRIT WEAPONS: LEVEL 1=>9 IMMORTAL WEAPONS: LEVEL 1=> 6 PILL GRADES AND ALCHEMIST GRADES: YELLOW GRADE ALCHEMIST [FIRST AND SECOND RANK MORTAL PILLS] RED GRADE ALCHEMIST [THIRD TO SEVENTH RANK MORTAL PILLS] GREEN GRADE ALCHEMIST [EIGHT LEVEL MORTAL PILLS TO FIRST LEVEL SPIRIT PILLS] BLUE GRADE ALCHEMIST [SECOND TO EIGHT LEVEL SPIRIT PILLS] PURPLE GRADE ALCHEMIST [NINTH LEVEL SPIRIT PILLS TO SECOND LEVEL HEAVEN PILLS] DAO MASTER ALCHEMIST [ THIRD LEVEL HEAVEN PILLS TO NINTH LEVEL HEAVENS PILLS.] SPIRIT MONSTERS AND QI DEMONS SHARE THE SAME TYPE OF CULTIVATION AS HUMANS. SPIRIT MONSTERS: CAN BE CONSIDERED AS THE ANIMALS OR MONSTERS BORN WITH PRIOR INTELLIGENCE AND CAN SERVE AS PROTECTORS, MOUNTS, AND PETS TO CULTIVATORS. QI DEMONS: ARE MONSTERS BORN AND TWISTED BY QI, THERE ARE BLOOD THIRSTY AND LIVE ONLY FOR DESTRUCTION AND BLOOD SHED.SOMEHOW THEIR UNIQUE MAKE UP MAKES THEM FASTER CULTIVATORS THAN HUMANS AND WOULD USUALLY REQUIRE TWO STRONG CULTIVATORS OF THE SAME LEVEL AS THE DEMON OR HIGHER TO TAKE IT DOWN.@@ 1 Alex Feng Matthews Chapter 1: Alex Feng Matthews March 1, 2018 Alex kept an open eye as he circled his opponent.This maneuver was not going to be easy, and the fact that they had been playing this game for the past 89 minutes already, had him exhausted and tired. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and impairing his vision, but his opponent was not in a good place either. Sweat also dripped down his muscular brown frame as his muscles tensed in anticipation of Alex''s next move. This was a crucial part of the game, and the deciding moment. The winner takes all, and the loser fails. Alex looked beyond his opponent and spotted the goal, the endgame, the net. If he could get it, then this whole fight would be over. Alex tensed his calves as the soles of his feet burned from being in contact with the sun baked tarmac for too long. Alex paused, and then he moved, shooting straight for his opponent with a singular purpose and a very determined look. Every spectator around was screaming in awe and fright, with a few insults thrown in. Many of them were rather vocal with their insults as they believed he was being foolish to go head on with such an opponent. Alex knew what he was doing, or at least he hoped he did, because there was a lot riding on his shoulders, and he couldn''t afford to fuck up here. When his opponent was just two feet away from him, Alex maneuvered the ball to the back of his right leg, and using the toes of his left he raised the ball and used the back of his foot to kick it up. Then, he ducked left and watched with satisfaction as his opponent watched the football soar over his head, completely shocked by the skill displayed by Alex. Then Alex, already waiting behind his opponent, kicked the still airborne ball with a bicycle kick and watched in pure glee as it went past the goalkeeper and straight into the net. "GOAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!" "WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!" "And with the sound of the final whistle, the Iron Pythons of Oganenigu win the championship! I repeat, the Iron Pythons are now the winners of the under fourteen village tournament! I''m not surprised, the Son of Heaven has struck again. What a glorious match, one to be remembered for the ages to come." Alex barely had any time to catch his breath before his teammates all crowded around him.There were screams and shouts of joy all around him. Alex found it hard not to be swept into the festivities as a wide smile swept over his face. He looked into the crowd and saw his biggest support, the person who he really won this match for...his father. And with as stoic as he looked, Alex could see the look of pride on his father''s face.It left quite a warm feeling deep within his heart. He raised his hand in a fist and pointed it to his father and his father also did the same thing. Every member of his team also did the same, since monkey see, monkey do, fisting their hands and pointing them at his father. Besides, why wouldn''t they? He was their coach after all. It was a wonderful day, one that Alex would never forget for the rest of his life. "So how do you feel about being a champion." "I don''t know, dad, I feel like I should be happy, but I don''t really feel anything. It''s like there''s more to life than just being the football champion of a village." "You need to learn to take pride in everything that you do, no matter how unimportant it might seem. Besides, I have something for you." "Huh?" Alex was surprised by his father.He usually never received gifts from his father, unless it was a really special occasion or it was required for his training. It was a piece of paper.Honestly, it killed any excitement fourteen-year-old Alex had mustered in anticipation of the gift. "Don''t look so disappointed when you don''t even know what it is yet." Alex brought his head down and looked at the paper in his hand.Seconds later, he was trembling in excitement and happiness as he read the huge words written on top of the paper. "The twenty-fifth annual inter-village martial competition. The top 100 winners will have the opportunity to represent their local government in the inter local government competition, and the top 100 from the local government competition will gain a chance to represent their state in a nationwide martial arts competition, of which the top ten would be chosen as outer disciples of the great Wudang sect, bringing glory and honor to his or her household. Registration begins on the 15th of March, 2018, and closes on the 17th. The following are requirements to be eligible for the competition. The registering martial artist must not be younger than twelve or older than sixteen. The registered martial artist must be at least the second level of the body refining realm, and should have the express knowledge of at least two martial arts techniques, preferably a defensive technique and an attacking technique. Violation of the rules, or cheating of any kind, would result in instant death." Alex looked up at his father with sparkling eyes. "Are you finally going to let me train? You''re going to let me fight?" "It''s finally time for you to find your place in this world. If I don''t let you do this, you will probably find a way to do what you want anyways. Besides, letting you become a painter, like your father, seems like an extreme waste of talent. I had forbidden you from training, and I know for a fact you never deviated from my orders.You are already at the upper stages of the first level of the body refining realm. You gained all that just by being alive. Talent like that is not meant for a village like this." Alex was so happy that he jumped up from his chair and ran around the table to hug his father. Hugs were as rare as gifts in this family. Even though it was just the two of them, Alex knew how hard it was for his father to show emotions of any sort.He showed his love for his son in more ways than one. "I love you, Dad!" "I know. But, there''s something else you need to be aware of. Your mother is the daughter of an important member of the Wudang sect." Hearing about his mother completely doused any excitement Alex might have mustered about this martial arts competition. "You know what, just forget it. I''m sure I can live a fulfilling life painting people''s houses and their portraits." "Don''t be such a child, Alex, I taught you better than this." "I don''t care!That woman left us, especially you! You loved her and she left us. I don''t want to have anything to do with her!" "Alex Feng Matthews! Don''t raise your voice in my house!There are things in this life that are not as simple as it may seem. Look at me, look at me, boy! I had nothing to offer your mother, not status, not wealth, and not power. In this world love is not enough to keep a woman, especially not a woman like your mother. Things happened Alex, but it does not mean she did not love me or you. In fact, she loved you so much, she cried by your crib for days before she left. But duty to her bloodline and her sect overcame her duty to her love and her son. And while it was rather hard for me to swallow, there was nothing I could do to keep the woman I loved from being taken away. And for my weakness I apologize, because I was weak.I deprived you of a childhood with your mother." And then his father went down on his knees and bowed his head in apology to his son. Alex was so appalled by such a sight, he quickly pulled his father to his feet, feeling guilty for making him humble himself like this. "I''m sorry, Dad. I did not mean to make you upset. It''s just painful that even though you did not have the strength to fight for us, why didn''t she. She just left and never looked back." "My son, the world is cruel and not easy to navigate. You will learn this on your journey to the top. Your mother and I made mistakes that made your childhood really hard. They made fun of you for your light skin, your narrow eyes and your long black hair. It would have been easier if your mom was around since I''m not so good with all this parenting stuff, however, I believe I raised you right, and of all our mistakes, you would solve them and make your mark in this world. Your destiny is bigger than our quaint little village." All Alex could do was nod his head in understanding. He knew this world really respected strength, but he has this philosophy, this belief that if you loved someone, then you can do anything to make that person happy.You would do anything to make that person happy no matter what. But his parents were raised by very different views and values. He felt it was stupid, but there was hardly anything he could do about it. His father placed his hands on Alex''s shoulders, and gave him a book about four inches thick. On its cover, there was a drawing of a snake; a python. "I don''t have any martial arts manual to pass to you, however this book was made and compiled by an ancestor of our family, who was successful in reaching the soul awakening realm. This ancestor of ours was very theoretical and loved to experiment and invent martial arts techniques. But he had a problem with finishing what he started, so that book is filled with uncompleted techniques and a lot of theories about cultivation. It helped me reach the seventh stage of the open Dantian realm, and should do wonders for a boy with as much talent as you." Then, his father left their tiny dining room, leaving Alex with a grateful look on his face and a dream in his heart. 2 First Training [STUDY OF THE ART OF QI AS POTRAYED BY THE INVADERS IS QUITE PECULIAR INDEED. AND WHILE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR ANCESTRAL ARTS AND CUSTOMS ARE BEING PURGED, I DO NOT DESPAIR FOR I SEE A BRIGHT AND GLORIOUS FUTURE FOR US, A FUTURE WHERE OUR OWN METHODS AND BELIEFS WILL CREATE OUR VERY OWN BRAND OF MARTIAL ARTS AND CULTIVATION.SO I HAVE SET OUT TO STUDY THEIR WAYS, LEARNING FROM THEIR MASTERS IN HUMILITY AS WE ALL SOUGHT TO UNLOCK THE LIMITS OF THE HUMAN BODY AND KNOCK ON THE GATES OF IMMORTALITY ITSELF.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¥. This book was more like a diary than a manual, a diary that could get Alex a date with the executioner. His ancestor was crazy, he had big dreams that was for sure, but a cultivation system would take thousands of years to make and refine. It was common knowledge that Qi and cultivators have existed for thousands of years longer than was believed to be. Qi and all it''s related compendium became open knowledge in the 1600, that was when mankind truly became conversant with the hidden world that only a lucky few could ever had a chance of living in. But then here comes an ancestor intending to take everything ever learnt, then reforge and make it into his own image, essentially cementing his name in history as the greatest man to have walked out of the dark continent, or a heretic that had his head cut of by the royal family. Alex had no idea how profound this book was, but it''s opening words were already damning enough. Alex turned to the next page where a training method for the body refining realm, and along with it, was another diary entry. [ THE BODY REFINING REALM IS THE FIRST OF THE MORTAL GATE,AND THE VERY FIRST STEP ANY MORTAL COULD TAKE IN THE JOURNEY TO ENLIGHTENMENT AND IMMORTALITY.SO FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THIS REALM IS MEANT TO STRAIN AND PUSH THE HUMAN BODY TO THE VERY EDGE AND PEAK OF ITS LIMITS. IT IS A JOURNEY TO FIND AND CREATE THE PERFERCT MORTAL BODY.BUT LIKE EVERYTHING IN CULTIVATION, THE BODY REFINING REALM HAS A REASON AND A GOAL. AND THAT GOAL COULD BE SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD; FOUNDATION.THE BODY REFINING REALM IS THE GROUND ON WHICH THE FOUNDATION FOR IMORTALITY IS BUILT. YOU CAN NOT BECOME IMMORTAL IF YOUR MORTAL BODY CANNOT HANDLE DIVINITY. AS SUCH THE BODY REFINING REALM INCREASES THE LIMIT OF A MORTAL BODY FOR TRANSFORMATION INTO THE IMMORTAL BODY. AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE CREATED MY (SKY PYTHON SWIMS IN WATER)BODY REFINING TECHNIQUE.] He went on to explain how the (SKY PYTHON SWIMS IN WATER) technique really worked. It lay on the basic muscles and components of a snake''s body,and in particular a python. Alex pulled a long face because of all the things he was terrified of the most in this world, it was snakes. Now he had to learn how to fight like one. The refining method required one to train every muscle in their body, so that it could be as strong as a pythons, but also as nimble as a viper. It was a balanced skill that emphasized on having strength, speed,and grace. Hence the swimming in water and sky part of the techniques name. There was a slew of body postures and instructions to go with them, at the sight of the first one Alex''s eyeballs shrunk in fright.What was this mad man thinking,was he trying to kill his subsequent descendants or something. With the way this exercise looked, Alex wondered how his father had survived practicing it till the open dantian realm. [THIS TECHNIQUE CAN BE PRACTICED FOR AS LONG AS ONE IS A MARTIAL ARTIST, THE GAIN HOWEVER WOULD ONLY BE OBVIOUS IN THE BODY REFINING REALM, AFTER THAT IT COULD BE SUPLEMENTED FOR A BETTER TECHNIQUE. IT CAN STILL BE PRACTICED BUT WITH A LESS NOTICEABLE GAIN. TAKE NOTE THIS TECHNIQUE IS NOT COMPLETE, AT LEAST I DON''T THINK IT IS, THERE''S STILL A POSSIBILITY OF IMPROVING IT TO A HIGHER GRADE. SO TO MY FUTURE DESCENDANTS OR STUDENTS, IT IS UP TO YOU TO PERFECT MY FIRST AND ONLY(SOMEWHAT) COMPLETE TECHNIQUE.] Alex blinked his eyes,and then he blinked them again. He could not help but begin to curse very loudly from the north to the south, insulting Bartholomew and every ancestor before him for spawning such and unconventional idiot that only left a legacy which would get his descendants killed.But there was nothing he could do, before today his father had forbidden him from learning martial arts or any fighting skills at all. Not to mention they were not wealthy enough to have Alex go to the local martial arts academy, so he had to go to the normal village school and learn normal stuff. "Well what choice do I have." Alex muttered to himself. The first exercise required Alex to have really thick ropes entwinedall over his body while he was hanging from a treewith both his hands and legs spread wide in an X form.The rope was connected in such a way that if he moved his hands, his legs and abdomen would suffer from the ropes biting into his flesh, if he moved his legs, his arms, chest and neck would suffer from the ropes. He had to stay completely still in such a precarious position,and to be honest, it was more pain than he could handle. Within a period of three days,Alex had been able to adapt to the exercise and had to move on to the next one.For the next one he was required to tie a huge rock to his feet and throw it into a rapidly flowing river, it was up to him to fight the pull of the rock and the currents by stressing and flexing his muscles. It was a long week of pain and torture, but with even his aching limbs and shortened breath, Alex was able to notice the increase in strength, speed and flexibility, he was like a dancer or something. Which now brought Him to the third part of his training. He had to take in Qi to consolidate and increase his foundation. All this training that he had just gone through could be considered as digging the foundation, now adding Qi into his body was like adding cement and solidifying his foundation, which meant unless he was seriously injured or poisoned,what ever stage he trained his body to, it would not regress. And that was the mysteriousness of Qi. Because normally if you trained and exercised, and then you stopped keeping your body fit, then everything you had trained for would be lost. Qi made your body remain in its most optimal and healthy state. Alex did not have a Qi cultivation technique of any sort, and he was much to afraid for his life and future cultivation to try anything from his ancestor''s book. An incomplete cultivation manual if practiced, could cause serious damage. So without any technique, all Alex was left with was breathing and meditating. Even though martial arts had been somewhat of a taboo in their house, Alex had taken every opportunity he could get to learn and study about the Wulin (martial world) as much as he could. Meditation was an art that preceded cultivation, in fact it was through this method that people got to discover Qi. But after the discoveryof Qi Meditation evolved into what was now known as cultivation arts and internal martial arts. But for people like Alex who did not have access to cultivation arts, it was obvious they had to fall back to the father of all cultivation art, meditation. Alex has been able to get himself to the mid stage of the first level of the body refining realm. Just by being alive, that was a feat in itself which meant that for the whole of his life, Alex had a body that would increase in cultivation, just by him existing. Now if all these could happen unconsciously, what then would happen when he meditated intentionally. Alex sat beneath a tree in the backyard of their quaint family house. It used to be what one would consider the house of a common guard, but the Ale family line had fallen from grace until it was only Alex and his father. They took the name Matthews as penance for not being strong and worthy enough to carry the family name. So until such a time as either he or his father could make that name prestigious again, they were not worthy of being known by it. The tree had served as his torturer for the past week, but it has also been here since his great grandfather was a boy, apparently it was planted by the same maniac who made the python diary. Alex positioned himself under the tree and closed his eyes, he tired to open his senses and body to the essence of life in the air, to Qi. Since this was the first time Alex had no idea how to truly identify the feeling one got when they came in contact with Qi. So he took a deep breath, and the world around him went haywire. His body was like a starving man who had seen food for the first time in a month. His pores were open, and the hair on his skin and head were standing up as if he had been shocked by electricity, his muscles tightened as they spasms and contracted according to the rhythm of his breathing. As for Alex himself he had no idea what was going on outside his body, because within himself he could see a light, it was the character for wind, written in the literary symbol of the empire of heaven. Alex recognized this symbol, after all it was a part of the name his mother gave him. Zhang Xiao Feng, that was his name, or the name given from one side of his lineage. His father had named him Alex ¨¦l¨¦¨®j¨° ¨¢l¨¨ Matthews. But he had chose to discard his full name from both sides, choosing what worked best for him. Hence his name became Alex Feng Matthews. The light pulsed three times then dispersed into little dots that formed letters. It was a letter, and from the looks of it, it was written by his mother. Alex was shocked, normally he should not be able to look into his soul until he got to the heavens gate of cultivation, however his mother was so powerful that she could leave a message in his soul, and made it so, that he would be able to read it the very first moment he consciously came in contact with Qi. [MY SON, MY SWEET LITTLE BOY. I''M SORRY I COULDN''T RAISE YOU, BUT THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WORKS. THERE ARE MATTERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES GREATER THAN ME BEING YOUR MOTHER. AND I KNOW HOW PAINFUL IT SOUNDS TO HEAR THAT I CHOSE DUTY OVER YOU MY SON, BUT I HOPE SOMEHOW IN THE FUTURE YOU WILL COME TO UNDERSTAND.IF YOU''RE LUCKY AND BLESSED WITH TALENT, THEN FINDING ME WOULD NOT BE TO HARD FOR YOU, IF NOT THEN JUST WORK HARD AND TRY YOUR BEST TO LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY IT''S SUPPOSED TO BE. I GAVE YOU UP SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A CHANCE IN CHOOSING YOUR OWN DESTINY. BUT IF YOU COME AFTER ME, YOU WILL BE SUBJECTED TO THE SAME RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTY AS I WAS,SO COME PREPARED.TELL YOUR FATHER I LOVE HIM, AS OF THE TIME YOU''RE READING THIS LETTER I DOUBT HE WOULD STILL HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART. I HAVE LOVED A LOT OF MEN IN MY OVER HUNDRED AND FOURTY YEARS OF EXISTENCE, BUT NONE OF THEM GAVE ME THE JOY AND ABILITY OF LIVING A NORMAL LIFE. YOUR FATHER MADE ME SEE AND TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE MORTAL, AND FOR THAT I THANK HIM.I LOVE YOU MY SON,AND I PRAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY YOU WOULD JOIN YOUR ELDER SISTER AND ME. WE''RE WAITING FOR YOU HERE, AT YOUR HOME. COME FIND US AT THE WUDANG MOUNTAINS, THAT IS YOUR TRUE HOME.] Seriously, how was this woman raised. Who would tell their son that their father was just a bus stop in their long line of flings. Not to mention he had a sister. But before Alex could ponder the message any deeply, he heard the sound of thundering booms within his body, as his body shook from the impact. He felt as if walls were being broken,while massive blocks were being thrown on the foundations he made. This time Alex was more conscious of what was going on in his body. His muscles pulled and strained,then expanded and contracted. He felt his bones creaking as they absorbed Qi in massive amounts. The thundering booms were now within his head, as Alex felt like someone was banging a war hammer on his body. A small whirlwind had formed with Alex at the center, with the Qi in his immediate vicinity being funneled through it, and into his body. His father ran out in surprise at the sudden change in the area, there was shock written all over his face by the amount of Qi his son was absorbing at the moment. "Second level of the body refining realm!" "peak stage of the second level of body refining realm" "mid stage of the third level of the body refining realm." "fourth level of the body refining realm, oh ancestors above what is going on." Alex''s father could not say anything as he was speechless with shock. He knew his son was talented, but this was just inhuman. He consecutively broke through three levels in less than thirty seconds. If the great sects in the east heard about this, forget Wudang, every single one of them will fight over him, even the reclusive Shaolin temple would want to have him. At that moment, he did not know whether to be happy and proud of his son, or scared of his talent and for his safety. Eventually the wind dispersed to reveal a passed out Alex. It was not surprising as most people were always overwhelmed the first time they cultivated, it was even more so for Alex who broke through multiple levels in such a short time.Ben went and picked his son up ignoring the stench and foul black liquid escaping from his body. His eyes narrowed as he muttered to himself. "Mid stage of the fifth level of body refining realm." "it is what it is my son." 3 Martial Art i : Sky Python Crushes Rock [MARTIAL ARTS HAS ALWAYS ENCOMPASSED ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR SINCE IT''S INCEPTION. COMBAT. OF COURSE MOST TIMES IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN JUST AN OVER COMPLICATED DANCE DESIGNED TO REAP THE LIVES OF YOUR ENEMIES AND DEFEND YOURSELF FROM HARM.HOWEVER MARTIAL ARTS HAS BECOME THE CORE OF EVERY CULTIVATION JOURNEY, IF CULTIVATION IS THE BUILDING OF A FOUNDATION ALL THE WAY TILL THE HOUSE IS COMPLETE. THEN MARTIAL ARTS ARE ONE OF THE TOOLS WITH WHICH THE HOUSE IS BUILT.MARTIAL ARTS CAN ENCOMPASS A FEW BASIC TYPES, THEY''RE DEFENSIVE MARTIAL ARTS, OFFENSIVE MARTIAL ARTS, EVASIVE MARTIAL ARTS, AND INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THEY''RE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM CULTIVATION ARTS, EVEN THOUGH CULTIVATION ARTS ARE SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS, THEY ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME, HOWEVER THEY SOMETIMES WORK THE SAME WAY WITH A FEW DIFFERENCE. EVERY STYLE IS FURTHER DIVIDED INTO SUB STYLES WITH SPECIFIC MARTIAL ARTS TAILORED FOR THEM, IT IS FROM THIS STYLE AND SUB STYLES A CULTIVATOR IS MEANT TO PICK AND LEARN FROM.] "Hiyah!" "thud." "Alex you should learn to do more than just swing your fists. Think of fighting as one of your soccer games. It is not just running with the ball,but you have to incorporate technique, power, speed, dexterity, balance,and stamina. Haaa!" Alex was flung back by a palm strike from his father, he hit the unforgiven ground just as hard but slowly managed to hold in the pain by biting his lips really hard. "Do not be afraid to show pain Alex, your enemy might be lead astray if he thinks the severity of your injuries is a whole lot worse than it seems. It might make him arrogant and cause him to make a mistake. Yahhh!" This time Alex''s eyes could barely track the punch that was heading for his face. But if his eyes could see it, it did not mean his body could react in time. He was raising his hands to block the incoming punch, but he could not raise it fast enough as his father''s punch slammed into Alex''s fisted hands which were over his own mouth at the time, essentially making Alex punch himself in the face. "Pain doe''s not make you weak, remember this even if you end up an immortal and ascend out of this world someday. You''re human, pain is an integral part of our existence, we can never be who we are today without it. So don''t be afraid to show it when you''re hurting sometimes, it reminds you that you''re still alive,and still human. Humph" Alex had thrown a punch midway through his father''s speech, only for the punch to be caught with one hand,as his father waited to complete the speech before throwing his son away like a rag doll as if he weighed nothing more than a paper. "I''m sure you''ve now become conversant with your new strength, I had to beat this newly gained arrogance out of you, and also punish you for punching holes in my wall. You should be more careful with how you swing your hands the next time you have a breakthrough.You can carry on from here, you still need to learn two martial arts in less than ten days." Alex couldn''t answer, the only thing he could do was raise his fist towards his father from his position on the ground. At that moment he really, really regretted punching a hole through the wall in his room, of course since his father''s room was placed right besides his, his fist also destroyed his father''s wall. But his father had been right though,waking up at the fifth level of the body refining realm almost drove Alex mad with arrogance. Because seriously how many people could claim that they did this in less than five minutes. He was a genius I tell you,a genius blessed by the heavens. But if there''s one thing his father had just beaten...¡­..err taught him,was that pride goes before fall. But Alex had learnt his lesson, which meant it was now time for him to learn a martial art. Of course the fact that he had to learn it from the python book left a sour taste in his mouth, but there was nothing he could do about it. [THE OFFENSIVE STYLE OF MARTIAL ARTS COVERS A WILD RANGE OF SKILL AND ARTS. YOU HAVE KICKING SKILLS, FINGER SKILLS, PALM ARTS,SWORD ARTS ETC. BUT I HAVE INVENTED MY OWN STYLE, OF COURSE THERE IS A PARTICULAR STRING OF MARTIAL ARTS TAILORED JUST LIKE MY STYLE, BUT IT IS NOT VERY MAINSTREAM. THIS STYLE OF MARTIAL ARTS IS TERMED GRAPPLING ARTS, AND I HAVE NAMED THIS SKILL OF MY MINE (SKY PYTHON CRUSHING ROCK).THIS MARTIAL ARTS WAS BORN FROM THE TRADITIONAL WRESTLING MATCHES OF OUR ANCESTORS, DURING THOSE TIMES A MAN''S TRUE PROWESS WAS MEASURED BY THE STRENGTH OF HIS ARMS,AND THE FINESSE OF HIS BODY. THE GOAL OF THIS MARTIAL ART IS TO GIVE THE USER THE CRUSHING AND TRAPPING POWER OF A PYTHON. THERE ARE ONLY TWO PRACTICED MOVES IN THIS ART SO FAR,PYTHON CRUSHING BONE, AND THE PYTHON SLAMMING EARTH. ALONG WITH THIS ART IS A SET OF EXERCISE TO PRACTICE WITH AND INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF YOUR ARM, ABDOMINAL, BACK, THIGHS, CALVES AND PECTORAL MUSCLES. PLEASE NOTE THIS ART IS NOT COMPLETED AND IS OPEN FOR FURTHER REVISIONS.] This move did not look anything like conventional fighting, and as for the exercise required, it was practically the same with the sky python swims in water body training technique with a few changes. But there was a note saying the exercise could be ignored if the martial artist was already training in the sky python swims in water exercise. The moves were not too extravagant as they all required a fighter to be in contact with the body of his opponent. However it was quite complex when you looked at it a little deeper, every flex and movement of the muscle was designed to make the opponent feel as much pain ad possible, basically it was crushing them to death the same way a snake would kill its prey. For this skill to be practiced to perfection the practitioner had to learn how to cause damage with the least amount of moves, make his or her opponents tire themselves out. When the opponent is trapped in the grappling move, the practitioner should be strong enough to hold that position indefinitely, so it was equally a test of patience and strength for both the user and the person this skill was being used for. Alex had to practice with a wooden dummy, however for some reason his father had prepared twelve sets of wooden dummies with two dummies being in a set for a total of twenty four. Each set was stronger and tougher than the last, but Alex still did not see any use in having this much dummies. The first move of the sky python crushes rock was actually the python slamming earth. The python crushes bone was in essence a killing move,which made it the final step in a two stage attack. Once the practitioner has gotten a hold of his enemy, the Python slamming earth move will be implemented, the martial artist would have to flex his muscles and put his opponent in an optimal state to exhaust himself. Then the opponent must be slammed to the ground with the practitioner taking great care to make sure that the opponents head hits the ground, so that the opponent will be stunned. Patience will be required as stronger opponents are harder to stun, so the practitioner will have to play a waiting game, much like a snake while also applying pressure so that the opponent will find it hard to breath. After a few slams, there should be an opening for the Python crushing bonefinisher. This martial art was not without its flaws,as it depended mainly on the practitioner having greater or equal strength to his opponent, not to mention a more flexible body, stamina and patience.This was not going to be a high speed impact fight, it was a tussle where both parties will get tired, but only one person will get injured. Alex just had to outlast his opponent, of course the problem of whether or not he would be able to get his opponent in the grappling move was still up for debate, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it. A few hours after his training began, the sun began to dip into the horizon, creatures of the evening and heralds of the night began to make their call and song as the signaled a day at it''s end. Alex was sitting beneath the tree at the back of their house surrounded by splinters of wood and the decapitated heads of eight wooden dummies. He understood why his father had prepared this much dummies for a training session, after hours of slamming and crushing, Alex had not seen an explosive increase in strength, instead he had seen an explosive increase in control. According to the instructions Bartholomew had left in his diary, he had to learn to use every muscle in his body to exert pressure, even his butt. Which made using these moves a whole lot more complicated than picking someone and slamming them on the ground. Practice of the sky python crushes rock was an exercise in an out of itself,at the end of the training session all Alex''s muscles were burning. He was sure if he decided to meditate and take in Qi, he would probably get into the next stage of the body tempering realm. But his father had asked him to refrain from meditating, he had to learn to consolidate his strength, and get really used to the state of his body, before he attempts to move forward. Alex could feel the burn on his whole body,and he could not help but wonder what grade of martial art was the sky python crushes rock. It was not mentioned in the book,so Alex had no idea how it worked, but it seemed like a skill that could be practiced for the whole of the mortal gate of cultivation.As he was lost in his thoughts, a stone flew towards him in really high speeds, Alex was barely able to dodge before the stone chipped off a piece of the bark of the tree. "Are you trying to kill me!" Alex shouted in indignation. "If you died then, that would be really disappointing. Good evening to you son of heaven, have you missed me." "No I have not daughter of hell,and please stop calling me with that title Anya. I''m from the dark continent, just like you." After he finished speaking the shadow of someone flew over his head as she dropped down from the tree. The fact that Alex did not notice she was there until she tried to kill him with a stone, was not due to his incapability, but due to the fact that this sixteen year old girl was crazy strong for her age. She could be considered a genius on Alex''s level if not higher, it was a shame however that her father just wanted her to get married in other to further his political career. Anyaja Omakpe, Anya for short, was actually the only best friend Alex had in the whole village. He might have been the star player of their football team, but in the end he was still different, and so was Anya. Alex was a mixed breed son of the east and west, his skin was not light enough to be called a son of heaven, and he was not dark enough to be the son of the dark continent. But since he was here and he was different, everyone called him the son of heaven. Alex was sure if he was in the empire they would call him son of the dark lands too. He was stuck in between two worlds. Anya however was as dark as they come, ebony skin color and eyes as black as night. She could be considered beautiful, scratch that, she was the most beautiful girl Alex had ever seen. The only problem lay in the fact that she was such a tomboy. She dressed like a boy, had her hair cut short to the horror of her family,and she had a reputation for beating the crap out of boys who approached her, or stared to long at her curvy ass. And to make matters worse she was the most talented cultivator to be seen in this part of the world in like forever. She was sixteen years old, and she was already in the fourth level of the open meridian realm. But she was born a girl, which was quite unfortunate for her,as women hardly ever had any rights here except for what their men gave to them. And in Anya''s case, her life was tied by her father''s ambition. Because they were always together, Anya was given the name daughter of hell, and the name seemed to fit her gangster reputation quite well. She sat down beside him and started to dust off the pieces of wood that were littered all over his body. She did this all the time, tried to baby and take care of him like he was her child or something. At first Alex hated it, but since Anya could never be told no, Alex let her do what she wanted. "Since when did you start your training?" "Yesterday." Call Alex childish or stupid, but he had never hid anything from Anya, he told her everything, including the time he kissed a girl and she told he tasted like a frog, just to hurt his feelings. Of course that girl ended up being beaten up and forced to run naked around the village. Everybody had pretended they did not know who was involved. They were that close to each other it was not much of a surprise if they knew the color of underwear the other person was wearing. "You got to the fifth level of body refining realm,from the first in just a day." "no, not a day. It was in about thirty seconds to a minute." "You''re a monster. I can see why we''re meant to be best friends." "who wants to be friends with a crazy chick like you. You just won''t leave me alone, so in the end I have no choice about this friendship." "Are you looking to die, ehh!" "....." "I thought so." Alex shook his head in amusement, his time with Anya had always been some of the most meaningful he has ever had since he was born. She knew him so well it was like looking at the mirror. "I have decided to register for the inter village competition. Its my last chance,and the only way I can escape the plans my father has for me." Alex sighed in consolation as he said to her. "You know he won''t let you just leave the village. The registration and competition is in Dekina, and that''s the local government headquarters. If you use a car it''s a four hour journey, and there''s only one way in and out of the village." "Don''t you worry your pretty handsome face about it. I have a plan." "I''m not handsome or pretty, and are you going to tell me what this plan is." "Why ask when you know I won''t tell you." "Mehh, whatever, I guess I''ll see you at the competition." "Yeah I hope we get to fight each other." "I hope you get married before then." "Do you want to DIE!!!!" "No wait, wait!, wait!. Anya stop! I''m sorry, No, No, Nooooo!!!" 4 Martial Arts ii : Hidden Viper Of Buddha Hands [MARTIAL ARTS DEFINE A CULTIVATOR, THEY SERVE AS AN IDENTITY FOR A CULTIVATOR AND THE BASIS FOR HIS FAME. IN THIS WORLD, A PERSON IS NOT KNOWN BY HIS NAME, BUT BY THE STRENGTH OF HIS MARTIAL ARTS, OR THE LEGACY OF A MARTIAL HE OR SHE IS CONNECTED TO. THIS IS A CIVILIZED WORLD, BUT WE STILL PREFER USING OUR FIST AS OUR MODE OF COMMUNICATION AND RECOGNITION.A MAN IS ONLY AS KNOWN OR RESPECTED BASED ON HOW MUCH HIS MARTIAL ART IS FEARED.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ "argh,fuck." "Watch your language Alex." "Sorry Dad." "I''m going to contradict myself a little Alex. You should not hide your pain, but it is imperative that you''re not ruled by it. By not hiding, you accept it, and let it forge you into the warrior and man you''re supposed to be. But pain can also birth anger, hate, despair and fear. All this are emotions that could be quite lethal and crippling to a warrior. Now sit still, there''s still more wood pieces in your arm." Alex really appreciated the lessons from his father, they helped him understand that being a martial artist and cultivator, went beyond fighting or ascending to a higher realm. There was a philosophy within, a life, a knowledge, a Dao.And most people never really got to understand and see it for what it was. There were too many facets and angles to cultivation, too many situations where the proper mindset and will was required to survive and to make decisions. Alex had only just started, but he was actually learning things most people took years and a couple of unfortunate situations to learn. And for that, he would be eternally grateful to his father. But philosophy aside, Alex had to endure an hour of pain, as his father picked out pieces of wood that had gotten stuck in his body during the practice of the sky python crushes rock techniques. And as if that was not enough, he had to endure four hours of the sky python swimming in water exercise, before he had to practice the grappling technique. To be honest it was a rather painful experience, and he had to endure it while listening to Anya quip and make fun of him during his training in the name of motivation. He had been going through this torture for the past three days, and Alex believed he was now conversant enough with the technique to move and practice another. He only had six days left for the registration, and he needed to learn another martial art to reach the requirements for the competition. Alex did not have time to master the moves,even though he was actually fairly close. Of the twelve sets and twenty four dummies, Alex has made his way through twenty, though at the cost of a lot of pain, he was still able to crush the twentieth dummy which to be honest was quite hard considering it was wood almost six inches thick, not to mention its hardness. "Okay it''s time for bed. You need to wake up early for your training. I won''t be here tomorrow though, I need to head to the market to complete some orders and get a few things ready for your journey, because I don''t think you will be coming back here again. Now Anya might come over when I''m gone, so you guys should be careful how you play, I placed some condoms in your desk drawer just in case. You have to be careful you know, it is to early to be a father since you have your whole life ahead of you. Good night." There were rare occasions when his father actually made a joke, of course he never made a joke for the fun of it, but because he saw it as a way to make light of a serious situation. Alex knew without a doubt, that those condoms were actually in his desk drawer, his Dad has been putting them there ever since he turned thirteen. Though it was not his father''s fault since it was quite natural for children, especially in the dark continent to be married by the time they hit thirteen. It would be a miracle to see an eighteen year old girl or boy in the village who was not already married, or with a child.This world forced people to mature too quickly than was necessary. Alex made his way back into his tiny room, it was so small it only had room for a bed, a foot locker, a wardrobe,and desk that was placed beside his bed. There was barely any room for Alex to move around, but he felt at home here. Part of him might hunger for the outside world, for adventure and intrigue,but a bigger part of him loved his life here. He loved how quaint, quite and simple it was,and if not for this competition he would probably have ended up a painter like his father and married to Anya. There was nothing to complicated about such a life except Anya would complain that she wanted more out of life, but she would stay beside him no matter what. After all she had waited this long for him to leave before she started thinking of running away.Alex sighed as he felt the exhaustion of the entire day wash over him, what ever was left to be thought about, he would do it tomorrow. ........... In the early hours of the morning, a young boy could be seen reading a book under the glow of the shining moon. He had a little torchlight in his hand as he was focused and preoccupied with the book he was reading. This young man was Alex, and he had to choose and figure which, from the many, uncompleted and theoretical techniques written in the book was he going to learn. It took a while because honestly, some of the things written in that book was way to profound for Alex to understand at this stage of his cultivation, so he had to pay attention to the more simpler things. Eventually he settled on a technique. [IT PAINS ME GREATLY THAT THERE WOULD BE A TECHNIQUE WITHOUT THE NAME PYTHON IN THIS BOOK, BUT THERE''S NOT MUCH I CAN DO AS IT SEEMS I HAVE RUN OUT OF PYTHON THEMED NAMES TO ASSIGN. I GOT THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS TECHNIQUE BY WATCHING A FIGHT BETWEEN A HIGH RANKING MEMBER OF THE TANMEN SECT, AND A MONK OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE.IT WAS AMAZING AND A SIGHT THAT HAS SHOOK ME TO MY BONESEVERYTIME I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I CALL THIS MOVE THE HIDDEN VIPER OF BUDDHA HANDS. THIS TECHNIQUE HAS SIX MOVES I INVENTED, AND ALL SIX MOVES ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE DIFFERENT SUB STYLES OF OFFENSIVE MARTIAL ARTS THAT CAN ONLY BE USED WITH YOUR HANDS. THERE ARE TWO FINGER MOVES, TWO FIST MOVES, AND TWO PALM MOVES.TO SUCCESSFULLY USE THIS TECHNIQUE IN ANY OF ITS FORM, YOU HAVE TO INCORPORATE ELEMENTS OF STRENGTH, SPEED, AND SPONTANEITY. THE TWO FINGER MOVES INCLUDE (VIPER STRIKES THROAT), (BUDDHA CUTS HEAD).THE TWO FIST MOVES ARE. (IRON VIPER STRIKE), (VIPER TAKES NUTS), AND THE TWO PALMS MOVES ARE( BUDDHA CLASPS SERPENT), (VIPER EVADES BUDDHA). EACH OF THE MOVES ARE INDEPENDENT AND IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE PRACTICED IN ANY PARTICULAR FASHION, IT IS TOTALLY UP TO THE USERS PREFERENCE. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS AN UNCOMPLETED TECHNIQUE AND I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISHAPS DURING TRAINING.] "Wow, what a stellar member of society, this guys is a complete jackass." "Who is a complete jackass?" "Arggghhhhh Jesus Christ, what the fuck are you doing here this unholy hour of the morning Anya." "I don''t think your father would appreciate you cursing." "Answer the question damn it." "I couldn''t sleep." "So?" "I love to watch you sleep at night." "......" "Anya are you in love with me?" "...¡­..yes I am." "Huh, okay then. Let''s talk about that when the sun is up, I need to practice." "Sure, okay." This two were a rather strange pair, a girl''s confession was supposed to mean something, especially her first. But this two saw and approached the world so differently that they casually brushed it aside in favor of training. To be honest it was not as if they did not see this coming, they were always together, and they knew each other so well. Even if they never spoke about it, it was an unspoken rule between the two of them that they would eventually end up more together than they already are. They just chose to go with the flow and let the ball play itself. Alex spent another two hours studying the moves before he decided to mix it up. The finger art was a little more complicated for him as it required quite a significant amount of power to be generated from the tip of a person''s hand. Both moves were made basically for piercing and slicing, and they both had to be performed really fast. It might have been a problem for Alex to practice, even with his talent, but it was no problem for Anya as she fell in love with this particular brand of moves and immediately started practicing. By the time it was noon,two of the dummies had six inch puncture and cut wounds on their wooden frame. Alex chose the (viper evades Buddha), and the(iron viper strike).One a palm art, and the other a fist art.The viper evades Buddha was a plan move that emphasized on deflecting attacks, and if you can use it fast enough it could even become an attacking move.Using the same element of spontaneity, the user is supposed to use his palms to deflect every attack thrown at him with lightening quick precision. It was unorthodox as palm art focused more on power than speed or precision. In fact Alex had never heard of palm arts that focused solely on just deflecting attacks. The iron viper strike was actually the most tricky of all the moves, unlike its counterpart the viper takes nuts, which was basically a carefully polished low blow. The iron viper strike was the only one that put emphasis on power, and it was done in a way Alex was becoming more and more familiar with for each day that passes; muscle control. The iron viper strike required a build up of energy and the centering of power within the user''s body. It worked similar to an ancient and lost martial art skill Alex had once heard off, (THE ONE INCH PUNCH). Much like the one inch punch the iron viper required the fighter to gather all the energy and strength in his body, and focus it on one focal point, which was the fist. It required high grades of speed, power, muscle control and precision. But this move had the nasty effect of leaving the user open to retaliation, and unlike the one inch punch, the fighter had to focus his energy in mere seconds, which meant quite a lot of it would disperse and leave the fighter weakened. It was a one hit kill move, and if the user missed, then he was going to get his ass kicked. Alex spent the next few hours slamming his palm and fist on the remaining two dummies he managed to save from a rampaging Anya. They were supposed to be used for his sky python crushes rock techniques, but had now become the focus of another technique. Besides Alex did not need to practice the sky python crushes rock techniques to much or he would not be able to get familiar with the hidden viper of Buddha hands. Alex and Anya trained well and deep into the night, her mother had to come find her before she was forced to go home. But she was back a few hours later at three in the morning and a whole new wave of training began again. They carried on with this routine for four whole days, only sleeping for a minimum of three hours each. They had thrown thousands of punches, palm and finger strikes within that period of time, that the wooden dummies were reduced to splinters. With no dummy they turned to each other, of course Anya had to hold back the strength of her cultivation realm, but it was enough for them to become conversant with their moves, especially the knowledge of how to use it in battle.And so it was with an ocean of bruises that both Anya and Alex preserved until the day of the registration. 5 Registration i : The Departure [MARTIAL ARTS COMPETITIONS ARE THE FORGE OF GREAT HEROES, GREAT FRIENDSHIPS, AND GREAT ENEMIES. IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF EVERY CULTIVATORS JOURNEY TO IMMORTALITY, AND THA IS BECAUSE I FOSTERS A MYRIAD OF EMOTIONS REQUIRED FOR ADVANCEMENT. IT FOSTERS PRIDE, ANGER, DETERMINATION, RESPECT, INADEQUACY, AND FAITH AMONG OTHERS. SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE BAD, SOME OF THEM GOOD, BUT EACH EMOTIO AFFECTS EACH CULTIVATOR IN A DIFFERENT WAY FROM THE NEXT. BUT MARTIAL ARTS COMPETITION ARE ALSO CLASSES WHERE YOU CAN STUDY THE WULIN AND HAVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE WIDER WORLD WORKS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS A PLACE WHERE REPUTATION AND LEGACIES ARE BORN.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ To Alex it seemed this guy loved martial arts competitions a lot. Of course Alex has never heard of his so called reputation or gotten a glimpse of his legacy, so he was not sure how much of this bullshit he was supposed to listen to. "Would you put that book away! It''s time we were on our way, it would be bad if we missed the morning bus." Alex nodded his head and placed the book in the bag his father had bought, there was nothing really special about the bag, except that it was built for hiking tough terrains, so It was quite sturdy. However what really made Alex embarrassed was the amount of traveling bags his father had gathered, to be precise there were seven of them, and Alex knew he did not own enough stuff to fill even two. "Why are there so much bags, did you pack everything in the entire house." "No, some of them are mine, as for the others don''t worry about it." Alex felt as if he was talking to a block of wood, his father was only giving half info, almost as if he wanted Alex to keep asking the questions. And Alex could do nothing but indulge his father a little. "Why in Gods name are your bags included in among my own luggage." "That''s because my boy, you''re finally leaving home, and I have no intention of sitting around and waiting for you to come visit me in ten years, that is if you even remember you have a father. So I have decided to go on a cultivation journey. I have been stuck for to long in the open dantian realm, and quite frankly my pride would never allow me sit still while you come and surpass me." Alex was flabbergasted, his mouth was open wide in surprise as he could not even begin to imagine what brought this degree of change upon his normally docile, meticulous and careful father. "I''m your son, I''m supposed to surpass you." "Not in my opinion you don''t. Between the father and the son, we need to see who is the better man and cultivator." "Wait a minute Dad, are you challenging me, because I swear it just sounded like you were challenging me. Are you challenging me old man!" Fun fact about Alex, this kid really love being dared to do things he would not otherwise be permitted to do. It was like a trigger for Alex, the moment the word challenge is mentioned, he becomes nothing but an extremely competitive child who would do anything in his power to win. "So what if I am, huh. Would you like to make a wager little boy." "Bring it on, old school." "Five years, in five years if you manage to reach my current stage in cultivation, I will go down on my knees and call you grandpa. But if you can''treach the mid stage of the ninth level of the open dantian realm, then I get to have as many concubines as I want." "......." No matter how you looked at it, Alex walked right into that one. About six to seven years ago when Alex was about seven or eight, his father had wanted to remarry. Alex had thrown a tantrum so bad his father feared for his son''s life. Alex was able to get his father to promise him that he would never remarry or date, because to the mind of seven year old Alex they were men, and men needed no one but themselves. "Deal" And then they shook hands. But before anything could be said their door was almost knocked down as a man with a rather huge stature burst into their house. He was almost seven feet tall and had to bow his head to enter, he had a face filled with snow white beard and a piercing look in his black eyes that so far Alex has only been able to see in one other person....Anya. "Ahh Mr. councilor what a surprise, to what do we owe the pleasure of almost loosing our door." "Watch your tone with me half breed filth." Alex was lucky, he was able to catch his father''s hand in time before he caved in the face of the man who was the father of his somehow girlfriend/best friend.Yep this huge bald and rude goat was Anya''s father,of course Alex could never call him a goat to his face, that would be rude. Acting as if he had not almost been privy to an intense beating from an enraged father, the Councilor of the village, Shamir and father to resident trouble maker Anya waved his hands and called in a couple of burly looking men. "Search the house thoroughly. And you two father and son, I have over the years chose to ignore your unnatural relationship with my daughter, but if she was not so stupid and a complete disgrace she would know better." This time it was Alex''s father who had to hold himself back. Alex and Anya treated each other like they were both halves of the same coin, the two of them were like yin and yang, one could not exist without the other. So it would be quite foolish to insult Anya I''m front of Alex, because even if the person talking is her father, Alex would not hesitate to leave an imprint of his fist in his face. "I''m going to ask you one more time, where is Anyaja?" Alex wanted to point out, that he had not asked the first time, but his father seemed to want to solve this peacefully, as long as no one insulted or touched his son that is. "Councilor Shamir, due to the friendship and bond our children share, I will overlook your disrespectful and roguish display. As a father I understand what it means to have plans for your children, good plans. But what you want is at the detriment of your own daughter''s happiness. You might get what you want, but I assure you it won''t last, and your daughter would hate you. I hope you learn, Anya must have snuck out during the night, if she''s on foot she should not have gone far since only one bus comes and leaves the village every morning. So don''t take this wrong way, but get your fucking face the hell out of my house." Alex had a horrified look on his face as if he couldn''t believe that his father would sell Anya out to her father. And not in a situation as delicate as this. Councilor Shamir called to his goons and they left the house the same way they came. "You guy''s should be actors." The sudden voice from behind him almost shook Alex to his very core in fright. Of course it was no one else but Anya who had actually followed her father here, but of course he would not have been able to recognize her if he tried. She was wearing a wig, make up, heels and a dress. She looked every bit the woman she was supposed to be, gorgeous and beautiful. "You''re drooling Alex, and if this God forsaken wig and dress did not feel so damn uncomfortable, I would be flattered.So please let''s get out of here before I tear it off and send all our plans to dust. Oh and thanks for doing this uncle Ben." "No need to thank me Anyaja, you''re family, practically my daughter in-law, I have to take care of you any how that I can." "Sure, then I guess this means I can call you father, ehh." "Anything you want, as long as it''s not old man." Alex really did not have time for this banter of theirs, he just shook his head and picked which ever bags his hands could carry. It was obvious his father was happy, and he was saying a whole lot more than Alex has ever heard him say in his entire life. The journey from their home was smooth, a modern cultivation era or not, simple village people would be simple village people. No one even wondered who the sexy new girl in their village was, they only stared at her and whispered about the size of her butt.Of course since Anya had a higher cultivation level it was easy for her to hear everything they said, and it was hard for her to not discard he disguises and beat a whole lot of them into dust. Many of Alex''s teammates on the soccer team came to see him and his father off. This group of people had accepted and created a relationship with them, after all the father and son duo made up the star player and miracle working coach of the team. A lot of people were sad to see them go. They were not the only group of people heading to the competition, apart from them four other fighters were going too, and one of them just had to turn out to be Anya''s step brother. It made the duration of time they spent at the bus station agony as both Alex and Anya were scared their ruse would be seen through. But all was safe, and even strange since her brother was actually sending side glances to her. Alex''s father bent his head and whispered to his son. "That disguise worked well, too well in fact." Alex could not help but nod in agreement as the bus began to move. Alex looked out of the window with a melancholic look on his face, he did not have any enemies here, but he also had quite few friends. However this village Oganenigu, was home. His parents fell in love here, he was born here, his ancestors were also born here and just like them Alex wanted to die here too. Over the years he had come to notice that his village was never really a part of the world, they had carved their own domain here. It was peaceful and devoid of the troubles the rest of the world had to face, Alex really did not want to live, because he felt that the moment he did leave this place, he would be forced to carry the world on his shoulders. "My son, you don''t have to worry, Oganenigu will still be here, waiting for you to come back and redeem our family name. This piece of land is your inheritance, your legacy and your home." "I know Dad, but I can''t just help the feeling that the next time that I come back, things would be very different. 6 Registration ii : The Arrival And A Breakthrough [FROM THE VERY DAWN OF MARTIAL ARTS, TO THE BIRTH OF CULTIVATION, COMPETITON HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF A MARTIAL ARTISTS GROWTH. THE BEST OF ALL OF US, THRIVE BETTER UNDER PRESSURE AND WITH A MOTIVATION TO JUST WIN.AND SO FORMS A NEED THAT STEMS FROM TYE VERY CORE OF EVERY MARTIAL ARTIST THAT PARTICIPATE IN A COMPETITON,THE NEED TO WIN, AND THE WILL TO DO ANYTHING TO GAIN THAT VICTORY. WE''RE FORGED BY THE BRUISES OF OUR KNUCKLES, THE SWINGS OF OUR SWORDS, AND THE WINDS OF OUR KICKS.AND THERE''S ONE DESIRE OUT OF MANY OTHERS THAT SERVE AS THE BASIS OF A CULTIVATORS DAO. THE DESIRE TO WIN.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ Alex spent a majority of the journey sleeping. Until they got to Dekina there was nothing much to see but other villages as they drove past them.So he was not in the mood for any sort of sightseeing considering he was already feeling sort of homesick. But it was all out of his hands at this point, so all he could do was wait. When the bus drove into Dekina, Alex could not believe what he was seeing, he had been to the local government capital before, but his journey this time was lit up like fire. Dekina was a large town about three times the size of Oganenigu, but it was only still just a town considering Alex could walk the entire stretch of the town in two to almost three hours. Dekina was a place Alex was quite familiar with, he had been here many times over the years with his father either on official business, or those rare moments when they agreed sitting for eight hours in a smoky and dingy bus, was worth it for a two hour movie special at the cinema. The world was a big and expansive place, but there were even places that were not well developed enough to be considered conducive for living. Oganenigu was such a place, it was remote, isolated, and was only recently beginning to see growth and development in the recent years since Anya''s father became a councilor of the local government.The man was a jerk of epic proportions, but at least he brought electricity to the village. The registration for the martial arts competition was being held at the government secondary school. The school had a really wide field that was used at times like this for any sort of important events, so there should be enough space. Alex and his father together with Anya were able to get a room with relative ease, apparently his Ben had made reservationssince the very day he gave his son the flyer for the competition. The motel they chose was in a rather strategic position, since it was as close as possible to the school district, and also quite close to the western exit of the town. "Are you guys going to register now, or do you want to wait till tomorrow so that you can rest from your journey." Alex and Anya looked at each other after Ben''s suggestion,to be honest Alex was not really eager about laying down or resting, since he had done nothing more than sit down for four hours on their journey here.He would much rather go take a look around the town that was more lively than usual, and if that meant registering earlier, then no problem. "I think we will register today dad." "Okay you guys should hold on to some money, just in case." "Thank you Mr. B" "No problem Anya, you guys should have fun." Alex and Anya ran out of the motel like a pair of mischievous children, they had five imperial gold coins in hand, which was a significant amount of money. Alex could feed himself comfortably for a month like a local village celebrity and still have change to spare with this amount. Which made him surprised that his dad would actually hand them this much money when he was usually always frugal with their expenses. Alex did not want to poke an emotional hornets nest, but his father was becoming incredibly lax with his rules and money, he was helping a sixteen year old girl sneak out of the village and away from her dictator father, and he wanted to travel.Alex could not help the feeling that something was so very wrong here. But even with his troubled thoughts, Alex could not help but marvel at the transformation Dekina had made just for this competition. This competition happened once every year, but it was the first time where achampion would be awarded an entry into the Wudang sect. Though this probably had to do with the fact that this year''s competition coincided with the new students selection of the Wudang sect. So they decided to sponsor the competition. Alex was quite happy about it though, his father was so sure that Alex was going to win, but Alex had different thoughts. He felt that even though he was quite unable to win,he would be satisfied since this competition had brought a whole lot of excitement in his life. Alex and Anya walked through the crowded streets in awe at the hustle and bustle of the town. There were stall owners, and even visiting merchants who were selling a variety of things from weapons, to love potions. Many of the competitors had all gathered in clusters of little groups either talking or having their very own personal pre competition exhibition. "Hey Alex let''s go check out our competition." "Normally I would agree, but we have to register first. Let''s get the serious stuff out of the way, there will be time for fun later." "I hate it when you do this Alex." Alex raised his eyebrow in surprise because he had no idea what this tomboy was talking about now. His suggestion should be completely logical, not to mention it''s the right thing to do. If they should indulge their curiosity, they might end up loosing track of time and not have anything meaningful done. "Do what?" "I hate it when you say and do things that make me seem like a child,and for your information I''m two years older than you." "Seriously, again with the age thing. First off I don''t see how that relates with you feeling like a child every time I give a reasonable suggestion. The only reason you''re feeling this way is because you are a child." "No I''m not." "You think because your sixteen you''re an adult. On the contrary my dear, as far as my brain and thinking capacity is concerned I am older than you, and a great deal wiser too." "Okay, I have no idea what you just said, but we''ve arrived." Alex felt like screaming, she did this every time. Anya had the tendency to suddenly change a topic when she knew she was not winning that discussion. It left little room for her opponent to complete dominate her, giving her a way to preserve whatever was left of her dignity and taking the satisfaction her opponent would feel from completely winning. When they got to the school its gates were wide open,and a queue stretchedright from the gate, to the edge of the two hundred meter wide field the completion was going to held. There wereplatforms being built, but they looked like they were almost completed. There were ten such platforms spread out around the field, and each of them had workers putting on the finishing touches on their construction and decoration. "Alex the line is too long, let''s leave and come back tomorrow." "No,we''re staying put." "But" "I said No!" Anya was fierce and prone to violence, but there were times too when Alex would not be told no. Of course she was probably going to get him back for this, but as of this moment she had no choice but to stay on a queue that was three hundred bodies long. It took them another four hours of standing under the unforgiven sun, but eventually it finally got to their turn. Anya by this time had already antagonized every other person who was standing close to them on the line. Alex has had to fend of two officials from throwing them out, and everybody else from tearing them apart. "Name" "Anyaja Omakpe." "Age." "Sixteen." "Move left for your cultivation level test, and martial arts test." On the left side of the official in charge of the registration was a pillar, it was grey and had five sides. There was a name for it, but Alex couldn''t remember. Each side of the pillar had a colored crystal that was unique to it, and each side had nine crystals. It did not take a genius to figure out, that this was a device used to measure the strength of any mortal gate cultivators. Anya placed her hands on a rod that was connected underneath the pillar, it made the entire thing look like a lever. The moment she touched it, the side of the pillar with blue crystals lit up, three of the crystals were lit. "Third level of the open meridian realm" "What a genius¡­.." "And to think she''s just sixteen years old." "I think I''m in love." "Extraordinary" Alex would have happily swallowed rat poison than be anywhere near all this people. It seemed as if Anya was the person with the highest tested cultivation level since the registration started, and now everybody was gushing over her. Right next to the pillar, was a jade bowl placed on pedestal,around the body of the bowl tiny white crystals were embedded on it. From where he was standing, Alex could see that the bowl was filled with some sort of green liquid. Anya was asked to placed her hands into the bowl and stay there for as long as she could. Anya could only hold on for about minute before her body started vibrating and making tiny imperceptible motions. Four of the crystals on the body of the bowl lit up, and once again her rapidly forming fan club began to gush all over her again. "She knows four martial arts." "She''s not only a beauty, but she''s also a talented fighter." "I''m telling you guys, I feel as if she''s my soul mate." "Look at you, a frog that wants to eat a swan, keep dreaming." Anya seemed to have had enough as she immediately ripped her dress to pieces and threw the wig off her head. Of course it did nothing to diminish her beauty as it instead transformed her from the gentle and refined beauty she looked like in a dress, to a ferocious and sexy hot beast in shorts and a sports bra. The next thing to go were her heels as she took great pleasure in throwing it at the face of the guy who called her his soulmate. Thankfully his cultivation was high enough which enabled him to deflect and even catch on of her shoes. Alex also saw him sneakily place the shoe into a hand bag on his shoulder. Alex could do nothing but hide his face, he was not surprised that Anya went crazy, he expected it and especially in a place as crowded as this. His only prayer was that no one tied him to the crazy chick who was no longer wearing shoes. Alex moved forward and gave his name and, then his cultivation test came up white at five crystals, which showed he was at the fifth level of the body tempering realm. Of course compared to Anya his results seemed incredibly mediocre and dull. The jade bowl however was quite an experience for Alex though. He only lasted thirty seconds before he felt an incredible itch all over his body, it was as if he was performing every martial arts he had ever learnt at the same time. To be honest it was quite uncomfortable, but the stimulation from this test,sent his body into a frenzy. Two crystals lit up on the bowl, but as they did so,an audible boom resounded from Alex''s body, it was almost as if he just had an orgasm and the look on his face portrayed it enough. "Eww why is his face like that?" "Oh my God is he peeing himself." "No you nitwit, he just had a breakthrough, he''s at the sixth level of the body refining realm now." "Seriously, during the test?,wow what a weirdo." "But he still looked like he was peeing to me." "Maybe he was." "Damn that''s so embarrassing, peeing yourself during your test." "I feel sorry for him." "heh me too." There was no way for Alex to defend himself as the entire situation went completely out of hand in mere moments. Alex had to sneakily check if he really peed himself, but such a move would be caught by sharper eyed people, which added more fuel to the fire and rumor about him peeing himself. Anya was no help at all as she stood there laughing for all she was worth. Alex was assigned a number and a badge, then he quickly left the school to the hidden mockery of everybody else there. Anya followed behind trying and failing to contain her laughter. Alex could only curse his luck and the bastard who started the conversation about him peeing himself. It seems Alex did not need to worry about Anya becoming more famous than him, she would be known as one of the most talented participants, while he would be known as the guy who peed himself during registration. What a life. 7 Competition I : The First Figh [MARTIAL ARTS CULTIVATORS NEVER HAVE A NEED FOR DRUGS, WE DON''T FALL PREY TO THE LIKES OF OPIUM, WEED, HEROINE, OR COCAINE. OF COURSE OUR BODIES ARE USUALLY TOO STRONG TO BE AFFECTED BY SUCH THINGS, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE OUR OWN BRAND OF A RUSH INDUCING DRUG. THAT DRUG IS SOMETHING THAT IS QUITE SIMPLY KNOWN AS A FIGHT. WHEN THE SOUND AND FEELING OF FLESH STRIKINGFLESH RESOUND, IT RESONATES WITH THE SONG OF METAL AS IT CLEAVES FLESH FROM BONE AND POKE YOUR ENEMIES AND OPPONENTS FULL OF ARTISTIC HOLES. THERE IS NO THRILL GREATER THAN THE RUSH THAT IS FELT DURING A FIGHT. THE RUSH OF ADRENALINE WITHIN YOUR VEINS AND THE SOUND OF YOUR BLOOD AND HEART PUMPING AND BEATING TO THE TEMPO OF YOUR FIGHT. THAT FEELING CAN BE ADDICTIVE, BUT WHENEVER YOU CAN, REMEMBER TO SAVOR AND LIVE IN IT. WHO KNOWS WHEN NEXT YOU WILL FIND YOUR SELF IN A FIGHT.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ Alex was standing before the gates of the school once again.Registration ended the day before yesterday, and the competition began in earnest today. The amount of teenagers here for the competition where three times the amount of those he saw on the first day. Though most of these people were just here for the viewing of the various matches, they were still a lot. Alex however was not too surprised by such a turn out. The Wudang sect had a reputation that spread to every corner of the modern world, they were among the five great righteous sects, and were quite renown for the martial arts prowess. To be honest Alex expected a whole lot more than what he was seeing, but it was still impressive none the less. It made Alex wonder what the local government and state competition would be like. "Are your ready?" Anya asked from besides him. She was looking all set and ready, but most importantly she was wearing the same thing as Alex. She had on a sleeveless thin robe that had a hood and stretched down to the back of her calves.The robe was pure white with golden embroidery at its hem and edges, but the inner part of the robe was blue with the same design.She was wearing tight black combat trouser, with white boots and her hands taped up all the way to her elbows. She also had a black bandana tied on her forehead. No matter what, Anya had every intention of making an impression today, and that was mainly Ben''s fault. Finally she had on a blackt-shirt that had the word Queen of hell written in bold over it. That part of her dressing was entirely her own machination. Alex had the same thing on, only the robe had the blue part outside and the white in. His combat trousers were white along with the custom made combat vest that had the drawing of a black and white dragon entwined around a sword.His boots were black and so was the bandana he was forced to wear by Anya. However only his left hand was taped up to his elbows, his right hand just had a finger less white glove on it. While strength was always a big factor in any competition, appearances also mattered. It was common knowledge that many sects gave public positions to people who know how to look good in public. Usually such a role was mostly held by actors or any other showbiz personality. Alex felt too extravagant, but appearance really did matter. There was a guy who was even decked from head to toe in golden armor, so Alex might get away from humiliation yet. Alex turned to look at Anya and said to her. "I''m ready." Two hours later the competition was already in full swing and there had already been many eliminations. Ben was no where to be seen, but Alex knew for a fact that his father was watching. That old man was so eccentric with the things he did Alex had wondered time without number if his father was just an insane old man. But Alex knew his father never acted without a reason, so all he could do was focus on the matches. "Contestant Alex of registration number 009835 please make your way to platform three for your match." Alex was suddenly nervous and scared, this would be his first real fight, and he had to do it in front of this many people. Alex was used to playing soccer with viewing crowds, but everything felt completely different now, like it was a whole new different territory. He had half a mind to get up and run out screaming like a madman, but he felt Anya place her hand on his shoulder as she whispered to him. "If you chicken out, I will break every single bone in your body." Alex did not need any more motivation as he made his way to the platform. When he got there he had absolutely no idea who his opponent was, and by the time this fight was done, his opponent would either be forgotten in a moment, or he would be. "My name is Jaja, I hope you can instruct me." He was so polite, how did they expect him to punch someone who was this polite. The guy looked so innocent, he even bowed too. Of course bowing was common etiquette so Alex had to do the same. "Crush his bones to dust Alex! Make him cry for his mother." Alex wanted to die, first of who had let Anya get this close to his battling platform, now everyone was really looking at him,which meant he had to put extra effort so he wouldn''t make a fool out of himself, that and Anya would never forgive him if he under performed. Jaja rushed towards Alex and threw a straight punch, wary of the straight forward attack being grounds for diversion, Alex moved back a step letting his fist go past his face. Alex had so far been privy to two types of fighting styles, Anya was straight forward and brash, and would not hesitate to use a low blow or under handed means to win. However his father Ben was different.That man fought like he was dancing, you would never know which move he was going to make or when he was going to make it. Every punch and kick was a diversion or a misdirection. But just like Anya he would not hesitate to use a low blow too. Alex ducked another punch, and used both his palms to block and incoming kick to the face. He moved his head left to dodgea right hook and took a step back allowing the incoming spinning heel kick to hit nothing but air. Alex was dodging, trying to get a feel for his opponents fighting style, but he was sorely disappointed. Jaja had no style, it was as if he was just telegraphing his moves. This guy was like that student in school who answered any question based on its text book definition, there was no creativity, just random punch and kicks. It did not take long for Alex to get tired of dodging and decided to give Jaja the instructions he requested. Jaja took a step forward to throw another punch,but he ended up over extending himself, which made it easy for Alex to slip into his guard and grab his neck lightly, much to the chagrin of all of his viewers. His move was sudden enough that Jaja was flustered and forgot to attack, the sudden change from dodging to attacking would throw any inexperienced fighter of their game, so he couldn''t be blamed. "Give up." "I will never give up, a true fighter...¡­. Arck!" Alex did not have time for any sort of monologue, so he tightened his hand and raised Jaja up. It was Jaja''s unfortunate luck that he was only in the peak stage of the third level of the body refining realm, three whole realms below Alex.This fight could have ended a lot earlier, but Alex wanted his first real fight to be memorable. It was just so unfortunate that his chosen opponent was so weak. "You''re not ready for any sort of fight Jaja. You have no style of your own, and your martial arts is too rigid. The text book is there as a guideline and introduction into knowledge. It is up to you to bring and add your own understanding to the knowledge. You have to learn to make it yours." Then Alex turned and threw the boy off the stage, Alex would never admit this out loud, but it felt good to not be the one being thrown around, instead he was doing the throwing. "Winner Alex." When Alex made his way down from the platform Jaja walked up to him and bowed. Then he turned around and disappeared into the crowd. He''s work here was done. Everyone in the competition would be eliminated the moment they lost a match regardless of how many matches they had won, and it would continue to be that way until there were only ten left. "What the hell was that about?" Anya asked in surprise at Jaja''s actions. Alex turned to her and said. "Don''t worry about. It''s something only the both of us would understand. Now get ready, you''re up next." Anya could not look any more excited as she jumped onto the battling platform. Alex could not estimate the strength of her opponent, but he doubted the guy was that strong. Fighters in the competition were not grouped according to cultivation level, instead it was completely random, which meant at the end of the day, those who had a low level of cultivation would all be eliminated, leaving the stage for a more stronger fighter. Anya''s opponent was big, stocky and well muscled. This guy did not look anything like a sixteen year old, but Alex knew he would not be on that stage if he was above sixteen. It made him wonder what his parents might have been feeding him. "Oh I know you." He said with a rather wide and accomplished grin on his face. "I don''t know you, so let''s get on with me kicking your ass." Anya''s reply made it clear she was not here for small talk, it was as if Alex could almost see the itch and need to fight all over her skin. Alex knew if that guy kept talking, no matter how strong he was Anya was going to punish him and humiliate him at the same time. Alex tried shaking his head as a warning to the guy, but he did not seem to notice. "I''mnot scared of your third level of the open meridian realm, I am at the first level, but my defense can withstand attacks from a fourth level cultivator courtesy of my family''s secret martial art. So let me tell you the outcome, you''re going to loose,and when you do I will make a beautiful fairy like you my woman." Forget it, this guy was going to die here today. Alex might have never met him before, but it was not a pleasure knowing him. Anya''s opponents squatted and bent his knees spreading them from each other. He pulled his arms to his side in the form of a horse stance and kept his eyes focused. Veins appeared all over his body as a haze shimmer could be seen over his skin. The open meridian realm, was the realm where a practitioner could augment their attacks with Qi after absorbing it and storing it in their meridians for a little while. Because the meridian is incapable of storage, the Qi has to be used immediately or as soon as possible. Higher levels made it easier for cultivators to absorb more Qi and hold it in for longer periods of time.It is only till the open dantian realm would a practitioner be able to store Qi. Anya did not even absorb any Qi as she took off with a running start at her opponent who believed he was built like a mountain and could not be moved. Alex though was not really sure what to expect, at the open meridian realm, the strength of cultivators was mainly dependent on the grade of their martial arts. The guy seemed to be willing to let Anya make the first strike, but that was his mistake. She sent her foot straight for the spot between his legs, using every ounce of power she had, Alex was sure she even used Qi with that kick. "Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!" The number of times a guy would squeal like a girl in his entire lifetime could be counted, now this guy could just add this day to that list. It was almost as if he was paralyzed as he clutched his crotch and fell to his knees, but Anya was as merciless as they come. She sent her foot still covered in Qi straight for the guys face, there was nothing he could do as a sickening crunch rang out in the immediate vicinity of the platform, then his broken face, body and pride was shot off the platform, only to end up rolling into and unmoving heap of muscle and stupidity. Anya took one mighty leap and landed beside Alex. Then she looked around while also spitting on the ground. "what a complete looser." Alex couldn''t answer, because like every other male around, he was trying to over his crotch and move away from this crazy queen of hell. But Alex knew it could not be that easy, he was stuck with this monster for life. 8 Competition ii : First Blood [A FIGHT CAN HAPPEN FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS, CULTIVATORS LIVE FOR CONFLICT,IT IS THE OIL AND FUEL TO WHICH A CULTIVATOR GROWS. BUT THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN A CULTIVATOR WILL NEED A REASON TO RAISE HIS SWORD. A CULTIVATOR''S LIFE IS FILLED AND ALWAYS CENTERED AROUND A FIGHT OR A BATTLE. TO GROW STRONGER YOU HAVE TO FIND A REASON TO FIGHT, BECAUSE YOUR REASON TO FIGHT IS ALWAYS DRIVEN BY YOUR REASON TO LIVE.] BARTHOLOMEW ALE Eventually almost every fighter below the fifth level of the body refining realm was eliminated from the competition. It was quite a surprise that they were able too eliminate half the competitors within the first day, which meant the second day was bound to be a whole lot tougher and more dangerous than the first. For Alex however the whole day was somewhat anticlimactic, so it was without hesitation that he looked forward to the way next day''s competition. It was sure to be fierce and Alex would have really loved a challenge. "So How did I do today?" Anya asked with to much exuberance than you would expect from a sixteen year old girl. Alex did not even feel the need to answer her as he made his way out of the school with Anya in tow screaming in protest at him for ignoring her. Alex however was a little preoccupied with his thoughts.For a first fight, it was rather disappointing as Alex had expected more from this competition. But now he knew for a fact that a person''s first fight can not always be as exiting as the novels say they are. Sometime they can be ordinary, or completely anticlimactic when you have your opponent completely out matched.it was without a reasonable doubt that Alex was looking forward to the next day''s battle. When Alex got to the school the next day, the amount of spectators seemed to have increased. Of course he knew there were a number of reasons for that. Most of the spectators were the losers from the previous day, and the fights today were bound to be a lot fiercer than what was showcased yesterday, so the turn up increased as well. "I''m sure you will get the fight you are desperately looking for Alex." Anya was unusually supportive today, but Alex hoped she was right, it was not as if he was being arrogant or over confident about his own strength, he just knew that without pressure and a proper fight against someone who would not hesitate to hurt him, he would never be able to see how much he had grown, and find out in what ways he could improve. He could not become a diamond without undergoing a lot of earth crushing pressure. Thankfully the fights today began in earnest, and Anya was among one of the first contestants to fight. Her fight however was just as one sided as yesterday''s, as her opponent forfeited immediately when he found out that Anya was his opponent. Alex could not blame him, he was sure he would have done thatsame thing too after the display Anya gave yesterday. Eventually Alex was called up to the platform, his opponent was rather skinny, he looked like someone who had hardly been fed anything for most of his life. With the way his body was proportioned, Alex felt that one good gust of wind would blow him away. "My name is Shao, lets have a good fight." Alex looked at the guy called Shao in surprise, he was as black as they came, but he had a name that was not indigenous to the dark continent, with the way he looked and his rather uncommon name, Alex was sure there was a story behind his appearance. "My name is Alex, let''s have a good fight." And then the bell rang for them to begin. Shao immediately got into a stance by bending his knees and crossing his hands over each other. His martial art looked unconventional as it did not look like the mainstream martial art that was popularly taught at schools within the villages. Alex could not read anything from his opponent''s stance or his gaze, the guy was like a pool of still water waiting for the slightest ripple before attacking. He did not need to be told twice that this opponent was on a whole other league than his previous opponent, so Alex had to make a choice whether to go on the defensive or to attack. Since his opponent''s martial arts skills were completely unknown, he could either make a probing attack to force him into exposing his skills, or go on the defensive and wait for him to make a move. Either choice would still put Alex in a precarious position as he might not be able to come up with a counter for any attack thrown his way. It took a little while for Alex to notice that his opponent was also in the same situation as he was. Alex had not exposed any of his skills, so his opponent was not sure what to expect. Sure,insight made Alex understand that he was not fighting your average run of the mill village boy, this kid knew what he was doing and that revelation lit a spark within Alex''s dark eyes. It was unknown who moved first between Alex and Shao, however a lot of things became obvious after they both suddenly started to run at each other. Shao was fast, crazily so, as he had already crossed the distance and landed a punch on the unsuspecting face of Alex. The punch rattled his brain a little as Alex discovered that even with his emancipated frame, his opponent had a lot of power within his fists. Shao stepped closer to throw another punch, unwilling to loose the ground he had just gained. But Alex had spent a few days training with his father and Anya, people who were vastly stronger than he was, fighting them meant he had to learn to rely on his instincts, and to anticipate his opponent''s next move. Alex moved the palm of his left hand towards the right side of his face, bringing out the full capability of the [VIPER EVADES BUDDHA] palm skill. There was an audible slap as his opponent''s fist was pushed from his face. But Shao was not going to stop as he sent a chop straight for Alex''s neck. But Alex had already righted himself as he used his plan to deflect this move too. But Shao regardless of how frail and weak he looked was a rather aggressive fighter, as he still pressed his attack, throwing punches with such speed that Alex could hardly keep up with him. His barrage of attacks had forced Alex to do nothing but defend as he tried to figure out a way to get out of this predicament. However with each passing moment, Shao got faster and faster, and even though the [ VIPER EVADES BUDDHA] palm skill emphasized on speed, Alex could not match the speed at which Shao was attacking. Alex knew that this was a martial art skill that focused completely on speed. Alex did not know how long Shao would be able to carry on attacking with such speed, but Alex knew he would not be able to last that long. But so far Shao had stuck to him like glue, not giving Alex any breathing space to make a come backand retaliate. Left with no other option, Alex stopped defending and let two of Shao''s super fast punches to land on both sides of his face. But that gave him Just enough opening for him to use the [IRON VIPER STRIKE]. Shao was not expecting Alex to suddenly drop his guard and get hit, the shock he had from such a move gave Alex enough time to gather power for his counter attack, before Shao realized that it was all a trap and that Alex had every intention of taking the hit as a diversion, it was already to late. Alex felt bones crack after the [IRON VIPER STRIKE] was used. However it was not just Shao who sustained injuries from this move. Shao shot backwards spraying a cloud of blood in the air. The power from the punch had dragged him over the platform and down to the ground, making him sustain some bruises in the process. He immediately started coughing blood as the imprint of a fist could be seen on his chest. Alex on the other hand, held on to his right hand in pain as the punch had dislocated his shoulder and left him with a very terrible back pain. This was the first time Alex had used this move, Even though he had practiced the move, he had never truly implemented it. Alex had injured himself because the gathering and transmission of power was all wrong. But this was not a place where he could ponder over it, as he was announced as the winner and asked to come down from the stage. "Did you see that?" "I would think I was dreaming if you were not here." "The other guy was winning and then he¡­..he¡­" "He took him out with one punch." "What sort of martial arts is this Robo?" "I don''t know Cop. But he either must be from an influential family, or he has a really good master." "But still look how injured he is, and then look at his opponent. That move is fearsome indeed, but I will never practice it even if you pay me a million yen. It''s obvious there''s a price for that kind of power." Alex could hear the whispers even through the painful haze he now found himself in. To be honest he expected that there would be repercussions for using this move haphazardly, but he never expected it to be this painful. Not to mention the result from using it was quite terrifying. Alex did not have it in him to hurt someone unless necessary, but now in the entirety of the whole competition he was the first person to put the life of someone else in danger. Alex held his arm as he made his way to where Shao was being attended to by doctors. When one of the doctors saw him, she immediately started to berate him. "What were you thinking using a move like that?Are you trying to get someone killed. What kind of upbringing did you have." "Good God would you shut up, you''re so loud my ear drums feel like they''re going to explode. This is a fight, and everyone here are cultivators, not to mention we are all fighting to win. Did you expect him to pull his punches because he could kill someone. What universe are you living in." As usual Anya came to his rescue. Alex never went looking for trouble, and it was not as if he couldn''t defend himself if he needed to. But at this moment he was still in shock from the fight. He turned to another doctor while ignoring the female doctor who had gotten into a war of words with Anya. Alex was not worried about that because he knew Anya would win. "How is he." Alex asked the doctor while trying to maintain a straight face. The doctor had a tilted smile on his face. "You did this to him and yet you''re worried about him, you''re quite strange aren''t you. Anyway his chest is caved in and pieces of his rib are slowly inching towards his heart as we speak, he also sustained some bruising on his organs and he is also bleeding internally. It seems bad, and if he is not treated in time he''s going to die. But I should have him up and running in a week. So don''t worry he would live, now let me have a look at that arm of yours." Alex nodded and let the doctor take a look at his injured arm. He also told the doctor about the pain in his back, and in response thedoctor gave Alex a bottle of pills, and a medicinal cream. Then he had Anya take him back to the hotel. Today was very much different from yesterday, for that Alex could agee that it was too much excitement than he could handle. He had gotten thatchallenge he needed and he had learnt about the limits of his own strength. It was a surprising turn of events, but it still got his blood boiling in such a way he had never experienced.And he knew without a doubt, that he wanted tomorrow to be just as exciting. 9 Competition iii : Rapid Advancemen [AS A FAIR WARNING TO MYSELF, IT WOULD BE WISE TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR A LIFETIME OF PAIN. BECAUSE CULTIVATION, THE ART AND THE STRUGGLE FOR IMMORTAL PERFECTION IS NOT A BED OF ROSES. PAIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY CULTIVATORS LIFE, IT IS SAID, THAT PAIN IS A GREAT MOTIVATOR, AND THAT IS TRUE. CULTIVATORS WHO EXPERIENCE PAIN GO FASTER, HARDER, AND LONGER THAN THOSE WHO HAVE NOT. IT''S ANOTHER DRIVING FORCE THAT A CULTIVATOR CAN NOT DO WITHOUT. BUT PAIN MUCH LIKE ITS OTHER COUNTERPARTS OF THE DRIVING FORCE GENRE COMES WITH ITS OWN DISADVANTAGES. ANY MAN OR WOMAN WHO GIVES IN TO THE PAIN WILL FIND IT HARD TO WEATHER THE STORM THAT IS THE WULIN. BUT SOMETIMES ITS NOT THAT SIMPLE OR EASY, BECAUSE IN THE END, NOT ALL PAIN ARE PHYSICAL. AND A CULTIVATOR IS MOST WEAK TO THE PAIN CAUSED BY THEIR HEARTS.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ When Alex got back to the inn, he had chosen to lock himself up in his room to ponder on the fight he just had. But the pain was rather intense, so he applied the medicinal cream he was given, and took the pills too. The result was almost instantaneous as Alex immediately felt thebones in his shoulder and back pop into place. It was rather painful for the first thirty or so seconds, before an intense wave of relief washed over his body. Alex wondered if it was a mistake to take the two different types of medicine at the same time, but it was to early to tell though, but at the moment, Alex was incredibly tired and all he really wanted to do right now, was sleep. However no matter what he did, that sleep did not come. His very bones creaked in protest, but for some reason he could not get the rest he so badly needed. He also had no idea where his father was, or what he was doing. And Anya was busy doing what girls like her usually did, what that was, he had no idea. Without anything left to do, he sat up and faced his open window. Dekina was brightly lit this night, of course it could all be attributed to the fact that such an important competition was in town, but there was a beauty to the atmosphere that was not usually there. Alex found it incredibly calming, and he felt that he had to make the best of it. He closed his eyes and opened his senses to the world. He felt the Qi around him almost as easily as it was for him to breath, it was like water, like earth, like fire, and like air. There was no definite words to explain what Qi really felt to someone, sometimes it was psychological and QI would only feel the way a person perceives it.But for Alex there was no definite feeling, if that was a bad or good thing he couldn''t answer that, the only thing he was very sure of, was that he was very comfortable with it. Qi was said to be the very essence of the world, you could say it was the air that the planet breathed and exhaled, existing in its own mysterious biological circle. But the effects of Qi would always be a wonder to anyone and anything that could have come in contact with it for the next thousand years to come. Alex reflected on his fight, and with the presence of Qi around him, it made his mind all the more sharper and clearer. He had expected his opponent to be strong, and he was. But Alex had made many mistakes, chief among them was that he underestimated his opponent and over estimated himself. He had taken strength into consideration, and due to his opponents rather frail frame, he had deduced that his opponent was just a well trained fighter, and that in terms of strength, speed and defense he had him beat. Alex had won due to luck and gross but lucky miscalculation on his part. This fight had shown him that as far as the Wulin(martial world)was concerned, everything is not as it seems. This world was a mountain filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. And it was in his best interest to never, ever, make the mistake of underestimating his opponent. In fact it would be better if he assumed everyone he met was stronger than him, that way he could at least keep some semblance of humility, and carefully analyze every fight and opponent that would cross his path in the future. Alex took a deep breath and let the Qi that had been circling around him flow into his body. "Arghh!!" Alex screamed out loud as he felt a sharp pain from his abdomen. Then this pain moved from his abdomen to his chest, pulling at his muscles , as they were stretched and torn apart. Alex had no idea what was happening, but he was very familiar with this sort of feeling. Alex was a soccer player, so he knew what having torn muscles and ligaments felt like, and this was exactly like that, only you had to multiply the pain to be a million times more intense. But even with the pain he could feel his muscles healing and becoming more compact, his bones shook within his body as he felt Qi wash all over them like the serene wave of an ocean. He felt the pain move all the way to his head, and he was assaulted by a headache so intense that blood began to drip from his eyes, ears, nose,and mouth. It was almost as if his body was being reforge and remade.When the pain got to his head, he could not scream or call out, so all he could do was to endure it silently. The pain came to an end, but whatever was happening was not over yet. While he had his eyes closed, his surroundings had taken on an entirely new look. The Qi within a twenty meter radius had all gathered around him to make a spiraling Qi tornado that had thrown his room into disarray. The tornado was made of pure Qi that was constantly being absorbed and used to strengthen Alex''s body. Unlike what the stories might tell you, cultivation was not always as smooth as either opening a door or drinking water. Sometimes it was extremely painful, and even more so during the body refining realm. In the body refining realm, Qi is used to rapidly change and increase the grade of a person''s body, and usually, it pushes and breaks a man''s body past its limit before putting it back together again. Forget what you''re told, such a process is always completely painful to the point of death. A lot of people with weaker wills, have fallen prey to the pain, some of them died, others tried to interrupt the process and ended up ruining their chance at cultivation essentially ending up crippled and unable to cultivate for the rest of their mortal lives. Pain is usually associated at the beginning of every cultivation gate. And for the mortal gate, that pain comes from the body refining realm. Alex slowly became accustomed to the pain, eventually it had reduced and came down to a point where he could manage it without screaming out loud. He gritted his teeth as he bore through the pain with every ounce of willpower his fourteen year old body could muster. Eventually the pressure began to lift up, and with it, the pain. Alex felt that for some reason his cultivation seemed to be a whole lot more painful than was usually documented. But the end justify the means, because right now, Alex felt like a new man. He felt lighter, stronger,and his senses were more sharper than ever before. As a child Alex had been short sighted, but now, he couldsee the ants on the wall of the building across the street, almost fifteen meters away. Alex felt if he wanted, he could run with the wind and fly if he so chose. But with all this came a stench so bad Alex felt like vomiting. He wondered how it was that he had not been able to notice the smell considering the fact that it was coming from his own body. He looked down on his night clothes to discover them completely covered in a sticky black substance that smelt worse than the word ''bad smell''. But with this view Alex could not help but exclaim in shock, but a voice behind him put a word to his surprise. "The early stage of the ninth level of the body refining realm." Alex turned around to see his father, Anya, and a few other faces he did not recognize standing at the doorway to his room, and all of them were looking at him like he was some sort of monster. Though Alex did not blame them, because anyway you looked at it, he had only taken about a week to get from the lower levels of the body refining realm to the peak. If that was not monstrous, then Alex did not know what is. "Um hello." Alex greeted his unexpected visitors, what he didn''t know was that his cultivation had not just destroyed his room, but the phenomenon of Qi gathering around his room had drawn the attention of those who were a higher leveled than he was, and he also made a lot of pain filled noise. But who would have thought that they would all be witnessing the birth of a genius. Thankfully with a little help from his father and Anya, they were able to clear the room of any on lookers and debris from his attention grabbing cultivation session. However by the time midnight rolled around, the entire town already knew about Alex and his monstrous talent. Dekina was a place where everybody knew each other, the place was only crowded because of the competition, so it was no surprise that more than half the whole town had already found out about Alex. Though there were a few embellishments, it was to be expected, because the shocking sight of someone jumping from the sixth level of the body refining realm to the ninth was not something you could say with a straight face without being called insane. But as this was going on, Alex was getting an explanation about his father abnormal rate of growth from his father. And to be honest it was quite illuminating. According to his father, Alex was already born with what you would consider a heaven defying talent, after all his ancestry from his mother''s side came directly from one of the leading factions of the Wudang sect. However coupled with such talent, Alex was a hard worker who had started training his body from an early age. Of course his father had forbidden him from absorbing Qi, which meant his body kept getting stronger, and with all the sports he played, he was able to constantly keep his body in an optimal state. And with his body''s instinctual absorption of Qi, his body was nourished in a slow and steady way, completely unlike what any other cultivator went through. In essence, his body was also starved of Qi, as the little piece he had been getting over the years had not been enough. So when he finally started cultivating, it was like feeding a man who had trekked through a desert for an entire week, a bottle of mineral water. But according to his father, it would only be this way for him in the body refining realm. After he advances to the next realm, his training speed would become somewhat normal, though without a doubt he would still be faster than most people. Alex had a body that was built for Qi and cultivation, coupled with his father''s rule of not cultivating for a number of years, he had somehow trained his body to be able to absorb more and thrive in a Qi rich environment. Alex had no idea what kind of a freak he was, but deep down he could not help but feel a little pride about himself. After all, it''s not everyday you experience that you''re a favored son of heaven. 10 Competition iv : Lu Yen [THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT IS DIFFERENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CULTIVATOR. IT IS THE STRATEGY WITH WHICH A CULTIVATOR PATTERNS HIS ATTACKS, DEFENSE, AND ABOVE ALL, HIS ACTIONS.SOME CULTIVATORS WOUKD PREFER TO STRIKE FIRST, OTHERS THIBK DEFENSE IS THE BEST OFFENSE, AND SOME BELIEVE THAT IN A FIGHT THERE SHOULD BE NO MERCY. THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT OFTEN TIMES DECIDE THE OUTCOME OF A FIGHT BEFORE IT HAS EVEN STARTED. A MARTIAL ARTIST WUTHOUT HIS OWN RULES, IS LIKE AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT A TAIL. HIS MOVES WOULD HAVE NO SUBSTANCE, NO RHYTHM, AND FINESSE. BUT THE PROCESS OF DISCOVERING YOUR OWN RULES IF ENGAGEMENT USUALLY TOOK A FEW YEARS IF NOT YOUR ENTIRE LIFETIME. IT IS CHANGED AND IMPROVED DEPENDING ON THE EVOLUTION OF A CULTIVATORS STRENGTH. ONLY WHEN A CULTIVATOR STOPS GROWING WOUKD THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT BE COMPLETELY SET.] BARTHOLOMEW ALE "I didn''t expect this." Alex muttered to Anya as they looked at the announcement hanging over the school gate. "I didn''t either. Do you have any idea why they would decide to this?" "I''m not sure, but I think its because the number of fighters are to much, and they a running behind schedule. Or it could be that this was just a part of their plan from the beginning, though that definitely doe''s not make sense." (Dear cultivators of all age and sizes, the competition today has be deemed fit to take an altogether different form than the traditional one on one fight. To spice up the competition, a battle royal would be had with the rest of the young cultivators still in the competition. All two hundred and thirty four of them would have to fight on a specially built platform, where the rules a still relatively the same. The goal of each fighter would be to throw his opponent off the battle stage, or make them forfeit their match. There''s no definite score to be kept as the royals would stop the moment the number of cultivators on the stage reach seventy. However all crippling blows are forbidden, along with any form of eye gouging, low blows and usage of weapons. However anything else is permitted, including ganging up on an opponent. As soon as the royals is over, the competition would move on to the final stage, with the remaining seventy cultivators in a grand display of skill tonight. Enjoy hehehehe) "I have one question though. Alex do you think the person who wrote the announcement, intended to write all that hysterical cackling too?" Alex shrugged his shoulders as he answered her. "Who knows, Anya, there''s bound to be a lot of strange and rather eccentric personalities in the world. But that aside are you ready, this is not something we''re used too." "You''re right, but I doubt any of our other opponents had experienced a fight on this scale and magnitude before, we just have to watch each other''s backs. We havematching outfits after all." Alex smiled at her words, and did something she didn''t expect. He reached out to hold her hands, completely startling Anya, who looked around afraid people were watching them. Of course her fears were a reality, as quite a bunch of people were gathered, and whispering amongst themselves at the sight of Alex holding Anya''s hand. Almost overcame with embarrassment, Anya ran into the school, but she never did let go of Alex''s hand as she went in.as they went in, the gatekeeper of the school, looked on at them as he muttered wistfully. "Oh to be young and in love. It''s definitely the best feeling in the world." The school seemed to have undergone an overnight renovation. Of course the changes were not too drastic, but it was still very different. The platforms had all been pushed together, to make one big massive stage. But since the platforms were circular, there was bound to be uneven edges at the point where the platforms meet. Those edges and angles, now had four meter tall pillars jutting out from it. Alex felt that it was rather ingenious, it would make for a very interesting event to see how the fighters would maneuver the obstacle on the platform. Alex and Anya went towards the platform, and stood in like waiting for the battle royal to start. As most of the fighters had not arrived yet, they both busied themselves with small talks, making conversation about everything they had experienced, during the few days they had spent here in Dekina. Midway into their discussion, a young man approached them with three older guys behind him. With the way he was walking, it was quite obvious that he was someone important, and that the men behind him were his bodyguards. "My greetings to fellow cultivators Anya and Alex. My name is Lu Yen of the prestigious Lu family. It is my honor to be in the presence of such great heroes in the making." "Oh....um Lu Yen right?....cool. Nice to meet you too." With the way Anya replied, it was quite obvious she had no idea who he was, and even if she did. She did not give a damn. Alex however knew of him, and of his prestigious family. His family were actually descended from a banished elder of the Wudang sect. It has been about a hundred years, but the news around, was that that elder has had his banishment lifted, and that this competition was a front for him to come home, but to also prove his repentance by showing how good a cultivator his descendants were. Basically he could come home, but he had to prove himself and his family, so that they could at least have a status that was close enough to the one he held before his banishment. And if rumors were to be believed, Lu Yen here was not just good, he was the best in the state. Putting him at two grades above Alex who was just fighting for the first time in the inter village competition. But right now, Alex had to find a way to diffuse a situation that was about to turn sour, due to Anya''s blatant lack of disrespect. "So it is Big brother Lu Yen, I have long admired and respected you for your martial arts skills. You mightthink we are great heroes in the making, but you''re already a very well known and established hero. Truly it''s an honor to meet you." "Alex? What''s with the sudden ass kissing, this completely unlike you. Are you sick, did this guy charm you. Do you want me to beat him up for you. Hey!What did you do to my boyfriend." Alex choked on his saliva at Anya''s sudden outburst. He was trying to diffuse a situation, but she was trying to make it worse. What the hell was wrong with this girl. Though he had to admit that hearing her call him her boyfriend had made his heart skip a beat. Of course Alex was not sure she was entirely conscious of what she said. And to set matters straight, Alex was not ass kissing. Lu Yen had been the state champion for four years in a row, and the national champion for two of those years, before he was dethroned last year by a girl called Helen. And he was only twenty years old, by rough estimates he should be in the late levels of the open meridian realm, and half a step into the open dantian realm. He was very close in strength to Alex''s own father Ben. "Big brother Lu Yen, please forgive Anya for her outbursts, she''s not usually this.....protective." "Hahahaha.No problem little brother Alex. It is quite refreshing to see someone who has no idea about my fame, or is completely unfazed by it. Dare I say it, but little sister Anya is a woman above many others, you''re quite lucky to have her by your side." Alex could only nod in response. There was just something about this guy, an aura or a presence that made him very likable and worship worthy. However there was something else that Alex could not Kay a finger on, something different that he couldn''t tell whether it was positive or negative. But regardless of what it was, it was taking all of his self control to not completely go into full fan boy mode. "Anyway little Brother Alex, Little sister Anya. I have been impressed with your skills in your previous fight, and even more so for you Alex. Your sheer talent is the talk of town, and from what I can see it is very true. You have just stepped into the ninth level of the body refining realm, and just yesterday you were at the sixth level. Talent like yours makes the rest of us look very ordinary and weak." Alex had been discriminated all his life, so it was not so hard for him to pick out a tone of hostility from his words. It was only there for a moment, but Alex was able to pick it out regardless of how fleeting it was. By the looks of it, his Advancement and the reaction from it, had displeased Lu Yen very much. "It is not my intention senior brother Lu Yen, you are a dragon among men, so I very much my star will ever outshine yours hehehehe" Alex smelt danger, the only unfortunate thing was that it was coming from someone he really admired. With how strict his father had been about martial arts, Alex had been forced to find many different ways to be close to that world. He picked discarded Wulin times magazines, hid behind the window of people''s houses so that he could watch a match between cultivators whenever it was broadcasted. In retrospect for one of his heroes to actually feel jealous of him was both flattering and upsetting at the same time. It made Alex feel the need to keep things low key, so that things like thus don''t happen again. But Anya was a demon. "You''re right Alex, he doe''s look like a dragon among men." At her words a smile broke out on Lu yen''s face. And he was about to open him mouth to speak to her, before Anya dropped a bomb that could get them. Killed. "But you Alex, you''re a dragon among dragons. I''m sure in a year''s time or less, your achievements will definitely overshadowed his. I mean seriously, you''re much to talented to be put in the same level as him." ''I''m dead, I''m going to die, oh God I''m I dead yet.'' At that moment, all his thoughts centered on how he knew Lu Yen was going to rip his arms from his sockets, and beat him to death with it. To make matters worse, all of their conversation had been heard by bystanders and they were adding fuel to the fire. "Do you see who that is, that''s State Champion Lu Yen." "Of course I can see who that is, people call his Red Warrior of the first mountain." "Yes but can you also see who that is, it''s the genius." "Wait! Is the guy who broke through three levels in one night.?" "Are you retarded, of course it''s him. You were also here Robowhen he defeated that Eight level body refining realm cultivator with one punch." "Of course I was, and he almost killed him too. To be honest I also agree with Goddess Anya on this. In not time at all he would definitely surpass the red warrior of the first mountain." "Yes robo, and when that happens, he will become the blue warrior of the dark mountain. Equal if not greater in strength to even dragon bull Emeka who is the most powerful cultivator of our country." "Cop, I think we have been blessed enough by fate, we have witnessed the birth of a legend." ''And you have also killed him too!!!!'' Alex shouted within his mind. If Lu Yen did not have any reason to hate him, he did now. And he was sure, that Lu Yen would hate him for a very long time. Alex did not know how thing''s got completely out of hand. He just wanted to be a cultivator, head to the Wudang sect, find his mother and maybe get married to Anya and live the rest of his life in leisure. But before he could even leave his own village, much less the country, his life as a cultivator was already becoming even more complicated. "Do you hear that Alex. Every body here thinks you have the potential to surpass me. Well I wish you the best of luck, and waiting for the time when you will be staring enough to challenge me. But until then I will be watching you, blue warrior of the dark mountain." Alex was able to pick out the distinct lack of the word ''brother'' when Lu Yen called his name again. It was safe to say any sort of hope he might have had to create a relationship with one of his heroes had been ruined by Anya, and those two idiots in the crowd who had already disappeared, probably to go ruin the lives of some other people. But now almost every one in the arena were talking about him, some of them even recognized him from his time as a soccer captain. There was nothing Alex could do, as all of a sudden a massive pressure was dropped on his shoulders. When he looked at the eyes of everyone in the Arena, and Anya too, he could see their expectations, he could see that because of his revealed talent, they expected him to be the best, to become the best. Which meant that from now one, no matter what happens, Alex was not allowed to loose a fight. 11 Competition V : Essence Of A Python [AWARENESS; IT''S AND IMPORTANT FACTOR OF EVERY FIGHT, ACTION AND CHOICE MADE BY A CULTIVATOR. A CULTIVATOR WHO IS NOT AWARE OF HIS SURROUNDINGS, IS LIKE AN IDOIT WHO BROUGHT A KNIFE TO A GUN FIGHT. AND I HAVE SEEN GUNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE MADE BY REFINERS, THOSE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS KILLING MACHINES. BUT I DIGRESS, INUNDERSTAND, THAT WHITHOUT AWARENESS, DEATY IS IMMINENT AND ASSURED. BUT TUE QUESTION REMAINS WHAT SHOULD YOU BE AWARE OFF. THE ANSWER TO THAT, IS EVERYTHING. THE WULIN IS NOT A PRETTY, SAFE OR HAPPY PLACE. EVEN WHEN YOU''RE FUCKING YOUR WOMAN, HONOR DICTATES YOU REMAIN AWARE LEST SHE STABS YOU IN THE BACK OF SLEEPS WITH YOUR BROTHER AFTER YOU, AND THEN YOU WILL END UP FEELING LIKE CRAP, WEAK, AND HEARTBROKEN AND THEN YOU WILL NEVER TRUST A WOMAN AGAIN!!!. SORRY I LOST MY SELF FOR A MOMENT THERE. AWARENESS IS NEEDED ON A BATTLEFIELD AND IN A FIGHT, ITNKEEPS YOU ALIVE, IT KEEPS YOUR SHARP. YOU MUST LEARN TO TAKE IN EVERYTHING AND NOTHING AT ONCE, LEARN TO NAME, CATALOG, LABEL AND UNDERSTAND AN OBJECT IN SECONDS. LEARN TO WATCH FOR THE SPEAR BEHIND YOU WHILE YOU''RE DEALING WITH THE SWORD AHEAD. IT IS IMPERATIVE YOU KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, YOUR EARS SHARP, AND YOUR NOSE CLEAR, BECAUSE DEATH CAN COME FROM ANY DIRECTION. BUT ABOVE ALL, YOU MUST LEARN TO BE AWARE OF LIFE, BETRAYAL CAN COME FROM ANYONE AND SOME TIMES FROM THE PERSON YOU TRUST THE MOST. EVEN YOUR OWN BROTHER AND WIFE. THE WULIN IS NOT A HAPPY PLACE INDEED...¡­] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ After the somewhat traumatic and disappointing confrontation with Lu Yen, Alex made his way towards the platform to prepare for the upcoming match. It did not take long, for the remaining fighters to start trickling into the school and taking up positions around the platform. The officials had decided that they would be holding a roll call, so that some rather sneaky losers of the previous round would not make their way to the platform under the flow of the crowd. Such a situation had happened many times in the past, and it usually ended going bad for the sneaks. However on two occasions, the sneaks actually emerged champions of the entire competition, but that was just two out of hundreds. As the official was about to start calling the name of the participating fighters, Alex felt Anya grab a hold of his hand, he knew she was not scared, but this was just a mike version of a pep talk. Usually her talks involved screaming, insulting or punching the living daylights out of him, while also making threats about all the horrible things she would do to him if he lost. But recently things had been quite different between the two of them, and all Alex could blame it on was puberty. He found that recently he was getting more flustered around her, thankfully he was dark enough that things like a blush never showed on his face. Ultimately, his relationship with Anya was somehow slipping into an awkward phase, but at times like this, just a simple hold of hands was enough to show how much and how far they were willing to go to support each other. "Alex Feng Matthews" Alex cursed under his breath as he made his way on top of the stage. Of all the things thatcould happen,why did they have to call him first, after all this would do nothing but paint a target on him. Everyone always remembered the name of the first person and the last person to get on a stage, unless of course you had prior fame. But there was no way around it now, as Alex knew without a doubt, that all those guys and girls down there, would be gunning for him. "Aro....." "...¡­." "Anyaja Omakpe" It was ironic that she was called last, but by now everyone in the arena could smell a conspiracy theory. Somebody had it out for Alex, and somehow Anya had been drawn into it too. He swore beneath his breath as he tired to think who it was that would have it out for him, of course Lu Yen came to mind, but Alex didn''t think he would go that far, right? "I think you pissed someone off Alex." He turned to her and said with the most sarcastic voice possible. "You think?" "But why am I being punished with you?" Alex could not help it, his jaw fell open in surprise, and he could not help but give Anya a sharp slap in her head. But that might have been a bug mistake, as the entire platform erupted into a fight before the official could start the match properly. Alex did not care about the fight at the moment as he was glaring at an upset Anya who had a look of someone who had been wronged. Alex knew she was not stupid, but the girl could be so dense sometimes it was hard to imagine how her brain worked. Alex knew this had to do with Anya antagonizing Lu Yen earlier, and she had the guts to ask why she was being punished too, when this whole thing was her fault. But Alex had run out of time to glare at Anya as someone threw a punch at his head and rattled his brain within his skull. He stumbled a bit and almost fell flat on his face, before he heard a loud "Hey!" and then a furious Anya threw a kick straight to the chest of the girl who just took a cheap shot to his head. The poor girl was thrown of her feet and sent off the platform, but not before she took six other fighters with her on her journey to squashed dreams and missed opportunity. Alex did not feel to happyabout this, because quite frankly he almost got knocked out by a girl, and he would have loved to regain his image as a macho and tough man, that wouldn''t get his add handed to him by a woman. But before Alex could mount any come back, a leg sweep took him off his feet, and deposited him down hard on the platform. His already rattled brain was rattled some more, and he was able to feel the cookery taste of blood in his mouth. He was dazed, and in his dazed state, he began to feel kicks and punches being rained down on his thin frame. Alex had a sturdy body due to the [SKY PYTHON SWIMS IN WATER] body refinement exercises. However from the onslaught of Qi that he felt on the surface of his skin, he knew that the person, or one of the person who was now beating the shit out of him was at the open meridian realm. Or maybe it was more than one person, because quite honestly Alex had no idea how many fists had rained down on him and how many they belonged to. "YARRRRRR!!!!" Alex had enough respite to see as Anya barreled one of his assailants and pushed him of his feet with a shoulder tackle, then she turned with a sharp swivel of her hips and hit another one of his assailants with a clothesline. The force of the hit, bust opened the lower lip of the guy she attacked as he made two full rotations in the air releasing a spray of blood before he landed on the platform grabbing his neck and lower jaw in pain. But Anya was not done, as she took a classic soccer penalty pose and shot a kick to the guy''s midsection. The power behind her kick lifted him up and threw off the platform, as soon as he hit the ground, forgetting that she was in the middle of a great fight, Anya raised her hands up and shouted. "GOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!" This chick was crazy and ruthless. It was the though that was going through the minds of everyone who had watched Anya fight. And now they knew anybody would pay dearly should they lay a hand on Alex. But Alex refused to be the damsel in distress, he was still angry about being knocked down by a girl, and then all of a sudden he was ganged up on. There was no way he was not getting payback. One of his assailants was trying to make a quick getaway, hoping to join the fight somewhere else and not fall target to Anya''s wrath. But Alex grabbed a hold of his feet, and pulled him to the ground. But before he could react to the sudden attack, Alex wrapped his hands around the point his ribs ended, between the start of his chest and stomach. And then he locked his arms tight immediately restricting his opponent''s breathing. He struggled to escape from Alex''s grip, however Alex''s arms were locked tight. Then he proceeded to try and struggle out of the hold, but Alex countered by moving his body in tiny imperceptible movements that were designed to tire his opponent and make him expend more energy. Without a doubt,this was the [SKY PYTHON CRUSHES ROCK]martial arts, and in his enraged state, Alex was able to have an epiphany and embrace the true nature of a python. Alex was deathly terrified of snakes, it he could, he would have preferred if those creatures never existed in the first place, but at this moment if you out a snake in front of Alex he would not react in fright. Instead because of the aura that Alex was currently releasing, it was highly probable that the snake would treat him as it''s own kin. At that moment a heavy sure descended around the area of where Alex had his prey tightly wrapped around his coils(arms), his mind worked instinctually as he adjusted every move he made so that his prey would get tired faster and he could move in for a kill. Alex at that moment was experiencing enlightenment and understanding the true essence of this martial art, it was entirely possible that even its creator had never been in this state of mind before. Everyone fighting and even the audience had all stopped to look at Alex, at his level and realm of cultivation, it should have been impossible for him to release an aura of any sort, but the one he was releasing now was so thick and chocking, and it had the air of a predator who had cornered his prey. To be honest it was quite terrifying to everyone who was watching, even the veteran cultivators were in shock at the pure talent Alex was showing, because at just fourteen, he was in a state of mind that every single one of them has been chasing and praying for, but never achieved. All of a sudden Alex''s opponent became frantic as fear overcame him, because regardless of whatever way you looked at it, he was right at the middle and closets to Alex''s predatory aura. But Alex much like a true python rolled around the platform with his prey, his sudden rolling had even caught a fewfighter off guard as they all threw themselves of the platform in panic and shock. Then Alex rolled to a positionwhere his opponent was facing the ground and he was on top of his opponent, then he quickly spread his legs on either side, and with an impressive show of strength, he raise his opponent up and swung him over his head. This mover was altered [PYTHON SLAMS EARTH] but to enthusiast of the grappling arts, they would recognize this move as a German suplex. But Alex''s hand was still wrapped around his opponent midsection with his opponents back on the ground, and his legs in the air, Alex turned and brought his opponent closer to his body, then he brought them both to a standing position. Then he squeezed all to gently. "ARRRGGGHHHHHH ARRRRR HA HA HAAAAAAA!" His screams were probably the kind that would hunt the nightmares of a lot of people here, but accompanying those screams were the audible sounds of bones cracking. Alex did not let go a full twenty seconds as he brought the full might of the [PYTHON CRUSHES BONE]move to bear. And in those twenty seconds,his opponent had stopped making any sounds after fourteen of them, before he passed out from the pain. He hung from Alex''s grip like a marionette that had it''s strings cut, then Alex seeing the opponent defeated twirled his body and threw his opponent of the platform like he was a soccer ball that Alex was so used to handling.Then Alex turned to the fighters of the platform and asked with a voice as normally possible. "Who''s Next?" 12 Competition VI : Wardrobe Malfunction [ STYLE IS AN INTERGRAL FACTOR OF EVERY MARTIAL ARTISTS REPERTOIRE. PLEASE NOTE, THAT STYLE IN MY HUMBLE OPINION A VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE MOVES OR THE MARTIAL ARTS THEMSELVES. STYLE IS THE COUMILATION OF ALMOST UNNOTICEABLE QUIRKS, MOVEMENTS AND MODE OF ATTACK THAT A CULTIVATOR SHOW IN EVERY FIGHT. IT SERVES AS ANIDENTITY, BUT ALSO AS A WAY TO COUNTER THAT MARTIAL ASTIST SHOULD HE OR SHE EVER ENDS UP BEING YOUR OPPONENT. SYLES ARE CATEGORIZED INTO DIFFRWNT MODES OF COMBAT. THERE ARE TUMDEFENSIVE MODE OR STYLE,THE ATTACK STYLE, THE SPEED STYLES, THE BALANCE STYLE, AND THE UNORTHODOX. EXCEPT FOR THE UNORTHODOX, NONE OF THE OTHER STYLES NEED ANY INTRODUCTION. THE UNORTHODOX EXCELS ON THE SHEER ART OF UNPREDICTABILITY. IS A MISHMASH OF DIFFERENT MODES OF STYLES, BUT ALSO EXECUTES THEM IN A WAY THAT CONFUSES THEIR OPPONENTS. THIS GUYS EXCELS IN A STRAIGHT UP FIGHT, AND THEY ARE THE MASTERS OF THE SNEAKY, CHEATING AND UNDERHANDED MOVES OF THE WULIN.IN FACT IT WAS GUYS LIKE THAT WHO INVENTED IT.A PRIME EXAMPLE OF SUCH A MOVE WOULD BE THE [DRUNKEN FIST]OF THE BEGGARS SECT.EVERY MARTIAL ARTIST IS BOUND TO HAVE A STYLE,BUT THE BEST ADVICE IS THAT A CULTIVATOR SHOULD LEARN AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO EVOLVE THEIR STYLE WHEN THE SITUATION CALLS FOR IT. IT KEEPS THEM SHARP, STRONGER, AND RELEVANT.] BARTHOLOMEW ¨¢L¨¨ Have you ever woken up from sleep so suddenly, and you did not know where you are. Or woke up and still feel like you were in a dream and still sleeping. You would feel a sudden detachment from reality, unable to relate or reconcile your current view, sight, feeling, and senses. You think it''s a dream, but some part of your brain and a million other cells in your body keep yelling you that this was reality. This was how Alex felt right now, he felt like he was stuck in a dream, but somehow still bound to reality. It was a weird feeling, but instead of that sleepy haze, he had a clarity which he had never experienced. Before in his life. He was in the heat of battle, and he felt invisible, if he did not get to feel the pleasure of driving his fist through someone''s face, he was sure he would regret it for a very long time. But even in this state, he could hear their whispers, he could see their fear. His senses were so strained and pushed to the very edge that he could even pick out and understand what a person was feeling based on emotion alone. And most of this guys, seemed quite scared. "What the hell is he?" "was that a martial arts move?It was so strange and brutal." "yeah,I wonder if that guy that fought him is dead." It was obvious that they were rapidly loosing their confidence, Alex''s father brutal display had been so eye catching that the entire crowd of roaring fans, parents, visitors and defeated participants had been struck silent. The aura that he was letting out was weak and could barely be considered a ripple in the water to more experienced and higher leveled cultivators, but the fact that he could release one, and in such a scale that he could affect the very emotional state of the other fighters was a very impressive feat. And it did nothelp matters that only a few people on this stage could claim to have faced an aura that dangerous. The others were just village boys starting out on their journey to cultivation.But it was obvious a little later on, that they were not going to let their fears control him. "So what if he''s a genius and has very powerful martial arts. He can not take on all of us." "He''s right brothers and sisters. Let''s join forces and eliminate this monster, and then let the best man or woman win after." "Yeah let''s do that." "Charge.... Arck!" They had forgotten about Anya, and the person who had just ordered a charge had his hair yanked backwards as he was pulled to the ground, hitting it with a very audible and painful thud. Then Anya proceeded to stomp on his stomach a few times, and in a similar fashion to one of her earlier opponents, she kicked him off the stage, and raised her hands in the air all the while screaming goal. They were all shocked by the sudden elimination, but Anya already got the ball rolling, and it would be a shame to not play. Alex took off with a running start, and when he got close to his first opponent, he bunched his knees, gathering power from the soles of his foot and his calves, before he pushed off and jumped into the air. While in the air he raised his right hand, and let gravity do the rest as it pulled him and his fist down to the face of a boy with really thick lips. The ensuing punch threw that boy of his feet and he took out a few other fighters around him as they fell to the ground with all the added weight. Alex ducked a punch, and while on his knees, he responded with and uppercut that took his opponent into the air, and well outside the platform. Before he could turn, Alex felt somebody club the back of his head with an elbow, stunning him for a few moments, but it was enough for another girl to send a flying kick to his face that took him of his feet and dropped hard two meters from where he was standing. So far Alex had been fighting close to the edge of the platform, and the kick to the face had pushed straight to the edge. One of his attackers wanted to take advantage of his weakened position to kick him off in similar fashion to Anya and her goal scoring kicks. But ex would not go down easy, so he employed a page from his father''s and Anya''s play book. When his opponent raised his leg, Alex rolled closer and sent his entire arm in between his legs. "AAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE?" Alex had to admit he felt really sorry, this was not a move he would practice normally, but the guy had left him with no choice. With his hand still between his legs, Alex raised him up over his head and hurled him off the stage to the ground where he proceeded to curve into a fetal position and cry his eye out at the sheer injustice he had just been dealt. Alex turned to look at his other opponents, who were now looking at him like he was a traitor, especially the boys who felt he had broken a sacred code of brother hood. You never go for a low blow. Alex agreed to a certain extent, but this guys were bot desperate enough....yet. This thing no longer looked like a martial arts competition, it had completely devolved into a street brawl, and Anya looked like she was having the time of her life, as she had the hair of two girls grasped firmly in both her hands, and then she proceeded to knock their head together every three seconds. The face of those girls were bloodied, making it seem like Anya was having a six year old girl''s tea party of horror as she tried to smash to dolls together. Alex shivered, but he had to get back into this fight. Alex rushed at the first person he saw, it was a girl, and the one who kicked him in the face at that. Time for payback Alex thought to himself as he approached her.When she got close, she started throwing a barrage of punches that Alex kept deflecting with his palms. This fight was quite reminiscence of his second singles match, but this girl was not as fast, however her strikes had more power behind them. She threw a straight jab to his nose a Alex shifted hishead to the left,and let her hand go past his head. She over extended, leaving her open, which gave Alex an opening to get close and use the [PYTHON CRUSHES ROCK] ,however it seemed she recognized his intentions and panicked, as she tried to evade his grip. However Alex was not about to let his prey out of his grasp, but she was not going to give up easily either, and somehow one thing led to another and Alex had her shirt and bra in his hands, exposing her bouncy brown melons to the entire world. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" "SLAP!!!!!!" And then she proceeded to run off the stage, using her hands to protect whatever modesty she had left. Alex on the other hand was completely shocked, by the outcome. He never expected that to happen, of course it was common knowledge that common clothing''s were unable to withstand the force of a cultivators grip. And it was not a competition if there was not at least five wardrobe malfunctions. Many of the guys here had been earnestly waiting for such a thing to happen, only to be disappointed as it seems the girls took extra care to not make such a mistake. Until Alex decided to bless them with such a perfect set of breasts. He was now like a God in their eyes, as they all looked at him in adoration and worship. Alex on the other hand felt wronged, he never intended for this to happen, as soon as he had seen her breasts, his hyper focused combat momentum had come to a screeching halt, not to mention he now had palm sized hand print on the left side of his face. And now every female in the school was looking at him as if they wished him to die a thousand deaths, but a worse situation was coming, and it was in the form of Anya, who had just angrily tossed her two dolls aside like they were broken toys and marched straight for Alex. It was like watching death, only it was beautiful and had huge pair of melons for a sixteen year old. ''why am I thinking of melons'' a horrified Alex asked himself. It seems un dressing that girl had rattled his brain a whole lot more than he expected. As Anya marched towards him, Alex looked down at his hand that was still holding the girls purples lace bra and ripped shirt. Alex quickly threw them away and put on the most innocent face possible he could muster, then. "SLAP!!!!" "How dare you Alex, that was totally undignified and unfair." To everyone there it seemed as if Anya was defending the wronged girl, even Alex thought she was screaming at him for the same reason. Until he heard what she said next. "How can you dishonor me like this. I''m your woman, if you wanted to look at a pair of breast, you could have asked me. I would have showed you mine no problem." What.The.Hell "Look, mine is bigger and more rounder, feel it. Come on, touch it." And then she proceeded to carry Alex''s hand, and place it on her breasts, making sure he squeezed while his hands were grabbing the amazing pair of fun bags. It felt like heaven, but Alex wanted to die. They were still in the middle of battle royal, under the gaze of hundreds if not thousands of people, and Anya decided to do this. Dying was an understatement, Alex wanted his mind, soul,and body to be completely wiped from existence. That''s until a voice saved them. "Anyaja! What the hell are you doing?" Oh look it''s Anya''s brother. He''s on the stage with them, looks like he qualified, oh and he looked pissed. Very, very pissed. 13 Competition VII : Eliminated [HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE, LIKE IN A SERIOUS LIVE OR DIE KIND OF TROUBLE(WHY AM I ASKING MYSELF THIS QUESTIONS.).TROUBLE FOR A CULTIVATOR COULD BE A PLETHORA OF THINGS, BUT ONE THING THAT YOU CAN BE SURE OF IS THAT ONCE A CULTIVATOR IS IN TROUBLE, THEN SOMEBODY USUALLY ENDS UP DEAD. BUT TROUBLE CAN BE A GOOD THING FOR A CULTIVATOR, IT HELPS A CULTIVATOR TO UTILIZE THOSE RARE MOMENTS AND WORK WITH THEIR MIND RATHER THAN THEIR FIST. OF COURSE IT''S BEEN PROVEN MORE TIMES THAN I CAN POSSIBLY COUNT THAT CULTIVATORS UTILIZE TEN PERCENT MORE OF THEIR BRAIN THAN NORMAL HUMANS. BUT WE GET SO STUPID AT TIMES THAT THE ANSWER WE HAVE TO EVERY PROBLEM THAT COMES OUR WAY, IS A PUNCH. PUNCHING IS GOOD, PUNCHING IS AWSOME, BUT PUNCHING IS ALSO STUPID.] BARTHOLOMEW ALE So right now Alex wondered if it would be preferable to die from embarrassment, or from being pummeled by the half brother of his best friend. Anya was a handful, and her very existence was made to make his life miserable. Anya did not know how to think like a normal human being, she was strong, she was beautiful, but she was not smart(most of the time anyway). She''s ruled by her emotions and blunt with her feelings, most would say she was honest, and that was a good trait. But in a world like this, its bound to get her killed, or in a situation where she gets taken advantage off.Her brother did not say anything more as he shot forward with his hand cocked back for a punch, it was bound to be a very terrible punch..... If it connected that is. He jumped up for leverage, and then Anya kicked him off the stage like he was nothing more than a buzzing fly. SomehowAlex felt that her brother was nothing more than a cannon fodder who would not appear again unless it was to make the protagonist look good, typical plot armor material. Her brother glared at both of them with a look that promised more pain than they can ever imagine. And then Anya sent him off with a cheerful smile. Alex could not say anything about the injustice at all, he was just an innocent man caught in a slew of unfortunate events. It was terrible. A kick heading for the back of his head, alerted him to the fact that he was in the middle of a fight. He ducked down, but the kick went straight for the unguarded face of Anya and threw her off the platform. For a moment the entire arena was silent, this was a fluke, and they all knew that if she so wished, Anya would win the whole damn thing. "Eliminated at no 70. Anyaja Omapke. She qualifies for the next round!" Alex could not help but give a sigh of relief. The battle royale was only supposed to continue until there were only seventy fighters left. Those seventy fighters would move on to the next round with the top 35 challenging the bottom 35. Then after that, one competitor will be randomly chosen to advance to the next round, and the remaining 34 will fight until there are seventeen fighters left.After which the eighteen fighters would face each other to see who the top nine will be. After the top nine are chosen, the final spot was supposed to be given to an already predetermined fighter. And from there the ten were all expected to head to the state capital where they will fight for their local government.Seeing as he would be advancing to the next round regardless, Alex walked off the platform to stand beside Anya. "Eliminated at no 69 Alexander Feng Mathews. He qualifies for the next round!" Ultimately there would have to be a hundred fighters chosen from the inter village competition. So the others who had been eliminated from 71to 10p would head to the state capital for the inter local government competition. The remaining 70 now had to fight for the glory of being number 2,since number 1 has already been chosen by the top brass around. Either way what the battle royale wanted to achieve has already been met, and that was to get a hundred fighters for the inter local government competition at the state capital. The only thing left now would be to properly allocate rankings for the inter village competition. Alex made his way towards Anya and held her hand as he made his way to the stands set aside for fighters to rest. He kept his head down as much as possible completely embarrassed by the strings of unfortunate events he had been forced to experience. Anya did not say anything, and that was probably because she was upset, Alex knew she had wanted to be the last person standing in the battle royale, but she had lost her chance. "Don''t worry Queen of Hell, there''s still a chance for you to be number one in the whole competition." Alex comforted her. Anya nodded her head, as they turned their attention back to the fight still gong on. Her brother had disappeared immediately after he was eliminated, he was probably too angry about being eliminated by his sister. Alex also suspected that he was going to get his father to come and put an end to Anya''s momentum. However Alex was not too worried about that either, by the time that man got here, Anya would have already cemented her place as one of the top talents of this competition, his hands would be completely tied. Alex closed his eyes to meditate, he was not worried about his realm increasing because to cross over from the ninth level to the body refining realm to the first level of the open meridian realm was a whole lot more complicated than taking in qi to nourish your body. Also Alex was just at the early stage of the ninth level, he was in no danger of having a breakthrough. But his meditation right now, would help him analyze his fights, and calm his heavily beating heart. Too many things seem to be happening today, Lu Yen seems to be pulling strings to make things a little difficult for him and Anya, but hopefully he wouldn''t take it too far. The battle royale continued for another one hour, before the last man standing was decided. He was a fifteen year old at the peak stage of the second level of the open meridian realm, he was probably as talented as Anya since she was at the peak stage of the third level at sixteen.After the royale ended, the top seventy fighters were given two hours to rest before the singles battle to determine the inter village rankings for the Dekina local government will begin. The rankings was just for show though, even though some awards would be given out, in the end this did not matter. There were almost a hundred and twenty villages under the Dekina local government, and there were at least 30 if not more local government in Kogi state. And each of those local governments had as much villages, and they were also going to be sending their best hundred for the inter local government competition at the capital of the state Lokoja. And after that, the top hundred from that competition would represent Kogi state in the national competition between all thirty six states of the Nigeria colony. And it''s in that competition that the top 10 would be chosen to join the Wudang sect as outer disciples. The competition was fierce, so the only ranking that would probably matter should be the state and national rankings. After the hour was up, the first person to be called on the stage for the 35 vs 35 second round elimination round for the rankings was Anya. This only seemed to prove Alex''s theory that someone was trying to put them in the spotlight. Alex might not have been exposed to the Wulin for long, but he knew that lot''s of people wanted to snuff out the light of a star that shone too bright. Anya made her way to the stage with an ugly look on her face. It was obvious she had come to the same conclusion as Alex about why they were chosen first and last in the previous round, and now she was picked first in the second round. She didn''t like people playing with her life, she''s had enough experience of that from her father, and even though she couldn''t do anything to him because they share the same bloodline, she couldn''t say the same for any other fool who thinks it''s wise to mess with her. Her opponent was a young man who used a staff, however the staff in his hand seemed to be casted from metal and had ridge like bumps at both ends. This was a weapon made specifically for torture, and he was also in the second level of the open meridian realm, though Alex could not tell which stage he was at. The ability of cultivators in the open meridian realm could not be really measured based on their stage, but by how proficient they were with using qi in their attacks. As soon as the boy got on top of the stage Anya moved her neck left and right, letting out crackling sounds as she focused her gaze on her opponent with an intensity that sent shivers through the spines of many within the crowd. Alex knew with that look she had decided to take this fight and the rest of the competition seriously. A hazy film of silver light began to shimmer on her skin as she drew in qi in preparation for her fight. Her opponent seeing that, did the same as he spread his qi over the surface of his scary looking staff. Then they ran towards each other, her opponent swung his staff horizontally at her waist, but Anya jumped over it, barely dodging it as it scraped over the top of her white battle robe. Anya landed with a roll, and turned with such speed to deliver her counter attack at the back of her opponent who had moved past her after his attack had failed. However this guy was quite aware as he used the momentum from his previous swing to bring his staff swinging around to impact directly on Anya''s clenched fist.There was ding sound as they were both pushed back from the other by the force of the blow. But Anya was not done as she pushed her advantage and ran straight for her opponent and threw a punch straight to his face, but it was only a feint as she pulled her hand back, narrowly avoiding having his staff collide with her fist again. She moved forward and head butted her opponent, pushing him back enough for her to deliver a spinning back kick to his chest that threw him on his back. As soon as he fell on his back, the crowd roared, as whispers about her capabilities began to float around the on lookers. But the fight was not over as the staff wielder picked himself up and started running towards Anya. He was four feet away when he pushed his staff forward like a spear attempting to poke a hole in Anya''s face or at the very least crush her bones. But Anya moved her head to the side dodging the attack, but this attack was also a feint as her opponent whipped his staff left and it''s qi covered frame smacked into Anya''s forehead, busting it open as blood gushed out. Anya was disoriented from the hit, and he took advantage to raise his staff and bring it crashing down on her back with a very nasty thud. Qi was a very powerful force, and due to it, Anya''s body bounced on the platform as she spat out a little bit of blood from the intensity of the hit. Her opponent moved back a few steps to reorient himself for another attack and give her breathing space to get back up.Anya shook her head vigorously and wiped away the blood that was now dripping down the side of her head, down her neck and into her body. With the blood on her face and the fierce look in her eyes it gave her a manic and ferocious look. Then she spoke to her opponent. "Your first and only mistake in this fight, was stopping when you did, now I''m going to make you regret ever waving that stick at me." And with that she shot towards her opponent, fingers out stretched and gleaming with qi. 14 Competition VIII : The Killing Move [In a world devoid of qi, women have no say in most things involving life. And even if they did, their physical weakness as compared to men, makes it hard for them to compete in many aspects. But even In such a world, women are still and would most probably be the most fiercest existence on earth. They''re ruled by their emotions, but the advantage to that is that they''re even more in control of those emotions than a man ever would. So it is with a loving heart and care I leave this warning to my descendants, disciples or any fool unlucky enough to own this journal or a copy of it. Don''t you ever tangle with a woman who is angry, frustrated, in pain of any kind, hungry, in love, happy or horny. Because they would be able to channel their emotions with startling accuracy to increase and improve their strength or achieve anything they set out to do. But most importantly if you''re faced with an angry woman, please for the love of God and all that is holy...¡­.run for your life] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ Anya moved so fast it was almost a blur in the eyes of every other low level cultivator in the area, her fingers were flat and pointed perpendicular to her body, heading straight for the neck of her opponent. But her opponent seemed to really have a wealth of experience and talent when it comes to battle as he waved his staff in front of his face, and barely managed to dodge have a hole poked in his neck.The staff met Anya''s fingers and a resounding ring broke out on the platform as it sounded as if the staff had not met flesh but instead another metal. The staff user became unbalanced as he was not able to completely counter the force behind Anya''s strike. Anya was not done as she took a leap forward with her other hand, palm facing downwards and the fingers pointing straight at her opponent. She began to unleash a barrage of pierce like strikes that her opponent was barely deflecting. Her opponent was putting up a good fight, and he took advantage of a lull in her attack and raised the but of his staff upwards attempting to hit her under her chin in patented uppercut. However Anya took a step back to evade, bringing her deadly fingers to rest at her side. But stepping back did not completely take her out of danger as her opponent pushed his staff forward and hit her on the chest. Anya involuntarily took a few steps back as the force of the hit forced her to spit blood. This guy was at a lower realm than she was, but he the advantage of a weapon, and not just the weapon alone, he also had her bit in terms of reach, and the profoundness of his battle technique was really good. Not to mention whatever martial art he was using right now, had been mastered to either the mid or advanced stage. His cultivation level seems to be a step below hers, so they were evenly matched. The truth is Anya could have won this match a lot earlier, however her opponent had more experience in fighting than her. Anya has never been in a fight where she wasn''t completely dominating her opponent and beating the crap out of them. She''sever been in a fight this desperate with a lot riding on it.The stakes were high, now it was up to Anya to see if she had the capability to up the ante when the going get tough. Her opponentsuddenly took a step back and bunched the muscles in his calves, then he pulled his staff back and raised it over his head in a full moon like rotation. Alex quickly shot to his feet with shock and worry etched all over his face. This guy was about to perform a killing move!. A killing move is he penultimate move and martial art, it''s meant to bring an end to a fight and would usually end up injuring the opponent in simple cases, or causing death in extreme cases. Anya shot forward when the staff was already at the peak of it''s crescent rotation, and directly over the head of it''s wielder. Now it was a battle of attrition, who ever got to their opponent first would decide the outcome of his fight. His staff was moving extremely fast, and from his position among the spectators, Alex was sure Anya would not be able to make it in time. But then her body blurred and she appeared in front of her opponent, bringing his killer move to a screeching halt as she began to unleash a killer move of her own. [Viper Strikes Throat]was the killer move of the finger section of the [Hidden Viper Of Buddha''s Hand]martial art. Then her straightened fingers began to stab into his unprotected body, moving fast and sharp, in and out. With every stab she made with her fingers, everyone could hear the hiss of venomous vipers whistling through the air as they struckwith such speed and ferocity they were nothing but blurs. But every move she made with those fingers of hers raised clouds of blood into the air as she perforated and poked him full of holes from his neck all the way down to his toes. The only place that was left untouched was his face and back. After almost 1 minute of rapid fire strike, Anya turned her back to her opponent and flicked her completely blood drenched fingers to her side, letting the copious amount of blood dripping from them fall to the platform below her feet.Then she walked off the platform with a ferocious look on her face. However the moment her foot touched the ground, there was a loud bang behind her as her opponent fell flat on his back, his blood rapidly pooling around his body. At the momentum no body knew whether he was dead or alive. The doctors on duty quickly ran to the stage to look after the almost if not already dead boy. The whole arena was silent except for the wailing of a woman who would most probably be the mother of Anya''s opponent. Ever since the competition started, except for when Alex had used the [Iron Viper Strike], this was the first time a fight as brutal as this had happened. And all held on with bated breaths, wondering about the condition of the boy on the stage and wondering if he would live. Anya made her way to her seatbeside Alex in a complete daze as she stared and her still dripping blood drenched hand. She was probably in shock as she might have used that move with such an intensity in an instinctual spur of the moment. Anya had let her anger over getting hit take control of her, and while she might have lost if she didn''t do that, Alex could see she was blaming herself and wondering if there could have been a better way. Alex knew Anya better anybody else in the world right now, even her family could not claim to know her as much as he did, it was why he understood how she was feeling. Anya was a tomboy and preferred to shoot first and ask questions later, and she might have bloodied her fair share of idiots in her sixteen years of life, but never to the point where the person was a step away from life and death. Alex was worried about her, but this was a phase of her life she would have to experience, every competitor here would have to go through that phase too. The journey of cultivation is as bloody as it comes, there''s no end to the killing,no end to the horrors and nightmares that come with it. But Alex would not let her go through this alone, after all they were different sides of the same coin. Whatever one experience the other one would have to support. Alex quickly made his way into the crowd, and a few seconds later came back with a bottle of water and a white towel. And completely ignoring her blood drenched hands,began to wash the blood off her dainty ebony fingers. Anya looked up at him with tear filled eyes, looking as if she was going to cry, Alex could only open his mouth and say. "Is the queen of hell going to cry, damn!It''s at times like this I wished I owned a smart phone. I would have loved to take a picture, or a video. Then I can show it to our children when there are born." What he received for his effortswas a hard hit on his head that left his eyes swimming within his skull for a moment. But from the smile etched on her face, he knew he had succeeded in calming down. The road of cultivation is unforgiven and bloody, but that doesn''t mean you have to walk it alone. 15 Competition IX : First Kill [Preemptive strikes can make or break the tempo of a fight. The decision to attack first could be made in a variety of situation and in different states of mind. It could also be attributed as a fighting style, or a strategy that has to be carried out. Truth it, punching first is neither good or bad, it could either go really right, or go horribly wrong. The secret to it is that, when you want to punch first, you have to make sure you punch smart. Your first strike should be made to incapacitate if not to out rightly kill your opponent and put an end to an unpleasant fight before it starts. Preemptive strikes are gamble moves, and so is waiting for your opponent to attack. You might give him the advantage either way, so in the end you just have to trust your instincts, intellect and heart.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ It took about fifteen minutes for the doctors on the platform to give an answer. Thankfully they were able to save the life of Anya''s opponent. The only dilemma now was that no one really knew the extent of his injuries until he has been observed extensively. Also from the looks of things, he might not be well enough to head to the state capital for the next division of the competition. But regardless, the fact that he was alive and made it through the worst seemed to ease Anya''s worries a bit, as she calmed down an bit and turned her focus to the next fight. "Sanusi Rahim step to the stage for your match." A stocky teenager that looked nineteen rather than the fifteen written on his profile went up the stage. He was almost six feet tall, and his body was packed with really powerful muscles that ripples and glistened under the glare of the late morning sun. He seemed to be at the ninth level of the body refining realm, but which stage was not exactly clear. "Alexander Feng Matthews step to the stage for your match." Alex blinked in surprise at hearing his name being called. It seems they wanted to start from the bottom up in allocating the fights, but why does it seem as if the opponents given to Anya and Alex so far had not been randomly chosen or arranged by the previous rank. It was obvious that their opponents were in the top thirty five, but the first place had to fight the seventieth placement and sixty ninth the second.But Anya''s opponent had been the 14th person to be eliminated from the battle royale, and now Alex''s opponent was ranked third. The battle royale did not really showcase the individual strength of a fighter and even if you were the last man standing, the person eliminated first could still be ten times stronger than you. But in the confusion of the battle royale the weaker fighters tend to gang up on the stronger ones and have them eliminatedbefore duking it out amongst themselves. If Anya wanted to claim the number one spot, then this guy would be number 10,and Alex himself would be placed somewhere around 15 to 20. ''I guess I''m not done being schemed against'' Alex thought to himself as he made his way up the stage. "Your woman is quite ruthless and bloodthirsty, I respect a woman like that. You however don''t look like much, it''s obvious from a glance what the outcome of this match will be, so please forfeit,before I break you." Alex''s opponent Sanusi said. Alex cocked his head to the side and said. "Are you seriously giving a monologue right now. Do you have to be so clich¨¦ and ask me to forfeit before you break me,what do you think this is, a movie or some sort of wuxia novel. If you''re going to fight, then fool come fight me, what''s with all the yammering. It doesn''t make you cool, it would only make you look all the more stupid when I shove my feet so far up your ass you wouldn''t sit well for a week." The whole arena went silent again. Alex''s choice of words had left quite a few people shocked. Anya gave a whoop from the crowd and thumbs up to signify that she approved. It was not as if Alex had any confidence about beating this guy, but he loved a challenge none the less, it was something he was downright obsessed with. You put a challenge in front of him, and Alex would do everything in his power to make sure he wins so bad you would not be able to look him in the face to challenge him again. And this brown skinned muscle head was challenging him with his words. "Those are big words from such a small man." Sanusi said as he came closer and placed his forehead against Alex''s in an antagonistic gesture. Alex''s answer to that was to throw a punch right at his opponent''s stomach, however the ensuing result was not what he expected. The moment Alex''s fist met his stomach, there was a loud bang as if he had just hit a solid slab of metal and a rebounding force came from his body and into Alex, pushing him back a few steps until his feet was just at the edge of the platform. Alex was rattled as his entire body vibrated and shook in protests. Alex recognized the move his opponents had just used, or to be honest it wasn''t that much of a move, but rather a body training manual just like the [Sky Python Swims In Water] body training technique. A few years ago, some godly thief had broken into the shaolin temple, and regardless of the thousands of very powerful monks residing there, they were incapable of stopping him as he made away with five of their low level martial arts manual. Two months later, and online site was put up, where those precious manuals were being sold in an encrypted eBook format made with spiritual sense, so when a person bought a copy, he directly learned it in his mind, and was incapable of duplicating and spreading it to other sources. The [Iron Shirt] was the adapted version of the shaolin golden body manual, it was not as strong,but it was still a peerless technique, and unfortunately it was one of the manual stolen from shaolin temple, and the very technique Alex''s opponent practiced. The [Iron Shirt]made a martial artist immune to damage from blades, knives and even bullets. In the body refining realm all the way to the open dantian realm, this skill was almost invisible and can only be broken through with some special methods. And Alex doubted if he had such a special method available for himself. Sanusi took a step forward, moving at a speed that should not have been possible for a person of his size, he swung his enormous fist at Alex, who was still standing precariously at the edge of the platform. Seeing the fist heading for his face, Alex ducked down, built some strength at his calves, and pushed his shoulder into the gut of his opponent. There was a dull thump and a muffled scream from Alex as he felt his left shoulder get dislocated , it was rather stupid to go head on with a person whose defense was so fierce, but Alex achieved what he wanted as he was able to push his opponent back three steps. He took the advantage to pivot and twist his body, until he was standing at his opponent''s back, safely at the center of the platform. At his current strength, it should be virtually impossible for him to break through Sanusi''s defense, not unless he discovered a weak point. But to do that, he would have to engage him, however he might get beaten to a pulp before that weak point was discovered. The only thing he could do now, however was to try and draw out this battle as long as he could. While it was known that cultivators had monstrous stamina, Alex was the captain of his village soccer team. He was used to playing the entire ninety minute game without rest, and still perform to the best of his abilities. And that was when he had not been consciously cultivating, only God knew how monstrous his stamina now was. Sanusi advanced and started throwing monstrous punches that left whistling sounds in the air, he was very fast for his size, about equal if not a little higher than Alex. At first all Alex could do was evade, but eventually he was cornered and he had to deflect. That was when the profoundness of the [Viper Evades Buddha] palm art came to bear. At first Alex was scared he would not be able to keep up, because it was not just defense and speed, this guy opposite him also had great strength. But with every hit he threw, Alex was able to deflect with minimum effort and in the fastest way possible. [Viper Evades Buddha]was more than just a simple defensive palm art, it also countered, and it was not until this fight that Alex realized this point. When he had learnt it, the manual had stressed about the proper use of force, and it was not just to deflect attacks, but to dissipate the power behind it. Even though the move gave out light slaps to push away attacks, what happens when you keep hitting the same place over and over again, accumulating damage and dissipating the force of an attack from one particular point. Alex understood this secret immediately and began to focus solely of his defense. To the untrained eye, it would seem as if Sanusi was raining down blows upon blows on Alex and all he could do was defend. But as this fight went on, it was obvious to see that Sanusi was loosing his edge as it became more and more painful for him to throw a punch. There was no way to breach his defense, so Alex had focused on a single point. Not to mention he was rapidly running out of stamina. Alex noticed a lull in the barrage of punches, and took advantage, he angled his hands upwards and folded his elbow, and then he brought it down, right on the weakened wrists of Sanusi. There was ear piercing crack as his wrist bent at an awkward angle, and sanusi gave out a loud shout of pain. Alex could not react fast enough as in his anger, Sanusi shot his foot forward and slammed it onto Alex''s chest, throwing some of his bones out of alignment and causing a great deal of pain as he came crashing down on the battling platform. "Arghhhh!My wrist. You bastard! I''m going to kill you!" Sanusi raged in anger as he held his broken right wrist in his left hand. Alex shakily got to his feet and looked at Sanusi, grinning while also spitting out blood from his mouth. "Seriously that was just a love tap, don''t be such a baby. Now come on, let''s finish this." Alex taunted and he raised his palm and made a come one gesture. Alex was quite limited in the techniques he could use in fighting this boy, his martial arts were not on equal footing with the [Iron Shirt]of shaolin temple, his moves like the [Python Crushes Rock] style were completely useless in that regard. There was only one move left,butit posed as much danger to Alex as it did to Sanusi, not to mention, Sanusi''s defense might actually be strong enough to weather the storm of that attack. But there was no other choice. Sanusi began to march towards Alex with murder in his eyes, Alex could tell that all his opponent had in mind right about now, was how to hurt him, and put him in a position that he would feel that pain for a very long time. So Alex spread his legs and took a deep breath, he held his breath in as he built power from the sole of his feet, all the way to the middle of his chest. Then Alex let the power flow and gather throughout the length of hisright hand. Then he waited for Sanusi to come close, building more and more power in anticipation of their final clash. And when Sanusi finally got to his front, Alex couldn''t help but shout out. "Iron Viper Strike!" "BANG!!!" After Alex''s fist made contact with Sanusi''s chest, there was a dull but rather loud bang, and a dispersing of air in a ripple like formation, with them at the center. Alex had his entire fist bloodied as even his bones could be seen sticking out of the top of his hand. But he was stuck there for a few moments, unable to move his hand away from the chest of his opponent. Sanusi had his arms out stretched, as if to grab a hold of Alex, but he too was frozen in that motion. Then blood began to seep out of both their mouths, but in mere seconds it became obvious that Sanusi was the more injured of the two as blood began to pour from his eyes, nose, ears and even out of the pores of his skin. Then he fell backwards with a bang, and right there on his chest was an imprint of a fist. The entire arena was silent until the announcer broke it. "Winner Alexander Feng Matthews!" And then the crowd erupted in a clamor at the abrupt end of the fight. However five minutes later, Sanusi was pronounced dead by the doctors on duty. The cause of death, was the entire liquidation of his internal organs. Alex has just brought about the first death in the competition. 16 Call Of The Masquerade I : The Killing Price [Getting hurt is an integral part of a cultivators journey. It''s a part of growing up as the feeling of your blood dripping from the open wounds on your body, or your heart beating faster or slower as poison coursed through your veins and brought you ever closer to the jaws of death either makes you, or breaks you. Many learn to live above the pain, to use the sight of their blood as their motivation to grow stronger. Others get so afraid of this sight that they grow stronger just so that they wouldn''t have a reason to bleed again.But there is something symbolic about a cultivator bleeding. You give to the earth your life''s blood, as she gives to you her essence breath. Countless cultivators have watered the earth with their blood, and many of them have grown stronger for it, or falling to it as they returned to her embrace. You should know blood is life, and every time you bleed, it should be for a reason you would never regret.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ There was a bit of a clamor as everyone moved helter skelter, fingers were pointed and whispers flew into the air. Alex had taken a life, and all the onlookers would love nothing more than to poke holes into such an action. But Alex himself felt nothing, well it was not that he felt nothing, but more like he had somehow blocked himself off from it. There has been a death, but no one was going to blame him, this was the life that all cultivators chose the moment they decide to refine their bodies and fight for the opportunity to advance to the stage of the immortals. Compensation would probably be sent to his family, and they might understand, or they might not. Either way Alex wouldn''t be held accountable, the moment they registered for this competition, a life and death waiver had been signed. Besides this fight could have gone either way, and Alex would have been the one being escorted out on a stretcher, lifeless and very dead. Alex made his way back to the stands, cradling his injured hand as best as he could. Anya came to help him over as a man made his way out of the crowds. Some of the guards on duty attempted to stop him, but a quick word from him, and he was let through. This man was Alex''s father Ben, and he got there at the same time a doctor got there to have a look at Alex''s Injuries. The doctor didn''t say much,but just got to work mending Alex''sinjuries. Alex looked up at his father and opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn''t. Not a single word could come out of his mouth. What was he supposed to say, that he did not mean for this to happen, or that he didn''t expect that Sanusi would die. The truth of the matter was that Alex knew such an outcome was possible, though heexpected that the [Iron Shirt] martial art would have been able to mitigate most if not all of the damage. Things really don''t go as planned. "Do you blame yourself?" Ben asked as he looked at his son with an expressionless gaze. Alex looked up for a moment, and wanted to say something. But it was as if the words were stuck in his throat and all he could do was shake his head no. "So you don''t blame yourself for his death, that''s good. Do you feel sorry for him?" Ben asked again, this time he squared down and made sure his gaze was directly at his son''s. "I...I do." Alex replied with a whisper. "Then that''s good enough for me. If you felt nothing, I would never have let you continue cultivation. We would have been on the first bus back to the village. In this path you have chosen, blood is bound to flow, death would become so close to you, it would be like your own kin. And as death comes to you, so too will you give it to others, sometimes intentionally, other times you''re left without a choice. You might feel regret for the lives you''ve taken,but you just have to see it as a sacrifice, this is the price you have to pay to walk this path, the demon and stigma we all have to carry. Whether innocent or guilty, cultivators are all murderers, because to advance and grow on this chosen path of ours, blood has to be spilt in copious amounts. That''s the gift we return back to the earth as tribute for breathing the same air she does, and growing stronger for it. Alex my son, you might have to find your one philosophy and belief about why you have to take a life,but I want you to remember today, because the only time killing will really matter to you, is the first time you do so, and the last time you ever will. You will keep on killing, but you have to find your own method of paying penance. You don''t have to carry the world on your shoulder. You just have to know that when you kill, if you really have too. Don''t take a life that will call your conscience to question,be true to yourself, even when you have to take a life. You''re a good kid son, don''t let the blood on your hands change you. Because in this world, it is not the Wulin, or Jianghu that changes you, it''s the cries of the blood you''ve spilt." After he finished speaking, Ben placed his hand on his son''s head, and made his way back into the crowd. His words placed a fire in the heart of his son, and his crazy best friend beside him. This fire burnt away their innocence and exposed their eyes to the true ugliness of the path before them, it was an endless road of blood and murder. And not just the blood of humans, but the thousands of other beasts who would give their lives as resources for the increment of their cultivation. Maybe what his father had said was not the supreme truth about killing and how it changed someone. But the both of them were still growing up, no matter how tough this road might seem to be, the both of them have chosen it, and they were quite ready for the sacrifices they had to make and the consequences that came with their choices. After that fight, Alex and Anya forfeited their subsequent fights. They were placed 35 and 34 on the rankings when everything was said and done. But no one could blame the outcome, they all knew that those two could very well be in the top 10 if not the top 5 with Anya being number one. But this glory was not what they were after, they had qualified for the inter local government competition at the state capital, and they all had to travel there in a week. At least it gave them enough time to rest and gather themselves, after all they had just taken their first step, but met an obstacle that even older and better people than them had failed to pass. But they will persevere, it was all they could do. ........ It''sbeen a day, since the fight, Alex had found it really difficult to sleep, so he had decided to take a walk around the town. Already he could see that town was gradually getting empty, as people all made their way towards the state capital for the next part of the competition. His thoughts were troubled,but eventually his wandering leg and mind took him to a rather dilapidated and abandoned section of the town. There were a bunch of abandoned and broken buildings around, but from the looks of it, all this buildings were actually temples or to be more precise shrines. Even though only half of his bloodline belonged to this land, there was a belief that no matter how far a son travels, he would always return to his father''s house, and to the roots where his ancestry sprung from. This shrines, were made to pay homage to the old ways, to the spirits of his ancestors, and their avatars here on earth.....the masquerades. Masquerades were spirits given a physical form, and more often than not, they were either the personification of the founding ancestor of a family line, or a guardian of a particular family, or river or attraction within a village or town. They were Intense and dangerous forces of nature, with very mysterious origins. However no body has seen a masquerade in almost five hundred years, only descriptions of their appearance, tales of the power, and shivers of how frightening the looked with their carved masks were left for his generation. It was getting late, the moon was already high in the sky, and the wind was especially fierce. An old mango tree swayed and shook, as the wind held her sway and an eerie chill spread through the air. As mature as he was for his age, Alex was only fourteen, and he was walking in an abandoned part of town that used to house spirits, or to be exact materialized ghosts. There was no way he wasn''t terrified. There was no electricity in this part of the town, and looking back towards the shimmering lights in the distance, Alex could not help but wonder how he had gotten himself out here without noticing he had gone to far. "Woooouooooouoooooo!" Alex gulped, that wail was definitely not from a wind. Because if it was the wind, it wouldn''t be coming from behind him, and it definitely wouldn''t be a twenty feet tall floating sack cloth with a grotesque black mask. At first it stared, and it''s eyes began to glow a fiery red, there was a clicking sound from within its body as the mask controlled the wind to raise it''s extremely long sack cloth dress up. There was a story among the Igala people, especially for those of them who have lived in Dekina and it''s surrounding villages for a very long time. Regardless of their origins you can''t tell if a masquerade was good or bad. They were eccentric and were prone to rather violent and horrifying mood swings. If you meet one, and it deems you as someone who has offended it, there were quite a few unfortunate things that can happen to you. One is that you would be beaten mercilessly, others you would be cursed and most probably end up dead within seven days, or blind, deaf, dumb or in extreme cases mad. But it was also warned, to never follow a masquerade who beckons to you, and to never take anything from a masquerade unless it uses it''s own voice to bless you or ask you to take it. Gestures are not to be accepted, words are preferred. And if a masquerade decides to show you something, then it was in your best interest to run and get the fuck out of there. And that was what Alex did. After five hundred years of extinction, a masquerade just had to appear the one night he absentmindedly wandered into the area where their old shrines once stood. What kind of shitty luck was that. As Alex ran for his pitiful life, constantly being chased by a force of nature even Qi could not explain, he cursed all of his ancestors and their rather eccentric ways. Why can''t it be more simple. As he ran, the masquerade that was right behind him, suddenly disappeared and appeared right in front of him, scaring the living daylights out Alex as he took a detour and ducked into a side street. From then, it was a game of cat and mouse as the masquerade chased after Alex, appearing and disappearing in different intervals. It wasn''t until it was a little bit too late that Alex discovered that the masquerade was not just chasing him, it was herding him towards a particular location. But any attempt to come up with a counter came up null as Alex pulled up in front of a hut, built right in the middle of the entire area, and there was no other building close by for another twenty or thirty meters. The masquerade was still close by, and Alex had no choice but to keep running towards the only refuge in the area, that was looking more and more like the gates to hell or certain doom. The hut was made of clay, and it had a hatched roof made from palm fronds, woven together. The body of the hut was quite smooth, and there were tribal chalk paintings on it. The paintings depicted a variety of things, but Alex did not have time to look at them, as the masqueradebehind him suddenly began to get more frenzied as it drew closer and closer wailing with such a voice that Alex felt his soul vibrate. From the look of things, it looks like the masquerade had changed its mind about letting Alex anywhere near that hut, well too bad for it. Enemy of enemy is my friend right, so Alex gritted his teeth, and flew through the opening of the hut, and straight into the embrace of certain darkness. 17 Call Of The Masquerade II : A Trial [In the cultivation world, many occurrences are likened to fate, destiny or luck. While it might be true, there''s one occurrence that is actually a combination of all three.....that occurrence is the discovery of a legacy.A legacy holds great power, martial techniques and more often than not, mysterious and supernatural energy that would give normal cultivators of Qi a run for their money. When legacies are found, every major power in the world fight for it because a legacy can only be gotten by one person in a single lifetime, and the person has to be lucky and fated to be chosen and accepted by that legacy. From that moment on, that legacy become his destiny, and his future path in life is decided by it. There are some really lucky people who find a legacy by a sleight of hand and favor from fate, 99% of the time, this people end up part of, if not one of the supreme power of the earth itself. A legacy is power that goes against the very laws of the heavens and the earth itself, they make one a god amongst immortals.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ As soon as Alex fell into the hut, he kept on falling, at least for a second. There was a ten foot deep, four meters wide and four meters long hole in the hut. A fall from that height did nothing more than dirty his clothes, as such a fall wouldn''t be able to even leave a scratch on him with his cultivation of the ninth level of the body refining realm. Alex could hear bangs and loud wails from outside the hut as the masquerade tried everything it could to follow him in, but to no avail. Alex was even more confused as this masquerade had chased and maneuvered him towards this hut, now it''s attitude had taken a sudden turn, and it was not really happy about him getting into the hut....what gives. Alex picked himself up and looked up at the hole he now found himself in, it was as if someone had dug a pitfall trap, so that anybody who walked into the hut would fall right down the hole. The only difference, was the door that was opposite him, placed right at the wall of the hole. Well it couldn''t be called a door exactly, it was more like an open doorway with a white curtain serving as a barrier between what lay beyond and Alex himself. There was something about this doorway that sent shivers down his spine, even if there was a part of him that wanted to go through it. But it has already been established, anything that has to do with masquerades was bad, so Alex turned and got ready to either jump or scale his way out of this hole, out of this hut, and this cursed area, never to return. At the ninth level of the body refining realm, the strength of any martial artist would be weighed at 90 kilograms. And they would be capable of jumping 6 meters into the air, however the moment Alex tried to jump up, a formless pressure suddenly appeared, and pushed him back down into the hole, and this time it was strong enough that impact force him to spit blood, as his almost healed injuries were aggravated. Alex was shocked by the sudden turn of events, and no matter what he did, regardless of which methods he employed from jumping to attempting to scale the wall of the pit, the pressure kept on pushing him back down. He was trapped, and there seemed to be no way out for him. After thirty minutes of fruitless and rather painful attempts, Alex gave in an decided to see what lay beyond the white curtain. He took slow methodical steps forward as his heart began to pound in his ears, and his soft breathing became extremely labored as a chill settled within his bones. This place was creepy, and as if to prove his point, a slow wind came and ruffled the white curtain, raising it up a bit to show him an image of what lay beyond, and all he saw was darkness. His heart beat a little faster as he took another step forward. The cultivation world was amazing, with each day that passed, Qi and technology became more and more engrained with each other, creating a better life for people and explaining a whole lot of things with the most logical explanation required. But there were things in this world that went beyond the simple explanations of Qi or it''s capabilities. Things that where downright supernatural and mysterious. In the face of such a power, even Qi will have to give way, because before there were immortals...¡­there were Gods, and there were Titans. Alex steeled his nerves and just walked through, pushing the curtain aside as he embraced the darkness beyond without hesitation. It was not as if he wasn''t scared, but all he could do was keep moving forward. He left his eyes open, and walked forward for almost three steps before a fire came to life beside. It''s appearance was so sudden Alex screamed in fright, it was a huge animal skim drum. The fire rested on top of it, and alternated between a sliver, green, blue, red, gold and black flame. Bathing the entire revealed hallway In front of him with a rainbow of colors that made this place look more spooky than eerie. Alex looked back at the way he just came from and only saw a solid wall, the entrance had disappeared. ''of course it just up and disappeared. I''m currently enacting a horror movie in real life, why wouldn''t the path I just came through vanish, so that I can''t escape when the monster ahead is eating my intestines.'' Alex had a colorful imagination no doubt, but it wouldn''t render any help to him in this scenario. The drum was not the only one of it''s kind that held a flame on it, as there were actually twelve of them, with six placed individually on both sides of the hallway. On the walls, the same tribal markings on the body of the hut could be seen, as they depicted stories that Alex could not help but get enamored with. It showed a man with a strange walking stick, walking side by side with seven masquerades of varying sizes, and appearances. Two of them were so tall, that Alex would have called them giants, though they looked incredibly ferocious with their carved masks. Another two seem to have average height, but one of them was actually crawling on the ground like a snake, while the other flew in the air with massive wings made of leaves. There was another stout masquerade that also flew about, but it''s painting was a little faded, but not by time, rather it seemed to be done deliberately to make the masquerade seem more ghost like. And the final two were strange, but Alex actually recognized the concept behind their inception. They looked human, and the chalk used in painting them was rather colorful, or not, because it seemed this two were painted differently from the others. They were more like canvassed paintings, rather than chalk like cave man drawings. They were human like, had clothes, shoes, even weapons. But they had no face, or hair, one had completely black skin, and the other had completely white skin. It was as if they were made from rubber, like some sort of toy, and they stood so close together if Alex did not know better he would have said they were the same person. But there was an understanding about what this two final masquerades represented, after all, Taoist sects like Wudang have been practicing their martial arts based on the premise and philosophy of the concept this two masquerades embodied....The Laws Of Yin and Yang. Either way, the tribal markings told a story, and the man was not the only one on the wall who held a walking stick, or was followed by seven different masquerades. As Alex walked down the hallway, he was exposed to more and more markings and paintings, some of them were males others females, many of them had more than seven masquerades, others had less. But it didn''t change the ultimate message they were trying to convey. It was generations upon generations of men and women who had power over a number of unique masquerades, and no two masquerades were the same. It looked like an inherited position of some sort. When Alex got to the end of the hallway, the flames began to flicker, and the drums began to beat, softly at first,before they picked up power and a heart pounding crescendo began to emerge. The rhythmic sounds the fire drums were letting out was so intoxicating, it was taking all of his power to not just let loose and dance with reckless abandon. Then the drums started beating faster and faster before coming to an abrupt stop with a boom. Then Alex heard a screeching whisper.And it said to him "Fiiiiiggggggghhhhhhhhttttttt!" The voice drew out the length of the words with a grating sound of metal rubbing against each other. Then the hallway started to separate, moving farther and farther away, then it shook and the hall began to twist and turn and the very ground Alex was standing on, roiled with the change. The entire hallway change to now look like a circular chamber, wide and enclosed with no way in and no way out, the fire drums acted as a barrier of sorts as they surrounded Alex, placing him right in the middle of what could only be a battle arena. One of the fire drums began to beat really fast as its flames shook and vibrated, then it''s flames surged upwards like a massive pillar of colorful fire, heat and death. And out of that pillar came a masquerade. The masquerade had a plain mask, it was completely blank, there was no defining feature, even it''s human like body just seemed to be made of a blank grey like wood material. Then the whispering voice came out once again, this time it was more clearer than the first. "Defeat the masquerade, and subdue your first mask. If you win, the ¨¦gwu will belong to you." The masquerade took a fighting stance, and Alex realized that it actually had a cultivation base. And not just that, the name the whispering voice just called out was from the old tongue. The language of Alex''s ancestors, ¨¦gwu was the Igala word for masquerade. But before Alex could answer, the Blank masquerade attacked. From his observation, this masquerade was in the body refining realm, Alex was just not sure which level it was. The masquerade ran towards Alex and threw a punch, Alex was a passive aggressive fighter, even though he was still trying to figure out his own style of fighting, he always preferred to take a step back and observe his opponent before making a move. Of course he has not been in many fights, so his experience in regards to fights would probably be called into question, but he could get along just fine. The punch that was thrown was not fast, in fact from the speed and angle, Alex deduce the masquerade should at most be at the second level of the body refining realm, so in a nut shell it was not a threat to Alex at all. Knowing this, he took a step forward, and slapped the hand of the masquerade to the side, then he threw his right arm forward, folding it so that he could bring his elbow smashing straight into its face. There was an audible crack as the masquerade''s entire body broke to pieces, there was a release of wind and a sharp tremor went through the arena, then the floating pieces of the masquerade gathered themselves back together and formed itself back into a simple unadorned and blank white face mask. The mask then floated towards the pillar of colorful fire and went into it. Immediately, the pillar of fire was absorbed into the mask, until all that was left hovering around the mask was a small wisp of pale blue and light green flames that hung around the mask as it now floated over the fire drum, which had now gone out, turning into a simple traditional two feet tall drum with cowries and colorful beads woven into it''s wooden frame in a rather peculiar way. "Defeat the Shade, and subdue your second mask. If you win, the ¨¦gwu will belong to you." The whispering voice spoke up again. Another drum flared up, and another blank masquerade flew out of it to fight me, but this time, the masquerade was holding a dagger. 18 Call Of The Masquerade III : Fighting Blanks [Some people believe that destiny is predetermined, and that we''re helpless against the hand of fate. How gullible, what is cultivation? The very act of cultivating goes against fate itself. People who cultivate to great heights actually become capable of controlling such forces. No the destiny of man, is the pursuit of greatness and perfection, to create and destroy everyday in our pathetic attempts to become God.Every man is destined to be great, to create and achieve something no one else ever did. We''re driven by it, but the truth is the way that destiny is achieved is up to us. You can become great by being a singer, or the CEO of a multi million imperial gold coin company. It is our destiny to strive to be gods,but that is only a foundation for you to build on. Destinies are not given or set,...¡­.they''re dreamt of, and then they''re made, and all by your own hands.] Unknown Speaker..... The masquerade this time was still at the second level of the body refining realm, and his knife technique was quite sloppy. Alex had to wonder if this was meant to be a challenge as he weaved between the lousy thrust and slashes the blank masquerade was making. When he had established that this masquerade really had no idea what it was doing, Alex stepped back and allowed one of it''s slashes to fly wide, then he stepped forward and threw a punch straight at it''s face. The, Masquerade attempted to dodge,but Alex was almost ten times faster than it was due to his superior cultivation if not more. His fist landed on it''s face, and just like it previous counterpart, it''s entire body cracked into pieces, before reforming into a white mask that went back to hang over it''s flaming drum. The flames died down, and then a little blue and green flame was outlined over it''s body as it floated over it''s drum. Almost immediately, another drum began to boom, using a different tempo than the previous two. Alex tapped his toes a bit to the rhythm, as it was a really trippy traditional beat. His ancestors must have been such party animals if they could play a drum this professionally, they must have been quite carefree during those days. Another masquerade jumped out, just as blank and plain as its predecessors, however he seemed a little taller and stronger. It might also be due to the fact that this masquerade was at the fourth level of the body refining realm rather than the second. So it''s strength had been doubled. But either way,the result would probably still be the same. It was just too weak to pose any sort of threat to Alex. The masquerade also chose a head on approach, just like the others that came before him. His moves were a bit rigid, but there had more finesse to them than the previous masquerades. He didn''t opt for a punch but rather sent a kick flying towards Alex''s head, Alex moved back as the kick flew right in front of his face, the wind from the kick ruffling his hair a bit. But the masquerade seemed to be proficient in leg techniques as without dropping its leg, he was able to move it backwards to sweep it over Alex''s chin. Even though Alex was shocked by the maneuver he took a step back again to dodge, before stretching his hand out and catching the kick which was aimed at his throat. All of this moves would have caused a lot of damage if the masquerade was at a higher level in the body refining realm, but since it was still so weak, the only other option it had was to be defeated by Alex. With his hand still on the masquerade''s leg, he twisted it''s leg, dislocating it''s leg, but at the same time turning it over and bringing it down to the ground flat on it''s stomach and face. Then Alex pulled the masquerade back, making sure it''s face rubbed and dragged on the hard earth without mercy, then he moved forward, raised his leg and smashed the masquerade head''s into the hard floor, smashing it and the rest of it''s body into multiple white fragments. That was one down, and nine more to go. From the look of things, each of the twelve drums here represented a blank masquerade, he had to defeat them one by one. And it seems like their strengths keep increasing after every two battles. The defeated mask went on to hang over it''s own drum as it absorbed the flames hanging over it. Then another drum began to beat, and again Alex tapped his toes to the rhythm. The masquerade that came out this time, had a gleaming silver saber. It did not waste time as it shot forward with a slash, Alex who had been observing this masquerade to see if there was anything different about it was caught of guard. But he was able to catch himself in time to turn his entire body left, letting the blade of the saber fall in front of him. But the masquerade caught the momentum of the blade when it got towards Alex''s waist, then it angled and sent it slashing toward Alex. Alex had his eye opened wide for a moment with surprise at such a sudden and ingenious move. It''s quite well known that cultivators who rely on a weapon to fight are more ingenious with their moves as they''re always finding a way to gain advantage and get past their opponents guard. That''s why it''s so rare that you would see a cultivator who fight''s solely with their fist and body, and even more rare to seen one who can win a fight. Alex had no choice but to quickly use the [Viper Evades Buddha] palm art to slam down on the flat side of the blade, pushing it completely out of the masquerade''s hand and it fell to the ground with a clang. But Alex was not done with his attack and counterattack as he used the same palm art to smash straight at the masquerade''s head. The [Viper Evades Buddha] palm art was not made for outright attacks, so it''s power was a little low when Alex used it. But he more than made up for it with his ninth level of the body refining realm brute strength. The head of the masquerade was smashed to pieces and in moments it reformed into a mask and went to float over it''s drum. Alex let out a breath, this test was getting progressively harder with each new masquerade, there is more and more effort demanded from him due to how smart and stronger they had become. Another beat, this time it was so intense Alex felt the vibrations all over his body, a few seconds later there was another masquerade standing in front of him, but this masquerade was at the eight level of the body refining realm, directly below Alex''s current level. No doubt this fight would be a little bit more difficult, which meant Alex couldn''t slack off. With a speed far faster than the other masquerades, the new one started charging toward Alex, when it was a few feet away it jumped and stretched it''s leg out in a flying kick motion. That would have been a fearsome move if the masquerade had not made a mistake of executing it a little too early. Alex leaned to the side, and as the masquerade was about to fly past him, Alex swung his whole hand and clotheslined the still airborne masquerade from the waist. The masquerade''s momentum was brought to a screeching halt, there was a cracking sound as the wood like material of its body developed hairline cracks that spread from its waist all the way to its jaw, but it''s body was still intact. Alex pushed the masquerade backwards as it tumbled away. Alex swung his hand to get a little feeling back into it, because stopping a flying eight level of body refining cultivator with just an arm was not a move that paid a lot. The halted momentum would hurt both parties. But Alex did not let up on the masquerade as he followed it''s tumbling pathway and waited for it to try and get back to it''s feet. And when the masquerade attempted to do that, what met it was a hard knee strike to the face that completely shattered it''s head. Alex took a few steps backwards, shook his hand a bit, and prepared for the next challenge. At this point in time, he had completely forgotten that he had been chased by a rather spooky masquerade all the way to this place. He had forgotten that he was actually fighting without an end game in sight and anything can go wrong and his life would be lost without any one knowing about it. The next masquerade appeared, and it was not at the eight level of the body refining realm, it was at the ninth, and it was wielding a sword. At this point in time Alex realized he might truly be in danger as this challenge had gotten harder once again. Alex looked around, hoping to find anything to use as a weapon against that sword, but there was nothing around. But he couldn''t really rely on any sort of weapon in this fight, and that simply because he has never trained with one. Alex took a stance and clenched his fist in front of him like a boxer, keeping his gaze on the blank faced mask with a long sword. It was hard to predict how this fight would go, his opponent was not human, so Alex could not read his opponent. He was literally and figuratively blank. The sword masquerade began to walk towards Alex, taking slow steps but picking up speed rapidly and breaking into a run. When it got close, it swung it''s sword at Alex''s head, Alex ducked down and moved forward with the hope that the missed slash would carry the sword masquerade past him. But barely had he passed the masquerade and was prepared to turn around before he felt the cold steel bite into his flesh as a long flesh wound was opened from below his left shoulder all the way down to his waist on his back. "Arrrrggghhhh!" Alex screamed out in pain and shock. He didn''t expect his plan to go wrong as he turned to focus on the sword masqueradewho had his sword extended and pointing backwards. He back was faced to Alex, and Alex couldit help the wisp of fear that snaked into his heart from such a pose. Back when he was still not allowed to cultivate, one of the magazines he had always read about the cultivation world had given a description of swordsmen. And one of the description given and the one he chose to remember right now was the sentence. "The most versatile type of cultivators on earth." They were also the fastest, and the sharpest. Every move they made was thought through, and the next one and the next one all up until the point where their opponents head was lying on the ground at their feet. "sharp thinkers and the masters of improvisation." "masters of combat in any terrain, weather and situation." Alex gulped in fright, but almost immediately squashed it down. It wouldn''t do to be afraid right now, as it wouldn''t help matters. He charged. Maybe that was a stupid move on his part, and his head would end up decapitated for that, but this was the only way he would be able to get over his fright and face his enemy head on. The sword masquerade turned and flicked the sword in it''s hand, flicking Alex''s blood on it to the ground below. Then it pushed it''s sword outward, cleaving through the air as it stabbed out towards Alex''s chest. Alex slapped the underside of the blade and it moved up and went over his left shoulder. The masquerade would probably try to cut at his neck, much like the saber masquerade had tried to do previously. And his assumptions were correct as the masquerade angled the blade and tried to slice through Alex''s neck. But he was ready for that as he ducked down and the sword flew over his head. That was the one opening Alex needed. In theory it was quite stupid to fight a swordsman in close quarters, however what happens when you get closer, like body to body close. Alex clamped his hand around the masquerade''s chest, then heaved up and brought it down, all the while screaming out loud. "Python Slams Earth!" Itstupid to call out the name of your move, and especially so if your opponent might recognize it. But who cares, there was no one here to laugh at Alex, not to mention he was not the only one who screamed out the name of the move when they fought. As soon as Alex slammed the masquerade, he heard a clang sound as it''s sword went careening out of its hand. But Alex was not done as he lifted the masquerade up again and with all his might threw it into the air. It was off balance, so it could not muster up an counter, when it hit the floor, Alex went behind it and grabbed it again, pulling one of its handbehind it and using his body to trap the limb. Then he proceeded to slam the masquerade on the ground, over and over again until it''s body was filled with cracks, and he himself was woozy from all the slamming. Then he wrapped one of his hands around it''s neck and the other around it''s chest. Then with a whisper he said. "Python Crushes Throat" There was audible crack, and it was so loud that even Alex himself felt deep to his bones. The masquerade exploded into countless motes of light that rapidly reformed into another mask, then the mask went to hover over it''s drum. There was another boom as a sharp tempo began to sound out from one of the drums, even from his spot on the ground laying down exhausted as his back bled, Alex could not stop himself from tapping to the groovy but ancient tune of his ancestors. The beats did not stop this time as another masquerade appeared. It was holding a spear, and had on some sort of armor complete with a helmet, greaves and hand guards. And this new masquerade was not in the body refining realm at all, but the first level of the open meridian realm. "Fuck!" 19 Call Of The Masquerade IV : Darkness Descends [Insurmountable odds are something you have to deal with every time as a cultivator. It could be anything from a bottle neck in your cultivation, or not being able to get enlightenment about a technique, or failing to concoct or master an alchemical recipe. But there''s also times when there''s an enemy you can''t beat. Your strength is never enough, and death knocks right on your door. The odds of you winning is ten to one, and you''re left with a choice. Stay and fight to your death, or run away and live to fight another day. The answer is simple, and that''s to run away. But sometimes life is a whole lot more complicated than running away from your enemy. There are some enemies you can''t run from, some fights you have to complete no matter what. It''s not bad to run away when you know you can''t win, but if you keep running away...¡­then no matter how hard you try....you will never gain victory] Unknown Speaker. Alex struggled to his feet as the masquerade approached him with slow methodical steps. He could feel blood dripping down from his back, soaking his shirt as it also flowed down to his legs in a line of red life liquid. The first level of the open meridian realm, there was absolutely no way to defeat this masquerade, especially with how dire of a condition Alex now found himself. But it seems that there''s no escape. The masquerade held it''s spear with both hands as it thrust outward, aiming straight for the middle of Alex''s forehead. It was by sheer luck that Alex slipped on the pool of his own blood underneath his feet, and stumbled, almost falling backwards. The spear flew over his head, completely missing him, and the displaced wind from it''s strike ruffled the top of Alex''s hair. The spear was rapidly pulled back as the masquerade spun in a pirouette and whipped the spear like a whip towards Alex''s chest. Alex sent out a palm, hoping to deflect the incoming attack. But the moment his palm came in contact with the body of the spear, it was pushed back to his body, leaving him helpless as the shaft of the spear slammed into his chest and threw him off his feet, straight to one of the still lit fire drums. Alex felt a foreign Qi invade his body as his organs were rattled from the previous onslaught of the spear. There was a huge red welt on his right palm, as blood gathered and clotted at a point. Due to the Qi in his body, his bones shook vigorously with every move his body made, and his palm stung. Alex had to take multiple steps back, as he spat out blood and clutched his chest, a burning sensation began to spread from them as even the very clothes he wore cause abrasions over his skin. The open wound on his back bled harder at the aggravating movements he has been forced to make, all in all everything looked completely hopeless. The masquerade twirled the spear in it''s hands and pierced if forward again, this time aiming for Alex''s chest, it''s speed and strength were twice his own, so it was very hard to come up with a counter, to it''s crisp and ferocious moves. Alex had no choice but to still use the [Viper Evades Buddha] palm strike to deflect the spear, he was barely successful as he slapped the spear away from his chest, but not far away enough from his body as the entire seven inch head of the spear pierced into his left arm, going so deep that it''s tip pushed through his skin to come out the other side. Alex screamed as he took rapid steps backward in an attempt to pull the spear from his arm, but the masquerade was giving no quarter as it stuck close to Alex, pushing the spear, hoping to completely shove it''s entire blade through his arm. Seeing that he would soon hit the wall, Alex attempted to fall backwards. The move was sudden enough that the spear was safely pulled out of his arm as he fell down to the ground. Even with his pain, Alex understood that it would be signing his own death warrant, if he stayed on place and provided a stationary target for the armored spear wielding masquerade. He rolled over and move back up, but he stopped his ascent leaving himself in a half crouch as the masquerade swung the spear over his head, taking a substantial part of his black hair with it. The masquerade had left itself wide open, as the strike left it''s reach extended and it''s body unbalanced. Alex tackled it, using his shoulder to slam into it''s body as he grabbed it''s legs with a massive scream, and picked it up with a heave. The body of this masquerade was a lot heavier than Alex expected, and not to mention the masquerade had the body of a full grown man, while Alex was just five feet tall and rather lanky fourteen year old. But regardless, he was not going to let that stop him as he carried the masquerade all the way to one of the fire drums, and proceeded to dump it''sbody over the blazing flames. It was rather effective as the masquerade actually caught on fire, but it was not enough for it to get destroyed as the brightly lit masquerade picked itself up from on top of the drum. Alex knew he could not let that masquerade regain it''s proper footing and balance, even though it was on fire, it seems as if it''s completely immune to it''s effects. Alex ran towards the masquerade hoping to catch it off guard,but he was completely helpless to dodge when the masquerade suddenly shot out it''s spear, and ended up lodging the long weapon inside Alex''s gut. For a second he couldn''t register what had happened. He was a little shocked by the sudden turn of events. That''s when the pain finally hit him, the feeling of cold steel within the interior of your own body was very uncomfortable, but it was also painful. There was a fear that suffused Alex''s heart as he wondered if he was going to die here. He had been fighting In this trials, but not once had he thought of his death as an outcome, or of how worried the people waiting would be. He hadn''t thought about anything at all, he just fought. There say when you''re about to die, your entire life flashed before your eyes. Alex did not see such flashes, in fact the only thing he could see was red, as a hot burning fury coursed through his vein with the advent of his blood. He had gone beyond being angry at his current situation, he was absolutely furious and wrathful. Everything that''s happened so far has been a prime example of chance and fate, he''s had no control, neither did he have a choice about being swept up into this bizarre and very random situation. His father would not be happy with his use of curses, but this was all kinds of fucked up. But there was nothing he could do now. However he wouldn''t just keel over and die for this masquerade or whatever ancestral force that was playing with his life. If he has to die, he''s going to take this bastard straight to the grave with him. At least this way he could die with a defiant smile on his face. Alex pushed forward with all of his might, letting the spear pierce through his body completely. Then he kept moving forward, causing more and more of the spear to be lodged into his body as copious amount of thick red blood, flowed from his fatal wound. Alex swung his injured left hand with all of his strength, using the [Iron Viper Strike] to shatter both the bones on his left arm, but the sturdy jaw of the masquerade. His aim was actually successfully, too successful even as the masquerade''s helmet flew off it''s head, and it was forced to turn it''s head to the side due to the force of the punch. It was completely unguarded and open. Fighting through the pain, Alex drew condensed all of his strength to his right arm, and shot it forward again. "Iron Viper Strike!, Arrrgggghhhhhhhhhhh!" "BOOOOOOM!" The air was displaced by this punch as a clump of wind gathered around Alex''s fist. He had performed a perfect execution of this move, and was in no danger of hurting himself, even more so he had pushed it''s a ability to the next level causing a peculiar occurrence to the move as the essence of wind suddenly encompassed his fist, increasing his penetration power, and given it not just a crushing effect, but a shredding effect. The moment Alex''s fist landed on it''s head, it''s head and body exploded into tiny strips of white wood, it was as if someone had grated the entire masquerade into pieces of paper. Those pieces reformed, and turned into a mask that went on to hover over it''s own drum. The spear that was lodged in his stomach disappeared, and Alex fell to his feet, gasping for breath as he held onto his stomach. Now that the spear was no longer staunching his wound, blood flowed out in sift rivulets, seeping in between the cracks of Alex''s fingers. He looked pitiful, and no doubt very close to death. A drum started to beat once again, and another masquerade appeared. He was also armored, but he was holding twin long swords that gleamed in the brightly lit arena. This masquerade was at the second level of the open meridian realm. The masquerade crossed it''s swords as it pointed them at Alex. Alex could not help but chuckle, this was a completely hopeless situation, and there was no way he could defeat this new enemy. He could not even get up from his kneeling position, if the blood loss did not kill him, then the masquerade in front of him will. Either way, he had done all he could, he had fought with all of his strength, and even now as his vision faded to black he still wanted to fight, to live.He was young but he had so many regrets, but none of that mattered now anyway, death has come calling. Alex looked up in time to see the twin long swords of the masquerade rapidly descending on top of his head. Those gleaming silver blades left a lasting impression on him as he wondered how cool it would be, if he wielded twin swords. He should probably add that to his memo, in the next life, if there was one, he would be a fearsome swordsman who used two swords. And then darkness fell. 20 Call Of The Masquerade V : The Spirit King [When a destiny comes calling, we sometimes have no choice but to answer. It might not be out destiny, but fate screws us over and then it becomes ours to live, our to bear, and ours to fight for and fulfill. In the Wulin there''s no shortage of destined ones, chosen cultivators who find themselves masters of great destiny with the very fate of the world in their palms. Most never seek such responsibility. And more often than not, such a destiny can turn out to be a very fortunate and lucky encounter for the cultivator, bringing them to heights of power and fulfillment no one ever understood. But many of those destinies are unfortunately riffed with misfortune of the worst sort. And all it does is drag it''s chosen ones into an ocean of despair, anger, hate, pain and death. We make our own destinies, but fate fights us every step of the way, forcing us into living out the destiny it has chosen, rather than the one we want.] "You should open your eyes now child, the worst is over." Alex shot forward with a gasp, and let out an even more startling scream at the sight in front of him. He was surrounded by masquerades, the most ferocious and scariest outside of the pages of a book, or a screen. Some had bodies made of wood, others were made of pure elemental energy, some had bodies made of grass or woven cloths. But one thing they all had the same was their horrifying masks. The very sight shook Alex to his bones as he tried to look for an escape from this circle of horrors. "You have nothing to fear from us Eleojo, we''re family!" Alex was startled by that comment. He looked up to see the masquerade who had spoken, and couldn''t help but blanche at the thought of being related to this horror. It''s mask was painted a deep shade of red, with a huge nose and wide brimmed lips. A wooden mask that was actually showing facial expressions like it was actually human skin, the very sight of it sent shivers up and down his spine as Alex felt as if his body was covered by a thousand different varieties of discomfort causing insects. "I am known as ¨¦gwu ¨¢fi¨¤. The patron spirit, protector, guide, and the very first of the ¨¢l¨¥ bloodline among others. To put it simply, I am your ancestor, and this is the ¨¦f¨°j¨¢l¨¦ Ki D¨®r ¨®g¨¢n¨¥." The masquerade said to Alex. "The what now?" Alex asked confused. But the masquerade seemed angry by that question. "Have you no knowledge of your father tongue!,Has my bloodline falling so low that the rot of time has wiped out our heritage!" he roared out in anger. "Whoa, whoa. I know what it means. I''m just surprised such a place exist, especially with a name such a this." Alex explained rapidly, trying to calm the angry masquerade down. The sight of the masquerade being angry was so chilling that Alex feared for his life. Besides years of moonlight stories from the older generation about the fierce anger of a masquerade left very unwilling of experiencing even a hiccup from this mysterious beings. "so what does it mean" the masquerade asked, obviously trying to test Alex and his claim of understanding the words. "it means the heaven or the sky that is down, or that is the ground." Alex answered with his fingers crossed. The Igala language had many descriptions of things that only shared a single word. So in translating something like this, he could only give a general exposition without knowing exactly what they mean. "Its is good you know that much. My bloodline has no disappointed me. Even if half your blood comes from those savage invaders. You have done me proud by what you have achieved at such a young age." Alex did not understand, what was it he did that has left this scary masquerade proud. Was it the sloppy translation, that couldn''t be it right. As a matter of fact wasn''t he supposed to be dead, how was he here. Or maybe he was dead, and this is just what the afterlife looks like, this place did have heaven in it''s description after all. But before Alex could ask about his musings the masquerade continued. "This is place is the sky on the ground, the resting place of the ancestral fathers and mothers of the Igala people. And the place where the test for the next Spirit King of the twelve masks is carried out. It is a world between worlds, unaffected by time and inaccessible to anyone but the dead kings or souls of individuals who performed great merits to the Igala people. It is the place where you will accept your destiny, as the next spirit king of the seven masks." "...." "...." "okaaaaaay. That''s very good, it''s nice. So I have a few questions that I need answers to. First of all, what''s a spirit king, second am I dead, third what''s with the fighting. And fourth how can I leave." "Your questions will be answered. I believe in the world today, the practice of Qi is the most prevalent activity, the journey of training the body, the soul, then combining both of those practices to achieve immortality. But Qi is not the only source off power in this world, the empire in the north use mana, cultivating two different paths of knighthood and magelife. The spirit king however is one that take a different path. He''s a guardian of history, of our people, and the one of the bridges between the world of spirits, and the world of the living. As a spirit king, you cultivate and train your spirit according to the number of masks you''re able to awaken and defeat in your trial. As a spirit king you have access to the supernatural forces that is hidden deeper within the very fabric of this world itself. It would give you the power to see and converse with ghosts, and spirits, magical or Qi oriented. It also gives you the ability to connect with the spirit of all living things, giving the ability to tame beasts, or even humans too. You can make contracts with spirits from the spirit world, and summon them to aid you in battle, but in other to achieve all those, you would have to give each of your masks their own essence. Giving you masks essence means you orient the type of power an individual mask can have. Given one mask the essence of fire means you can use and control fire, then using the mask as a medium, you can summon different genres of fire spirits to aid you in battle. The essence of a mask could be anything as long as you can channel the power into it, it can be the essence of fire, or killing, of fertility, or even kindness. Each essence you choose for you mask, will carve and design you mask into an image that suits it. You have seven masks in all, which means you have a choice of choosing seven essences. The masks can keep on growing in power, infinitely. All you have to do is make sure it keeps receiving the essence you have chosen for it, particular the same essence but in different forms and concepts. For example, I once heard of a flame that was froze rather than burnt, and another that purified and cleansed anything it came in contact with. The only thing they have in common is that they''re all essences of flame, if you gather all of them into a mask with the essence of flame, the mask will go stronger, and so will you. But the spirit king is not just born to chase for power, you''re meant to protect the spirits of this world, and this world itself from the spirits within and those that hide beyond. This has now become your destiny" Alex blinked in surprise. There was so much info that he almost didn''t get what was being said. But he understood it all, however he didn''t ask for any of this. Even more so he only shared half the blood of this masquerade, he was only partly from the Dark Continent, he only had half the blood of the Igala tribe, but yet he was the one who had to do this, why? "Why me?" Alex asked in confusion. "Because quite simply you''re the only and most suitable choice. The hut that led you to this place it a building stuck between the waking world and the world of the spirits. Some times it here, and other times it wanders the world of the living.Only someone who has been contact with the breath of the spirit, or has the power of a spirit in any form can see it. And seeing is not enough, there''s a barrier around it that will drive someone with a weak spirit mad for just coming close to it alone. You might not have known it, but you passed every test we put in place, and you were able to awaken seven masks! Those of your predecessors who achieved that number of mask had to be trained for decades before the underwent the trial, and they barely manage such a result. Also each and everyone of them has to be at least at the ninth level of the open meridian realm. You took a test designed for the open dantian realm at the body refining realm, you''re not just the only choice, you''re the perfect choice." " But I''veever met this breath of the spirit that you''re talking about, I don''t even know what it is. And I didn''t train for this either, are you sure this was not a fluke?" Alex asked as everything still seemed unreal to him. "Did you fight seven blank masquerades?" Alex nodded. "Did you win?" He nodded again. "Then there''s no fluke. It''s a shame that no one had been able to subdue all twelve masks for the last 12.000 years, but seven is just as good, and the things you would be able to achieve with seven, might even be greater than what you can with twelve. Come young Eleojo, prepare yourself for the ancestral blessing ceremony. With what you''re going to face in this world, you need our blessings." Alex was not even allowed to protests as all the masquerades huddled around him and gave him a pail of water. As they did so, Alex noticed that none of them allowed him to see what lay beyond their huddle. They were preventing him from seeing where they were. It was very strange for Alex, but he also remembered some stories from his childhood about masquerades who tool kids with them to their abode, it''s usually a shrine of some sort. But the crux of the matter is, those kids went in, but they never came back out. This was probably a fail safe to stop him from being stuck here, if he saw what lay beyond, then he would probably not be allowed to leave. With the pail on his head, Alex was actually asked to dance in a circle, he protested at first, but when one of the masquerades suddenly materialized a while, he got down to booty so fast it left his gazing ancestors shocked. Alex was still very afraid of them. After he had been forced to dance, it was the turn of the masquerades as they also danced around him too. And in all that time, Alex was not allowed to spill even a single drop of the water he carried on his head, if one drop touched the earth below, he would have to start all over again. Luckily for himself, being at the ninth level of the body refining realm, afforded him some degree of control over his body, so he was able to keep the pail relatively steady. After the whole creepy and sudden dances, Alex was asked to pour the entire pail of water on the ground. It left him twitching in annoyance as he was just forced to dance and not allowed to spill a drop of that water, and now they were telling him to pour it all on the ground...seriously. Alex did not have much of a choice, so he did as he was told and poured the water out. The ground below his feet rapidly turned into a puddle of mud, he was asked to stand at the end of the puddle while his ancestor''s masquerade stood at the other end. Then masquerade proceeded to walk through the muddy ground, his long white robe dragged over the muddy ground as the mud around was stirred. Then Alex was asked to kneel and receive his blessings. "As you have poured this water on the ground, wherever you go in this world, the earth will never be hard for you!" as soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud crash of thunder as the entire world shook. The ancestor masquerade seemed to loose a bit of its luster as it seemed to become a little faded. "As you have danced with your elders, the wonders of the earth and joys of the sky will dance with you!" there was another boom of thunder, and this time lightening even struck right on the ancestor masquerade, chipping off a piece of it''s mask that fell to the ground with a plop as it gut stuck in the mud. The piece of wood floated into the air, and rapidly expanded, turning into a walking stick, similar to the ones Alex had seen etched on the walls when he came in. There were words on the walking stick, but each of those words flowed through and around the gnarled looking red wood, giving the walking stick a rather ferocious look. The walking stick floated towards Alex and fell into his hands, at first it was a little too big for his size, but it rapidly shrunk to fit his fourteen year old frame. "That walking stick will be your guide and your teacher on your journey to become the next spirit king. Everything you have to learn about spirits, and your masks, this walking stick will teach you. It also holds your masks for you, and whenever you need them, you just have to pull it out from it." Alex looked at the walking stick again, and saw that on the top of it, it was shaped like a pedestal, on etched onto the surface was a mask. Alex put his right hand on it as if to pull out the mask, and one of the seven blank masks came up, still glowing with the pale blue and green flames. Alex placed the mask back on the pedestal, and it disappeared back into the walking stick. Then he looked up at his weakened ancestor and asked. "Does it have to be a walking stick, it doesn''t seem very fashionable." "...¡­" "...." "You can will it into any shape or form you want. The wood is polymorphic and will respond to all of your commands." The masquerade answered after being silent for a while. Alex suspected that he might have been contemplating his stance about Alex valuing tradition. Alex was about to ask another question before he was stopped by the sudden chanting of all the masquerades, there was a rhythm and beat to it that Alex could not really pick out. It was fast and pounding, yet slow and soulful. That rhythm robbed him of all his senses before he felt a sensation of falling, his back hit the ground hard and he was forced to open his eyes. The sun was streaming through the open window of his room in the inn. It was morning. The birds were singing and the bustle of the town was beginning to reach a crescendo of the early morning rush. The door to his inn was pushed open and Anya walked in with a wide smile. "Rise and shine son of heaven. It''s time to prepare, the bus to Lokoja city leaves in an hour. Your dad wants you down in fifteen." She said as she walked into the room like she owned it. Alex was a little perplexed by the sudden turn of events. Had everything he experienced been only a dream...¡­.but it felt so real. At the moment Alex did not know whether he was relieved he was free from some sort of massive responsibilities, or sad and angry he dreamt about being given supreme power over spirits. Then he asked Anya ask. "Hey what is this?" And right there leaning by the bed post was a walking stick with the carvings of a blank mask on its head. It wasn''t a dream, he really did just become The next Spirit King. 21 Competition 2 I : Departure [The Journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step...that''s total bullshit.Any cultivator worth his salt would know that a journey, any journey at all, begins the moment you decide to travel. There''s no first step required, there''s just acknowledgment, destination, and action. You must acknowledge that you''re going on a journey, and understand the reason for that journey. Then you have to know your destination, find out what price you have to pay to get to that point, understand the obstacles that would stand in your way, and figure out a plan to get rid of them. And then you must take action, for lack of a better word, that''s the point where you haul ass and get moving.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ "...¡­..are you joking?" Anya asked in surprise. "He''s not." Ben answered, surprising both Alex and Anya. Alex dropped his spoon beside his bowl of oats and studied his father for a bit. Ben was looking back at him, his gaze unwavering as he held the eyes of his son. Alex couldn''t help but ask. "Why aren''t you surprised?" Ben shook his head as he answered. "Even though your generation knows nothing of spirit kings, mine had grown up listening to stories about their exploit and power. And it''s even more so for me, considering the Ale family is descended from a spirit king.That and the fact Alex''s destiny to do, and experience great things have been known to me since his birth, this is just the tip of the ice berg." Alex scrunches his face in annoyance as his father continued on with his breakfast. If there was one thing Alex sorely disliked, it was his father being cryptic and mysterious about his life. Alex feared there are secrets about himself, that he doesn''t know about. Like the third hand that got amputated as a baby, or two extra eyes at the top of his head...okay those were exaggerated, but still Alex would really like his dad to be straight with him for once. But that was just an uphill battle. "So what do you know about this destiny of his?" Anya asked with an inquisitive look on her face. Alex has known Anya for ten years, it was more than enough time for them to get so in sync with the other, that their feelings are almost the same in a lot of situations. Alex wanted to ask the same question, but he didn''t bother because his dad would lock up again and deviate the discussion into different waters. "If I tell you his destiny, or at least the part I know off. You''re both going to try everything in your power to mess it up. Whether passively or actively, so forget about it. Everything there is to be known about Alex would be gradually exposed to the world and discovered for himself. And you''re going to be right there beside him to experience it...''sigh'' I can only tell you one thing, and that is that you Anya, are a part of his destiny. And do you know how I know this, it''s because you would protect and die for each other no matter what. Common sense dictates that you''re both an important part of each other''s destiny. Now eat up, we''re almost late." Alex wanted to throw up, and the feeling got even stronger when he saw the contemplative look on Anya''s face. His father had gone and said stuff he''s not supposed to say. Anya was strong in every sense of the word, but over the years her one weakness has always been her attachment to Alex, of course Alex was just as attached to her. The emotional connection between this two was so strong that it literally hurts if they''re separated for more than three days. So he knew without a doubt, Anya has planted the whole being each other''s destiny deep in her head and heart. Which means his future was about to get really difficult. Alex glared at his father, but Ben pretended not to notice, of course the mischievous smile on his face said otherwise. Alex shook his head as he turned his head to look at red walking stick resting on his table. The walking stick looked as if it was an entire tree that was shrunk, rather than it being carved from one. It''s entire frame, if you ignore the floating words, or the carving of masks on the crown of the walking stick, was a rough and uneven tree like bark. It was rough to the touch, and tingles every time those words moved around. Alex had tried reading the words, but he found that they moved just fast enough that he was unable too, even if when he looked at it from afar their movements seemed rather slow. After he woke up this morning he had tried so many methods to make the walking stick respond, but apart from giving him blank faced masks without any power of any sort, the stick was completely useless. Whatever it was that he was supposed to learn from it, he couldn''t, because the damn thing refuses to work. But his dad had said it might react when he''s in the open meridian realm, because then he would be able to push Qi into the walking stick and elicit a reaction from it. It was not much to go on, but this was the only clue he had. When he got stronger hopefully the secrets of the walking stick would be exposed. "Alright let''s go, the teleportation array should be prepared by now" Ben said. Alex choked on a spoonful of oats as he looked at his father with a surprised look on his face. Even Anya was shocked. "Are we not going with the bus?" Anya asked. "No we''re not Anyaja, and for a number of reasons too. First your father is currently waiting for you at the bus stop, I''d rather avoid that man,and hope I don''t see him for another ten years preferably if we should meet, it would be at you and Alex''s wedding. Secondly the transport fare for the array has been reduced by a whole hundred percent so that the competitors can all get to the state capital in time to get some training done.And the third reason is actually connected to the second, we need to get there on time so that you both can choose a weapon, and a corresponding martial art, and a movement technique that you both can practice in the open meridian realm. I noticed your fights, and from your explanation about the trials to be spirit king, the both of you are completely helpless against cultivators who use weapons, and your movements suck.It takes years to train someone on how to use just his body to challenge weapons, not to mention a higher realm is required, so in other to take care of that weakness of yours, you both need to learn to wield weapons. I''ve decided to seriously train you both, during the duration of the entire competition. Now get up, let''s get going." Ben ushered the two teenagers outside as they made their way back to the school. Their journey through the town was rather eventful as a lot of eyes were on them, especially Alex. A rumor had spread that in all of the villages in the state, he was the first and only person to have actually killed. All manner of descriptions of his blood thirsty character was being spread, and quite a lot of embellishments about how evil and dangerous his martial arts were.To be honest Alex was more ashamed than angry, and more embarrassed than happy of his fame, or infamy. But what could he do, this was totally out of his hands. "Are you letting us go through the array just so that I can observe and see how an array really works?" Alex asked his father with suspicion in his voice. Ben shook his head and smiled, before answering. "Well that''s another reason, I forced you to learn all about arrays as a child. I told you it was a mental exercise, but that was a lie. I was trying to build a foundation for you to master the art of arrays. If you can comprehend it, then making money would not be a problem for you, it was for that very same reason I had Anya learn how to be a forger. That way the both of you can complement each other, and if you''re separated you both can survive and take care of yourself should the need arise." Alex could not help but muse about how it seemed his dad was more of a father to Anya than her own father ever was. It was not as if Anya was not loved by her family, but for a girl as willful as she was, growing up in a home where the opinions of females were not really considered or respected, had caused her to build up a resentment for them. Alex didn''t blame her though, he felt his family was dysfunctional and messed up, then he met Anya and had to rethink his stance. Alex had learnt about arrays from the moment he could read at four years old. For the next ten years he burned through six volumes of array studies, covering the basic, intermediate, advanced and part of the professional levels of arrays. Thankfully he had a rather, strangely acute memory. It was not photographic memory per say, but Alex actually could remember things down to the smallest detail if he studied it long enough. Arrays were made and powered by Qi, and could perform an unlimited number of functions. You just had to know the proper wards to use, and arrange them well enough to bring out their effects. It might seem simple, but it was s lot harder to practice than to study.As soon as they went through the gate of the school, they saw a giant archway made from some sort of black rock standing right in the middle of the battling platform. The archway had glowing symbols etched on it''s surface, and beyond the archway, a whirlpool of blackness could be seen twisting and whirling as tiny arcs of lightening snaked through it. This was a teleportation array, or as it''s simply know, a spatial gate. A predetermined location would have already been programmed into it, all Alex had to do was pay, and the attendant in that booth over there would activate the spatial gate from his computer. Simple as that. They made their way forward, where they purchased their tickets and joined the rapidly moving line of travelers. Ten minutes later it was their turn, but before they went in, Alex turned to look at the town of Dekina one last time. He had experienced great changes and a call of destiny here. He made a silent vow to return to this place and uncover every hidden secrets within it''s ancient and forgotten past. But with this next step, Alex knew he was getting further and further away from home. Then he turned and stepped through the gate. 22 Competition 2 II : West Wind And East Cloud [The first time a cultivator chooses his weapon is important.....it''s supposed to be important. You have to think it through and be decisive, because a weapon is an extension of yourself, an extra limb, or friend who you would now leave your life to. Most idiots change weapons as much as they change clothes, it''s not that it''s a bad idea to master multiple weapons, but if of you have so many partners who among them would you really trust. The act of choosing a weapon is like marriage, you become wed to the steel, to the grip, shaft, handle and edge of your weapon. You have to choose wisely, because when you have chosen and your weapon is resting in your hands, there''s a feeling that all is right with the world. But I wouldn''t know, I''ve never used a weapon to fight.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ That was the only entry about weapons in the python journal. Alex has already established that his ancestor was crazy, now he could probably add pretentious to that list, and maybe shameless. What did he even know about weapons, yet he was talking so philosophical about it, like he was a master who had understood the Dao of weapons. Alex closed his book and looked on at the city of Lokoja. It was beautiful, and it was crowded. And it was very big. Alex was not exactly sure how big the city was, but he knew it took them an hour and half to drive from one end of the city to the other, and there was no traffic!. Alex was sitting precariously on the balcony of his hotel room, looking down at the city below as every random Joe and Jane went about their lives, buying, selling, yelling.....kissing? It was a hustle he had never experienced before, and his attention was completely glued to it. The city was vastly bigger than Dekina, and there was a lot of things that could be done. Their hotel was actually close to the central market of the city, and in just a few moments they would be going down to shop for training materials. His father was really serious about this personal training stuff, and he wanted to take advantage of every second they had. Alex got back into his hotel room, and couldn''t help but whistle in awe. It was not a five star hotel per say, but Alex was sure it very well came damn close to one. It was really nice and seemed to be the only kind of place the son of a big family would find himself lodged in, or maybe a government official. Alex got ready and went out, fifteen minutes later they were taking a stroll to the market that was just two streets away. Ben led Anya and Alex through the stalls and crowded shops with a singular focus. The way he moved showed that he had been here before, and it left Alex wandering what else it was that he didn''t know about his father. They followed him until he eventually led them to a pavilionat the eastern edge of the market, the architecture of the pavilion was not synonymous with the normal style of buildings in Lokoja, hence this was the first building native to the empire of heaven that Alex had seen in his entire life, outside of a television screen of course. The pavilion or as it was named; The Golden Dragon pavilion, was actually built like a pagoda. Alex counted eighteen floors in all, and from the clothes of the people who were walking in and out of the pavilion, it was obvious an ordinary village boy like him had no business being there. Alex wondered if his dad even knew where he was going, or if the old man had lost his mind. But Alex could not say anything, as he kept his head down and followed after his father. Alex could not help feeling a little inferior to everyone that went in and out of the pavilion, Alex had always been ostracized from a young age due to the fact that he was a half breed. Now walking through a place where so many full ''breeds'' were walking about with the best of what money could buy, on them, it made him feel inferior. Anya did not have this problem as she openly stared and ogled everything like a true born village girl who had just come to the big city for the very first time in her life. She was na?ve to the point of innocence.Or was it the other way around, Alex was not really sure, but seeing Anya not loosing one bit of her confidence strengthened his resolve a bit. Once they got to the entrance of the pavilion, Ben took out a gold card and flashed it to the guard in front, what followed was a series of events that left Alex shocked. As soon as the guard scanned the card, his indifferent attitude made a 360 degree change as a wide smile broke out on his face, and he bowed to Ben. "I bid you a warm welcome elder Ben, please have a good time perusing our various products. I hope they would be up to your taste. Would you like me to call an attendant?" The guard asked as he fawned over Alex''s father. Ben replied with a nod, while the two teenagers behind him had a look on their face that was simply asking ''what the heck is going on here?''. But no answer was forthcoming as five minutes later, a young woman who looked about twenty five years of age came out of the pavilion to welcome them. "my esteemed greetings to VIP member of the golden dragon pavilion elder Ben. Please what can the pavilion do for you today." She greeted and asked as she bowed to him. Alex had a gob smacked expression on his face. Since when has his father been a VIP of one of the biggest trade conglomerate in the entire world. Alex did not realize it at first, but after repeatedly hearing the name Golden Dragon Pavilion, he realized that this was ''the one and only Golden Dragon Pavilion''. They were the authority on trade as it regards to cultivators and the resources they require for the training. They were wide spread, and even had connections in the Albion empire, talk less of the heaven empire where they originated from.And his father was a VIP member of the pavilion, a freaking elder!(what does that mean anyway.) "Get us a private room, and the item list for weapons and martial arts suitable for the body refining realm all the way to the open dantian realm." Ben ordered as he ascended the steps to make his way into the pavilion. The attendant nodded her head, and led them through a side door, past a long hallway and into a really posh private room.It seems everything that was being done or made in Lokoja city was of a higher grade than you would see in a town like Dekina, much less an out of the way village like oganenigu. Refreshments were given, and even though Alex and Anya just had breakfast not less than three hours ago, the variety of food put in front of them was something they couldn''t say no to. The attendant came back with three tablets which had the symbol of the golden dragon Pavilion painted on their backs. The tablets were the goods and their price lists of everything sold in the golden dragon pavilion. There was a filter option, and under the interface weapons were ticked out. Technology like this was something Alex has never had the pleasure of getting his hands on, so he fumbled around with it a bit before Anya decided to help him. The first tablet had the options about weapons, while the other was about martial art techniques. The third seemed to be meant only for his fathers eye, as Ben actually stepped out for a moment to read and peruse what was on it, leaving Alex even more suspicious. But he turned his focus back to the tablet on his hands as he and Anya chose the weapons that was most suitable for them. Anya found her''s almost immediately. It was a scythe that was two meters long, with a curved meter long blade made from a glowing yellow metal, that had arrays etched on it. But that was just one part, as the other side of the scythe, had a hammer made of the same kind of metal, but obviously meant for smashing the shit out of people.The description called it the Sun Sage Scythe,nothing about the colossal hammer head behind the scythe was mentioned in the name, and it was actually an uncompleted level nine mortal weapon. "Why is it uncompleted?" Alex asked, thoroughly confuse about that part of its description. If the forging of the weapon was uncompleted, then why in God''s name was it listed here for sale. But it was Anya who answered. "Its uncompleted because it''s an evolving weapon. I''m not surprised though, simple weapons are hardly made anymore. The technique for forging weapons capable of evolving has already been wide spread for almost twenty years. So instead of using a weapon and discarding it for a higher leveled one, you would have to nurture and train your weapon to become strong just like you." "That still doesn''t explain why it''s uncompleted." Alex said to Anya In a dead pan but sarcastic voice, and because of that, he received a slap for his efforts. "The weapons are uncompleted, because it is up to their owners to complete them. The act of nurturing and enhancing the weapon completes it." Anya said to him. "Well how much is it?" Alex asked the attendant.She looked at another tablet, one which Alex had not noticed she was holding for a while and then said. "2 million imperial gold." Alex who had started taking a drink of water, spat out the entire content as he choked on it. The price was abyssal, it would take him a hundred years of hard work and frugal living to amass one half of that money. "We''ll take it."Ben said as he strolled back into the room. Alex looked at his father with a questioning look on his face, but a wave from the man and a reassuring look on his face told him not to worry. It was hard, but he had to trust his father, the old man has never steered him wrong. "Have you found what you want Alex?" his father asked. But Alex shook his head, and explained he hadn''t seen anything that clicked yet. He wouldn''t admit it out loud, but he was taking the advice of his crazy ancestor, he wanted to make a connection to what ever weapon he chose. "Do you have a preference, or a particular style you like?" The attendant asked Alex was about to say no, when his mind went back to the masquerade trial. The last masquerade to have defeated him had left quite an impression on him, and that was because it wielded twin long swords, using both weapons with such flourish and grace, that the image of it jumping into the air to decapitate Alex, would be forever etched in his mind as a moment of glory and unprecedented horror. He knew what he wanted now. "Dual Longswords, preferably,they should be uncompleted like Anya''s".Alex answered. The attendant took the tablet from him, and made a few searches, then handed it back to him. There were 47 different pairs of swords, and each one looked more better than the last. Eventually Alex''s eyes came to rest on a pair of blazing swords, the hand guard of the swords were actually metal casted in the form of a sun, and their blade was the same burning yellow as Anya''s. The name of this pair of swords were the Sun Sage''s Duality. An almost identical name to Anya''s, and it was obvious they were made by the same person. Alex was going to choose this, I mean come on, this had to be destiny, but before Alex could pick it, his father interrupted. "Don''t pick that one, it''s not suitable for you." He said, as he moved Alex''s hand away from the screen of the tablet, and proceeded to scroll through the list. But Alex protested. "But Anya has something similar, is it not better if we...¡­." "Enough, I don''t deny that you an Anya are closer than anything else in this world. But this sword is going to be your companion for life, you can''t choose casually. Here it is, I reserved something similar to this for you, when you were just born. And since you''re choosing swords, I don''t think there''s a need for you to use a bow, even though I''ve paid for it." His father was saying stuff that left Alex confused again, but he still looked at the pair of swords his father was pointing at. This pair of longswords had a hilt that was a mishmash of three different colored metal of blue, white and green. The hand guard was also circular like the sun sword, but there was a blank space in the center of the guard, almost as if a name was meant to be carved there in the center of it. The blade was long, a little too long for Alex in fact since he was not that tall. It was a meter long silver blade, the silver was quite dull and murky looking and it looked as if clouds and lightening was moving on the surface of the sword. And then came the biggest attraction point, and that was the chains connected to the hilt of both swords, essentially connecting them both.Both swords were level nine mortal weapons like the one Anya chose, but their names were weird as they came with a poem like description. "Hollow skies cried the rain, joyful fury called the thunder, as wind forsook the love of clouds, all to cry today, for the birth of the nameless sons of Sky And Sea...pray thy names remain nameless, for thou shalt be forgotten dragons.be named West Wind and East Cloud." 23 Competition 2 III : Sword Arts, Movement Art, Uncle? [Martial arts skills for weapons are the most widespread of all the martial arts on Qi Earth. The choosing of such martial arts, has to be as meticulous as the picking of your weapon. Martial arts are divided into different grades, but weapons arts of any grade have a specialrequirement to pass them. First and foremost the kind of cultivation art, and internal art that you use will determine you level of attainment, in any one weapon art you choose to practice. Then you have to consider the kind of weapon you use, and the concept it embodies. The concept of weapons are divided into three, hard weapons, soft weapons, and veiled weapons.After understanding the concept of your weapon, you have to check your compatibility with that weapon art. You have to know whether or not your strength and character agrees with it''s execution. A passive fighter will fail terribly if he chooses to learn the martial art of an overly active fighter. An assassin can not fight like a berserker, and the same way around. And when you''ve considered your compatibility you then have to decide if the martial art you chose, is one that you can kill with!] Unknown speaker.... Alex was not really so sure about this two swords, further description about their abilities stated that the swords were wind attributed, with the potential to generate lightening and storm clouds during their usage. They looked somewhat dull as compared to the blazing glory of the sun sage swords, and the sheer damage a pair of fire oriented swords can cause seem to be missing from the wind oriented swords. Alex was not so sure, though he would be lying if he said he was not a little interested in the swords called West wind and East cloud. There was this dragging feeling in his gut that pushed him towards the pair. But his eyes and mind seemed perpetually focused on the shiny sun sage swords, and promised explosions that was sure to come when playing with fire. Then Alex looked at it''s position in the directory, and was shocked by what he saw. A startling number seven, of course it could all just be a coincidence that this swords were placed seventh, or that he had seven masks, or that the meaning of his name Feng meant Wind...that was too many coincidences, destiny really was pulling him to the swords, and he didn''t know why. He turned to ask his father, a little clarity from the regularly vague adult, will help sooth his confusion. "Why are you so sure that this swords are meant for me?" "I''m not In the business of telling you a lot of things that I know you would experience and eventually find out for yourself. But I can give you a goal to work towards.When we get to the capital of the colony, for the final part of the competition, and that is if you qualify for it. There''s a talent testing apparatus in the capital, it tests the nature of a persons spirit root, physique and cultivation. Once you''ve taken that test, then the answers will be clear to you. But for now, please trust you father on this." How could Alex say no to his father, the questions he had were really burning from deep within him, but all he could do was hang on and see where this goes. He looked up at the attendant and nodded his head, he chose them. The funny thing was that the moment he agreed, there was a settled feeling within his gut, like all was right with world. His mind however was lamenting the loss of the shiny sun swords, it seems they were not destined. The West Wind and East cloud was priced at four million imperial gold. Twice as expensive as Anya''s scythe. Then the next tablet was handed to them, they now had to choose a corresponding weapon art for their new weapons. Anya wanted to go first, but her making a choice was easier said than done. Her scythe could be considered a sort of Axe, but it could also be considered a halberd too. She could use the weapon either way, but it was also heavy, which meant she had to pick a technique that could take advantage of it''s weight.There were so many choices, yet so many not good enough. It took them forty minutes to find the most suitable martial art for her. And it was actually tailored for a doubled edged two handed axe.The [Five Forms Of The Blazing Mammoth]. This martial art was luckily fire attributed, so it matched her weapons, but it was a rather eccentric martial art. At first glance it looked like it focused more on a rampage, tearing through the battle field slicing and smashing enemies to pieces, however this weapon art focused on subtle vibrations, and perfect application of force and strength behind every strike. The martial art suited Anya''s somewhat brash and rough style of fighting, but it was also subtly profound that it forced her to perform with more than just strength and a straight forward mindset. In the end Anya was actually quite happy with what she got, which meant it was now Alex''s turn to see which sword art he would choose. Alex also had to keep in mind, that he was learning how to fight with two swords, a standard sword art for a single sword could still be executed by using the same moves with both his swords however it would be better if there was a ready made move tailored for dual sword combat. And there were quite a few, and unlike the first time, Alex''s choice was notrefused by his father, and it was quite suitable for his style of fighting. The name of the sword art was [ Four Seasons Of The Weeping World]. The idea behind this sword art was profound, and it was the only way he could satisfy his need for fiery explosions and his father''s belief that the speed and subtlety of the wind was best for him. The four seasons of the weeping world, was a martial art divided into four main moves, and each of this four main moves were further divided into four sub moves, making for a total of 16 different moves in all. The sword art laid emphasis on the four directions of north, south, east, and west, and each of this direction also represented an element and a season, which meant it was a sword move tailored for the usage of different elements, and mixing them with the profound understanding of nature. Alex could not really wrap his head around it at the moment, so he made his choice and waited for the time he would be free enough to study it. "Finally you guys have to choose a movement art, but I''ve taken the liberty of doing that for you. So we don''t have to waste too much time here." Ben said to them after they''ve finished making their choices. The martial arts tablet was messed with a bit, and a page with a description of a movement art was given to them. But this movement art was as weird and as peculiar as everything else that they have chosen before. [ Six Kings Of Beasts Movement Art]. It was not a complete movement art per say, but actually a template for the creation of a tailored and personal movement art. What made this art really good was that it could be used by all the realms, and can be combined with any other movement art. The only limit was the level of comprehension you get from it. The movement art focused on the study of six different beasts of various species, specifically an equine, feline, canine, aquatic, avian, and reptilian. It could be any animal belonging to this species, the main thing is just that you would have to study the way they move, get in touch with your inner animal and imitate, reconstruct, reproduce, and reapply the characteristics of those animals into the way you moved. It was actually a really difficult martial arts, and the amount of people who had mastered the whole thing can be counted on one hand, and that''s four. Either way, they had all gotten what they came for, so it was about time to head back to the hotel and prepare for training. After everything was paid for with God knows who''s money, Alex followed his father out feeling very unsettled. The money that his father just used to pay for everything they had got, would have made growing up very easy for him, in fact it would have changed their lifestyle completely and not forced them to live life as ordinary painters. Alex was no fool, even though he was young. The amount of times his father had left the village alone since he was young was not much, and even then he was never gone for more than a day, that was not enough time to become a millionaire in Alex''s opinion, which meant he must have had this money with him from the very start, but yet the never used it, and Alex himself had no idea it existed. His train of thoughts were cut off, when their path was blocked by a group of men wearing white Taoist robes. Alex was startled by their sudden appearance, and drew closer to his father. He might be a cultivator, and he might have killed someone, but Alex was still a child, in a manner of speaking. When strange occurrences like this happen, it was almost instinctual for him to draw close to his father for protection. He was a rapidly growing boy in both body and mind, but he was still fourteen years old, so there''s not much that can be expected of him. There were five of them in the group, three of them were dark skinned, like every other inhabitant of the dark continent. The fourth member was actually a very pretty woman, and she was actually just like Alex, a daughter of both the empire of heaven, and the dark continent. It was the final person who really threw Alex for a loop, he was a citizen of the empire of heaven, a true born one. His skin was really fair and supple, almost like that of a celebrity or model, his eyes were as black as Alex''s if not blacker, and the narrow eyelids that was barely perceptible on Alex''s face was fully showcased on his. His lips were red, startling so, and as for his age, he looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. However Alex knew that might not be his real age, this man in front of him could be five hundred years old, and Alex might not even know it. That was just amazing effect of Qi. "Benjamin, it''s been so long. How have you been?" His voice was like silk, smooth and unhindered, and he spoke without an accent. Almost as if he has lived on the dark continent all his life, or for a very long time. The empire of heaven had a main language, and multiple other languages used by the numerous sub kingdoms under the rule of the imperial family. But there was a common tongue, and that language originated from the empire of Albion, and it was called English. That was the language being used, and when this man in front of him used it, there was just this refined slur to his voice that made him seem all the more alluring or enchanting. Alex was not the only one who thought so as even Anya herself could not take her eyes of him. "Senior brother Wuyang, indeed it has. And I''ve been fine, how have you been?" Senior brother? ''ahh what is going on here?'' Alex asked himself in confusion. His dad had a senior brother, and that senior brother was actually from the empire of heaven. Was he missing something, or was everything completely weird and strange with his father today. "I''ve been doing good Benjamin. I came all the way just for the both of you, it''s time you both came home." Senior brother Wuyang said. "The Wudang mountains is no longer my home senior brother, maybe it once was, but that was a lifetime ago. Now my home is my son, he''s all that matters to me now." Ben shook his head as he replied. "Even so, will you deny him the chance of seeing his ancestral land, or his mother and sister?" Wuyang asked with a steady voice. Ben''s eyes took on a steely luster as he answered. "The very ground you''re standing on is his ancestral home, every tree, river, and rock on this continent has the blood of my son flowing through it. ''this is his home''. "sigh" but so is the Wudang mountains, and the sect too. I would never deny my son a chance to experience his full heritage or to meet that woman. She is his mother after all." Ben finished in a whisper, but he was still loud enough that everybody could hear him. "Well then that means we''re at an agreement. I have to come to fetch the both of you, since my father very much wants to see his grandson and the man who sired him. He feels it is better for all of his family to be together. So you can get ready and we...¡­.." Wuyang was interrupted when Ben raised his hand up. "Your father might have been the former sect head of the Wudang sect, but he has no power over my son or myself either....¡­.yet. If Alex has to go to the Wudang sect, he''s not going to be carried in there as the grandson of the former sect head. I want my son to kick down your doors and walk into that sect that''s half filled with pompous hypocritical bastards, as one of the most talented disciples it has ever or will ever see. Alex and his friend Anya will head to the Wudang sect, once they win the competition and become part of the ten that''s chosen to become outer sect disciples from this colony. The only handout he will ever accept from you people, is the money that was used to pay for all of his weapons and recently purchased martial arts. He''s not going there as the grandson of Reverend Zi Yi, but as the one and only son of me,Benjamin, and the last heir of the ¨¢l¨¥ family.Now all that nonsense aside, will you like to meet your nephew?" Ben suddenly asked after his angry and pride filled tirade. "Yes I will very much like to meet the young man." Wuyang replied with a soft smile on his face. As for Alex, he had his jaw unhinged and his eyes spread wide open. He couldn''t help but ask himself softly. "What the fuck is going on here?" and then he received a slap at the back of his head from his father as Ben warned him "Language!" 24 Competition 2 IV : Heart Like The Wind [The ability to adapt to any situation is not always something you''re born with. Rather it''s a skill, or a sense of mind and being, a character that you nurture and develop through out the course of your life. And it should be easy, humans are the most adaptive creatures in all of existence. Our ability to take the good with the bad, the surprises and the expectations, and turn them into something that''s balanced and works for us, is unprecedented and unmatched. However, what would you do, if you find yourself in a situation that rather adapts to you, and make sure to always be something of an unbeatable challenge. It would be a battle of attrition as both sides push and pull simultaneously. What happens when an immovable object meet an unstoppable force. Well the answer to that is quite simple...¡­.they destroy each other.] Alex looked at his uncle, and his uncle looked right back at him. This was an environment he had gotten used to, moments before they went out shopping for his weapons and Anya''s, however now his hotel room felt stuffy, and crowded, and very uncomfortable. Ben had dragged Anya away, insisting that he had to get started on her training ahead of schedule, and that Alex would catch up later. It was obvious he was just looking for an excuse to leave Alex with his stranger. They had a few similarities, the same sword shaped eyebrows, the silky long black hair that was so unruly it looked like it has never been combed, the same broad shoulders and the same fierce but inquisitive look on both their faces. But there was one thing Alex had to consider, and that was the fact that his uncle was a hundred times more handsome than he was. The dude looks like he was sculpted by the Gods, if he''s not a God himself. "My name is Zhang Wuyang, elder brother to you mother, and uncle to your sister. Which makes me your long lost uncle. Won''t you give me a hug?" "No!" "Well could I at least have a seat?" "No!" Alex was not really, willing to be more accommodative of his uncle, this was one of those rare moments when Alex''s childishness was prevalent over his mature mind. But Wuyang was incredibly accommodative of Alex though, this boy in front of him was his long lost nephew, and he would be lying if he said he did not like the fire he saw within his eyes. Zhang Wuyang sat down on the sofa opposite Alex anyway, making sure to keep eye contact with his nephew the whole time. "I know you might find this hard to believe but, your mother, my father and your elder sister miss you a lot. They want you to come home." Zhang Wuyang said to Alex. "If that woman missed me so much, then why didn''t she call, or even send a letter, God forbid for her to think of actually coming back. You know it''s the twenty first century, and we have this really cool devices called smart phones. You can use them to communicate, and it''s everywhere, even a back water village like mine has people who use it. A simple hello would have been nice. But it took all of you fourteen years to give a damn!." Alex replied, surprisingly keeping a cool head during his rant. Alex understood that the person in front of him was only a messenger, there was no need to loose control in front of him, and besides doing so won''t change anything. It would just make him seem all the more childish. "Your mother is a cultivator who has lived for over a hundred and fifty years, according to cultivation standards, she''s actually really young, and she would still be living for ten thousand more years, if not till eternity if she keeps on improving.Fourteen years would only seem like fourteen days to her, and I know it hurts for you to hear this. But there are responsibilities that falls to your mother and I because of who our parents are, and because of who we''re affiliated with. Such responsibilities would never have given her the time to come find you." Was this supposed to be a way to comfort him or something. Alex was shocked, he didn''t know whether to appreciate his uncle for his honesty, or curse the bastard for how blunt his words and what they insinuated meant. And that was the fact that his mother was much to busy for the whole of fourteen years to come look for her child, she missed his entire childhood because she was Wudang royalty. The more he heard about her, the more he didn''t want to have anything to do with her. But he knew that cultivators who have an incredibly long life to live, saw the world very differently than ordinary people. And until just a few weeks ago, Alex was one of those ordinary people, and right now he was scared. Hearing about how cold his mother seemed to be, Alex was afraid that if he continued on this path that he has now chosen, he would end up like her.It was a scary thought, but Alex knew that it was quite impossible to turn back now, not after he''s had a taste of this world. Zhang Wuyang continued speaking. " Besides this outcome would not have been the case if your father had chosen to just come back to Wudang with her, but he''s pride didn''t let him, and he chose to not let you go. It''s a tradition in this barbaric land that a child only bears his father''s name, only answers to his father''s house, and only lives on his father''s decisions. Your father kept you from the destiny that should have been yours in the first place." Zhang Wuyang said as he slapped the top of the table in anger. With the force behind that strike, Alex was surprised the table was still in one piece. It showed how much control Zhang Wuyang had over his strength. Alex looked up at him and asked him "And What destiny is that?" his voice was unwavering, and if you were perceptive enough, there was and steel like edge in his voice, saturated by the anger and hurt he currently felt. "As the young master of the Zhang family of the Wudang Sect. You would have lived a favored life, and had all of the resources you required. Your cultivation realm and overall strength, should have been many times higher than this. And that''s because even though your father was asked many times by my sister, he refused to stay, and he kept you with him. He was not strong enough to be worthy of even being my sister''s servant, yet we accepted him, because your mother had affections for him. You were born from those affections, and that was enough for him to live his life in luxury and comfort for the rest of his life. But he left for a very stupid reason as heartbreak and pride. In this world, there''s no use for love when you don''t have the strength to claim and keep it for yourself. Someone stronger than your father came, and laid claim to your mother. They were a pair made in heaven, and they had been engaged to each other from the moment they were born. But your mother''s rather frivolous ways saw the birth of you and your elder sister, for entirely different men than her brethrothed. Either way, you dad should have stayed, him leaving and him staying wouldn''t have made any difference as he would not have had the strength to take the woman he loves back. The only person that suffered for it, was you." So that was why. The whole world seemed a lot clearer now to Alex, he lived in an age where things like civic rights, and good and evil were talked about a lot. Of course cultivators were exempted from a lot of those rules, as far as they and this world was concerned...¡­..might made right. Only your strength will get you what you want in this world. Alex knew his father would never have stayed, only a shameless and pride less man would have stayed to experience such emotional torture. Alex could not begin to imagine how it would feel if someone else came to claim the woman you loved, and just after your son was born too. At that time his father was not strong enough to fight back, and the woman he loved who had that strength, did not fight back at all. She left with the guy who had the bigger fist, talent and pedigree. It might seem Shallow when you looked at it from a different angle, but this was how this world works. Alex finally understood it. He now understood why his father had prevented him from cultivating for the whole of his life until recently, he wanted Alex to feel and understand what it meant to be weak, to have no power or strength to fight back when you wanted to. And unlike most people, Alex was born and destined to be one of the strong, it could be said that it was fated that he would one day stand at the pinnacle of this world and look down on everybody else due to his immense strength. And it was because of this very reason his upbringing was different, and rather normal. Before Alex would have been swallowed by the vainness of the cultivation world, he had been taught of the goodness and humility of the real world, it was not the world that mattered on Qi Earth, but it was the world that was as close to paradise and heaven as anything else. And it was also because of what he had experienced, that Ben loved and treated Anya like she was his own child. Anya was different, and even though she was still young and considered na?ve, she was someone who was also destined to be strong, she was straightforward and devoted. She chose to stick with her friend through all of their trials in the village, not even when she would have received great benefits for turning her back on Alex. She was the complete opposite of his mother. But with everything he had learnt today, Alex knew that Anya might not have the chance to be true to herself when the philosophy of the cultivation world came calling. Unless she was truly strong, she would not be able to stop herself from changing, and the same thing could be said about Alex, if they were not strong enough to safeguard their own beliefs, they would be forced to follow others. So in other to truly have anything, or keep anything in this world, Alex had to be strong, stronger than everyone else. It was the only way he could keep Anya safe, and the only way to get payback for his father''s broken heart. It might sound stupid, but Alex was going to make sure any body who was stupid enough to lay a finger on the people he loved, would live a life of agony and despair until they beg for death itself. His heart was like the wind, passive, gentle, and soothing, but just like the wind, he was also raging, destructive, and angry. He was going to send a storm, a typhoon and a hurricane crashing through the cultivation world, and no one was going to stand in his way. 25 Competition 2 V : The Enlightenmen [Any random idiot cam swing a sword, smarter idiots can hurt or even kill with it. But it takes a very special kind of person to wield it. The art of the sword, is the art of all weapons. If you know how to wield a sword, then using a spear, a saber, or a dagger becomes easy. The only thing that would be hard for you would be a bow, and that is why the bow is the only real rival of the sword, it''s not the saber or the spear, it''s the bow. Some people learn to wield a sword, growing in familiarity with the blade until it becomes a part of them. But the path of learning how to wield a sword is different for many people, some choose to subjugate the Emperor of all weapons, others want to coax and serve it, and while the true lucky few, want it to become a part of themselves, mind, body and soul.Some people are born for it, destined to wield it better than even the best swordsmen, warriors who have trained for hundreds of years just to get to their currently level of mastery. It might seem unfair, but the world favors and it doesn''t. But as for those who are born for the sword, there is only one way you can truly recognize them...¡­..and that''s when you see your death nestled within their eyes.] Kong Shi Tian. Left Minister Of The Empire Of Heaven Alex was being tortured, he couldn''t help the feeling that his father was punishing for accepting to being trained by his uncle for the competition. But it was not really his fault, his father should have known that Alex would not have come out of that room the same way, his view of the world would change and so would his heart. He loved his father, but he was not going to let past matters stop him from gaining something, when it''s offered to him on a platter of gold. He did not agree with the philosophy of the cultivation world, he had to believe there was good and rationality within the fabric of that reality, a sense of normalcy bred from consequences and conscience.But even if he did not agree, most of what it believes in is true, and while Alex would try his best to be a good person, he had no intention of being a saint. But even then he wasn''t really sure about his future, Alex knew fourteen was much to young an age to be bothered about his beliefs and approach towards life. But this world, as amazing as it was, had no room for childhoods, unless your parents were powerful enough to afford you such a luxury. Every child had to grow, and grow as fast as possible. The legal and marriageable age of maturity was sixteen and seventeen in most colonies, only the few countries still standing and left untouched by the colonization of the heavens empire, could still afford to let their teens get to eighteen before they could be considered adults. This was a world of men and women, not boys and girls. And with a past and ancestry as complex as his; Alex knew he, more than anyone else had to grow quickly and smartly. That would probably be the only way he would have a say in his own life and future. "Stop day dreaming Alex!I need you to focus." Ben''s voice cut through his thoughts. Zhang Wuyang was sitting a few dozen meters away, leisurely reading a book as his attendants read out a report to him. Alex on the other hand was in a rather precarious position. When he had chosen to learn how to use the sword, he had thought all he had to do was learn to swing the sword and move his feet in some fancy way, but the hell he and Anya were currently going through right now, threw his entire perception of swordsmanship out the window. "Using a sword is not about fancy movements and elegant swings. In fact a master could kill a thousand people with just one swing of his sword, and it would be a casuals one at that. The sword is not called the emperor of weapons for nothing, it''s true power lies in the fact that it forces you to use everything and nothing at the same time. To properly use a sword, muscle, breathing, technique, Qi, strength, speed,movements, eyesight, smell, hearing, feeling and even taste would come into play. Each of them working with the other like a well oiled machine to bring about a destructive force that could be released with just an elegant strike, or a simple chop from a blade. But to first learn about any Weapon, Alex and you too Anya, have to learn endurance, persistence and faith. Which is why you''re both hanging upside down with you weapons serving as your support. You have to trust in your weapons to hold you, and you have to last long enough to earn the trust of your weapons. They have to acknowledge you." Ben said as he watched both teenagers hanging upside down, with their weapons planted on the sand covered ground below them. "Looks like your ingenuity with training, as well as your perception about weapons and skills have not dulled this fourteen years you chose to be a simple painter. I expected nothing less from the Analyst. Such a shame, you would have really made a great elder of the sect. You know Ben it''s not too late to.....¡­." "There''s no such person as the Analyst Zhang Wuyang!, if there was, then he''s already dead. There''s only Ben, father, soccer coach, and now teacher to this two wonderful children." Alex felt his eye twitch, he was in pain here, it had only been thirty minutes, but hanging upside down with your hands on the hilt of your swords as they were planted beside a river bank was not a walk in the park. Yet this two grown men are having a special episode of whatever drama show they were currently staring in. Then Anya asked a question. "Permit me to ask, but how do we know that we''ve received the acknowledgement of our weapons." It was Zhang Wuyang who answered. "that would be when your weapon starts holding you up, rather than relying on the strength of your arms to keep yourself upright." "Oh! Thank you very much, that was soooo helpful!" Anya answered sarcastically. "Alex I challenge you, my scythe is going to acknowledge me first, you want to make a bet." Anya suddenly said as she looked at Alex with a teasing smile on her face. Alex knew what she was doing, he knew she was playing with his head, but this was Alex''s fatal flaw. He could never resist or say no to a challenge, it was in his blood, in his heart and in his mind. The only time he ever showed or did his best, was when the stakes were high or against him. He lived for this. He looked at Alex, and just said two words. "You''re on!" A few steps from them, Zhang Wuyang came close to Ben and whispered to him. "Do you think we should tell them that evolving weapons only acknowledge their owners when that person is in the true element realm at most, and at the open dantian realm at least." Ben shook his head as he whispered back. "No let them compete, failure will be a good lesson for them, and besides, they might pull of a miracle." Alex took a deep breath and focused, the smell of the Niger river beside him invigorated his body as he felt his mind become sharpened with a singular focus. His arms were shaking, but he chose not to pay any attention to it as he focused he gaze on the swordsbelow him. His legs felt numb and his head heavy as all the blood in his body had rushed there.But he was not worried about it, West Wind and East Cloud had all of his focus and he tried to feel and communicate with both swords. But he was not really sure how this worked, so he just took deep breaths and focused on them, choosing not to care about the current discomfort his body was currently experiencing. Sweat dripped down from his body, past his neck, all the way to his forehead where it hung precariously waiting for it''s moment to fall. Alex felt the whole world slow down, it was still but not silent. He could hear the wind moving, and even with it''s movement Alex could have sworn he heard voices, thousands of them, whispering, singing, talking and shouting. Each unique sound a frequency exposed to him in the stillness of the moment. He had lost his perception of the entire world, with the only focus being his swords in his eyes, and the wind in his ears. Everything in his body had become completely still, even the perspiration on him had stopped moving, even his heartbeat was still, as was hisbreathing. Alex was stuck in a moment in time, the whole world went on ahead, but he was left behind, frozen in contemplation and enlightenment. Then the sound of the wind in his ears took on different pitches, the voices, the echoes. They came in waves, and sometimes in streams. There was a vibration to it, each of them shook as they hid within the wind, relying on it to carry them across to Alex. And Alex was stuck in that moment, living a loop of sounds and vibrations over and over again, listening to the very voice of the earth, and it''s occupants. And then his heart skipped a beat, and everything sped up once again. The hours he had spent frozen on those swords quickly caught up to him as his hands lost power and he fell to the ground. But at that moment the swords in his hands shifted themselves, the movement was so imperceptible that unless you knew what you were looking for and had a good eyesight you wouldn''t have seen it. The swords shifting their position made his soon to be very painful fall onto the sand covered river bank, a mild and simple one. Alex felt so exhausted, that he had to let out huge gasps of air, as he struggled to a sitting position, using the swords in his hands as a crutch. He looked up and was surprised to see the moon in the sky as darkness seems to have fallen. Looking at how dark it was, it was past eight pm or almost nine. He had been stuck on those swords for the whole day. He turned his head to see Anya, his father and uncle staring at him like they had just seen a monster. Alex was perplexed by their looks so he had to ask, what happened. The reply he received shocked him to the point of unconsciousness as his fatigue caught up to him. And just before his eyes went shut he replayed what Anya just told him. "Alex!You''ve been hanging over that sword for three days." 26 Competition 2 VI : The Prelude To Carnage [ A fight can be known as a hello, as well as a farewell in some cases. Especially when that fight is taking place as a result of a contest or competition. May a great friendship and brotherhoods are born from such fights, and many are also ended by it. When you''re fighting, you must learn to keep an open mind, because your opponent could be as much your friend and teacher as they could be your enemy. Which is why it''s wise to always study and learn who your opponents are. Because after the fight, if you don''t kill that person, one of two things will happen, you either respect each other, or you gain an enemy who would place you as a target to be defeated. So be ready, because in any fight, if you''re not making friends after it ends, then you can be sure that you''re most definitely making enemies.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ The state stadium was filled to the brim and bursting with caps it at the amount of people who had showed up for this competition. Wudang held the recruitment contest every three to five years, but this was the first time that they had come all the way to the dark continent. This at least meant that to the empire of heaven, the dark continent was more than just a trophy for them. After the colonization, the empire of heaven had left the continent alone, only showing up once in a while, though they made sure the took the choicest portion of the continents resources. And resources was something the dark continent had in spades. Their lands were as fertile as it was barren in other places. Their wildlife thrived, and you would see monsters here that does not exists any where else in the world.But every body who could had turned up for the competition, which showed how much importance they have placed on this competition. Alex and Anya had already arrived here a lot earlier than was required, so they were now waiting in the locker room and preparing for the fight this time. Of course there were rumors floating around that the theme of the competition this time, was going to be very different than what was expected, so they were a lot more nervous than usual. This stage of the competition would be divided into three different rounds, what those rounds were about, no body knew yet, so all they could do was wait with baited breaths. Alex looked down on his lap and rubbed his hand over the peculiar wooden sheath that now held West wind and East cloud. It was actually the walking stick of the spirit King. Alex was still unable to elicit any sort of reaction from it, other than pulling out his blank masks, or making it change it''s shape. So because West wind and east cloud did not have sheaths of their own, Alex had turned he walking stick into a peculiar sheath that held west wind over his right shoulder, and east cloud over his right hip. The walking stick had actually turned into a sort of belt with straps, but ultimately with two distinct sheaths over his back and at the side of his hip, secured snugly at his side. The straps stretched over to his chest, where a small round wooden medallion three inches in diameter hung over his chest. The medallion had the depiction of blank masks, making it the former head of the walking stick. U "Are you nervous?" Anya suddenly asked from her position beside him. She was leaning on her scythe with her eyes closed. She was eerily quiet, which was not something you could associate with Anya. But Alex couldn''t blame her, there was a pressure that had been suffocating them ever since they stepped into the stadium this morning. Of course it could also be that there were in a locker room filled to the brim with other participants, and no one was in the mood to make friends. Instead they were all just freakily staring and sizing up their future opponents. "Yes am nervous.....but in a good way." Alex answered her. "There''s a bad way to being nervous? Heh, I never knew" She answered back "Don''t worry Anya, we will be fine." Alex said to her. All of a sudden the stadium speakers came to life releasing a sharp feedback that made almost everybody there wince with pain. Then it settle before, a soft voice spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second stage of the Wudang international disciple selection in the Nigeria colony. We have 2400 young boys and girls from the 24 local governments of Kogi state, and they will be participating in the first round of the second stage in ten minutes. In ten minutes all of the participants would make their way onto the pitch where they will be teleported to a cultivated particle world. Each of the contestant would be given a combat medallion, and the goal of each contestant is to fight with each other until they have four medallions, which is the required amount to pass to the next round. You''re then required to survive however long is left in the competition, before you can all be teleported back. This particle world will not only contain the contestants, but demonic beasts from thecultivation level of 1st level of the body refining realm, to the 5th level of the open meridian realm. They along with every other participant and trap that''s set there would aim to stop you from getting the required amount of medallions, or even letting you live until the time is up. Also contestants with 5 or more medallions are eligible to use those medallions to exchange for weapons, armor, martial arts, and alchemical pills to prepare themselves for the next round. The rate of death for this round is 80% most of you will not be returning back from this particle world, so if you are afraid of dying, now is the time to back out, and as for those of you that chooses to stay. You have seven days, Godspeed and good luck." At that moment it was as if that heavy atmosphere increased in intensity, the pressured that settled on the shoulders of every contestant in that locker room. Alex was not sure who moved first, but in less than five minutes a quarter of the contestants there had made their way out of the locker room. This was not the only locker room in the stadium, there should be about eleven of them, and each could hold at least 100 to 150 people, making his stadium a whole lot bigger than what one would expect. Alex was sure that this locker room was not the only one that had people dropping out, so the amount of people who had left could nit be estimated until a proper census was taken. Alex didn''t blame them, the chance of dying was high, way to high, and in the end regardless, of who survives only a hundred will get to go to the capital once this stage is all over, and out of that hundred, they will have to face a fighters from 36 other states each, including the capital. A total of 3700 fighters who would fight for just ten spots to get into the Wudang sect. The risks were to high, and the reward was to far that they might not ne able to reach it. Many of them had talent that was average or above, they would be able to make something out of themselves even without the support of the Wudang sect. Sure it would take longer and they wouldn''t have a reputation to lean on, but at least they would get to live. It was an easy choice for them. If they chose to stay, then death and failure was guaranteed, even if they had a less than 1% chance to win. A few minutes later a man wearing a simple black shit and trousers walked into the locker room. Then he motioned with his hand and asked them to follow him. Alex placed his swords back in position as Anya collapse her scythe until the six foot staff was only two foot long, then she placed it on her back with such ease it was as if the weight from the hammer part of it, was nonexistent. Ben had not started training them in the weapon''s and movement art he had bought for them. Instead he had them memorize the first stance or moves from the weapons art, and learn the alternating forms of the movement arts by having them choose one species of animal to focus on. Alex had chosen an Equine, or any animal that looked like a horse. Anya had chosen a feline. There was not time to properly choose an animal to focus on, so the movement art was put aside for now. As for the weapon art, Zhang Wuyang had come up with a really bold and crazy suggestion by having both Anya and Alex initiate practice of those arts, when they were actually in a fight. It was stupid and illogical, so it came as quite a shock to both of them when Ben readily agreed. So the only practice they had gotten with their weapons was to carry them everywhere. They had to carry it when they were in the shower, carry it when they were having a meal, or asleep, training etc. There was no break, and it had gotten to the point where both Alex and Anya had probably memorized everything there was to know about their weapons. For example Alex knew that on West wind''s blade, there was a hairline crack about two inches below the sword point and three centimeters from it edge. That was a weak point that subsequent pressure in the future, without evolving it properly and solving it, would see his sword snapping at the tip. Anya discovered that the hammer part of her scythe had to much weight, and it was slowly damaging the structure of scythe''s staff. She had to make it stronger, or augment it with a weightless ward from an array.They have been living, eating and breathing their weapons, so much so that even they could not tell where they ended or their weapons began. They followed the black clothed man towards the stadium pitch, as they all psyched their minds and prepared for what was ahead.A few seconds later they came up to the pitch,amidst the deafening roar of the people spectating. From every cardinal direction, other contestant were being led towards a massive spatial gate effected in the middle of the pitch. A tiny bag was given to each of them, and when Alex looked inside he could see that it was the combatant medallion that they were all supposed to fight for. Then that soft voice began to speak again. "The particle world you''re all about to be thrown in is a recreation of the Zambesi forest that''s to the north of Nigeria colony. The spatial gates will throw each and every one of you into random locations, so if you have a friend, well I''m sorry but you''re all on your own. The forest is large and it would take anyone of you three days without any obstructions or stops to travel from one end of the forest to the other. Good luck." And them the first contestant was led through the gate. Alex quickly turned to Anya, who looked at him with an equally serious expression on their face as they whispered to each other, nit wanting their plans to be heard by anyone. J "Which direction do we have to head towards?" Anya asked Alex. "We have to go west, in times like this everyone will either want to head south or north. The sun rises from the east, so you can bet that some of them would also have their attention drawn towards it. So you head west, or to be more precise west with the best high ground location." "Wouldn''t they also want to take the high ground?" Anya asked, as they drew closer to the spatial gate. "Yes they would, but that''s where you should fight. We can''t avoid a fight since that''s what is required to survive. Leave marks behind, you know the one right?" Anya nodded her head "I''ll do the same. That way we can find each other. Avoid any unnecessary clash with the locals, and keep out of any beast territories unless you have no choice. If you find a water source, don''t stay there any longer than five to ten minutes, unless it''s properly secluded. Don''t eat any plants, even if you recognize it, the only thing you can eat here should be the beasts. They''re flesh, as such unless it''s a poison attributed demonic beast, they should be edible. Don''t form alliances unless you have too, and don''t sleep at night. Sleep from only daybreak to noon, and keep your pace steady so that you can conserve energy. And don''t recklessly flare your Qi, it would draw attention to you." "Hey! Move it!" Alex stopped talking It was his turn to go through the spatial gate. He turned to give Anya was last questioning look, and she replied with a smile. B "I got it don''t worry, I''ll see you soon." Then Alex bowed his head, and went through the spatial gate, heading for the world beyond. 27 Competition 2 VII : Before The Carnage [Nature; it is a cultivators greatest ally and also their greatest enemy. Its power, the Dao behind it, the secrets within its embrace, and the beasts it shelters. Every single one of those things would straighten and shape a cultivator into a fearsome warrior, giving them a chance at life and power that they would have been unable to find in the concrete and steel cities that now serve as monuments to our greatness. But just as she could give strength, Nature is also the only one that kills us the most. Everything we are, everything we need, everything we could become, stems from her. And it could be anything, anything at all, like a lack of resources, poison from a plant, a wound from a weapon, or attacked by the beasts she harbors. They could kill us, and kill us painfully, slowly, swiftly, painlessly, peacefully, but dead!. We hurt her to survive, and so she does the same in her own little and imperceptible way. No matter where you find yourself, it is imperative that you learn to appreciate and respect nature, to embrace the essence of her power and take care of her as much as possible. Because if you do take care of her, then nature will take care of you.] Commercial Against Deforestation Alex stepped out right at the side or a small brook. It was shaded by quite a lot of trees, and had a cool breeze blowing as the heat of the morning sun was blocked by the canopy of tall banyan, mangoes, and iroko trees that surrounded him. Everything seemed so real that it was almost hard for Alex to accept that this was not a real world, this world could fade like anything superficial in the real world. The essence of nature is strong here, and Alex could feel it, but there was a sense of disownment, and unacceptance within his soul. This place was not just fake, but it was also weird, and Alex felt as if the very world itself was trying to reject his presence.But that feeling only lasted for a moment before it fade and everythingseemed...normal. But ex could not forget that feeling, it made him frantic and hurried. Alex shook his shoulder and took a closer look at his surroundings. The tiny brook in front of him seemed to be flowing through a cluster of rocks about twenty feet to his right. A closer look let him understand that those cluster of rocks was actually a cliff, and it only looked like a cluster of rocks because it. Was being smothered by vines, and branches, covering much of it''s surface and only letting a tiny part of it''s body be shown. The brook flowed downwards towards his left, snaking through a path of it''s own making, as it disappeared through a bend that was created by a cluster of really thick mango trees. Alex could not tell which direction was east or west, as this place was like a hidden grove, and the trees grew so closely together that there was a natural canopy over his head. So far he knew he was alone, but in a scenario as unpredictable as this, it was obvious that could change any minute. Alex however needed to completely get out of this grove if he was to find out where he was exactly, or at least secure a method of survival, and see if he could scout out for other contestants, and find a way back to Anya. But these trees were growing too closely together that it would be quite difficult for Alex to move past them, and even then given how sheltered all this clusters of trees looked, Alex would have to hazard a guess that quite a few demonic beasts were living and roaming within the gaps of those trees. Going through would be suicide for a significant amount of reasons, one of which would be because his mobility would be seriously affected, and should a fight break out, he would not be able to battle perfectly. Of course he also had to consider that he had no idea how strong the demonic beasts within the forest were, and the glaring fact that this was their natural habitat, and without a doubt, they had the home field advantage. As a football captain, Alex has been in situations like this, he has been in matches where their opponents had the home field advantage, and the best way to counter them, was through a thorough analysis session. During this session Alex would have to understand his opponents, mostly by reviewing their past matches if any of it was archived, and then analyzing their field. And understanding of the field would let him deploy the most optimal formation required to win the match. But this was a very different scenario than a soccer match, one the loosing team players were to numerous to completely keep track of, and the field was not something he could up with a formation and play book for at his level of strength. So the only thing he could do was analyze the place as much as he could, and make plans for what he would see. The only other option left was for Alex to follow the stream on it''s snaking journey downward to wherever, however that could take too long and might expose him to unnecessary risks and dangers, which left him with a final and more optimal option. He could either scale the cliff until he got to the top and had a better vantage point, or he climbed on of the trees and did the same thing. But the cliff was a safer option, as there could also be a variety of demonic beasts on those trees. So it was safer to scale the cliff. Alex made his way towards the cliff wall, it was covered by really thick vines and the out stretched and overhanging branches of two massive trees which were placed on opposite sides of the three feet wide brook. This two trees however looked a lot different from the green and brown color, that was synonymous with every other tree in the grove. Their own leaves were a startling shade of light green, with red veins on it. The underside of the leaves were actually blood red, and seemed to glow eerily in the dim light of the overhangingcanopies. Alex knew he had to be careful, anything in this particle world could just as easily end his life, and he might be dead before he even realized it. So it was wise to err on the side of caution. Alex couldn''t see the top of the cliff, but from his estimated height of the trees, he suspected that it should not be more than 50 to 60 feet tall. Now all he had to do was get to the top. The cliff wall was covered by a dense covering of vegetation, and the vines that''s stretched across it''s surface from end to another looked really sturdy and firm. Alex did not hesitate as he began to make his way up, climbing slowly and carefully as he use of the vines and out stretched branches in his path. It made climbing the cliff a lot easier than he expected, and soon he came upon the bottom of the canopy where a cluster of branches gathered together to make a natural ceiling where tiny little pinpricks of light were streaming through. Alex had to grit his teeth and he pushed through the foliage and kept on moving forward. The sharp shards of sunlight that broke through was what heralded the end of his precarious climb. Alex broke through the canopy of the trees, as he came up above it. The cliff still stretched for another ten meters, and seemed to be part of a small mountain range, with the way and position it seems to be placed,Alex imagined that this might actually be the center of the entire forest. Wanting to be sure of his discovery, Alex began to scale the remaining ten meter of the cliff wall. At this point in time there were no more vines and branches to help his climb, so he had rely on his own strengths and skill to climb upwards. The surface of the cliff was incredibly ragged and filled with protruding jagged edges. It made climbing up the cliff a lot easier as it provided hand holds and foot holds to make his climbing easier. However, this hand holds were quite spaced far from each other, so Alex had to jump up from of those edge to another. But that was not without it''s risk, as one misplaced step or grip from Alex would see him plummeting down back and through the canopy of trees below him. The only problem was that he''s going down, was guaranteed to be a whole lot more painful than he''s going up. Alex focused solely on the task in front of him, choosing to ignore anything unnecessary and place all of his attention on getting to the top of the cliff. It was the better choice as his life was quite literally hanging on the edge. Ten minutes later Alex successfully scaled the cliff and got to the top. Even though he had gone through what would have been a somewhat rigorous climb for any normal person, Alex was onlybreathing lightly and only felt a little exhausted. Then he tool a look at his surroundings and almost had to hold his breath becausehow beautiful a sight laid before him. The sun was directly opposite him, and since it was still morning that had to be east. It casted it''s yellow rays over a plethora plants and fauna, as massive trees glistened under its light and a silver river cut across the land and the path of the trees in front of him. A little to the south easts, another glistening silver body of water showed up, it was a lake, and if you traced it''s origin, it led directly from the brook that flowed out from the very cliff he was standing on. He could hear the roars, and cries of the beasts that does this forest, and within it, he could also hear screams. Without a doubt, it seems the slaughter had began. Alex quickly continued on with his plan to understand where he was, a few moments later he discovered something, and with it a dilemma. The west was actually to his back, but the entire terrain of this forest was made in such a way that west and north were actually the top of the out stretched mountain range. By dividing the entire forest into half, it sloped downwards from the north and west, to the south and east. And Alex had wanted to avoid any substantial form of a high ground, because it was a more favorable vantage point for both the contestants, and the beasts that lived here. So which meant, everything that could and would kill him on sight, was probably rushing towards the west and the north right now, hoping to get on this mountain range, or were already on it, and waiting for Alex to come waltzing right into their jaws. And this was a path he couldn''t turn away from as he had already asked Anya to make her way up here. It was bad, his was trying to avoid danger, but yet his ignorance about the terrain of this particle world, had thrown his previous play book into disarray. The only choice he had left was to continue as plan, and find away to make up for his destroyed plan in the coming days. He did not need anyone to tell him that in the days to come, the north and west peaks of the mountain range would experience a blood bath, and he had to look for Anya within that river of corpses. What could go possibly go wrong. "Dieeeeeeee!" 28 Competition 2 VIII : The Carnage Begins [War; it is a factor of humanity that''s been missing for a long time ever since the empire of heaven stopped their expansion. Or so the world thought. It was discovered that the battles of high leveled cultivators was tearing the earth apart, killing and destroying our home. And so came the era of particle world, dimension fields, and the most valuable yet elusive alternate worlds. Now wars are not fought on earth because an era of peace came about, the expansion of the empire of heaven and the Albion empire did not end, it was just taken to a higher level. Particle worlds are marvel of modern physics and Qi cultivation, with our own hands we''ve gained the power to become God and create whole worlds that can support life and thrive just like any other. Of course particle worlds are finite, and their life span limited. That''s why they have become nothing more than an expensive hideout, training ground or meeting place for people who can afford it. But ultimately it is now the new battlefield for the forces on earth, any and all disagreements are settled and solved within those worlds, preventing any sort of destruction to the earth itself. The only danger now left in our world is not us or our extreme talent for destruction, but the demonic beasts that''s threatening our way of life. The monsters in our own backyard.] Bartholomew ¨¢l¨¥ It was just a simple matter for Alex to duck as the punch flew over his head. But seriously he had to wonder, what sort of idiot would scream die at your target, when you were trying to ambush or blindside that person. It was stupid, and because of that, Alex was saved from being eliminated from this round of the competition too early. And it was all because his opponent was stupid. But even if his opponent was stupid, it didn''t mean he couldn''t fight. As soon as Alex dodged the punch, he moved a step back, letting the power behind the punch carry his opponent past him and deposit him at the edge of the cliff Alex just climbed up from. But his opponent really had good control on his balance as he shot his leg backwards, slamming it into the chest of the caught of guard Alex. But even if he was caught of guard, that kick did not have to much power in it, but it was still enough to push him back a few steps. The next few moves Alex made were purely instinctual as he moved forward and ducked under the punch of his taller opponent. Then when he had gotten close enough he grabbed a fist full of his shirt, turned his body and flunghis opponent off the cliff. It took Alex all but of a moment to realize what he had done, and he was shocked stiff by not just his decisiveness, but his ruthlessness. That guy could be dead,it then again there were branches closely knit together below him, it should be enough to catch him as he fell(hopefully). A white light flashed up from below the cliff, and went right into the medallion on his chest, turning the bronze colors medallion white as the number two appeared on it''s surface. Alex deduced that whenever someone was defeated, the medallion around his neck would have another number added to it. This way, even if there was someone who had defeated ten people, if he was defeated he would lose all of his numbers, but the person who defeated him would only have an extra number added to his medallion. You had to defeat the required number of people to pass, you can''t take it medallions from someone else. "Brother! I''ll kill you!" Alex turned just in time to barely dodge having his throat sliced in by a saber. From the look of things, which of course encompassed the incredibly ferocious look on the face of his current opponent, and the fact that he had a saber pointed at Alex''s face, let him know that this was probably the brother of the unfortunate fool he just threw off a cliff. But seriously, how lucky could this two have been that they would have found themselves when everyone else was teleported to random locations. The new brother?Held his saber in a reverse grip, as he began spinning it left and right, and approached Alex. Alex could have pulled out his swords to put them on even ground, but he really had no idea how to use this blades, his father and uncle had blamed him for their lack of time to properly train him on how to useboth blades. His opponent started whirling his saber, making a buzzing sound as the blade swung through the air. It was a very fancy move, but it did exactly what it was supposed to. The saber was moving too fast for Alex to stop, and it''s wielder was advancing and spinning every which way, completely cutting of any hope of retaliation unless Alex used his own weapons. Alex steppedback for a minute,before he turned around and too to his heels, running directly towards an incline that lead to the peak of the western range of this mountain. His opponent followed close behind him, swinging his saber with a ferocity unmatched, and more than once almost coming close to cutting Alex. But Alex had a plan, three meters in front of him was a boulder twice as tall as he was, he ran towards the boulder, when he got close he leaped up, placing one feet on the boulder, and then another as he scaled the rocky surface, three steps up he pushed backwards, angling his body as he made a back flip over the head of his pursuer and opponent. Since this move of his was sudden, his opponent was unable to stop his forward momentum as he went on to slam his face and body on the rock, his attention drawn by Alex who had flown over his head. This gave Alex enough time to land and push forward towards his dazed opponent. It seems stupidity runs in the family, as this brother also attacked head on with no idea on how apply tact and strategy. Alex went forward with a punch aimed at the kidneys of his opponent, his punch hit with way much force than expected as his opponent''s body was once again slammed on the rock in front of him. Then Alex proceeded to give him a beat down he would never forget a he unleashed a flurry of punches, knee strikes, elbow strikes and palm strikes at him. His opponent could not even put up a fight as he was completely helpless in defending himself. Alex took advantage of every opening he saw, hitting his opponent where he least expected it and making sure it hurt.Alex took a step backand then stepped forward releasing a ferocious elbow strike to the jaw of his opponent, the uppercut raised and slammed his head against the rock behind him. There was a loud crack as his opponent went unconscious and slowly slid down to the ground, his blood painting a straight line on the boulder as it gushed from his cracked skull. Alex was shocked, he had completely lost all sense of himself and fought with all he had in fact you could say he had fought with the intent to kill, and that was not who he was. This sudden spike of murderous tendency was weird, and it left Alex very afraid. He turned away from his opponent, who''s life and death was now very much in question and drew a character on the wall, it was the Chinese character for heaven. The fact that he had used the spilt blood of his unconscious opponent to draw it, bothered him a lot, but it was the only resource available for him to use at the moment. The character was for Anya, that way if she came through, she would know that he had passed through here. Then Alex turned and ran towards the west, running from the act and running from his blood stained hands. In the span of an hour, it seems that Alex might have killed again, and this time he was completely conscious of everything he had done, and had not made a move in desperation. As he ran away, Alex could think of a million ways he could have handled throwing the first brother off the cliff, and cracking open the head of the other against a rock. There would definitely have been less crippling or death inducing moves he could have made. And all those moves would have been merciful and disabled his opponents and give them a higher chance at life than what he left them with. But every move he had made, he didn''t make them out of mercy, and that was why they could both now be dying, or already be dead. As he ran, his now white medallion glowed once and the number on it changed from 2 to three. Which meant he had gained the combat medallion of two other contestants by defeating them. This part of the competition was not explained in detail as they were only told to get the medallions, and not the properties or mechanics that governed it. It was left for them to discover by themselves. Alex looked up and saw that he was rapidly approaching a tree line that served as a boundary of another part of the Zambesi forest. This forests started from the bottom of the western peak, but Alex had no idea how far up it went. But for now though he had to keep to the edge of the forest, and find a place to settle down and keep himself hidden. Traveling during the day time would paint too big of a target on his back, and while traveling at night would still leave him open to attack, it was more from the demonic beasts rather than the humans. Besides once it was night, it would make it a lot easier for him to defeat his opponents as they would be tired from running around all day. Either way, the carnage that was the first round of the second stage...¡­had begun. 29 Competition 2 IX : The Monster Alex made his way towards the forest, choosing to instead to stay at edge rather than going straight into the forest. Moving without any sort of plans was rounds for suicide, and he would prefer to be alive for as long as possible. He was keeping to the edge of the forest, observing and looking for a part of it that has the least amount of disturbance from either a beast of a human.. After about an hour of travel, and when the sun was hanging at the peak in the sky, Alex came across what he could only describe as a hidden grotto. It was just like thegrove where he had arrived at when he went through the spatial gate. He was standing at the entrance with absolutely no plans of going through, after all, a place like his was sure to be a den for monsters, as it seems to be the ideal place. So Alex was just going to walk past it when he heard the sound of s pained scream chat me from within the grotto. He couldn''t be sure whether it sounded human or not, but he was not really willing to find out, even if someone might be in trouble, it was imperative that he kept his distance and kept on moving. But as he was about to move on, he heard the scream again, this time it was even more intense, he halted his steps, he really wanted to go see if someone needed help, but he was not sure things would go his way. Alex would lend a helping hand if he could, but in a place like this were life and death could be decided at the drop of a hat, he did not what to take any unnecessary risks. So event though his conscience was bothering him, Alex felt that he had to steel his heart and move forward. It was safer and it was a better bet for him, he was going to live when a scream came, this time it was a name, and it was a call he could no longer ignore. "Alex!" He didn''t think, he just ran straight towards Anya''s voice, completely worried about his childhood friend/girlfriend. Alex put his hands on his swords and pulled them out with a whoosh, gripping the sibling blades with both hands, tighter than was normal. As he ran through a well kept path, his body smashed through hanging cobwebs, and he even tripped over bleached white bones of both humans and beasts. As he ran Alex wondered what would have possessed Anya to come into a place like this, it looked like a scene out of a horror movie, and apart from her screams and the pounding of his feet across the forest floor, this grotto was entirely silent. Eventually Alex came out into a clearing, surrounded by trees and cocoons. He saw Anya wrapped by webs and stuck to a tree that was covered by more webs that ended up making the tree and those around it look like a wall of webs. Her entire body was covered by the web, leaving only her face exposed. Alex felt his heart jump to his throat at her pitiful sight. He had never seen Anya like this before, tears ran down her face as she writhe in pain within the cocoon leaving Alex with an ache deep within his chest. "Alex! Help me! Help me please! Help...." Her last word was spoken in whisper as her head dropped. Alex hoped to God that she had only just passed out as he made his way towards her simultaneously sheathing his swords. He got close enough and began calling her name in worry, but no matter what he said or how he moved her there was no response. He began pulling at the web holding her bound, and then she woke up suddenly. "Are you going to help me Alex! Help me please!" She begged with a manic look on her face. "Don''t worry Anya!I help you okay! Please hold on, please!" Alex was frantic and his face was covered with tears and snot. He was so afraid, so scared. He could not imagine a life without Anya, she was as much a part of him as his arms and legs, he has known her since a child, and a life without her seemed unbearable to even think about. As he frantically pulled the webs off her body, he felt his finger scrap against a shell like material, the feeling gave him pause as he looked up to see Anya staring at him with blood red eyes. "Anya? Are you okay?" Alex asked as he took a few steps back. "Would you help me Hahahaha kekekekekeke rarrrrrrrrrrr!" Anya, or as Alex quickly realized the thing that looked like Anya began to shake and vibrate, as it struggled free of the cocoon. Alex took a few steps back completely horrified as the face of his best friend began to morph and contort into a horrifying shape. Her eyes spilt in multiple parts as they became eight, mandibles grew from h the side of her face and her teeth turned into razor sharp fangs, glistening and dripping with a green acidic like saliva that sizzler as it dropped down to the floor. There was a large snapping sound as a giant spider seven foot tall and ten foot long seemed to burst out of Anya''s cocooned body, and headed straight for Alex. Alex did not even dare spend one second there as he turned aroundand took to his heels running as if he was being chased by a nightmare, which he actually was. Alex ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but no matter how fast he moved, it seemed as if the monster was keeping pace with him. In no time at all, the entrance to the grotto showed up in front of him, past that was the edge of the forest, but even with his terrified state of mind, Alex knew that if he left the protection, covering, and obstruction of the forest, he would be out in the open, and would make it extremely easier for the monster to pick him apart piece by piece. To avoid such a scenario, Alex ducked left, choosing to go into the forest instead. The giant monster screeched in anger behind him as it gave chase, slamming through and crashing through trees in its attempt to catch Alex. Alex did not even dare look back, not once, right now his life was hangingby a thread, and any wasted movements could be the difference between certain death and...well and uncertain death. He was running as fast as he could, when he suddenly tripped and fell, there was barely enough time to get back on his feet, and the monster was already upon him. The spider raised it''s head to screech to the sky, almost as if it was celebrating it''s catch, only for Alex to hear a familiar voice and see a flash of fire as a hammer dropped on the head of the spider. "Mammoth Eats The Sun!" BOOOM! Anya appeared, her dark brown skin glistening with sweat as the spider monster crashed to the ground, a massive dent on it''s head. But it did not even seem to be enough, as the Spider was back on it''s feet seconds later. It looked injured no doubt, as there was green blood leaking from it''s head. However it looked like nothing more but a simple head wound, it only amounts to nothing more than a simple headache, and for a monster at the open meridian realm, that wound was totally negligible. Alex scramble to his feet and hastily pulled out his swords. They were heavy, and longer than normal for him, so it was a little awkward pulling them from his back and waist. But there was a balance in them no less, after all they had already acknowledged Alex as their owner. "We can''t run from this monster Alex, we have to fight it! It''s too fast, and showing it our backs is not a good idea. Let''s just use it to practice our weapon skills." Anya said as she looked back at Alex with an infectious grin. Alex was scared enough as it is, but with Anya standing there, looking at the giant spider like it posed absolutely no threat, gave him the confidence to stand his ground. There was something different about facing a monster, than a human. They were stronger, yes! Their looks more often than not was hideous, but the true terror comes from their eyes. There was no reason within them, only a primal need for chaos and destruction, something that was totally not human or normal. It was terrifying. Alex moved forward until he was standing beside Anya, and raised both his swords, and left them hanging on his shoulder pointing backwards. He bent his knees a bit, as words from his sword skill martial arts manual flew through his mind. [The South represents fire, anger, rage, drought, heat and destruction. It''s more than just the cardinal direction of an element, it is an idea, a concept. To call forth the first move of the south style, you must believe you''re a flame of the south, alone, fighting struggling to become great, to he accepted, respected. To grow. You must believe that there''s fire in your soul!] "Flame Born In The South!" 30 Competition 2 X : Bloodlus [Qi demons are resilient pieces of shit. They''ve existed for as long as Qi has existed on this planet, the only different being is that they were properly hidden and were not as numerous as they are now. The first cultivator to advance to a higher plane of existence opened the portal for more of these Qi demons to waltz into our planet and cause untold amounts of destruction. They''re powerful, resilient, and ferocious. The battle against Qi demons are not as simple as many people think it is. People call them monsters, however it was discovered that this Qi demons are actually sentient, and the first part of an advance force. These things aren''t just monsters, they''re invaders! Waiting and biding their time for the opportune moment to strike. If you all don''t listen to me and prepare yourself for war against these demons, we''re all going to die! You have to stop treating them as common beasts. They''re not, they''re smart, and they''re coming for us.] JOURNAL OF MAD MAN FROM NEPAL. Alex felt the air heat up a bit as he swung his swords downwards. The south style of the four seasons of the weeping world placed emphasis on fire and destruction. To push forward and strike at everything within your path, with no hesitation as the raging flames are born. West wind and East cloud suddenly developed a red hue, and as Alex slashed down on the already injured head of the spider monster, Anya jumped over him raising the hammer part of her scythe up into the air. If Alex had turned around, he would have seen the shadow of a massive mammoth standing on its hind legs as flames seemed to appear on the body of the hammer. BOOM! The monster''s head was split like an egg, and raging flames seemed to stretch forth and consume it''s entire body. It did not even have time to cry out before it was completely burnt to death. All that was left was a blackened mess, that released a rather thick stench. This monster was strong, even for Anya to face alone. But apart from having really great weapons, the weapons arts they practiced had the essence of the fire element within it. And while Alex could not bring out the full power of that strike due to his low cultivation, he was still able to coax his swords to display essence of flames. And Anya already had a deep understanding of both her weapon and the weapon art she was using, it increased the power by a notch, and the fact that she could channel Qi through her weapon also helped. "How did you find me?" Alex asked her as he sheathed both swords. "Seriously? We''re connected. I know that''s not an explanation, but we''ve been like this since we were children. Anyway we go, we''ll always find each other, and I''m sure you know it''s the same for you." Alex shook his head. Everything about Anya has to be an attack, and an argument, but that''s just who she was. Alex picked his way forward, trudging to the forest with Anya walking close behind him.They kept to the edge this time, choosing to not move into the forest, but by it''s side as they made their way up the mountain. Whether it was by luck, or just by their foresight. They had not met any other fighter or teams. But Alex was a little worried about that, they had to defeat other fighters if they wanted to pass this stage of the competition. It was no use worrying about it, but he couldn''t help it, this was what he was currently feeling right now. They had lapsed into a comfortable silence as they walked, and it was like that for hours and even the sun was already beginning to set by the time they noticed a change. By this point they had already gotten close to the peak, and they had left the forest behind. Now the mountain seemed to have stretched out into a plateau, with hills of various sizes, and each of them seemed to have caves. But the most peculiar thing about this area, was the fact that there were was a barricade made of rocks, it was obviously man made, and as Alex and Anya drew closer, they could see almost a dozen peoplebehind the barricade. The moment the people behind the barricade saw them, they all pounced over, carrying varying degrees of sinister smiles on their faces.Quite a few of them were in the open meridian realm, and just a few seemed to be in the body refining realm, which means this team was a cut above average. "Well, look what we have here, free medallions to add to our tally. If you two know what''s good for you, I suggest you both surrender to me. And you, girl! O can make you feel good, in fact you don''t have to surrender your medallion. Just spend the night with me and I''ll make sure you pass this stage of the competition." The person who had spokendid not look a day over sixteen. But he was talking like he was years older than both Alex and Anya. But even with his threat Anya did not seem worried as she turned to Alex and said. "doesn''t this seem too clich¨¦ to you? I mean come on! We''re face with generic thugs, whose names we won''t be remembering in the next hour, much less their face. This feels weird right?" Anya asked Alex. Alex on the other hand could do nothing but shake his hear as he smacked his hand on his face. In a nutshell they were supposed to be afraid, maybe turn tail and round to avoid any confrontation with the thirteen guys in front of them. But Anya and Alex had made a name for themselves fighting against the odds, and this wouldn''t be the first time they had to fight guys a whole lot older than they were. Alex felt that the best thing to do was to just get this over with, so he shot towards the closest guy. Who unfortunately turned out to be the person who just threatened them. This person was in the first level of the open meridian realm, and without a doubt he though that it was such a joke that a runt in the ninth level of the body refining realm; could even envision that he could beat him. He threw a kick towards Alex''s approaching form,but Alex was prepared as he moved his palm, slapping the leg to the side and moving into his opponent''s guard where he slammed his elbow into his rib cage. Then holding on to his opponent''s arm, he pulled him over his shoulder and slammed him on the ground. The nameless would be leader of the wannabe gang of fighters was dazed. And to put an exclamation point into this whole fight, Alex slammed his legs into his face, knocking him out. A white light came from his medallion, and entered Alex''s, changing the number on it from two to three. The remaining guys were shocked. They could barely follow the entire fight, because from the moment Alex had made his move, to the moment he delivered the final blow, barely fifteen seconds had passed. It was completely inconceivable to them, that someone younger than them and weaker, could beat their strongest in such a short time. But Alex didn''t care what they thought, and neither did Anya. For some reason, he felt the need to keep fighting, to be ruthless and bloody. To swing his fist and enjoy the feeling of skin giving way beneath his knuckles. Somewhere at the back of his mind, something was telling him that this was not normal for him, but Alex didn''t care. He was already attacking. With Anya beside him, they made short work of what was left of the other fighters. Every blow delivered was crippling, and delivered with the aim to injure, and Alex made sure he hit them where it hurt the most. But if Alex''s fist was so devastating, then Anya who wad widely swinging her scythe and reaping limbs was nothing more than a goddess of death. By the time they realized what was happening, they were surrounded by a pile of heavily injured bodies. Thankfully no one was dead, but each an everyone one of them would probably be bed ridden for a very long time, and some of the might not even walk again. Both Alex''s and Anya''s medallions had hit the ten mark. Which means as long as they could survive the remaining six days without loosing a fight, they were golden. With their enemies completely beaten down, Alex and Anya left to find shelter, still dazed, high, and shocked by their sudden bloodlust. It was really weird, and they both agreed without a doubt, that there was something wrong with this place. 31 Competition 2 XI : Spiders After their bloodlust induced fight, Alex and Anya had been left a little shaken. Even though they lived in a pretty hard world, it''s quite obvious that the amount of brutality they had just shown to a couple of fellow humans had shocked them to the core, and it was not just the scope of the injuries received, it was the fact that they cause said injuries, and actually enjoyed the act. It wasn''t them, and they both knew they had to figure out what was going, before they tear even themselves apart. Surviving in the caves was something they were able to successfully handle for four days. And in that time the urge to battle and fight was so strong within them, it was almost like a drug they couldn''t do without. This whole place had something really messed up with it, and at the rate things were going, they might actually lose their minds and start fighting each other, somehow, by a stroke of luck, or maybe bad luck, a team of fighters made their way into the vicinity where Alex and Anya had holed up. "Surrender to us, and we will let you go!" a young woman from among the team of nine said. "Why are we asking them to surrender, let''s just kill them and get this shit over with!" someone else spoke up, not at all in the mood for diplomacy. Luckily for him, neither was Alex and Anya. Alex and Anya dived into the fray, swinging their weapons with wanton rage and an appetite fro destruction. Alex ducked under a punch before unhesitatingly shoving a sword through his opponent''s chest, a back step later saved him from having his head pierced by a spear. Alex swung east cloud, deflecting the longer reach of the spear and then used an under hand swung with west wind, slicing his opponent from bottom to top. Fortunately the person who he was fighting had a good enough battle awareness to step back a bit, and only had to suffer his clothes being cut and a receiving a shallow wound. It was nothing he couldn''t deal with however the wound was bleeding hard enough that anyone who saw it would think that his injuries were a little more serious than normal. His opponent in his rage decided to make a rookie mistake as he threw his spear at Alex. Alex ducked back as the spear flew over his head, he roared out in indignation and anger as he pounced forward pushing his sword towards his opponents head with a superman punch, of course this time he had a sword in said hand rather than a fist. His opponent was no pushover either, as he ducked to the side evading the approaching swords and stepping into Alex''s guard and slamming a knee into his midriff. No matter how strong he might seem, Alex was still only just a fourteen year old boy, so he invariably hunched over to deal with the pain. But that was when the ground started shaking. Whoever was fighting at that moment had to stop, and the earth shook so hard it was almost impossible for anyone to keep his or her balance. Even in his rage addled mind, Alex quickly realized that things were about to go horribly wrong. Anya crawled her way to his side, as they warily watched their surroundings, and then a few seconds later, the ground in front of them seems to have cracked open like an egg, and out of it crawled out legion upon legion of spider like monsters, each of the completely similar to the monster Alex and Anya had fought. Anybody with half a brain would know that there was no fighting them, not with this amount of monsters. It would only take seconds for them to get overrun, and at the moment the spider monsters were taking a bit of their time to get oriented to harsh glare of sunlight, so everyone had time to find their square root, at least until one of the idiots that attacked them opened his mouth and yelled. "Run!!!" and then the fool proceeded to run downhill. A few of his friends followed behind him, and sure enough the swarm of monster spiders followed too. Anya was about to run downhill when Alex grabbed her hand and shook his head vigorously. "If we run downhill we will be at a disadvantage, they move faster than us, and they''ll probably have the high ground. We need to get higher ground and find a place to hole up, there''s more cover closer to us at the top than running all the way down." With that said Alex did not even let Anya figure out what he meant as he grabbed her hands and dragged her towards the cave at the peak of the mountain, keeping away from the rapidly approaching swarm of monster spiders. Four of their previous opponents seemed to have similar ideas, so they also chose to run towards the peak rather than down the mountain. Alex and Anya took a slow and stead pace, trying to not make an unnecessary sounds as it seemed as if these spiders had a really bade sense of sight, relying mostly on hearing, or whatever it is they used to see. Which was the fool who had screamed run and went down the mountain like he had hell right on his tail, had drawn the attention of almost all the spiders that had come out of the ground at that time. And while they were a lot, that was not all of them. One of the spiders jumped in front of them, only to meet the unforgiven end of Anya''s blazing hammer. Scythe part of the blade seemed to glow a deep red as her connection to the fire element was shown fully. Alex might be the one taking the lead, but he knew that she was faster and more stronger than he was, which means if they were going to escape this disaster, it would rely solely on Anya''s abilities. Another spider came from the side, and Alex shot forwards, his sword blade pointed at it''s head as he utilized the south style of the four seasons of the weeping world sword style, turning the blade of his swords into conduit for flames and destruction. While he''s unable to control qi in any form, his understanding of the essence of the sword has enabled him to show forth the power of this sword skill, at a level when he''s not even supposed to raise a sword. The flames on west wind and east cloud were just tiny wisps that hung on their blades as opposed to the blaze on Anya''s hammer. However it was enough for Alex to cleave the spider in front of him in half, leaving it a smoking pile of cauterized flesh as he spun to the right and decapitated the head of another. They both kept running to the peak and went round a particularly tall hill, only to discover a ledge behind it, and a drop to the abyss. Fortunately for them, there seemed to be a cave behind the hill, and so the quickly shuffled in, and watched with horror as scores of the spiders chasing after them fell off the hill and straight to their doom. Anya and Alex moved back a few steps, before realizing that the what they though was a cave, was actually nothing more than a tunnel, and they were not alone as almost a dozen other contestants were hiding there. But based on the fact that there''s a tunnel behind them, it stands to reason that there would be more fighters deeper within the cave. But at that moment two spiders climbed over the ledge, and shot towards Anya and Alex. Anya reacted on time, sweeping her scythe from left to right and squashing both spiders against the wall, leaving Alex ample time to step forward and slice his swords through the skull of a third spider. It was obvious that this place was not safe, and that they might need to go a little deeper into the tunnel. Alex and Anya turned around only to discover that the people they had met had already ran away into the tunnel, leaving them behind as bait and to fight the spiders alone. Anya was livid, but Alex couldn''t really blame them. Until they arrived here, be was sure that this was a secure and hidden location, but as it stands there was no time to feel sorry, lives were on the line. So with that knowledge in mind Alex and Anya went into the tunnel, moving with haste as they heard the sounds of more spiders discovering the tunnel. Alex realized that the tunnel was a little bit narrow, so at most only one of those spiders could get through at a time. For Alex that was good news, because at the very least that means that they would not be swarmed by the monsters. However when they got to the end of the tunnel the sight that greeted them was not one they expected. There were hundreds of contestants here, how they got in, Alex didn''t know. But the crazy thing was that they were all fighting each other, and all for a ruby the size of a head that seemed to be glowing with a peculiar flame. But it was not just fighting to possess the ruby, Alex could feel that same rage, and anger and bloodlust that has been plaguing him for a while. And it was a hundred times stronger in here than it was outside. It would take a genius to realize that the reason everyone has been so crazy, was because their rage and bloodlust was being induced by that ruby. And somehow it had drawn hundreds of people here, and turned everything in one big and massive free for all brawl, a brawl that as of these moment, Anya and Alex were invariably swept in, also becoming prisoners of their own rage. 32 Competition 2 XI : Flame Ruby It was hard not to be swept up into the frenzy and blood boiling scenario in front of them. Alex had even forgone technique, completely lost in the revelry of wanton battle and rage as his swords flashed left and right, reaping limbs and maybe even lives. Alex, the young innocent boy who''s hands were without stain, yet in just an hour alone, it could be said that dozens of people had fallen to his hands. Yet it did not seem like he was any close to stopping or slowing down, as he carved a bloody path towards the glowing ruby crystal floating almost three meters in the air. But he was not the only one carving a bloody path to that blood gem, Anya on her own was on a path of wanting destruction, and right there in the midst of battle, Alex felt her cultivation improve as she moved from the third level of the open meridian realm to the fourth, and even boldly charging to the faith level, increasing her battle prowess to unprecedented heights as she could he said to be amongst the top ten strongest fighters within this cavern. However it was in noticing Anya''s increase in cultivation level, that whatever spell that had held Alex bound broke, and he was able to notice the obscene amount of blood and guts splattered allover his body. Alex felt bile build up at the back of his throat, and he almost threw up in the process, however a stream of energy coming from his sheaths, aka the polymorphic walking stick given to him by his ancestors, steadied his stomach and his mind. But with the sudden appearance of clarity, he was able to notice everything that was wrong, and also in bow much danger Anya seemed to be.Somehow, with the stream of energy coming from the sheaths, Alex was able to see things the others could not. The ruby floating above the heads of everyone, was surrounded by intense blood red flames, and those flames stretched tethers to every fighter within this cavern, even Anya. But as if that wasn''t enough, Alex could see that the ruby was actually taking energy away, though it was also given out energy of it''s own too. The energy it was releasing was only helpful to some people, and those were people who at least had a connection to fire, and Anya was luckier than most as she seemed to have a very strong connection to fire, heck with this new sight of his, Alex could see a shimmering haze of flames just hanging over Anya''s skin. But the ruby was still taking something away from them, and what the hell that was, Alex had a feeling that it was quite important. However with every second he had spent dazed and trying to figure out the ruby, Anya was drawing more and more close to the ruby, however that also means the fighting was fierce where she was, and cuts were rapidly showing up on her body. Alex shot forward, moving his sword s forward as he deflected a spear thrust that was head for Anya''s back. The act of deflecting that spear alone shook his bones and made holding east cloud and west wind a little but difficult. Obviously the person he was fighting was a lot stronger than him, but in the interests of keeping Anya safe, he had to face that person head on. The spear user was also under the control of the fire ruby, in his blind rage he was unable to add any sort of forms or technique to his attacks, making it incredibly easy for Alex to twist his way behind his opponent''s neck, and bash him in the head with hilt of his swords. The guy crumpled to the ground like a puppet who''s strings have just been cut off. There was a loud bang behind Alex, and turned to see someone flying away with a caved in chest. Anya''s scythe-hammer was extended fully, as she went into a blazing rotation that made her seem like a whirlwind of fire and iron. Everywhere she spun bodies went flying and bones got broken as she steadily made her way towards the fire ruby. Alex followed, trying his best to keep other fighters away from her, so as to reduce the pressure she was feeling, and hopefully so that he could talk her out of her intense anger and bloodlust. Eventually Anya made it to the top where she was caught in a very intense battle with four other competitors, all four of them were in the fifth level of the open meridian real, which means in terms of cultivation they were evenly matched, not to mention it seems that just like Anya, they had all recently advanced.So with cultivation no longer a play on their strengths, they would have to rely on instincts alone, seeing as none of them had enough clarity to properly put to use their martial skills or even the weapons they were using. Alex looked around, and noticed that Anya and her opponents were fighting on a hill, plus they were besides from all corners by every other person that was still fighting. Which meant they were paying attention to not just themselves, but also to the people coming closer to attack them. Alex knew that the only way to truly help Anya now, was to find a way to get rid of that fire ruby. And thankfully he had just the way. Alex moved through the crowds, his pace frantic until he found himself on an isolated hill, away from the fight, but close enough that he could still what was happening, and be able to put his plan in motion. Alex changed the sheaths of his swords back into it''s original walking stick form, and then he willed it to change again, turning it into a long wooden whip that danced through the air like some sort of snake. Alex sent the whip flying sword towards the ruby, hoping to vet it far away from everyone here, and on time too, so that no one else would die unnecessarily. However when the whip was just a meter away from the ruby, and obvious ring of fire showed up, preventing the whip from getting any closer to it. It was at that moment that Alex realized that no one would have been able to get that ruby, not with the barrier around it, which is to say that everyone here would have just kept on fighting until they were all dead. But with Anya in danger, Alex was not going to let that happen. To be honest he had no idea how he controls the whip, it was not by qi, or his soul, burden rather a weird energy that he could feel allover his body. He felt the wood whip thug on that energy, and in a similar manner to an egg breaking, the whip broke the flame barrier around the fire ruby. Then it went forwards and wrapped itself around the gem completely, and immediately it did so, that aura that was forcing everyone to fight just disappears. While everyone one else was trying to reorient themselves, and understand what could have caused such a violent reaction from them, Alex pulled back on his wood whip, returning it to his side along with the gem. However something weird happened, the whip changed back into it''s walking stick form, and suddenly shot out one of the masks that it held. The moment the mask appeared, there was a sudden release of pressure and formless energy. It was an energy that no one there was able to recognize, however it was so powerful that it knocked everyone there unconscious, with the exception of Alex who had all his movements sealed as he watched the mask float in the air above him. The mask released a pulse of energy that stretched out and grabbed onto the equally floating fire ruby by it''s side. Well it was not like it grabbed, but more like a suction force appeared from within the mask, and red flame energy was sucked out of the ruby and right into the mask. The ruby seemed to have a consciousness or will of it''s own as it struggle fiercely, hoping to get away from the unforgiven draining of the spirit mask, but it was all to no avail. The fire ruby had been the size of a baby''s head before, but as the mask started absorbing it''s energy, it started shrinking rapidly, and a sound like that of an animal crying was heard, but even then the mask did not stop draining the ruby, until what was left of it was the size of a lollipop. The blood red luster of the fire ruby was now incredibly dim, and the heat and flames it released was significantly weaker than before.The mask seemed satisfied as it let the ruby go, and then it fell from the air, straight into the outstretched palm of Alex. He almost cried out in pain as the ruby touched his palm, it was so hot that the moment he came in contact with it, he was badly burnt. So he overturned his hand, and let it fall to the ground where it rested as his feet. But he had no time to focus on the pain he was feeling from being burnt, as the mask floating above his bead released another pulse of energy, but this time it was an energy that was filled with such heat, that Alex could feel the liquid in the air drying up as the air became unbearable to even breathe in. And since they were all in an enclosed cavern without a wide enough ventilation system to get fresh air into it, this place became akin to an oven, and it wouldn''t take long for everyone to be cooked to a crisp, the fact that they''re unconscious didn''t help either. The mask pulsed again, and all of the heat was being absorbed, even from within Alex''s body and the body of everyone here too. Almost immediately, the temperature dropped drastically, and it became so cold that Alex could even begin to see the blood on his body freeze. This lasted longer than the heat, and Alex almost passed out before everything went back to normal, and he fell to his knees shivering as he used both his swords to hold himself up. The walking stick changed back into the special harness/belt that had two sheaths for both his swords. Then it went over his body by itself, before sending a stream of information to his mind, and it was the first time Alex had ever truly interested with the walking stick. SPIRIT MASKS (7) 1. BLOOD FLAME SPIRIT MASK: 1 FIRE SPIRIT CONTRACTED 2. ?????? 3. ?????? 4. ?????? 5. ?????? 6. ?????? 7. ?????? It was a simple table, but Alex honestly had no idea what it meant. He raised his head up and looked at the mask, and the he watched as the previous blue and green flames faded away and was replaced by a red so intense it was as if someone had splashed blood on it. Then slowly as if some invisible hand was at work here, line started appearing on the surface of the mask, red and deep just like blood. The lines moved allover the mask, giving it a terrifying visage as the mask grew a bit, getting jagged edges just like the drawings of a flame with the edges of the mask being blood red, then the part of the mask where the ear is supposed to be, grew. Anyone who looked at it, would think it was the ear of an elf from all those fantasy movies made in the Americas. But when coupled with the entire visage of the mask itself, it would be obvious to everyone who saw it, that that mask was the mask of a demon. A demon of flame and blood, a creature of rage and destruction. Then as if attracted by some sort of magnetic force, the mask flew and plastered itself over Alex''s face. And the Alex saw red, he saw flames, he saw death. 33 Competition 2 XII : Innocence Los [For people of the dark continent, conflict and killing is our blood. Long before civilization sprung up and empires were born, we''ve had a history of chaos and anger, blood and rage, death and destruction. I guess you could say of all the people to exist in this world, no one but us has a natural predisposition to fighting and killing. For us there''s no peaceful option, we prefer to let our fists do the talking, which is why magic and power was birthed here, on our lands, our home. The first time a man of the dark continent kills someone, its as natural as breathing, especially when it turns out that person deserves it. We feel no remorse or anguish, just a simple sense of justificationand it''s all because of one thing. We don''t kill for fun or just because we want to, we only do so to protect, defend and to pay back a harm that has been done to us. But behind all that killing affects us differently than it does to the rest of the world, and after the first time, our heart, soul and spirit are fundamentally changed forever, and in this age of cultivation, magic and auras, killing becomes our trade, our skill, and no one is better at it, both in mind and in act than we are. The moment we kill, we become monsters.] ¨®N¨¦ ¨¢L¨¦ The world burned red, flames licked the edge of his vision as he felt heat in ways he had never felt before. He felt himself falling from the sky, there was nothing in sight but the red and the flames and then it stopped. The world still burned, and everything was still red, but at the very least he was no longer falling. Alex looked up to find himself right in the middle of a volcano. It was active, alive and it flowed all around him like a cascading river drawing a path of domination across a country. He was standing on a platform twenty meters in diameter. The platform seemed to be carved from a giant red ruby, and Alex could see flames dancing within it''s edges. There was a walkway leading from the platform all the way to the wall of the volcano where it opened up into a giant Archway. The Archway was beautifully made out of the same ruby the platform he''s standing was made from. It glowed red, and pulsed as if following the sounds of a heartbeat. But Alex knew that the heartbeat did not belong to him, and as it pulsed, so too did the sound of footsteps coming closer ring out. The entire scenario was quite unsettling, and Alex focused his gaze on the open Archway, waiting for the owner of the footsteps to appear, but he never did. Alex could feel himself growing weaker and weaker, and as he did the flames got hotter and brighter. And when it seemed as if the owner of the footsteps was about to come out of the Archway and meet with Alex, the footsteps halted and a deep male voice called, and he spoke with such power that it caused a rippled across the air, carrying with a heat wave that singed Alex''s hair. "You''re not ready, come back when you''re stronger." And then Alex felt himself falling backwards, right into the boiling lava below him as he felt a pull he couldn''t resist.Alex couldn''t fight against this current of events, helpless and left with no other choice but to watch as he was dragged through and fire. And then eventually black covered his vision and his consciousness slipped away, his peace and respite from the heat found. XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX Alex opened his eyes to a white ceiling, the sound of breathing was heard beside him, and the constant beeping of an EKG machine was almost driving him nuts. He turned his head to the side and found Anya sleeping beside him, her head resting on the side of what looks like his hospital bed, looks like the competition was over and they were back in Lokoja. Thank God that was over, Alex might have been unconscious, but even now he could still hear screams, he could still remember the feeling of his swords slicing through flesh as blood stained his battle clothes and he reaped lives like plants. Alex was no throwing up or anything, but without a doubt there was a haunted look in his eyes that wasn''t there before. "I see you''re awake, that''s good. We were not sure how that Demonic fire ruby affected you, and seeing how you have a very different constitution than flames it was a point of worry for me and your father. But at least you''re safe and thanks to what you did you save the lives of many more contestants, you made things a lot easier for us I''m pretty sure the sect elders will reward you once we get back." Alex''s uncle was sitting on a chair opposite him, and he was so quiet that Alex had not even noticed him when he woke up. Alex really had no idea how he was supposed to relate with this uncle of his, obviously his father did not get along with his uncle as much as it seems they do, plus the history between his father and the Wudang sect was too much and too deep, and right in the middle of all it was Alex himself. He had no idea what to feel, so he was not going to pressure himself into liking someone, even if that person was his uncle. But Alex had no idea what his uncle was talking about, the confused look on his face was more than enough to let his uncle know that he had to explain a little bit deeper. "Somehow someone planted that demonic fire ruby in the particle world. That ruby came from a monster within the heaven''s gate cultivation stage, which means if it was nothing more than a core and the real monster was here, Lokoja would already be nothing more than smoke and death, and it will be at the hands of it''s own residents. The core causes people to have an unquenchable thirst for battle, all in the hopes of a chance to get the core who''s force field is lethal even to those at the peak of the open Dantian realm. It was bloodbath, and over 800 contestants lost their lives in their bid to get that ruby, all of them children who would never get the chance to live life as they want to. The amount of injured children is roughly the same amount, eliminating many from the competition. Plus most of the students couldn''t handle the trauma, and many of them have dropped out of the competition. For now the amount competitors left number about 248,excluding those who have been eliminated from the competition for not having up to 4 notches on their medallion. Your friend Anya has a 126, the highest in the entire competition, beating the second place by 56 points. The both of you are a weird and yet oddly powerful pair. You only have 20,just normal with the scope of everyone else who advanced, but that''s good enough. There would be matches to determine the hundred that would head for Abuja for the finals, before the last three would be chosen, a spot that''s been specially given to you and Anya, and I don''t care what you and your bloody father say, this has gone on long enough. Your grandfather explicitly told me not to tell you, because he thinks you''re to young and not ready for such a hard life but damn if I would let him dote and spoil you without you knowing what kind of life you''re getting into. All these kid, these children that all just lost their lives today, the reason they''re dead is because of you." Alex was confused, he was about to refute that claim when his father walked in with a heavy look on his face, his heavy footsteps forcing Anya to wake up. But before Anya could say anything his father spoke up. "It''s true Alex. As much as I hate to admit it, your uncle is right about this. Those children were killed, because that trap was set for you, a legacy disciple of the Wudang Sect, the son of an elder, and the grandson of the former sect head. Somehow your identity has been leaked, and now both you and Anya are in danger. You''re uncle is right in that you can''t continue this competition, the people who placed that freaking time bomb in the particle world released a statement that, it was meant to kill you, and that the parents should blame the death of their children on the half breed spawn of Wudang''s White Lotus, which is a name your mother is known by. This might turn into a political scandal, and the grounds for a rebellion if something is not done about it. And as such for the safety of whatever remains of the contestants, we will head to Abuja, where your grandfather would be coming all the way from the Wudang Sect to introduce you to the world as his blood, you would be exposed, but the publicity is the greatest protection you would ever have. But from now on, your life will no longer be in your hands, not unless you become strong enough to control it. You''re now a political chip in the hands of Wudang sect, you won''t be able to fight against the decisions they make for you. And I hate how incapable I am in protecting you, but this is the only way that you can live, even if it''s a life of unhappiness. I rather condemn you to that, than watch you die at such a young age." It was weird being held accountable for the deaths of so many promising young men and women, people who would have helped the dark continent grow in strength and power. But Alex understood responsibility, it was something his father has always been teaching him about ever since he was a child. So what if he lives the rest of his life unhappy, he has already lived fourteen wonderful happy years, with his father and best friend by his side.That was more than enough to last him 30 lifetimes. Alex looked up and asked. "So what happens now, and do you guys know who is trying to kill me. It would be nice to know who I have to watch out for, I already know I can''t trust anyone but myself. But I rather not have a blindfold over my face when someone with a knife is standing behind my back." "As soon as you''re out of the hospital, which should be in an hour or so, we''ll transport you and your friend Anya to Abuja. There father, that is your grandfather would administer the special entrance test into the sect. Your constitution, spirit root and cultivation talent would be examined and officially documented, and it would be done publicly, for you and Anya, though hers would be private. I''ve spoken to your grandfather, and Anya would be trained as a maid and bodyguard for you, and while those titles might seem derogatory, as the lady in waiting to the young master of the Wudang Sect, she would have a higher standing and access to more resources as opposed to other normal disciples with talent equal to hers. After the public test, Wudang will release a public statement with you as the mouth piece. You would apologize, though to be honest it''s not as if the victims or their families can do anything to us, we''refreaking Wudang sect after all. But this is your home, the place you grew up in. Your Grandfather doesn''t want you to leave on bad terms. After that you''ll be given a going away gift by the president of the colony, and after that you''re both off to the empire of heaven, back home to the Wudang sect where you will train, grow in power and as opposed to what your father thinks, you get to live your life anyhow you want it. You just have to take care of some tasks for the sect and once you''re strong enough, get an official position. And as for the people responsible for the attack, your grandfather wants to tell you that himself, so your father and I, and you too, has to respect his wishes." Alex nodded his head and then he asked the one question that''s been nagging at him, even though he already knew the answer. "And what of my Dad, is he allowed to come with?" Alex asked. Matured as he was, he''s still just a fourteen year old boy, and the longest he''s been away from his father had been the seven days he spent in the particle world. His dad was the only parent figure he ever knew, the idea of being separated from him, scared Alex, it scared him a lot. "Alex I''m sorry, but this is a journey you''ll have to take on your own. I have to also grow stronger, so that I can give you an Inheritance you would be proud off, to gain enough power so that what happens in the particle world will not happen again. I''ll do what I''ve always done since you''ve been born, and that''s protect you. Only this time you won''t see me do it. You have to be stronger that yesterday Alex, you have to be a man now. The world won''t let you remain a kid, as you can see it has used this competition to brutally destroy your innocence. You have to fight back boy! You have to be a man. Can you do that, not for me, or Anya of any other member of your family, but for yourself. Can you be strong?" Alex looked up at his father, eyes red and filled with tears as he gave an answer that came to him in the most natural way possible. "Yes!" 34 Grandfather As soon as Alex stepped out of the spatial gate he held his breath at the sight before him. The spatial gate opened up from a very tall tower at the edge of the capital city, and the sights before him completely took his breath away. He was a simple village boy after all, and sights of beauty and elegance where scarce where he came from. But now, he could see a real city, a capital city. Lokoja might have been a city too, plus it was also quite bigger than the capital city Abuja, but the beauty and advancement of Abuja alone could not be compared to Lokoja. Alex could see airships, air cars, and hover bikes all over the skyline of the city as massive skyscrapers stretched all the way to the top of the sky. To the east, and quite close he could see the famous Zuma rock. A rock that''s been a tourist attraction for generation upon generations and for as long as the city has stood. Zuma rock was massive, it was over a hundred feet tall, and quite a few hundred wide, but the most eye catching thing of the rock was the naturally formed depiction of the head of a man¡­.or woman, no one really knows what that is. People of the colony of Nigeria have been quite superstitious about that rock for a very long time, but Alex couldn''t say that he blamed them. The blood thing was beyond creepy and unsettling, even as it was awesome and eye catching. Anya stepped out from the spatial gate after him, followed by his father, uncle and his uncle''s attendants. The moment his uncle came through, he saw a group of people gather in front of him with their hands cupped in a greeting. "we welcome Elder Zhang to the city of Abuja, the heart of Nigeria." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. While Alex felt as if their greeting was a little overboard, they weren''t wrong about Abuja being the heart of the colony, after all it was smack dab in the middle of it. Alex turned to his father who placed a heavy hand on his and Anya''s shoulder, while they looked out to the city in front of them. Truly the next step of their journey begins now. "We''re currently in the Zuba way station, and the competition would be carried out at the Eagles square, but that''s no problem of ours. We would be heading to Wuse zone 4, there''s a branch of the sect there, and father is already waiting for us there. We carry out your tests tomorrow, and also have a press conference after to address the ghastly situation that took place in the particle world. And after that, to not test fate, we will be leaving the colony immediately and heading for the empire of heaven. So savor the sights in front of you nephew, it will be a while before you see this city, much less the colony itself again." Alex looked a little troubled by his words, and so did Anya. But Ben''s reassuring touch and loving gaze gave them the strength to keep moving forward. With that out of the way, they were immediately led to board an airship. Apart from the vehicles that still traveled by land, this was the first time they had ever been on one that fly''s, and it used the ambient and unrefined Qi in the air as a power source. The airship was a normal traditional looking sea ship, unlike the newer version of airships, the ship they were on was made of wood, leaving it with less defense than normal. However that''s to be expected as this ship was a ceremonial ship, and only used by visiting dignitaries with very high ranks. Alex spent the entire journey to branch of the Wudang sect looking down at the capital city below him, a city he has always considered would be his home once he finally made it out of the village with Anya. Some parts of the city was a little clustered with tall buildings, others side were free and had massive patches of green forests and rolling hills and very beautiful looking valleys. It was perfect combination of science and nature, and with the occasional cultivator flying by on a sword, spear, clouds or even a magic carpet.With cars and bikes and buses that flew, Alex didn''t see the need for all these redundant method of transportation, but this was a traditional legacy of cultivationand not many people seemed willing to let go of it. Eventually the airship came to a stop on top of a very massive and tall skyscraper, the top of the build had a massive holographic display with the yin-yang symbol on it, which was the official symbol of the Wudang sect. His uncle went down first and came face to face with a group of peoplewho bowed again and cupped their hands. "We welcome Sect elder Wuyan!" This was completely unsettling, this was not something Alex was used to, and the whole official like atmosphere was making him very much uncomfortable. But that was not the end of it as when Alex stepped forwards, followed closed behind by his father who for a reason Alex was about to quickly find out held back Anya, leaving Alex to walk forwards on it''s own. And then it happened. "We Welcome Young Master Zhang Xiao Feng!" Alex was so startled that his heart jumped erratically within his chest and he almost had to run back towards his father. His uncle burst out laughing as he came towards him, even with a serious look on his face, Alex''s father Ben had an almost unseen grin at the edge of his mouth. He walked forwards with Anya and said to Alex. "This is your life now Son, you can''t always be so jumpy whenever people kowtow to you and show you respect. Besides why are you so startled, they''re not going to eat you young man, so just relax and be yourself." As soon as he finished speaking, Alex heard and old and wise sounding voice speak out from behind him. "He''s not wrong young man, you will have to learn to get used to the power that comes with your bloodline, and the responsibility and hard work that comes with it. You''re a Zhang boy! Things like this should not spook you, and above all the blood of dragons flow through you from both sides of your bloodline, and from you I can feel the power of your ancestors, the power of the spirit kings." Alex''s uncle looked a little confused, but he bowed his head along with every other attendant around at the old man that was walking towards Alex and his father. Ben seemed to stand up straighter, as he kept his eyes focused on the old man, and his somewhat very imposing stature. "You have a very big legacy to live up to my child, there are worse things in this world that can scare you than just a simple show of respect. So man up, if experience has told me anything, it''s the fact that no matter how fast a Zhang tries to run away from power, he never escapes it. No matter where you go, power is attracted to our bloodline, just as we''re attracted to it, isn''t that right Benjamin?" the old man turned towards Alex''s father with a smile. Ben cupped his hands in return and gave a small bow. "Benjamin greets the former sect head." "Hahahaha former sect head! Seriously? If you had chosen to stay with us, that title might have been father in law. But I don''t blame you, Suiyan has always been a tough nut to crack, even me as her father can not control her. But either way, it is good to see you again my old student, and please none of that sect head crap. I''m your master, and that will never change in this life or the next, not to mention you''re the father of my first and only grandson of the same bloodline. You''re family, no matter how much you try to deny that." Alex was a little lost for words; this man was his grandfather? Apart from the fact he seems quite a few centuries old with his long white hair and flowing beard like some sort of wizard, who actually exist mind you, but it was just the long greyand beard that showed his age. Take those away, and you would have a middle aged man that looks no older than forty, and no younger than thirty or thirty five. The old man shook hands with his father and then even hugged him, proving to Alex that his father''s relationship with this grandfather of his, was not as simple as he thought it was. After all they were master and student, and now they were father and grandfather to the same child. Because him, their connection was even deeper and their relationship seems to be really good, Skeptical or not, Alex had a good feeling about this grandfather of his. "Xiao Feng¡­.." "Alex! My name is Alex, just Alex." "hmmm, is that so? Okay then I think I understand where this is coming from. Your mother gave you that name,and you probably have issues with abandonment and whatnot when it comes to your mother, but Alex. Your mother lacks finesse when it comes to parenting, she didn''t give you that name, I did. Are you going to deny me the chance to call my talented grandson a name I gave him with all the love in my heart? That wouldn''t be fair to me now would it?" Alex''s grandfather asked him with a smile on his face. Alex couldn''t refute what he said, because in a way he was right. The old man seems really cool to be honest, and Alex felt the need to really know him. So Alex shrugged his shoulders as if to agree, but making it seem like he was nonchalant about his decision, very much like teenager he is. "Feng''er I''m happy to see you, and also this friend of yours, Anyaja isn''t it? Hopefully I got the pronunciation right. There''s much we have to talk about, but first how about a late breakfast with me, let me tell you the story of how I found the Yi Jin Jing, and became one of the most powerful if not the most powerful cultivator on earth today. So you see when I fell into this secret valley when I was boy, after my grandfather sent me there on an errand..." Anya and Alex were led away by the warm, fuzzy and kind old man, as they became enamored and lost in his tales. This was a ploy, because it drew their attention away, y long enough so that Benjamin would get back on the ship, and disappear into the horizon, not to be seen again until a few years later, leaving without saying goodbye. 35 Death Warrant I : Talen [In this world that we live in, Talent decides a lot of things. It''s impossible to survive if you''re just ordinary and not good at anything. And even then the most important form of talent a person can have, if the talent of cultivation. It doesn''t matter how small, as long as you have the damn thing, you can live longer, easier, more wealthier, but considerably in more danger than if you''re ordinary. But even then, whether you''re ordinary of talented your life will always be in danger, such is the way of the world. Talent more often than not decides how well a person can be treated, how much resources said person can get, and also how much enemies are lining up to kill him or her. Someone once said talent is a double edged sword, one edge will get you what you want and slice through your enemies, while the other would cut and fuck you up in more ways than one. The summary of this matter is, the more talented you are, then the more enemies and problems you will have, and the gods forbid you gain a talent that the entire world can envy and appreciate...then my friend, you''re truly well and massively FUCKED!] FROM THE VERY SECRET, HIDDEN, AND LOST PRIVATE JOURNALS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT. Alex could not understand it, why would his father do such a thing. He wasn''t really angry, just hurt but at the same time he understood why. The men of the ¨¢l¨¦ family were not fond of goodbyes, so they never said unless it was in situations less intense than Alex being separated from his father for the next few years. Maybe even longer, and the only thing that might be able to change the duration of that separation was if he or his father became strong enough to face the world''s challenges and find each other. "You don''t have to be so glum grandson. In the path of cultivation, and life in general; people come and go out of lives like wind on a summer morning. Some of them we might never see again, but others we feel strongly in our hearts and souls that we''re destined to meet somewhere and some time later. I''m pretty sure you know that your father would not let anything stand in his way of getting to you and protecting you, have a little faith that he will come find you soon enough, you have to be strong Feng''er." Alex sat on a high table besides his grandfather, their close proximity and the fact that none of the reporters in front of them were making any noise had helped him calm down a bit. Alex could not help but feel a connection and a kinship to his grandfather that was almost similar to what he felt and has with his father, Alex guessed that this is what it meant to be connected to someone through familial bonds and bloodline. It was amazing. "What is the talent test like?" "Well the talent test is carried out by an immortal grade artifact. This artifact is capable of accurately to a 99.99999% tell the constitution or physique of a person, their spirit root, their perception or comprehension, and if they have any extra bloodlines or skills. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Constitution, spirit root and perception are graded the same way cultivation and martial arts are graded. In ascending order we have the bronze, iron, silver, gold and platinum grades. Five in all, and the higher the grade, the more talented you are. So are you ready?" Alex could only nod his head as he got up from his chair. As soon as he did so, every cameraman and reporter got to their feet as they stared closely and intently at Alex as he moved to the left side of the stage and into what looked like a pod made of garish looking black metal. There were multiple arrays circling the pod, and even though his grandfather had called it an Immortal grade Artifact, Alex felt like it was a death trap. Alex walked forwards with purpose and fire in his eyes, he knew he was talented, everyone here knew he was talented. But they wanted to know how much, or to be more precise Wudang wanted to know how much of an asset he would be to them, depending on his talent, while the rest of the world, especially the enemies of the sect, wanted to know how much of a threat he would be. At times like this some would think it wise to hide away one''s talent, to go inconspicuous so that your life would be long and uneventful. Alex has no intentions of doing such a thing, being low key would make his rise to power incredibly slow, and he would spend a lot more time under the thumbs of other people and incapable of taking charge of his life, not to mention it would take longer to be reunited with his father. Alex felt that maybe he was being a little childish with how much he was yearning for his father. But Benjamin has been the only parental figure he has had for all fourteen years of his life, and he''s a great father. Call Alex a daddy''s boy at the point, he didn''t really care, and maybe when he grows older and spends a little time away from his father things would change, but for now, a fourteen year old boy wanted to shine as bright as he could for the sake of his father. Alex walked into the metal pod, and it closed behind him with a bang, startling the people outside who were still watching it. The machine lit up, and a voice that was deep and rumbling like thunder after a rainstorm spoke out. [Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng ¨¢l¨¦, commencing physique/Constitution talent test] [......] [Dual constitution/Physique detected. (Grade: Platinum, Constitution Type: Spirit Emperor Body) (Grade: Platinum, Physique Type: Wind Emperor spirit body.) Commencing perception test.] [...¡­] [Perception test completed. Grade: Platinum. Perception Type: Spirit & Soul sense. Commencing Spirit root test.] [...¡­] [Spirit root Test completed. Trial spirit root detected.( Spirit Energy spirit root: Gold/Pseudo Platinum Grade) (Wood Spirit root: Silver grade) (Wind & Cloud spirit root: Platinum Grade) compiling data sheet] [...] ? Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng ¨¢l¨¦ ? CULTIVATION: 9th Level: (Body Refining Realm) ? PHYSIQUE/CONSTITUTION: Spirit Emperor Body/Wind Emperor Body ? SPIRIT ROOT: Spirit/Wood/Wind & Cloud ? PERCEPTION: Spirit & Soul Sense [Final deduction: god grade talent. However because of the number of spirit roots in his body, along with the dual physiques. Cultivation will be three times slower and harder for him from the moment he enters the Open Dantian Realm. But due to his immense talent, he will be capable of fighting; with enough training, opponents one or two realms above him. He is also suited to the art of alchemy and Inscriptions. A talent seen once every ten million years, a one in a billion talent.] Alex came out of the talent testing artifact feeling really good about himself. There was no way he would not appreciate the fact that he was so freaking talented, of course based on what was deduced by the machine. Eventually it will become harder for him to advance in cultivation, however he would still be immensely strong for whatever stage he finds himself, as long as he''s trained properly. Alex turned to face the crowd of reporters only to see most of them with their mouths hanging open and shock etched allover it. Alex was a little stumped because he didn''t think his results were that eye catching, but apparently it was. All of a sudden his grandfather stood up, with a hurried and panicked look on his face as he looked at the reporters and spoke loud enough, using just Qi to amplify his voice, and doing it in such a way everyone here felt the pressure of his power, the microphone on the table, completely forgotten. "We of the Wudang sect greatly regret what happened during the second stage of the sect competition in Lokoja city. Our condolences goes out to the families who lost their children at the expense of my grandson. Plead know that neither he, nor I, nor the sect will ever forget what sacrifice has been paid. And as such 10 disciple slots will be given to the Kogi state area, choose amongst yourself who you want to enter the Wudang sect, regardless of age or talent we will accept. We promise to get justice for the children lost, but for now this is good bye." Then he nodded his head and was by Alex''s side in an instant. A touch on his shoulder, and they suddenly found themselves in a waiting room where Anya and Alex''s uncle was waiting. "Father this is rather unprecedented, we rigged that machine to give him the lowest possible grades it could possibly give him, and yet it was powerful enough to shock the planet. We can''t waste any more time, I''ve sent for reinforcements from the sect and the clan, his mother is personally leading them here. But we can''t wait, we will have to meet them on the way, and we can''t travel using the spatial gates, they''ll expect that and be waiting for us there. Get them ready, I''ll prepare the disciples." Alex and Anya were stumped and confused by the sudden turn of events, and even more so for Alex who discovered that the machine was meant to give him the lowest possible score. If his lowest score was that insane, then what was his real talent like. His grandfather cut his self reflection short as he said to him and Anya. "There''s no time to dawdle, the two of grab your weapons, leave your bags, I''ll have someone send it over. Now move, we have to leave now!" "but why? Where are we going in such a hurry?" Anya asked him shocked. 36 Death Warrant II : Promises (The cultivation world is a hypocritical world! A conundrum in and out of itself. It''s the worst possible version of life anyone can ever wish for, and yet many people still flock to it. What would give you unending happiness today, could very well be the reason why your wife and child would find you dead in a ditch somewhere, or betrayed by the ones you love. This world, this existence, this life, is built on envy. Every power, every land, every prestige gained is obtained because someone was envious of another, and there''s nothing a cultivator is more envious of, than the talent of a superior cultivator. Jealousy that would burn as hot and as fiercely as the very flames of hell itself, and believe me it shows no mercy and when it has run it''s course all that would be left behind is nothing but ash. To my descendants, trust no one, and guard your talent selfishly, for this world of cultivation would take everything, just because you''re more favored by the heavens, be warned! Beware.) {From the lost tomes of ARISTOTLE} Alex was beginning to get scared, and so was Anya, but at the moment there was not much they could do, the entire situation seems to be in the hands of the grown ups, and they were just along for the ride. But even so, Alex could not sit still, the feeling of being in serious danger was not something he could get rid off, and with each second he spent on this jet, the worse it got. He wasn''t even allowed to stay near the windows, rather he was kept in a special room, with one way in and one way out. The security measures his grandfather and uncle were taking to protect him was quite extreme, but through it all, Alex wished his dad was here, it would have made things a whole lot better. The jet they were on, was not your normal jet, it was the size of a cruise ship, you could say there really wasn''t any difference between it and a cruise ship, except of course that I was flying. Alex didn''t think it was right to call it a jet, maybe and airship would have been better, but it had an official name, and jet was in it, so people chose to call it a jet. These stream of thoughts were just Alex''s way of keeping himself busy and dealing with the anxiety within his heart. Plus he was really bored, so there was nothing much to do except contemplate on the cultural effects of calling a flying ship a jet. Of course he could cultivate or even practice his martial arts, but his head was not in the right place, so he would be completely unable to focus. Alex''s grandfather seemed really sure of himself, but Alex was not so much of a child that he didn''t know or understand the true nature of the situation as it is. Because of just how powerful or rather the potential of how powerful he might become, it had painted a target on his back, and now the enemies of the Wudang sect wanted to kill him. It was a scary thought, and Alex had no idea what to do other than being really afraid. In a way, it was at this point he truly understood why his father had fought so hard to keep him away from the Wudang sect for so long it was just so that he would be safe from situations like this, but as it stands, nothing ever lasts forever. "Where is Anya? Is she safe?" Alex asked his grandfather as he shifted uncomfortably on the chair he was sitting down on. "Don''t worry she''s fine, and she''s just as worried about you, as you are of her. You don''t have to worry after this is over she''ll never leave your side, not unless house want her to. She would protect you even better than I might, she''s a good friend to have." His grandfather said to him with a smile. Alex nodded his head and then they lapsed into a rather uncomfortable silence, until. "Feng''er would you like me to tell you the story of the most powerful martial arts manual, it would be worth your while you know." Alex appreciated his grandfather''s effort to connect with him, and as it stands maybe this was the only chance for him to get his mind of the current state of things. "Grandson have you ever heard of the (Yin Jin Jing)?" His grandfather asked, looking mysterious all of a sudden. Alex suddenly sighed and answered in exasperation. "Isn''t it a myth, a story that parents and fools tell to children to have them fixated on cultivation. That manual doesn''t exist." Alex said with a matter of fact tone, however¡­ "pffttt Hahahaha seriously! How did you figure that out? Hehehe my grandson is so rational and wise, and that makes me so proud. However you would be a fool if you think myths and legends are just what they are. There''s always an iota of truth in every myth and legend, sometimes the legends themselves are complete truths. As for the (Yin Jin Jing) it does exist, and I should know because I''ve practiced and studied it before, so did my master before me, and his master before him. It''s been in our family for generations, and it''s always the responsibility of the next head of the Zhang family to keep it safe, and without a doubt that pleasure goes to you. This is one of the most coveted secrets of the cultivation world Feng''er, it''s the most powerful manual in existence, it had the power to turn even the most useless of talents into peak warriors and legends and ensure that their bloodline remains strong for ten thousand generations. You think you''re strong now, just wait till you have your own children, only then would you know the true meaning of monstrous talent. I''ve told you this because I believe I can trust you, you''re my blood, my heir, my grandson. Keep this to yourself, tell no one not even your friend or your mother and uncle. The future belongs to you, and just know we will fight with everything we have just to make sure it remains so, all you have to do is grow up, get strong and carry on our Legacies. And I know you''ll do a fine job of it, and that''s because it''s not only talent you have, it''s heart." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex looked up at his grandfather with a soft and happy smile. He had only had this much love and affection from his father, he felt less alone and in that moment he promised himself he would do everything his grandfather asked of him, and do everything in his power to make sure their family was united and okay. Alex wouldn''t have made all those silent promises if he knew just how much of a sacrifice he would have to pay in the name of family, how much pain it would cause him. And his grandfather knew what he had gotten his progeny into, and it caused him pain the likes of which he had never felt. Nothing he had told Alex was a lie, but it was all just a means to an end, manipulation to keep the young boy in line by giving him a sense of responsibility and a connection to the family entirely unique to him. He was offering a choice to him with the idea that it belongs to the boy himself, a choice he might never be able to u make even if he became the most powerful person on earth. And as he got up to leave the room, the guilty grandfather could not help but cry out in his heart. "Feng''er you really do have heart, and goodness and grace and love. But it would be hard for any of those things to survive the world you just stepped into. I hope your story is different from ours, however one thing is certain...¡­the Wulin would break you, and there''s no way you can stop it." 37 Death Warrant III : Paradise Los After his grandfather left the room, Alex had a few moments to himself, but unlike before they had their talk, the young man was a little bit more sure of himself. As young as he was Alex worked best when he was under pressure or when he had responsibilities to take care of. Invariably, he was the mind of person you would call a diamond in the rough, and only in pressure and a boat load of polishing would get him to shine. But trouble eventually came knocking. *BOOM!* Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. The Air ship was rocked by an explosion that had caused it''s entire frame to tilt to one side, throwing Alex off his seat and straight into a wall. The copper taste of blood filled his mouth as he stumbled back to his feet with a dazed expression. And that was when the door to the secret room was kicked open, and a masked man stood at the entrance. He exuded a pressure that made Alex feel shivers, but even worse was the bloody blade he held in his hand. "Alex of the Dark Continent, a death warrant has been placed on your head. Die with the knowledge that you fell to the gracious hands of the silver assassin Wei Feibai, now die." This man wax obviously multiple realms above Alex, and the knowledge of that alone was enough to keep the still dazed young man rooted to his position, not to talk of the aura of power he seemed to release. He took a step forward sword poised to strike, but that was the last step he ever took as his head flew of his neck and rolled all the way until it got to Alex''s feet. "Well you should also die with the knowledge that you have fallen at the hands of a very pissed of mother." Then the woman who had just slain his would be assassin looked up to him and asked. "Zhang Feng are you okay, you seem injured?" she asked as she moved forward and pushed his head aside, observing the nasty cut and trickle of blood that flower down from it. "Its no longer wise to keep you here son, come we head for the observation deck, you should be safe there with father and brother around. But seriously I can''t believe the nerve on your father, he kept you away from me, yet he didn''t even have the balls to make sure you got to me safely. His prided has always been his fatal flaw, it''s probably going to get him killed sooner or later. Now come along." No love, no hate, no anger, just nothing. And with the way she spoke, without a single shred of love in her voice, it made Alex''s skin crawl and his already woozy vision shift in and out of focus. Safe to say his mother was not what he expected, and he was disappointed. But not in her for turning out the way she is, but in himself for holding out hope that she was more than what she already was¡­..a woman who chose power over her own child and who for fourteen whole years could not even deign to send him a simple message. Alex tried his best to keel up with her, moving through various cabins on the jet or rather the airship, until they came to the observation deck where quite a lot of people were gathered and currently locked in a fierce battle. Anya was huddle behind Alex''s uncle completely scared stiff about the gruesome show in front of her, and it didn''t take long for Alex to feel the same. Whenever the story of battles between fearsome cultivators are told, its always embellished and made to look extravagant and eloquent. A thing of beauty, but killing was an ugly affair, and no matter how beautiful the move you use in killing a person is, in the end when you''re covered in blood with limbs all around you, it was not a beautiful sight, it was scene from a horror movie. Lightening, flames, water and earth flew every which way as swords glowed brightly taking on a variety of colors. Energy constructs of dragons and wolfs, scorpions and snakes filled the air and clashed against each other as Alex''s grandfather fought against a bevy of enemies all aiming for a life. Alex was terrified, and even though his grandfather seems to be holding his own against over a dozen men and women, Alex could not help but worry for him. This world did not make any sense, Alex never did anything wrong, all he ever did wrong was to have talent, but yet somebody wanted him dead for it. How the hell does that work, so far cultivation has turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. He had lost his father, had to leave his home, had to put his life on the line more times in the past few days than he ever did since he was born. And now people important to him were getting hurt, and even innocents who had nothing to do with him. His grandfather might have given him hope about what he could be or do, about the responsibilities he had to shoulder and the light that could be in his future. However Alex was seeing it for the first time, as bodies dropped every which way on the observation deck, some gravely Injured others very much dead, he understood exactly what it was he had just gotten his hands into. The Wulin was never a place of heroes and romance and adventures, it was just a hell waiting to be explored, a ticking time bomb that would shred and destroy every good thing about himself and leave him a husk, nothing more than a product of blood and death. Alex regretted ever cultivating in the first place, he understood now what his father fought so hard to protect him from, yet he had ran headfirst into it, craved the attention and power that strength would bring him. Alex could see his future very clearly, and it was not something most fourteen year old would be able to do. But he could see it alright, and it terrified him, especially since he now knew that there was no going back from it. All that awaited him and his innocence was blood, suffering, despair, steel and death. He had just condemned himself to a prison that would never let him go, the light that he believed he had, wouldn''t survive what''s to come. 38 Death Warrant IV : Innocence Los [For someone to truly survive in the Wulin, they have to understand something...there are no heroes, there are no villains, and there is no wrong or right. The law is a fa?ade, a way to placate the small and the weak, so that they can keep on being relevant to the strong. There''s no such thing as true justice as the right of a man is determined by the power of his fist and his ability to scrap like a champ. As long ad you were stronger than someone else, you could make your own rules, you could decide their fate, and control their lives. But should a person prove stronger than you, then without a doubt you''ll be stuck at their mercy, there would be no freedom or relief, unless you find way to get strong and break free. There''s no goodness In the Wulin, because even those who claim to be righteous have the same thing the sinners do. The same curse every cultivator has to carry the moment they decided to go against the heavens and reach for immortality and greater power. And that thing is DARKNESS.] From the Secret Tomes Of ANUBIS The battle raged on, but Alex''s grandfather was like a fish in water, he moved in c circles around his opponents, seemingly injuring and taking their lives away by barely even touching them. His grandfather was fighting barehanded against cultivators armed with swords, sabers and poison daggers, yet they couldn''t pierce his defense and his pristine white suit remained untouched. "Zhang Sanfeng, don''t think you would be able to keep that grandson of yours safe for long, he has a death warrant on his head. And every major sect would be after him for the bounty, you can''t stop what''s coming, he''s too dangerous to be left alive. Retreat!" The person who had just finished speaking was a middle aged man dressed in purple. He seemed to be the leader of the group of people who had attacked the airship. He turned around and started running for the edge of the observation deck, with four other masked assailants running after him. "Do you think that I Zhang Sanfeng is someone you can bully? Die!" Alex''s grandfather shouted in anger as a sword appeared out of nowhere in his hands. Then in an exquisite flourish, he swung his sword at the back of the people running away, and an unfathomable sword qi spread out from the sword and tore into their attacked, shredding every single one of them to pieces. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Suiyan I see you''ve met your son, however this reunion has to be put on hold. Alex is the great hope for our Zhang clan and our Wudang sect, we can not allow anything to happen to him. Ride ahead in your airship and prepare a mountain peak for him, also take care of the necessary formalities and have inducted as an inner disciple. Then find me very talented youngsters his age, preferably those unaffiliated with any sect or clan, we will train them along Feng''er into a force to be reckoned with. They will serve as his bodyguards, and the peak you choose will be their home." Alex''s grandfather shot out orders in a rapid fire manner, not sparing Alex a glance even once. Then Alex''s uncle came close with Anya in tow as he asked. "Even with all of this preparations, we can''t always be there to watch him, and he''s not strong enough. He would still be in danger, and you know cultivation would be very slow for him due to his multiple spirit roots. I''m afraid even within the sect we won''t able to keep him safe." "I''m well aware of that son, which is why he would not be leaving that mountain peak until he gets to the open Dantian realm. Occasionally, which should be three times a year, he would be let out from the peak with his guards for just three months, where they would travel around and gain experience. Even then we will keep an eye on him, but for now he would be confined and trained until he''s capable of protecting himself." "You intend to make my son a prisoner in his own home?" Alex''s mother asked as she took a step closer to her father, her eyes narrowed in a challenge. "As a matter of fact-yes! I intend to lock him and train him as hard and as fast as I can. Do you have any problem with that daughter?" They squared up to each other, everyone around could feel the tension between the father and daughter, and no one felt it more than Alex who was caught up in their middle. He really had no idea how to react to this, but from the look of things it seemed like this was about to escalate and get completely out of hand. "I''ll do it!" His voice was not really loud, but somehow it was imposing. It had an aura to it that drew everyone''s attention, and in more ways than one the more experienced members within the crowd recognized that aura when they heard it....it was power. And it was so unique that they''ve never felt anything like it, even Alex himself had no idea what kind of effect his voice had. "I''ll do as grandfather says, but this is my life, and I''m no one''s prisoner. I stay on the peak and train, but I''m allowed to leave anytime and whenever I want, you can keep as much guards as you want around me. You two don''t have to fight about this, I''ll be fine, and soon enough I''ll be strong enough that I wouldn''t need you two to bicker over me like children. Anya let''s go, we should get some sleep. Considering where we''re going, we would need it." Then Alex turned around and grabbed the hands of a very confused Anya, who even though didn''t really understand what was going on, knew that Alex had been put in a tough position. His grandfather and mother however finally realized what had just happened, and while it was a cause for regret on their part as parents, they had no choice. They had just forced a young boy to grow up too fast, whatever was left of Alex''s childhood had probably died with the people who just tried to kill him because of what he might become. 39 Arrival [I''ve heard about the bullshit weak people spew about life. like how if life gives you lemon you make lemonade. That''s just stupid, such a course of action was only for the weak, only for the people not at all willing to fight and give life the middle finger. Question everything in life, but just be careful who you ask questions. Never sit back and let fate dictate the direction your life has to take, as it stands you''re already going against the heavens by cultivating martial arts and the path of immortality, it would be completely redundant if you sit one place and let your hand get cut off because you feel it''s your fate. There should be no reason for failure, no reason for pain, become the master of your fate and destiny, or die trying.] THE LAST SPEECH OF AN ANCIENT GENERAL The wudang mountain range was a thing of beauty, its rolling hills, forests, crisp and lush air gave someone the impression that they had arrived in paradise. Massive temples dotted the landscape in grand manners as courtyards, mansions, large halls and grand skyscrapers gave this place an aesthetic quality that could not be matched by anywhere else in the world. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. It was the most natural marriage between different eras of architecture and nature. But above his all, was an assembly hall the size of six Olympic stadiums. They actually took a few minutes to drive over it as Alex watched with awestruck eyes over the massive taiji symbol over the roof of the assembly hall. In fact if he didn''t know any better, he would say that they had somehow built a battling platform on top of the assembly hall, and it was the most beautiful thing that Alex had seen so far. As they moved deeper into the mountains, Alex was able to see the disciples of the wudang sect moving around, going about their daily tasks. Many of them were dressed casually, but it seemed to be a regulation that they all had on sect robs with the yin-yang symbol on the back. And there were a variety of different colors; so far Alex had been able to count four; black, purple, gold and blue. The airship flew deeper into the mountain heading northwest with a purpose. And finally it came to stop in front of a mountain peak that sloped upwards before ending in a grand plateau of soft grass and beautiful flowers. There were marble stairs that led all the way up to the top of the peak where the plateau was. Alec took a deep breath as they disembarked from the airship, the air on this peak was choke full of Qi, so much so that just by breathing, Alec could feel himself right on the cusp of the open meridian realm, looks like he was about to experience a breakthrough. His grandfather came to stand beside him and Anya as they began to make their slow ascent up the mountain peak. His grandfather seemed liked he quite a few things to say to his grandson. "Feng''er there are some things you have to know and understand about the wudang sect. it''s nothing too complicated, just the basic knowledge and rules for the sect. so you and your friend should keep an open mind okay?" his grandfather asked as he turned to his grandson, his white full beard swaying in the wind. "Yes grandfather." Alex answered for both himself and Anya, the previous light in his voice completely absent. His grandfather sighed, shook his head and continued speaking. "There are quite a few ranks and denominations between the disciples. But before we go into that, I have to give the entire layout of the sect, eventually with time, you would know every square inch of this place, and it''s your home after all. The wudang sect has three palaces, three grand halls, seven major halls, seven minor halls and one temple. The three palaces are the sect heads palace, the vice sect heads palace, and the grand patriarch''s palace, which is where I and your mom and the rest of our family live. The grand halls are the disciplinary hall; the place responsible for the security of the sect and also making sure that the rules of the sect are upheld in the strictest manner possible. The next hall would be the hall of martial enlightenment. It''s the hall that holds all the knowledge of the sect, a library of sorts. But it is also a training hall and a teaching hall; which means it''s one of the places where you would find the most disciples and sect elders at anytime of the day. It''s the largest structure after the battle dome and grand platform, which is the large stadium like building you saw. The third grand hall is the hall of convocation. It''s where things like alchemy, blacksmithing and array carvings are made amongst other things. Auxiliary martial skills are trained there, and also pills, weapons and arrays are created by talented masters. The seven major halls and minor halls were built to accompany the major and minor cliques created by the disciples. The sect encourages competition between the disciples; or rather it''s a custom that started ever since the new sect master took over. The disciples make groups and battle amongst themselves to occupy either a minor or major hall. There''s no need to pay attention to those halls, you''re forbidden from paying attention to such shameful acts and degrading display of an outright insult to the principles the wudang sect was built upon. And finally there''s the temple, it''s the place where important events and meetings are carried out. So it''s mostly off limits to almost everyone in the sect. apart from what I''ve mentioned, there are hundreds of mountain peaks, and spiritual caves and immortal abodes. There are other important buildings, but those ones only show great importance amongst the disciples themselves so you will have to explore and find out about them yourself, Zhang Feng, I know your view of the world has changed, and rightly so. You have to let go of any sort of naivety if you want to survive and grow strong, and I''m sorry we didn''t give you a chance to grow up at your own pace, but this world is heading for a crisis, another war, but no one knows who the real enemies are. And it''s a battle that we the older generation would not be able to fight, many of us are about ready to move to a higher plane of existence, and there''s an unspoken agreement that only the younger generation can finally decide the fate of the world. You have immense talent, and as such you also have immense responsibilities. Your father was na?ve in thinking he could protect you from your destiny, because no matter how he ran with you, it would still come calling. Your journey has just begun, you have to get strong, and you have to make sacrifices, many sacrifices. But in the end you must remember to live, whatever little pleasure you can steal for yourself in this life, no matter how dark or bright, you have to take it, you have to live. Finally you must understand something, the Wudang sect was built on the principles of balance and righteousness. I don''t care how dark this world has become or how far from grace my Wudang sect has fallen, I need you to promise that you would always uphold that creed. Do good every time and be righteous, but if someone if dares to go so far as speak ill behind you or even insult you, KILL THEM IMMEDIATELY AND WITHOUT MERCY! I rather have you alive and unrighteous than dead. PROMISE ME!" Alex looked up at the sharp but aged eyes of his grandfather before looking back with as much conviction as he could muster. "I promise grandfather." 40 Training I : Stirring Shadows Even with everything that has happened Alex could not help but be in awe of what he saw. There was an open field as far as the eye could see, and then there was an exquisitely built manor. It looked like a cross between the western architecture of the empire of Albion and the oriental styles of the empire of heaven. Ornately carved pillars with sculptures of dragons, Phoenix''s and qilins were arranged in a haphazard manner, but still carrying a beauty of its own. There was a grove of fruit trees, and a garden on the eastern side of the peak, and then to the west was a tree, planted right on it''s edge with it''s roots growing all the way to the abyss below. The building itself looked like it could house a hundred people comfortably, and with space to spare, it was not what he was used to, but he wouldn''t reject such luxury. It was something he never had, and something he had always wished for. "You and Anya can settle in, preferably I would like for you both to begin training immediately. Whatever skills you''ve learnt so far, I need you both to practice and master it as hard and as well you can. There will be servants to take care of your needs, and soon enough you will have companions who would join you in your training and serve as your bodyguard. But apart from the martial and cultivation arts, I''ll send a teacher who will school you in the way of the court and nobility, because that''s what you are now Feng''er, a young master of the Wudang sect. There''s going to be an outer sect competition in three months, I need you two to master your current skills, and choose master the set of Wudang martial arts I will send to you. Also the both of you should have this." Alex''s grandfather said as he gave them a white book with the yin-yang symbol on it. As opposed to a world that''s predominantly driven by Qi technology, it was quite a surprise to Alex that his grandfather still owned books. Seeing paper, even within the village was a really rare sight, the ad he received as an invitation was a special occasion. Alex and Anya looked down at the words on the book and felt their breaths hitch in their throats. {WUDANG HEART SUTRA} These skills were so famous and powerful that they couldn''t be kept secret, though no one other than the disciples of the sect know how to use it, it was still famous enough that the whole world knew about it. This was one of the things Alex has always looked forward to, a chance to study the most famous series of cultivation skill there is. Before now, he an Anya had just relied on meditating to get to where they were now, but with a proper cultivation technique, it was akin to giving wings to a tiger. Alex had the feeling that his training would not be as slow as they all say it would be due to his immense talent, rather he believed that he would progress really fast, and with this technique he would probably be breezing through cultivation levels and realms. "Feng''er your butter would be waiting for you in the mansion. Later tonight I''ll send your teacher over of maybe a week from now instead, so that you can have time to settle in. Your mother would have taken care of both your registrations, so there should be someone coming with your uniforms, and monthly allocations. For now settle in and train, Wudang is just as wild as the world you left outside, you both need strength if you want to survive." Then Alex''s grandfather ruffled the hair of both youngsters as his figure blurred and he disappeared right from sight, leaving behind a very grateful and determined Alex. "Come on Anya, let''s go." XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX (UNKNOWM LOCATION) The servant shook with fear as he delivered the letter, it was not as if submitting a letter would get him killed, but Cronos Von Delheim had moods that changed and flickered like the wind. So something as mundane as submitting a letter to his leader, might end up with his throat getting cut, or worse, his body being used as an ingredient for an infernal experiment. Cronos was an enigma to most people in the world, not many people knew how he did it, but Cronos was both a cultivator of the martial and cultivation arts, and a mage and a knight. Three cultivation systems and methods, and he all of them swirling within his body. It made him the most feared but also the most respected man on the face of the earth, his power and ideals made so many people unsatisfied with the world is rush to his banner in droves. The promise of that power, of being capable to rise above the shackles of control that the empire of heaven and the empire of Albion had placed on people, made them worship him like the bloodthirsty cult leader he is. The servant couldn''t judge though, he was also here because he believed in this very charismatic but yet evil man who masks his hunger for power under the banner of a righteous cause that has taken more lives than a war between the two empires. "So the Wudang sect has gained a valuable pawn piece; in fact there''s a possibility that he might be the most valuable piece on the board. With talent unmatched in all of the history of the earth, a child of nature and the wind, a King of spirits and monsters, and an emperor of justice and grace." As soon as Cronos finished reading the paper he crumpled it up into a ball and threw it right in the face of the still shaking servant. The dark oracle was his greatest asset, his rise to power had been entirely due to all of her help and directions. Of course it helped that she was also his immortal bitch of a sister, who may or may not be the mother of his three sons. Either way she had sent him a warning, one that at the moment he could not ignore, but at the same time he really couldn''t pay much of an attention to. After all this was just a boy, not that he was having second thoughts about killing the filthy half-breed and every member of his disgusting family. But the issue is he couldn''t bring himself to see the child as a threat. A lion cub is destined to be fiercest hunter in the land, but alas it''s still a cub and without the protections of it''s mother and Pride, that fun becomes dinner for the hyenas. 41 Training II : YIN-YANG HEART PROTECTION {Meditation has always been an important aspect of cultivation, it was what started man on the path to immortality. But no matter how powerful meditation might be, it was limited in what it could achieve, especially for a cultivator. If a cultivator truly wanted to reach the heavens and go above and beyond it, they needed a cultivation technique to get them. A method in which the true power of the universe could be summoned and controlled. A proper cultivation technique would put the body of a cultivator in the most optimum state to advance, it would give Qi a quality, a true form to master and shape a cultivators power. It''s hard to say which sect or individual had the most powerful cultivation technique, in my opinion there really isn''t any most powerful, there''s just a different path to power.} TAOIST JUEYAN LINXI: ROYAL SCHOLAR Night time on the Wudang mountains was mostly cold, but that didn''t take the beauty away. Alex was standing under the tree, right at the edge of the mountain peak, looking down at the chasm below. It reminded him of his tree back home, the same tree he and Anya had spent countless hours behind plotting and even training. He felt home sick, as comfortable as this place was he really didn''t get that feeling of home he was looking for, he felt out of place. He was waiting up here for Anya, his mother had come over a few hours later and took her to go get her talent tested. But he''s spent quite some time waiting for her, and his patience was already running thin. In that regard, it would be nice for him to try learning the {Wudang Heart Sutra}. Alex took a step forward and sat cross legged as close to the edge of the cliff as he could, the luscious green branches of the tree besides him, seemed to stretch like a canopy, giving the young warrior a protective covering that he would never understand until many years down the line. But for Now, Alex just wanted to open a book. He spent at least thirty minutes reading through the entire manual, memorizing what needed to be memorized and understanding the concept and perception with the technique. The Wudang heart Sutra was like a dial for a warriors emotions, but that was just a secondary effect. The technique served to put the heart, mind and soul of a cultivator in the most optimum state to become one with the universe. According to the Sugar, there were at least one hundred and eight know meridian points within the human body. There are actually more, but the ways to discover them are quite rare during the lower levels of cultivation when the perception of cultivator is quite low. So for now all this technique did was teach a cultivator how to draw energy into and through the 108 meridians, activating them, and stroking Qi within them for a little while. ? YIN-YANG HEART PROTECTION ? INNER PILL SKILL ? PURITY WITHOUT LIMITS. Each of these stages cultivated and strengthened a particular aspect of a practitioners power. But just getting to the first stage alone can take even the most talented of people many years. So for now, all Alex wanted to do was practice, knowledge about the three stages would come to him in time, when he actually reached them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, first he listened to himself. To his woes, his pain, his anger, he could hear how loud they were as the pounded through his skull and flowed through his blood. His humanity and how it held him back, or rather how he wasn''t able to rise above it. He shut it off, leaving his heart and mind silent, an empty. And then he listened to the world, listened to the power of nature around him, the power of the wind and energy of spirit hidden deeply within it. He could feel the wood of the tree besides him, the power of life and it''s extreme essence. Alex knew his connection to the wood element wasn''t as strong as the wind and spirit, but he could the toughness of the tree, it''s age, it''s wisdom. And the strength that it had cultivated to be able to withstand almost a thousand years of assault from nature. He could feel how deeply entrenched it''s roots were, how far deep they went into the cliff, then the peak and then the mountain itself. Suddenly those roots were within his own body. Along the path of each roots were flickering dots of light, however they were dim. In fact it could be said that they were more like torches, and somehow a little of their light has been activated but not yet fully bright. Alex knew that this torches were his meridians, and the reason why they had such small flickering lights was because he was already on the cusp of stepping into the open meridian realm. The Wudang sect had it''s origins from the shaolin temple. That''s a piece of information that both the sect and the temple were not really happy about, the temple because they feel the Wudang sect was built by traitors, and the sect because they don''t like having their achievements placed on the shaolin temple and their rich history of martial arts. But the main point was that the Sutra had chants to go along with a breathing exercise, in much the same way most shaolin techniques had chants to go with them. And in the moment Alex began that chant, it was as if the world exploded with light and energy. Alex felt an immediate rush of energy the moment he began, and for a moment he was unable to keep track of the onslaught of Qi as the first four torches lit up immediately and he could feel Qi within his meridians. Just like that, Alex had stepped into the open Meridian realm, but it was it over as it seemed he was just getting started. Mist started to gather as the Qi around the mountain Peak began to converged on his position and swirl into his body. It was coming too fast for Alex to handle or even control, and it left him feeling quite terrified. Without proper control it was common knowledge that Qi would tear a cultivator apart, but Alex also knew that he had to calm down. There were no gains without risks and no fortune without misfortune, what will be, will be, and it is as the universe says it would. Everything was balanced as it should be, this was the teachings of the sutra and the Wudang Sect, to be able to understand, meld and live right in the confluence of yin and yang. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Neither white nor black, neither guilty or innocent but alive and free of unwanted distractions and sorrows. At peace with nature, at peace with the world, and at peace with the universe, completely free and protected from the troubles of the world: (Yin-Yang Heart Protection). The Qi within Alex''s meridians seemed to exploded outwards into his body as the activated meridians increased to 12. Alex shudders as he seemed to gain am awareness of his body, he could see into it, his veins, his blood vessels, his organs and then finally the organ that drew his attention; His heart. Bluish-green, yellowish-brown and silver-white energy tendrils seemed to be dancing around his heart, they were bright and vibrant, and the smell of the forest, the wind and a feeling of mysteriousness seemed to coalesce this tendrils of light into an armor that covered the entirety of his beating heart. The armor was jade green and sparkled like it''s own miniature sun. And then the light it gave off seemed to be drawn back into itself, turning into a symbol on the armor. 42 Training III : Separation Who says talent didn''t matter, or that hard work could beat talent. Maybe it was so, utter if talent and hard work were mashed together, then talent trumps hard work by far. Alex felt stronger, he was stronger. He had a clarify to the world that he had never experienced before, there was no rush or haste to his pace, just an overwhelming understanding of who he was yesterday, the person he is now, and who he wants to be tomorrow. This was the true power of the Yin-yang heart Protection stage. It gave cultivators the clarity and understanding of their true selves, so that they could have the courage to move forwards. It didn''t eliminate or suppress emotions, it just gave Alex an understanding of it, made him know why he felt this way, and how he could make the best of it. Alex opened his eyes, an imperceptible glow hidden within them as he felt the Qi within his meridians surging and rolling as if to celebrate his new gain. He was at the peak of the first level of the open meridian stage. 108 meridian, 12 per stage, until he gets to the night stage where he would have to connect all of the meridian together and then channel the Qi from it to open and create his Dantian. But that was quite some time away, right now he would live in this moment, enjoy and appreciate the power he had gained and improve on it the best way he could. Alex twisted a ring that his grandfather had given him, and West wind and East cloud came out. Both blades seemed him in delight as Alex grabbed their hilts and fell into a stance. He pointed one of the swords forward, and pointed the other backwards. He took a deep breath, and then he exploded forward with a banging, the ground beneath his feet having signs of a tiny indentation. He swung both swords in a somewhat reckless manner against an imaginary opponent, it was wild, it was primal and it was dangerous. He gave no quarter, and he took none either, equally as brutal to himself as he was to his opponent. He weaved, twisted and turned, his swords flashing as his opponents changed from one, to two, and then to three. But no matter what moves they made, they fell to his rage, it was hot like the sun, burning unfettered and unencumbered by the rules and laws of this world. He forged his own path, made his own destiny in s trail of blazing fire and destruction. Alex took a deep breath, all of the Qi within his twelve meridian shaking furious as a hot feeling seemed to suffice his body. "Four Seasons Of The Weeping World: South Sword Of Summer!" Alex moved both his swords in an upercut like fashion, swinging them upwards and then bringing them to the ground. And as he did so, both blades now infused with his Qi, caught on fire, releasing a blazing trail of literal red flames as opposed to the normal orange or yellow that was the norm. Until the open Dantian realm, Alex would not be able to let his Qi travel out of his body. At the open meridian realm, and at such an early level, it was already a testament to his talent that he could infuse his weapons with his Qi, but doing so left him feeling very drained as all twelve meridians were drained dry of every smidgen of Qi left in it. West wind and East cloud lost the red glow of flames on them as Alex fell to his knees, completely weak from his training session. He was breathing hard and trying to catch his breath, but he could not help but analyze and understand everything he just did. He has mastered the south sword of summer, there''s still the sword of winter, spring, and Autumn. And even then he has not even started on the west, east and north sword moves. Either way he wad happy with his gains, he had wanted to play with fire before, due to how popular it was, and now he gets to do so. Of course fire attributed techniques of any sort would only have half or maybe 60% of it''s original power in his hands due to the fact that his spirit roots were aligned to different elements. But never the less the sheer destructive power he got from using fire attributed skills could not be underestimated. Or it could just be that he was stalling, Alex knew the wind called to him, but it was not what he wanted for himself, he felt at least everything about his life shouldn''t be so destined and he could choose to go against that single aspect of himself. But that was neither here nor there, Alex would just keep on trying his best until there''s nothing left to try. "You''ve grown a lot stronger you know, I wish all those idiots that used to look for our trouble back in the village are here. We for show them levels." Alex smiled, Anya always mixed her proper way of speaking with the pidgin language of the Nigerian colony on the dark continent whenever she was happy. So she probably had some good news. "How was your test. Hope it went alright?" Alex asked ad he folded his legs over each other and started taking deep breaths. "Alright! It went awesome. I have a platinum grade Dragon fire spirit root and a gold grade Cold metal spirit root. My perception is gold grade, not as good as yours, but my physique matches yours in grade. Platinum grade Fire Dragon Empress Physique. I guess we''re really meant for each other aren''t we." Anya said as she took a seat besides Alex with a wistful smile on her face. Alex raised an eyebrow, she was happy about her talent, that much he could agree on, however there seems to be something bothering her. And Alex couldn''t begin to wonder what it was. Anya was a simple yet very complex person, however the bottom line was that she was the kindest and most loving person Alex knew, even though she was prone to violence and arsenic tendencies. "What''s wrong Anya? Aren''t you happy?" Alex asked as he placed his hands on hers intertwining their fingers together. "Of course I''m happy, we''re living our dreams aren''t we? The cultivation world might not have been what we expected, but at least we got here didn''t we. It''s just that, I never expected that we would be unable to control our own destiny and fate, it doesn''t seem worth it if we can''t live the way we want to. But alas without strength there''s no place for dreams in this world." Alex furrowed his eyebrows, something was definitely wrong. "Anya what happened to you when you got tested?" Alex asked, his voice edged letting Anya know that he wouldn''t let her beat around the bush again. "Your mother and a couple of elders decided it would be wise to send me, and a couple of other female disciples to the Emei sect for a three year student exchange program. This is so to foster a close relationship between the sects, and ensure the partnership last longer, propagating both sects martial arts between each other, since they both come from the same place. I was tested in front of the Emei sect head, she took me along with your elder sister as her in name personal disciples. We leave tomorrow morning." It would be easy for Alex to rage and scream, but he didn''t. He wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, but he didn''t either. It took all of his strength and a significant help from (Wudang Heart Sutra) to hold his emotions together. Alex was young, but he wasn''t that foolish as opposed to other boys his age. He might be a bit na?ve, but he could see things clearly then most people. This was a move on his mother''s part to separate Anya from him. While she''s a valuable addition to the sect, and will still be a Wudang disciple, being an Emei disciple in name only; she was still a wild card that they couldn''t control. A wild card that could be a distraction to Alex, and a hindrance to whatever plan they might have in store. It was better to have her out of the way, at least for a little while in other for them to have more control over Alex. It was just three years, and to a cultivator that was just the blink of an eye, but to the young lovers, it was a significant chunk of their lives. "You have to get stronger Anya, very strong. So that no one can control our lives and our destiny anymore. I''m sure I''ll be fine without you for a while, it''s just three years after all. And since we have only tonight to ourselves, let''s make the best of it." Anya sniffed as she nodded, raising her hands to clean the tears in her eyes. Alex looked at her with a smile, and spoke words that she would never forget for the rest of her now guaranteed very, very long life. 43 Training IV : GoodByes "Remember to call me every day, if you can''t call me everyday, then please do try to call me every week." Anya shouted at Alex from her perch on top the airship hanging over his mountain peak. Alex shook his head ruefully, but winced a bit as he unsettled the injuries he sustained from his fight with Anya yesterday. Using fire skills against a literal dragon flame goddess was not the best of ideas, and when said goddess is a fiery African belle with a taste for brutal beat downs, then you just bought yourself a one way ticket to pain Ville. "Yes, yes! I will. Just remember to train really hard okay!" Alex called back, "I don''t know about you love birds, but I too would like to say goodbye to my baby brother. I can''t believe we''re saying goodbye the first time we met." A voice said from behind Anya as a girl in her late teens and early twenties poked her head over the railing of the airship and looked down at Alex with a warm yet sinister smile. "Seriously? We met last night when you proceeded to unceremoniously interfere with me and Anya''s fight. I still have bruises to show your so called sisterly love for me." Alex spat out with all the sarcasm he could muster, the small grin at the edge of his lips made it clear he was in good terms with the young lady. "Don''t worry baby brother, I''ll take care of your first wife for you, I''m going to make sure no other guys set their eyes on her. But you should remember she comes first, and there can only be her, at least for now." Alex turned red at the tip of his ears. He never thought it possible, but in just one night he was able to simultaneously love and hate this woman he now called sister. She was spunky, wild, which made her personality match well with Anya''s. But she was also beautiful, with skin so pale and fair and lips so red it was as if she came out of the pages of a story book. Her eyes were larger than normal for someone of the heaven empire, it made Alex wonder about her parentage though, guess he father isn''t someone from the empire of heaven. Alex felt as if his mother was on a conquest to conquer the men of the world, who knew where she would go next. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "All right disciples! It''s time for us to leave." A middle aged yet strikingly beautiful woman said to both girls as she came to stand behind them. Alex gave her a deep bow, and watched as the airship lifted off the ground and flew swiftly away and into the sunrise in the east. His chest felt congested, his limbs heavy and his heart cold. It was in this moment that he truly felt alone, the last connection he had to his old life was gone. His breaths became sharper and it almost seemed as if he was going to cry before he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Cultivation and the journey to power is always something that''s started alone. You''ve done good for yourself with her nephew, you guys will see each other again, and hopefully then you''ll both be strong enough to fight and keep yourselves together. Now the only advice I can give right now is to train, and train and learn. Your personal teacher should be here in five days to teach you about the world you''ve become a part of. Plus your grandfather has decided to make you his student, that would make you the seventh, he''ll be ready for you soon, so be ready. I''ll see you soon." And then with a gust of wind his uncle was gone, but it wasn''t too bad. Alex now had an understanding of what his life was going to be like for the next few days. Either way his uncle was right, it was time to train, there''s no harm in that, at least it would get his mind off this emptiness he was suddenly feeling. Alex flattened his palm as he began moving it in a wave like motion. There was no form or rhyme to it, but rather it was just a method of shadow boxing. In his minds eyes, Alex envisions he was surrounded by enemies, and he was trying to evade their strikes by moving his palm about. Alex worked well with for a second before he frowned in annoyance, for some reason he couldn''t feel this move as much as he wanted to. The (Viper evades Buddha) palm art was no longer as powerful as it was when he was still in the body refining realm. He shook his head and tried the (Iron Viper Strike), the move that used to be quite hard and even very dangerous for him to perform, was executed with such ease and finesse that Alex wondered if these were the same moves that he used when he first started cultivating. It didn''t make sense. "There''s nothing wrong with those moves son, you''ve just outgrown them. You''re stronger than those moves could compensate for, and when a move doesn''t improve the strengths of it''s user, then that move has become redundant. I want you to watch me, learn my every form and commit it to memory. This is one of, if not the most sacred battle skill of the Wudang sect, watch and learn." Alex would have very much preferred if he didn''t have any sort of prolonged contact with his mother, but she was here now, and he couldn''t very well runway and leave her here. It would have been very disrespectful, and his dad would have had his hide if he ever did something like that. So Alex did as she asked, he sat back and watched as she moved, there was hurry with her steps, no stress and no tension. She flowed with the wind, danced through, with, beneath and above it. It got to a point that Alex felt she was moving the wind herself, her form graceful like a bird in the sky, or a fish in the sea. Sometimes she moved a bit faster, but Alex could see it was a way for her to redirect force and energy, her body seemed to glow as the grass beneath her feet grew higher in some places and became flat in others. The sleeve of her clothes flapped in the wind, he eyes focused as her body moved and her hands seemed to play a tune provided by the strings of nature. Alex noticed that when she breathed in, all of the wind and Qi within their surroundings would flow to her, but it was not just the wind as Alex could see early morning few slowly gather around her, until there was a puddle of water at her feet. Her moves were repeated, and Alex committed them all to memory with such an astonishing clarity that left even himself baffled. The power of this technique was being toned down for his sake, because even Alex knew that there was much power within the moves, and his mother who was already in the late realms of the earth gate, could summon enough power to divide this mountain in half if she wanted to. And then she stopped, taking a deep breath that suddenly made the air around them lighter. Alex couldn''t help but ask his mother. "What sort of Martial arts is that." 44 Training V : TaiChi & Down The Peak {TAI-CHI: According To A Lot Of People, This Was The Healthiest Form Of Martial Arts In Existence, It''s Application For Defense Is Unpararelled And Is The Martial Art That''s Most In Tune With The Breath Of Nature, The Life Blood Of The World Itself; Qi. To Fight A Master Of Tai-chi Is To Fight Yourself, Because They Never Hit Back, You Do. With Great Finesse And Skill In The Applications Of Using An Opponent''s Force Against Them, Taichi Masters Of The Wudang Sect Have Become Almost Untouchable In All Of Their Fights. But Tai-chi Is Neigong, An Internal Martial Art That Bases On The Theory Of Using Softness To Counter The Hard, To Flow Like The Wind And Water. It Has It''s Weaknesses, And A Lot Of Them Too, It''s Just That To Fight With A Tai-chi Master Is To Humiliate Yourself In The Worst Possible Way. Because They Might Not Mean It, But Using This Art Makes It Seem Like You''re Not Taking Your Opponent Seriously, You Will Hurt Using The Least Amount Of Force And Movements, More Often Than Not Dancing Around The Strikes Of A Cultivator And Leaving That Person Looking Like A Bumbling Fool.} A RANDOM PRIOSNER OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY "So Alex, what have you learnt from my demonstration, I hope you were paying close attention to what I was doing." Alex nodded his head at his mom, there were so many twists and turns and moves in what she just showed him, but overall he could simplify it into 42 different moves. It was hard to call this a martial art and not an exercise, but at the same time you couldn''t really call it an exercise either. Alex sat down crossed legged, lost in his own world as he analyzed and tried to understand what he had just observed, there were just too many profound knowledge to be gained from it. "Do not stress yourself, Taichi is one of the most profound arts in existence, because of how much depth is holds, other martial arts have been derived from it. I will send you a proper manual later in the day, along with the manual for the Taiji fists, a more attack centered form of TAI-CHI. Unfortunately you''re ready for another sword skill, not until you''ve mastered that which you have. In the mean time, why don''t you explore the sect, you might find something you like. This life is a life of strength, but it''s still a life, don''t forget to live it." Then she walked away, with Alex''s eye following her every movement until she disappeared from his sight and down the mountain peak. Looks like every single member of his family had a thing for dramatic exits. But Alex pondered on what she just said and realized that she was right, there has to be more to his life than just hiding himself away and training. And with Anya gone, he''s bound to be very lonely, and while he''s not looking to replace his best friend, it wouldn''t be a bad idea to meet new people for once. It made him angry, but Alex decided to leave his swords behind and left with the walking stick, of course the stick was really ugly, so he had it shift into a belt that he used on the black jeans he was wearing. His long sleeved T-shirt was long enough to cover the belt, plus the disciple robes they gave to him also helped to keep it concealed. Apart from his name, this walking stick and the masks within were all he had left of his home, plus he knew it had great power, and there was no way he was going to leave it exposed for people to see, at least not until he has finally understood what it''s all about. Alex opened the door to his room and came face to face with an elderly man, this was the servant that had been looking after the mansion before Alex''s arrival on the mountain peak, so right now in one way or another, this man was now his servant. "Young master Zhang Feng are you going down the mountain? Please give me a moment to prepare so that I can accompany you." The old man said with a smile. "Laozi you don''t have to stand on all these ceremonies, sure I''ll wait for you, but please in the future I would be better if you just called Alex, that''s the name I''m used to." Alex said to him as he brushed imaginary dust off the black disciple robes on him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. The old servant just bowed his head a bit before vanishing from Alex''s front, Alex was not surprised, at this point he already knew that the old man had more power than he was letting on, but it was absolutely weird seeing someone with his abilities being nothing more than a servant. Alex went outside and stood at the edge of the stairs that would lead him back down the mountain peak, he didn''t have to wait long as five seconds later Laozi was back with a pitch black spear hanging off his back, and a little hand bag hanging off his shoulders. 45 Brother I : Learning About The Sec It took a while before Alex and Laozi made their was to the foot of the mountain, it wasn''t as difficult as when Alex first climbed the mountain, that''s because then he was still in the body refining realm, and now he was in the open meridian realm, so something like this wouldn''t be as stressful to him as before. It''s just that he took his time coming down for a variety of reasons. First it was because he was terribly nervous, second he spent his time asking Laozi questions about the sect, expanding his knowledge, mostly about the little things his grandfather seemed to have glossed over. The few things of importance that he had to pay attention to, was the rankings of the disciples. And most disciples if not all of them are denoted by their level of cultivation, but sometimes it''s not the case. Body refining realm disciples wore grey robes over their normal clothes, open meridian disciples wore, green, open Dantian realm disciples wore red, true essence disciples wore purple, and then true element disciples wore yellow. And this were just the color scheme for the students who were still cultivating within the mortal gate. When a disciple passes the peak of the mortal gate, which in this case is the true element realm and enter the first cultivation realm of the earth gate, they become core disciples of the sect, with some of them even taking up official positions and having students and followers of their own. In the earth gate cultivation realms, a cultivator would focus on strengthening the power of their soul, which was why the first realm was known as the soul refining realm. Cultivation was a little complicated but at the same time simple. It''s divided into three gates of mortal, earth and heaven. And in the mortal gate, a cultivator is issue expected to strengthen every aspect of their mortal body, pushing it to the peak and making it the most suitable for cultivation. In the earth gate, the cultivator is considered powerful enough to roam the earth and bring about great changes to it. But then they would be facing on the unseen and may serious aspects of cultivation. Which is why they focus on their souls, and learn so many unique and powerful techniques that didn''t need the body or a weapon to utilize as opposed to the mortal realm that needed catalysts for it''s skills. The heaven gate was the most powerful, men and women in the heaven gate were as powerful as gods and hero''s of legend. They could change the weather with just a wave of their hands, create life from nothing if they so wanted, and could travel through space and dimensions, going to other worlds to battle for resources. And it was that last tidbit of information that shocked the shit out of Alex. But all Alex had to do now was focus on his cultivation and get stronger, strong enough that he could be considered a chosen amongst the six young dragons and six young phoenixes of earth. Extremely talented youths between the age of sixteen and 25 who would be considered the brightest stars of their generation. Laozi seemed to be believe that Alex had the potential to reaching them and surpassing them, of course that list wouldn''t apply to him until he gets to sixteen. But never the less it was a novelty that had been placed in the head of the young man. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex didn''t know what it would take to reach such a level, but he would try his best to reach there. But even after all the off track explanation, they were still able to come back to their main topic. Alex was given a black robe with white borders on it. And after asking Laozi about it, he realized that black robes were for the direct descendants of the Wudang sect leadership. And him being the grandson of the former sect head more than qualified him for it. Anyway, because of that, there was no way Alex could hid who he was, and the moment he came down his mountain peak, he caught the eyes of every one around him. Laozi led him through pavilions, open parks and grasslands were other students were training, but in some place or another he could find stores that sold different things, apartments complexes and even a massive public lake where young children were swimming and having fun without a care in the world. And This wasn''t exactly what he expected the sect to be like, but it was nice. It made this place seem more like a home than Alex thought it would be. But the stares were not stopping, and it was beginning to freak Alex out. Alex had to grab at Laozi and asked with an even firmer voice why people were so focused on him. "Young master¡­..it''s really not my place to say...but since you what to hear it, I guess I don''t have much of a choice. Well I would say the reason why they''re so focused on you, is because you''re the only half-blood legacy disciple on Wudang mountains. Your home, the dark continent....Africa as your people call it young master, is a colony. And while slavery is no longer in circulation, many still think that people of the dark continent are not really to be mingled with." Laozi said with somber tone. "So you''re saying that they''re racists?" Alex asked without a single hint of hesitation in his word. "Not exactly young master, in this world power is all that''s respected, not skin color, race or family background, though being the grandson of the former sect head and peak heaven gate cultivator helps. What I''m trying to say is that it''s practically rare, if not completely unheard of for someone of your mother''s status and position to have a child with someone from the dark continent. You''re one of a kind young master, which is why they don''t know how to approach or relate to you." Though Laozi did explain things a bit better to Alex, and in a way that made him feel better about himself. But it didn''t change the fact that as far as the people around were concerned, he was not supposed to exists. But then again, they can all go suck a dick! Alex wasn''t going to let himself be bothered by their archaic views, in this world only power matters, in front of power even talent won''t matter. "Come Laozi, can you please show me where other disciples mingle and get together?" Alex asked, only for another voice to interrupt. "Why the hurry half breed, you can mingle with us just fine. Except of course by the time we''re done mingling you would have to be carried back to your land of mud and dirt!" a voice filled with no small amount of animosity said to him. Alex turned surprised at the young boy who looked about a year or two older than him, and the sheer venom that was dripping through his words. "Who are you?" Alex asked with a confused look on his face. "Oh! Please let me introduce myself little brother, my name is Lu Wen, and I''m your step brother!" 46 Brother II : Conflic [In The Wulin, The Most Complicated Thing To Deal With Apart From The Love Of A Woman, Is The Hatred And Jealousy Of A Sibling. It Is Why There''s An Abundance Of Sworn Brothers And Sisters, None Blood Relatives That A Cultivator Can Actually Trust. Then Ancient Religions Text The ''bible'' Says A Man''s Worst Enemy Is From His Own Household, And So Far It Has Been Proved More Often Than Not, That Brothers And Sisters Are The Ones Who Love Shoving Knives Into The Back Of Unsuspecting And Trusting Siblings. But It''s Not All Bad, After All Some Of The Greatest Warriors Of Our Generations Have Gotten To Where They Are By The Love And Care Of Their Family And Siblings. It Is Nice If Your Brother Or Sister Has Got Your Back, But It''s Also Wise If You Learn To Develop Eyes One The Back Of Your Head. In The Wulin, Blood Is Not Thicker Than Water] -ARCH-MAGE THOMAS SILVERTON OF THE KUNLUN SECT- Alex was completely caught of guard, he knew about a sister, heck he knew his mother was married to someone else, but a brother! Was that part of the list of things that everyone else conveniently forgot to tell him about. It was really annoying to be caught blindsided like this, but in the end it made no difference, so what if he had a step brother, it didn''t add anything to his body, and it most definitely didn''t take anything away either. "Nice to meet you brother, my name is Alex." Alex said to his recently discovered ''step brother'' even stretching out his hand for a handshake. Unfortunately it does not seem like his brother stared the same sentiment. In fact Lu Wen looked absolutely incensed. In fact come to think of it, this was the second person named Lu Wen that Alex knew. Not that it meant anything, but it was still nice to know, especially some one of them was his brother. Alex looked on a bit awkwardly and quite embarrassed as Lu Wen did not shake his hand, and even proceeded to star at him like he was not worth the dirt under his feet. Alex did not need it announced that this guy did not like him one bit, and the fact that he was all to willing to show his animosity, showed that he was not in the least bit afraid of Alex or his pedigree. But come to think of it, there wouldn''t be any reason for him to be afraid, after all they were step siblings. "Do I look like I want to shake hands with filth like you. I can''t believe a loser like you came out of second mother. I don''t really care what you do, but stay out of my way, and also I want you to evacuate the nameless peak you''re currently on, I wanted to build my secret pavilion there. But then second mother and second grandfather just went and gave it to you. Which is not fair." "No!" Alex replied to his step brother and turned around completely ignoring the spoils kid. Lu Wen was livid, he was more than just Alex''s step brother, his paternal grandfather was the current head of the Wudang sect, and his maternal grandfather was the eight prince of freaking China! He was royalty of the empire of heaven and this half breed was ignoring him, Lu Wen wouldn''t stand for that. "Break his legs for me!" he shouted at the three servants behind him. The shout startle Alex, and he turned just in time to receive a kick to the chest from Lu Wen. The kick was so hard and powerful that Alex was blasted backwards with blood spilling from his lips in an arc. He rolled on the ground a few times, his pristine black robes become riddle with dusts and grass. Alex found it extremely difficult to breathe, his chest burned and he reckoned he might have broken a few ribs in the process. Lu Wen was stronger than him, and just by a difference of levels, but by a whole realm. Alex didn''t know how he knew, but Lu Wen had a pressure then only people in the open Dantian realm could release. Lu Wen was about to move forward to continue the attacks along with his servants, but Laozi had taken a stance in front of Alex and pushed all four back. But Laozi who seemed to have a high cultivation was not able to completely hold back the three servants as surprisingly the weakest one slipped through and ran straight for Alex who was slowly making his back up to his feet. Alex didn''t need to look, he sense someone was about to attack him, and in a surprising display of finesse he moved to the side, his right hand clutched on his aching chest as the servant went past him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. The servant was only surprised for a moment, after all this servant was sure to have a richer battle experience than Alex who just started on his path to cultivation. The servant swiveled on his ankles, moving like he was nothing more than just a gentle leaf in the wind and struck out with a palm to Alex''s chest. He was moving a step or two faster than Alex could follow; this servant was also within the open meridian realm, but he was close to the sixth or seventh level. Alex crossed his hands over his chest to receive the blow and save his already injured ribs from any other damage, but he underestimated the strength of his opponent as the plan strike dislocated his left wrist and pushed him off his feet and threw off the path and onto a patch of grass by the side. Alex let out a pained scream, but still quickly scrambled back up to his feet. Alex had grown up being dragged around by Anya when she went looking for trouble, and more often than not a fight will always ensue and one of the basic rules of a fight was that you should never remain down for long or you would give your opponent an advantage over you. Alex watched as Laozi was keeping Lu Wen and his remaining servants in check, preventing them from coming after Alex. However he was only defending and pushing them back, not attacking. It was obvious that he wanted to avoid injuring Lu Wen and his lackeys, almost like he was afraid of them. Paying attention to Laozi and his fight had cost Alex some of his attention and in return he had to pay a prince as the servant he was fighting, or getting beat up by sent a kick straight to his head. Alex couldn''t defend on time, his swords weren''t here, and most of the martial arts he knew could no cause much damage to someone this late in the open meridian realm. He was desperate, and it was only in that moment of desperation that the belt he was wearing exploded into wave of crimson flames and pushed the servant back a bit, burning off the sleeves of his own robe. Alex couldn''t react on time as a red mask flew out of the belt and landed on his face. The world turned red with flames once again as he suddenly found himself back on the platform with the stairs that led up to an archway. The archway looked like a door to another world, a world of flames and heat and power, and as he moved closer to it, he heard the same voice he heard last time. "It seems you''ve grown stronger.... Good. I can now lend you my power, and in return you will give me a chance to see the living world, I''ve heard so much stories about it. Please let us begin, what is my name?" the voice asked, leaving Alex very confused. "But I don''t know your name?" Alex replied. "oh but you do! You gave me that name the very first day we met, the day I was born. Born of fire and a desire to protect, and destroy, born of passion and anger. Master. What. Is. My. Name!" 47 Fire Spirit Mask I : The Shadow Of Nezha [THE Legends Of Nezha Are A Little Obscured By History, Some Believe This God Was Derived From Other More Popular Gods, But It Doesn''t Change The Fact That Nezha Existed...well In Some Form Or The Other. This Is Not Well Know To The People Of The World, Heck Even The Wulin Would Be Tickled Pink With Anger And Blasphemy Should They Ever Find Out About This, But The Gods, The Ghosts, The Monsters And Demons And Heroes Of Legends All Have On Thing In Common. And That''s The Fact That They''re All Spirits, And Today I Want To Talk About A Rather Peculiar Fire God Spirit. Nezha Was Born From A Ball Of Flesh, Baptized By Fire And Blood And Chosen Unto Himself A Mandate Of Protection And Justice That Would Hold The Eastern World Sway And In Awe. With His.......Wh...¡­.Th.......He...¡­.Er........] -THE INCOMPLETE TRUE CHRONICLES OF NEZHA- Alex stood there under the shocked gaze of everyone around him as the top half of his clothes burned away, the mask on his face stretched like some sort or armor, covering much of his luscious brown hair and stretching over his ears. It''s edges were jagged and it had patterns of flames on it''s frame that was incredibly beautiful to look at. Alex''s eyes from behind the mask were bright orange, the color of flames the likes which has never been seen before. On his light brown skin, red tribal tattoos seemed to stretch from his mask, which at this point gave people the impression of bones. The mask now covered his entire face and neck, almost like armor, and then from where it stopped at his neck, his blood red tribal tattoos stretched allover his body as they released wisps of blood red flames that burnt away his robes and his clothes, leaving his light brown skin bare for all to see. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. If it was just the mask and the flames and the tattoos, not many people would have been shaken, after all they were all cultivators and seeing things that were weird strange and unique was not a rare thing for them. But it was the fiery shadow that showed up behind Alex that got everyone talking. It was over nine meters tall, and even if it was not as clear as most would want, it was still good enough that everyone knew exactly who or what they were looking at. The fiery spear in his hand, the rapidly rotating wheels underneath his feet, no one knew who spoke out first, but the moment he did, the onlookers of this bullying session turned supernatural display began to exclaim in shock and excitement. "Its Nezha!" "Who is that kid?" "Don''t you watch the news you idiot! That''s the once in ten thousand years talent with the supreme wind emperor physique, he''s the only grandson of former sect head Zhang Sanfeng! The first and only son of cloud mistress Zhang Su yan!" "Wow he''s must be not just talented, but also blessed by the Gods, look at that mask!" "Don''t say stupid things what do you mean blessed by the gods?" "You''re stupid, your mother is stupid, your whole family is stupid. If he was not blessed by the gods why then will the shadow of a god come out to protect him, do you feel the energy he''s using, that''s not Qi you idiot, it must be the divine energy of Gods. And Nezha is not just a god of fire, he''s also a god that protects and sacrifices himself for others, this is a bloody good omen! Great things must be in our Wudang''s future." Similar conversations were happening as everyone placed all of their attention on Alex, but all that this served to do was to rapidly increase the anger of Lu Wen. Everything was rapidly turning out contrary to his plans of wanting to put his step brother in place, and now everyone was looking at him like he was some sort of hero, a good omen for the sect. Even as cultivators it''s amazing how gullible humans can be after they experience a light show, but not Lu Wen, he still had all his thinking faculties intact. "What are you waiting for? ATTACK!!!" Lu Wen shouted at his servant who had similarly been awe struck by the display of power in front of him. Alex on the other hand had his mind clearer and sharper than ever before, with Nezha''s presence in his head and with him, the young boy felt more confidence and at peace with himself. He took a deep breath and kept his patience as the servant drew closer. The servant threw a punch at the still blazing Alex, but the spirit king moved his hands over the top of his opponents, and then softly redirected the force behind the strike, pushing his opponent to the side as he went past him. Alex was being embraced by fire right now, but somehow he felt at peace with the wind, at peace with his spirit and the sprit of the world. He moved his right leg backwards and waved his hands in a pattern that seemed to confuse the servant who was still coming back for more. The servant threw a kick, but this time Alex moved forward, his body gliding last the servant who''s momentum was still carrying him past Alex, but before he could completely move away, Alex slammed his shoulder into the servants body, both his hands clasped behind his back in a dignified fashion. "Oh my god! It''s Taichi!" Alex successfully brought shocks to the face of everyone again. Taichi was an art that wasn''t really hard to practice, but it was still difficult to master. Yet they were all clear about how long Alex has been in the sect, and given that he has not even spent a week here, his fluent use of the martial art was shocking beyond belief. But while they were all surprised, the servant fighting was in a world of pain. After Alex smashed his shoulder into the Servant''s, he took a step back as a sweltering heat invaded his body. The point of impact on his body had already been badly burnt as his clothes had been seared into his flesh, and the scent of cooked meat wafted into the air. The servant was in severe pain as a heat that completely burnt away his Qi ravaged through his meridians and organs, he was trying really hard to put a stop to it, but the advent of this energy was unstoppable, the servant realized with a startled disposition that the energy around Alex was not in anyway or form Qi. It was completely foreign, and it seemed Qi was falling prey to it. Soon enough the servant couldn''t resist as he spat out a mist of blood that rapidly became vapor and evaporated the moment it came in contact with the air. He went down to his knees screaming in pain as even his blood began to boil, it was in that moment there was a flash of light as an older looking man appeared and vanished with the servant, and soon enough Alex''s grandfather was there too, looking at the piercing orange eyes of his grandson and the shadow of a fire god behind him. The old man moved his sleeves aside and cupped his hands in reverence to the shadow, even though it seemed he was facing his grandson. "I thank the spirit of his holiness Nezha for protecting my grandson, this old man would take his duties more seriously." Much to the surprise of everyone, even Alex himself, Nezha replied. "See that you do old man! If anything should happen to the spirit king, then no amount of Qi or martial arts would save you people from the retaliation of the spirit world. And this is not a threat, just a friendly warning as you all are my people. His ancestors are a particularly nasty bunch, trust me I know." 48 Fire Spirit Mask II : Knowledge [ALL POWER MUST BE MASTERED, ALL ENERGY CONTROLLED. IT IS THE ADVENT OF SEEKING PERFECTION IN ALL THINGS THAT WE DO AND GAIN THAT HAS MADE US SO INCREDIBLY UNIQUE, AND THE VERITABLE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN. MANY BELIEVE THAT POWER CORRUPT, HOWEVER THE TRUE MEASURE OF HUMANITY STEMS FROM OUR REACTION AND ADAPTATION TO POWER. SIMPLE AS THAT MIGHT SOUND, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE''VE FALLEN SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS. BUT ITS NOT OUR FAULT, WE''RE FLAWED AND VERY MUCH BROKEN INSIDE FROM THE VERY MOMENT WE WERE BORN, THE IMPERFECT SEEKING PERFECTION. WE ARE HUMAN. BUT NO SINGLE POWER IS BAD, ONLY TWO THINGS MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO POWER AS A WHOLE, AND THAT''S WHAT YOU DO TO GET IT, AND HOW YOU USE IT. THAT''S THE TEST HUMANITY''S FACING, AND THAT''S TEST WE ALSO SEEM TO BE FAILING.] THE CHRONICLES OF THE FIRST KING OF MAN Alex once again found himself in the circular platform, at first it was just made of a dull gray stone, but right now there seem to be a demarcation on it. The direction that led to the archway of fire was lit up tiny embers of blood red flames. And this flames stretched from the midpoint of the platform and up the stars to the archway. "For a boy without knowledge about spirits, spirit kings and their abilities, you were surprisingly able to withstand the pressure of putting a mask on for the first time, and retaining your sanity through out the whole ordeal. Your mental fortitude and power is something that even the spirit kings of old would never have matched." To be honest at this point Alex had already grown numb to the amount of praises he''s had to receive. Yes he was talented in every aspect, great! Now if everyone could just stop repeating it like it was a mantra, then Alex would very much appreciate it. But never the less this was a chance for him to ask questions that have been plaguing him since he received the seven spirit masks, and the polymorphic piece of wood that held them. "I know you have lots of questions, and quite honestly I don''t really like it when people ask me questions. So it''s better if you just sit down and listen." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "As you well know there are beings, creatures in this world that exist under the normal glare of the mortal gaze. Some call them souls, others ghosts, but the thing is anything supernatural, with a consciousness, that exists within the confines of this mortal plane, or any other; is invariably and without a doubt a spirit. Just as there a numerous stars in the sky, so too are the amount of spirits in existence within the mortal world, and the spirit plane. Majority unfortunately don''t really care about life as a whole, some of them are drive by desires or an instinctual racial disposition that causes them to do harm. Spirits like ghosts, wraiths, nightmares and many others are drawn to the anima of any living being, their very life force, or in essence their spirit. Devouring this spirit, in much the same way Qi demons and beasts devour each other to grow and evolve, would help the spirits become more powerful and give them the chance to exert more control on mortal world. Most of the natural disasters that happen are almost never a cause of nature, rather powerful elemental spirits who just want to spill blood and cause trouble. It''s the spirit King''s job to keep the spirits in check, to serve as a bridge between the waking world of the mortals, and the unseen world of the supernatural. And in that regard it brings me to my next point, spirits are not the only things that a spirit king has to protect, protect against and rule. Qi might be the most prevalent practice, but back in my time the supernatural was even more vast, creature who could wield spirit energy of many forms to cause great good, or great damage. This world is not as simple as you think it is, werewolves, vampires, harpies, angels, demons, and true blooded dragons all exist. Hidden and forgotten by most of the world as Qi has taken center point in the advancement of power. But the practice of spirit has not been entirely forgotten. The witch doctors of the dark continent, the shamans of the new world, and the mages and wizards of the empire of Albion all practice variations of the art of spirit. And in doing so, without a king to control the traffic of spirit in the world, they''re all at risk of having their spirits devoured by malignant spirits. And now more than ever, since the spirit world is rearing for a war with the mortal world." This was a lot for Alex to take in, it was like saying underneath the Wulin and the cultivation world itself, was an even more powerful and secret world that had the potential of screwing everything over for everyone, it was absolutely mind blowing. "There has not been a spirit king for hundreds of years, without his rule and control, spirits have ran rampant, they''ve whispered evil and separated the world into multiple divisions, making everyone the enemy of the other, just so that spirits can come and invade and devour. And once they''re done here, they''ll move on to the next world, and the next, and the next. You see spirits are in essence anima, the energy and fuel that helps a mortal body move and breathe and live. When said mortal dies, his soul and anima will become one, and based on characteristics of race, behavior and abilities during their life time, it would decide what they will look like and become as spirits. But the thing about spirits is that just like humans, we want to grow stronger, we want power, and a chance to actually have mortal flesh again, to have blood and bones, a feat that only high level spirits or spirits born, rather than made have acquired. Which is why currently there are two main factions within and outside the spirit world, the faction of the living spirits, those that can actually live and interact with the mortal world, and the faction of the unseen spirits, very much like the ghosts you can''t see or touch. You have to find a balance between the two factions, and the mortal world, and defend it. Being spirit King is not just something that''s suddenly decided, it''s a cosmic duty born of destiny and balance. You could say the universe chose you, which is why it gave you the skills to survive both the cultivation world and the spirit world. Your talents, hour strengths were not given to you for nothing, it was so that you can protect the world and the people within it. But not just this world, your destiny spans countless worlds and your real kingdom is not even here, it''s waiting for you in the space between worlds, the gate realm. But that''s a story for another day, you understand what''s at stake here, and while putting such responsibility on your young shoulders might be too much, I know you will do the right thing. However just because you have to save the universe, doesn''t mean you can''t have a life. 49 Conviction When Alex opened his eyes it was to an unfamiliar ceiling, there was a particular scene in the air that seemed to clear and refresh his mind, but at the same time it was really thick and unpleasant to smell. He turned his head, and there was his mother looking at him. It was rather weird, but she didn''t say anything, all she did was stare and it made Alex really unsettled. "What sort of power was that?" She suddenly asked. Alex was disappointed, he really didn''t know what he was expecting. He was hoping that somehow his mother would be worried about his well being and the fact the was just in a fight with her step son. He might not have much say in the way his life is right now, but he at least wanted the family around to show more care. He knew power was important, but this was his own mother, and yet....she was so cold. "You didn''t tell me about your step son." He said to her as he got himself up to a sitting position. "Answer my Question!" his. Mother said to him with a raised voice. "You! Answer mine! You''re not my mother!" Alex might be soft spoken, quiet and kind, but he was by no means a coward. When it comes down to it, this young man was willing to face anybody and anything, and in this case it was his mother. But in the end he was still being just a child, he just had his ass handed to him by an annoying piece of shit step brother, and to be honest he was looking for someone to blame. Sure he turned his situation around, but it didn''t change the fact that he was humiliated, and it stung. "You don''t have to worry about him. Things in the sect are not as simple as they seem, and even if I explain anything to you, at your age, as you are now, you wouldn''t be able to understand. We sacrifices for the greater good, something that you''ve come to understand, but don''t seem to have fully comprehended. Your step brother is a result of a sacrifice I made, but like I said don''t worry about him." And then she fell silent as she looked at Alex seemingly wanting to say something, but having no idea how to, then she sighed as said. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. But you have to understand one thing Alexander, you''re my son. And no matter how many mistakes I''ve made, other might make, I live for your and your sister, for your futures, and to make sure you guys are happy and safe. So I need you to trust me, it''s the only way I can truly keep you safe." This was probably the most she had spoken to him ever since they met, but at the very least there was an understanding to be had from what she said. Alex was surprised, but in the end this was his mother, and he can''t really say she''s completely failed as a mother if he doesn''t give her a chance to make right her wrongs. The question was whether or not her sincerity was real, he might not have been betrayed yet, But even Alex knew that this new world of his ran on power, and it was probably smarter if he didn''t trust anybody, not even his mother. But in the end he still had to tell her something, this could be test he gave her, to show whether or not she actually care about him. And so Alex told her about spirit kings and spirit masks and spirits. About his ancestors from his father''s side, an ancient line or spirit kings, a mantle that''s only given to someone specially chosen by the universe. To others this might seem like the rambling of a fourteen year old boy hoping to be special, but Alex was already special, maybe too special in fact. Something extra was not really needed but it''s there, and with this addition he became not just talented in the eyes of his mother, but also a monster to his peers, obviously you could not attribute the word normal to Alex anymore, quite frankly and truthfully, he was no beyond the scope of human comprehension. His mother left a few hours later, he was still in his allocated manor, just in a room that had bee assigned as an infirmary. After telling her everything he had to tell her, all she could tell him to do was train and prepare for the sect competition in a few months. Alex couldn''t help the feeling that he had somehow gotten into more danger than he already is in. 50 Scholar Fan I : The Royal Family [Blind determination is the path of fools, focus is a virtue of a true hero. It''s never wise to just run towards something in particular, to wholeheartedly place your mind, spirit, soul and body into a specific goal that you would forget to see and take notice of the world around you. Such determination is mostly admired, but if you forget to even live, then what''s the point of being determined, what''s the point of power. Sometimes just living would take you to the goal you seek, without even having to worry about the hazards and dangers of life fucking you over.] Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. UNKNOWN There were three months before the half quarter sect competition between disciples in the mortal gate of the sect. Alex wanted to participate as there would be rewards to help him increase his cultivation speed and his power. Of course he could just as easily ask for help and money from his grandfather, but he did not what everything handed down to him. It might sound stupid, but this was a lesson his father had taught and imparted on him, it was one of the principles that shaped his childhood, and he was not yet ready to throw it away. For the past few days Alex had been receiving lessons from an old man who introduced himself as Scholar Fan. For the most part Alex couldn''t sense any sort of QI or energy from him, but never the less he didn''t doubt for one second that this man was powerful. But at the moment this man was his teacher, and it was not in the way of cultivation or martial arts, but rather in other subjects that might seem useless to others, but was of the ultimate importance to a person of his position. It has only been a week since Scholar Fan had started teaching Alex, but Alex fleet like it has been years. The scholar had forbidden him from cultivating for a month, and entire month! For someone like Alex who wanted to go strong as fast as possible, this was like torture to him. But Scholar Fan was adamant, stating that he wouldn''t let any other things clutter the mind of his student. He was rather strict with his lessons, but he was not shy about giving praises either. So Scholar Fan taught him history, taught him etiquette and geography and the current state of the world. He taught him politics and the art of war and the best possible ways of how a young master of a sect can behave and act. It was a lot to take in, but Alex was a sponge for knowledge, in fact it was what he liked better than even cultivating; learning! In this day and age, there''s a word for people like Alex, they called them nerds. "So young master Alex, the current imperial dynasty of the empire of heaven, where does it originate from?" Scholar Fan asked as he folded his hands behind his back, and walked around the massive tree Alex was currently sitting under. "The Imperial family, are know as the Long dynasty. The name of our emperor is Long Han, and he''s roughly 400 years old. The Long Dynasty originated from the higher plane of existence called the Heaven Star Universe, and it''s the direct lineage of Supreme Heaven''s gate empire, which is also a sect. They''re the ultimate power there, and they became the emperor is the youngest son of the current god king of the Heaven star universe. Our current emperor Long Han has three imperial empresses and 7 imperial concubines. He has 13 sons and 22 daughters, with the youngest daughter being roughly sixty years old, and the oldest son who is also the crown prince being a 143 years old. There five branch families under the emperor Long Han, our current Sect Master Long Yu is a part of one of this branch families, making him and all of his progeny a part of the imperial bloodline. The imperial bloodline is rumored to be descended from true fire dragons of the primordial era. They are natural masters of the fire element and their Qi cultivation/ Martial art [THE FIERY SCRIPTURES OF BURNING HEAVENS] is known as one of the most sophisticated and destructive techniques in the world right now, and it''s right on par with the top techniques of the five main sects. Our Wudang sect has to pay tribute and homage to the king every year, and because our sect master is a member of his clan, our sect is not better than a common dog at the behest of the emperor, besmirching our good name¡­.." *Whack!!* "Owww!" Alex called out in indignation. "Young Master Alex you should pay attention to the words you say, your position is rather precarious and one that has many eyes on you. If someone else were to hear you, they would accuse you of treason, and if that should happen, nothing, not even your powerful grandfather can save you from the trouble that will come your way." Alex looked as his teacher with a dead pan look on his face as he said. "Those were your exact words, every syllable." Alex shot back at his teacher with a dull tone. 51 Scholar Fan II : 8th Stage Open Meridian Realm There were resources within the sect that could definitely help to increase his cultivation and his cultivation speed, however both his teacher Scholar Fan and his grandfather believed that it would be better for Alex to train and grow during the early stages of his cultivation without relying on external help. And Alex knew he had a rather ridiculously fast cultivation speed, if he so wished he could probably be at the peak of the open Meridian realm before the month ends, and since now, all. Of his focus would be on cultivating, that was his aim. According to Laozi, the tree on his still unarmed mountain peak was a thousand year old blood sakura tree. After living for over a thousand years, it''s original pink flowers bad turned blood red, and it bloomed all year long. The tree for the most path purified the QI and energy on the peak of the mountain, in very much the same way common plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen in turn. The tree tool in the impure world Qi, refined it, and released it out back onto the peak, making cultivation that much faster and smoother. Alex was currently found under this tree with his eyes closed and his legs folded. He tool in deep breaths as he began to recite the [WUDANG HEART SUTRA]taking in energy and allowing it to flow through his body based on revolution recorded on the technique. Previously Alex had already opened nine meridians, and when he was unconscious after putting on the fire mask and activating Nezha''s power, he had inadvertently opened two more, making for a total of 14 meridians out of the 108 he needs to open. The moment Alex began absorbing the energy of the world, pure unrestrained Qi rushed into his body from the already open 14 meridians. Before meridians are opened, cultivators rely mostly on their seventh apertures to absorb Qi. Their mouth, nostrils, ears, skin, and eyes. It was a rather slow process, but that gave enough energy to temper the body in the body refining realm. But once the first meridian is opened, the speed of absorption increases exponentially, and every twelve meridian opened, would boost that speed even more. "The Second stage of the open Meridian realm." It was a pleasant feeling having reached such heights, but Alex''s fourteen year old body have been starved for energy in a very long time. He grew up in a village where Qi was stable and abundant, but he was not allowed to cultivate, and even if he did, he didn''t even have a proper cultivation manual that would have helped him reach his highest potential. Even Anya who got a chance to cultivate by just relying on meditation, was only able to get to the second level of the open Meridian realm after six years of cultivating. But now they would both be in a place where QI is in even more abundance and they had access to training materials common village children would never have imagined or dreamed they could get their hands on. Even if they wanted to slow down, the energy starved overly talented bodies would not have let them, at this point it would be like dam that''s broken, and Qi would flood across their entire body until their thirsty bodies have had their feel. Alex was only able to enjoy the feeling of advancing to the second stage of the open meridian realm for fifteen seconds, before the energy entering his body rage forwards and the twenty fifth meridian opened up. Alex already had experience with the onslaught of energy in his body, he knew that it was almost impossible to stop, which was why he didn''t and just focused on running the [WUDANG HEART SUTRA], And just like that, half an hour later his 36th meridian opened up, and he stepped into the third stage of the open Meridian realm. Qi flooded his body, tempering his flesh, organs and bones. Increasing his physical strength by multiple levels and pushing him ever closer to the peak of power that he was aiming for. Forty-five minutes later, he stepped into the fourth stage, and at this point the spirits of air and nature were already dancing around him, his growth in power affecting even the mist above his mountain peak as the blood red petals of the thousand year Sakura tree began to float around his body. His Servant Laozi was stuck watching this scene in front of him with abject shock etched onto his face. This was unlike anything he''s ever seen before, and the very idea that someone could advance this fast just by training made him scared and terrified. There was no way that level of progression was normal, if it went on like this, how old would he be once he enters the earth gate, in fact it might not even take him up to 250 years like his grandfather to reach the peak of the earth gate and step into the heaven gate, becoming ever closer to the path of divinity. It was in this shocked state that Scholar Fan, who found that he was rather fond of his new student decided to pay the young master a visit, and give him a few pointers and extra lessons about their Kamasutra topic yesterday. Rather, he arrived just in time to see the young mam directly sore into the sixth level of the open Meridian realm. The old man was so shocked that he fell back onto his ass, his eyes widened to epic proportions. It was not as if there were no fourteen year old at the open meridian realm, heck if not for some few special cases, Alex should be the oldest open meridian realm practitioner in the entire sect, there were numerous talents here and the least a fourteen year old can probably achieve in a sect as powerful and resourceful as Wudang, is probably the sixth or seventh level of the open Dantian realm. However! None of the jumped five stages in the span of one night! Going from the first stage of the open Meridian realm, all the way to sixth stage, and gradually heading to the seventh. This was not normal, it was fucking insane and monstrous, even the most talented of all the cultivators in the history of the Wudang sect, could achieve what this young man just did. Alex completely oblivious to the looks of shock and wonder he was causing, continued to advance as he broke the glass ceiling of the seventh level, and stepped into the eight, almost giving a heart attack to both his teacher and servant. But this was enough as the onslaught of energy within his body began to calm down, his flesh, bones, organs and meridians feeling tired from the massive amount of Qi they just received an revolved around his body, but also refreshed and stronger. Alex opened his eyes and saw his teacher sitting on the ground and his servant standing on shaky legs and looking at him like they had seen a ghost. His servant cleared his throat and asked. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Young master? How?....how...how many meridians have you opened?" Alex wasn''t really sire what the fuss was all about, but he decided to give them the answer either way, there really wasn''t anything wrong right? "100 meridians, almost got the 101st opened, but my body is a little too tired and I need to consolidate and get used to my new strength." *Bang!* Alex didn''t need to finish his comment, his teacher fell over backwards fainting from too much shock. But even then both Alex and Laozi could hear him muttering. 52 Gaining Knowledge 1 [We all know that cultivation is a path to power, but it would be beyond foolish if one doesn''t realize it''s true purpose. And that is to gain knowledge about the intricasies of the universe and how it works. A popular proverb says that Knowledge is power, that''s very true, and with power you can acquire even more knowledge to grow even more stronger. There''s plenty to be learnt in the Wulin, and each additional knowledge, no matter how long it takes to learn would always be a power that solely belongs to you. Take every chance gained as a cultivator, and learn, and learn, and LEARN!!!] THE UNDEAD KING''S PERSONAL JOURNALS Alex trudged behind his teacher as they made their way towards a high rise building located on a small hill. The day was slightly overcast, and after his rather inhuman display of talent yesterday, his teacher; Scholar Fan had decided that Alex needed another outlet to focus his energy and also refine his Qi. "I''ve had a little talk with your grandfather, and we both believe that it''s a little too dangerous to leave you practicing on your mountain peak. There has to be something else that would keep your focus, and then help you refine the energy that''s in your body. That''s why we''ve both decided to hand you over to elder Nie Zhou; the elder in charge of the Hall of Convocation. He''s also a purple grade alchemist, and a blue grade array master. His the in the top three alchemist in the entire world, and ranked seventeenth worldwide when it comes to the arts of formation and array. You''re going to be learning from him for the next one and the half months. But you should keep a tight schedule, so from sun up till three hours after noon, you''re to report to the hall of convocation and learn everything you can. Then after that you''re to return to your mountain peak and practice your martial arts for the rest of the day until two hours after sundown. After that you go to sleep, then rinse and repeat. You get Sundays off, you should understand that sometimes it''s not the quantity of Qi that you have that matters, it''s the quality." Alex nodded his head in agreement with his teacher''s words, even though he still found the entire situation a bit awkward, he had no choice but to go with it for now. Alex followed elder Fan into the sixty floors building dedicated solely to the practice, understanding and creation of pills, weapons/armors/technology, and arrays. Alex didn''t know much about the cultivation world, but he doubted there was another building as extravagant as this. The arrangement of the floors were actually just for show, and it did not mean that the three departments were competing, especially so since the array and alchemical department are ran by the same person. However each department still try to come up with the best possible products that they can, so as to get more resources allocated to them by the sect. So while there was no official or open air competition, each department still wanted to be the best. When Scholar Fan brought Alex to the top floor and requested to meet elder Nie Zhou, even citing that it was on request if the former sect master Zhang Sanfeng, but the elder refused to see them. It left Alex very shocked and annoyed Scholar Fan to no end. Alex had no idea what was going on, but there''s a possibility this elder was on equal standing with his grandfather, and they were not in good terms. Left without any other choice, Scholar Fan had to rent a study room with contribution points, and then gather quite a few theoretical knowledge on both alchemy, arrays and blacksmiths. Alex thought that this was indeed the best course of action, the only problem was that each thoeroetical knowledge came in ten inch thick books with no less than fifteen volumes each. Meaning Alex had to absorb knowledge from forty five books, and this were all just theories and introductions, not techniques or methods about how to forge, create pills or arrays. Even with his ridiculous ability to absorb knowledge, this was beyond ridiculous. "You don''t have to look so traumatized Young Master Alex, I don''t expect you to learn everything. Just study a few volumes and then experiment by trying to create something. Also you will have to earn the contribution points needed to buy your materials yourself, this are your grandfather''s orders, he wants you to be resourceful. There quite a number of ways for you to get contribution points, when you need then, you would eventually find out how. But get knowledge, knowledge is power, it will help you grow. See you later." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. With that said Scholar Fan left the room and the automated sliding doors closed with a click. Alex shook his head and gave the training/practice room a glance, it was the size of a penthouse apartment, there were three rooms that seemed catered to the practice of alchemy, arrays and blacksmithing. Then there was a bathroom and what looked like a bedroom. He was in the main area that had a set of white and gold furniture, and the window opened out into the view of the mountains around him. This training room was on the 45th floor, so it was quite a ways up, and seeing how extravagant it was, Alex was Sure Scholar Fan had paid a hefty price for it. He didn''t mind anyway, but since this was what he''s been given, he would try to make the best of it. So Alex turned and took a seat, picking up the first book that his hand touched. (INTRODUCTION TO ALCHEMY FOR DUMMIES! VOL.1) 53 Gaining Knowledge 2 Alex was a solitary person, he had spent a month in the hall of Convocation, but he had not even made a single friend. He had kept to his schedule as he drowned himself in books and study. Alex envisioned that people who actually just decided to focus on their education and went on to universities lived like this. It was just study upon study upon study. The first things he needed understanding of was the basics of the three topics, which most of the time had to be just the identification of the raw materials that was required for them. In just the first week alone, Alex had memorized thousands upon thousands of individual plants, herbs, fruits, moss, leaves, grass, trees and sea weeds that had a multitude of different effects. Alchemy had the most information to be absorbed, but it was mainly just a matter era of being able to cram and identifying everything he''s had to learn. Alex had two cultivation paths, and if not just for the normal cultivation of Qi alone, his spirit cultivation would afford him great advancements and evolution to his mental faculties, acuity, and versatility. Which is to say all cultivators and spirit kings were geniuses by virtue of their Cultivation. There were three volumes of biology that Alex had to memorize, the first had to deal with plants, the second had to deal with beasts of all kind. And the third had to deal with what the book had labeled as the treasures of heaven and earth. This were materials that were not naturally in existence like plants or even demonic beasts, but rather were Born as a result of a plethora of natural phenomenon. More often than not this treasures of heaven an earth would be found on other worlds or pocket dimensions that overlooked with earth, heck some were even listed as being inky capable of existing beyond the boundaries of life, which is to say you can only find it in the land of the dead. But that was just alchemy, before going into the understanding of the techniques behind it, what you needed to do was be capable of recognizing it''s materials and their effects. But even with the sheer amount of knowledge he had to master and digest, Alex had only taken a week to have a light memorization of them down, and used another three days to fully comprehend everything. With that done, the next would have been him moving on to practical applications, but he got greedy, rather than just focusing on one alone, Alex wanted to dabble with the others, so he went after Blacksmith next. The amount of information he needed to assimilate and digest from blacksmithing wasn''t as much as alchemy or arrays, in fact it had the shortest amount of information to be memorized. There were thousands of metallic ores, but not up to the dozens of thousands that was for plants. And then next he memorized about the treasures of heaven and earth that had to do with blacksmithing. Funny enough, many of the information Alex had learnt correlated with most of the info from alchemy, so it was quite easy for him to remember those animals and plants that could actually provide multiple profession materials in both alchemy and blacksmithing. Of the three professions, Blacksmithing was the most physically demanding, alchemy demanded lot''s of resources and a great deal of talent, and arrays required both talent, resources, and a shit load of mental strength. Which was why there were less array masters than blacksmiths and alchemists, and less alchemists than blacksmiths. After mastering the basic knowledge from blacksmithing, something that Alex knew Anya had studied a bit in the past on the behest of his dad, he turned his attention to arrays. Alex had more patience than Anya, even though Alex was not allowed to cultivate which was stupid no matter how many times he thought about it, his father knew Alex was more suited to arrays than Anya. According to what his dad had said, most arrays worked best in the hands of blacksmiths. The blacksmith vocation was a whole lot more complicated and important than the other two. Another name for blacksmiths were Qi engineers. Basically they built modern technology as it is, and it was in tandem with array masters that they were able to incorporate great effects into the creations, like forging a ship that could travel and tear through space, traveling through spatial tunnels to arrive in another location. It was a symbiotic operation that has been going for s very long time. After digesting the basic blacksmith knowledge that had to do memorizing, he jumped to arrays. He already had a basic foundation on arrays, but when he saw the basic knowledge in front of him, he realized that his knowledge would barely be considered a drop in the ocean. You can compare the simple text books found in a village library to what the Wudang sect had to offer. So had he had to scrap everything he had learnt and started from the bottom, building a proper foundation. Arrays also required memorization, there were twelve basic arrays, and nine elemental arrays that served as the foundation blocks for the beginner knowledge. The twelve basic arrays were the: [PUSH, PULL, HIDE, REVEAL, DEFEND, ATTACK, SLEEP, AWAKE, SPEED, SLOW, GROW, DECAY] Each of this basic arrays had simple strokes that they were formed from, however once you begin to move those strokes and symbols, even perfectly incorporating the other basic arrays, you can create new combinations and new arrays, causing a variety of new effects. For example the push, pull, speed and a couple of elemental combination arrays formed the basis for the arrays that made it possible for a spatial gate to exist and connect from one tunnel to another. The nine element arrays included: [FIRE, WATER, EARTH, AIR, LIGHTNING, DARK, LIGHT, LIFE, DEATH] the elemental arrays can be combined too, and in the process new elements can be born. Fire and water gave you steam, dark, light, and earth combined gave you gravity, whilst fire, air and lightening gave you plasma. Alex was sure he would have lots of time to experiment in the future. He had to thoroughly study the basic and elemental arrays until he could actual draw them in his sleep, and that alone took him a while two weeks. When combined with the time he used in learning alchemy and blacksmithing knowledge, obviously arrays were a lot harder. As it stands he only had two weeks before he had to go back and refine his martial arts for the competition that was six weeks away. He wanted to get started on getting some resources, but to do that he would contribution points. There were some sect missions and tasks he could carry out to be able to get the points he needed, however those will be time consuming and he would not have as much time as needed to experiment. So instead he would focus on the advance basic knowledge, especially on blacksmithing, since blacksmithing would provide him some of the materials he would need for his arrays, and even help him forge a furnace for his alchemy. It wasn''t too bad of an idea, knowledge is power after all, and after the competition regardless of whatever rank he gets, he would be able to at least get a few contribution points for participating. With that out of the way, he would be able to focus on his vocations. 54 Four Seasons Of The Weeping World I : Sword Of Summer Alex might be just a fourteen year old boy, but there was a quality that set him apart from most boys his age, and that was his patience. The basic knowledge of the three vocations were memorized, but even he knew that they weren''t mastered yet. No matter how talented he was, a month and the half was not enough time for him fully comprehend the intricacies behind the vocations, so he snuck into lessons being held in the vocation hall. The teachers never seemed to notice him, or maybe they did and just chose to ignore him, but never the less the missing part of his knowledge, which in this case was the experience and perception of masters more familiar with the vocations than he was. It was a refreshing experience for him, but eventually his allocated month and the half of study came to an end. There was just a month left until the sect competition, and he knew it was about time for him refine his combat abilities. For this stage of his training, Alex was going to be mostly relying on himself, so far he has had a few teachings about cultivation and techniques imparted on him by his father, uncle, and mother. But every single one of them just gave him the basis and expected him to master everything himself, which was why today Alex was going to focus on his sword skills, but he was going to be using it with his fire mask! The [Four Seasons Of The Weeping World] only had the south sword of summer mastered, a moved that focused mainly of destructive fiery hits. Today Alex was going to try to comprehend the north sword of summer with a fiery defensive technique, and then spend his remaining time learning the east sword of summer which a controlling move, and the west sword of summer which was a move that focused on speed. It might seem complicated, but it wasn''t that hard. The remaining three seasons which focused on the fundamentals of other elements also followed the same templates, only the amount of damage and effects they had was quite different. The summer sword focused on fire, which means all of it''s move was destructive and burns, it was a versatile skill tailored to the supreme power of the four main elements, yet it was balanced and covered all the bases. Alex held west wind and east cloud in his hands and took a deep breath, he let himself sink into the profoundness of the sword art in his hand. There was more to the sword than just being versatile, heck even a spear is more versatile than a sword. However a sword has always been a man''s ideal weapon, capable of doing much and so little at the same time. However the wind that blew was not cool or refreshing as it was before, rather it was scorching hot and even the grass beneath his feet seemed to start wilting rapidly. In all honesty Alex had not really paid attention to any of his martial skills, he''s just been so swept up in the motion of life that it''s become really hard for him to properly place focus on them, but this time he was sinking in deep. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. He first went through the motions, understanding the concept behind each sub move for the fiery summer sword. In no time at all the wind and cloud element blades blazed up, their dull grey form blazing with a rage that even the fire that was used to forge them wouldn''t even compare. If it was anyone else, just getting the blades to turn red was enough, but right now Alex was wearing the fire mask, he was in control and he had access to the profound flames of the world, this was his moment! [South Sword Of Summer!] Alex roar as both blades swung left and right releasing a powerful wave of flames that scorched the grass within a three meter radius. It might not be much, but Alex was still just in the opened meridian realm, and it should be impossible to give his Qi an attribute since his Dantian was not yet open yet, but Alex had his spirit mantis, and the fire mask was a big cheat. Alex didn''t stop as he jumped back, both swords held in a reverse grip as he started swirling them around his body. [North Sword Of Summer!] An intricate net of flames suddenly came alive around him, or rather it would be easier to explain it as a deal made from yarn like flames gathered around his form but tight enough to be seen. Nothing could come close to Alex, heck it even seemed as if the very air that was coming close to him was also getting burned. The ground was scorched black and copying scent of burnt grass clung to the air. Then all of a sudden Alex sheathed both swords by his side, both of them hanging over his left hip. He took a stance, bringing himself crouching low to the ground as placed both hands on his swords and took a deep breath. Deep within his body, everything seemed to have slowed down, even his heartbeat and blood flow. However the Qi in his body was rapidly being absorbed and held captive by his meridians, those tiny gateways into his body acted like a dam that absorbed Qi and held it in place for Alex as he prepared for this move, and then. [West Sword Of Summer!] There was barely any flames released, all that could be seen was a sharp and very fast red glow that appeared and disappeared in an instant. The only those accompanying sound was that of both swords returning into their sheathes with a resounding click. Everything within Alex''s body resumes their motion as his heart beat began to race once again. In front of him, just a meter away on the ground was a smooth incision on the ground, if someone just took a look at it, they would think they were just looking at a line drawn by a stick, but it went deeper. It was a cut a meter deep in the ground, if he had sued this move against a person then it would have split them in half. Alex made to move forward, about to use the fourth sword of summer, however his heart shook and blood gushed out from his throat and flew out his mouth. There was an intense pain in his chest and in his head, and at that moment he heard Nezha''s voice screaming at him. "Enough! You''re pushing your luck using the fire mask to practice with weapons not suited for it. Don''t make any more moves, go take a rest and keep your swords safe. There would be a chance for you to use someday, but for now they won''t help you. This martial skill you''re practicing is not only meant for swords, I''ve seen the fundamentals behind it, and because of that I know the summer season is tailored for a spear! Tomorrow I will teach you the basics of a halberd, then you can use the south season skills with it! Now..." But it was too late as Alex''s vision went dark and he fell to the huge latch of burnt and still burning grass in front of him. His last though only being on Nezha''s words as he asked himself a question. 55 Half Year Sect Competition I : Begins [The art of weapons is relative to the individual who chooses to use it. It is believed that weapons can never be mastered, and that even if you spend a thousand years with your sword, on the one thousand and first year, you would still find new ways to swing it. But never the less it''s better to be a master of one weapons than a user of many, not everyone has the mental fortitude and skill to master the foundations and use of multiple weapons, without a doubt people who embark on this path are fools without a single shred of sense. It is better to be a master than a jack of all trades, because jack of all trades never master anything.] ONE MONTH LATER Alex pulled at the neckline of his uniform completely annoyed by the material the uniform was made from. Laozi looked apologetically at his young master, knowing without a doubt that he was victim of a prank from some of the servants in charge of the disciples laundry. Obviously none of them would have taken the initiative to do such a thing, they were put up to it by someone else. But even then Alex looked really good, the robes might by coarse and rough, but he still looked incredibly smart and handsome. The sect half year competition was quite important, especially for the disciples themselves seeing as they would be able to earn not just contribution points from practicing, but also pills and possible a chance to be taken in as a personal disciple of an elder. For the leadership of the sect, this was a chance for them to unearth new gems and cultivate those gems into supreme talents. And now more than ever seeing as the triennial inter-sect competition was just a year away, and they needed to train their best disciples to represent them at the competition. At the very least that''s what''s known, but the sect competition also had a deeper meaning than most. Extremely talented disciples would be sent to the sovereign kingdom of Australia, where the joint academy of martial and magical prowess was located. The name of the academy is not really known, but talents from both the empire of Albion and the empire of heaven all head there every year to become part of squads that would face the ever growing threats of Qi demons, and the nefarious activities of the brotherhood. It was an opportunity to learn from the bests, and discover if you have talents for other different forms of cultivation, like mages and knights. Laozi however doubted Alex would ever get a chance to experience all this, the halo over his head was just to bright, everyone had their eyes on him, and enemies more than allies. It''s why Laozi was worried that Alex''s grandfather would not allow his only grandson to roam the world and grow stronger and mingle with others. It was hard to say what his stance was going to be like a year from now, so all Laozi could do was hope the halo around his young master was bright enough to protect him and give him a strength not common to most. The sect competition today was being held at the massive Arena, however multiple platforms have been raised to accommodate the challenges between every Qi realm within the mortal gate. The arena alone was built to accommodate competitions between heaven gate cultivators, this particular group of people had enough power to blow up the moon from a thousand meters underneath the sea surface. They were just that powerful, so the ridiculously large arena was built for that reason. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. However due to it''s largeness, it serves as more than enough space for the competition about to happen. However even though this was a competition divided amongst the mortal gate realms, there was no one in the body refining realm here, and even the weakest open meridian realm was already in the ninth stage just like Alex and was preparing to step into the open Dantian realm. The real competition was between cultivators within the open Dantian realm, the true essence and true element realm. There was no platform for body refining realm martial artist, and the open meridian realm cultivators had to fight in a battle royal to quickly decide the outcome of their own battle. After that the competition would start in earnest as the other cultivators in the higher realms would pick numbers that pit them against random opponents. Sometimes if an open meridian realm cultivator is strong enough, he would be allowed to fight those of a higher realm, though he or she obviously won''t reach to high of rank if not being at the outright bottom. Alex moved forwards saying goodbye to Laozi as he went to stand amongst the other open Meridian realm cultivators, many of which were only just about 12 and 13 years old, making him the oldest here. Of course such a scene would have been a cause for mockery, but considering Alex has only been cultivating for the better part of four months and has crossed two realms and almost at the third, he was leagues above this people who have been cultivating ever since they were eight, some even younger. But never the less it didn''t mean Alex wasn''t conscious about the fact that he was the oldest within the particular group. But thankfully Alex didn''t have to dwell on that as a massive holographic image suddenly appeared, hung over the heads of everyone in the Arena. "That''s Second Elder Jian!" Alex heard someone say from behind him, he was about to ask who this Second Elder Jian was, but the hologram started speaking. "Welcome everyone to the second half year tournament between the mortal gate disciples of our illustrious Wudang sect. This time there would be a few changes implemented as we expect more from our disciples for the events that are to come. Cultivators at the open meridian realm can fight as per usual, however from the open Dantian realm upwards, the use of weapons and killing techniques are allowed. Although killing is still forbidden, and whoever breaks that rule would be punished if not out rightly executed on the spot! The goal is to help all of you push yourself to the limit and unearth your full potential. And as such the rewards have also improved. The top ten fighters in each realm, even the open meridian realm would be allowed to spend a day in dragon blood Qi lake, and after that they would be allowed entrance into the sects repository and allowed to choose new techniques. Also a prize of 200 contribution points would be given to the top ten in the opener meridian realm, 400 for the top ten in the open Dantian realm, 800 for the true essence realm, and 1600 contribution points for the true element realm. 56 Half Year Sect Competition II : Battle Royale Alex made his way on the larger battling platform that had been out aside for the open meridian competition. He was standing there with the rest of the twelve to thirteen year old. Obviously he had a lot of eyes on him due to the fact he was the oldest here, and Alex didn''t have a thick enough skin that he would be able to ignore all of the whispers that were going around, it wasn''t something he was used to. But thankfully he didn''t have to wait to long for this wave of embarrassment would end as a loud gong resounded across the arenas, and barely after the last person got on top of the platform. The entire place exploded into a shower of animosity as everyone turned on each other with swords, daggers, and fans. The reputation of the Wudang sect was built on their great cultivation techniques, but also on their superb sword skills. So while they were other weapons used to train and fight, the sword was the mainstream weapon within the sect, and at the moment eleven of them were pointing straight for Alex. This was a predetermined moved, and even though it was coming from a group of twelve to thirteen year old, it didn''t make it any less dangerous, especially since weapons and their inflicted injuries were now allowed within the competition as long as the person doesn''t die, but obviously someone can also be crippled. There wasn''t a technique in this world that can regenerate a lost limb, heck organs could regenerated, but once you''ve lost an arm or a leg, that was it. 38 of Alex''s 108 meridians were located on his back all the way to his tail bone. As he was slowly being surrounded, gleaming metal pointed from every direction as his vitals, his meridians expanded, almost as if there were breathing as they took in Qi, and almost immediately they blasted out of his back creating illusory black wings that sent him up into the air and above the strike of the group of ruthless teenagers that just tried to poke him full of holes. [SIX KINGS OF BEAST ART: SHADOW-WIND DRAGON EAGLE] *SCREEEEEEEEE!* Alex ignored the scream of pain as he shifted his body a bit and a spear coasted by, he slammed the entire back of his hand on the person''s chest, unfortunately the springy feeling let him know he had just hit a girl, and even though it wasn''t as bountiful considering she was still growing, it was rather embarrassing. The cry of indignation that rang out as she crashed into the crowd was more than enough to bring a tinge of red to Alex''s brown skin. A sword swept towards his feet, but Alex turned using a round house kick to jump and slam his feet into the face of the person trying to attack him. Unfortunately he as left off balance as someone slammed their shoulders into his midriff and threw him to the unforgiven concrete platform that as Alex slammed unto, he realized was carved with brail like figures of mythical creatures. Or rather it wasn''t as if he didn''t know the platform was this way, he just didn''t care enough until he was the next being slammed into it. The person who slammed into him was thrown on the ground right besides Alex, apparently he lost his balance when he went after him. Alex reacted almost instinctually, slithering like a snake until his arms were wrapped around the body of a thirteen year old and fair skinned boy. Alex didn''t hesitate as he got back up to his feet and raised the boy into the air. [SKY PYTHON SLAMS EARTH!] There was a loud whoosh as Qi escaped from Alex''s meridians, increasing his speed as he brought the opponent in his hand slamming down unto the ground with an unforgiven glint in his eyes. *BOOM!* The boy spat out a significant amount of blood and immediately passed out as blood seemed to rapidly pool around his head where he had cracked it onto the platform. Alex grabbed the boy and reached the edge of the platform in no time, and didn''t hesitate as he threw the kid towards the medic station around the platform. However even though he was trying to something good and he had received a bit of respect from the other disciples for it, he was still in a fight, and obviously he was one of the most dangerous fighters on this platform, someone would want to take advantage of his absent mindedness to get him off the platform. A dagger stabbed towards his kidney, but Alex turned with a flourish, his sleeves seemingly flapping with the wind as the person trying to stab him went past him and stepped of the platform, much to the shock of a lot of people who thought he was done for. Someone else came throwing a punch, his meridians all open wide absorbing Qi in massive spades as he slammed it into Alex''s chest. A hit of this magnitude should be enough to blast even someone in the open Dantian realm off the platform, there was just no way for Alex to be able to properly handle it. However just as the punch was just three inches away from his chest, Alex moved forwards, his hands moving and seemingly slow yet at the same time fast, some people didn''t even see how he moved, as his palm met the closed fist of his opponent and he pushed it to the side and raised it over his head in a circular motion, bringing it to rest on his other side, the power and Qi behind the strike completely dissipated. His opponent was beyond shocked as he opened his mouth wide, almost as he was staring at an eight wonder of the world. "Tai-Chi...¡­" Whispers of the martial arts Alex just used resonated across the entire arena. But while his opponent was paralyzed by shock, Alex curled his finger into a fist and allowed his meridians to absorb a huge amount of Qi, so much so that the wind around him was even disturbed. [IRON VIPER STRIKE!] *BANG!!* Alex felt ribs getting crushed beneath his full powered single strike, his opponents flew across the battling platform, crossing a twenty meter distance before coming to a stop right in the middle of the platform. Everyone else paused as they stared at Alex and the power he was able to elicit with just his fist alone, but this fight was not over yet, and this time Alex was taking the Initiative. He crushed down, his back bunched up in a weird way as Qi slowly swirled around him. [SIX KINGS OF BEAST ART: SHADOW-WIND DRAGON EAGLE] There was a blast of Qi as Alex shot into the crowd of fighters, he moved with a single minded focus that quickly turned into a monotonous repetition as he punched, kicked, pulled and threw people off the platform in droves. An strangely enough through all that chaos, there was not a single weapon that even touched his clothes much less his body. Alex had a body that had been nourished by Qi and at the same time starved of Qi since he was a baby, it could be said he has been cultivating right from the womb. And being put it in a proper place with the tools to achieve great things, Alex fully displayed his true born innate skills. But his true talent did not come from his physique or his spirit king abilities. Rather it came from his mind, what this young man didn''t know yet, was that he had a man hardwired for battle, and not in the wild berserk way, but rather in a fast and calculative way. Alex used the least amount of force and Qi to achieve the most optimum and maximum results. The young disciples of the sect didn''t notice this trait, but the veterans here knew what they were seeing. For all intents and purposes, Alex was in total control of the battlefield, scheming, plotting and executing perfect battle plans at the drop of a hat, and winning in an extreme yet marvelously eloquent way. And the worst part was that this kid had no idea what he was doing, the veterans of the sect; Alex''s grandfather included shuddered to think about how much more dangerous this boy would be once he realize what he could do on a battlefield. 57 Half Year Sect Competition III : Fierce The elimination battles continued for another fifteen minutes until all that was left on the battling platform where ten fighters, six of which where girls and the rest boys with Alex being one of them. Eventually everyone had started avoiding Alex, so all he could do was sit down and relax his strained meridians. But now that there were ten left, the fight to decided the ranking for the top ten would commence. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. It was still the same elimination format, and just like before they all wanted to ignore Alex, he was definitely the undisputed number one, and since all of the prizes were the same, there was no need to stress that much about his position. But they were quite a few of them who were unwilling to hand over that position to Alex, heck none of them were happy about it. And since at this point the prize is received would be the same, except of course for the dire fact that the ranks would be different. With just a look they all unanimously decided that the person they would be going after was Alex. Alex was not worried, this group of people were not the strongest of the entire ninth stage open meridian cultivators, they were just the lucky ones that didn''t get eliminated. Alex got back up to his feet, having rested for quite a while he was almost back at a hundred percent. His meridians hurt a bit due to the pressure he has put on them, but he could still go on for quite a while. He looked at them and flipped his white robes, the glint of metal on his back, showed that apart from his two swords, he also had a third weapon that he had not used yet. None of this kids here were untalented or subpar, they had skills that the Alex of three months ago would not have been able to match, but now this kid was just wild and untapped potential. The first person to reach him threw a right hook, but it was just a feint that Alex was almost unable to see through. He grabbed the approaching left that was aiming for his midsection and kicked the shin of his opponent, bringing him down to one knee, and just in time too as Alex sent a kick to the jaw of a girl, knocking her our and cementing her position as tenth ranked open meridian cultivator. Alex still held the hand of his first opponent, he raised his knee to deflect a strike from the guy, and then moved back a step pulling him back up to his fist and right into the trajectory of a metallic silver whip. His head tore open as a shower of blood spilled into the air, his opponent screeched in pain as he crouched down in pain whilst Alex turned and sent a kick to the chest of another girl. Then he turned and sent his feet to the back of the neck of the boy crying in pain at the blood escaping from the side of his head. His face planted down onto the concrete platform and passed out immediately cementing his position at the ninth rank, seven more to go. A sword came piercing at Alex''s eye, a resplendent glow coming off it as it was strike empower by Qi. Alex dodged to the side, but t he Qi of the sword seemed to have been sharpened in some manner, Alex was unable to fully dodge as thin cut appeared at the side of his head. Alex was a little surprised by that, the sword was no where close to his face, yet he was still cut by it. Alex looked at the person wilding the sword and saw a young girl in a pink robe, who''s hair was also a startling shade of pink and braided in a manner that was familiar to Alex. Alex had to rethink his stance about the kids left on the platform, this girl was not average at all, she looked closer to Alex''s age than the others, but she was just as talented as he was, or rather she''s had more time to train and hone her craft. She pulled the sword back and swung it towards his neck, but at that moment whether by plan or just plain luck, someone sent a leg sweep to the back of Alex''s legs, throwing him into the air with his back falling to the ground. Alex to that opportunity to send a kick towards her sword, he jolted her, but her grip was still securely wound around the hilt of her sword. Never the less it gave Alex the time to hit the ground, and then roll to the left grabbing the leg of the person who just brought him down and also dragging the same person to the ground. Alex was a village kid, before he learnt how to properly throw punches and kicks and use forms in martial arts, he had already been wrestling in the mud with bullies larger than him, and more often than not with Anya in tow. So fighting on the ground in a rough heap of bodies was something Alex was very familiar with. Before the boy could make any other movements, Alex jumped on top of his body and sent an elbow slamming into his chest. With a dull thud the boy screamed out, but a head-butt to the temple knocked him out like a light. Every hit Alex delivered was brutal and precise, a complete far cry to his method of battling a month ago. Alex rolled away and got some distance from the girl with the ridiculously sharp sword, it was almost as if he was running away from her, which he was, but he was not going to be making any moves without a proper plan in place. It took Alex all of 8 minutes of being chased by the girl with pink hair, for him to throw everyone else off the stage. There was just one more person, a girl that used an axe, and the moment she saw Alex heading for her, she flipped the axe and threw it straight at the Advancing Alex. The Axe seemed to part the very air as it flew towards Alex. Normally the perfectly imagined counter would be for Alex to slid under the axe''s trajectory, however the battling platform was so uneven that even a simple fall is bound to leave you with injuries. But Alex could not slow his momentum and it almost seemed as if he was really going to be in a collision with the Axe heading for his face. But Alex twisted his body in an almost unnatural manner, it was like he was a snake in water. The Axe went past him towards the pink haired swordswoman, Alex ignored the outcome of that as he faced his front and kept on running towards the opponent in front of him. Once Alex got close enough to his opponent, a punch was thrown towards his face, but Alex ducked under the punch and he went around his opponent and wrapped his hands around her waist. [SKY PYTHON SLAMS EARTH!] Alex heaved and lifted the girl upwards, moving his strained muscles in a way that brought out the most maximum force he could muster. And then in a suplex move that was obviously powered by Qi, she went over his head and slammed her back and body on the uneven battling platform, she passed out immediately admits loud sounds of breaking bones and torn muscles, leaving Alex and the pink haired girl the only other opponents on the platform. 58 Half Year Sect Competition IV : Tough Opponen [It is only fools Who wouldn''t use every tool in their arsenal to survive. In all that you do give it your all, and try your best. Do not pay attention to aesthetics or act with the intention of making a show, whoever you are, whatever you do; the true sum of a person''s action is not how well or how beautiful they act, but it''s by how dedicated they are to that action, fight!] Alex stretched his hand to his back and pulled out a gleaming sliver halberd. A weapon like this was not something he would have ever considered, but he had spent the past month under the supervision of both Laozi and Nezha, trying to master the basics of the spear and the rudimentary spear craft knowledge that Nezha has been trying to impart. <<<<<>>>>> "Just like sword, the spear has many forms, in fact you can say that the spear is actually a sub weapon of the staff. It is further divided into the spear itself, a lance, the glaive and the halberd that''s in your hand. However there are more forms, like the trident or the Naginata from the land of the rising sun. The halberd is the most balanced form of a staff, and that''s because it has a traditional spear tip and an axe head quite suitable for the chopping moves a normal spear is unable to carry out. Normally the spear only has three basic moves, and that''s STAB, SWEEP AND SLASH. Slash is obviously the hardest as it definitely won''t easy slashing someone with a spear as you can with a sword or a knife. It requires a fine degree of control and finesse that if mastered could stretch to the utilization of other weapons. The halberd is an attacking weapon, just like fire it consumes everything in its path, it''s much harder to defend with a spear, which is why it''s the weapon most suited to the element of fire. Now all you need to do is practice the three basic moves until they''re all you eat, breathe and sleep. You will now cultivate the sword along with the Halberd, a spirit King is not a master of a particular method of fighting, he''s a connoisseur of the battlefield, sampling everything and giving it back in return." <<<<<<>>>>>>> The halberd was an extendable weapon, due to the way it''s made folding in to itself, it was not as strong as others, but never the less it was still a weapon that could cause a lot of damage. Alex pointed the Halberd at the pink haired girl and then shot towards her. His strike was as straight forward as it could get, without him even utilizing any sort of Qi in the process. This was just a testing strike, and his opponent wad more than willing to meet his strike with one of her own. She changed the direction of her sword, facing it upwards as she blocked the strike from the halberd, however the power behind it still pushed her a few feet backwards. But she was not the only one as Alex had to take a step back as well, she was as tall as Alex, but considering Alex was considered somewhat short for a fourteen year old, to the eyes of others, she was a rather demure and dainty little girl. As far as strength went, they were almost equally matched, the only difference was that het attainments in sword arts was a whole lot more better than Alex, but never the less Alex knew he was much more stronger. So far the only art he had used was (TAICHI) and the other arts from the (SKY PYTHON SERIES), and even with that he had not utilized his full strength so as to avoid killing someone. But right now, it was about to get serious. All 108 meridians of Alex were already opened and rapidly absorbing Qi, slowly building power into his halberd as the weapon developed a red hue. Alex was just a step away from connecting all his meridians into Qi veins and leading them to his Dantian. If he could do so, he would be able to open his Dantian and store Qi within his body for battle, and the Qi refined in the body was a lot more stronger than the Qi in the world. But Alex was not the only one with power here, the sword in the hands of the girl also developed a purple hue, and lightening could be seen crackling and sizzling across it''s surface. This was the end game now, and they both wanted to bring this fight to an end as soon as possible. The area fell silent for a few moments, and then. *BOOOM!* They both shot towards each other, and in barely a second both their weapons smashed into each other in a head on confrontation. Her sword seemed to have gotten faster, but Alex was utilizing the reach of his halberd and keeping away from her and keeping her away from himself. If she got any closer Alex would not be alike to utilize the true power of the halberd and might actually lose the fight. Flashes of red and purple covered the platform as both Alex and the young girl were evenly matched and suppressing each other, and then the girl got angry and lost her patience after one of Alex''s strike had moved a little too close to her face. "PURPLE LIGHTNING SWORD ART: BLACK CLOUD DESCENDS" The sword in her hand suddenly dimmed as purple lightning on it turned black with wisps of black fog gathering around it. She swung the sword and giving how close she was to Alex, a cloud of black lightning slammed into his halberd, went past his defense and smashed in his chest, throwing him backwards and into the air, all the way to the edge of the platform, and with his current momentum, it was obvious that Alex would soon be thrown off. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex himself was not in good shape as the massive amount of electric volts that ran through his body shook him and left severe injuries on and within his body. He blacked put for only a second before coming too and flipping himself in the air, then he stabbed down with his halberd that luckily he still held on to. The halberd crashed into the platform, raising sparks as it dug a two inch deep furrow in the stone platform, ruining most of the cravings but actually succeeding bringing Alex''s momentum to a stop, right at the edge of the platform. The eyes of almost everyone was wide open as they couldn''t help but commend the luck and resilience of Alex. Alex was balanced on the spear with his feet facing upwards and his head down, however his eyes were still on his opponent who was now heading towards him at her maximum speed. Alex furrowed his eyes in annoyance as he flipped down, raising the halberd out of the ground and slamming it towards her head with all of his strength. She crossed her sword over her head to defend, but the moment the Halberd touched the sword, Alex pulled back, making sure the axe part of his halberd dragged the sword out of her hands and away from her, falling off the platform behind him. Then Alex swung the halberd up in a half moon motion, the entire weapon bursting into flames in the process as green burning flames appeared within the red ones. (SOUTH SPEAR OF SUMMER!) The flames blazed as the smashed into the girls body, carrying her all the way to the other end of the platform, then off it and brought her smashing to the ground, a deep cut appearing on her chest as the smell of burnt flesh also ensued. The whole Arena was silent in appreciation to the skill Alex had just shown, and then the voice of the announced was heard. "Winner of the open meridian realm battle royals, Zhang Xiao Feng!" There was just a few sounds of modest clapping from within the crowd, so much so that everything was somewhat awkward. Nevertheless it didn''t change the fact that Alex won and he was now number one in the open meridian realm. What came next now, was without a doubt the battle between those in the open Dantian realm, and given his previous displays, everyone here knew that Alex was also going to be challenging for that too. 59 Half Year Sect Competition V : Instant Loss Alex made his way off the platform, heading towards the waiting area for the fighters who have already fought. His meridians ached a bit from the pressure he had put on them, but at the moment he could feel them pulsing slowly and in tandem with each other. Almost as if they were breathing, it was like 108 horses tethered together and pulling a massive wagon across the Serengeti. Alex seemed to have developed some sort of understanding from his fights, but even more than that, a great change was now taking place within his body. The Open Dantian competition will start in another one hour, so as to give the open meridian realm cultivators a chance to rest a bit in case they hope to challenge the cultivators in the open Dantian realm. Funny enough, Cultivators in the open Dantian realm and above take longer to recover than cultivators in the open meridian realm, and that''s because above the open meridian realm, a cultivator becomes capable of storing and refining Qi within his or her body, and it would take quite a while to refill the Dantian after a battle. Open meridian realm cultivators directly absorb Qi from the air and channel it through their meridians to power the arts. Such an act always put a strain on the meridians, and the power brought to bear would just be about 5% effective. Either way, Alex was currently meditating, channeling the Wudang heart sutra as he took in tiny bits of Qi and sent them out of his body in an attempt to get himself back into optimum condition. Then suddenly, his first meridian lit up like a star, blazing in solitude amongst the 108 sleeping stars in a constellation of power. And then the light from the first meridian stretched to the second, and then to the third, and fourth, going on, further and further until it got to the 86th meridian, and then a loud gong was heard, signifying the start of the open Dantian competition. The open Dantian competition was going to be ran for the rest of the day, and maybe throughout much of tomorrow, and that''s because the first day alone was a day of challenges. Each cultivator can challenge someone three times and be challenged three time in return. You need to have two wins to proceed to the next stage of the competition tomorrow, and as it stands, Alex might actually enter the open Dantian realm fully by tomorrow morning. Alex looked up at the stages currently occupied by challengers and those challenged. He noticed his step brother on one of the stages, but t he problem was no one around was even challenging him to a fight. But as it stands it''s not exactly his fault as he was right at the peak of the open Dantian realm, for this competition, he was sure to take number one and until he starts making his own moves, no one else was willing to go up against him. Alex picked up his spear and climbed the stage, going straight for a cultivator in the first stage of the open meridian realm. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Luckily for those in the open meridian realm, to prevent the other cultivators from taking advantage of the gulf between an entire realm and scoring an easy win, the open meridian realm talents can challenge, but they can''t be challenged in return. It gave them enough chance to showcase their talents, but honestly facing a cultivator not just a stage, but an entire realm above you is an almost insurmountable feat, Alex would have to dug in deep for this fight. Alex gave his soon to be opponent a bow, his opponent smiled in turn and gave Alex a bow of his own, but the soft smile he gave Alex rapidly turned into a sinister one as a small barrier rose up around them, isolating them both from the rest of the fighters as they prepared to come to blows. His opponent was 14,just like Alex, but he was a bit taller, even for fourteen year old, his height could be considered above average, and he was just as good looking. "You know you made a mistake right? You should have be satisfied with being the number one for those in the open meridian realm, a weakling king for a weakling realm. But yet you came up here, hoping to play with emperors, you really are a fool." Alex shook his head, he really didn''t think he was a fool, his aim here was to lush himself and grow stronger, but this guy... "You do realize that sometime ago you were also in the open meridian realm right? Just because you advanced it doesn''t give you the right to belittle others, especially not when said people are your betters in both talent and resources. If you were smart you would take me seriously, of you don''t want me to poke a huge hole in your arm or chest." Alex said as he stretched out his halberd pointing it behind himself as he crouched down. "I hope you remember those words young master Zhang, because I will make you eat them up. Welcome to the big leagues boy." Alex did not even let him continue as he picked up speed and rushed towards his opponent, Alex felt that maybe he should have asked for a name, but it was too late. Alex leaped into the air, all 108 open meridians open and rapidly taking in Qi to strengthen his strike. Alex swung his halberd down, the axe part of it gleaming a dull blue as Qi saturated it''s form. *Bang! Dong!!!* Alex''s halberd smashed and sliced down, but an illusory golden bell appeared around his opponent, protecting him from the strike, and causing a shock wave that blasted Alex away from him, towards the barrier that was around them, and out the barrier. In doing so, Alex had just lost and his opponent had won his first match, and all he did was stand there with his hands folded. The barrier was there to prevent attacks from escaping and hitting other fighters, but it was also a demarcation of platform, and it''s quite possible for someone to be thrown out of it, once that happens, it would count as your loss. Alex hit the ground with a dull thud as his body drew a furrow on the ground, his pristine white robes now brown from the dust and dirt. Alex felt his organs shake a bit from the force behind that bell, he wasn''t sure but it looked like Shaolin''s (GOLDEN BELL) defensive technique. He knew the Wudang sect had a variation of it, but he couldn''t exactly be sure because he hadn''t seen to many martial arts yet, so he couldn''t be sure which was which. {What Did I Tell You About Rushing In Without Giving Yourself Any Chance For Retreat! That Boy Didn''t Say Much, But He Was Still Able To Get In Your Head. Listen To Me Alex, You Might Be The Most Talented And Currently The Brightest Star In The Sky Right Now Due To The Sheer Limits Of Your Potential, Which If I Might Add, Is Limitless. But He''s Right, You''re Still Very Much Weak! There''s Way You Would Win This Without Giving It Your All. Remember Your Persistent Focus During Your Training, Use It!} <<<<<>>>>> Alex stood in front of a boulder, a wooden practice sword and a spear lying at his feet. Sweat dripped down from his forehead and even down his back as the sun beat down on his exposed skin. His fingers were stiff from gripping both weapons for such a long time, but it was not over, Nezha''s words still rang out loud in his mind. {Pierce That Boulder With Spear Using One Hand One Thousand Times, And When You''re Done Use The Other Hand And Do The Same. And When You''re Done Using The Spear, Cut That Boulder With A Sword Using One Hand, One Thousand Times And Then Shift To The Other Hand. You''re Not Going Back In Until You Finish, And You''re Not Allowed To Use Qi} Alex took a deep breath and bent down, picking the spear up again, this was just the first of the training, it wouldn''t do for him to break down this early, he had to push forward, piercing every obstacle in front of him. Alex took a step back, and pushed forward stabbing the wooden spear in the boulder. It''s tip smashed into pieces leaving Alex with a frown on his face. He threw it aside on the pile of previously broken wooden spears and swords as he replaced it with a fresh one and started again. <<<<<>>>>> Alex understood what he had to do, he was fighting way above his league here, there was no need to hold back and analyze his opponents. If he face an obstacle he would Pierce through them all, and if that wasn''t enough, he wasn''t adverse to cutting them all to pieces with his swords. Alex jumped back onto the stage, standing right in front of the person who just kicked him off, much to the surprise of many and the pleasure of the person he was challenging. There wasn''t a rule that said you can''t challenge the same person twice, so without a doubt this was another free win for his opponent, or so they thought. Alex''s opponent smiled as he pulled out a sword. "It seems to me that you have a death wish young master Zhang, but don''t worry, I''ll happily deliver you to the nether realm. But that would be left for another day, today I''ll just help your trash of a father beat some sense into you, and show you the true meaning of power." If Alex was angry before, then now his was absolutely furious and full of so much wrath he felt like he could burn the heavens. The only reply he gave to his opponent was to place his hand on the wooden sheath as his side, his two swords seemed to vibrate as suddenly a mask appeared on his hand, and all of a sudden the temperature within the entire Arena went up several degrees in an instant. The clothes on Alex''s body burnt away leaving his upper body bare as tattoos began to appear on them. But all this was happening when Alex had not even put on his mask, he had achieved a degree of closeness and communion with Nezha''s spirit and power that even without wearing the mask, he could use his power, as if they shared the same body. Alex didn''t stand on ceremony as he placed the mask on his face and there was a massive explosion of flames that rapidly coalesced in the figure of a teenager with a spear and wheels underneath his feet. The figure disappeared as Alex''s body fully combusted hiding his glowing tribal tattoos. He pointed his halberd at his opponent and said one word to him. 60 Half Year Sect Competition VI : Red Flame Focus Pierce <<<<<>>>>> {Many People Believe That The Spear Is An Imperial Weapon, That It''s The Weapon Of Emperors. However That''s Just Total Bullshit Kid. There''s No Emperor Or King Of Weapons, So. Forget Whatever It Is You Have Been Taught About It, There''s No Strongest Weapon, There''s Just A Stronger Fighter Who Has More Mastery Over His Weapon. Of Course Some Weapons Have Certain Advantages Over Others, But In The Hands Of A Master, The Advantage An Opponent''s Weapon Have Over Yours Would Be Eliminated. We Don''t Have Much Tike To Spend Within Your Spirit Hall, The Amount Of Spirit Energy You Have Right Now Is Quite Miniscule As Opposed To Previous Spirit Kings, And That''s Because Your Focus And Talent Is Splits Between The Cultivation Of Qi And Spirit Energy. But Right Now, I Have Enough Time To Teach You The First Stance Of A Spear Art I Created. While Your (Four Seasons Of The Weeping World) Is Strong, It''s Actually Not Complete And It''s Focus Is Too Wide Spread That You Won''t Be Able To Fully Bring The True Power Of Your Talents To Bear. So In That Regard, I''m Going To Teach You A New Spear Art. I Call It..... (The Imperial King''s Wrath) And This Is It''s First Stance. <<<<<>>>>> Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex looked like a demon made from fire, of his exposed upper body there was not a single part of it that was not on fire. It was only by luck his pants were not burnt to a crisp in the process, but with the mask on his face, Alex had transformed into a tribal god of fire, and his opponent couldn''t help but shiver a bit from the fright he was currently feeling. But then again he had just thrown this kid off this stage just by folding his hands, what more could he possibly do, as far as he was concerned this was just a light show, the last embers of a flickering flame. But it was also in that moment that most of the people watching this fight realized that Alex was not using Qi, or rather the energy he was using had no relation to Qi whatsoever. For those of them who were more experienced with the ways of the world, they recognized that it was quite similar to the Mana mages of the Albion empire cultivated. Alex pressed his advantage sweeping his halberd against the illusory golden bell, releasing a shower of sparks as a loud screeching sound resounded across the arena. On the body of the golden bell, a jarring red line appeared as the shield developed a crack much to the surprise of more than half the people on spectating the match. Alex could feel the heat clinging to his skin, but he could also feel the flames in his veins and in his blood. He had to give a hard enough strike to that bloody bell to get to his opponent. Alex took a step back, the silver halberd in his hand rapidly tuning red as the heat on his body reached an all new level. Then he pushed his halberd forward, moving with full destructive force of fire and the unyielding aura of a spear. A massive blood red flame blossomed across the tip of the halberd, making it seem all the more larger than normal, and it cut through the air until pierce into the golden bell. *Bang! CracaclaKang!* The bell rapidly developed cracks and faded away into motes of light as Alex silently whispered the name of this technique to himself. His opponent on the hand wad not in a good mood as he stepped back a few steps and spat out a mouth full of blood which sizzle with heat the moment it touched the battling platform. The strike from Alex was so powerful that it did not just destroy the (GOLDEN BELL) defensive technique, but also released a power aura of flame into the body of Alex''s opponent that was sure to have caused quite the internal injury. It was a shocking display of power within the eye of many, especially when you consider the bizarre mask and transformation of Alex. However even then, the fight was not yet over as Alex opponent stepped forwards, a great sword held in his hands that Sweeped upwards, releasing a beam of golden light that sliced towards Alex. Even when it was retreating, a spear was always moving forwards. Alex stepped back and smashed the axe part of his halberd down onto the powerful looking wave of golden energy that was aiming to bifurcate him. There was a small explosion and he was pushed back a bit towards the boundary, but Alex was not giving up. He took a deep breath, and right in front from of the eyes of everybody, his black hair became blood red, stretching and growing until it reached his ankles. All of a sudden his now red hair began to vibrate as he started moving, to the eyes of some of the people watching, he was moving quite slowly, but still none of them would be able to say they clearly saw how Alex moved. His opponent held his sword to his side, dragging the blade on the ground as he ran towards Alex, very much prepared to cut him in half. But Alex made his move, his halberd flying towards his opponent. The same piercing red flames that had smashed the golden bell into nothingness appeared again, and this time Alex called out his move loud enough for most of the people around to hear. (THE IMPERIAL KING''S WRATH: FIRST STANCE!: RED FLAME FOCUS PIERCE!) The speed behind this strike was three times as much ad when he first used it to destroy the golden bell. Even his opponent who was approaching barely hand enough time to raise his sword and cross it over his chest to block the incoming strike. *Bang!* Alex''s opponent was flung outside the ring whilst Alex still had his halberd pointed in his direction. Many eyes turned to his opponent as they shockingly noticed that the sword which he used to defend had a perfect holds right in it''s middle, and from the edges of said hole, molten metal slid across the frame of the sword. As for Alex''s opponent, he had a similar hole right in the middle of his chest, however the wounded was burnt to a crisp and cauterized. Quite frankly and obviously to a lot of people, this guy was lucky to be alive. An inch to the left and his heart would have been damaged, and even then it wouldn''t matter whether he was in the open Dantian realm or not, he would have immediately lost his life. Alex had held nothing back in that strike, it was without a doubt a killing strike, but it was the first time Alex performed it in such a large scale and with the intent to do harm rather train. Alex did not have the micro control abilities of assassin like cultivators who have learnt the best way to kill with a strike, or where to hit a human without fatal injuring them. And even if he did have an idea about such skills, he would not have been able to use it with his halberd, and that''s because his halberd was unyielding and domineering, if it moved, it only moved to kill. And just like that, Alex won his first second match, properly cementing himself in the minds and hearts of everyone in the arena with his monstrous talent. After all, how many people can claim that they were able to fight an opponent with a whole realm of power above them. 61 Half Year Sect Competition VII : Open Dantian Realm 1 {There Are Times In Life When Moving Forward Won''t Make A Difference, Where You Stand, Would Be More Than Comfortable Enough For You. There Would Be No Need To Make Tough Choices Or Take Dangerous Risks, More Often Than Not That Place Could Be The Top Of A Mountain; Your Mountain. But There''s Always Another Mountain, Bigger, Taller, Wider And More Perilous And The Journey To Go Up To It''s Peak Would Hurt And Break You In More Ways Than One. But You Can Still Reach It, Still Become Number One In All Of The World. However Even If That Is The Tallest Mountain, There Are Still Clouds Above It, There''s Still The Moon, The Planets And Even The Sun Far Above Your Head And They Would Seem Like Something You Can''t Reach, So You Feel It Would Be Better To Just Remain The Lingering Of Your Mountain, A Veritable Frog In The Well. However! As A Person! As A Human It''s Imperative That You Always Strive To Keep Moving Forward, Even If It Seems You''ve Gained And Achieved Everything There''s Is To Achieve, Then Keep Moving Forward, Keep Fighting. The Very Nature Of Humanity States That We Only Unearth Greatness When We''re Incapable Of Being Satisfied With What We Have. Sure It Unearths Pride, And Greed And Superiority. But The Ultimate Truth Is, Never Give Up, Don''t Stop Climbing, Just Keep Walking! Just Walk.) A SON''S MESSAGE TO HIS FATHER. Alex was still in the open meridian realm, which meant that unless he went out to challenge someone himself, he wouldn''t be challenged in turn. And as it stands, Alex knew he needed every bit of time to be able to regain his strength, however the obvious problem would he the fact that if he rested for too long, then all of the cultivators with a suitable level of cultivation for him to challenge would have already been eliminated. His first opponent was just in the first level of the open Dantian realm, yet he was able to use his QI to congeal an image and give substance to a technique. So far Alex has just been relying on his sprit masks to actually cause a significant amount of damage, and it was not something he could do for very long as his spirit was not yet strong enough, heck you might say he has not even started cultivating his spirit energy, instead relying on the presence of Nezha to help his spirit energy to gradually increase until such a time as he would be able to focus and train it. "How you move forward is up to you, however the fact remains that you should always be at your best and also try your best. It doesn''t matter how strong your opponent would be, if you let the possibility of matching up against a stronger opponent and loss hold you back, then I''m afraid you would not be able to go far in your journey of cultivation. Take a breath and rest, no one will challenge you, and it doesn''t matter if you lose or not, just fight as hard as you can." Alex was quite startled, but he recognized that voice without a shred of a doubt, it was his mother''s. And honestly he had no idea what to feel, during his three months of intense study and training he did not even get a chance to see her, not even once, but here she was giving him advice and telling him how to move forward. Alex couldn''t help but feel that there was more to his mother than he knows, but a training session and a few advice would not erase fourteen years of abandonment. But to be honest, the woman he knows as his mother, seems quite different from the woman who wrote him a letter, to Alex they did not seem like the same person, as his mother was extremely cold. But none the less she was his mother and he doubted she would give bad advice, and even more so when the advice made so much sense. Alex sighed as he sat down, crossed his legs and began to meditate, relying on the chants and breathing techniques of the [WUDANG HEART SUTRA] He began to slowly take in Qi, using it to nourish his meridians. The Yin-Yang symbol on his heart began to rotate slowly releasing jade green energy that was also moving into his meridians and slowly connecting each and every single one of them. Alex''s upper body was bare after having lost his clothes to Nezha''s flames in the previous fight, however at the moment 86 bright spots of lights seemed to show up on his body. Some of them were hidden under his pants, but their glow could still be seen. All 86 spots had lights stretching from one to the other, almost like an interconnected network of stars. Everyone here, especially those who had their attention on Alex knew exactly what was going on with him, and it was quite a marvel to some of them. Under their intense gaze, the 87th spot of light lit up, and it release a golden and jade green light that moved across his body until it met and lit up another spot of light. But it kept on moving and under the shocked gazes of everyone watching more an Korean of those spots of lights on his body kept lighting up. Within Alex''s body a great change was happening, a change that he couldn''t help but pay attention to as his perception of the outside world was cut off. Alex might be crazy talented, but so far he has tried really hard to be able to catch up with others who have trained and went ahead of him. His rate of advancement could be considered nothing but monstrous, however only 50% of that advancement could be attributed to Alex''s talent, the remaining 50% had come about due to how hardworking he was. He was pursuing strength with a single minded focus, and Obviously he has no intention of slowing down until he gets what he wants. The meridians within his body were slowly being lit up one by one, and once that happen, the green jade energy from his heart that came about by reaching the (YIN-YANG HEART PROTECTION) stage of the (WUDANG HEART SUTRA) was slowly encasing the meridians and sinking into it. His meridians were gradually transforming, with the jade energy sinking into them, they would become stronger and more resilient, but even then that was just one half of what the energy was going. His meridians were expanded under the careful nurturing of the jade green energy, making them wider and giving them the capacity to draw more Qi into Alex''s body. But by this time such a change won''t be instant, it would take a while of careful nurturing for the green jade energy to completely transform Alex''s meridian. To be honest he was quite surprised by the current change as it was not mentioned in the manual when he studied it, however this was serving to worry about in the future, because right now his 101st meridian just lit up. The lines that connected his meridians to each other was like veins for energy within his body, and these veins were also covered with the green jade energy that came from Alex''s heart, serving as some sort of extra armor for him. But almost immediately the next meridian lit up, and Alex''s body shuddered. Slowly the Qi within the area began to slowly gather towards him, his connected meridians expanded, pulsing and moving in tandem with his heartbeat. And then suddenly both the 103rd and 104th meridian opened up, shinning brightly as their lines were connected. Alex felt an abnormal amount of energy beginning gush into his body, and it seemed as if there was no end to it. Three more meridians suddenly lit up, making it so that 107 meridians of Alex''s 108 meridians were connected and ready to completely form the Qi pathways that would in turn open Alex''s Dantian. The whole Arena was silent, every fight had stopped as all focus was placed on Alex. Even though he has not really been in the limelight, Alex was someone that had slowly become famous within the sect, and with his previous fight, there was practically no one in the arena who didn''t know who he was. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. 62 Half Year Sect Competition VIII : 3rd Level The wind went mad with rage....or rather it should be said it went wild with happiness. Qi heavily rushed into Alex''s now open Dantian, creating a wild vortex around him as the Qi of the world was hastily tunneled into his body. All of his meridians were now connected, however if someone were to look closely at them, they would see tiny swirls of green and silver energy superimposed and intertwined with the inner energy created by the WUDANG Heart Sutra. But never the less it was still an extremely wild as Qi gushed into Alex''s Dantian like a fountain. Normally Alex had a larger Dantian than normal due to his physique, and Dantian''s had nine layers to them that have to be broken for the Dantian to expand and contain more energy. In under a minute the first layer within Alex''s body exploded with a loud bang and he seamlessly slid into the second level of the open Dantian realm. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Eyes popped out of sockets allover the Arena, as many people were shocked by the ridiculous rate of advancement. But they had barely had time to digest it when the wind vortex of Qi around Alex suddenly expanded, and the next barrier in his Dantian was smashed through, and the young man entered the third level of the open Dantian realm. Alex felt his body shudder with pain and pleasure as his flesh, skin, muscles, bones, organs, all the way down to his blood, tissues and cells became transformed by the onslaught of energy. There was just so much, that Alex was unable to keep track of it. More and More Qi seemed to keep on entering his Dantian, until once again it was filled to the point of bursting. Alex held back the advancement, it would be better for him to consolidate what he has gained so far, rather than rapidly advance and develop a shaky foundation. The ferocious wind became calm, before suddenly starting to roll and shake as it began to take on numerous forms. He could feel all of his masks vibrating and shaking, there was an intense draw and attraction coming from the mantle as spirit energy circulated through him, into the mantle, and from the mantle back into his body, and then out into the air. Like some sort of respiratory system. Alex''s body began to float up from the ground as roars of the beasts and sounds of nature began to escape from the shapes now made from the wind vortex. And then suddenly it stopped and a formless pressure of power seemed to cover over three hundred meters I''m radius around Alex. It was then that Alex was able to hear Nezha''s voice. (Spirit Commoner Spirit Realm. You really are a talented monster, you completely skipped the Spirit Embryo stage.) Not that Alex fully knew what being a spirit commoner entails, however he knew Nezha would be explaining everything to him as soon as possible. The natural phenomenon around him all died down, and he was left on the platform, within the third level of the open Dantian realm. Until now all everyone knew about Alex''s talent for had been spread by the rumor mills, and there was no confirmation about whether it was true or not. But now thousands of people have been given a first hand look at what sort of monster the daughter of the former sect master had spawned. Safe to say the declining prestige of the Zhang family would be regained and reach new heights from now on. Even though he was full of energy, Alex was a little bit exhausted. He needed one more win to properly earn his spot in the next round for the open Dantian competition, but with how tired he was feeling right now, it would be a miracle if he was able to bring up even 40% of his overall fighting ability, he might have no other choice but to forfeit. As he was about to do so, there was a pound gong again and the man who had opened up the competition appeared again. And just like before it was still a massive holographic figure. "Zhang Xiao Feng has proven to be the embodiment of Wudang''s fighting spirit by going against someone an entire realm above him. And even defeating said person against all odds. Not to mention his talent is something worthy of praise. As such after careful deliberation by the council of elders, we''ve decided to exempt him from the required third fight and decree he has passed this stage and can move on to the next round tomorrow. Head on home young man, rest, and consolidate your cultivation, we expect great things from you tomorrow." Alex had no idea what to say to that, he could only move himself off the stage with they eyes of everyone around him, as he made his way out of the Arena. Halfway through he met his mother standing at the entrance, she placed a hand on his shoulder and they disappeared in a flurry of wind and flowers. It wasn''t until another ten minutes before the Arena was able to calm down enough and the competition continued. 63 Going Down Memory Lane Alex was feeling the effects of his fights so he sat down while his mother stood and looked at him. To be honest all Alex really wanted at the moment was to go to sleep, but that would be rather disrespectful and his father raised him better than that. Besides he felt she would leave faster if he let her say what it is she wanted to say. "I didn''t want to leave you, I just didn''t have a choice." She said to him, with her voice being the softest he had heard so far. If he had to put a finger on it, he would say this voice was more in line with the words on the letter his father had given him, but honestly it made no difference. "There''s always a choice! And honestly if you tell me that neither you nor my father were not powerful enough, then so help me God I''m going to throw you out. Why the hell are we even talking about this anyway, it''s all in the past and I really don''t care what reasons you might have had that made you abandon me for 14 years of my life." This was a talk they would have had eventually, though Alex wished he would have been able to put it off until after he was done with this tournament, there was just too much angst and anger for him to deal with his mother with a clear head right now. "I''m sure you''re angry with me, I''m sure you might even hate me, and you have every reason to, however I want you to know why you have been put in a situation where you have to hate your own mother. I''m not going to ask for your forgiveness, I don''t deserve it, but after your fight, all eyes are fully set upon you. So I feel it''s only proper you know one of the many reasons why someone would come stick a knife in your back when you sleep." Alex wanted to be unreasonable, he didn''t want to listen to anything that she had to say, however over and over again, his mother, father, uncle, and grandfather have been telling him that his life was in danger and yes he might be really talented, but he was just as afraid to death as anybody else. And his journey here where his mom had come to keep him safe and his grandfather ruthlessly dispatched his assassins had left a mark on his mind, in one way or another, Alex was really careful when it came to his safety. "My current husband, who like me is an elder in the Wudang sect, is the nephew to the current emperor of the heaven empire, and his father the current sect master of the Wudang sect. I was betrothed to him when I was 10 by an edict from the emperor, at that time he was already 28. I was to be his official wife among the his dozens of concubines. Either way, your grandfather was poisoned the night before the fight, he lost and the emperor appointed the new sect master and gave me as a trophy to his son, as away to keep your grandfather in line. Even at ten that was a painful experience for me, I guess in some ways that I never acknowledged, it changed me, made me cold, rigid and unfeeling. I spent the remaining hundred years training, away from the eyes of the public, and then during a journey to the Americas, I met a man. His name was Reginald, and he was.....he was beautiful. At that moment I was all too happy to leave everything behind me, to settle down on a farm and live my life with him. He was just a normal farmer without the capabilities of cultivating, but he was intelligent and wise beyond his years, and he was very kind to me. I was three months pregnant with your sister when Red Dragon found me. Red dragon is the title of the man I was betrothed to, his real name has been all but forgotten and he only answers to his title. He strung Reginald up, and use a technique to have the cows on his farm, cows we had both raised from when they were calves, to gore and trample him to death, and he made me watch every single second of it. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Then he tried to kill your sister before she was born as a means to protect his reputation. Your grandfather saved me and even went as far as severely injuring Red dragon in the process. That year, the Wudang sect almost fell into a civil war, but the sect master apologized on the behest of the emperor, citing that Red dragon was a little heavy handed in his methods and shouldn''t have tried to kill my unborn child. As for Reginald, no one was left to remember him but me, there was no justice for him, he was just collateral damage I the political war brewing with the sect. Not too long after I had your sister, I left the sect again, to be honest motherhood was not something I was ready for, it scared me a lot, and at that time I was resigned to never opening my heart again to anyone, not even my own daughter, so that she wouldn''t end up a victim of Red Dragon''s wrath. And then in the most unlikeliest of ways, I met this sect disciple who had a love for painting and could make such exquisite pieces, which were a depiction of the fundamental wisdom of the universe, the rawest essence of QI and martial arts. Benjamin had a very low cultivation base, and if he so wanted he could have achieved higher levels, but he was contented being at the peak of the true Element realm, the very cusp of the mortal gate. He didn''t have much power, but he could make paintings so powerful, even someone like my father would derive enlightenment from it and advance in level or in three separate cases, create new martial arts. Your father was....is a pioneer of cultivation and martial arts, and then one day he painted your sister. I didn''t know it at the time, but the maid servant in charge of your sister was a fan of his, so she brought her along every time they went to see him, and then he painted her. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, it had so much power and emotion, so much loss and pain, yet so much hope. A chance for a better future nestled within her eyes. At that time she was just a year old; I had to meet him, so I invited him over and got to know him, and then one visit became two, and two became four and four eight and eight sixteen and sixteen thirty two until we both lost count and just spent our time in each other''s bed." She paused and looked me straight in the eye, we we''re getting close to the part of the story where I come in and she decides to abandon me, but there was also something obvious. "You never loved my father did you?" Alex asked her with a bland voice "Maybe not at first Alex, I had just lost Reginald and Ben was around, he wasn''t as wise, or gentle as Reginald, in fact your dad was quite rough most of the time, but he was meticulous and careful, and slow but very insightful and emotional. He had wild thoughts in his head and told me stories of his home, he wanted to change the world, and old as I was, I wanted to do so with him. So I fell in love again, and it happened so quickly I wondered if I ever even loved Reginald in the first place. But never the less Ben was a good father to your sister, hell he''s only father she knows and for some reason has been unable to forget. Few years later I got pregnant with you, something that was totally not planned and would cause no small amount of problems, not to mention the pregnancy was difficult, and a lot of doctors said I was going to lose my life. But I didn''t, and I had you, my only son. You were beautiful, so beautiful that the thought of you being even two steps away from me was unbearable. And then news came that Red Dragon who had spent four and a half years recovering after the fight with my father was coming back. We already had you, and if we fought hard enough, we would be able to protect your father, however I still had to stick to the agreement and marry Red Dragon. It drove your father mad, in the end he was still a man and his pride would never let him watch the woman he loves marry another man, and right in front of him. But this was the only way to keel the balance between both factions, and so your father left, taking you with him, and I let him go, because I knew growing up away from this place, away from this life of plots and deals and evil was the best thing I could do for you as a mother, at least until either your father or me got string enough to give the emperor a middle finger and have him say thanks in return rather taking our heads. 64 Spirits: Divination, Apparition, Mind Sight & Manifestation Alex slept for most of the day, and as a result he woke up right as the clock struck midnight. The next round for the open Dantian competition starts first thing in the morning, and if things go according to plan, it should all be wrapped up and the competition for the next realm commencing. Either way Alex was well rested and prepared for it, but there were things he needed to understand, and that was how the spirit ranks worked. He made his way outside and placed his mask on his face, he was slowly learning to be more in control of Nezha''s flames, and at times like this he could make it so that it doesn''t even show up in the first place. Alex appeared within his mantle, in that circular platform that led to seven archways, one of which was lit a blazing red. Alex sat down just as Nezha''s voice resounded within this inner world of his. "If you''re here about advice for your mother, then you''ve come to wrong place. I didn''t have that much luck with my mother either, and considering my father tried multiple times to kill me or have someone else do it while she watched, I''d say you lucked out with the kind of parents you have, at least they care." Alex felt pity or at the very least sorry, Nezha must have had a much more worse childhood than he did. But family issues were not the reason he was here. "I''m not here to talk about my mother, I want to know more about the spirit ranks, and about what I can do now that I''m a spirit soldier?" Alex asked as he paid attention to what Nezha had to say. For all intents and purposes, spirit energy cultivators are Summoner or tamers, but Summoner is more in line, at least as far as the human world is concerned. At the spirit embryo stage, you become capable of making a pact with an embryo stage spirit, becoming capable of summoning it in battle and drawing strength from it. You can say that it''s much like the masks, however all of the spirits that your masks will connect to or either create, all have a definite level of strength that''s very high and even though you can manifest our power and abilities, we can not be summoned to truly fight for you, not our real bodies at least, and it''s only until you get to the spirit world where my real body still resides, would you be able to summon me. For every stage except the Embryonic stage, you can make a pact with two spirits, in the embryonic stage you can only have one, a prime spirit that''s like a root or foundation for all of your next spirits. And you can only summon another spirit, when you embryonic spirit has reached a certain level of strength. And every level after has to have strong enough spirits for you to be able to make a pact with a spirit of the next level. Now these spirits unless you meet them and make a pact within the human world, are always weak. You have to train them, so in a way it''s more like taming than summoning, or a very close combination. Either way as a spirit soldier, since you''re not practicing magic like the mages of the Albion empire, you would have to follow the paths of the spirits. At the Embryonic stage there''s not much of a difference except for heightened senses and the ability to make pacts. As a commoner you become capable of sharing energy with you pact spirits, plus then you can have three. As a soldier your pact spirit becomes capable of using special techniques, you do too. You will be able to use spirit school techniques of DIVINATION, APPARITION, MIND SIGHT and MANIFESTATION. I won''t tell you about the other stages until you reach them, because of the way you advance, your foundations are a bit shaky, so we will work on those first. Thankfully your rate of advancement has slowed down considerably, I can feel it. You''re cultivation speed is still maybe two or three times as fast as normal humans, especially when special circumstances are involved. But now you can advance in a good enough pace where refinement of you energy and improvement of your techniques will be the true basis of your power and not your cultivation base. We can skip the first two stages of spirit ranks, and focus on the soldier rank and the abilities that come with it. I would advice you to wait until the four month training within the alternate dimension to summon your embryonic spirit and train it. Plus doing so would prepare you for your post as spirit King, you will be commanding a lot of spirits in the future. So what do you want to learn first." To Alex if was almost as if the world was a whole lot bigger than expected, he doubted there was much knowledge if any at all about the ranks from spirit cultivation, which In more ways than one is a caste system within the spirit world, however that was a world that''s nowhere close to earth, it was an entirely different dimension. And even though it seemed as if Alex had so many things to learn, he wholeheartedly wanted to know more about the spirit realm, because quite frankly it was something that set him apart from the rest of the human beings on this planet. "Just tell me everything you can." Alex said to Nezha with undisguised glee in his voice. "well then, since you''re in the spirit soldier rank, and that''s the rank where the true power of a spirit begins to get displayed, we''ll focus on that. The powers of a spirit are divided into four different schools, much like how cultivators have different elemental roots and physiques. Once a spirit gets to the soldier rank, it''s core would have settled down enough for it''s power orientation to be revealed. 20% of spirits can only use one school of power, 50% can use two, which makes them the majority, another 20% can use three, and only 10% can use all schools; but even then extensive training is required. The (Divination) school has to deal with quite a few things from tracking, locating a person, predicting odds, divining the past and to actually prophesying the future. Spirits with (Divination) abilities are very rare, and even for those who have such abilities, it''s hard to train or they''re not talented enough in using it. Which means of the entire spirit population in existence across the universe, and within higher planes, only 8% have divination skills, and only 1% can claim to be proficient in it, much less having mastered it. The next would be the (Apparition) school, more often than not only spirits with close relationship with death can use this ability. Common spirits like wraiths, ghosts, or powerful spirits like Liches are masters of this school. They have the ability to manipulate the metaphysical in more ways than one, they can possess a person, create illusions, lay curses and cause diseases. And most of them do not have tangible bodies, they''re stuck between spirit and physical forms, even within the spirit realm. You can''t rely on physical or straightforward attacks to deal with them, sometimes even special skills like my flames won''t work, and you would need things like a ritual to bring them down.....rituals were once the specialties of your ancestors, the spirit kings that came before you, could kill a person millions of miles away with rituals, and rituals fall under the school of (Mind Sight). This particular school is a bit weird, their abilities are quite varied and more often than not are based on emotions. Their rituals can interfere and change the laws of nature, of course there''s always a price to pay and even then failure either means death or a very terrible curse that would make you wish for death. They have telekinesis and telepathy, and other abilities like astral projection and share a common ability with the (Apparition) school to siphon life and energy. They are the only school capable of blocking the power of Divinations. During the time of your ancestors and even now within some parts of the dark continent, people who have succeeded in learning the ways of the (Mind Sight) school, are called witch doctors, herbalist, witches, warlocks etc. And some who have both Mind Sight and Divination can be called Mediums, gypsies, oracles, and shamans with their abilities being very varied depending on the spirit they have a pact with. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. And finally the (Manifestation) school, which is the school I actually fall under. It''s the only school of abilities I have, but based on what you''ve seen I''m sure you have a basic idea of what Manifestation abilities are like. We''re the spirits that can shoot fire from our hands, call down lightning and make the seas rage in anger. Of course the Mind Sight school can also achieve some of those with their rituals, but we can do it instantly. In every battle, we''re right at the forefront, leading the charge. And like I told you it''s quite rare for a spirit to only have a single school of power, and even rarer that it''s manifestation. It doesn''t mean we''re weak though, it just means we have more focus on a particular school, and as a results my attainments are a whole lot more than other spirits who have two schools. So any questions?" 65 Half Year Sect Competition IX : Louis [Every day of our lives we have to make choices, in more ways than one we also find ourselves at a crossroads, tested and expected to make a choice that can and will fundamentally change us. It would change the way the world see us, change the way we see the world, and even worse change the way we see ourselves. But there''s no way we can escape making such a choice, it is a part of life that will explicably pop up from time to time over the cause of you living it. What you do in that moment, how you choose to act or move forward can decide who you''re going to be after that choice has been made. So please...¡­.make the right one.] UNKNOWN Today there were more people spectating and less people participating. Not many people cared about the competition between the open meridian realm cultivators, or even the open Dantian realm fighters. They all believe that those truly worthy of being nurtured were from the true essence realm. But never the less Alex came prepared, today''s fight was going to be completely random as the fighters were pit against each other. If you lose, you''re out, so they would all keep fighting until the top ten has been decided. As opposed to everyone else about to fight, Alex was the only one wearing casual clothes as; his uniform was burnt to a crisp. But there was no love lost for that uniform as it itched a lot and hindered Alex when he fought, but he was wearing tracksuits today, sure they''ll burn easily, but at least they won''t itch. "First match! Zhang Xiao Feng vs Louis Von Fet!" Alex and Zhang Xiao Feng were one and the same, two sides of the same coin, but still the same object. He wasn''t shaken at all. Alex matched to the platform and walked towards his opponent, surprisingly enough this guy was from the empire of Albion. Based on his name, though Alex couldn''t be sure, he suspected the guy was from the France province, so he''s probably French. They''re known to have really powerful knights who were awesome fencers and utilized sword arts that focused on extreme speed. But Louis here is a disciple of the Wudang Sect, a cultivator of Qi, not a knight of mana. It would be a mistake for Alex to jump to conclusions and decide what manner of fighting style his opponent has before they exchange blows. "Lets not waste time young master Feng. There''s a possibility we both would have to face other opponents later, depending on who wins, so let''s just decide the fight with one move, no weapons, no arts, just our fist against each other." Louis said as he got on top of the stage. He was a handsome fellow, and looked to be just about the same age as Alex, though he was a bit taller. He had blond hair that was almost yellow or gold and he had a mole under his left eye that made him almost beautiful. Louis is unequivocally a boy, but he exuded a feminine and dainty charm that made him seem weak, but to Alex it was almost as if he was looking at a green snake, hiding in green grass, in a very green forest. He wasn''t as weak as he portrayed himself to be. "Are you sure about this? Sometimes the first strike doesn''t really portray the true power of a fighter." Alex said to him with a questioning tone. "Yeah I know, but I proposed this method, so if I lose then I''m okay with that. But after let''s grab lunch and have a drink to get to know each other. But first let''s introduce ourselves, with our FISTS!!!" Alex shrugged and smiled as he got into a stance, pulling his right arm backwards and bringing himself down a bit as he centered himself and began to build power. Louis''s light hearted attitude was infectious, the young boy was charismatic and somewhat bright, making Alex have a good opinion of him, however he still gave that hidden snake kind of feeling, but that was in regards to his abilities as a fighter. As for his character, he seems really nice. "Are you ready? Then here I come!" He was fast, too fast! Even without drawing from his Qi, just the speed from his tempered body alone was enough to put Alex''s movement art to shame. Obviously Louis has been in the open Dantian realm longer and had more solid foundations than Alex. But even if Alex is not as fast as Louis, the same couldn''t be said for power or the comprehension, assimilation and utilization of martial arts. Safe to say in all these regards, Alex himself was a monster. Louis drew close really fast, causing little disturbances with the wind as he flattened his hand and sent his fingers stabbing towards Alex''s neck. His fingers seemed to gleam a dull silver as they stabbed through the air their path unhindered. Alex did not make a move, instead choosing to wait for the perfect moment to strike. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Silver Cobra Cold Strike!" The illusory form of a silver cobra could be seen forming behind Louis, but Alex had a reply for that. At this point Louis had already gotten within a two meter radius of Alex and had made the very fatal mistake of slowing down, which was understandable. Even if Louis had suggested a one hit kill strike, he still attacked with the mindset of engaging in close quarters combat rather than a single strike to kill. If it''s a kill strike, he wouldn''t slow down and just mow Alex down, but Louis much like Alex was just a little above fourteen or fifteen, his battle instincts were not yet developed or sharpened enough yet. Unfortunately Alex grew up in a village where you don''t run from your bullies, but rather you wrestle them in the mud and attack with the intent to injure and quickly finish the fight rather than draw it out for an exchange. Alex was ready. Alex shifted to the side by utilizing the swift and soft movements of Taichi and mixing it with the fundamentals of his movement art. Louis''s Fingers stabbed into open air, and he was left wide open for Alex to take advantage and strike, and so he did. (Iron Viper Strike) Much like Louis, an apparition of a viper appeared behind Alex, however his apparition was more stable, and the viper was unlike any viper the people here had very seen. It had horns that stretched to the back of it''s head and really thick scales, plus a tuft of hair right on top of it''s head. If they didn''t know better, they would say they were looking at a Dragon. Alex''s punch flew through the air, and smashed into Louis''s chest, all of the power that Alex had accumulated during thief entire fight all gushed out in one single point as Louis was blasted backwards like a ball that has just been kicked. After flying back ten meters he dug his feet into the ground and brought his momentum to a screeching halt by digging his feet into the platform. Louis looked up with a smile, a visible trail of blood on the side of his lips. He looked extremely valiant, like a hero unwilling to give up the fight against a villain. He held on hand to his chest as he got up and looked at Alex with an imperceptible glow in his eyes. "You won this exchange young master Feng! Let''s have a drink later to celebrate and thank you for holding back. A few inches to the left and with even less power than you just showed, you could probably rupture my heart. Thank you, please excuse me." Louis said as he walked off the stage and straight to the medic. 66 Half Year Sect Competition X : Yun Fao The fights became monotonous for Alex, after his battle with Louis, especially since it was the first, it left a sort of influence over the entire exchange, and in order to conserve strength, every other fighter began using the "one hit strike decides match" method. It made a lot of people pissed, especially those who were very much in agreement with the brutal way the new management of the sect wanted it to go. Alex didn''t know it yet, and even if the suggestion had come from Louis, but the fact his method of battling influenced subsequent challengers after him, inserted him fully into the power struggle between his grandfather''s camp, and that of the new sect master, though he''s been sect master for white a few years, but with how long cultivators live, he would be considered quite young. After Louis Alex had three other battles, the last which he narrowly won because his opponent had tripped when his shoelaces got caught under his shoe. It showed the importance of proper battle attire, but honestly when you''re in the middle of a fight, caught off guard it shouldn''t matter what your wearing, or how prepared you might be, any mistake would cost you your life. Alec took advantage and placed his hand on his opponents head, quickly ending the battle that he was not exactly sure he would have won as his opponent was right at the seventh level of the open Dantian realm. After that affair, a lot of people began whispering about how much of a son of heaven Alex actually was, the thing is, no matter what his grandfather did, by providence or just really bad luck, Alex was bound to have a spotlight constantly over his head. And it wasn''t just from people who would be in awe of his talent, but also enemies who would want said spotlight to be a target for them to aim at. They believed he was not just talented, but he was also extremely lucky. Just imagine your opponent''s shoelace getting caught under his shoe and causing him to trip during a fight, if that wasn''t luck then every single one of them was born unlucky. Somehow due to that luck, Alex made it into the top twenty, and winning his next fight would get him a spot in the top ten, and he would be the first person in history to be in the top ten at the 3rd level of the open Dantian realm. "Next match! Yun Fao vs Zhang Xiao Feng!" (You''re not going to win this fight Alex, even with my help. That boy is not just a cultivator, he''s also a mage. You wouldn''t even be able to push him far enough to use his most powerful skills, however! You are a spirit king! Maybe half a spirit king or a quarter, but a spirit king none the less. Give this fight your all, you don''t exactly need a position in the open Dantian top ten rankings. Your rewards are already confirmed, just use this guy to learn more and sharpen your battle instincts, I fear you will need it soon.) So far Alex was never one to doubt himself, but he was facing someone just as talented as he was, just as lucky and just as driven and hardworking. This was the true test of everything he''s learned, and yes he was going to lose. It might be some foreshadowing, but Alex knew he would still win, as long as he gave it his best. "Do you want to use the one move clause, it should make this a little more easier on you." Yun Fao said to Alex as they both climbed the stage. "There''s no need for that Yun Fao, I want to give my all in this fight and have a true battle against you. Even if I lose, I intend to make you work for it." Alex replied as he pulled out West Wind and East Cloud. "Very well then, however just to be fair, I will not be using any weapons skills, only movement and defensive arts. Let the true essence of our martial understanding speak for us. Because I respect you and what you''ve achieved this is the handicap I would give to you." Yun Fao said to Alex, however Alex furrowed his brow in annoyance as he said. "I don''t need any handouts from you Yun Fao, I..." "You don''t need to be prideful young master, and you don''t need to think me arrogant either. A fight doesn''t end the same way it begins, I''m choosing to do this so that I can learn from you, just as you would be able to learn from me. I believe of all the people here, there''s not like you and I. Just like that boy Louis said, let us introduce ourselves through our fists. After all if you''re to be my master, I must know who and what I''m fighting for." Safe to say Alex was confused about the current state of events, however it wasn''t that bad anyway. He was sure that he would get answers by the time this battle is over, as for his fight with Yun Fao; since they were going to start based on their attachments on the Dao of the weapons they used, Alex had to go with the weapons he understood the most. Whilst his most powerful attacks are with the halberd, he understood the sword more than the spear, was more in tune with it as a weapon and it was invariably a part of him. And so far with the extra training from Nezha his bond with his swords had grown to a point where he could feel them even when they were not on him, and such pressure seemed to be building up to something really great and powerful. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex took a stance, placing his right leg backwards and his left forwards. He lowered his center of gravity as he looked at Yun Fao opposite him who was armed with an Autumn Dao, a sort of sabre that had jagged sharp edges and was just above the length of a short sword, being a few inches above half a meter. So far he has not used his Sabre against any other person, instead just choosing to punch them off the stage, it was obvious to many that he was taking this fight seriously, or at the very least honoring Alex by giving his best. The edges of the sabre gleamed and silence fell on the platform, either person wanted to be the first to make the first move, but obviously the match had to start. They were both about twenty meters apart, eyes on each other and heart pounding, and then just like magic they both disappeared form where they stood, moving to fast for even guys of their cultivation realm and level to see. And then they met in the middle. 67 Draw Yun Fao was obviously stronger than Alex, with their weapons interlocked and Alex gradually getting pushed back. But Alex wasn''t exactly orthodox in the way he fought, the pulled his head back and smashed it into the unsuspecting nose of Yun Fao. Alex felt like he just slammed his head into steel, and whilst there was crunch that signified Yun Fao has sustained a broken nose, Alex was also dazed, leaving him open for Yun Fao to swing his autumn Dao upwards, trying to split open Alex''s stomach from top to bottom. Alex moved his left hand upwards, swinging east cloud and deflecting the Dao, before taking a step backwards to reorient himself. However Yun Fao who acted as if his broken nose was nothing moved forward, hoping to lush his advantage as he went for an overhead swing. Alex ducked and crossed both swords towards Yun Fao''s midriff, but the autumn Dao fell down on both swords with a loud crash, pushing it into the ground and pulling Alex forwards right into the rising knee of Yun Fao. *Thud!* Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. It was a testament to Alex''s will that he had not let go of his swords as he fell on his back dazed from the power behind the knee strike. Alex fleet his head ringing, but he knew he was fighting an uphill battle, especially if he decides to go for a direct clash with Yun Fao who was stronger and very much faster than him, and also more resilient. There was no beating or moving this guy, but Alex had no intention of slowing down either. He jumped right back up, only to see the serrated edged sabre coming for his face. Alex turned to the side, moving his head backwards and moving both his hands like a battering ram as the hilts of both swords slammed into Yun Fao''s chest. He gave a small grunt, but Alex was not done yet as he dragged the hilts up and slammed them under his jaw, raising the young cultivator of his feet and sending him crashing to the ground. However unlike Alex he was only down for a second before he jumped back up to his feet and swung the autumn Dao left and right, creating whooshing sounds as he tried to slice into Alex. *clang! Clang! Clang!* It took Alex a few seconds to realize he was injured, and that his injuries were bleeding a lot. But he ignored the pain and focused on the teen in front of him. Alex held one sword pointed backwards and then pointed the other towards Yun Fao, both arms extended as he crouched down a bit. He took a deep breath, feeling his connections with his swords grow stronger as they began to him a slightly vibrate. *Fwooosh! Clang! Clang!!* He was still not as fast as Yun Fao, or as strong or resilient, but Alex could adapt and change his style of fighting to match whatever scenario he finds himself in. Yun Fao blocked the first strike, and had to quickly bring his sabre down to block the final one, however it was just a feint from Alex as his sword shifted to he side and Yun Fao''s sabre crashed into the platform. It was just the opening Alex was looking for as he held both swords in a reverse grip and hooked his right leg behind Yun Fao''s extended one. Just like before the hilts of both swords slammed into Yun Fao''s poor jaw, this time even cracking them as blood spilled from the side of his mouth. However because Alex had his leg hooked around Yun Fao''s, the boy wasn''t pushed back and was left vulnerable as Alex pierced both swords into his right foot. "Gargh!!" Yun Fao could not resist crying out in pain this time, but he didn''t dwell too long on it and slammed the side of his head into Alex''s. There was a smack so loud that everyone watching cringed, Alex on the hand lost consciousness immediately as he fell back like a sack of potatoes. It was his head smacking into the ground again that brought him back, however his vision was blurry and the entire arena seemed to be spinning. This time he had truly lost his swords, except for the spear still on his back. Yun Fao gave a pained grunt and a small yell of pain as he pulled both swords out of his foot and threw them aside right beside his Autumn Dao, he looked at the slowly rising Alex and furrowed his brow in undisguised anger and jumped into the air, turning around and sending a kick into the unsuspecting chest of Alex. That was more than enough to jar the young boy back to attention, but the feeling of being hit by a sledge hammer was not something he would have loved to trade for his dazed state. Alex flew back and landed hard on the platform, his body dragged back for a few meters with his tracksuit and skin beneath it, getting scrapped raw by the uneven battling stage. Alex was in a shit ton of pain right now. Yun Fao advance slowly, giving Alex the time he needed to get up to his feet and put up a fist. Yun Fao grunted as he sped up and took to the air, hoping to use another flying kick to send Alex off the platform. Alex shifted to the side and slammed his fist into the stomach of Yun Fao, but even as Yun Fao was smashed to the ground, he was still able to send a kick to Alex''s chest. There wasn''t much force behind the strike, but it still made the burning pain in his chest a whole lot worse. Yun Fao placed his hands above his head and kicked up, getting back to his feet as he rushed at Alex, throwing punch after punch at him. Alex took a step back, dodging each fist as the wind itself seemed to warn him. But then Yun Fao changed his pattern of attack and sent a drop kick right into Alex''s chest. Alex spat out blood, his rib bones cracked and broken in quite a few places. However he held on tightly to Yun Fao''s foot as the boys back slammed onto the ground. Ignoring the massive amounts of pain he was currently feeling, Alex Moved both legs under his armpit and then he heaved with all of his strength, twisting his body in the process as he angled Yun Fao''s face and happily smashed it into the platform. Both boys were sprawled on the platform with Alex not even able to move an inch. Every breath he took seemed to burn and his breathing was nasally, letting out a whistling sound with each breath. Yun Fao got back up to his feet, blood trailed from his forehead and covered his entire face, giving the young man and even fierce look than normal. His black hair and green eyes seemed to pierce through Alex as he watched the grandson of the legendary Zhang Sanfeng try to pick himself up from the ground. Yun Fao respected him, heck it seemed to have gone on a few notches. For cultivators like them you only ever truly know someone when you''ve fought them. These kid was unyielding yet he was not tyrannical. To be honest he was better fighter than Yun Fao as his ability to adapt and switch up his moves was something Yun Fao might not have been able to match if they were on same cultivation level. Almost three months ago, Yun Fao, Louis and three others were chosen from amongst a group of talented new disciples who were mostly commoners to be trained as bodyguards and followers for Alex. Even if he didn''t have a choice, and the power he has now came as a result of the special training, Yun Fao was not willing to serve a weakling or a spoilt brat. Alex was none of those things, in fact it was really hard to imagine if he would be the one protecting Alex or vice versa. But for the first time in his fifteen years of life, Yun Fao felt willing to bow his head to someone else, or maybe it was too early to tell. Alex was still just fourteen, but they had all the time in the world to figure out who they want to be. Yun Fao bent down and picked Alex up, hanging his arm on his shoulder as they both walked off the platform, much to the stunned reaction of everyone else. Alex couldn''t say anything as it hurt to even breath. They both linked away, their weapons lying side by side on the platform as if to show proof that they had both walked off that platform as more than friends. And as they both vanished, the announcers voice rang out. 68 Dragon Blood Qi Pool I : Waking Up "Are you sure our pieces are in position?" A voice asked. "Yes master they are, everything is ready and the plans can proceed." A hooded man could be see answering as he sat conspicuously in the middle of other spectators. However it was almost as if these other people couldn''t notice the man speaking on the phone, or rather they were choosing to ignore in favor of paying attention to the tournament. "There should be no mistakes, rather even if there are mistakes you must make sure the blood of what''s important to these Invaders are spilled. Do you understand Mathias? I''m counting on you to deliver true justice to these people." "I understand master, no matter what, the Wudang sect would be bathed in blood for the sin they''ve committed. There would be no mercy or reprieve for them." "That''s a good boy, I''ll await news of your success. ''What Is True Is Just''." "And ''What Is Just Is True.'' Good bye father." <<<<<>>>>>> THREE DAYS LATER When Alex finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was Yun Fao sitting on a chair opposite him, his hands holding a whetstone as they glided across the opposite edge of this Autumn sabre. It was then that Alex realized that while it''s main edge was serrated and curved, and very sharp too, the inward edge of the sabre was also sharp. He just never got the chance to notice it during their fight. "Urgh! Why are you here?" Alex asked Yun Fao as he struggled to sit up. Yun Fao dropped the sabre and moved to his side, pouring a jug of liquid that had a heavy medicinal scent into a small cup for him to drink. Alex looked at the green pungent liquid with a suspicious gaze as he pulled his head backwards and gave Yun Fao as suspicious look. However all the boy said to him was. "Drink, it will help clear your head and give you strength." Seeing as he had no other arguments to present Alex downed the entire thing one go, and had to resist the urge to curse as coughed at the heavy taste whilst forcing himself to keep the liquid in his stomach. "What the hell was that? It tasted awful." Alex asked as he sat up, feeling a lot more clear headed than before. After all with how that tasted and the burn he felt down his throat when drinking it, even a dead man would wake up. "My mother''s hangover cure." Yun Fao answered as he gave a cup of water to Alex to wash the taste away. Alex felt sorry so he apologized. "I''m sorry for calling it awful." Just because his own mother was bad doesn''t mean other''s were. "...¡­." There was an awkward silence after that, how do you even respond to such a thing Alex wondered to himself. He thought his life was messed up, especially when it came to his parents. But he never thought....damn! "I''m sorry about your mom, and your dad. Is there anything I can do?" Alex asked as he squeezed the quilt placed on his body in nervousness. "Not unless you can turn back the hands of time, plus he wasn''t my father. Just the man my mother left my father behind for, and took her children along too...¡­.I''m sorry for saddling such a thing on you. I believe you''ll have some questions, please ask away." Yun Fao said as he took a seat back opposite Alex and continued sharpening his sabre. "This is my room right? So what are you doing here? And what happened after our fight, I sort of passed out. Also where''s Laozi." Alex asked in rapid fire as he looked straight at Yun Fao, every trace of nervousness gone. "Yes this is your room, I''m here because it''s my duty to protect you. Within the past 48 hours alone six people from the top ten of the open Dantian and true essence realm have been murdered. As for what happened after the competition, there was a sort of argument between the leaders about how to place us since our fight ended up in a draw. But we seem to have gotten quite a few fans, so the sect master had no choice but to let us both share the 10th rank. Your first rank position within the open meridian rank was given to that girl, her name eludes me right now, and you fully joined the ranks of the open Dantian cultivators. However lots of elders, your grandfather, and surprisingly enough your step father included wanted to reward you for the talent you showed. So both the reward for the top ten open meridian realm and open Dantian realm cultivators was given to you. Which is 600 contribution points, I''m sure you can do quite a lot with that. The Dragon blood Qi pool would be opening by midnight tonight and closing at the same time tomorrow. We can go there to temper our bodies, blood and organs improving our physiques. I''m too bring you and Louis there by midnight, it would be my second time there." While Yun Fao answered a lot of questions he also created some in the process. However Alex was smart(or at least he thinks he is.) He was able to piece some few things together based on what he''s heard his grandfather say before and what Yun Fao said when they were fighting. "You''re a part of the bodyguards that are supposed to protect me. But that''s not fair to you guys, you don''t look like someone who would want to be someone else''s bodyguard." Alex said to him. "Don''t get me wrong young master Feng! Me, Louis and the other three were not forced into this, especially in Louis''s case considering he''s not a commoner like the rest of us. We were chosen from amongst a lot of other talented people and given a choice to serve and protect, we agreed to do so. True enough the rewards and the resources we would receive would be heaps better than what other common disciples would get if they''re not chosen as personal disciples of some elders. Not to mention we would be trained and have been trained so far by your grandfather, the most respected person in the sect. Looking after a sniveling spoilt rich brat in return for power and resources seemed like a good trade off, even if there might be some danger involved. People like us, no matter how talented we might be, if we''re not as insanely talented as you are, it would take a few decades to achieve anything substantial, especially with how different the Wudang sect is now, as opposed to when you grandfather was in charge. Louis is an anomaly though, he suddenly decided to come along for the ride, and it''s well known he''s the son of a Duke. So he''s rich and protected, yet he wants to be the one protecting. The rest of us are commoners, coming from different parts of the world, our origins are not that different from yours. Coming from remote villages and joining the triennial disciples selection competition. We''re champions who got to the end against all odds and won, you got a pass, but we all know you worked hard too. Being right besides you in battle, in rain, in sunshine, in fire and in ice might not be a bad thing. Plus it gives me the strength I really need to be able to change my family''s fortune. So I think you should just accept it, I don''t think your mother or grandfather would accept anything other than yes." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. 69 Dragon Blood Qi Pool II : Late Louis barged into the room right at the next second startling both Yun Fao and Alex. The young French man was sweating heavily and breathing just as hard as he gave Yun Fao a stink eye of epic proportions. Then he shifted his gaze from Alex and then back to Yun Fao before speaking. "Do you know what time it is Yun Fao! Do you have any idea what time of the day it is." Something obviously had Louis riled up, and the tone of voice he was using to speak with Yun Fao, more than showed that he was so angry and was quite close to reaching his tipping point. Yun Fao turned his head to the left to look at a digital clock hanging on the wall of Alex''s bedroom. And for the first time since they met, Alex saw actual shock on the face of Yun Fao. The boy quickly dropped his sword and grabbed Alex, and without any sort of warning, threw the boy over his shoulder and ran out if the room, straight down a hallway before coming to a balcony overlooking the main entrance to Alex''s manor on a mountain. Not one to care for stairs, Yun Fao jumped over the edge, moving down from the second floor all the way to the bottom in an instant. Louis was not that far behind, in fact he was moving a lot faster as he went past Yun Fao to open the massive mahogany doors of the manor, exposing the cool night breeze of the mountain peak. Laozi was waiting outside, and without another word he grabbed Yun Fao and the Louis and shifted his body slightly. Alex felt the world tuned upside down as he felt the hangover cure threatening to come up once again. But he was not even given anytime to rest ad the world shifted again and again, happening for a record 9 times before coming to a stop. Alex couldn''t handle it, and it seemed even Yun Fao was also subject to it as he hunched over with Alex and emptied all of the contents in his stomach. Louis looked a little pale, but he seemed fine as opposed to the other two. "Yun Fao you were supposed to bring him here at a quarter to midnight, you''re five minutes late. You''re the captain of the guard, if you''re incapable of keeping to time, how then do you expect the rest of your team to fall in line. You will be punished later for this, but for now you and Feng''er can join the others in the Dragon blood Qi pool. We will wait here for you. Alex raised his eyes up and looked at his grandfather, the old man had a rather stern look on his face, and even though Alex wanted to say something, it was obvious the old man was not in the mood for a conversation. He stared right back at Alex with his gaze hard, almost as if he expected Alex to realize something, but Alex didn''t know what. All his grandfather did was incline his head as if to ask Alex to go in. However as Alex was about to turn, there was a whistling sound in the air, something that all of them heard, but where unable to stop, not even his grandfather could do anything as they all felt that someone was launching an attack. However whether by instinct, or something else, Alex raised his hands up and caught his walking stick without even looking in the direction it had come from. It was not in it''s sheath form, so his swords were not there. "What is that?" Louis asked surprised. "It''s my spirit mantle, the home of my spirit masks, and the spirits they hold." It was an automatic answer, Alex didn''t even realize that he already gave an answer until Louis spoke up. "So the spirit of Nezha lives in that ugly piece of wood? Wow!" Alex guessed it was a rather surprising development too. For all intents and purposes, Nezha was a god, maybe he wasn''t showing his full power or had access to it, but a god none the less and he''s living in a stick. "You can not bring that in here, the Dragon blood Qi pool is not a place for such strange items, who knows what kind of evil reactions of poisons it might release. Second grandfather you have to see reason! This toy of second brother is not orthodox." Alex recognized that voice, and as he turned to see his brother or rather step brother flanked by other cultivators, Alex had to resist the urge to go over there and slap him. And as if to respond to his rage, the walking stick turned red hot in seconds and caught on fire, startling everyone there, including Alex himself. Seems like with every day that passes, he was getting more and more connected to the mantle and to Nezha. "Young man you''re in no position to tell me to see reason or not, I was already slaying beasts by the time your ''grandfather'' was a child. Do not patronize me, I have no mood for pretense, do you understand?" Zhang Sanfeng asked with his white beard swaying in the wind. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Yes second grandfather." Lu Wan answered with his head bowed. "Feng''er I know this mantle is of great importance to you and very powerful. However it is not of the sect and it''s power is not understood either. You can hand it over to me for safe keeping." Regardless of what was said, Alex didn''t want to cause any problems for his grandfather. This juvenile snake Lu Wan seemed to have enough leverage to pressure his grandfather, so much so that his grandfather would even tell Alex to let go of the staff. Alex didn''t like it, but he had no choice in the matter, at least he didn''t think he did. All of a sudden the walking stick began to burn, much in the same way you would expect paper or wood to, it turned into motes of fiery light that flew up into the sky and vanished. It cause another surprise, but none more than Alex who felt a surge of energy move through his meridians, before coming to a stop in his Dantian. A cursory inspection showed him that his mantle was right in the middle of his Dantian, covered and embraced by his Qi. "Well if there''s nothing else, I believe we should commence with the Dragon blood baptism." Another voice chipped in, and Alex looked up to see it was the second elder who had officiated the half Year sect competition. It was then Alex notice where he was, the were at the food of a small hill, with a cliff directly over their head. It was about twenty maybe thrift feet in height, not that much of a problem for those in the open Dantian realm, however it was still possible to have your insides jarred a bit if you jumped from such a height. On the cliff face was a massive dragon head or rather the skull of a dragon and it''s served as an entrance into a tunnel leading into the hill. Alex looked around and notice there were quite a few rock pillars around, it was a natural formation, but with cultivators involved it''s really had to be sure about some things. The second elder walked into the cave and the rest of the cultivators followed with Alex bringing up the rear. He looked back to see Louis waving him and Yun Fao good bye, with Laozi giving a small bow and his grandfather looking as stoic as usual. There was nothing of the warm man Alex had met outside of the sect, almost as if within the confines of the Wudang sect, Zhang Sanfeng was a very different person. As soon as Alex entered the tunnel, the jaws of the dragon snapped shut behind them, throwing the tunnel into darkness. But once again the enhanced senses of a cultivator could deal with this much darkness and easily find their way. It was then that the Second Elder started speaking. "For the sake of those of you who are new to the sect, and haven''t studied long enough, I will give a short lesson. The dragon blood Qi lake was made by the father of former sect head and also a former sect master of the Wudang sect himself Zhang Woyu. He was a powerful cultivator during his time, and reached the peak of the heaven gate when he was just 700 years old, the youngest person to have ever achieved it on this planet, at least until his son former sect head Zhang Sanfeng did the same thing at half his father''s age; at 318. None the less Sect head Zhang Woyu traveled across multiple dimensions and worlds and even higher planes of existence hunting down the most powerful beasts with the bloodline of ancient dragons. He was even lucky to have some contact with descendants of the Azure dragon god of the eastern seas, and from them he was able to retrieve several essence blood and use it to create this pool. With the help of some. Of the best array masters and alchemists, he was able to make a pool that for all intents and purposes could actually refine the physique and Qi of a cultivator. In extreme cases it has been know to awaken the sleeping bloodlines and talents of cultivators, however multiple uses would be required for such a thing to happen, and since the pool is a limited resource with each use reducing it''s efficiency, such a thing hardly ever happens. Once you''re in the Qi pool, access to you Qi would be restricted by the power of dragon blood, you will only have your physical body to rely on and also your cultivation technique to absorb the dragon energy into your body. This is a valuable opportunity, and you have 24hours to make the best out of it. And so without further ado, I give you the Dragon Blood Qi pool." 70 Dragon Blood Qi Pool III : The Pool [Everybody like dragons! They think they''re powerful and that they''re cool and mystical and divine....well that''s all true. But dragons are also animalistic, conniving, poisonous, evil, deadly and moody. But then again they''re also benevolent, kind, faithful, courageous, honest, happy, horny, lecherous, devious, prideful....ultimately they''re like humans. Only they were massive lizards with magical powers. Through my years of study, I''ve come to realize that dragons might actually be the first version of humanity. Every bad and every good quality that makes humanity what it is, have been exhibited by dragons to varying degrees of extremeness. If they''re kind they''re the kindest, if they''re cruel, they''re the cruelest. No single dragon can be kind and evil at the same time, not like humans. Dragons have no balance, but they''re the truest form and incarnation of any emotion or power they represent. It''s why they are such great masters of arcane and the divine. There are power personified, but dragons like that are hardly alive anymore, sometimes I think humanity was nature''s answer to everything that focused on one extreme. Now you can hardly differentiate them from humanity, they think like we do, act like we do, fuck and sleep like we do. Some people think we''re a cure, however I think we''re a virus, a disease that spreads and infects everything. We''re not nature''s cure, just a virus she just can''t seem to get rid of.] THE ARCHMAGE MERLIN OF CAMELOT The cavern was hot, steam could be seen rising up from the very obvious pool of blood, and on top of pool there were stone platforms that had formations etched on it. Alex couldn''t exactly count how many platforms they were, but he knew there was enough for everyone here and then some. The way those platforms were placed it was obviously made for the cultivators to sit on. "All of you should take your place on the platforms, the platforms have arrays on it that can make it sink to the bottom of the pool, submerging more of your body into the pool for tempering. There are control switches on the platforms to either raise or submerge you, so pay close attention to it in case you feel you''ve reached your limit. Dragon blood is a liquid, but it''s mostly made of energy, so breathing within the pool shouldn''t be too hard for you guys, in fact I expect it to be beneficial. Now take your places. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex looked at Yun Fao who gave him a determined nod as he made his way to one of the platforms furthest from the entrance and away from the others. Alex followed, preferring to avoid the others as they seemingly gravitated towards Lu Wan and all seemed to be in good terms with him. Alex was not too knowledgeable about schemes, but he knew how to stay away from trouble. "Third brother Xiao Feng! Why don''t you sit next to me, that way I can give you some pointers and keep you safe should you foolishly not know what your limits are." Lu Wan said to Alex as he was about to jump towards his own platform. Alex turned to Lu Wan and giving him the most fierce look he could muster, clenched his teeth together and pushed his tongue against them as he dragged air into his mouth. A hissing sound came out of Alex''s mouth, and while most of them had no idea what it meant, the advent of Alex in the sect had compelled most of the disciples to go research a bit about the Nigeria colony. They knew that hiss was derogatory insult that out rightly ignored a person''s existence, almost as if you were telling that person. ''you don''t matter, your words don''t matter, your presence itself doesn''t matter.'' And from the very red look on Lu Wan''s face, he obviously knew what it meant too. Alex ignored him and the heat wafting up from the blood pool as he took a seat beside Yun Fao, The crossed his legs and moved his hand to the switch that was supposed to control the descent and ascent of the platform. Then he waited silently until everyone else was sitting on a platform, Lu Wan chose to sit opposite Alex, probably unwilling to give up the one spot that would give the chance to glare at the young boy. In all honesty, Alex was beyond caring about this self centered disrespectful waste of space, who had nothing better to do than to look for trouble. Alex knew that if Anya were here, Lu Wan would have lost a significant amount of his teeth, and maybe had a few bones broken every time they crossed paths. "Now that you''re all seated on the platforms, how far you can go and how much you can achieve within the next 24 hours is entirely up to your persistence. The tempering of your body and energy is not something that can happen regularly, especially after you''ve left the body refining realm for body refining and haven''t entered the earth gate. 71 Dragon Blood Qi Pool IV : Sabotage Alex didn''t know what to expect, based on what they''ve been told before he got into the pool, there was a possibility of I being too hot, however there was no turning back now. As he was slowly lowered into the pool, Alex felt his heart pounding, I would be too far fetched to say he was afraid, but it would be just right to say the young man was nervous. The moment his folded legs touched the blood, he felt a deep chill pervade is entire body. According to legends and very obvious eye witness accounts, dragons are either lizard like, or snake like. Which is to say they''re basically giant reptiles, and most if not all reptiles were cold blooded. Which is all why most of them had the ability to sense heat, but there was nothing hot about this blood pool, I was freezing. At first due to it''s bubbling, boiling nature, Alex had taught that it was extremely hot, turns out he was quite wrong and the feeling was at the opposite end of a thermometer. The chill that entered his body shot like a lance to the top of his head and then back all the way to his feet, before spreading across is entire body. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Then almost as if the ''cold'' was alive, it began to move around his entire body, getting colder and colder and causing havoc. And with each second that passed, the cold got a lot more intense than he expected. But more than that, Alex had seemed to not realize that he was still slowly descending into the pool, It wasn''t until he felt the chill reach his lower chest that he regained his awareness and started to ascend until only his waist below as submerged in the thick and viscous pool of blood. But that tiny second of reprieve that he used to find a balance with his body was lost as the cold and sharp feeling from the pool invaded his body again. To Alex it felt like an ice cold cheese grater was running rough shod over his skin, underneath it and within his body. Alex began to breath and recite the mantra for the (WUDANG HEART SUTRA), his Qi began to circulate as the jade green yin-yang symbol over his heart and meridian began to rotate. Alex could feel the energy from his Dantian fly out and make numerous and very rapid circulations within his meridian. Every time his qi made a revolution around his meridians, Alex could feel their quantity reduce as the chill within his body seemed to be absorbing them and spitting out a lesser but more refined version of the energy source. But even more so was the fact that the jade green symbols acting as shields and filters over his heart and meridian was slowly changing color. But it wasn''t just color that was being changed, the symbols were Coming alive, becoming more than just lines of energy, but actually animated black and white dragons that were busy revolving around each other in the same yin-yang symbol. Alex felt that they were stronger, and the Qi that he now took from the world into his body was more than five times more refined and purer, giving him more strength and finesse. But this was only just the beginning, the tempering of his body and Qi would take 24 hours.....it''s only been fifteen minutes, and by now Alex knew, he had to lower himself a bit to get more from the pool, I seems the more of your body that was exposed to it, then the more tempered your body will become. But that was when Alex felt someone looking at him, even in he midst of his highly concentrated state, Alex could still feel the malevolent gaze of someone else on him. Though Alex felt that no one would make a move on him here, seeing as his grandfather was till someone with quite a bit of power, but Alex had no ides how wrong he was. Even if his grandfather was a god, there was always someone who would be strong or powerful enough to contend with the old man when the time comes. However the danger that Alex posed was even more than he imagined, because his threat was to he future, not to the present. And in a world where men and soon of power knew hoe to take their time and plan for years upon end, the very real fact that an extremely powerful and talented youngster would throw a wrench into said plans would force hem to move. It doesn''t matter how fruitful a tree he was going to be, as long as he was In the way, they were going to happily cut him down. Alex''s eyes shot open, Alex immediately shifted his gaze to Lu Wan who as sitting opposite him with brows tightly knit in concentration. I Alex was to deep threatened in this place, the first person he would suspect was his step brother, but right now, looking at it from a different angle, Lu Wan was in too much discomfort to attempt to scheme against someone else. But then if he was not the one behind all of this, who could it be? 72 Dragon Blood Qi Pool V : Blood Dragon Mask Alex had grown to a point where pain had actually become a regular thing in his life, but this? This was something else entirely. Blood was liquid, but it was completely unlike what could be considered normal for a liquid and that''s because of how thick it was. And this was dragon''s blood, or rather a pool made from hundreds of it. It was thicker and much more viscous, which meant couldn''t swim out of it, he had no choice but to be dragged down the six meter deep pool, helpless against the chill that assaulted his bones and the freeze gradually creeping into his heart. Alex felt panicked and at that moment he sound have done anything to make the pain stop, but you can''t always have what you wish for. Alex ran out of breath way faster than he imagined and opened his mouth to take a deep breath, only for the blood to rush into his body, going through his nose also. But unlike when the blood was just touching his skin and Alex was trying to use it''s energy to temper himself, this time it rushed into his body, and what it brought was not cold, it was best and ridiculous amount of flaming burning heat. But this feeling was not alone in it''s assault, as Alex felt the heat and the feeling of his internal organs being melted, the blood still in contact with his body sent a heavy chill into him, causing just as much pain and suffering as the blood within his body. Contrary to expectations, the two feelings of extreme heat and cold did not counteract each other, they just happily ran rough shod through and over Alex''s body. But through it all, Alex was surprisingly not frowning or even passing out; the pain was constant yet he was unable to escape into his mind to find reprieve. He was feeling every single inch of pain this blood pool could muster, and then Alex hit the bottom. The moment he did so, he began to hear whispers, and not just hear them, he began to feel movements around him. His limbs suddenly felt to heavy for his body as his heartbeat began to slow down, it was like he could feel death knocking and drawing ever closer to him. But even with that, the whispers became louder and so intense that it was all he could hear, infernal sounds of eldritch promises and cajolement. And then it became clear what it was he was hearing. {{Let us in young hatchling! Let us fly within the streams of your veins and give you power the likes of which you''ve never seen, give us your mind and give us your soul, and give us your spirit. Yessssssss, yessssss let go young hatchling...¡­GIVE US YOUR BODY! GIVE US YOUR LIFE! GIVE...¡­}} *BOOM!* A loud explosion sounded out from within the depths of the blood dragon pool. Alex might not have known how long he has been down there, but ten whole hours have passed, and the formerly restricted area was filled with leadership of the sect, along with a distraught grandfather, mother and uncle who were not so sure how a platform, much less Alex''s particular platform would develop a fault and send the young boy plunging into what they were all very sure was a painful death. At the moment they were just waiting to dredge the pool for his body when the pool exploded outwards. Alex''s body as floating in the air, half awake and half unconscious. The blood dragon pool was floating around his body in a vortex, or to be more exact blood dragons formed from the residual consciousness of the dragons who''s blood were a part of the pool. There were hundreds of them, and they were all trying to get into his body. But with each attempt they tried to make, a made green shield would show up over Alex''s body and prevent them from going in. "He''s still alive?!" Lu Wan who had been given permission to observe what was happening asked out in shock and he had very much expected the young man to be dead. And with the tone of voice he used, he didn''t sound to happy about it. But no one was paying him any attention as even his father himself who was there was watching everything with a stoic but still shocked expression. "His legacy must be protecting him!" an elder with a full beard observed. It was already common knowledge in the sect, especially amongst the higher ups that the grandson of the sect head had a strange legacy that was neither attributed to Qi or Mana and could summon the spirit of a god and fight with it''s power. This was probably the only reason why he would have been able to survive in a place as volatile as the Dragon blood Qi pool. But while this discussion was going on, a massive change was going on within Alex''s body. His chest released a piercing white light and a mask shot out of it. It was a blank white mask without any holes for eyes or mouth, but the moment the mask appeared a sort of pressure was released that left everyone watching feeling very uneasy. Then under their shocked and confused based, the mask began to absorb all of the blood dragons currently flying around Alex. But it wasn''t just absorbing them, it was also rapidly combining them into one collective consciousness as opposed to hundreds they were. If as if absorbed the blood dragons, red lines and scale began showing up on top of the mask. From one to two to four and eight and sixteen. The mask kept on absorbing the blood dragons until there was nothing more than just Alex covered in blood and still floating in the air while his mask changed. The blood on Alex''s body seas pulled up into the mask, which now looked like the mask of a dragon, and not a painted dragon, it was like someone carved the face of a real life dragon and made it into a mask. And then the mask fell onto Alex''s face, causing a massive draconic roar to resound within the cavern as the illusory form of a massive red dragon showed up behind Alex. It flew around his body, glaring with all it''s might at the people currently looking at it. All over Alex''s body, tiny red scales could be seen, and his head was no longer that of a human, rather he looked his face had merged with the very life like mask, making Alex seem like some sort of dragon man. The blood dragon flew one final rotation around Alex''s body and then gave a short before flying right back into Alex''s body. However the moment it went into Alex''s body, Alex opened his eyes, and the fury within his bright yellow serpentine eyes was enough to make every single person watching feel chills. It was as if they were looking at a real god of death. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. 73 Dragon Blood Qi Pool VI ébié Alex opened his eyes to a world of blood, the skies were red and in the distance a blood red moon could be seen hanging with an ominous look beyond the horizon. Alex was standing on a sea of blood, and it spread for as far as the eye could see, there were tiny patches of land spread evenly across the landscape, obviously if someone were to look at it from above, they would notice that the islands were evenly shaped to make a spiral like landmass, of which Alex was right in the middle of. Alex wasn''t really sure of where he was, the last thing he remembered was the pain and the whispers within the dragon blood Qi pool, and now he suddenly found himself here. But Alex was not as clueless, he wasn''t sure, but he had a suspicion nagging at the back of his head. But his experience now was quite different from the first time, which was why he wasn''t really sure about what was going on here. He took a deep breath, about to call out to someone or something, whom and which he sincerely hoped was here, however he never got to voice anything out as the sea began moving around him. There was something big in the blood that''s for sure, but Alex couldn''t tell what it was. It circled around him as shark would it''s prey, Alex felt afraid, because quite honestly this was completely unlike when he first met Nezha, he couldn''t help the feeling that he was coming face to face with death. The blood but bled as whatever was in it decided to surface, the first thing he saw were the ridged home spines and spikes on a very long and very serpentine back. It curled and wrapped itself around the place Alex was standing, and if someone had an x-ray they would be able to see a serpentine figure over two hundred meters in length making an extra spiral around Alex''s body. With fear in his eyes, heart and bones, Alex watched as a massive heart slowly made it''s way out of the water. The massive horn resting on it''s snout made it''s way out first, pointing to the skies like some sort of ancient battle sabre, then came the scales the nostrils, the jaws and then those scary looking yellow eyes. It had a serpentine pupil, but surrounding that was a retina that was hexagonal shaped and blazing red. Alex felt like those eyes could see deep into him, to tell and expose all of his secrets, he was paralyzed with fear, a dear unlike anything he has ever felt or experienced and he couldn''t fight it, couldn''t resist feeling the terror as if it''s very presence commanded it. "You do not have to be afraid of me, you made me." Shocked as he might be, Alex couldn''t help but compliment the figure in front of him. Hair as long as the very ocean itself (if that was possible) a fair skin covered with tiny scales with little red highlights on the edges. Two curved horns pointing backwards from her forehead, yellow eyes that looked like some sort of flower, long toned legs that left Alex''s mouth watering, a full breathe that was a little on the large size and a behind that who''s shape and contour could even be seen from the front, a perfect existence. Alex''s gob smacked expression along with his somewhat natural reaction to the sensual scene in front of him was almost too much for the young boy to bear. After all this was the first time Alex had ever seen the naked form of a woman and he was left rather....unsettled. the dragon seemed to realize it''s folly as a pristine and ornately designed red robe suddenly covered her body, however taking a look at the edges of this robe would show Alex that the robe was actually made from blood, blood that was still dripping down into the sea below. "Is this better?" The dragon asked, a question to which Alex could only dumbly nod his head to. "I''m sure you must have many questions, however so do I. But I will explain what has happened as best as I can, there is a plethora of knowledge that I''ve inherited from when I was many, but now I''m one, so all is as one as it should be." The dragon said, leaving Alex a little bit confused with way she spoke. "Every blood in that pool was taken from the dragons brutally killed in the most terrible of fashion. It was only in this way would there be enough energy in the blood to nurture and bring out the hidden potential in the bodies of your fellow sect disciples. I believe it''s quite similar to having adrenaline flood your system, each of the dragons have to be in a state of heightened emotions, and more often than not, said emotions are fear and hatred. Dragons are alive in every single part of their body, all the way down to the very cells that makes up there body. And even more so for dragons within the heaven gate cultivation levels where the body, soul and energy is consolidated as one. Taking blood from them also meant taking a piece of their souls and consciousness, and then going so far as to unceremoniously dump all the blood in the same pool and use arrays to stimulate them and keep them in a state of flux to prevent decay, was akin to creating hell and dumping a whole bunch of draconic souls into it. Torment does not even begin to describe the level of pain we...I felt. And then there you were, falling into the pool without the protection of the array plate you were sitting one, obviously it was a work of Sabotage, however we didn''t care. It was a chance for use to possess a new body and escape our hell. However you were protected by not just your Spirit energy and the masks, but also by your cultivation technique, which was mainly responsible for keeping us at bay. And then your masks sensed the power of the dragons within the blood and took them in, conjoining and refining them until the horror of the old was removed and a new consciousness was born, until I was born. You are the reason for my existence master, I beseech thee, please give me a name. The dragon moved quite close to Alex until both their heads were touching each other, Alex on the other hand was feeling flustered by how close she was to him. But none the less he understood what had happened, it was the same and get quite different from how Nezha came to dwell in the mask. The fire Ruby Alex had found had opened a doorway to the spirit realm and gave Nezha a chance to slip into the mask, or rather he chose to do so. There really was slot Alex didn''t understand about the mask and the mantle, but apparently this time it had created a spirit rather than summoning one from the spirit realm and binding it and it''s power to the mask. Alex looked up at the blood dragon spirit, somehow he knew the first word that had to come out from his mouth was supposed to be her name, if not there might be consequences, how he knew this, Alex himself wasn''t really sure, but he knew it none the less and that''s when Alex opened his mouth and spoke. "¨¦bi¨¦!" 74 Dragon Blood Qi Pool VII : Questions Everyone who was watching the grandson of the previous sect head defy gravity and manifest a power that they''ve never seen before could feel their blood reaching to the sight in front of them. Even gravity was affected as droplets of blood from the dragon blood Qi pool was floating into the air, along with dust, tiny stones and the hair of everyone within the vicinity of the temple. But it wasn''t just limited to the pool and the stones on the ground, even the blood in their body was reacting to Alex. And the moment he opened those yellow eyes of his, the hearts of those not within the kid range of the earth gate skipped a beat. "He''s a monster! A demon! He''s lost control! He''s going to kill us all, kill him grandfather! Kill him! He''s evil!" Lu Wan''s screeching added to the annoyance of quite a few people there, and chief amongst them was Alex as he shifted his gaze to the spoilt brat. "You know you talk too much, especially about thing you do not understand. Are you so hungry for death step-brother, I''m not one to back down from a challenge or not get rid of obstacles if they get in my way, regardless of who''s son or grandson or grandnephew they might be. Watch yourself kid." Alex was in an entirely different state of mind, whenever Nezha''s masks was on his face, he was always impulsive, compulsive, wild and easily angered. But that was not just the characteristics of flames, became flames aren''t always wild, however Nezha was a hot head. The fact that he has been calmly guiding Alex did not change that, the fire god had just grown a bit more mature since the last time he had been alive on earth. But with ¨¦bi¨¦''s mask on, Alex had the regality and pride of a dragon, and not just that there was this laziness to act on something or someone he considers he a complete waste of time. However there was a difference with ¨¦bi¨¦''s mask and Nezha''s, he didn''t know how, but he was more in control of her power and abilities, plus he also felt that there was no other spirit that can exist in her mask. With her. She fulfilled both the human, animal and plant aspect of a spirit that each mask is supposed to embody. So all Alex could do now was get her stronger and improved her power, and as she got stronger, so too will be. Alex took a step forward and the drops of blood floating in the air rapidly gathered to make steps that the young man used to descend from his place in the air. He kept coming down until he was standing right in front of his mother and grandfather, and much to the shock of everyone there, Alex included. His mother, not even caring about the fact that her son''s head was that of a ferocious dragon, moved forwards and captured him in a hug, one that was so tight that it''s as if she was scared he would vanish from her hands. "I''m fine...¡­mother." Alex was about to pull away when he felt a bigger arm encircle both him and his mother in a hug. His grandfather''s scent assailed his senses as Alex felt himself melting into the hug. They absolutely did not give a shit about the audience they had, this was just a family comforting each other after going through the terrifying ordeal of almost loosing a child. Alex might not rest understand what was going on, but to him, this felt nice. They pulled back from the hug and Alex in turn raised his hand to his face, an the fleshy red scales dragon head changed back into the normal smooth faced light chocolate skin boy with beautiful blue-green eyes, however there was something new. A strand of his hair had turned silver white all the way from the root. Alex held the strand in his hand white surprised by it, but then again it''s not like it meant anything. Alex looked at the mask in his hands, it was still white, though it seems to have been re-carved to have a much more sharper edge, and on it''s forehead a tiny red dragon could be seen coiled around, and it almost seemed as if it was moving. There was a flash of light and the masks vanished, leaving Alex behind to deal with the aftermath of his very impressive display of power. "Young man, what was that power? I''m the sect master and I hold the maximum authority here. Tell me how you''ve come to develop this power and where you got it from?" Alex narrowed his eyes at the aggressive manner with which the sect master was using his authority to get Alex to expose his secrets. This sect master looked much more younger than his grandfather, his hair was still a deep glossy back with streaks of grey. He looked like someone in his forties, he had a full goatee which was fully grey and be had piercing red eyes that almost seemed like they were on fire. Alex had no intention of telling him about how he got his spirit king abilities, and one of the main reasons was the fact that the shrine where he underwent his spirit king trials was the last of it''s kind, or if there was another Alex wasn''t sure. It was that last vestiges of an ancient history and tradition that was erased with the Advent of cultivation and Mana. As a spirit king it was up to Alex to protect it, to preserve the dreams and hopes of the spirit Kings that came before him. But the thing is Alex was never one to lie, he didn''t like it and even if he wanted to protect the origin of his power he was quite sure these people here would be able to tell if he was lying. They were much more stronger and smarter and way more experienced than he was. To think he would be able to hide his secrets from them was foolish, so all he could do was give half truths. So he turned to his mother and said to the sect master. "If you want to find out the origin of my abilities, then you would have to ask my mother, and as soon as you''re done with that you would have to ask the heavens too. Because she gave birth to me, and as far as I know, people with my abilities are born not made." And that was a very clear half truth. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Spirit Kings were born, and once they''re close enough within the vicinity of a sacred ground where they can get their mantle, it would call to them. When Alex went to the (Efojale ki dogane)(The Sky Under The Ground), he had gotten there by a series of events that were completely random and out of his hands. By the time he had walked close enough to be shrine he had already lost perception of his surroundings and went there seemingly lost in thought, but was in an actual trance. And then a masquerade chased him into the shrine and here we are. There''s always a couple of potential spirit Kings born every generation, only the lucky get to be chosen to lead and hold a mantle. The sect master won''t be finding any of that out though. Alex might be fourteen almost fifteen, but he could obviously see that this sect master was an enemy to his grandfather and mother, and while he hasn''t gotten to the point where he could happily and fully call then family, it was within the bounds and responsibility as a son and grandson to fight and make sure he wouldn''t be used as a weapons against them, and if he gets stronger he can fight back in their stead. "You as you were born with this power? How?" one of the elders asked as he moved forwards. "Well I think I can explain that." Alex''s mother spoke up with a serious and bland look on her face. "Before he was born, I met his father who as you all know had a very unique ability of inducing enlightenment with his paintings and was a master of wards and arrays. Even though he had a small cultivation base, everyone within the sect has to admit that he had a power and a talent that''s too strange to be considered normal and is widely accepted as a special physique from the heavens, the very first of it''s kind. Well me and that very talented man made sweet sweet love, more times than I can count, and given I''m just as supremely talented, I would say the heavens had no choice but to give us a son just as unique and exquisite as his parents. He has his power because we made him well." 75 Infernal Prison Dimension I : Sabotage [ rebirth can mean a lot of things in the grand scheme of things, we experience it everyday, as the sun rises as it sets, as your breathe in and out, as you live and die, love and hate. It''s an important facet of life that most people tend to take for granted, and now here we are again, a brand new year. Rebirth, a second chance to do better, to fight better, lover harder, and get stronger in more ways than one. You''re expected to do better than most, life is still a competition, but at least now you get to fight it better. Take every advantage of every rebirth offered to you, even if you''re growing older each new day, because being reborn either in mind, spirit of faith means you''re always taking a step forward, a step forward to something better, something grater. Happy New Year ] Unknown Writer''s New Year Message. 2 DAYS LATER Thing''s had been somewhat quiet within the sect for the 48 hours, after Alex''s mother had given a very colorful description of why her son was as strong and talented as he was, anyone who had any sort of opposition had kept quiet, at least for now. Besides her actions and words at the time, and right in front of her supposed husband had bruised the egos of sect master and his son, and in tandem Lu Wan, who had gone around telling everyone who would care to listen that Alex had an evil legacy of a demonic blood dragon. It was a rather nasty rumor and might have terrible repercussions should it grow beyond being just a rumor, but Alex''s grandfather gravely appreciated the effect such s rumor brought to bear. Everyone else seemed all too willing and happy to avoid the boy with the bloodthirsty demonic dragon legacy. Alex was being left alone, and with no one around to cause any sort of distraction, except of course the cultivators that had become a part of his retinue, Alex and his guards in extension could focus on getting stronger. Either way the upper how of the sect weren''t really willing to waste much time and decided to fast track the opening of the particle world. The recent deaths within the sect has gotten them spooked, however they were also keeping such information on the down low Soma''s not to cause any sort of panic with the other disciples within the sect. Which was why Alex, Yun Fao and Louis were now standing in front of what they could only say was a marvel of Qi engineering. "What''s that?" Alex couldn''t help but ask, Louis looked at what he was talking about and gave him an answer. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "That''s a highly advanced planetarium that''s not an actual building, it maps all of the higher and lower planes of existence, along with the dimensions, particle world''s, and hidden world''s the Wudang sect has visited or have under their control. The Planetarium serves as a map and key to activate that spatial gateway, making sure transportation is safe and you don''t end up dying in the vacuum of space, or worse any sort of work hole, where you could either be crushed by it''s gravitational forces, sent through time and space to a point far in the future or way back in the past, or be unfortunate enough to travel across a spatial tunnel for all eternity." Louis happily explained as he turned his face back to the archway, he seemed really excited about this training session. "All right disciples! Pay attention, your life might actually depend on it. This particle world we''re sending you into has a very rich and diverse fauna, there are herbs, less, and natural treasures that can advice your cultivation and improve your skills. You should all try your best and make sure you utilize the three months that has been given and train your mind, body, souls and qi to the utmost you can manage. Because in three months you''ve all been chosen to represent the sect in the inter-sect competition being held for the Emperor''s birthday, you will all have to give it your best. Please step towards the gateway." The person who was speaking was the sect master himself, the second elder has been missing since Alex''s unfortunate accident with the Dragon qi blood pool, and it wouldn''t take a genius to figure out that the elder was the one responsible for Alex almost losing his life during a training session. Much like most of the disciples here, Alex had a spatial ring on that carried all his supplies, but unlike everyone else, Alex''s ring didn''t just have supplies, but also books and tools for alchemy, black smiting and array forging. He wasn''t just going there to advance his cultivation, but also to improve on his knowledge and finally start practicing his auxiliary cultivation skills. As the disciples gathered in front of the gate, there was a hooded man in front of the Planetarium, he''s the one responsible for setting the location to the particle world. However Alex was getting a very familiar vibe from the whoever was under that hood, he just wasn''t sure, then he heard Nezha call out to him. {{ You idiot! That''s the second elder!}} Alex eyes opened wide as he raised his hands and shouted "Stop!" everyone''s eyes were drawn to him as he pointed at second elder, the wind seemingly reacting to his emotions as it blew back the hood with a gust that quite literally came out from nowhere. But by then Alex got the feeling that it was already too late. "Hahahaha you foooools! Do you think you can stand against the might of the Communion of true sons! Never! You''re a sect of foreigners! We don''t want some stranger from another world leading a sect with it''s true roots set on this world, on our home! The empire of heaven is a lie, they''re thieves! This is a warning shot! Leave this world, or much more worse situations would befall you! This is war!" And then he smashed the planetarium, but not before everyone noticed that the landscape it was shaking was not a particle world, but rather a kind of world that had floating land masses and what looked thousands upon thousands of cells, all opened wide. Alex heard the sect master yell out! "It''s the Infernal prison dimension! All of the cultivation world''s worst criminals are locked, up there! Save the children!" Alex didn''t know why the stupid Sect master had to give such an explanation when he could have just acted, because of what had happened before his mother and grandfather were not allow to come spectate as the disciples were sent off, if not Alex was sure they would have acted rather than talk and give an explanation that helped no one. But it is what it is. 76 Infernal Prison Dimension II : Ambush There was a moment of disorientation as most of the disciples seemed to lose their balance and fall to the ground. Alex was one of said disciples, but he was quickly helped up by Louis and Yun Fao, and just in time as all three boys watched the spatial gate behind them loose it''s brilliance and the it became nothing more than an stone archway built on top of a mountain in what looked like a weird desolate wasteland. The air was quite dry, but Alex could still feel a hint of moisture, almost as if it was hanging just above his head. Alex raised his head, and hanging above him was, or rather above all of their heads were thousands upon thousands of floating mountains, and very much opposed to the land around them, the massive land masses hanging above their heads was green and lush and seemed to thrive, filled to the brim with life and completely out of place in desolate and grey waste they found themselves. "Fuck! How dare those pieces of trash do this to us, this world was completely nothing until the imperial brought order to it!" Alex if and others shifted their gaze to a movie Lu Wan, if the need to throw blame arose, they could just as easily point their fingers to him, after all he was one of the young generation of the family that the second elder was trying to prove a point to. Alex on the other hand didn''t care, he sorely wished he could beat the shit out of the second elder, if he wanted to get back at the imperial family why the fuck did he have to go after him instead, when a very obnoxious and loud mouthed Lu Wan was sitting opposite from him. Alex was slowly coming to learn that as far the cultivation world was concerned anything and anyone was fair game as long as it got you what you wanted and proved the point you needed proved. It was a brutal world, and every new day seemed to be an iteration of one major rule, and that was strength! Alex didn''t know about most people, but this was a shitty world. "We have to get off this mountain, this is the infernal Prison world, and not just the prisoners, but the Demon beasts in this world would have noticed our arrival, and not just the demon beasts, the prisoners also. We need to find a shelter and a safe base, there are tons of people much more stronger than us, we need to find a way to hold on until the Planetarium is fixed and the elders can come save us." Alex and his retinue were more than happy to let an older boy take control, especially since they were confused and a little sacred, but none the less the fact that they were amongst themselves, meant they could face anything which came their way together. Alex reckoned that there were about 30 of them here, which means they had a big enough group to make whatever might attack them think twice, or made a very big target. The older boy whom had assumed the position of the led the way down with the others following closely, the mountain peak they were on had jagged and precarious edges with only one straight path down from the peak, and while said path looked really safe, falling from it''s edges meant that you would be forfeiting your life. They moved swiftly and as silently as they could, but thirty kids coming down a mountain where not 30 ninjas, they were not as silent as they imagined, and those of them who knew the repercussions of such noise were sweating buckets. Half way down, the sound of beating wings could be heard, but since there were lots of winged beasts in the air, none of them paid any attention to it, at least until what looked like a gryphon, only with scales and a single horn swept down from the sky and snatched their current leader up into it''s arms and up the air. Alex and the others could only watch in horror as a grey colored beak stabbed downwards and removed the heart of a guy who was at the leak of the true element realm. And the funny thing was, the gryphon was not alone. *Screeeeeeeeeet* Louis placed his hands on the back of Alex''s neck and pushed him forward, narrowly escaping the ten inch long talons that scrapped over his head, and then proceeded to scratch the scalp off the girl walking in front of them. Spilling her blood and brain matter all over the mountain path. Yun Fao looked around and couldn''t find a way out, they were right in the middle of the group, they couldn''t go backwards or forwards, however...¡­they could go sideways. Yun Fao placed his arms around both Louis''s and Alex''s arms and dragged both boys to the edge of the mountain pass and jumped, much to the shock of everyone else, and the boys he dragged along in his suicidal attempt. The side of the mountain wasn''t smooth, and it had jagged outcroppings that would happily smash them to bits, but Yun Fao had a plan, or at least part of one. They fell down for about sixteen meters before he showed great strength and used just one hand to somehow carry both Alex and Louis, and then he brought out his Autumn sabre and stabbed it into the mountain side. There was s tiny explosion of rocks and Sparks as steel and grey rock met each other, however the blade was able to dig into the mountain side a bit, slowly their descent. *Shreeeeeeeeeeeeee* The grating sound their sabre made as it cut through the rock was so loud, it had drawn the attention of not just the gryphons attacking the disciples, but some sort of bipedal lizard like creature hanging off the side of the mountain. There were dozens of them, and Yun Fao''s and his partners descent more than gave off the announcement needed for a buffet. All of a sudden Yun Fao''s sabre seemed to have met and extremely hard rock, it brought their rapid descent to a screeching halt, and the stop was so sudden that it harder Yun Fao''s shoulder, dislocating it as it was pulled out of it''s socket. But as if that wasn''t enough, the sabre proceeded to snap in half, and the boys fell for another five meters, before landing of a very wide ledge at the side of the mountain. Louis''s body served to cushion their fall, though they were still left with bruises, which spoke volumes of the kind of danger this place portrayed. Yun Fao gritted his teeth as he made his way back up to his feet, his right arm dangling uselessly from his side as he used his left to pick up the broken Autumn Dao. Alex felt sorry for that, he knew how much Yun Fao loved his sword, yet the weapon had broken in his bid to save them all from danger. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "Oww, next time can either one of you guys serve as the landing pad, I think you might have shifted the position of my organs." Louis complained as he made his way back up to his feet. Alex would have loved to give him an answer, but two of those Lizard things were currently feeling across the mountain wall and straight for them. They had no idea how to that''s the strength of this beasts, since none of them were given off Qi signatures, so their cultivation levels could not be accurately pin-pointed. So without knowing how powerful their opponents were, Alex felt it would be better if they could escape instead, besides Yun Fao was in no position to fight. Alex looked around as the lizard drew closer, the were about 80 to 90 meters away from the base of the mountain, if they timed their jump well, s call from this height won''t kill them, but it would definitely leave them heavily injured, and in s place like this, this was a very bad idea. Then he felt Louis tap his shoulder as he pointed at another ledge 7 or so meters away from them and 10 meter above them. There was a cave entrance there, or rather a cell entrance as it had an iron cell door over it''s opening. "That might actually be a bad idea." Yun Fao said to both of them, it might be better for them to take their chances in the open. 77 Infernal Prison Dimension III : Lizards Out of all three boys, Louis had the fastest reaction out of all of them, he was also normally faster than they were, and with that lizard flying towards him, he had reacted as best as he could, his entire body moving on autopilot as he shifted to the side, and his rapier shot out, stabbing into the eye of the meter and the half long monster. The thin sword went a little too deep, piercing the Brian of the lizard like demon and ending it''s life in an instant. It''s body crashed down onto the ledge they were standing on, and they rolled over it''s edge before calling to the ground, smashing against the mountain was as it went down to an even more gory end. But it wasn''t alone, no matter how fast Louis was, he couldn''t do two things at the same time, or focus on two really swift enemies. The second lizard had jumped right after the first one, and with Louis being the first to react, it gave Alex and by extension the still injured Yun Fao a chance to prepare for the second lizard. Alex had spent most of his time studying, so he was s little bit more knowledgeable about Qi demons than Louis and Yun Fao, it was why he knew that Qi demons of a lizard species always had really tough scales or hides covering their bodies, while they may be fast, 80% of the time, their biology focused on making their defense that much higher than any other part of their body, which means he had to aim for the soft parts. Louis was lucky enough that he was able to stab through the lizard''s eyes, any other part of it''s body, and they were screwed. Alex and Yun Fao had to repeat that miracle, or just avoid it all together. (Iron Viper Strike) Fore Alex there was no time to draw any of his weapons, all he could do was ready and draw on the most powerful and focused attack he could. Utilizing (TaiChi) the young man seemed to flow with the wind as he bent his body backwards showing great flexibility and finesse, before throwing his fist right under the throat of the lizard. His fist seemed to have taken on a grey his as the wind seemed to gather around it, forming the illusory form of a snake. *Thud!* *Crunch!* Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. The lizard''s momentum was brought to a sudden halt as Alex''s throat crushing punch sent it half a meter into the air, before bringing it''s bulky body crashing down onto the ledge they were standing on. It fell right in their middle, with Yun Fao close to the mountain wall, and Alex and Louis close to the edge of the ledge. Which placed them in even more sister as the lizard started thrashing in pain, it''s tail which was just as long as it''s body and just as armored also began to trash about threatening to fling both boys off the ledge and down the mountain. Using an underhand strike, Yun Fao send the serrated edge of his broken saber to the edge of the lizard tail, almost severing it in half. However that was just enough for both Alex and Louis to Jump over it, and just in time to as the edge they were standing on cracked and then broke off, falling to the ground with a massive crash. However, when it rains, it pours; as wither lizard had gotten a whiff of the scent of blood and had come hunting, this time though the prey wasn''t the three boys, but rather the still trashing and soon to be dead lizard. But the one thing they noticed about this new lizard was that it was bigger than the other two, much more bigger. "Come on!" Yun Fao shouted at the other two as he jumped up, his feet finding purchase on the mountain wall, before taking a few steps up and grabbing the other ledge above them and a little ways to the side. Alex and Louis followed, however it was a little bit difficult for Louis to keep up with such a maneuver, so he had to rely on his Qi, however doing so drew the attention of the four meter long lizard having a feast down below. Alex quickly pulled up Louis who was hanging on the edge and watched as Yun Fao decisively threw his broken sabre at the edge of the ledge they just jumped from, the sabre glowing a dull black as it was augmented by a martial skill. *BOOM* the impact was quite explosive, and that was all the pressure the ledge needed before giving way and falling to the ground, dragging the massive lizard and it''s prey smashing down to the uneven grey base of the mountain they were on. Though in all honesty Alex doubted the fall would kill the lizard, it looked big enough to take a much more heavier hit than what all three boys could muster individually. "We have to get out of the open, we''re too exposed out here and could be attacked again, come on." Yun Fao called out to both of them as he turned and went into through the open cell door behind him. Alex and Louis followed him, with Alex taking his time to study the cell door that seemed to have been rusted by age. "Well that''s interesting." Alex muttered to himself as he stared at the rust on the gate that seemed suspiciously and very intricately spread across then iron bars. "What''s interesting?" Louis asked. "There are arrays on the cell door, a couple of basic ones superimposed and combine to made intermediate ones, and then intermediate arrays combine to make advanced arrays, and then those ones combined to make master arrays. There''s not less than 3,000 individual wards in this gate, and I can''t recognize a quarter of them, however I think I can reduce what the cell door is for. Rather than keep a prisoner locked in, it was built to keep something out. And with how meticulous such work this is, not to mention the Caliber of people who were imprisoned here, I would say there''s something even more dangerous than those scales Gryphons." Alex said as he slowly closed the gate with a click. "What could that possibly be" Yun Fao asked with a grunt. *ROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!" 78 Infernal Prison Dimension IV : Alchemy {somethings are not usually in our control, and life can get so upside down and weird that it would take a significant amount of strength to push through. And some times we''re forced to survive, not live, survive! With nothing to depend on but wits and strength, upon sheer grit and focus. How we face up to such challenges, and what we become after shows what it truly means to be alive, what doesn''t kill you only makes you stronger.} The first thing they did was to make sure the cell door was shut tight, and that if need be they could also find their way out. The cell itself was relatively large cave that was no different than a living space, it was hard to call this a prison we it seems the cell door wasn''t built to keep someone locked in, but rather to keep something locked out. After making a few arrangements to the place, Alex and Louis had popped Yun Fao''s dislocated arm back into it''s socket, the young man had gritted his teeth through the pain, but Alex knew he was in quite a bit of pain as there was a rather nasty swelling left behind, with the skin being purplish black. Alex decided to finally start his first foray into Alchemy by making a simple healing concoction. It wasn''t a healing pill or a health potion like those kinds mages made, just something to soothe the pain and bring the swelling down. An alchemical furnace wasn''t needed for this. So Yun Fao went to rest over a stone bed with Louis moving to keep watch over the entrance. It was unspoken, but Alex knew they were all worried about their comrades, the others they had left on the trail down the mountain under the assault of those scaled gryphons. They were not talking about it because they all felt bad for leaving them behind, but they all three of them knew they barely survived that fall, so it was practically every man for himself. Mixing two herbs was not as simple as putting them together in a small mortar and smashing them to pull with a pestle, a bonding agent was required to be able to facilitate the chemical reaction that would turn this fool into a proper healing paste, and luckily for Alex there was an abundance of such bonding agent all around him. Alex pulled out a small pestle and mortar from his storage ring, and placed in two sets of RED STRIPPED BASIL and four of NIRVANIC MINT. The mint was akin to a weed as any part of it that survived a harvest, be it a root, a stem, or even an edge of a leaf, would always grow back into a full plant and in any sort of weather or soil, and it also grew quite fast too. The basil was that much harder to grow as it''s red stripes are formed from life blood. In the wild this herb would grow in places that animals or demonic beasts have died before, but in a controlled environment it is grown by being fed blood of either the alchemist or herbalist raising the plant, or by feeding it blood from slain beasts. The herbs raised in such a fashion are actually much more valuable and powerful in effects that those raised in the wild as they can properly cross the threshold to become spirit plants. Anyway two sets of the basil for healing and four sets of the mint for the pain, Alex wouldn''t be needing that much mint, but he felt it would be that much easier for Yun Fao to deal with the pain, and since they were not going anywhere anytime soon, the few hours of numbness the resulting healing agent would cause should not be a problem, as he would heal a bit better. Alex placed the plants into the mortar and began to grind at them with his pestle, however his movements weren''t erratic as his wrist moved clockwise and again clockwise in small steady motions. But it was just the grinding of both herbs to lasts that mattered, it was what came next that truly drew his attention, and that was sending his qi into the herbs to raise their efficacy and bond them properly. Simple Qi can not be used, it has to have an attribute, so it would either be that of your spirit root of the attribute of your cultivation technique. And in this case Alex was in luck, he had trace amount of wood qi in his body, making him a natural alchemist, and combined with the rejuvenating and cleansing energy of the (WUDANG HEART SUTRA) then Alex had all of the tools he needed. But the young man had meridians more compact that most, there were thicker and expanded and closed like a beating heart, it made it hard for Alex to properly control the pouring of his Qi, which was he found a method and made it a rhythm. He moved his wrists according to the sound of his heartbeat, letting his Qi flow out of his hands whenever his meridians expanded and sending it into the herbs. After 30 minutes of this pain staking task, which in a way was an exercise in control, white vapor began to rise from the pestle and the tool within it, and with it came s cool breezy feeling that covered the cave they were in. Alex sat back and wiped his hands on his forehead, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to reorient himself for a second. The amount of focus needed to minutely control your outflow of energy, as opposed to blasting them out during combat was Insane, though Alex had this feeling that if proper control of energy can be achieved, especially on the battlefield a cultivators fighting prowess would increase by at least 50% and they should be able to fight twice as long. Alex picked the pestle up, he could feel a trace of Qi from the thick green paste within, not to mention the mint seemed like it was clearing his lungs and sinuses which was what mint actually did. He could have used another healing plant like dandelion roots of leaves, but those were much stronger than basil and would come in handy a little bit later, especially since they had no idea how long they''ll be stuck here. Alex crouched over the very much awake Yun Fao and gave a cursory look at the purple bruising and swelling on his shoulder and right arm. They may have popped it back in place, but it looked like there was a lot more damage done, heck Alex suspected they didn''t do it right, but the healing paste should help not just sooth his pain and bring down the swelling, but should probably help realign his bones back or make it easy for them to do it properly. "Is this going to hurt?" Yun Fao asked, with his brows covered with sweat. Alex blinked at him in Innocence and then answered. 79 Infernal Prison Dimension V : Leaving The Mountain Yun Fao had a restless day, so far the boys have been stuck in this cell that was not a cell for the last two days. Yun Fao really regretted letting Alex try his hands at alchemy, while the herb he had cooked up had worked wonders on Yun Fao''s shoulder and arm, and the young man felt as if he would have been better off without it. Anyone who has come in contact with mint would know that it always gave off a cool and clear feeling, regardless of which part of your body it touched and it was also quite irritating to the eyes, however this was a hundred times more powerful and it wasn''t just cool and clear, there was also a certain amount of heat coming from it, like a balm. Yun Fao was happy and grateful, but Alex made more of his Healing Balm, just in case they encountered more sisters and got injured. Yun Fao has been fighting with the urge to just Chuck the tiny case the balm was resting in out the cell doors that has been keeping them safe so far. He could just take it as an exercise in patience and hear with it for now, besides he couldn''t deny the results the balm gave, but now that he was strong enough to move around, he knew they would have to leave this place in search for a more start area that''s not dozens of meters up in the air in the a cave weirdly carved out into a mountain. But that aside, Yun Fao also felt the loss of his Autumn Dao, without his serrated sabre with him, he felt sort of naked. But none the less it was good enough that they were all still alive. "Well where do we go next? And seeing as it''s almost nightfall do you think it''s a good idea to move around?" Louis asked as he moved closer to Alex who was packing things back into his storage ring. "The lizards and those scaled lion, eagle like beasts we bath escaped from seemed to be really active during the daytime, especially around this mountain. So I think leaving under the cover of night would be that much better and safer for us, however there''s no guarantee that there''s nothing more dangerous out there that comes out at night, so we have to be sure of which direction we would be heading too." Yun Fao pointed out as Alex got back up to his feet. "We''re high up enough in the air to see above the tree lines of the forest in front of us, there''s a plain to the South, which is the direction we were taking when we were coming down the mountain. However let''s take a look first and decide then." Alex suggested as he moved to the gate. The forest hugged the side of the mountain from North to South on it''s Western side, the boys could not even see the plains to the South anymore. The forest stretched for as far as the eye could see, however they were able to notice that it rose and fell in different places, making Hill''s and small mountains of it''s own. With how dense the forest was, there was no way for them to tell which way was safe and which way was not, so Alex came up with a plan. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "We need water to survive out here, food too. We might have packed quite a few, but I doubt it would last us. I suggest we head West into the forest, however we should look for a water source, if you look at the way the land is, the forest range continues getting elevated until what we can see are mountains with trees on it. So I suspect this mountain might be on a basin, or the land slopes downward from the West. If we can find a water source, we can follow it upstream, we might be able to find people....or more demonic beasts." Alex said to them, as he squared his shoulder in an attempt to look less worried about the choice in front of them. "Well it doesn''t matter what we meet on the way, this is a direction to take, at the very least we would be able to have an idea about what we''re dealing with." Yun Fao said with a bland tone, which normally was his default sound. The kid had so few facial expressions that for Alex and Louis, the last two days of him being in pain were the most they''ve ever seen his face change. "Yeah Gun Fao''s right, even though this is not where we were supposed to be sent, this can still be considered as training, just that the difficulty seems to have been raised to a power of ten. But in the end we can''t ever really grow if we don''t push ourselves." Louis said as wind suddenly started to blow, and his golden blond hair was being ruffled, and then in that moment a day of light from the setting sun seemed to land on him, making the young boy glow, and leaving Alex and Yun Fao feeling very... weird. Yun Fao turned to Alex and asked. "What the fuck was that?" Alex looked back at him and spread both his palms. "How the hell should I know that?" Louis just looked even more confused as he couldn''t understand or fathom what could have caused them to react in such a way. Thankfully Yun Fao wanted to quickly get back on track so he asked. "So how the fuck do we get down from here?" Alex took a deep breath as his mantle came out of his hands in a flash of green light, the gnarled piece of wood now had streaks of red and orange running a through it, Alex got the feeling that the moment the spirits within get to three, the mantle would experience a qualitative change, however it was just a feeling, so he wouldn''t dwell to much on it. Alex willed the mantle to elongate until what he had in his hand was brown whip, one that could move with just Alex''s mental instruction alone, it was like having an extra limb. The end of the vine wrapped around the Iron gate and then Alex gave a signal for Louis and Yun Fao to hold on, and then all three boys jumped out of the cave and fell almost a hundred meters or more to grass covered base of the mountain. 80 Infernal Prison Dimension VI : Field Of Snakes The forest was a little thick, and even though both Yun Fao and Alex had lived in very rural areas that could be considered completely cut from civilization, they weren''t exactly masters of surviving in the wild. So in all honesty they had no idea how to find running water, and given how late it''s gotten, there definitely won''t be that much luck in that regard. For over an hour the boys have been running through the forest, they''ve been as silent as possible, which was probably why they were lucky enough to not have encountered any beasts that hunted at night, but they knew it wouldn''t be wise if they continued on, by now they''ve already given the mountain as much gap as they could, they needed to find a place to hold up for the night and continue in the morning. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. But everything around them was just trees and more trees, and none of the trees around them were easy to scale, neither could they guarantee that they wouldn''t fall off with how thin their branches looked like. It was a conundrum, so they had no choice but to keep on going, until they came to a cluster of trees that seemed to be a different species of the others they''ve been see so far. The trees here were just as tall, but they were more thicker and had full branches with lots of vines hanging off it''s branches. Alex moved forward a bit, there was a soft patch of grass covering the entire area around the trees, which was as weird, most forests only have patches of grass growing on dead wood, or on the trees themselves. Grasses don''t grow as much as what he was seeing in forests, it was like he was looking at a plain made for grazing. "Guys don''t move!" Alex loudly whispered to his comrades, they had already moved halfway through field of shin long grass. Louis looked at him and said. "There''s something off about this field and those trees right? Do you know what it is?" Alex looked back at him and shook his head, he also had no idea what was off about this place, but his danger senses were tingling, besides looking at all of the trees they''ve seen so far, none of them could be considered green. They all looked I''ll or like they were in he midst of some sort of drought, yet this particular area of the forest was so green that they could even see it at night. *Hisssssss!* A snake as thick as a fully grown man''s arm sprung up out of the grass at him, Yun Fao reacted as swiftly as he could, jumping backwards on his back to the ground as the snake flew over his head, and then pushing himself back up with his hands until he was back on his feet. The snake disappeared into the grass and not a single sound was heard from it. Alex looked back and saw that all of the vines hanging on the trees were dropping to the ground and into the grass with massive thuds, and as soon as they touched the grass nothing was heard from them again. Louis pulled Alex along as they moved back the way they came, running with Yun Fao until they and towards the edge of the field of grass. Yun Fao who at this point was proving to be more sensitive to danger than Louis and Alex came to a halt and spread his arms out on both sides, bringing Alex and Louis to a halt also. These boys might not have been together for long, but they had already survive a lot, to the point they almost instinctually trusted each other and the decisions they made on the fly. So when Yun Fao stopped them, instead of asking what was wrong, they looked ahead of them to see the edge of the grass field rustling. They were just tall enough to see dozens upon dozens of snakes intertwined with each other and moving around the edges of the grass field. Louis felt his heart drop into his stomach and Alex broke out in a cold sweat. One thing Louis and Alex shared was their deathly fear of snakes, Yun Fao on then other hand have been having them for dinner ever since he was a child...well not all dinners, but he grew up in a place where snakes were a delicate and has killed more than enough of them in his time to lose fear of reptile. But for Alex and Louis, this was like a scene out of their worst nightmare. Alex pulled out East cloud and his halberd, he handed the sword to Yun Fao; this was not his Sabre, but Yun Fao knew it was better than nothing. Louis had his rapier out as all three of them stood back to back, their hearts pounding as they focused on the ring of snakes that was now slowly shrinking. "They''re trying to box us in, and given how high and how far these slithering abominations can keep, I''ll say jumping over them would be a bad idea. Since when were snakes this smart?" Louis asked in annoyance, only for Alex to answer. "Since they''ve been controlled by Nagas!" after he said that he pointed at the trees all the snakes had just dropped from. It was then Louis and Yun Fao noticed the snake tailed humanoid beings who had their coils wrapped around the trunk of the trees and we''re watching all three boys with undisguised goes and enjoyment in their eyes. "We''re screwed! Aren''t Nagas a magical race, we''ve not learnt any technique to counter them, or at least one that can attack from a distance! "Louis complained with a slightly scared tone. 81 Infernal Prison Dimension VII : Setting A Forest On Fire Alex swung his Halberd upwards, his weapon had the longer reach so he was able to attack. The tip of the variation spear slashed open the neck of the snake and carried it over their heads, score throwing it somewhere in the grass, however the moment the snake landed into the grass, there were loud hisses as it''s comrades, pounced on it and goes it to shreds. This time two snakes jumped, but Louis moved, his body taken on a golden his with tiny specks of light wafting off him. He was practically lit up like a beacon of light within the darkest of night. His rapier left after imaged in the air, causing a flash that made quite a few of the snakes back away, and completely fried the two that were in the air. Louis also had a dual element spirit root, and his was quite a conundrum as the young man had a spirit root there''s both of the light and dark attribute, or rather of the yin and yang attribute. The snakes started jumping out of the grass in more numbers, Louis who seemed to have gotten a bit over his fear of snakes streaked around, leaving behind a golden trail like some sort of meteor as he cut the snakes that went into the air apart. Yun Fao even though he was using a weapon he wasn''t too familiar with, a long sword was still just a sabre with two edges, so he was able to adapt as purple lightening streaked across the blade of the sword and headless snakes fell down into the grass in drives. All three of them were able to cover the blind spot of the other and they had all of their focus and attention placed on this fight. As it stands all three of them represented a wall, and should one fall, so too will the others. Alex sent his halberd flying behind him as he stabbed through these snakes, a bolt of purple lightning flew past him, before slamming into a massive python that promptly exploded into a shower of blood and guts. Individually these snakes didn''t really have that much power, there were very low leveled demonic beasts, heck even Alex couldn''t be sure they made the jump from normal animal to demonic beasts, but there was a lot of them, and they were slowly being pushed back. {Don''t dwell too much on this Alex, you need to get out of here, use me! There''s something a lot worse than those Nagas watching and it''s drawing close, burn the fields down, or if worse comes to worse the entire forest!} Nezha''s voice came yelling from the depths of Alex''s mind. With his body on fire, Alex made a single revolution around Yun Fao and Louis, creating a wall of red flames that rose high into the air like some sort of cage. Every snake that made an attempt to get to them was burnt to a crisp long before they were able to cross through. Then Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyes, every mask has three skills to give corresponding to the three forms of spirit it would host. There would be an attacking skill, a defensive skill, and a special skill that''s an amalgamation of the powers of all three spirits. Right now his fire mask only had Nezha in it, and Nezha was a fire spirit of Justice. Which was why naturally he was the one to give the attacking skill and this was the first time Alex would be using it. In the legends of Nezha it''s told he spent at least three years In his mother''s womb before he was born, but when he was born he didn''t come out as a child, but rather a ball of flesh that very much freaked the shit out of his father. And then the young fire god busted out of the ball of flesh already capable of speech and movement as if he was not some toddler that was just born. This freaked his father even more and he secretly went to enlist the help of a blue dragon to kill Nezha, however the blue dragon''s rampage had cost a lot of innocent lives, and no one was willing to fight the dragon or stand up to the dragon, leaving Nezha the only one with the guts and the lower to do so. And so he fought the dragon, spear In hand and the (WIND FIRE WHEELS) underneath his feet, Nezha slayed the dragon; it was his first and greatest rest, so much so that it angered the heavens. Alex closed his eyes for a second as the red tattoos on his body lit ablaze, the flames died down almost immediately, as they the seemed to become streams of fire flowing across his very skin. Nezha pulled the halberd back, and then brought it down smashing into the ground; the blade of the halberd glowing a bright yellow. (DRAGON FALL!) A blazing golden dragon shot out of the halberd in a straight line, burning all of the grass in it''s path before smashing into the tree line, setting them ablaze and setting most of the very frantic Nagas ablaze. But those were just the unlucky ones, the others who were caught directly in the hundred meter long and twenty meter wide fiery dragon attack exploded directly into bits and turned to Ash seconds later. By this point the forest was already completely ablaze. The snakes backed off, as the flames spread to their field of grass, Alex stumbled forward a little light headed from the skill he just used. Louis and Yun Fao were there to catch him. North was to their right and west was right in front of them and very much on fire, they needed to go around the blaze that was spreading fast, or rather get the fuck out of this forest now that they''ve broken the ultimate rule about not setting fires to a forest. *Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!!!* Chill covered the body of the three boys as they turned to the north were the massive form of a monster could be seen standing and coming close to them. Even though they weren''t too knowledgeable about the ways of the world, all three of them knew exactly what was in front of them, it''s a threat that earth has been fighting and dealing with almost regularly. The boys knew all they could do now was run for their lives, because this monster in front of them would give even people in the mid realms of the earth gate problems. The ducked back into the tree line, going back from where they came and turning south, heading for the plains. 82 Infernal Prison Dimension VIII : Hunted { There are numerous categories of monsters in existence, some are Demons, some are animals, some magical beasts, some living sentient beings and some...are Kaiju. This hulking beasts of death and destruction, neither demon nor monster, without one ounce of QI or MANA in their systems, yet they''re powerful interdimensional Invaders with very evolved biology but also very little Intelligence. Because of their lack of intelligence they''re incapable of being trained or tamed, and all that matters to them is leaving death and destruction in their wake. The Kaiju are real monsters!, They kill not for food or even for sport; they kill because it is who they are. They move single mindedly in whatever direction their feet take them, and more often than not it is through cities filled to the brim with mother''s and father''s, brothers and sisters, families, life. They''re almost impossible to kill as the regenerative abilities are beyond Norma, shit of loosing it''s useless large brain, a Kaiju can''t not be killed. If you happen to be in the vicinity of one, run! Run and pray it''s path does not cross with yours. Because if you aren''t strong enough to fight back or run away.....then you''ll be weak enough to die. } EXCERPT FROM THE DICTIONARY OF BEASTS AND DEMONS Thanks to the very much aflame forest, they were able to see exactly what it was they were running from. The Kaiju was roughly 60 meters tall, it wasn''t as big as most Kaiju the boys have seen on TV or newspapers, but it was large enough to scare the shit out of them. It was like a hedgehog, only larger and had scales and leathery skin instead of fur. There were massive bone spurs on it''s back, and it''s head was shaped like an anchor, with it''s jaws being really massive. The one thing they had going for them, was the fact that the forest was now on fire, a fire that was spreading way to rapidly for them to be able to outrun. The blaze and heat from it was making it really hard to breathe, and as they drew away from the Kaiju, giving the monster as much gap as they could, the forest woke up. Tiny rabbits, miles, snakes and even monkeys jumped, ran, crawled and moved from tree to tree, bush to bush and mound to mound, hoping to escape the increasing blaze. Louis turned around and couldn''t help but to turn around and yell at Alex. "Did you think this through! Or is getting burned alive all a sort of your Supreme plan!" They continued on there way, before suddenly a massive body crashed into them, throwing all three of them on the forest floor, tangled with whatever had attacked them as the forest animals ran over them in their plight to escape the coming flames. Alex quickly got to his feet, only to receive a massive coil to the face, a loud boss following it as he was thrown backwards and smashed across a tree that was slowly kindling with flames. Louis jumped upwards, going over the massive snake coil that tried to sweep off his feet. The snake body smashed a small banana tree to pieces, just as Yun Fao gave a side slash over the body of the exposed Naga. His body was covered wish scales, and as Yun Fao''s lightning cover blade sliced across it''s chest, there was a loud screeching sound as scales were broken and the young man cut the Naga in two. Or mostly in two as a part of itself spine was still attached by strings of nerves, while it''s guts spilled out. But it wasn''t over, this was not the only Naga that had come here for revenge. An arrow flew towards them from within the confines of the burning trees, however there was a massive flash of light as a golden shield covered all three boys with Louis''s rapier glowing with multiple runes, while Yun Fao helped Alex back up to his feet and gave him back his halberd. Seeing the golden shield they were under, made Alex scrunch his eyebrow. The energy used was not Qi, it was somehow familiar with Spirit energy, but it wasn''t at the same time. This was Mana, also popularly referred to as magic, making Louis a dual practitioner of both Qi and Mana. People like his were not that rare, but they weren''t common either, and more often than not they tend to be really talented. *Bam!* Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. A Naga wild with rage and anger slithered towards the barrier and smashed it''s massive body into the golden barrier of light Louis had made. As impressive as it looked, the barrier didn''t last as it was smashed to pieces, but Alex was there to intercept the very disoriented Naga by piercing a halberd very much on fire through it''s chest. Ignoring the screams of pain and outrage from the Naga, Alex spun his body, using the Naga still attached to his spear as a battering ram and slamming it into a comrade, before making a circular motion and then pinning both Nagas to a tree, using so much force into driving his halberd in that only it''s base was left exposed. Then Alex ducked, dodging the class swipe head for his neck, only for a rapier covered with cold darkness to flash over his head, sucking all of the heat around him to stand into the throat of the Naga that just attacked him. Almost as if it was poisoned the Naga fell to the ground, convulsing wildly, it''s trunk smashing every which way. Alex move back and stabbed his hand into the belly of the two Naga impaled t9 ta tree and pulled his halberd out. The base move backwards smashing into the chest of another Naga, who was pushed backwards and right into Yun Fao''s lightning glad swing with East cloud. The head of the Naga went flying right into Louis''s spinning heel kick, and then straight into the face of a man standing there with a curious look on his face. At that moment all three boys were caught off guard by his sudden arrival, they quickly huddle together, preparing themselves for a fight they would not be able to win. If there was an unknown man In front of them, it could only mean that he was one if those who were imprisoned here, and the lowest cultivation gate of anyone imprisoned here was in the mid stages of the earth gate. This dude was way out of their league. "Nagas are very territorial bastards, looking at the origin point of this fucking forest fire, I would say you stumbled into their breeding grounds, and set it on fire in a bid to escape. Not to me too you idiots woke that fucking Kaiju up, I should kill you where you stand¡­..." The chill behind his words left all three of them breathless. There was a debt to his power that they couldn''t see or fathom, and without the guidance and protection of their elders from the sect, they were very much at the mercy of this man, if he wanted to kill them, there was nothing they could do. "However there might yet be a use for you three, seeing the way all three of you fought, I would say you have very good instincts on your shoulders. Well then, come with me if you want to live, the rest of your friends from the mountain, those of them that survived have already been received by other wardens. So come with me if you want to survive, and for all your sakes, I hope you guys can keep up with me." And then he turned and disappeared into the tree line, heading west. The boys looked at each other and then turned to follow the man that at this point was both their salvation and maybe their end too. But this was the only day I hope they had in getting out if this forest, however their troubles were not over. While they were struggling to keep pace with the man who was running through the forest like it was a plain, the trees on their sides apart from being on fire also had dozens upon dozens of Nagas running or rather slithering past them. And unlike the previous ones they faced, this Nagas were armed and they were armored! "We''re really going to die aren''t we?" Louis asked with fear In his voice and smoke in his lungs. 83 Infernal Prison Dimension IX : Forest Chase! Forest on fire? Check! A guide who was more interested in getting out of the forest than guiding the people he just saved? Check! Angry ferocious looking Nagas on their tails(pun intended) check! Yep what could possibly go wrong. The sounds the Nagas made as their armored bodies scrapped across the ground was so bone chilling it was akin to a scene from a horror movie, yet even with that Alex, Louis and Yun Fao could not stop running. One of the Nagas waved a spear as a flash of sickly purple light flew out, heading straight for Alex. Louis waved his rapier and a small shield of light appeared in front of Alex intercepting the Qi based attack. These Nagas were at the open Dantian realm, the attack that was just released let the boys know the strength of what the were dealing with, though it was a few levels above them, as long as it was in the same realm there would always be a way for them to deal with this snake men. Another Naga rushed over from behind them and took a leap, however Alex jumped forwards and turned his body making a full rotation as he swung his halberd, the whole world seemingly slowing down as it''s red glowing axe blade decapitated the Naga. Alex continued forward almost as if nothing had happened, leaving behind the headless and still shaking body of the Naga. The sight of a dead comrade infuriated the remaining Nagas as they redoubled their efforts to catch the boys. The Nagas on the left were moving themselves in a slanted direction, by virtue of being half snakes they were a step or two faster than even Louis who was the fastest of the three. They were planning to intercept the boys a little ways forward, but Yun Fao had other plans. He jumped forward using a few trees as spring boards and stepping stones before waving the sword on his hands towards a tight cluster of trees in front of them. Arcs of lightning danced over the surface of the blade as a purple beam flew out and brought the trees down. The move alone was extremely tiring as Yun Fao stumbled a bit in an attempt to catch his breath, however he didn''t stop running. The Nagas who were hoping to intercept from the left got buried by tons of trees, it probably wasn''t enough to kill them all, but at the very least it would slow them down. The only Nagas they now had to worry about were those coming from the right and coming up from behind them. As they ran, the broke out of the tree line and into an open field that would be better explained as what looked like a glade right in the middle of the forest(very much like the home of the Nagas they just ran away from). There were a bunch of beasts running through it, all escaping from the flames, and their destination turned out to be what looked like holes in the ground. These holes were numerous and it was right in the middle of the glade, and at the moment of it''s appearance, the Nagas seemed to get frantic. One of the Nagas clawed his way across the ground, moving much more faster in his erratic and frantic attempt to kill them. He got close a lot quicker band much more unhindered than expected and jumped at Louis who was running on the right, however Louis ducked under it''s leap, the massive serpentine and human body creating a tiny gusts of wind the ruffled Louis''s hair. It''s arms outstretched and Jaws opened wide; Yun Fao slashed the sword in his hand sideways, cutting through the open jaw and dividing his head in half. The massive body crashed down in front of Alex who stabbed his halberd into it and flipped forward using his halberd to push it backwards and into the ranks of Nagas still chasing after them with a fervor. There was a clamor as they all got tangled and tripped all over themselves, assuming such an action was possible for Nagas. The boys continued forward, however it was then they realized the man they had been following was nowhere to be found, it''s like he just upped and disappeared. and quite frankly they had no idea into which of the holes he had jumped into. Since Louis was a little ahead and very much indecisive and confused, he skirted past most of the holes until he came to the big one in the middle. He turned just as Yun Fao and Alex reached him, and they in turn also turned to face the still approaching Nagas. Sure they''ve killed quite a few of them and slowed them down, but there were still no less than 20 of them, and more still seemed to be coming out of the tree line. Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked at the hole behind him, a rather nasty idea beginning to take shape. "Are you sure this is the hole he just went through?" Yun Fao asked Louis who had led them here. "I''m not, but when in doubt jump into the biggest hole you see right? What could possibly go wrong." Neither Alex not Yun Fao were in the mood to tell Louis exactly one of the many things that could go wrong, they were just a little bit more focused on the problems in front of them. "You guys jump down, I follow you in soon enough. I have an idea." Alex said to them with a focused look on his face. Neither Louis nor Yun Fao seemed too willing to argue or say something as time consuming as them being the protectors or whatever, if he was going to follow them, then he would. They both jumped down, leaving Alex alone to face the incoming team of Nagas. Alex took a step back as he held his Halberd close to his chest, his fire mask was still on his face, and in turn his body lit ablaze, the clothes he had on burning to a pile of scrap almost immediately as he spread his legs, eyes focused patiently waiting for the Nagas that were drawing close. The Halberd seemed to light up with flames as it''s silver frame turned red hot in seconds. The very air around Alex seemed to be set on fire as little wisps of flames came to life around him, his eyes had turned a very bright orange, almost as if there was a sun burning deeply within their depths. The beasts who were still escaping from the forest fire gave Alex a wide berth, because by this point he was radiating a heat a lot worse than what they were feeling from their environment, but ultimately it didn''t matter to the Nagas as they drew closer, rushing over with blind hate and anger, all they could envision was tearing Alex apart and going after his friends and doing the same to them. Alex didn''t know how deep this hole was, but he prepared himself, and when he saw that the Nagas were just about two meters away, he stepped back and fell into the hole, barely avoiding getting his head cut off by a nasty looking scimitar. He had barely fallen into the hole when dozens of Nagas jumped into it with him, he had no idea how far he would be falling, but three seconds was enough for all of the Nagas to either be in the hole or gathered around the mouth of it. It was a kill box, or rather a kill hole, now he wasn''t the one running away or trapped falling in a hole with a bunch of Snake Men, they were the ones trapped here with him. {DRAGON FALL} *ROOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!* A massive dragon made of flames, who''s body was way too big from the hole it was shot through, rushed up, it''s golden orange frame incredibly life like as it burned everything in it''s path. And the higher it went, the flames changed from gold, to blood red, burning with a vengeance as most of the Nagas turned to Ash that rained down with Alex, the others were burned to a crisp, with none of the 20 Nagas Alex had seen surviving it. The dragon rushed up out of the hole and into the air, illuminating the glade and much of the forest before releasing a very loud roar that shook the very air itself. And then it exploded, causing a shockwave that spread across the glade, breaking down trees and making the almost one hundred meter in diameter glade increase to twice it''s original size. As for Alex, he fell deeper into the hole, his body completely limp, his mask faded and his consciousness gone along with the flames in the sky. Wherever he was going to, his friends would catch him, that much was guaranteed, but meanwhile outside the hole, in another hole that was just three meters away from the one they just jumped in, the man who they were supposed to follow popped his head out. 84 Infernal Prison Dimension X : Khan {Sprit Kings are always awake, we''re the balance between the world of substance and material, and the world of concepts and ideals. We don''t preside over life and death, but sometimes or rather more often than not, those domains fall under our sphere of influence. For spirit Kings the body is just a husk, a tool to house the anima, the combined form of both the spirit, soul and mind; the consciousness if you will. But the body is also a cage, a trap that dulls our true senses, it is why most spirit Kings spend years, dozens to hundreds, to thousands to millions meditating or sleeping trying to unravel the secrets of the universe. In a nutshell spirit Kings achieve the greatest of all feats when they''re disconnected from their mortal coil, and no feat could be greater or more beautiful than the birth of a spirit Kings first spirit. The very foundation and base for his future spirits!} ANCIENT TEACHINGS OF THE FIRST SPIRIT KING When Alex opened his eyes, he was within his mantle, ¨¦bi¨¦ and Nezha''s gates were wide open, and he could hear their voices as they conversed over him. He got up to a sitting position as they ceased their discussion, Alex wondered what it was they were talking about. "Looks like your awake, good! There are somethings that you need to know, to prepare you for your next step." Alex blinked his eyes at sound of Nezha''s voice, he was still a little out of sorts, but he could understand what was being said. Alex looked around and noticed a ball of light on his chest, it was pulsing, very much in a manner that was akin to a heartbeat. "Don''t panic! Your embryonic spirit is being born, you have to connect to it and create a pact, then it would be fully revealed and it''s connection to you will give it a physical form in the real world." Alex was confused, Nezha never really explained how he would contract his embryonic spirit, and right now it was happening! He was completely caught off guard, he didn''t know the first thing to do, and all Nezha was doing was giving orders without clear instructions. "Can''t you see you''re confusing him! Master an Embryonic spirit is born when a spirit king finds a location of power or experiences a moment of spiritual enlightenment. The spirit born is not necessarily tied to the location of power , but rather by fate and the universe itself. But this only regards to a spirit king, for spirits that are born, they''re always born at the embryonic stage, which is more like a cocoon for them. Only after a certain amount of time would they make the jump to the proper rank they''re meant to be. Be that as it may, to birth this spirit, you need to see it with your anima, combine The power of your soul, mind and body and connect with it. Because right now all it has is a spirit and soul, it''s mind is no yet formed, neither does it have a body, it is up to you to give it such by connecting with it...you have to name it!" Alex crossed his legs and calmed his breathing, he didn''t know the first thing about combining his soul, mind and spirit to manifest his anima, but basically his anima is his consciousness. Cultivators use that a lot to check their bodies, so it shouldn''t be too hard, to use...¡­hopefully. Alex moved his focus to the sphere of light on his chest, it was tiny, about the size of baseball, but to Alex it felt like it had the weight of a twenty ton rock, but that was just a perception. He wasn''t really feeling the weight, but his mind made him perceive it as so. A sliver of his Anima touched the sphere, and it bounced back, causing him a bit of a headache. Alex was confused, but nevertheless he tired again, and the same thing happened, and again and again with absolutely no luck or success, until all he had was an incredibly fierce pounding headache. He heard rustling, almost as if someone was about to say something, but then silence, they wanted to help, but it seems this part was something he had to do on his own. Alex calmed himself down, trying his best to ignore the droning in his head as he spread his Anima around the sphere. This time he chose a gentle approach, he caressed the sphere like it was an egg, then softly poked and prodded at it, until suddenly there was no Sphere, only a weird looking weasel, hedgehog, dog like creature. It was obviously still a baby, because it was so tiny, it floated about with it''s eyes closed and a thin coating of pink fluid was on it. Its body was slick with those fluids, giving it a look as if it has just been born, which technically is also true. There was a cool breeze being blown around, and it seemed centered around the creature. It''s tail was twice as long as it''s body, and it''s fur was similar to that of a hedgehog. There were no sharp spikes, but the hair stood on end in large clusters, making it seem like the spines of a hedgehog. It had the face of a dog, like a cute little puppy, and on it''s legs, there were tiny nubs that glinted. There was a connection to it, but it was quite faint, Alex heard Nezha''s breathing, and it was getting really frantic. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he couldn''t until Alex was done with the entire process. Alex looked at the seemingly dead creature, because as beautiful as it looked, it wasn''t breathing or showing any signs of life. And then he gave it a name. "Khan!" and then Nezha cursed out loud. "FUCK!" But whatever the reason for his curses, Alex couldn''t focus on that at the moment as the creature''s eyes snapped open, and all Alex could see was only blackness. An inky soul swallowing blackness that only had one person in it''s sight, and that was Alex. Whatever Wind that was holding the creature aloft disappeared and Alex had to quickly stretch forth his hands to catch it, the palm size creature whined a bit with it''s pup like voice, when suddenly a screen showed up in front of Alex. ? SPIRIT NAME: Khan ? SPIRIT RACE: Kamaitachi ? SPIRIT RANK: Embryonic ? SPIRIT SCHOOL: N/A ? SPIRIT SKILLS: (Wind Coat: Level 1) "It''s a bloody Kamaitachi, those things are as bloodthirsty and as evil as one would get in a spirit. Sure it looks cute now, but wait until it gets to the soldier rank and starts mastering the skills from it''s schools. They''re malevolent spirits Alex, bad omens to say the least. Usually spirit Kings get spirits that compliment their character and attitude or make up for their shortcomings in behaviors and mettle. This thing would cause a lot of problems for you." Nezha said with a bitter tone in his voice, however ¨¦bi¨¦ had something to say. "No spirit is born good or bad, sure this one would be a bit temperamental, but a spirit grows based on the training it''s master gives it. What you''re citing is just public opinion, just because Kaimatachis as a whole are known as bad omens, doesn''t mean his would be the same. So stop giving and causing unnecessary fears hot-head and give us some valuable information! As a spirit I was created by the mantle, I''ve never been to any of the spirit worlds, or know much about the intricacies of the creatures there. So tell us more about this new friend of ours." Nezha obviously wanted to argue, but looking at the expectant look on Alex''s face as he cradled the innocent looking spirit, Nezha gave in. "Kaimatachis are born of the wind element, however this very tiny things that don''t grow larger than a weasel, are tri-school spirits. They''re usually created or born from an aspect of grief or death, or bad luck. They have control over the wind, drain life force from people, lay bleeding curses with their bite and can not be touched or felt by mortals, however it can interfere with the mortal world. It''s schools are Manifestation; for it''s control over wind, Apparition; for being a freaking half ghost and sucking life force, and mind sight; for it''s Astounding ability to lay curses on someone with a bite and even in some cases steal luck. It''s a bad, bad omen. Either way it''s core will only fully settle once it gets to the soldier realm, that''s when all of it''s powers would be revealed and can be properly trained. But since it''s the foundation of your spirits, the only kind of spirits you can make a pact with, has to have the same school as it does. So you can never have a pact with a spirit with a divination school, not even if it''s a duo-school, tri-school or quad-school. As long as it has divination abilities, your anima will reject it. You''re stuck with it and the effects of it''s bad luck forever. The worst part is, Kaimatachis are more animals, very evil animals so you won''t ever be having an intelligent conversation with it! Humph!" 85 Infernal Prison Dimension XI : Dark Sylphs When Alex opened his eyes again, he was in a rather uncomfortable position. He was hanging upside down, over a boiling pot of green sludge, which was weird, sludge the last thing he remembers; was falling down the doorway to hell¡­...or rather the pit to hell. He looked around, but Louis and Yun Fao were nowhere to be found. It was confusing, but apart from the boiling pot of sludge, which as time went by and Alex got more in tune with his senses, he realized was actually a pot of soul, of toxic sludge, the noxious fumes coming off from it was making his eyes water. Which would also explain the boiling seeing as there were no flames beneath it. Everything else was dark, Alex couldn''t see; it was as if he was in the middle of an endless expanse of darkness, whilst being hung over a pot of bubbling green sludge, without flames mind you. You didn''t need to be a professor to know that there was something seriously wrong, but what that was, apart from the obvious, Alex wasn''t exactly sure. "Ahhh! We see dinner is awake.....good. we have waited long for a meal kekekekeke them two other boys, ran off from us they did, expect them be back for their friend they will. And we was right! They hang around the edge of our perception they do, but if they make no effort then sylphs eat friend....cause friend smell so goooooooood!" Okay so let''s get something straight, Alex was hung upside down, being bound by God knows what, in God knows where and being analyzed by three hundred women with raspy voices.....or one woman with really bad lungs. But none the less he got the basic gist of what was going on here, they fell and got captured by this sylph yet unknown enemy, he was unconscious which made him too much of a liability so Yun Fao and Louis made a run for it, however they were still hanging close, looking for an opportunity to save him...¡­that seemed to be accurate, but Alex wasn''t exactly happy they left him, even if they had every intention of coming back. And it wasn''t as if he didn''t understand, but he was fourteen, he was allowed to feel annoyed when friends he trusted left him behind. {You''re in trouble now Alex, those are dark sylphs! Corrupted wind spirits that feed of the breath of essence of life, in this case they''ll drain you dry of your energy, both Qi and spirit. You would survive but, you''ll be useless! Since I''m using your senses I can''t see them, however they sound really close to demonization, and once that happens, they''ll become a legion, and that''s not shit you''re ready to deal with. But none the less it would take a few thousand years for that to happen, but you still need to get free. You can''t use the masks, you''re pretty much drained after the stunt you pulled with the Nagas, leaving you with just your Qi. Khan is much too young and weak to be of any help, so I''ll suggest you find a way out, probably try using the mantle, it''s polymorphic after all.} "We would like to ask! Any last words dinner? Kekekekeke" Alex rolled his eyes at the voice, for some reason he really couldn''t bring himself to be afraid of these wind fairies, he was just angry. *Booom! Bang! Clang!* The pot of boiling sludge beneath Alex which, was completely useless when you consider the fact that sylphs don''t eat flesh, was kicked, suddenly thrown into the darkness where it proceeded to smash into a wall or something, it was much too dark to see. Alex felt a little gust of wind at his feet and hands, before whatever it was that was binding him got cut off, and then there was a little bit of pressure within his chest, and a feeling of warmth and cold at the same time. Alex flipped himself and landed on his feet, but before he could make a run for it, a heavy blast of wind took him off his feet and threw him into the darkness. His back slammed against a brittle mound, that broke apart and turned to dust with the impact his body made on it. Alex coughed and sneezed at the same time as he tried scrambling to his feet, his hands then got in touch with the obvious shape of a skull, and further movements showed that there were other bones around, lots and lots of them. "Where do you run to dinner, we have need of your ESSENCE!" Alex couldn''t see what he was fighting, but he could hear, however even that could prove to be a problem because as it stands Alex had lost his spear, and there was no immediate weapon in hand. So he moved his hand to the mound of bones beneath him, his fingers sinking into the eye sockets and nose holes of a skull, and then he turned sharply, before proceeding to smash it against what was heading for him. *Crash!* Wind or not, Alex was actually being attacked by something physical, and even though the skull turned to dust in his hands, the sound of pain from whatever it was that was attacking him was very much music to his ears, but this fight wasn''t over yet. He held his hands to his chest as he scrambled up the mound; that as he slowly made his way up, was beginning to turn into a small hill of bones . Alex could not begin to envision how long these sylphs have been here, or the sheet amount of people that have died under their captivity, none the less the bones beneath him, were a lot. *Wooohoohoooohooo* The sound of the wind wailing was heard as Alex''s feet was swept out from under him, he fell backwards and slammed his head on a rather hard bone. He cursed in anger as he started sliding backwards on his back, all of his progress made on the mound was completely eliminated. When he got back to the ground, he quickly got back up to his feet and turned his head in the direction on the wind that was rapidly approaching him. He still had west wind tucked safely in his storage ring, and he pulled it out in anger, widening his stance as his Qi and Spirit both seemed to sink into the sword, giving it a bluish green hue that made the sword vibrate even more. Alex didn''t care who or what it was that kept attacking him, this was irritating to no end, and he really wanted to cut them all to pieces, even if they were made of wind. But in that moment Alex understood that to cut wind, you have to be the wind itself, no element was more sharper than wind. It would take time, but just like water, wind would wear down a mountain until all that''s left is a simple pebble. But then again it was one thing to cut a person, and it was another to cut wind, something that has no form and no physical look or shape. Wind was nothing and at the same time it was everything, to cut through such you have to become one with it, such that your blade becomes no different from the wind you''re trying to cut; nothing and everything. (East Sword Of Summer!) The summer skills represented fire and was best suited to Spears and the like, however Alex had already lost his Halberd during the fall down this pit or hole or whatever the fuck it is. He only had his sword, but even then this was a weapon he had used in mastering the south sword of summer move previously, in Alex''s hands, especially with the enlightenment he just received, his sword was nothing like a spear and at the same time it was everything like it. Thin strands of green like flames shot out from the sword, there hundreds and thousands of them which quickly congregated around Alex''s body to form a dome. The wind smashed into it, and got set ablaze as an unholy screech filled the darkness and the green blaze spread allover it. It lit up the gloom, and everything was clear to see, especially the fact that Alex was standing in front of 15 foot tall woman with blackish green hair, tattered transparent wings, a very dirty and ugly grey dress, and a mouth filled with dozens of shark like serrated teeth. Her wings had covered the entire area, like a dome, and it was what had been causing the darkness. Alex would have been horrified by the sight in front of him if he was not still stuck in the surreal feeling he had when using his sword. There were green flames of Qi and spirit blazing on West wind, and beyond that, there was something more, something different, a force that could only be born from a sword, an energy the likes of which he''s never felt or seen before. But it was so tiny, so small, yet Alex knew it was this power, this force that was holding his Qi and Spirit together, if not their mixture would be nothing short of disastrous. And then Alex heard Nezha''s voice. {You have comprehended Sword Force and in turn you''ve used it to birth wind fire. Or at the very least a very crude version of it. None the less a new kind of flame has been born from your energy, the fire mask will absorb it and grow stronger now, and so will I. But it''s going to take a whole lot more than that to beat these sylphs.} 86 Infernal Prison Dimension XII : Safe Alex moved forwards, with the Sylph''s wings on fire, and it going through a serious amount of pain, this was the only chance he would get to properly deliver enough damage to it. A scythe made of wind appeared and sliced towards his neck, Alex leaned backwards as he dodged it and looked up in time to see a golden flash appear on the still blazing wings of the sylph. Her scream of pain this time was nerve grating as her curtain like wings seemed to have developed a tear on it and a figure jumped through, or rather two figures; it was Louis and Yun Fao. There was no reason to speak too much, there was an enemy in front of them, and that''s what they needed to deal with. A wild gust of wind started rolling around all three boys, but they ignored it as Louis raised his rapier into the air and a bright flash lit up the entire wing covered area. The four eyes of the sylph, something Alex was just noticing closed involuntarily, giving him and Yun Fao just enough time to get close to it''s main body. Alex had no intention of dragging this fight out, whatever this new sword like energy was, it was drawing too much from his Qi and spirit, not to mention it was taking a lot of mental focus to keep the energy activated and he could feel a headache, followed quickly by unconsciousness on the horizon. So pooling all of his energy into one massive strike was the only option he had. Alex jumped scaling the corporeal form of the sylph and stabbed his sword into her chest. The blue-green flame on it seemed to blaze even higher as the wind fire fed on the sylph. *Screeeeeeeeeeeeeee!* There were thousands of individual screams, each and every single one of them extremely nerve grating to the extreme. Khan who through it all has been hiding within Alex''s terribly burnt clothes, poked his head out and opened his jaws wide. There was a suction force from the young Kamaitachi as small amount of tiny individual Sylphs made their way into his gaping fang filled Maw. His appearance seemed to be the real thing to spook the sylph as the flames spread all over it''s body in mere seconds. It turned around, withdrawing it''s massive wings as the lights from hundreds upon thousands if not millions of gemstones shined down upon them, then it turned around and fled, pieces of it''s body falling off as the wind fire clung tightly to it, slowly destroying the thousands of Sylphs amalgamated together to make the larger one. It wasn''t a very desperate fight and Alex was thankful for that, he let go of the sword force, Qi and spirit energy returning west wind to it''s normal form. Alex immediately fell forward. "Whoa! Whoa! What the heck is that?" Louis screamed as he took at least ten steps backwards, the kid was so easily spooked it was hard to imagine he had fought giant lizards, huge snakes, Nagas and a weird legion of Dark Sylphs. "Indeed young Master Alex, what is that, it is quite Ugly!" Yun Fao asked with way less enthusiasm than Louis. *Hissssssss* "This is Khan, his my Embryonic spirit, my summon or partner if you will. And he doesn''t like being called ugly Yun Fao, and you guys shouldn''t worry, the little guy is harmless, at least he''s not friends who would run off and leave someone behind to be dinner for a crazy group of wind fairies!" The part about Khan being harmless is not exactly true, he was just still a bit young and would be growing into his abilities soon enough. However the matter on ground was not Khan, but rather the fact that both Yun Fao and Louis ran off without him. Some part of him understood why they had to do so, but waking up without your friends and comrades in a very dark place was beyond terrifying, Alex was scared for himself and at the same time for his friends, and then it turns out they ran off without him. "Young Master Alex please forgive me, I have neglected my duty as your guard, running off without you was wrong and without a doubt an act that''s without forgiveness. I will accept any sort of punishment you decided to dish out." Yun Fao''s voice was stern and resolute, he had every intention of taking the punishment. However Louis just shook his head and muttered the word ''Idiot'' before walking towards Alex and hugging him, ignoring the still hissing Kamaitachi. "I''m so sorry we ran off without you Mon Capitan, we weren''t left with much of a choice since you were unconscious and the sylph was unlike anything we''ve ever faced before. We hung around as close as we could and tried making up plans to rescue you, after we left the sylph used her wings to cover the cavern we fell through, after jumping into that massive hole. Making any rash moves would have put you in danger so we waited for an opening to exploit. And when we noticed the flames we didn''t hesitate, we knew you were already awake so we acted and rushed in. Turns out you really didn''t need us, we''re really sorry Young Master." There was a lot of things to be said about Louis; he was a loud mouth, easily spooked, has no sense of personal boundaries, was an obvious hugger and sometimes spoke with a French ascent. But unlike Yun Fao he was more in touch with his emotions and knew how to read the mood or the feelings of someone. Of the three of them, he was more empathic, and as such much more suited to giving pep talks and comforting a friend. Alex couldn''t really stay angry at them for long, he knew exactly what they had gone through, and some things were already out of their hands, so there was no need to hold a grudge over nothing. Alex sat back down and Khan disappeared in flash of light, spooking Louis even more as the boy jumped back again and yelled out. He was so easily shaken it was hard to imagine that this kid could do the things he could, it was very funny, but at the very least, within their minds, they were content, and they were okay. <|=|>>>>>> THE WUDANG SECT 2 DAYS AGO Zhang Sanfeng and his children barged into the sects master''s residence with an incredible amount of bravado. The sect master was in a private room with a few other members of the sect''s council of elders, but seeing Zhang Sanfeng barge into his very secret study, he felt his heart get stuck in his throat. While he has been really careful with the way he dealt with the man, the same could not be said for his followers who sometimes loved to cause trouble and poke at a sleeping dragon. He knew he had only been able to beat him using tricks before, and quite frankly since that time Zhang Sanfeng has gotten stronger, and a million times more dangerous. "How dare you Zhang Sanfeng! this is a closed meeting! You''re disrespecting the sect master!" one of the elders following the sect master spoke up in anger as he obviously wanted to curry favor. The sect master''s eye twitched, he couldn''t help but curse softly In his mind at this idiot that''s trying to push him to an early grave. Zhang Sanfeng had that look in his eyes where he was about to do something crazy, and it wasn''t just him, his son and daughter also had the same looks. There was no way anybody could fight them, this family were the guardians and practitioners of the Yi Jin Jing! They''re masters of too many martial and cultivation arts and had a body akin to the most precious and hardest of metals and the most flexible of bamboos. Bringing them down would cost a lot, chief amongst them probably being his life. "Former sect head what can I do for you, as you can see this is a closed meeting." The sect master said to Sanfeng, being as polite as he could whilst a bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. The elder who had used his mouth to almost start a civil war shut it almost immediately as he looked for a corner to hide. The tone of voice the sect master used, more than told him that the Zhangs were here for business, and death would come swiftly for anyone who decided to mess with them . But Sanfeng didn''t have much to say, he looked at the Sect head and said. "Where is my grandson!" 87 Infernal Prison Dimension XII : On The Move [cultivation is a journey of Discovery, but not just to those who practice Qi, but they who believe in the power of magic and manipulate Mana. Each new day is a lesson, you learn a dozen new things about yourself and about the world you suddenly find yourself in. It''s secrets exposed to you in bits and pieces until the thirst for knowledge becomes so strong; you would strive to push past and break every obstacle in your way. And this is because in any world, cultivation or normal, the pursuit of knowledge is always a prerequisite to obtaining power, and there''s no better way to gain such power, than by finding out the secrets of this world we live in, and the universe that embraces it.] The boys decided to talk within the Sylph''s cave, though they were worried it would return, there wasn''t that much of a choice about what to do or where to go, so practically they were playing things by the ear and going with the phrase the devil you know is better than the angel you don''t. Besides Alex felt confident in his abilities, there would be a way to cause the sylph damage, especially now that his spirit energy was replenished. But even if they wanted to leave, there were secrets in this cavern that the boys couldn''t help but pay attention to. Though it was of no importance, they discovered that the cavern itself was a remnant of an old temple, there were rare murals on it''s walls, broken statues and a ridiculous amount of metal that Alex was almost sure was mythril. But as if that wasn''t enough, there was a diamond like formation of stalactites on the cavern ceiling, there was also a hole through the middle of the formation which was where they had fallen from. It might be too much of a stretch, but Alex wanted to try his hand at blacksmithing, much to the annoyance of Yun Fao who felt they should be finding their way back to the surface. But his curiosity aside, Alex realized that they really couldn''t stay here, it would be better if they were on the surface. They could try to regroup with the rest of the disciples and then find a safe place to hold up whilst waiting for the sect to find a way to come save them. Which according to Louis was still going to take a while as a Planetarium was not so easy to make, and even much more harder to fix. But even if they had to leave and find their way back to the surface, to Alex; he had to harvest a bit of those crystals, and the metal within the cavern. He had a feeling they had much to do with the fact that the Sylphs were still stuck underground all these years even though they were very much wind spirits that could fly. Plus they would help in furthering his understanding of blacksmithing, and weapon crafting as whole. While others might have come on this training for an increase in cultivation levels as was the original plan, Alex was here to refine his knowledge and increase it, along with refining all of his skills. The statues and faded murals on the wall were not clear enough for either one of the boys to be able to glean out any sort of understanding on what sort of civilization once lived here. None of them were archeologists or historians, so, they could only just help themselves to the mythril and the pieces of the diamonds hanging on the cavern ceiling and on much of it''s walls. After that it was time to decide in which direction to walk in, but that was easy as there were only two ways in and out of the cavern, and that''s the hole above them, and a tunnel on the Eastern part of cavern. "Do you guys think it''s a good idea to go in the direction that Sylph ran towards? We might run into it again." Louis asked as they slowly approached the tunnel. "Its not like we have a choice, none of us can fly, and we can barely jump high enough to break off those crystals. So going up that hole is out of the question, we have to take the tunnel. Besides we already faced the Sylph and came out on top, you don''t have to be such a child Louis." Yun Fao said to him as he walked past the blond boy and marched into the tunnel. Louis furrowed his brows and opened his mouth as if to say something, but Alex tapped his shoulder, shook his head and Inclined his head towards the tunnel, silently telling Louis to get a move on. Louis rolled his eyes and marched after Yun Fao with Alex bringing up the rear, and that was how they left the cavern behind, hoping to find a way back to the surface. Louis and Yun Fao had been in this tunnel previously when they had ran from the Sylph, but they never got to go too deep as they were waiting for a chance to run back in to save Alex. The tunnel was damp and a little bit cold, but more than that it''s walls were wet, Alex wondered if perhaps they were under an underground river or something of the sort, but apart from that; one thing he paid attention to, was the fact that there wasn''t any sort of life within the tunnel. There were no bugs, no moss or any sort of green that you would expect to grow in a place that''s cool and wet. But this was just his observation, it might not mean anything in the long run, and not forgetting the fact that at the other end of the tunnel once lived a fierce army of amalgamated Sylphs. There were thousands upon thousands of those thumb sized fairies clustered together, so it was quite possible to eat through everything alive within the tunnel. The tunnel was long, and it took the boys no less than five hours of trudging through the damp and cold path before they saw something different. It was just their luck that they still had a bit of supplies left in their respective storage rings, so they were able to keep their hunger at bay, but even that was almost close to running out, so even if they were not saying it out loud, they were very much in danger of starving to death, until literally there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and with it the sound of rushing water. The tunnel seemed to expand into a small cage, and at the mouth of the cave was a massive amount of tiny sparkling wings that were on fire, and it was flames that Alex recognized. He believed Nezha had called it windfire, and it was formed when his Qi and spirit energy were mixed together when he utilized the summers style of the four seasons of the weeping world weapon skills. These were probably remnants from when the Sylph tried running away, but Alex was very surprised that the flames were still burning up until now. {Harvest those wings master! They''re filled with spirit energy and Qi, along with the distinct energy of the Sylph. Apart from serving as a great feeding material for Khan, they''re also very good materials for forging.} ¨¦bi¨¦ called out to Alex, Alex nodded his head and gave a mental nod before turning to Yun Fao and Louis who were looking at him weirdly. "What?" he asked, surprised by the scrutinizing looks from both his friends. "you might not know this, but sometimes your hair and eyes changes color, it''s only for a moment, but we''ve seen your hair change from reddish orange to blood red many times, and your eyes too. When it''s blood red, just like a few moments ago, they''re snake like, like the Nagas we ran from, just a whole lot scarier." Louis explained with a matter of fact tone. Alex scratched the back of his head, the thing is he never knew that his physical features experienced any sort of changes whenever his mantle spirits wanted to talk to him. It was a little bit difficult to explain it to Yun Fao and Louis, but he was able to get through to them and explain it. Then they subsequently gathered all of the wings left behind by the sylphs before depositing them into Alex''s storage ring. And then they turned their focus back to the mouth of the cave and the cascade of water pouring down in front of it. With that sight in front of them, Alex was able to come to a few conclusions. 88 Infernal Prison Dimension XIV : Underground River It was hard choosing amongst the three of them who was going to be the unfortunate fool that would brave the spray of the waterfall to see what was beyond it, and as such the most ancient and sacred of method was chosen by all three boys to decided who would go on with this venture...¡­rock, paper, scissors. And Yun Fao surprisingly lost, the guy had absolutely no luck, losing a best two out of three match against Louis and Alex without even winning a single one. Guess going with scissors every time was not the right way to go. Yun Fao was not one to dwell on things he couldn''t change, or grumble about life being unfair, however he couldn''t help the feeling that the game had been rigged. But none the less it was what it is, and he was the one that had to go beyond the waterfall. Just to be one the safe side, the boys had tied a spare rope they had around his waist, there was no guarantee, but this was the only way they could truly keep him safe, though Alex got the feeling he was forgetting something. Yun Fao. Slowly approached the waterfall, the cool breeze from the crashing water, giving him a bit of a chill. The worst part about being underground was the fact that they couldn''t tell time, so they had no idea how long they''ve been underground, or how long it would take them to get back up to the surface. Yun Fao gingerly thrust a hand through the curtain of water, the force of it on his hand seemed light, that is until he decided to suddenly push his full hand into it. There was no warning, no sign, not even Alex and Louis who were holding on to the other end of the rope were prepared for the force from the waterfall. Yun Fao was violently pulled out of the cave and Into the waterfall, his arm terribly bruised and his body experiencing the same fate in less than 3 seconds. But he was not the only one about to regret taking this step as the same force pulled Louis and Alex, who had tied the rope around their waist for more force and protection. They were dragged into the waterfall just like their friend, the water crashing on top of their heads and bodies with the force of a thousand punches. The good news is, from where the cave was located, it was just about 4 meters to the river below, the bad news was, apart from being slammed on the massive rock that was there, breaking bones and further increasing their bruises and Injuries, the boys could not go back the waterfall anymore, and they might not know it yet, but without the Sylph there, that cave, the tunnel and the subsequent cavern were the safest place in the entirety of this dimension. They all felt a weakness in their bones the likes of which they''ve never felt before, any attempt at gathering energy was futile as it was instead spread across their body, drawn to the place that hurts the most, slowly mending whatever was broken or torn. All three of them were helpless to their plight as they laid on the banks of the river, helpless, tired and very much defenseless. Which wasn''t such a good idea, but they had no choice but to endure until they were fully healed, and with how Injured they were, Alex reckoned it would take two days of healing for them to even move, they needed help to speed it along. *Chiririri* There was a flash of light as the very lively form of Khan showed up on his master''s chest. The Kamaitachi was surprised by Alex''s current state as it looked around, probably trying to find out what or who might have attacked his master, yet there was nothing, and his innocent baby mind couldn''t fathom it. But Alex had other things in mind as he gave a bunch of clear instructions to the young wind spirit. Alex reckoned that Khan was still a baby, so even if they were connected there were a bunch of things the young spirit wouldn''t understand. But Khan was smarter than Alex gave it credit for, even though it didn''t live or exist in the mantle like Nezha and ¨¦bi¨¦, he was able to move from the mantle to Alex''s upper Dantian, the conduit of energy responsible for harboring his spirit energy. His time in the mantle though very brief was helping it to mature a little bit faster than was normal, most especially mentally. Khan made his way to Alex''s right hand where his storage ring was snugly wrapped around his index finger. His body turned illusory as he disappeared into the ring. Living things couldn''t survive in a storage ring, but Khan wasn''t exactly alive either. Either way the spirit showed up five seconds later with a bunch of still burning Sylph wings, Alex couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows as he mentally asked. {Khan what are you doing, that''s not what I asked you to get.} *Chiririri* {What do you mean you''re hungry, I can feel it if you are, which you''re not! Plus you''re a spirit, you don''t need food.} *CHIIIRIIIII!* {I don''t know that? Of course I know that! Come on Khan, go get me those balms, we need it.} *Chiriri* {Seriously? We have to wait until after you''re done? That''s just mean} *Chiririri chi*(not my problem) Alex cursed softly, Khan really wasn''t in the mood to serve as an errand boy, it wasn''t really fair if Alex had to be honest, but the spirit was a child, and at the moment food took more of a priority than any other thing for it, even if lives were on the line. And so Louis, Yun Fao and Alex had no choice but to watch the Kamaitachi slowly eat itself to a full and happy stomach, whilst they were left writhing in pain. It took Khan 30 whole minutes to finally bring out the balm Alex had previously made for injuries, and then what came next was even trickier. None of them could move, as such only Khan could apply the balm on them, and for the most part he succeeded. His scythe claws had not yet grown out of his forelimbs, and the claws on his paws were still too small and fragile to cause any sort of damage. Now while the spirit was unable to fully apply it on all of the injured areas, it got enough that made Alex regret his decision of ever using the balm to speed up their healing. When Yun Fao complained about it, Alex thought that he was only being a big baby, but it turns out that there was more to this balm than expected. The intense feeling of coldness and hotness was beyond unbearable, the worst part was that; it wasn''t cold to the point of freezing or hot to the point of burning. But the combined feeling of those two extreme temperatures was so irritating and uncomfortable Alex made it a point to never, ever use the balm again. But never the less it actually did it''s job and all three boys were back on their feet after half a day. Of course they were still in a lot of pain so movements of any sort wasn''t allowed. During that time however, Khan had busied himself going around and exploring where they had suddenly found themselves in. It was another cavern, however this one was so high up that none of the boys were able to see the top, there were sparkles and tiny pinpricks of light from the ceiling, making Yun Fao suspect that more of those diamond stalactites also grew from the cavern''s ceiling. Apart from the waterfall that was an astounding 200 meters long and fell from a ledge or rather from a cave in the cavern wall at that height, there was a small forest. There was a patch of land shaped like a half moon In the cavern, however the river cut a path through it, flowing into a cave and very much into the Unknown. On both sides of the patch of land was a forest, however it wasn''t that large as The boys could run from one end of each patch to the other in ten minutes at their full speed. Much like the previous cavern, the only ways in and out turns out to be the river that flows into the cave, up the waterfall, and the cave behind the waterfall which quite frankly they''re unable to return to. The cavern was shaped like a dome, and it''s walls were smoothed out, almost as if someone had used sandpaper over the years to completely remove any sort of creases, or smudges. It couldn''t be scaled, not without proper equipment, and that was equipment neither of the boys had, which means their only way forward was to sail down that river and into the unknown. And that wasn''t a part of the plan at all, their hope was to return to the surface, however it seems their path keeps taking them deeper and deeper into this subterranean world. Louis turned to look at his friends as he said. "Guess we''re stuck here for a while right?" Alex nodded, before Yun Fao added. "At least until I build us a raft to sail on that river, but none the less do you guys notice the numerous amount of eyes staring at us from within the river?" 89 Infernal Prison Dimension XV : Blacksmithing THREE DAYS LATER Alex didn''t know the first thing about building a raft, but even more than that, they couldn''t really move forward with it until they had a proper understanding of what the heck was in the river staring at them, nonstop for the last three days. It was somewhat unsettling, but the boys had slowly gotten used to the presence of those eyes in the water, but just so their time wasn''t spent wasted, the boys decided it would be a good idea to focus a bit on their training. And with that realization came the discovery of a really amazing yet dangerous training tool, and that had to be the waterfall that almost beat them all into a pulp. After they were fully healed, they realized that their skin was tougher, their bones were stronger, and the muscles tighter and more refined. There was no method or cultivation to go with it, all they had to do was have their body tortured by the waterfall, taken to it''s limit, and once they get healed up, they end up stronger than before. And in this regard, the balm of discomfort as Yun Fao had affectionately named it, was a big help. Alex didn''t know it, but the bloody healing balm was powerful enough to heal and reinforce their physique, though after using it once more with their training under the waterfall, Alex realized that it''s efficiency was actually dropping. But with that aside he reckoned he had other things to focus on, so in their spare time Yun Fao tried building the raft with Louis to help him, while Alex studied for his first foray into blacksmithing. Sure practicing would have been better, but Alex was a bookworm, and the books on forging techniques he brought along was something that he happily wanted to go through before taking the next step. And in that manner another week passed. By now the raft should have been completed, except of course they had a massive problem. The trees that made up the forests were a variety of fruit trees, that were rare delicacies not native to earth, however the trees themselves were also edible along with the fruits they bore, but the curve to that was that such trees were not durable or strong, they were called water trees, due to how absorbent of water they were. They were easily felled having as much defense as a wicker basket, so without any sort of resiliency from those trees, it would be hard for it to carry all of their weights, much less sail them down the river without sinking. But through it all not everything was a bust, both Yun Fao and Louis advanced to seventh and fifth stage of the open Dantian realm, but more than that, all of their physiques were greatly improved from the constant assault of the waterfall. Much to their extreme happiness, the balm had ran out, and the boys had to rely on their natural healing abilities. Which by this point was already really good, especially for Alex and Yun Fao who had trained in the Dragon blood Qi pool. Though Louis wasn''t really sure that clay wouldn''t cause the raft to sink, he was more than willing to help with that endeavor. If it failed they could always try again; after all food was no longer a problem, apart from the trees, there was a colony of fist sized ants that tasted really good living on the other side of the forest across the river, and on their side there were actually moles of a sort that were quite blind, and relied on something similar to echolocation to move and find their way around the forest. Since they were in no danger of starving anytime soon, the boys knew they could just carry on as they were and focus on a way to get out of here. As for the eyes staring at them from under the river, in all of the time they''ve been there, they never blinked or moved, not even once. And while it was still creepy and unnerving to the boys, they''ve learnt to deal with it and just ignore it. Either way today...whatever day it was, Alex was ready to try forging a weapon. He had spent most of his time buried in advanced forging books, trying to learn and figure a style that would be suitable for him, especially since he did not have access to a full forge but a portable one. He had a Portable alchemy and array mastery set, along with a portable forge which was a gift from scholar Fan before he left for this godforsaken training. The portable forge set was about a meter and a half high, and no less than two meters wide and long. It was like a massive machine of cogs and wheels, with angular and platforms to work with. Refinement, tempering and quenching of metals were automatically taken care of by the machine. Whilst it was always quite an experience to do all of those things by hand, spending hours hammering away at a piece of ore to refine it into metal, before further the turning that metal into a weapon.....but this was the 21st century. What kind of idiot would kill themselves with that amount of stress when there was a machine that could do it. But even with the portable forge in existence, blacksmithing was still a meticulous job. The forge ran on Qi and the spiritual perception of a blacksmith. Anyone could forge with this, but only a true blacksmith with Qi can forge anything above stage 3 mortal grade weapons. Besides sometimes the forge could develop problems of it''s own, and the blacksmith would be left with no other option but to fix it, or use some of it''s facilities manually. But never the less the machine needed the full and absolute attention of the blacksmith using it, also the hammering of the blade or whatever equipment being made was a must. And this was because a machine could not replicate the rhythm and infusion of Qi into the blade to make it stronger, and make it more susceptible to the usage of Qi. And apart from that, the sharpening of weapons also need his attention, so basically the forge was just like a very efficient assistant, but the blacksmith still had to take care of the major work. There were multiple grades of forges, just like how weapons are rated from mortal, to spirit, to immortal. Mortal grade forges can only forge mortal grade weapons and Equipment, spirit grade forges can forge both spirit and mortal grade equipment, depending on the materials used, but it''s almost impossible for an immortal forge to make anything less than a spirit grade weapon. For an immortal forge to make a mortal grade weapon, it would only mean one thing, and that''s the fact that the blacksmith responsible for the forging, must suck a lot. None the less Alex hopes he didn''t suck, Yun Fao was relying on him to at least make him a simple sabre, longswords were not too favorable to him, and Louis wanted another rapier, he liked the idea of dual wielding just like Alex. First of all Alex had to identify the ores he was working with, before they were stuck here, he had prepared some tempered Silver steel, Luminalium; a very durable kind of ore that when forged into a blade, cause it to light up with the color of the user''s Qi. Plus it was also used by array masters to etch arrays into forged weapons, which makes it a big resource for Qi engineers; the combined vocation of blacksmithing and Array Inscribing. Alex had no intention of jumping the gun in his studies, he wasn''t even ready to begin etching the most basic arrays yet, so he would not be using the metal. However he found mythril, it was a legendary grade material, however it was a metal tailored for Mana not Qi, and Alex also noticed that the diamond crystals absorbed ambient Mana, and released it as spirit energy, it was like a tree undergoing photosynthesis. They would serve as really awesome training resources for both him and Khan who absorbed spirit as opposed to Mana. But here in lies the secret, both Yun Fao and Louis were dual cultivators of Qi and Mana, making them both mages and cultivators. Yun Fao had a lightning spirit root, but also an Earth element magical vein. Louis was even more talented as he had yin-yang spirit roots, and both light and darkness element magical veins, it was probably why they were chosen to be by Alex''s side. Bu Yun Fao and Louis were just two out of the five chosen, Alex could not help but wonder how strong and talented the others might be. 90 Forge I : Design The portable forge machine was a marvel of technology, Alex''s was luckily a spirit grade forge, which meant to some extent it has a consciousness of its own. It was a common consensus that equipment and tech in the spirit grade developed spirits of their own, or rather souls, and the higher the level of equipment, the more conscious it would be. By virtue of such an existence, it becomes that much more easier to design weapons with the forge, especially since this particular forge already has a design program uploaded into it. Much of the cultivation world still preferred to do things the old fashion way, but this was because cultivators live for a very long time. And even though they''re able to propagate change, many of them would be unwilling to bend and adapt to certain advancements. But never the less computers very much exists, and they became the basis for the spirits of many equipment. Sure not all equipment can have computers, it would extremely redundant and stupid to put a chip or create an add on computerized tech to a sword or spear. It could work for a shield, or a weapon that needs a certain amount of calculation and computing to activate. Either way these were all things that were a part of further advanced studies for Alex. Blacksmiths was just a general term for engineers also, and scientists too. They all fell under the same category; but once you add Qi or Mana into the mix, they become Qi engineers or Mana engineers. After choosing the ores and metal he was going to use, Alex fed them into a port on the machine, before moving to it''s left where a screen lit up. At the side of the screen was a light pen, this used the blacksmiths Qi to help draw out the design for whatever weapon he hopes to forge, and sometimes it could be an entire set of equipment. Another practical application of the portable forge was the fact that it could make multiple pieces of equipment at the same time. Of course hammering and the injection of Qi was still required from the person forging it, but mortal grades can forged up to two pieces of equipment at the same time, while the spirits grades can make up to 10 pieces of equipment at the same time. The super rare, super expensive and very limited edition immortal grade forges could make enough armor sets to outfit a squad of five men, even their weapons. So with that being said, Alex would be able to design both Yun Fao''s Autumn Dao and Louis''s rapier at the same time. Besides this was going to be very fun Alex anyways, he is the son of a painter after all, art lives in his blood. *Chiririri?*(What''s that/What are you doing?) "Just watch little guy." Alex replied to him as he went work. The first weapon would be Yun Fao''s Autumn Dao; though the weapon might be a saber, it was not as thick or as long as normal ones, and this was because an Autumn Dao was built for speed and shredding, it''s serrated edges were a testament to that. However Alex knew Yun Fao always made power moves, so even if the Sabre could not be as thick or as long as others, it has to have just as much crushing power. So the first thing that needed to be done was the specifications of the weapon''s body. Alex made it half a pinkie finger thick, and a little bit longer than a meter. But to meet up with such demands, he''ll need more mythril and Silver steel. His design had the mixed products of both metal forged into numerous thin strips, that would in turn be melded into each other. The blunt side of the blade would be thick enough to knock someone out, and the sharpened edge would be even more extravagant and Alex made two layers of serrated teeth for the edge. He drew his inspiration from the shaving sticks people use to shave off body hair, most of those shaving sticks have two blades, some three. Using such a method, Alex made the first layer extremely thin and sharp and popping right out the center of the next edge. The distance between them both was no more than a centimeter, but it gave the weapon even more cutting power, and added a new style to Yun Fao''s method of attacking, now he could shave people into thin slices of meat¡­...Alex shuddered at the image in his head. There was a groove running from the base of the sword to it''s tip, that way blood won''t cling to the blade, and just above the groove was a circular hole where the still unidentified diamond was going to be placed. It could serve as the basis for future wards and runes to be amalgamated into an array for the weapon. As for the hilt, Alex also planned ahead for that. Back on Earth, specifically from the dark continent, there was a tree known as the Iroko tree. It grew really long, with a particular species being almost 300 meters tall, and the worse part being these trees were no wider than a simple talking drum. The Nine grey vine Iroko tree was a species that had a very good absorption and distribution of Qi, it was flexible, supple and resilient, and it is one of the most favorite kind of wood that Carver''s prefer to use. It would be the hilt, and since sabers don''t have cross guards there wasn''t too much of a problem for Alex there. The sabre looked good and aesthetic enough to make people give it a second glance, and once he''s ready to inscribe and array on it, Alex knew it would look even more dazzling. But that was it for Yun Fao, the next person on the list was Louis, and even though he''s might seem simpler, Alex knew it was not. Rapiers were thin, light, and sturdy. You make it too thin and it would break in a flash against a weapon of equal grade, and Alex didn''t want that. Mythril might be one of the strongest of metals in all of creation, but it was not really at the very top. It was just known for it''s incredible ability to hold magic power and release it, but it was a whole lot stronger than silver steel, which was more flexible and could absorb Qi. Alex was hoping to use both their strengths to cover for each other''s weaknesses, and make them stronger. He used the same method of designing multiple thin strips and the melding them together, making an extra later of protection. Funny thing was that the strips were about as much as those placed in Yun Fao''s sabre, so Alex would spend a lot of time and Energy trying to hammer it into shape and making sure it becomes small and light enough for use. A groove and a hole as also added to the base of the sword, but it''s hilt was made from silvers steel. It was more durable and flexible than mythril, so it could be forged into an extravagant hilt that wrapped around the hand of the swordsman, just like most rapiers are forged. The edge of the blade was extremely thin and sharp, it was to the point where a strand of hair would be cut in two if it fell on the edge, it had even more cutting power than the Autumn Dao. The difference between the two weapon being that the sabre while built for speed, was a power weapon designed to seriously injured in a single cut. It could even break bones as most sabers would, but the rapier was built for speed and quick killing. It''s edge might be sharp, but it''s point was it''s main advantage. Rapiers were stab, stab, stab, stab¡­..or so it goes, while sabers were cut and cut and smash. Autumn Dao''s just adds the element of lightness and speed most Sabers are missing. And with that the design''s were done, and Alex was ready to begin the forging in earnest. First he took a moment to relax and return all his energies to the peak. Then he pulled out his fire mask, he had every intention of using both Qi and Spirit energy in this forging, and even more so special flames as opposed to the norm. And he''s plan was to use the newly discovered windfire flames that the fire mask now had control over, it would be tasking as truly this particular flame needed both Qi and Spirit energy to work, so Alex knew it would be quite tasking on him. Maybe it wasn''t wise to be combining different energy properties and energies together to make a weapon, however Alex would happily just chalk it up to ignorance and experiments. This was his first time forging and he was sure to go a bit overboard and improvise, like when he first made the healing balm. Which begs the question, why would you read books if you know you''re not going to follow the instructions given. 91 Forge II : Sabers & Swords [Blacksmiths built the modern age, they built civilization and they built the glory of man kind. We take pride in our hands, in our ability to forge greatness out of small and very useless rocks, but we also forge death, and that is where our failures lie. What we do best is make death, build death, create avenues for death to reign supreme. The weapons we''ve made has torn our world apart, and it will tear many more worlds apart too. We blacksmiths are heralds of chaos and destruction, of death and pain, and this will be a stigma and sin all blacksmiths will carry for all time...not unless we learn to forge lives just as we''ve forged death, to forge worlds just as we''ve forged their demise. Sometimes it''s a mindset and a choice, but all blacksmiths must strive for one thing to reach the Pinnacle, and that''s to one day forge life.] OLMGAR SORROWSTONE; LAST DWARVEN KING OF PANDERHAR MOUTAINS: THE LOST WORLD OF NORKIN There was a port with a metal plate on it, the plate itself was a quarter of a meter in diameter and it was placed there for the injection of Qi. Alex placed his hands on it and began to feed his Qi and Spirit energy into the portable forge in steady streams. Though calling it a portable forge might be a Longshot seeing as it was quite large, however it was still miles better than an entire smithy or forging room, also quite expensive too. But none the less it was actually much harder to build than a smithy or a forging room, the only advantage is that, with the help of a spatial ring, you could take it wherever you please, forging on the go. Alex knew that apart from the quality of energy aka Qi being inserted, the blacksmith has to have enough to last a while. Basically forging was a test of endurance, and in this particular case not of physical stamina but of energy. Alex took a deep breath as the fire mask spread allover his face, his hair turned reddish orange and even grew longer, his eyes turned red but developed double rings with one of it being green. And then a streak of green appeared on his hair, immediately creating flames that were as green as grass, and billowed in ferocity like summer wind. Alex sent streams of WindFire into another port where flames were to be fed to the POF (portable Omni-directional forge). As if waking up from a deep slumber, the forge itself began to glow with green of WindFire. Alex then quickly took of the fire mask as he returned his hand back to the plate in front of him. This was where the most important part of it came into play, Alex began to let just his Qi and Spirit energy into the forge, his breathes even and slow as he closed his eyes to focus, his awareness and willpower sinking into it. It didn''t take long for Alex to realize that both ores were of a different energy nature, hence it was practically impossible for them to get mixed up, it was frustrating, but at this point there was no turning back, Alex knew if he would back out now, though he would be able to save some of the materials, a lot of their bulk and efficiency would be lost, not to mention the expenditure of energy. But even if he wanted to give up he couldn''t, because it was at that point he noticed something. The WindFire was licking at the edge of both molten ores, and it was actually refining them into one single, brand new ore. Alex had previously placed his focus on the center of both materials, and he was using his energies to facilitate their combination, completely forgetting that in a forge, it was the flames work to do any sort of combination of refining, so Alex sent his streams of energy into the port that housed and fed the flames, shifting his awareness from the entire themselves to the flames, and right then and there, Alex achieved something that even though someone else has achieved, they had to work for years upon end and more often than not without a proper result. Alex''s spirit energy and Qi had created the (Wind Fire) flames, though the flames were born from a technique, it was fueled by both spirit energy and Qi, with Qi being the breath and vital energy of the world, and spirit being the breath and vital energy of the unseen world, of the supernatural. Spirit energy translated into the mortal realm is Mana, a more refined an physical aspect of the energy that could create wonders both spiritual and physical. You could think of Qi as the hard aspect of power and spirit energy as the soft aspect, Mana is a combination of the two, capable of doing things like divining a location or calling down a meteor from the sky. And Alex had access to the two most primal source of energy, you could say Qi represented life and spirit death, but not necessarily. The flames born from their combination drew from his inherent connection to the wind element, and the flames of his Eastern sword of summer skills, though Alex had no idea what kind of power or effects (Wind Fire) might have, all he knew how was that it was helping him forge weapons for his friends. It took a little more than 30 minutes for both the silver steel and Mythril to be completely combined together, creating an entirely new kind of mineral/metal. Alex could feel the durability, strength and something extra within the molten ore currently filling two spots within the forge. There was more to it, but right now All Alex could do was feed the flames spirit and Qi in a perfect equilibrium while the forge proceeded to bring his designs to life. Everything required a balance, even forging, so Alex focused on feeding the flames, using a five second rhythm. His spirit energy was not as much as his Qi, so for ever five unit of Qi, there was a single unit of spirit energy, Alex really wished there was a way he could accurately calculate the amount of Qi and Spirit energy he was spending, so that he could properly pace himself, however all he had to rely on was instincts, and thankfully it was working for him. Once the thirty minute mark was reached, both blades already had their shapes, but there was a final step to be taken. They had to be hammered to remove further impurities, and flooded with both Qi and Spirit to make the ending swords susceptible to the energies or any kind that resembled them. Alex walked to the other end of the portable forge, Khan scrambling from his position on Alex''s shoulder to his head, still fervently watching the entire process. There was a hammer placed on the side which had advanced inscriptions/wards on them, all intricately connected to make an exquisite array. Alex had no idea what sort of Array that was, but it would help in tempering the blades. The first one was Yun Fao''s Autumn Dao, it was being suspended by residual energy from the forge, this was Alex could pound every inch of the blade without it laying on any surface or being held by clamps that would leave some areas uneven. Hammering was a typical blacksmith action, however there were methods to it. And quite frankly, this was the topic Alex paid attention to the most when he was studying, because this was the most crucial part. Alex spread his legs, and then took a deep breath, simultaneously reciting the (Wudang Heart Sutra) and moving all of the Qi and Spirit in his body, creating a chaotic yet somewhat harmonic flux. The he breathed out, and the hammer fell. *Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!* Breathe, hit, breathe, hit. Rhythm and air, spirit and vitality, energy and physique and unbidden stream of energy lighting up the hammer. From the very moment the first sound was heard, Alex was lost; all he could see was the red hot saber in front of him, and the hammer that fell on it. It was like the most primal of sounds, like a god creating a new world, forging it from the metal of the universe, one that ran on the streams of power that governed that which could be seen and that which could not. Alex was so lost in his hammering, infusing his energies into the blade that he lost track of time, he was even unaware when the forge retracted the Saber and replaced it with the rapier, Alex just kept on hitting them, experiencing a feeling the likes of which he had never experienced before. Because he ended up feeling like he wasn''t forging blades, he was forging himself. As the hammer fell and the energies converged on the blades, so to do they bang at his insides. Refining his body and energy, his meridians glowed with the green yin-yang symbols, sending streams of energy through his body and absorbing them from the air, a constant cycle that saw Alex''s Dantian growing ever larger and he easily steeped into the fourth level of the open Dantian realm. The Qi in his Dantian became compressed as at the top of it, right at the place where Qi streamed in, a pill was formed, greenish blue and white, each blending into each other in the form of Yin-Yang symbol. 92 Forge III : Testing Blades When Alex came to, all that was left was to sharpen the blades, but there was barely any energy left in his body that he immediately collapsed against the forge. Yun Fao and Louis quickly rushed to him, but by then the young boy had already passed out. He was sleeping soundly with his Embryonic spirit nestled within his unkempt hair, slowly watching Yun Fao and Louis. Then much to their surprise Khan pointed at the almost Finished Rapier and Autumn Dao, he was obviously telling them to finish the job, and without giving them any more gestures, he turned into a streak of wind and drilled his way into Alex''s forehead. If both boys haven''t spent the past week or so being stared at by eyes in the water, then this would have been the freakiest shit they''ve seen so far. *Gririririririririrririririririririr!* Both their attentions were drawn to the forge now, however Khan was worried for nothing. The portable forge was a spirit grade tool, it had a certain degree of intelligence, it not a programming to follow, so it knew what came next was to sharpen the sword and saber. The crystal had already been inserted and all that was left was to give them the edge they deserved, and the machine would not be failing them on that. They had to wait all of fifteen minutes for it to be done, and though they wouldn''t admit it, it was probably the longest fifteen minutes of their lives. But then there it was, probably the two most exquisite piece of weaponry they''ve ever seen in their entire lives. Autumn Dao was longer and larger than the previous one, Yun Fao could tell that it was much more sturdy and had a weight to it that actually a bit too much for Yun Fao, which means he had to use two hands to hold the meter long saber. But he actually loved it this way, future advancements meant that he would get stronger and soon enough the weight on this thing won''t mean anything to him. Yun Fao swung the saber a few times, cutting through the air with barely an resistance, which was quite shocking to him. It was as if the wind was a curtain that parted in whatever direction the saber was swung, it was truly a work of art. Louis held the rapier, just like the Saber there was a bit more weight to the sword than he was used to, however it wasn''t so much that we he would be unable to swing it if he wanted. He pulled out his other Rapier and switched it to his left hand, and then without any warning he thrust the end of the new sword towards Yun Fao''s chest. *Ding!* Yun Fao was ready though, it would take a whole lot more than a sneak attack to bring him down as he raised the Saber up to defend against the strike. He might be two levels of cultivation above Louis, but he still had to take two steps back due to the strength and power behind Louis''s strike, obviously the training with the waterfall had been rather effective. He rotated his body in the air, changing the grip of his words and he stabbed down rapidly and swiftly, all Yun Fao could see were flashes of light. But while Yun Fao was not a master of speed, he still had really superb reactions, his spirit root was a lightning type after all. He moved his head left and right, took a step back as he angled his shoulders, Louis''s fierce stabs barely missing his body, though some did come close enough to rip his shirt open. Louis landed on the ground and shot forwards, his rapier happily and deadly pointed towards Yun Fao''s neck, however he was not the only one in a charge as Yun Fao took three quick steps forward and rotated his body, building power from his waist as purple lighting began to sizzle all over the body of the saber. Louis widened his eyes In shock as he crossed both of his rapiers, drawing this time on his magical abilities to create his shield of light. *Bang! Crash!* A powerful shockwave ensued as Saber met a golden shield of light, with said shield exploding into pieces mere seconds later. Both boys were thrown backwards and on their ass, no small amount of bruises appearing on Yun Fao''s tanned and Louis''s fair skin. From their clashes they both knew that their new weapons should be about the second level of the spirit grade, proper nurturing and upgrading would see to it that it would develop a spirit and unique powers of it''s own. But a I''ve it''s potential they already had more power than was allowed, Louis had involuntarily drawn on Mana to cast a defensive spell, yet the sword had channeled and even enhanced the spell by a startling 180%! Which was Way better than most wands and mage staffs, he never expected that such a piece of equipment would exist, one that would allow him use both Qi and Mana at a the same time, and increasing it''s efficiency and power by several fold. It was just insane and completely unheard of, because even though weapons like this might exist, it would probably be kept under intense lock and key and not even whispers of it would be allowed to circulate the ears of common mages or cultivators. Louis looked up at Yun Fao and asked. "Want to take this fight to the waterfall?" Yun Fao looked back at him with a rather sinister grin and said. "I thought you would never ask." And so it went, while Alex blissfully slept his exhaustion away from creating two pieces of equipment that would follow his friends for life, said friends decided it would be a good idea to fight each other under the pressure of a raging waterfall.... Alex would be setting broken bones once he wakes up. <|=|>>>>>> ONE WEEK LATER "are you sure this is going to work?" Alex asked skeptically as he turned to face Yun Fao who was making some finishing touches to his raft. "The science is not cool proof, being smart is your domain, being handsome and unreliable is Louis''s¡­." "Hey!" Louis protested loudly, turning round to look at them from where he was crouched by the river bank hoping to scare the eyes looking back at them. "And being strong is fortunately mine; however I''ve seen where pottery the size of a house was thrown into the sea and it floated, drifting away with the currents. The underside of the raft was coated with clay, and then using you magical spooky green flames, we were able to make it completely water right, since we added quite a few layers and made the clay concave to emulate the underside of a real boat, we''ll be fine. Besides we could always try again." To be honest didn''t like the idea of trying again, if he was honest he really wanted to get away from not just this underground world, but this entire dimension as a whole. He wouldn''t admit to the others, but he was getting impatient and any more delays would probably make him lose his mind, because quite frankly they''ve been through a roller coaster ride of events, enough adventures to last a simple man a life time, even most cultivators don''t get to see as much action as they have this past two or so weeks. Alex gave an annoyed groan as he went over and dragged Louis was from the river bank, then all three of them proceeded to push the raft onto the river, most of the eyes staring at them immediately submerged themselves, the first movements made ever since they were discovered. However apart from raising an eyebrow or cocking their head to the side, none of the boys paid any attention to them, instead they literally had their fingers crossed as the raft slowly wobbled on the river. 5 seconds, 10, 30 seconds, a minute, two. It was obvious the raft was not sinking any time soon. All three boys breathed out a sigh of relief as they moved on to the next phase, the real moment of Truth, and that was it the raft would support all of their weight. Alex was actually the smallest out of all of them, Yun Fao was stockier and taller, with Louis being lithe and also tall. But they were all fourteen for both Louis and Alex and sixteen for Yun Fao. They still had some growing to do anyways. Alex went on the raft first, followed almost immediately by Louis and then Yun Fao; their hearts pounding in their chest. Apart from a few unsteady shakes, the raft remained solidly in it''s position, prompting all three boys to let out 8nnocent peals of laughter and joyful exuberance. Neither one of them knew how desperately they wanted to leave this place until this very moment, the Infernal Prison Dimension was already taking it''s toll on them. They were all laughing happily before Louis with his uncanny nose and perception for danger suddenly stopped and turned to look at his friends. "Guys the raft is moving!" he said with his voice shaking. "Well duh the currents will push it downstream and hopefully to freedom." Yun Fao replied with a smile, however Louis knew it was a whole lot more than that, and Alex also noticed it. 93 Forge IV : Anya As cultivators, as men, not to mention the plethora of things they had to go through since they''ve been in this prison dimension, the boys had more of a handle on fears than normal people or even most cultivators. So while there was a change in the behavioral patterns exhibited by the eyes in the river, it was still not enough to completely shake their confidence, as it stood they just decided to brace themselves and face whatever comes next with a calm and steady mind. So they just stood on the raft as it sailed towards the cave that the river flowed into and subsequently into the walls of the underground cavern they had found themselves. So far the cavern had been really dark, after all they were underground and only a few things gave off light, an example would probably be the diamond crystals growing from the top of the cavern. But they were open Dantian realm cultivators, even if the training of this realm isn''t really focused on their body, they still have excellent sensory abilities, which meant seeing things in the dark wasn''t that much of a problem for them. However the moment they went into the cave, they had to squint their eyes as said cave or rather tunnel was lit up by a variety of symbols that were actually moving. It was the brightest they''ve seen ever since they fell down that hole, and it was a bit searing to their eyeballs. When they finally got acclimated to the new source of light, they noticed that the symbols themselves were figure like hieroglyphics, much like the once used in ancient Egypt, however these ones were more of a painting than a formal language. The symbols seemed to be telling a story, one that seemed filled with tragedy and pain and agony and horrors, they would have loved to study it, Alex especially, but the raft was moving really fast, too fast. *Splash!* A huge spray of water brought them back to reality as they realized that the raft was moving too fast, or rather it could be said that the currents around the boat seems to have gotten crazy as it surgery through the underground river. There was nothing steady about this ride as Alex, Louis and Yun Fao had to hold on tightly to the last and edges of the raft so as not to fall off. With the symbols as a source of light, it was enough for them to see that there was more to the eyes than what they first thought, and Louis''s reactions spoke volumes of the shock they all felt. "Guys! There''s a bunch of water women pushing our boat! Errr our raft? Ahhhhh so pretty, so pretty!" Alex''s eyes widened in shock as Louis seems to be sliding off the boat to fall into the river, Alex quickly jumped on his friend''s body, closing both his and Louis''s eyes as he pulled him back from the edge of the raft. "Louis! Yun Fao don''t look at them and don''t listen to anything they''re singing or saying! They''re sirens!" <|=|>>>>>> EMEI SECT SERENE BLOSSOM VALLEY The golem in front of her was too though to beat, though so far she''s been trying hitting more than it has been hitting her, which quite frankly was an improvement. After all it wasn''t easy for someone at the peak of the open Dantian realm to battle a golem built for the true element realm, and so far it seems like Anya was holding her ground. She crouched down on the ground, her brown skin glistening in sweat as she focused on the golem made from pure silver steel in front of her. There was a massive broad sword half a meter wide and two meter long on her back, way taller than she was and heavier too, but even at that she was keeping up. Held snugly in her hands were two ornately designed chakrams, one look at those pair of deadly weapons. They were pitch black, with saw like edges that gleamed a bloody flaming red. However even with how dangerous they looked it was obvious the pair of weapons even the broad sword on her back was not completed, they seem to make any array of any sort. About three miles away, on a hill overlooking the valley where Anya was having her training, two devastatingly beautiful women stood side by side; watching as Anya went through such a deadly exercise ad schedule. Normally such a ridiculous kind of training would not be allowed, but this young woman from the dark continent had ran roughshod over every challenge and challenger thrown her way, no one in her realm of the true essence realm above her could defeat her, only someone at the true element realm can truly give her the challenge she needs. "She''s a 1 in a billion genius Abbess, which means in this world, there''s only 7 such people like her... it''s a shame that she''s not a full disciple of our Emei sect. The ability to fight two whole realms above you is not just legendary, it''s monstrous. She''s not jumping levels Abbess! She''s jumping realms! If we lose her then I''m afraid we''re going to regret it forever." One of the women; a lady that looked in her late twenties with hair that stretched all the way to her ankles and dressed in a light purple robe said to an older looking, but still very beautiful woman. "I know that Chong Mei, however Anya was given to us by the Wudang sect and not just the Wudang sect, but the Zhang clan as a manner of Goodwill for the student exchange program, even the young mistress of the house who, need I remind you is just as talented as the young woman down there. Eventually they will both have to return home." "I understand what you''re saying Abbess, but she''s not the young mistress of the Zhang clan, she''s a nobody, from nowhere! I believe there''s a way we can have her fully within the grasps of the Emei sect without fear of retaliation from Wudang, heck Wudang will side with us, it''s the Zhangs we might have to worry about." The purple clothed woman said. "The Zhang clan is trying to foster a good relationship with us, they knew just how talented young Anyaja is before they sent her to us, and you what us to stab them in the back?" "For a no name disciple! Abbess they might not even react as hard as you think they would, she means nothing to them other than being a childhood playmate for their young master. Once we have her we can deal with any fallout, especially when we have the second prince as our backer, after all he''s the Abbess''s own nephew." The purple class woman said. "What does my nephew have to do with this Chong Mei?" "Isn''t the second prince looking for a third wife, and since the second prince is one of the prime candidates for the throne, should she become his wife we can use the emperor''s influence to have her remain in Emei sect, in much the same way the Zhang Suiyan became the wife of the red dragon. Sure there might be some tensions, but we''re cultivators with very long lives, eventually everything would be forgotten and the Emei sect would have gained a pillar. We need this Abbess." "Well what you''ve said does hold some merit Chong Mei, we will still have our ties with Wudang sect as quite frankly the Zhang clan is inconsequential, the only reason they''re still so revered is because they hold the ( Jin Ying Jing) which makes them the most feared cultivators as there''s no skill or cultivation they can not master and amplify to great levels. But in the grand scheme of things, the fact that they''re so adamant to remain loyal to the Wudang sect has left them leashed like common dogs, they no longer have the power they used to and I very much doubt they would be able to regain it back. Offending them has no really consequences, and having the potential future empress be an Emei student would do wonders for our sect. We would be standing at the top of the cultivation world, doing and achieving things others never had or will. Very well Chong Mei, please guide her well, as far as strength goes her potential is limitless. But you have to make her more of a woman than the Tom boy she is, I wouldn''t have my nephew marrying a dark skinned Savage with no manners. In the mean time I''ll send a letter to my sister and my nephew, we should be able to put plans in place and have it come to fruition by the time the emperor''s birthday comes by in two months. We''ll make our move then, you''re dismissed Chong Mei." "By your leave Abbess, thank you for your time. I will do my best to make sure Anyaja lives up to your expectations and become a burden worthy of the second prince and a disciple worthy of the glory of the Emei sect." 94 Forge V : Sirens The raft jostled every which way as the sirens pulled and pushed it in every direction possible. The shape and contours of a fair maiden, voice as fair as a sunset rose, body as the clearest of crystal clear water, but fish eyes, very freaky fish eyes! Sirens had a variety of breeds, they were considered magical creatures, so definitely not under the jurisdiction of Qi, however they were also considered as demonic beasts, evil and rotten to the core, and very hungry for flesh. Sirens were legendary, especially the stories that have been told a out them from back on Earth, however on thing that was very true about sirens now, as the very real fact that they were now extinct. It didn''t matter if it was the sirens that were more conscious and sentient, or those that lived based on instinct and were nothing more than animals; they were all gone. *Splash! Crash!* The raft smashed against the wall of the tunnel, water spraying all-over their bodies as the boys were jostled. One of the sirens jumped up and swiped a class at Yun Fao''s legs, but he was luckily pulled to the side when the raft made a very hard turn right, going through another tunnel that suddenly appeared. The sirens weren''t just dangerous, they were also poisonous and carried curses with their every touch. Alex reckoned that they were more like spirits than beasts, probably an Apparition school spirit, with ghost like qualities. Which was why it was imperative that they don''t get cut or injured by anyone of them, or they would be singing the tunes to an entirely different song. But as if moving the raft wasn''t enough, the sirens began to spin it, moving it round and round in an attempt to disorient the boys. They were stronger than normal human beings by virtue of being cultivators, so they had stronger stomachs and more resistance to G-force, but there would always be a breaking point that even they would not be able prevent themselves from reaching if these sirens don''t stop spinning them like a merry go round on steroids. Yun Fao gritted his teeth as he held on tightly to the raft, in all honesty it also seemed as if the raft was about to fall to pieces with how roughly it has been treated by the sirens. They needed a little bit of reprieve to be able to come up with a plan, but this monsters were not given them any sort of changes. So all he could do was sneakily let the tip of his fingers stretch into the water as the sirens tried to send them to a watery grave. Yun Fao''s purple thunder art was an incredibly hard martial arts to master, it was not even originally from Wudang, but rather from the Kunlun sect. The basis of this martial art was the very real fact that it could not be used without a weapon in hand, not even if it''s practitioner had gotten to the true element realm where it would be possible for the to control and manipulate the element born from their cultivation roots. *Booom* The raft was blasted to pieces as they were all thrown into the water, the river was only about six meters deep, but about ten meters wide, however the bottom of it was smoothed out, making it seamless causing for an uninterrupted flow of the river. The force from Yun Fao using the thunder ability of his purple thunder art had blasted the river apart, so much so that the river bed was exposed for a few seconds before the boys fell back into the river. As for the sirens, they were unable to keep their bodies together as they were extinguished. It is a well know fact that lightning and thunder were elements that destroyed death, spirits and ghosts, it was just as effective as the light element, lacking it''s actor of healing and much more destructive as opposed to the light element that purified rather than destroyed. Spirits regardless of their alignment or element or school, were weak against the power of lightning and thunder, because these forces of nature could not be managed, lightning strikes once, a definite law in the order of things that can not be shaken or proven wrong, it was balance, order and destruction. As the boys fell back into the water, they were a bit disoriented and had to gather themselves a bit before they were swept forward by the currents. There were no more sirens around them, but still the current was moving them in such a way that they couldn''t understand, because it was quite noticeable that the river or rather the tunnel it was in slanted upwards, moving towards the surface, so it went against every natural law for the river to flow upwards rather than upwards. Alex looked around and saw Louis dragging an unconscious Yun Fao, who had a nasty cut and very terrible burns on his fingers towards a still floating piece of the raft. Alex quickly followed behind and grabbed Yun Fao, helping Louis until all three of them were properly situated on top of the spilt piece of the raft. "Where are the Sirens?" Louis asked as he looked around. "I think Yun Fao took care of them, but I''m not sure we''re out of trouble yet." Alex replied as he tightened his hold on Yun Fao. "I can see that, but if the Sirens are gone, then what''s up with this river? Isn''t it supposed to flow downwards or downstream, then why the hell are we going up, it''s like we''re going up a waterfall!" It was when Louis mentioned a waterfall that Alex realized that they were no moving up a vertical incline, it was as if the flow of the river had been reversed and they were going along for the ride, or rather the flow was reversed because they were actually in the river. Alex and Louis couldn''t see more than 3 feet in front of them, and that was because everything seemed to have gotten a bit darker, and mere moments later their movements back up became extremely turbulent as the river itself seemed angry with the way it was flowing. Louis and Alex began to feel a resistance from the water itself, a push and pull feeling that was threatening to spilt them all in half. It was as if there was a force below that did not want them to go back up, to leave the gloom of this darkened underworld, of weird monsters and glowing diamond crystals. Alex turned his head backwards, and shuddered at what he saw. His apparent apprehension to whatever it was that he had seen forced Louis to look back too, and what he saw left him feeling chills also. "Damn! Move river, moooove!" Louis screamed as he splashed his hands in the water trying to paddle forward. "For God sake Louis! Just slapping your hands in the water and screaming at the river to move won''t force it to flow! This is a fight way above our paygrade!" Alex yelled at him, but Louis did not seem all too willing to listen as he turned and pointed behind him. "Then what the fuck do we do about them!" Alex swallowed, the sirens were back but this time there were a whole lot more than what they could possibly deal with. And this time they weren''t alone, the sylphs we''re back and bunch of other creatures that they never had the misfortune of meeting. It was then that Alex got to really understand what he fuck was going on here, this entire underground world was prison, in fact it was the oldest prison in this dimension and there were probably much worse places to be than where they had landed. But now it seems there was something trying to pull them out, since they fell here by mistake, there was a possibility that they would be freed, and the sirens wanted to use them as the key to probably open the gate or at least piggy back on their escape. This upwards flowing river was probably the only way out, but with the creatures imprisoned here so close, they were causing a dissonance in whatever it was that as making this place function. They needed to leave and it would happily spit then out, but the creature were too close and we''re also struggling to jump out too, if it proceeded to just spit the boys out, some if not all of the prisoners behind would follow, which as why it was both suppressing the prisoners and trying to push Alex, Louis and Yun Fao out, hence the push and pull motion. {Master! Use me! You have to push them back to be able to leave this place, so use me! Let me out!} 95 Forge VI : Blood Dragon [Everything alive had blood, regardless of what form of existence it might be, in one form or another, blood exists. It''s the very essence of life, and can exists as energy, as liquid, a gas but never as a solid. It shows the fundamental aspect of the element, it flows, carrying sustenance and power from one part of the body to the other. Everything alive has blood, even the very planet itself; water that gives life and sustains the earth is blood, rain that falls from the sky is BLOOD!, LAVA THAT FLOWS in the depths of the earth, that is BLOOD! SEE IT! FEEL IT! AND CONTROL IT!] GRIMOIRE OF A MAD BLOOD MAGE Alex felt the thrumming of heartbeats, hundreds if not thousands of them, each and every single one of them spread out for dozens of kilometers around him. Of the creatures chasing after them, both the Sylph''s and the sirens were without a physical body, but even then Alex could still feel their pulses, he could feel the rush of life within their veins, power and energy the likes of which he''s never felt before. But along with all this feeling came the feel of a massive weight and pressure on his head, it was too much, there was just too much blood. Alex foisted all of Yun Fao''s body on Louis, almost forcing the young son to get submerged into the river, but thankfully Louis was a lot stronger than his lanky form showed. With one of his hands on the piece of the raft, Alex pointed the other at the tanks upon ranks of magical beasts, and monsters behind him, and then he pushed back. Almost as if all of the creature met an invisible wall, their bodies came to a stop with jarring halt. There was nothing to be heard from them, no sound, the only things moving were their eyes, and even then that was with a lot of difficulty. They were just as surprised at the pressure on them, a pressure that came from their very essence, their blood, something that they couldn''t fight, from deep within them. The river slowly started moving again, as the pressure pulling the boys down eased up, Alex could not help releasing a breath of relief, with the pressure from both him and whatever it was that was powering this prison, then it should be quite possible to keep the prisoners at bay. But Alex was celebrating a little too early, that had barely moved up four meters when he felt all of the creatures fighting against him. It seems their desire to leave this prison, was a whole lot more powerful than the hold his power had on them, and if Alex had to be honest, such single-minded focus and thirst for freedom was very terrifying. They will not allow anything or anyone to get in their way. Such slow movements were absolute torture for Alex, he was getting angry, but at the same time he was also feeling very frustrated and scared. He was already at his breaking point when he heard ¨¦bi¨¦ whisper into his ears¡­.. (Let me fight them master) And Alex was all willing to relinquish control as his entire being was flooded with the power of the blood dragon. Louis watched on in abject horror as Alex''s face became a whole lot more angular and he developed curves that had no place on a male human''s body. His chest grew bountiful, his eyes soulful, and his hair so ridiculously long and red it became hard for Louis to differentiate where the river ended and where his hair began, Alex had no become a beauty with a very fanged filled smile that made Louis feel like he was looking at the mother of all devils. "Well isn''t this wonderful, the air, the water, the energy and this feeling of power.....it feels so good to be alive." Louis had his words, saliva and a whole bunch of other things stuck in his thirst as he looked at Alex who had just transformed into a full grown woman. It was terrifying, very terrifying, especially with how attractive she was. He skin was even darker than Alex''s, like the very best mix of brown chocolate and coffee, creamy and sweet with very best of textures known to man. Louis shook his head, trying his hardest to remove the wayward thoughts from his head. He noticed the massive dragon wings on her back just as she flew up in the sky, her hair wrapping around Louis and Yun Fao, pulling them along. Then she turned to face the ranks of creatures and gave a rather nasty grin, before pointing her hands at them and spreading it wide. Both her thumbs were touching each other, and a pentagram appeared on both her palms, only this pentagram was made with Inscriptions arrays, hundreds upon hundreds of them superimposed over the other. It would take someone with a very gifted eyesight and a boat load of time to be able to properly study and even understand just a fraction of the Arrays on her palm. Then the Arrays cake to life, blazing blood red as blood began to float out of her eyes and nose; droplets by droplets they quickly gathered in the air, stretching themselves out to form lines and angles and curves until an array similar to the one on her palm was formed, though it looked a whole lot more simpler. The array thrummed with power, slowly pulsing with rhythm like the beats of a vibrant heart. (Blood Art: Devour) Her words were just a whisper, and the way she said it was in the most sensual and calmest manner possible. Like a lover telling her love goodnight or a mother softly singing to her baby. But Louis, the only person who was conscious as this was going on, almost lost control of his bladder. Louis was a noble, he grew up right in the middle of family politics, land disputes and many other intricacies of the king of France''s court. He could recognize animosity and pure murderous intent in a person''s voice, and he could hear it in her voice, and the volume of it would fill an ocean. *Screeeeeeee arrrrrrrrrrrrrr yiyiyiyiyiyiyiy grooooaaaaaaaaarrr* Screeches , roads and screams of pain came off all of the creatures chasing after them, Louis watched as blood of all colors and even energy itself was drained out them. He watched as the sirens made of water turned to ice, the Sylph''s turn grey and fall in spades into the river, flowing downstream to Oblivion. Louis noticed a giant snake and wolf lose their scales and fur, slowly desiccating until all that was left of them was death, horrible and terrifying death. Above their heads, even as they floated upwards was a massive pool of blood and energy. It was akin to a multicolored sludge as Louis could see green, black, white, blue and grey blood, along with the normal red, and some of a lighter shade. Then slowly all of the blood seemed to congregate, shrinking in on itself until about three dozen blood red pills were formed, each pulsing with light like a heartbeat. And looking closer at the pills, Louis could hear the screams and even see the faces of the creatures that just died, in the most gruesome and brutal fashion possible. Louis reckoned that it would be a whole lot more bloody if her targets had been normal humans rather than weird monsters with very different biology, it would also have been more horrifying. She turned and flew upwards, her endless hair dragging Louis and Yun Fao along. She flew really fast, moving almost at the speed not sound, and if not for the fact that her hair was wrapped around Louis and Yun Fao, such a flight would have been very difficult for the boys. Eventually a massive body of water could be seen above them, it was like a lake or an ocean spread far across the roof of a cavern, and it spread for kilometers upon kilometers with no end in sight. Louis could see other rivers flowing upwards back to the Lake above that was defying gravity, it was a daunting yet amazing sight, the likes of which he had never seen before. He wished Yun Fao was awake to see it, though he couldn''t be sure about Alex seeing as he was in the body of a woman or was a woman in his body, or did a woman possess his body....this was so confusing to Louis, Alex was just too weird. He was chosen to protect Alex from the world, to grow right beside him in strength and power and defend him with his life if the need ever arose, but somehow Louis felt it was the world that needed protection from Alex. She didn''t slow down her flight as she flew into the lake, dragging the boys into the bone chilling cold body of water. 96 Hell Arena I : Longing THE WUDANG SECT LONELY PHOENIX MOUNTAIN MOON PHOENIX MANOR Zhang Suiyan was not born a patient woman, the idea of waiting and bidding her time, was something she had been forced to learn when she realized that he strength she had was not sufficient, and even more so due to the fact that said strength did not just come from being powerful as an individual, but from the help the people around you could give. She had no one but her family, even the idea of raising a faction to oppose the current sect head was carefully avoided so as not to put innocent life in danger, but today she was running out of patience. Sure she would have still bored her time and waited for her children to grow a bit older and whole lot more stronger, but now her son was in danger. She knew he was still alive, the tracking array placed under his scalp by his grandfather was still active, which more than told her that her boy was still alive and kicking, the idea was, where his limbs intact, his mind? His cultivation, what about the two young boys being trained besides him as a personal guard, were they also okay. She was in such dire states she''s not eaten anything in days, and even though as an earth gate cultivator food didn''t matter much to her, it was beginning to show how worried she was as her black hair was slowly turning white. "If you were this worried about our son rather than your bastard, then this would have been such a moving scene." A voice spoke up from behind her with a bland tone. She didn''t want to answer, but the Zhang clan held family in high esteem, especially the love a parent will have for their child. They wouldn''t tolerate anyone making or poking fun at their children or putting them in harm''s way. So even though she couldn''t put up a fight right now, she could use her words. "Red dragon? My son is no bastard; he has a father and a mother, both alive and willing to do anything to keep him safe. Lu Wan is your son, not mine, I''m his mother in title alone, and even then that''s a title that I assure you, I won''t be holding on to anytime soon." She didn''t even turn back to look at him as she stood on the balcony of her major, right on top of her (Lonely Phoenix Mountain) peak. Suddenly there was a gust of wind as she felt someone roughly grab her from behind, his palms covered her breasts, his breath on her neck and she could feel his hardness on the softness of her but. Red dragon breathed heavily into her ear, and she couldn''t help but involuntarily shudder as goosebumps showed up allover her skin. Her revulsion for the man holding on to her was so obvious, his very presence made her sick. As his spoke his hands roamed over her body, his fingers dug into her bountiful breasts, as his hands slowly raised her dress, his finger tips caressing her Snow White, pale and soft skin. Red dragon could feel the creases and the goosebumps on her body, he knew she hated him, hated his touch, but all this only seemed to bolster his ego and he wanted very much to take this prideful woman, bend her over and pound in a fear and respect of his holy personage into her womb and mind. "Maybe this is just as good a time as any to let you enjoy the joys of being a woman, after all it must have been a long time since you''ve had a proper dick from a man, not since you gave birth to you bastard I believe. So let me make you feel good Suiyan, let me take your mind of things that don''t matter, I..." Red Dragon quickly shut his mouth, the feeling of a dagger stabbing into his thigh was painful enough, the worst part of it was how close to his most valuable tool it was. "The only thing that you would be feeling tonight Red dragon would be me severing off that pathetic excuse for a penis. And fair warning you irresponsible fool! If you ever touch me again, I''ll kill you, damn the consequences. I''m your wife yes! But not even the emperor himself can force me to fuck you if I don''t want to, and news flash Mr. Red Dragon born of the higher heavens; it''s not just the fact that I don''t want to, or that I''ll rather die, but the fact that you''re not even packing enough to leave a dent inside of a bitch much less me, who is leagues above the dogs you shove your cursed penis into. My first husband, the one you killed was so hung even horse would take lessons from him, much less an amateur stuck up bastard like you. And as for Benjamin...¡­I don''t need to tell you why noblewomen, clan Mistresses, Queens and important females prefer men from the dark continent to be their retainers and servants. Making a woman feel good is in their genes, you''re a joke! Now get out of my house! Or I''ll be throwing your corpse out!" Red dragon felt humiliated and upset beyond all measure, no one, of rather no woman has ever spoken to him in such a way before, and there was no retort from him, because quite frankly while he was ''okay'' down there, he knew he could not be compared to both men Suiyan has had children for. But not just in a manner of satisfaction but for one very obvious truth, she loved them with every single bone in her body, and it was her love for those men that made her cherish her children so much, and what field her hatred for him, after all her son was forced to grown up without a mother because of him.....Red dragon didn''t care though, it was only a matter of time before he eats of the so called forbidden and exclusive fruit. After all he was about to advance into the heaven''s gate stages of cultivation, and by then, not even her mastery of the Yin Jin Jing would save her from him. "You''ll regret this Zhang Suiyan! I promise you!" Leaving those words behind, his body erupted in a blaze of fire as he disappeared, leaving scorch marks on the polished marble floor. As soon as he left, whatever it was that was holding Zhang Suiyan up disappeared, and the woman fell to the ground, and so too did her tears. Out of the shadows came three armed women, all ready to have cut down Red dragon without remorse should he had tried anything stupid. The gathered around her, and held her close, showing off the strength of a bond that was forged for over a century. They held her as she cried, strong as she was there was always someone else above her, or in this case and entire world/dimension above, giving the Imperial family and every other bastard affiliated with them, the power to ruin the lives of other people at their while. Sometimes she wondered if the Communion of true sons didn''t have the right idea about going round, blowing shit up and sabotaging both empires. Needless to say, she didn''t care about all those right now, she was just worried about her boy. <|=|>>>>>> THE INFERNAL PRISON DIMENSIONS When Alex woke up, every single bone in his body ached and he felt really drained. He felt as if his entire body had been pulled apart, put back together, and then stretched to very weird proportions. He looked down and placed his hands on his chest, having a vague memory of them being bigger and more...bouncy. ¨¦bi¨¦''s taking over of his body was something new, Nezha had projected himself out of Alex''s body before, but he never took it over. It was a rather weird experience and Alex wasn''t sure he wanted to go through it again, he very much liked having a dick. "What are you doing?" he heard an unfamiliar, yet familiar voice ask. He turned to see Lu Wan along with what was left of the disciples, inclusive of a now Conscious Yun Fao and a very worried looking Louis. Alex ignored his step brother, looking around his surroundings and noticing his very different it was from a river that glowed in reverse and upwards, he was in a cell. It was cramped, smelly, dirty and crowded. Alex could actually see dead people hung up on chains Inside the cell, their bodies rotting and being feasted upon by maggots. Alex was shaken by the sight, but not as scared or as spooked as one would expect, he looked up and asked. "Where the heck are we?" Louis was about to answer when Lu Wan spoke up, he was Haggard, dirty, and looked starved. Within his eyes was a darkness that Alex knew was not there before, it was sunken and hollow, and had bags like he''s not had any sort of sleep in weeks. "This is the true Prison, the place where all the monsters our sect has locked up ended up in, it''s...¡­" *Bang!* A man slammed his palm against the gate of the cell, his yellowed teeth in full display and giving off a sinister grin. 97 Hell Arena II : Corpse Eater {The true story of how the world truly fell into the age of modern cultivation has been greatly shrouded. There''s more to it than anyone could have ever imagined, and what I''ve found out is enough to get me killed by forces way beyond our current scope of comprehension. The birth of the empire of heaven, the Albion Empire and every other major power is not as simple as what the history books tell us. The humanity of planet earth would have grown just fine and into their power and potential, but earth became a pawn in a war between the two most powerful forces in the universe. And when their battle was brought to earth, a planet lacking in resources but for some reason was still smack-dab in the center of the universe. They made their camps, integrating themselves with the locals teaching cultivation and magic until eventually the two great empires were formed, both of them a front for this two secret universal powers. The empire of heaven and the Albion Empire are colonies of greater powers, they don''t belong to us and I fear they will lead the earth to an early grave without the chance to reach her full potential. And this is because I''ve discovered that...¡­.the secret to godhood is hidden on this seemingly barren rock, and they''ll happily kill us all just to find it.} The man who had called this play hell opened the cell doors and came into the cell. Alex noticed how the rest of the disciples took a step back away from the man, he was covered in dirt and grime and his clothes were practically rags, but apart from his yellow crooked teeth, his next defining feature probably has to be the goat horns on his head, and his equally yellow eyes. "How the hell you boys survived out there in the wild for this long is actually quite surprising, but I guess that''s your luck, and now your luck has ran out. Either way you and your pretty friend should prepare yourself, tonight you would both be blooded, and I hope to all the gods for your sake that you''re strong enough or at the very least entertaining enough....or else your death is going to be really painful." He gave a sinister chuckle as he walked toward the group of dead bodies hanging from the cell wall from their wrists which had heavily rusted and bloodied manacles that had dug into their flesh. Alex though perhaps he was about to take the bodies out of the cell, but much to his abject and extreme shock, the man took a massive bite out of the neck of the first dead body; one that belonged to a woman. He did not care about the rot, or the maggots and stink that went with it. Louis and Alex both lost their previous meal; such a sight was too much for them. The others didn''t even seem as shaken by the sight in front of them as the man proceeded to eat more of the dead body. They had no choice but to watch him eat, and eat, and eat. When he got to the spot between her legs, his fervor even seemed to increase as he made slurping sounds. Alex and Louis tried looking away, but even if they could stop themselves from seeing what was going on, they could not stop themselves from listening to the travesty happening so close to them. And it went on for a good two hours, during which Yun Fao had woken up and was subjected to the same horrific sight. Alex''s storage ring was nowhere to be found, hence there were no weapons in sight, but even worse was the fact that he felt a sort of suppression on himself, making it unable for him to use his Qi or properly utilize his spirit energy. It madeAle3x just how dire his situation was, they had no weapons and no Qi, these guys really had them by the throat here. With the displays of necrotic cannibalism happening close to him, and his obvious powerless form, Alex was beginning to panic. This Infernal prison dimension is the most fucked up place he''s ever had the misfortune of being and in all honesty he would very much like to get the fuck off this bloody world. {Chiriririr?} Alex couldn''t help the wave of relief he felt at the annoying chitterling of Khan, it seems that even though he had no access to any sort of power Khan was an exception. After two hours had elapsed the dirty horned man had finished eating all three bodies without his body even growing an inch, Alex had to wonder if this guy was some sort of bottomless pit, how could he eat three full grown people and still not show a single sign. It was beyond weird and freaky, and dark, very dark. But even then it gave Alex enough time to try and khan to find a way out of the cell, however there seemed to be some restriction on it, which means Khan could only go out when the cell doors themselves were opened by someone authorized, aka the crazy dead body eating man. "Ahhhh! What a very satisfying meal! Well I should go now, there''s still much to be done, I have to go prepare your dying grounds." And then he marched towards the cell doors, however the moment he opened those doors Alex spoke up. "Who the hell are you? What are you?" The man came to a halt as a gust of wind went past him, ruffling his hair and giving him an even more fierce expression. His yellowed teeth were bloody with coagulated blood and maggots could still be seen wiggling around his crooked teeth and mouth. He took a step forward, and another, and another using large strides until he was right in front of Alex. The stink from his mouth as he breathed on Alex was almost death inducing, it was taking all of Alex''s energy and fortitude not to vomit all over the face of this very messed up individual. "Who am I? What am I...well young man, that''s for me to know and for you to find out and I can guarantee you it''s going to be a very delicious experience." The he proceeded to like the middle of Alex''s face, from the tip of his jaw to the top of his forehead, leaving a residue of the gore and maggots he just ingested on Alex''s face. And then to finish it up he added¡­"You''re going to be delicious!" Alex took a deep breath as he watched the man leave the cell room, he gritted his teeth spitting out a glob of saliva with a disgusted look on his face. He shifted his gaze towards Louis and Yun Fao, venom in his eyes as he got back up to his feet. Yun Fao recognizing the look spoke up. "We''re going to kill him, I promise you." They''ve been through so much together that it was quite easy for Yun Fao to recognize killing intent from within Alex''s gaze. It was not As if the man had done anything to hurt Alex, not yet anyway, but to Alex everything about him just felt so wrong, the very sight of him evoked such strong emotions from Alex, throwing him off balance and leaving with an indescribable urge to restore that balance. "You guys are just wasting your time, I don''t know how you survived out there, but it would Have been better if you all had remained hidden, there''s no fighting these guys, he might be in mortal gate realms, but he''s strong enough to face an earth gate cultivator. You need more than just a baseless and powerless intent to kill to win." Lu Wan spoke up with a somber tone. Neither Alex, Louis or Yun Fao had any idea what the arrogant young master has gone through this past few weeks to end up so hollow, but it didn''t shake their convictions. While the others have been trapped here, undergoing whatever hell they were going through, the three of them were out there struggling to survive and grow stronger; they''ve faced odds that would otherwise render other more capable and stronger people dead. At this point they lacked fear for any sort of challenge or enemy, not when they knew that they were together. "Just who is this guy anyway?" Louis asked, his answer came from a female disciple, in particular the purple haired girl Alex had fought last during the open meridian battle royale. "He''s a devil cultivator, mages would call him a kind of necromancer, but the gist of the matter is he grows his power by feasting on the dead and death energy, he''s on a whole other level of bad." 98 Hell Arena III : Khan On A Mission The experience of seeing through khan''s eyes were a bit disorienting, Alex couldn''t exert control on the spirit, so he could only go along for the ride as Khan completed the mission that Alex had given to him. As opposed to the first time Khan had hatched and the ensuing days after, the Kamaitachi had grown in maturity quite a bit, of course he was still a bit playful, but now he could actually focus on his tasks and get things done. It was completely by accident Alex had discovered that he and Khan could share each other''s senses. He could see, hear, smell and sometimes even taste the things Khan could, and vice versa. Nezha didn''t tell Alex about such a technique as it couldn''t be taught, but rather discovered by spirits bonded to each other or to a spirit king. Alex had woken up one night to find himself digging through a mound for giant ants; this was back in the underground cavern when they were making the raft. Alex had spent most of that day running around scared out of his mind, both Nezha and Ebie had chosen to say nothing about what was happening, so it was left to Alex to slowly discover and master this new ability by himself. Eventually he passed out, as the strain of being connected through minds with Khan was a bit too much. The next day, every few hours, it was rinse and repeat situation until Alex finally got a handle on the ability. This ability is what the mantle is for spirits like Nezha and Ebie; it gave Alex access and full mastery to their powers, using his own body and energy to amplify their abilities and his by an insane amount. Bonding with other spirits on the other hand would require you to master this ability, which was basically strengthening the bond between you and them. In the end you won''t just be using their senses and them using yours, you would use their energy, abilities and powers and they yours. Khan moved out from the room where someone was currently being tortured, his master might be human just like the person in pain; however he was under no obligation to try saving said person. Besides there wasn''t much he could do, it was already hard enough as it is maintaining a physical form, which was why he was currently invisible and out of sight of other people. None the less he had to find his master''s storage ring, and while that might be hard given how expansive this cave system he now finds himself in is, he could still smell Alex. Spirits like the Kamaitachi had two physical forms, especially when said spirit was also an elemental spirit. Right now Khan was in a secondary physical form, which was actually a simple gust of wind, and such a form was actually quite good for slipping through cracks, like the one that appeared under this massive iron door. Khan dived down, moving slowly as his body seeped through the cracks, there was a slow release of air as Khan moved his body through the cracks, the room beyond was brightly lit, but calling it a room would be a huge disservice. The first he noticed was the intense stench of blood; it was so strong that Khan could actually see it. And then there came the brightly lit torches of red flames flickering as they casted a shadow over the massive bloodstained platform, Khan felt at home with the aura of death and agony hanging over this place, so many have died, and so many more will die in here too. Surrounding the bloodied arena was a demarcation line made from a chain linked fence that sparkled and sizzled with electricity, and it was a lot of it. Khan in his wind form moved towards the middle of the Arena before he caught a whiff of the scent he was looking for; Sylphs and Alex, which also meant the direction his storage ring was taken, and it was coming from below the arena. Khan moved around a bit, trying to get a definite whiff of that divine scent as his body slowly acclimated and got comfortable within the arena. The platform itself seemed to be made from hu8ndreds of reinforced chains linked together, and while it seemed somewhat watertight, it was not air tight. Alex''s storage ring had not just his scent, but also the scent of the sylph wings in it, and to Khan, those wings were such a delicacy that it was almost impossible for him to forget6 what they smelled like, which was why he was able to find the trap door located on the edge of the arena. It was equally covered with chains and connected to the whole arena that given enough force could double as a trampoline, a rather painful one though, but one good enough to bounce. Either way the trapdoor was left out in plain sight, but if Khan hadn''t been relying on his nose, then it would have been absolutely impossible for him to have found its location. Khan quickly got to work burrowing his incorporeal body through the cracks in the chain links, how they were able to make a chain link fence behave like a typical door was a bit baffling, but the universe was filled with too many wondrous things, so this shouldn''t be too hard to comprehend. Khan slipped through the cracks, slowly floating into a wide room, it was dark, but Khan didn''t need light to see. At first glanced this place looked like a trash heap of miscellaneous items, however it was obviously a treasure trove as there were ores, minerals, vials of unknown potions, gold, silver, weapons, clothes, books, scrolls, and storage rings by the hundreds if not thousands. It seems this was the place where they dumped the belongings of their captives, and judging from sheer amount of dust most of these objects have been for a very long time, so much so that just with Khan''s presence in the room, some of the papers and fabrics turned to dust and crumbled away like they were never there in the first place. There was a lot to process, but sometimes Khan can be so one track minded that we wouldn''t care to pay attention to anything else. He made his way to a nondescript corner where a pile of items were kept, as opposed to everything else here. These piles of items were fairly new and Khan was heading for a silver ring on top of this pile of items. All of his attention was placed on it as he dove into the ring, before ending up in a small space were hundreds of dragon fly like wings could be seen floating about, he ignored the imposing double edge long swords that floated past him and opened his mouth to sample the delicacy that was the sylph wings, after all he already found his master''s ring; a reward was in order. "Hey! New guys! It''s time for you to meet your makers, or at the very least send someone else to go meet their makers, so get on your feet!" A voice brought Alex''s awareness back into his body, he looked up at Yun Fao who was still cradling his wounded right hand from when he saved them from the sirens and then Louis who had a little bit of a confused expression on his face as they all looked at the man in front of them. "Say isn''t that?" Alex began to ask before Yun Fao completed it for him. "The guy who saved, or at least made a lousy attempt to save us from the Nagas?" It was him all right, and that seemed to put a lot of things in perspective for them seeing as he was here; and they were on the other side of a cell door. If they had successfully followed after him during their escape from the Nagas and a burning forest, they would have ended up here a whole lot earlier, and who knew, they might even be dead by now. Guess you can''t trust any random guy you meet in a burning forest claiming to help. "It''s good to see you guys survived the bottomless pit; however you guys would have wished that you died there instead. None the less let me wish all three of you luck in your upcoming matches, you''re going to need it." The boys had no idea what was going on, or rather Alex had an idea of just what they were about to face, and while he was a little apprehensive, he wasn''t really scared. The wudang sect had changed to the point where disciples would actually battle and even kill themselves for a prize, this wasn''t any different from that and because of that the disciples had a stronger stomach than most. Which seemed to explain why most of the disciples even though they looked haggard still had a bit of fire in their eyes, Lu Wan was the only one who looked like living breathing piece of shit, at least even more than usual. 99 Hell Arena IV : Freaky Shows And Devils Deals Louis was placed in front as Alex and Yun Fao followed closely behind, they had no idea what to expect, but nevertheless they all knew they were in for quite the experience. As soon as they left the cells, the feeling of weakness was eliminated, however they knew that they weren''t strong enough to fight their way away from this guy, so they had to hold on a bit. Walking through the tunnels was a little bit unsettling, because there was not a single soul in sight. Come to think of it, during the time Alex was connected to khan, there was also not a single soul in sight, except for the cell where a man was being tortured, but even then Alex did not remember seeing anybody torturing the man, his limbs were just being cut off, it became obvious that this place was just as freaky as the underground prison they had escaped from. They marched forward silently, until they came to the massive doors that led into the arena, the boys got a close look at the metal gate, especially for Alex who now noticed more details on the door than when he was sharing a mind with Khan. On the doors were a depiction of two men, each holding one end of a chain wrapped around a planet. The engravings on the door were incredibly life like, so much that Alex could tell that the two men were none other than the horned necrotic cannibal, and the probable child trafficker behind them. There was more to this place than what has already been exposed, this so called Infernal prison dimension was not as simple as it looked, even more so for the place they''ve now found themselves stuck in. The doors swung open to an obviously empty arena, the man escorted them until they were in the middle of the chain platform. It would have been a bit difficult for none cultivators to keep their balance with how unsteady the chain platform was. But the boys had trained their bodies and balance under a waterfall for the better part of two weeks, they could deal with thus much for as long as they needed to. The man who led them here smiled as he took a step back, before jumping up into the air with a spotlight suddenly shining down on him as he floated 10 feet off the ground. "Ladies and gentlemen of all shapes, sizes and ages! Welcome once again to the Hell Arena!!!!!!!" "Yeaaahaaahaaaaa!" It was weird hearing such loud screams from every corner of the arena, the boys were spooked, which was understandable as there was not a single soul in sight within the arena, the only people there were Alex, Yun Fao, Louis and the floating guy with a spotlight on his head, so it gets the question of where the absolute fuck all this cheers and roars are coming from. It was profound experience but even with everything they''ve been through, they couldn''t help but feel a little bit of terror in their hearts. (Alex! This is a hell Arena rather than a prison Dimension! It''s a place controlled by dark beings and turned into a battlefield for the propagation of death and suffering, it''s the best place to cultivate evil yin and death techniques. You have to fight to survive, all three of you or there''ll be no escaping this place. It gets progressively harder the longer you''re alive, try your best!) This was the first time Alex was able to communicate with any of the mantle spirits since before he relinquished control of his body to ¨¦bi¨¦. Whatever restrictions the cells have on abilities, it was completely negated in the Arena. But based on what Nezha just told him, there were more places like this out there in the universe, a Dimension specifically catered for the cultivation and propagation of death and evil Yin. It wasn''t too hard to imagine what had happened to the other cultivators who have been thrown in her as prisoners by the Wudang sect, this place truly is hell. The shaking got progressively worse as vortex of sorts showed up in the air above them, the boys moved away from it as a massive Naga dropped down from it, his entire body covered in scales and pitch black armor that made the half snake, half man look even more ferocious than normal. And as if that wasn''t enough, theirs was a sinister looking Javelin with arcane symbols etched on it. The Has was standing at three meters tall, but his entire body was much more longer as the rest of his trunk was about 5 meters long. His snake eyes and widened jaw split open, holding a furry within them that the boys could not even begin to hope or even dream of handling. "Murderers! You killed my children! Now you''ll pay for your insolencesssssssss!" "Round one everybody! Three very dead kids vs the Naga King! Three open Dantian realm cultivators Vs a magical beast that''s a 3rd circle mage or in for a more definite understanding¡­...a monster at the peak of the true essence realm! Who will be the winner, who will survive! Three ignorant boys who stumbled into the breeding nest of the Naga King and slaughtered all of his royal children! Or the Naga King who is determined to agent his fallen seed...¡­so let''s get ready to ruuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmbbbbbblllllllleeeeeeeeee!!!" Safe to say, Alex and the boys had to reconsider killing this guy or his partner, they were both out of their leagues if they can subdue a monster like this and force him to fight. The only thing in their minds now was to survive, survival was all there is to it! <|=|>>>>> BEIJING THE FORBIDDEN CITY ZHANG SANFENG & ZHANG SUIYAN Normally to get an audience with the emperor of the empire of heaven would take quite a while and a whole lot of process, however few people could actually challenge said emperor and stand on equal footing with him when it comes to power, such people were not to be kept waiting. One very important rule of politics was that you respected your enemies, that way you don''t underestimate them. And the Emperor knew he couldn''t give anything but the fullest of all respect to Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang sect. The emperor still looked very much like a man in his prime, just his black hair was nearly combed and held up by an ornate head piece. He was wearing a golden suit, the ceremonial and traditional golden robes of emperors was just too much of a hassle to wear, it was the freaking 21st century, some of the best changed had to be the wardrobe. He would be a cool is he doesn''t get with the times. "We know why you''re here Zhang Sanfeng, your grandson and our imperial grand Nephew are in dire perilous states, even though we know they''re still alive, it''s only a matter of time before they fall within the Infernal Prison Dimension your Wudang sect has cultivated. Not unless our Imperial self deliver into you the only other functional Planetarium with coordinates to that particular Dimension. That is a hard thing for us to do, the cost of using a Planetarium is very large, and after it''s been used and it will take another six months to a year for it to be recharged and used again, Which means our Imperial self will be unable to converse with the god emperor and send tributes are required. It is a very had decision for us to make, unless..." Both Zhang Sanfeng and Suiyan knew this Emperor will be incredibly hard to deal with, he was shrew and would never make a deal without any benefit in it for him. Zhang Suiyan''s marriage to Red dragon was as a result of his schemes and his attempt to keep her father under control, she would rather die than ask him for help, something that her father was prepared to do until she begged him to come here, which means she was prepared to do anything to get her son back, ready to sacrifice anything." "What does your Imperial Majesty want in return for his help!" Zhang Sanfeng was also worried, but since he was here, he had no choice but to play this game. Not to mention with how worried and frantic his daughter was, she could say something that would out them in an even tougher position. Zhang Sanfeng was as strong maybe a little but stronger than the Emperor, but he couldn''t kill him, and he couldn''t match up to the resources this emperor has. "I hear your grandson is just Fourteen, he will be fifteen in four months yes! Good. On my birthday two months hence we shall announce a much more stronger union between you and I Zhang Sanfeng, one that would cement both of our strength and the futures of the next generation. I would like to betrothed my youngest daughter, Princess Lu Victoria to your grandson. You know my daughter is 7th in line for the throne of the Albion empire as her mother is also the first princess and my able Empress. It would be a union with two empires, it will give you power and prestige and give your grandson a more secure future. I''m sure you know age doesn''t matter, she might have seen 6 decades, but in our eyes she''s still very much young. So what do you say?" Zhang Sanfeng was about to refuse when Suiyan spoke up. "It will be our honor your majesty, Alex....Zhang Xiao Rent would be pleased and just as honored, granted we can save him on time." "No problem! Hahahaha I have the planetarium with me, come! Let''s save my future son in-law." The emperor happily walked out as Zhang Sanfeng looked to his daughter and asked. "What have you done child?" and she looked up at him with conviction in her eyes. 100 Hell Arena V : The Naga King Khan rolled his body allover, completely satisfied and happy about how stuffed his stomach was. But even with that the Kamaitachi had this inkling feeling that he was forgetting something, but then again if it isn''t at forefront of his mind then whatever it was he forgot must not have been terribly important. Khan stretched as his body shifted between illusory and physical, all of his very spiritual muscles completely relaxed, meanwhile just a few feet above him, the Naga King released a blast of magical energy. *BOooOoom!* The boys were thrown backwards with absolutely no control over their body towards the edge of the arena. Their backs smashed against the thank fence on the edge of the arena or in the unfortunate case of Louis; his face. The chain fence bounced them back straight towards the Naga King who had curled himself and them expanded his coils like an uncoiled spring, whipping it towards the boys. Alex was the first to be hit, getting smacked in the chest with the armored tail of the Naga King, while Louis and Yun Fao got hit by the trunk. However Yun Fao held on to the trunk as the Naga King retracted his body back, Yun Fao turned his body and released his grip from the coils, pushing backwards with his hands as both his feet slammed into the helm covered head of the Naga King. The Naga King reeled back a bit, but a flick from his tail slammed Yun Fao down on the chain platform, his body bouncing off it a few times and incurring a few bruises in the process. Louis spread his legs and crossed both his hands and a massive golden spell circle came alive in front of him, as if that wasn''t enough, his entire body began to glow a blazing gold as the spell circle seemed to shrink and became imprinted on top of his head, at that moment his body glowed even brighter as he shot towards the Naga King in a speed that barely anyone could keep up with. The Naga King seems prepared as he pierced his Javelin towards Louis''s approaching form, but Alex was there to slam a palm on top of the Javelin, pushing it off course but getting boasted back by a bubble of sickly green Mana that threw him backwards, his body bouncing on the chain platform. It was a sacrifice he had to make, but it gave Louis the chance to make his move, his blazing golden body slammed into the Naga King''s chest, throwing him backwards as his bulky body slammed into the chain fence, bouncing back towards Louis who spun his body and delivered a round house kick that sent the Naga King flying to the side and straight into a flying elbow from Yun Fao, cracking his jaw and dislodging his helm. The Naga King bounced back, his half human hair snake snored body making grating sounds and releasing Sparks as he came in contact with the chain platform. "A commendable effort humans, but in the end a very useless one. In the face of absolute power, no tricks, no coordinated attacks or fancy light element augmentation spell would be able to do anything than leave a dent or give me a bruise. You''re all going to die, and quite painfully too, hmhmhm." His chuckle was so nerve grating, the boys knew they were up against someone or something that was completely out of their league, so they needed a little bit of extra help. Louis and Yun Fao turned to look at Alex and he gave them a simple nod. Louis might have used one of his trump cards, but this was all so they could see just how tough this guy was, and yes he was completely and totally out of their league, so they had to use powers and abilities that they knew had absolutely no respect for the power levels that have already been established. Alex would very much prefer not to use ¨¦bi¨¦ unless he had no choice, the feeling of turning into a woman and not being in control of his body was absolutely not cool, which means it looks like Nezha would be getting his chance to shine once again. Tiny embers of flame began to appear out of thin air as the fire mask began to closely creep across Alex''s face, it was almost as if the mask itself came out of Alex''s skin. There was an additional green band running through the middle of the mask from the top of Alex''s forehead to the tip of his nose, his eyes turned s fiery orange as his hair got longer and caught on fire. As usual the upper clothes Alex was wearing burnt away as he face the Naga King that was now a little bit apprehensive. Right behind Alex the fiery shape of a man with elfin ears, a spear and a wheels under his legs showed up, his brows furrowed and his eyes glaring at the Naga King. The Naga King slammed his Javelin on the ground, creating a green sickly energy wave that spread towards the boys, however Louis had waved his hand creating his signature light shield stopping said energy from touching them. The fiery tribal tattoos on Alex''s body blazed as he stepped forwards and clapped his hands together creating a fiery shockwave of his own. The Naga King rushed forwards flying over the line of flames heading for him, showing surprising agility and speed for his bulk, but considering he was a snake, such flexibility was expected. Alex rushed forwards, his now shoeless feet leaving blazing trails of fire on the chain platform. The Naga King extended his Javelin forwards, however Alex twisted his body like a corkscrew moving past the Javelin as he smashed his entire arm into the Naga King''s neck turning the half snake half man inside out as he flipped upside down, landing on the back of his neck with his entire body could haphazardly. There was a strength of burnt flesh and burning metal, the Naga King seemed a bit disoriented as his Javelin had flattered away from his grasp. He was coughing as he leaned on his arms with his face down, piece of his armor came off, completely melted from the short contact he had with Alex, but his misfortune didn''t seem to be over as Louis came from behind him, his body still glowing as he jumped up and brought his heel right on the head of the Naga King, smashing his head into the chain platform. His head bounced back throwing Louis into the air where he made a back flip, just in time for Yun Fao to come flying over with his knee smashing into the back of his head again. At this point even though this Naga King was 3rd circle mage, Alex was sure he was just one step away from a brain aneurysm. The Naga King crawled away from them his hands over his face that had actually been cut into by the chain platform when Louis had stomped on it. The back of his head as also busted open as blood poured in soft rivulets on the chain link platform. He was obviously dazed, but knowing just how strong he was, the boys were not willing to give him a chance to recuperate. In a surprising display of strength Yun Fao grabbed him by the tail and heaved, dragging his massive body on the platform, causing even more Sparks and screeches before hefting him up and slamming him down again. Yun Fao lost his balance and fell back on his ass as Louis move to the head of the Naga King and just like Alex had previously done clapped his hands together releasing a blinding flash of light that robbed the Naga King of his sight. The massive snake man yelled out in pain as he moved back, these infernal children were not even giving him any chance to gather his energy, not to mention the flames that were used against him was so damn powerful that it had melted the armor around his neck into his skin, and all this from just a contact that lasted barely a second. He had no idea how long he could last against them as these turn of events was completely unexpected. He raised his head up his vision slowly coming back to him, only for him to see his Javelin completely covered in flames stab right into his head. And then there was no thought, only darkness and flames, so much flames. Blazing golden red flames spread from his head allover his body to the tip of his tail, Alex took a few steps back as the Naga King burned to ashes in just under five seconds, his former pristine armor was left a molten heap of scrap. By all intents and purposes they were not supposed to win this fight, but all three boys knew it was always better to press their advantage in every fight without giving their opponents any time to gather themselves and retaliate. Plus they knew how to hit hard and where to hit to get maximum damage. A snake''s head is it''s weakness, there''s no need for that to be different for a Naga. 101 Hell Arena VI : The Manticore A portal sizzling with red electricity and a weird pull it gravity showed up above the Arena. Alex and the boys gathered around themselves in preparation for what was coming next, while the Naga King wasn''t a famous creature, the manticore was the stuff of nightmares. It''s well known that it was almost extinct with the only ones alive being bred in captivity by really powerful figures on Earth, but that''s besides the point as the danger of the legendary magical beast was beyond all expectations. Manticore weren''t graded according to cultivation or magical circles, they had this nifty ability of being able to adjust the speed and lethality of their poison according to the stage of power their opponents or prey had. But apart from that they were born at a definite level of strength, speed and defense, unfortunately that''s a level that would a little bit too difficult for Alex and the others to surpass. Never the less they''ve not backed off a challenge yet, so they won''t be starting with a lion/scorpion/man hybrid. The portal seemed to shrink and then expand before a massive grey skinned monstrosity fell out of it. Thick and very hard chitinous carapace covered it, a massive stinger slowly vibrating rose up into the air above it as it''s massive claws covered the front of it''s face. Apart from the moving stinger, the boys would have thought that the MANTICORE was already dead, however before they could even think to move a step closer the manticore raised it''s head up and..... *Skrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttt* It was loud, their eardrums rumbled to the point of bleeding as they stood their ground in front of the extreme display of power from the 8 foot tall manticore. It took the manticore just a few seconds to know exactly where it was, before all right of it''s legs began the motion of carrying it straight towards the boys. The Manticore was much more bigger than the Naga King, it might not be as flexible, but it covered a wider area and was basically a wild animal as opposed to the Naga King that could be considered a fully conscious and intelligent being. When fighting them he would have been a bit careful, but in the case of the Manticore, it would be a situation were a predator hunts down it''s prey with any means necessary. Louis made the first move, his light based spells meant that he could always draw the attention when needed, his handsomeness aside, the kid was a literal beacon with his light based spells. Even a blind man would know where Louis was, and since the Manticore was more of a wild beast it would happily follow after the boy who was more eye catching. The Manticore swiped it''s massive class at Louis who jumped above it, only for the stinger of the Manticore to come crashing down towards his chest as a lighting fast speed. Louis''s light shield sprang up to life to defend him against the strike from the Manticore, for the most part the shield held, but for just a second as it was ripped apart, causing a shockwave that blasted Louis back and onto the chain link platform where he bounced up only for the claws to smack him away, blood flying out of his mouth. Alex flew up to catch his friend, he didn''t know how much, but he knew Louis was seriously injured. His breathing was little bit heavier than normal, and his hands clutched his chest, there was a possibility that Louis''s ribs or collar bone might have been broken, and if that was the case the kid could have a whole slew of internal bleeding. However Alex knew he could hold on a bit longer, his body was infinitely stronger than a normal persons, they just had to be done with this fight as soon as possible. If it dragged for too long, the amount of danger Louis would be in would increase exponentially. Alex placed Louis by the side, cleaning the blood on his friend''s lips as he turned in one fluid motion with the Javelin of the Naga King still in his hand, then he threw it straight towards the head of the Manticore, however the monster quickly ducked under the flying fiery javelin, however it was not completely out of danger yet as the Javelin sank halfway through it''s tail, green noxious gas sprayed out of the wound as the Manticore roared out in anger. Yun Fao made his way underneath the Manticore where he placed a well times hit underneath it, it didn''t cause any sort of damage shirt of pissing the monstrous being off. A shockwave boasted out of it''s body, throwing Alex backwards and flattening Yun Fao who bounced back and forth from the chain platform to the hard body of the Manticore, busting his head open in the process and leaving him dazed from the impact. Alex held his hands together as a ball of flames began to take shape, the flames seemed to fool as it turned from bright orange to gold and then to bright neon green. Alex felt weak at the knees as this technique took a whole lot of spirit energy out of him, and even more so considering he was using the WindFlame rather than Nezha''s normal flames. He took a deep breath his eyes watching closely as the Manticore stepped over the still Dazed Yun Fao and walked towards him, it''s eyes completely glued to the glowing green ball of flames. Guess this could be added into the encyclopedia of monsters, Manticore are attracted to bright lights, just like cats. Alex held his breath, his hands shaking as sweat covered his brows, he took a few steps back, making sure to lead the Manticore away from his friends. It was almost impossible to believe that such a fearsome monster would have such a weakness, but nonetheless it was that same weakness that Alex was banking on. When the Manticore was only three meters away, it raised itself to it''s full height, it''s tail and stinger poised to strike at the light, Alex on the other hand was so exhausted that it was taking all of his strength to remain conscious or standing. Then he pointed his hands, the WindFlame softly blazing like a calm summer breeze. (Dragon Fall) This was Nezha''s ultimate skill, eventually when the fire mask gets it''s animal and plant spirit, They too will have an ultimate skill of their own. This move told the story of Nezha''s battle with a blue dragon, though the army told was that he slayed the dragon, but this move didn''t show the strength used in killing a dragon, rather it showed the power of a true dragon, all of it''s anger and all of it''s rage, all of it''s power...¡­ The calm summer breeze turned into a spring hurricane as the green flames seemed to flare up and take the shape of an enormous green and gold dragon, it was still bright enough to drag the attention of the Manticore as it flew up into the air, and then dived down, Jaws gaping to completely swallow the still enthralled monster of poison and death. The dragon disappeared into the chain link platform, not even leaving a scratch on it, and as for the Manticore, all that was left was Ash and the Javelin of the Naga King. Alex fell to his knees, his breaths heavy as he slowly crawled towards Louis who did not seem to be getting any better. Yun Fao dragged himself closer as they both held onto Louis who''s fair skin had already turned a deathly shade of white, completely pale and seemingly on the verge of death. Noticing a blood spot on his shirt; Alex moved it aside only to see a small puncture wound releasing black blood and having green, red and black veins spreading from it, slowly creeping across his entire chest. "That''s the Manticore''s poison!" Yun Fao cried out, Alex had no idea what to say or do, this was a poison he had no idea how to deal with, and worse still was the fact that his storage ring wasn''t here, so he had nothing on hand to try and slow the spread of the poison. "KHAAAAAAAANNNNNNN!" Alex''s roar of desperation seemed to bring about a hour of amusement to the invisible audience they had as the Announcer, the same guy who almost captured them in the name of saving them appeared above them. "It seems we will be having our first death of the night ladies and gentlemen! Who knew they would get rid of the Manticore with such ease¡­though I guess I could say it cost them quite a bit didn''t it! Whooooo! This is exciting, two helpless friends with no other choice but to watch their third friend die! And even more so their next opponent is coming right up! This is so bleak! So exciting! So painful! Soooooo much fun! Mhmhahahaha! 102 Hell Arena VII : Basilisk [Basilisks are one of the most ancients of serpents, ruthless, bloody, and gory to the core these giant snaked with the power of the petrifying gaze could be summed up with one word and four letters...Evil] Excerpt From The Albion Bestiary: First Edition Alex could not even begin to iterate about how much he now hated snakes, or anything that had to do with magic overall. Qi was like the physical aspect of the energy of the world, Mana was softer, they naturally suppressed each other, with tiny factors coming in like spells, cultivation styles and all that. Alex was tired, his friends were Injured, and right now there was a bright red giant viper curled up in front of him with it''s eyes closed, there was no going around it, this was checkmate for all of them, and all because a stupid spirit was too playful to pay attention, Alex laid all sorts of curses on the spirit, however... "Chiririri!" Alex opened his eyes wide with rage in it as he yelled at the Kamaitachi now perched on his shoulders. "Where the fuck did you go damn it! We almost died!" Khan didn''t retort as he bent his head low, obviously as disappointed in himself as his master was, but that was just the beginning as the basilisk opened it''s eyes releasing a cold beam that shot towards Alex. Alex ducked forward dodging said beam as the area where he was once standing turned to stone. Khan hissed as a gust of wind raised Alex''s hands and deposited his storage ring to him, Then Khan proceeded to fly towards the eyes of the Basilisks his tiny paws wildly scratching about, it didn''t cause as much damage, but it caused enough discomfort to cause the basilisk to move back a bit. The giant snake had spikes growing on it''s back, and a massive horn that stretched out the top of it''s forehead. Alex might have spent some time studying about creatures, but the thing was apart from the Basilisks having a petrifying gaze, aka being able to turn people to stone with just a look, he had no idea if the damn thing could do anything else, plus there was no time to figure this out, bye was almost out of energy, Louis was poisoned and Yun Fao probably had a massive concussion. He was on his own in a fight he knew he couldn''t win, this was looking really bleak. The Basilisks tried waving it''s head from sir to side in an attempt to dislodge the spirit on top of it, however Khan was mostly wind, he could move his body in tandem with the way the Basilisk struggled to move, turning into quite the least for the giant snake, who couldn''t seem to get rid of the tiny pest. On the other hand Alex pulled out East cloud and West Wind, both swords trembling in his grasp due to how weak he was and the feeling of energy that ran through them the moment he pulled them out. All of the flames on his body, and the tribal tattoos faded away into embers, quickly followed by the fire mask. He had both swords crossed over each other in front of him as the flames spread on them seemed to shrink into the blade itself, flowing like liquid until all that was left was a green glow and a hazy outline on the edge of both blades. Alex felt like both swords were as heavy as cars, he was strong enough to maybe push or pull at cars, but not to the point that he would be able to life them up fully over his head. Yet at this very moment, Alex felt as if both swords had the individual weight of cars and it was hard to keep them steady and aloft. Alex took a step forward causing a ripple that already across the chain platform all the way to the fence. He was straining with all his might as all of his muscles slowly began to tear from the weight of both swords, there wasn''t much energy in them, however it was the nature of the energies combine that was giving the swords so much weight, Alex could not even life his hands up anymore as the swords dipped down to touch the chain platform, slowly dragging behind Alex as the Basilisks seemed to curl up into itself, preparing to spring at Alex. It''s eyes were actually still closed, Alex knew that once it sprung at him it would open those infernal eyes wide open in attempt to turn him to stone before it''s huge jaws clamped shut around his body. Tired as he was this was a moment of Truth for him, he could not make his next strike with his eyes opened, he had to fully rely on all of his sense excluding sight to be able to defend himself, even then...the question of if he would be able to lift his swords still hadn''t been answered, but there was no need to think too much about it, it was literally do or die. Alex closed his eyes, and just as he did so the Basilisk moved. The world seemed to slow down, the seconds becoming just as long minutes and the minutes as long as you''re and the hours themselves and long as days. Sounds were silent yet at the same time even more loud, His breathing, the Basilisks breaths, Khan''s frantic yet inconsequential attacks, the feeling of the air being parted as eyes and Jaws snapped open, fangs dripping with poison and eyes glad with curses, death really was a beautiful thing, in it''s own way, it was an art the likes of which many people would never have noticed, but then again, Alex guess on the dead or the dying could truly appreciate the beauty of death. *Hiiissssssssssss* "Yeeaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhbbhhh" (South Sword Of Summer!) *Craaaasshhhhhhhhh, clang! Ping! Ding! Din! Lin! Ding!* Alex fell forward completely unscathed, however with how light both his swords felt, he knew both West Wind and East Cloud had been broken into pieces. Alex could not life his head or body up as he slowly opened his eyes, trying his best to blink the blood soaked on him away, he could feel a little bit pressure on his face and the rough tongue of Khan trying to lick the blood on his eyes away. Alex focused his gaze around him and noticed three huge bodies rolling about, however the part that really mattered, the head and neck of the Basilisks was still very much in good shape and was currently rushing towards Alex who was completely paralyzed and incapable of movement. One of the eyes of the basilisk was bleeding, but that didn''t seem to stop it as it wiggled its way towards Alex with vengeance oozing of it''s entire body. Khan stood his ground in front of Alex hissing as his hackles were raised like a dog, but his diminutive form was not deterring the Basilisks. It was death slowly crawling towards Alex and there was nothing he could do about it, none of his friends were in any position to help with how weak Yun Fao was and Alex being completely uncertain if Louis was still alive or not. The Basilisks was now above Alex and Khan, the blood from it''s injuries dripping over the Kamaitachi and his human owner, it''s mouth spread open as lethal meter long range popped out, Alex sincerely hoped that this wouldn''t be painful, that it wouldn''t take to long for everything to fade to Black, those Fangs didn''t look on bit friendly. *Hissssssssssss* "How dare you!" the words spoken were said with so much power all of it centered on the Basilisks, so much so that it exploded into a shower of blood and Goes, it''s fangs being the only thing that was left of it. It was unfortunate for the Basilisks, but quite fortunate for Alex as he very much recognized who owned that voice. He felt someone picking up his injured body and turning him over, he looked up to see a face watched with worry and a head full of snow white hair! Alex wondered when she had time to dye her hair from the normal black to such a startling shade of white, but even more so he also wondered if he was dreaming, that maybe this was the last thing he could see before he completely faded to Oblivion. Maybe he was already dead, and he was reliving a part of his life he didn''t remember, probably from when he was way younger. Darkness began to creep into the edge of his vision, but even with that he could hear sounds of a fight currently happening, though he wasn''t sure who was fighting who, but then again it didn''t matter. He raised his hands to touch her hair as he heard her call his name. "Zhang Xiao Feng...¡­" "Mom?" 103 Childe I : Lost In A Mothers Embrace Alex woke up slowly, just enough that he could pretend that he was still asleep, there wasn''t a need for that though, but he was scared. The idea of waking up to a world of bad news did not sit well with him. He knew Yun Fao would be fine, but Louis was in even worse situations amongst the three of them. At this point he could also agree that he wasn''t dead in anyway and that he wasn''t hallucinating his mother with white hair in that Hell Arena, after she was right besides him, and his head was much more cleared now than before when he was suffering from a sever depletion of energy and his injuries. His mother slept besides his bed side, her now long white hair splayed allover the pillow she was sharing with him. This was also part of the reason why he pretended he was still asleep, he was grasped tightly in her arms, it was weird feeling, and his mother smelled good...¡­Alex didn''t know how to place it, but all he could say was that she smelled like a mom; assuming there was such a scent in existence. He was torn about whether to pull back, or just remain there for fear of waking her up, there were probably a hundred things he didn''t understand about this woman that''s his mother, so he wasn''t exactly sure how to feel or treat her, that it''s were very complicated between the both of them. "You''re awake¡­" it was more of an observation than a question, and all Alex could do was nod his head in agreement. "Your friends are fine, Louis was it? That kid is in a medical induced coma, the toxins in his body should be completely Neutralized in another three or four days, he''s receiving the best care the Wudang sect has to provide, so he''ll be fine, he''s built of sterner stuff as opposed to most people. The toxin in his body should have killed him in five minutes after Injection, but his body was surprisingly tough, and his light element Mana affinity helped him survive until he could get proper help. As for Yun Fao, he''s already up and moving about, the injuries to his hands had healed, he needs lot''s of bed rest, but he''s been getting enough of that for the last two days. Broken bones have been fixed and internal injuries taken care of before they could escalate to something else. You on the hand were like a desert, there was not a single drop of Qi left in your body, and since your body is attuned to is usage and absorption, it''s what fuels and powers your organs. A minute after we save you all of your systems shut down, it took a lot resuscitate you and make sure you''re stable enough to move. But you''re fine, your energy levels are back to normal, but you''ll be staying away from any sort of physical exercise for the next two to three weeks, rest and enjoy the wonders of your peak. I hear you''ve only been in and out of the house and to the red chrysanthemum tree at the edge of the mountain, and this is a literal mountain, there''s much to be seen, like the garden and hot springs behind it. Alex just let her keep talking, he got the feeling that she needed the reassurance more than he did. Alex couldn''t imagine any sort of grief apart from the fear of loosing her son; that would cause his mother''s hair to turn white overnight, sure she looked really beautiful and badass with it, but he knew it must have taken a toll on her, it made him wonder where his father was at the moment, he knew the old man would have wanted to be here, but then again things weren''t as simple. Alex laid there and let her go on and on about a whole host of different and mundane things, they spent two whole hours lying on that bed, and in that time she taught some of the fundamentals of cultivation, told him stories, spoke of her experiences, of her childhood and then of his sister. She told him about how she grew up, the troubles the mischievous girl got into, and the equally ingenious ways she used in getting out of it, Alex did not even realize the passage of time of his discomfort, he was just happy remaining right where he was, safely with arms that would do anything to shield him from the world. "There''s one last thing you need to know, in order to save you we had to make an agreement with the Emperor, you remember the man in the gold suit right? Well he was the only one with a planetarium that had coordinates to the Dimension you guys were stuck in, he asked for something that we couldn''t give him, only you could." Alex had a bad feeling about this, he wasn''t exactly sure what was required of him, but the emperor didn''t have the best reputation amongst a whole lot of people, and that was mainly due to the fact that he and his royal family we''re seen as Invaders, he was not a native of earth and has tried with all of his power to suppress the growth of any earth born cultivator that could challenge him and his rule, chief amongst them being Alex''s grandfather. "What did he want from me?" it was then Alex understood why his mom who hardly spoke, had spent the two hours talking about random things, she just had no idea how to tell Alex what the emperor asked for, which meant it was going to be pretty big. "He wanted to betrothed you to his daughter, the youngest princess." Alex blinked his eyes and then moved his head back, raising and eyebrow as he looked at his mother. "That''s it? Seriously? I though he was going to ask for my liver or something, isn''t it just to get married? Why did you make it seem so desperate?" Safe to say Zhang Suiyan was completely caught off guard, of the hundred and one reactions she expected her son to give her once she told about the betrothal, she didn''t even consider that he would somehow be.....chill about the whole thing. "But wait! What about Anya?" Alex asked, with the last traces of Innocence in him that had survived the travails of the cultivation world. "You can Marry Anya too if you want, or rather it she agrees to be a second wife, Alex matters of the heart are extremely complicated, and Anya might not necessarily want to be a second wife or even want to share you with anyone else. This news might change the way you guys see each other or feel about each other, a woman''s heart is a fickle thing, it''s easily broken." Again Alex raised and eyebrow and couldn''t help but chuckle and shake his head. "You''ve not known Anya for long, I mean how would you, you guys sent her away the moment she got here. I''m sure she''ll be angry, but Anya is simple, that''s what I like about her the most. As long as this princess doesn''t hurt me or get in Anya''s way, she''s fine with anything, besides I''m only fourteen, why do I have to worry about all this love stuff, it''s too complicated and it causes more problems than it''s worth. This is a simple matter Mom, the emperor wants to keep an eye on us, but did you consider the sheer fact that a marriage to the royal family also gives us a way into their own camp, we could see their own games face to face and deal with it. The emperor is our enemy isn''t he?" Alex asked his mother as got up from her embrace sitting up to look at her. "He is, but he''s not just our enemy Xiao Feng, he''s the enemy of freedom. Not much is said, but our Zhang family used to be protectors of the first Emperor, rulers born of this world before the Lu family came from a higher plane to conquer us. They revolutionized cultivation, made us stronger, more powerful, but they''ve been on top ever since, and they''re tyrants, vicious ruthless and the prosperity of the Heaven Empire is only a front, we''re in chains." Alex cocked his head to the side, before answering. 104 Childe II : Spirit Wind Peak Their talk was not exactly what Alex expected, but he was happy he got a chance to speak with his mother in the way he just did, though honestly being held by her was somewhat uncomfortable but not entirely annoying. He made his way outside his manor, it was a brand new day, a special one( though he couldn''t exactly tell how) however the thing was there was still this feeling that something was brewing, something sinister. "Feng''er!" Alex turned to his grandfather, uncle, the sect head, his step father and the man he now recognized as the emperor coming up the stairs. He walked towards them and gave a bow of greeting to his grandfather and uncle and then gave a simple salute to everyone else, though the emperor did get a small tilt of the body. If it wasn''t traditional to holds one''s parents and family in night esteem both in the empire of heaven and back on the dark continent, Alex would probably be on his way to an execution block due to the show of disrespect. It could be said that he was young and didn''t know much, but none the less he had suffered in leaving an impression on the Emperor. "Young man I admire you tenacity and heroic heart, your grandfather and I watched all three rounds of your fight with those monsters, and I have to say you have passed my test, indeed you are worthy of being a part of my royal son-in-law." The emperor spoke out with a happy time. Alex had spent a bunch of time learning etiquette from scholar Fan, he knew exactly how to respond to the emperor. "This lowly one is not worthy of your praise and grace your Majesty, my friends and I just did what we could to survive." Alex replied Ashe gave a perfunctory how. "you don''t have to sell yourself short, I believe you and your friends are incredibly talented and amazing additions to my empire of heaven. Talent like you is hard to find, and I''m sure you will be a good husband to my ninth princess, she''s just entered her sixth decade and she''s not getting any younger, you two will be a match made in heaven." Alex felt as if he had a goose egg stuck in his throat, it was then that he remembered that the princess was actually over 60 years old, of course as cultivators such a thing shouldn''t matter, but it still caught him off guard. "I will try my best to fulfill whatever role is expected of me your Majesty." Alex replied with another bow. "No need to be so formal Zhang Xiao Feng, you''re going to be my son in law, though it has not been officially announced, my words is law! Nothing can change it. You can call me Imperial father in law, we should get closer don''t you think so?" The emperor spoke as he moved forward to place his hand on Alex''s shoulder. "Good! This mountain peak is really good, my daughter will have a great time here. The Feng shui is really good, the air is crisp, the Qi is clear and everything else is so beautiful and serene. What do you call this peak?" Alex looked around as he furrowed his eyebrows before remembering that his peak was nameless, and he hadn''t gotten around to naming it yet. "This is a nameless peak Imperial father in law, I''ve not had a chance to properly name the peak since I''ve moved here." Alex replied with a calm voice. "Very well then, going by the results of your talent test, and the powers you''ve shown, not to mention the energy that this peak seems to hold.....you should call it Spirit Wind Peak! What do you think?" "It''s a splendid name Imperial father in-law." Alex replied. "Son''s of the Lu and Zhang family! Listen to this emperor''s decree!" The moment he finished saying that, Lightning crackled in the sky as thunder booked and the winds grew furious and the earth shook in rage. Such display of power was something Alex had never seen before, and the idea that his grandfather could actually match and even surpass it was shocking. Alex watched as his uncle, the sect head, and his so called step father prostrated on the ground while his grandfather gave a simple salute and listened to what the Emperor had to say. "From this day henceforth this peak will be known as Spirit Wind Peak, and it''s master Zhang Xiao Feng of the Zhang clan and Wudang Sect has been recognized by my Imperial power as one worthy of the title and responsibilities of a Childe of the empire. So effective Immediately I confer the title of Childe Spirit Wind Of the Wudang Sect upon Zhang Xiao Feng, the Seventh Childe of the empire of Heaven. He is granted control over 1000 Imperial foot soldiers at the peak of the Mortal Gate, 100 commanders within the earth gate, and 10 generals within at the peak of the earth gate! All gifts would be conferred to him on our royal birthday two months hence. I have spoken, let my words be LAW!" This was freaky, spooky, unexpected and completely weird. Alex suddenly found himself asking, isn''t the Emperor supposed to be our enemy, but yet Alex couldn''t argue with the generosity of the gifts. The title cemented his position as one who would carry the future of the empire of heaven on his shoulder, a talent of the younger generation unmatched by his peers. And the private army more than proved he was a part of the royal family, but then again there was a grave look on his grandfather''s face, which also gave Alex he feeling that he was falling deeper and deeper into a trap that he would be unable to extricate himself from, in the end he knew he had to go on with this, family comes first. "How do you feel about becoming the young Master of Spirit Wind Peak or even more grand the Childe Spirit Wind of the empire of heaven?" The emperor asked with a wide grin on his face. "It''s an honor and a lot of responsibility your majesty, I will try not to disappoint." Alex said to him as he filled his hands and gave the emperor a deeper how. The emperor placed his hands on Alex''s shoulders and raised him up from his bow. "We''re family now boy, I will be entrusting the happiness and safety of my most precious daughter into your hands. And two months from now the whole world will see it. I hope that you surprise me some more in the day of our banquet, this Emperor expects much from you Childe Spirit Wind. I shall now take my leave, Zhang Sanfeng thank you for hosting me, please be sure to drop by the palace for more tea and a round of chess. Sect master! Attend to me, goodbye." And then he turned around and soft with the Sect master and Red dragon following behind. Alex watched from the top his peak...spirit Wind Peak with his uncle and grandfather right besides him. They watched until they could no longer see the emperor and all that was left was the view of the sect as night fell. They share footsteps behind them as Alex''s mother came out of the Major to join them, all four members of the main family of the Zhang sect stood there in silence, and then Alex''s uncle decided to ask. "on a scale on one to ten, how fucked are we?" his grandfather happily answered. "30!" "Shit! This means they''re going to have more control over not just us, but full control over Alex. If he''s the Emperor''s son in law he''s going to be subjected to his commands and orders, he could frame him, send him off to war in some dammed particle world or Dimension, or have his daughter mess with his mind with that bewitching magic of hers. We''re almost out of moves father, and we just got to the peak of the game." His uncle said with obvious frustrations in his voice. "We''re not exactly counted out big brother, first let''s get a second wife or concubine for Alex. I have my people forging an old marriage contract as we speak and getting the father of Anyaja in line to testify to the world that he and Ben had betrothed both kids since they were young. I have people looking for Ben in case a testimony is needed. Alex can marry the princess, but with Anyaja around he would have an extra later of protection, plus it would limit the control a woman will have over him. We have to up the intensity of the training for him and His secret guard, we should let all five of them spend time with him from now on to foster a good relationship and I think it''s time we met him use the secret family technique. He would be fully thrust into this world and it''s politics in 2 months, we have to make sure his foundations are stable and his strength adequate, we might not be able to shelter him anymore. And as for the army he has been given¡­.... we''ll have to wait and see, also we have to get Scholar Fan to increase the intensity of his studies, he knows etiquette, but it''s time he learnt how to play dirty, he''s going to need it. 105 Macau I : Yi Jin Jing Anya''s return wasn''t filled with any sort of fanfare, the first thing she did after the entire situation was explained to her, was to twist Alex''s hand so far back that the tip of his fingers could touch his head. It was painful, and then she proceeded to sit on him, but none the less they were both still quite happy to see each other. Just like Alex had told them, Anya was a simple person, schemes weren''t her cup of tea, but the chance to pull one over her father was something she happily got on board for. Alex had no idea how his mother was able to get that greedy and selfish village head to sign a marriage agreement, but he did, making it so that Anya was already betrothed to Alex. The whole thing was somewhat anticlimactic with how easy they got through with it, but Alex would greatly appreciate some peace and quiet and ease in the things they do from this point on. Next was the introduction of the remaining three members of his guard, there were three girls. Sabine, Sabina, and Sabrina. It was a ridiculous set of names, but all three were triplets, though their lives weren''t as simple even if all three girls were incredibly beautiful. They were all brim conjoined at the head, which made the pregnancy so difficult their mother had died during childbirth. They''ve not had the easiest of upbringings seeing as they had an incredibly evil stepmother that''s an elder within the Wudang sect, and a father that ascended to a higher plane of existence or rather another planet, when they were just 5 years old. They were raised by an elder brother who unfortunately was killed in a skirmish with members of the Kun-Lun sect 4 years ago, leaving the now 17 year old girls to the mercy of their stepmother. But their birth Mom was also a part of the Wudang sect, it could be said she was once a good friend to Alex''s mother, which was why it was possible for her to get the girls to become guards, taking them away from their stepmother''s sphere of influence. Luckily for them, all three were really talented cultivators, not to mention they share a unique telepathic ability that makes it seem as if they share a single mind, making it possible for all three to be almost unbeatable when they''re tough Against, at the very least in the two weeks they''ve all been together, neither Alex, Louis, Yun Fao, Anya or Alex''s sister Mei could make a dent in their defense or formation. Mei was eighteen, the oldest in their new merry group of weirdos, she had guards of her own, but they were no where to be found and she didn''t seem too keen to talk about where they were, so she hung with Alex and his friends while they healed and the subsequent beginning of their training before she and Anya had to leave back for the Emei sect. The disciple exchange program wasn''t over, but Suiyan had brought them back for both Alex''s and her sake. Almost loosing her son had made her desperate to have both her children where she could see them, and then Anya was also a part of her plan, though if Alex had to be honest using Anya in schemes that might actually going wrong scared the hell out of him, the last thing he would want was to out her in danger. But the girl seemed okay with it, which begged the question of if she had any other ambition apart from staying by Alex''s side, it seemed weird and Alex wished she thought more for herself. But then again no one has ever succeeded in making her do something she didn''t want to do, so this was her choice, though Alex wished she would want more for herself. Before she left Alex''s mother also accepted her as a personal disciple; effectively making sure that Anya was completely tied to Zhang family for good. It was this little harmless movements and decisions that slowly tied to each other to create one massive scheme. Their bases were covered, no one was getting in and putting them in a somewhat uncomfortable position. What came next was a rigorous month and half of training, Alex and his guards were introduced to what might be the weirdest if not the most powerful martials arts manual. The muscles and tendons forging scripture, also know as the (Yi Jin Jing). The manual was so profound and not that hard to learn due to the fact that it was just a set of very complicated exercises. It was the execution of those exercises that became a total hell for them. They had to go through extreme amount of pain, and they couldn''t stop halfway, pushing through until all 55 individual stances were completed and mastered. It didn''t take them more than a week to completely learn all of the stances, and another to be able to push through it all with a serious amount of pain, which spoke volumes of how talented this group of disciples were. It wouldn''t be wise to say one was more talented than as all six of them had peak talents and even something extra that would give them an edge against cultivators or mages, making them very balanced all round fighters. And with the addition of the (Yi Jin Jing) their bodies grew exponentially stronger and faster than their peers, their explosive power alone was insane, so much so that without Qi of Mana, they would be able to match up to people a few levels above them. But not just in the strength of their bodies, there was so much vigor and life in them that they could heal from 3 inch stab wound in 30 minutes! Which was why the (Yi Jin Jing) was so revered in the Wulin, anyone would kill to get it, it was also the reason why the Zhang clan was so ostracized. They were literally undefeatable, every member of the family once they''ve gotten to a certain age would be give a partial manual to study, and then once they''ve proven themselves as completely loyal, the full manual would be given to them. There was already a saying that it would take a god of a devil to beat a Zhang, while that''s a bit of an over-exaggeration of their ability it was still close. This scripture also gave them the sharp minds and body to instantly understand and replicate the martials arts an opponent is using against them, and sometimes depending on the comprehension of the Zhang family member, he or she could display the copied martial arts to even greater mastery than their opponent. But then again it wasn''t as overpowered as it had been made to seem, not everyone is compatible with every martial art, and sometimes it take a whole lot more than just comprehension to be able to us the scripture to it''s full potential. But it also took a lifetime to fully master the (Yi Jin Jing) as full mastery is considered to have been reached when someone is able to fully display all 55 stances without feeling one iota of pain or discomfort, even Zhang Sanfeng still felt pain, so it was unknown just how powerful someone might be at full mastery. <<<<<<|=|>>>>>> TWO WEEKS TO THE EMPEROR''S BIRTHDAY BANQUET WUDANG SECT AIRSHIP HANGER "Louis are you sure this is a good idea, we don''t have to do this you know." Alex complained as they were huddled behind a few cargo boxes, watching the guards patrolling the hanger. "We Also think we shouldn''t do this!" "We also think we shouldn''t do this!" "We also think we shouldn''t do this!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting. Alex felt his heart skip a beat as he, Yun Fao and Louis turned to see the triplets behind them, how the hell did they sneak up on them with his sharp and awareness all three boys had, especially in Louis''s case who''s perception was uncanny and strong, he could sense danger and had an eye for detail that none of them could match. "Jesus Christ! Sabine, Sabina and you too Sabrina; what the fuck are you guys doing here?" Yun Fao asked as he cursed in annoyance, which was understandable; because they had gone through hell just to ditch the girls. "We''re young¡­.." "Master Aaron''s¡­.." "Secret guards!....." "We go wherever he goes!" "We go wherever he goes!" "We go wherever he goes!" The girls were unnerving and creepy, but unfortunately they were right, besides Alex reckoned they weren''t going anywhere. Whatever Louis had planned was a bad idea and he was not going to be a party to it. "Look here boss you see that red sexy beast of an airship?" Louis asked with quite the perverted smile on his face. "Yeah I see it, what about it?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow, completely sure that nothing Louis tells him would sway him from stopping this foolish venture before it takes off. "It belongs to the Red dragon, aka the man married to your mother and is a total jerk just like his annoying son..." Alex looked at the red airship, then looked back at Louis, then he narrowed his eyes. 106 Macau II : Airship Sneaking into the airship wasn''t as hard as Alex had envisioned it to be, all he had to do was walk towards it, and tell the guards his step father had given him permission. Of course everyone in the sect knew that Red dragon and Alex had absolutely no amicable relationship with each other, They could be considered enemies, however in regards to status, especially within the sect, Alex was second only to the sect head and his grandfather, so if he said something was blue only someone with a death wish would say it was green. "So do any one of us know how to fly an airship?" Yun Fao asked as the climbed up into the car sized airship. "I have watched movies of people driving airships, how hard can it be?" Louis said as he made himself comfortable on the driver''s seat. """ We''re all going to die.""" Alex felt a shiver run through his spine at the voice of the triplets, he wished the girls won''t be so dark. Words had power, that''s what he''s been taught be his dad. Alex shifted his focus t the airship itself, obviously it was red, the paint coating it was had motifs of a golden dragon on it. It''s wings were not deployed yet, but the airship was big enough to carry all of them, rather than the normal luxury four sitter airships, this was a six sitter airship, but apart from that Alex knew nothing else about it, and quite honestly the blacksmith in him was itching to take this beautiful machine apart. It had really cushy and comfortable leather seats, firm seatbelts, a convertible hood, and lot''s of buttons, and really nice looking wheel with a dragon head in the middle. But on the dashboard, there was a tiny symbol of a horse reading itself up in the air. Alex might not know much about airships, but he knows quite a bit about cars, well at least their brands. This airship was a Ferrari, options are this thing would be a beast in the air, really really fast. All of a sudden the airship lurched forward and they were all pushed back into their seats, it was still flying low so it scraped past a few other airships parked beside it, raising Sparks as the paint job on it had already been scratched, but as if that wasn''t enough it bumped against another airship in front of it, forcing them all to lurch forward as Alex and Louis slammed their foreheads on the dashboard, and the unlucky Yun Fao was thrown forwards, out of the airship, over it''s hood, head first into the rear glass of the car parked in front. Louis''s head had smacked the horn of the airship causing a loud dragon roar to fill the night, causing a disturbance within the hanger. Probably half of the sect already heard that and woke up from their sleep. "Ahhh! Sorry, I''m a little rusty, Hehehehehe I think I got it now don''t worry. Yun Fao are you okay?" Louis asked as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Do I look okay to you?" he asked with annoyance as he waved his hand, catching the piece of glass Sabine had thrown right back at him. Louis seemed to duck into his clothes, his collar covering half his face as Yun Fao stepped into the airship and went back to his position in between the triplets. Sabine didn''t say anything about the share that almost took her eyes, but none the less the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Louis started the Airship again, t released a soft him that sent really comfortable vibrations across the entire seat. It slowly rose up above the plethora of parked cars and airships, then Louis slowly made his way out the hanger. However he was still hovering a bit low, so the exhaust pipes underneath the airship had left quite a few burn marks on the other cars and airships, heck some of them even caught on fire. They made their way out of the hanger much to the dismay and horrified gaze of the guards responsible for keeping the palace safe. It was safe to say that they would be punished and losing their jobs, though Alex hoped not. "cant this airship go any faster!" Yun Fao asked in annoyance as they moved through the vehicle district in a leisurely manner, if they kept up with the speed it wouldn''t take long for them to be caught and then get in real trouble. Alex looked and noticed a button on the side of the steering wheel with a symbol of a wing, he pushed it and seconds later a port opened on the side not the airship, releasing wings and extra flaps on rear of the airship. This time the airship lurched forward at an incline, moving so fast that Alex almost didn''t notice the massive array covering the entirety of the Wudang mountains, however the airship went through the array with ease, going high until all that was around them were clouds and thin cold air. "Level the Airship out Louis!" Alex yelled at him, scrambling for his seat belt so that he doesn''t get thrown off again. Louis pushed forward, making the airship take a nose dive as it began falling from the sky at an incredible speed. He pulled back on the wheel again, this time a bit lighter and was able to level it out. He looked at Alex with sweat on his brow and his chest heaving up and down, he was definitely terrified. He gave a crooked grin, but obviously Alex knew he''s nerves were frazzled. They''ve faced off against Nagas and Manticores and Basilisks, and they almost got defeated by an Airship, a freaking car with wings. The idea of falling from such a high altitude was not exactly pleasing to anyone of them. Louis sat back, easily finding the autopilot button and engaging it, letting the wind and the airship take them to wherever it might lead. "You okay?" Alex asked him with a worried look on his face, Louis responded with a higher pitched voice than normal. "This was supposed to be fun....." Alex was confused, but it was Sabina who gave Alex the answer he was looking for, she had a much more deeper voice than her sisters, and also a more imposing figure. Triplets they may be, but they were not identical, neither in looks or in body shape. "he''s afraid of heights. You''re..." """ Amusing!""" all three sisters completed the sentence at once. To be honest it was somewhat amusing, Louis was somewhat the loud mouth, talker of the group, and the way he said things at times made it seem as if he could do anything and defeat anyone, but here he was with a very obvious fear of heights and he was the one who initiated the idea of them sneaking into the hanger and hijacking an Airship that doesn''t belong to them or would ever belong to them, neither would they ever have gotten a chance to get close to it. "Do you need me to drive instead? If you can''t handle it we can go back down or you can switch with someone else." Yun Fao said to him Ashe leaned forward. "Don''t worry about it guys, I''ve got this no problem, I just need to catch my breath a bit." Yun Fao nodded his head and sat back as they all devolved into a comfortable silence, just enjoying the flight, and letting the airship take them wherever fate determines their destination to lay. And that was how it was for the next three hours until it slowly began to dawn on them the severity of what they just did. Not only did they leave the sect without Permission, they had stolen the airship of an important figure in the sect, an airship they had no idea how to drive, and event worse had no idea how to navigate. This was something typical teenagers would do, and the boys were supposed to be smarter than normal, however it seems no matter what boys will be boys and in this case they''ve gone and done something they couldn''t undo, there''s bound to be punishment for this venture of them. And then the Airship began to sputter, obviously having ran out of fuel, whatever but was it seemed to run on. The airship began making jerking motions, and it took all of Louis''s concentration to be able to land it on the ground. They were a few miles away from a city that was still brightly lit up even though it was the middle of the night. Louis spent a good amount of time emptying the contents in his stomach, before he raised his head up. 107 Macau III : Robbed There was a city in the distance, but it was going to be extremely stressful pushing the Airship towards it, but none the less it wasn''t as if they had that much of a choice. All six of them pitched in as they slowly pushed the airship towards the brightly lit city, which grew bigger with every step they took towards it. Louis was quite happy to be on the ground, this entire situation was just one very bad idea that had backfired on them, and it was an idea that he had implemented. Hopefully there were already people looking for them. "Hey do you guys hear that?" Louis suddenly stopped and asked. "hear what." Sabrina asked as she calmed herself down. "That humming!" Even though the city in the distance was brightly lit, they were not on the highway, which meant they were practically in the dark and we''re basically relying on their superior vision to get around. However suddenly their environment suddenly got filled with a low pitched him that was getting louder and louder until finally... *VOOOOP!* A shockwave blasted from down from the air, creating a pressure so powerful with the airship at the epicenter; that all side of them were slammed into the ground so hard bones shifted and skins were bruised. The pressure lasted for 5 seconds, before the humming returned to a full pitched whine that was slowly building up once again. Yun Fao looked up and widened his eyes, before calling out to the others who were slowly and painfully getting back up to their feet. "Move back!" There was a burst of energy as their movement skills were utilized and they all have the Airship a wide berth, and just in time too as another pressure blast came down from the sky, this time it was so strong that it flattened all of the grass in the areas surrounding the airship, which miraculously was completely unscathed. All of a sudden there was a massive burst of light as the searchlights of a massive Airship came to life. They were all horrified to discover that they''ve been under the damn thing all these time, but were completely incapable of noticing that it was above them this entire time. There was a suction force, and the red Ferrari airship was dragged up into an opening under the much more larger airship. And just as it did so, a hologram of a man in a golden mask and brightly colored rainbow top hat showed up right above their heads with a rather capricious air, of course it was just a hologram, so it was hard to determine that. "Ahhh! Thank you so much little kids for this new addition to my collection! This might be considered robbery, but I''ll like to call it fair exchange, the Ferrari for your lives! No need to thank me; I know I gave you too good of a deal. Now kiddies if you''ll excuse me, I''ve got to go show off my new toy, the city awaits!" "We''re so screwed!" Louis called out as he looked at the direction of the city and the Airship moving in the distance. "We''re not screwed, we shouldn''t give a damn about the Airship, we just need to get back at that thief and then find our ticket back home. No one steals from us, so we''re going to have to make him pay, whatever happens to the Ferrari falls perfectly into my plans, I would like to see how Red Dragon would react to his Ferrari missing and in the hands of a masked idiot with a top hat, we''ll just let them duke it out amongst themselves." """That''s just wicked!....count us in!""" In a nutshell Alex didn''t really need to do anything, he was sure Red Dragon and others within the Wudang sect had a way to locate the Airship, and once they do, a fight was definitely going to break out, Alex didn''t expect them to be able to kill Red Dragon, he was too powerful and quite well known, especially within the empire of heaven, Alex was just aiming to cause him a little trouble and have him expose a bit of himself. Ultimately, Red Dragon or anyone else from the Wudang sect couldn''t kill him, sure there were dangers outside the sect''s mountains, but no one knew who he was, so all is well. "Let''s just go have fun in the city, we can deal with that weirdo in the morning." Alex said to them as they all turned to look at him with shocked looks on their faces. "What?" Alex asked back. "Mr. Broody I''m so talented and cool and have no time to waste just said we should go have fun! Who are you and what have you done to our young Master!" Louis asked in self righteousness as Alex rolled his eyes and started walking towards the city in the distance. "Come on you nerds, the night isn''t getting any younger." And they all fell in line, running in formation towards the city, their speed much higher now that they did not have to push or drag along an Airship. <|=|>>>>>> WUDANG SECT ZHANG CLAN COMPOUND ZHANG SANFENG Zhang Sanfeng had his eyes closed, it was almost as if he was a statue as not a single movement was noticed from his posture, he was breathing and his eyes weren''t moving behind his closed eyelids. And even more so was the fact that he was floating 10 feet above the ground with the yin-yang symbol slowly rotating behind his back, this was the perfect picture of power, and the ninja watching in the shadows of an apple tree knew that. "Toketsu what has brought you here at this time of the day, is there anything wrong with Feng''er." Sanfeng''s voice rang out across the open meadow he was floating above. "There''s nothing wrong with the young Master, master; it''s just that he and his guard had left the sect, they took Master Red Dragon''s car for a joyride. They''ve crashed down just outside Macau, they''ve also been robbed by a local noble, and lost the car." The Man glad head to toe in a black ninja garb with golden highlights replied to Sanfeng. The old man didn''t show too much of a emotion apart from raising an eyebrow in surprise, this wasn''t the course of action he expected from his grandson if he had to be honest, but such decisions can be expected from a teenager. And given that Alex just had one more week to enjoy whatever was left of his childhood or Innocence, Zhang Sanfeng couldn''t bring himself to be angry at the boy. "Who''s leading his hidden guard?" Sanfeng asked the yin-yang symbol behind him began to rotate. "Princess Kimiko has decided to take charge, Princess Jodha is serving as her second, they have their eyes on him along with the rest of the guards. But Master, do you think it''s necessary to keep the fact that the young Master has an elite group of Assassins protecting him a secret from him. I believe he would be much more careful with his decisions if he knew they were watching." Toketsu said as he rested his hands on the Katana on his waist. "No! The fact that the most of the royal families of the forgotten kingdoms of the heaven empire are part of a secret organization ran by the Zhang family should remain a secret. Feng''er is a very smart and intelligent child, but he''s not ready. He needs more experience, more trials to forge his character, before he''s ready for the responsibility that comes with leading a rebellion, a proper one too, not like what those inhuman monsters in the brotherhood of true sons are doing. Have the princesses keep their distance and keep on watching them from the shadows. Unless their lives are absolutely in danger, they should not intervene, and relay my apologies to them. They''re young royals from kingdoms with a rich history and now they''re baby sitting my grandson, I feel ashamed on his behalf." Sanfeng said to Toketsu as he slowly descended back to the ground. "You don''t have to be so dramatic about this master, you know they made those choices on their own. You''ve raised and trained all of us, whether or not we get back to our thrones and our homes that''s left up to date and success of our rebellion. But until then, what matters to me is repaying the debt I owe you, and protecting your family is one way we can all have it done. We''re happy doing it." Toketsu replied. 108 Macau IV : Something Evils Lurking In The Dark "So this is Macau? Do at of you have any money, it would be nice to go wild in one of those casinos!" Louis yelled out as he spun himself around a street light, drawing attention to himself as people from all works of life looked at him. Alex on was drawn to the bright lights, and just how much more relaxed this city seemed. The Wudang sect had at least 20 thousand people living within it''s mountains, so life was quite bustling there, however Macau had hundreds of thousands of residents, not to mention the tourists, this was a really lively place. "We''re too far south! We''re close to the city of Hong Kong in the north east, but the Wudang mountains are to the far north, right in the central area of the empire of heaven, we''ll need to get back home on a transport airship or a bus or car. But there in lies the problem, who has any money?" Yun Fao asked as he looked back at the city gates they just walked through. "Are you serious? We just got here and you want to go back already, let''s move around the city and have some fun! Trust me, what could possibly go wrong from having a little fun?" Louis spoke out loud with a flourish and a very bright smile, however, everyone else just stood there looking at him. "You''re the least trustworthy person amongst all of us, I don''t know why the young Master listened to you, but we''re in a mess because you initiated an Airship heist, and even worse is the fact that you''re scared of heights trusting you¡­..." """ Is a mistake!""" Sabrina spoke up before her sisters completed the sentence. Alex knew he had acted a but immature, but he was not going to leave this city without at least getting to see it a bit, not to mention, none of them had any money on them. The sect always provided for their needs, and most of their time was spent training so there was no room for leisure and Entertainment, it would be better to utilize this opportunity to the best of their abilities. "Come on guys, let''s just explore the city a bit and see if we can make some money to get a bus ticket. So there''s no need to argue, let''s just roll with the punches." With that said he moved forwards into crowd, his eyes peeled and his mind open to take in the sights, his friends were not too far behind, as they all decided to enjoy their time here, it wasn''t every day they''ll get a chance to visit new places or experience new things, they wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. <|=|>>>>>> SOMEWHERE IN MACAU The mingled with the people, their faces obscured by hats of varying sizes and styles they had on their heads. They casted heavy shadows as they''re walked amongst the people, seemingly normal, but eerie in the way that they moved, their eyes shaded and heavy, it was grey and dull carrying with them an aura of death and desolation that was unlike anything ever seen or heard. Twelve directions, twelve men but all of them with the same goal. Eventually the people around them began to notice the strangeness of the people moving around them, and the biggest and most obvious change was to their shadows. It wasn''t like that of a normal man, their shadows foiled, shifted and bent in the weirdest way possible, it was as if their shadows were a cage and it held all sort of unspeakable horrors within it. Eventually they all came to a stop, standing right in the middle of people, drawing the ire and curiosity of the people whose path they had blocked. And then almost as if they were connected by some invisible string, all twelve men raised their heads to the sky, the hate on their head falling off to expose a head devoid of any hair and covered with black pentagrams and arcane circles. And almost as if a switch was turned on, their bodies began to vibrate, their arms spread wide as a beam of light shot up into the sky in all twelve directions, and slowly above the city of Macau, a summoning circle was slowly being drawn, but that wasn''t the most eye catching or immediate problem. The shadows of the twelve men began to shift, turning into perfect rectangles on the ground, creating an inky blackness that seemed to lead into an abyss of no return. The normal civilians had taken a few steps back, but in a world where almost everyone was practitioner of one form of energy discipline or another, not everyone was as shaken by the weird display. However they still have it a wide berth, their eyes wide open as they stared at something they couldn''t understand or explain. But sooner rather than later, they would be finding out the depths of the horror that was about to spill out from those rectangular shadows. Slowly and with deliberate steps, the first clawed hand stretched out from the inky blackness, it blacks claws and red fingers gave off an eerie chill that shook those with much weaker wills, and as for those who were a bit stronger, they knew they would all be in for a quite a fight. Following the red fingers and black claws was a thin and long red arm with black strips, and then what followed was a hideous hunched body. The being in Front of them had arms that hung all the way to the ground, it''s shoulders were wide and it''s black legs were hind legs with cloven hooves. A black horn stretched out from the side of it''s face, and it''s hair were fleshy feelers with tiny red orbs at the end of it. It had a wide jaw, with it''s lips stretched from one side of it''s face to the other, completely filled with fangs and dripping with black saliva. It had no nose or eyes, but even with it''s hunched figure, these monsters were a good nine feet tall. Within the twelve locations of very densely packed people, some of which were inside a building, there was someone who recognized exactly what sort of creature that had crawled out of the shadow of those twelve men. "De...de...DEMONS!" Demons!; Not demonic beasts, or any sort of magical creatures, but actual demons from the deepest pits of hell. And with that realization came the slaughter, it was hard to tell exactly which demon made the first step, but soon enough a woman watched in horror as long claws sliced her baby to ribbons, followed quickly by a jaw clamping down on her head and removing it from her body, blood and goes spraying every which way. The restaurant she was in broke down as people scrambled for the doors while others decided to out up a fight. The demon made a huge leap towards the door, going after the fleeing customers, only for a man with a sword to appear and cleave off it''s head, putting an end to it''s threat. But there was no time to take in a breath of relief because as soon as he turned around, another one of the Demons had stabbed it''s extremely long arm clean through his body. It ignored his cry of pain and look of horror as it dug it''s other fingers into his chest and pulled his body apart, spreading blood and guts everywhere. And then that demon was joined by another and another and another! Those who had already ran out of the restaurant were lucky, but even then they still went outside to the waiting jaws and unforgiven claws of the demons slowly taking over the entire city. In front of the cathedral where the twelve men were first noticed, a holy man held out a cross as he desperately tried to use his faith and believe to hold back this horde of monsters, but it seemed as the cross in his hand did not absolutely nothing against the onslaught of the demon in front of him as one after the other, members of his convent were torn apart. There was a dull hide behind him as a demon that looked a bit bigger than the others, with horns going upwards out of his head rather than the side stood in front of the priest. The old man held up his cross, his hands shaking as he began to recite a verse from his holy book. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I¡­I¡­..I fear no Evil...thy did..." and then much to his shock and surprise, the feeler like hair on this demon shot forwards elongating and piercing through the body of the priest and raising up to the air, and then the demon spoke. "You fear no Evil...good! But I''m not evil holy man! I''M DEATH!" And then all of his life essence and energy was sucked out of his body by the feelers, a dried husk of a body was dropped to the ground as the larger demon raised his head up to the full moon and... 109 Macau V : Jaws Of Evil [ not a lot of things are know about demons, very few facts about them exist apart from the few obvious ones that we''ve discovered that has made them so feared. They''re not creatures of Mana or Qi, they have no traces of the elements that make up both fundamental energies of earth, or even a trace of any of the sub energy sources. No spirit, no prana, no chakra, nothing at all but life malevolent and corrosive energy of the darkest form. There are very few demons with extreme strength, we imagine that the way of life in their world is extremely brutal, and for you to be an extremely powerful demon, you would have to climb up a mountain of corpses, visiting death everywhere you go and turn. Or you have to be born strong, to be lucky to be amongst a special breed; but then again such power and strength would still be baptized in a lifetime of Carnage and bloodshed. But even if there a few demons in existence, they''re still a massive threat, and that would be due to the very real fact that there''s just too much of them. Even the lowest level demon has the potential and power to cause problems for the strongest of men, most of them are born physically superior, with speed, strength, agility, specific biological evolutions to make them the perfect killing tools. Anytime a demon appears, if it''s not stopped in time, all it does is kill and kill until there''s not a single hint of life left, many people might think that our biggest threats are from the beasts and monsters that have evolved on our own world, or from the machinations of our own fellow man, but the universe is large, and demons will always be knocking on our doorstep." ARCHMAGE MERLIN''S REPORT ON DEMONS TO THE GRAND EMPRESS OF ALBION Alex and the others made their way through the city, enjoying the sights and tasting what they could with the little money they had on them. Of course the main attraction of the city; the casinos were avoided by them, but not because they felt like they couldn''t enter such establishments or something, but because quite frankly none of them had the money or were dressed well enough for a casino, so they just listlessly watched as people went in and came out from those pristine golden doors with money signs allover it. Macao is an island City, and with it being a bit dose to midnight, the cool breeze from the sea had slowly spread across the city, leaving a bizarre chill in the air. The fact that they could feel it was weird, because since they were cultivators, they had bodies a little bit more resilient than the norm, so feeling cold should be completely out of the question, but then again this wasn''t a reason to raise too much or if any alarm at all. As long as they were still within the mortal gate of cultivation realms, their bodies were still subject to assault from the elements and even normal mortal diseases, like Malaria, typhoid and even a common cold. All six of them would have loved to make a wish or two, but all they could do was look at said fountain as their empty pockets sang songs of desolation and emptiness to them. So they just busted themselves watching everyone who came to wish for something, most of which were tourists, but that was the norm with Macao. During their time watching and just taking their time to relax, Sabine noticed a man with a wide brimmed cowboys hat. His presence wasn''t really noticed at first as he stood right in front of the fountain, however barely two seconds later, Louis moved his head in the direction of the man, his perception allover the place as he could feel a weird vibe and form of energy from the man. Normally with these much people around, it would be hard to notice such a thing, but Louis really had a nose for danger, and this man even though he seemed harmless was giving off all sorts of very wrong vibes. "Guys? I think we should..." Louis didn''t get to finish his sentence when the man pushed his head back, his hat falling off as his body began to shake and his shadow, moved and danced in the weirdest of ways before settling into what they all recognized to be a door. By that point, everyone else had realized that there was something off about the man, the sun subsequent beam of black and red light that shot out of his head into the sky, along with the tattoos on them, more than proved to all of them, that some weird shit was about to go down, though to be honest very few amongst the tourists, thought that this was just a tourist attraction stint of program, they were wrong. The first demon to jump out went straight for Alex, they were actually a bit closer to the man, and were already prepared to make a move, but before Alex could make said move, there was a sharp gust of wind that slammed into the demon, throwing it into the fountain with a loud screech, before said guts came to settle on Alex''s head, revealing a much larger Khan than before. But the demon wasn''t dead, and not too long after it was joined by a friend, and their very no normal looks were familiar to some people, enough that their calling out of what these monsters were, was enough to completely spread the panic these monsters were looking for. "DEMONSSSSS!!!" And in happy reply the demons raised their heads to the full moon above and... *Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!!!" They obviously had no idea what was going on, but with them in such close proximity with the demon gate, they had no other choice but to fight for their lives. They watched as on of the demons jumped out of the gate and onto a couple who were trying to move a bit farther back, one swipe from it''s claws took off the head of the female, and a dip of it''s head had it''s jaws tightly clamped on the face of the male, shearing it off and leaving his with half a face, his chewed through brain, eyes, tongue and nose exposed to the world as he died slowly and painfully. A golden whip with barbs on it''s edge quickly wrapped around the neck of the demon, pulling it off the body of the man and into the air, before it was dragged back down, it''s body smashing into another on of it''s comrades, with the force from it''s fall causing the whip to rip through it''s neck relieving if off it''s body. Sabrina pulled back her whip as Sabine pulled out a chain sickle, and Sabina not being too far behind her sisters with a triple metal whip, each end connected sharp but tiny blades, their edge glowing an eerie purple and green. Sabina''s whip fell forward, perfectly splitting a demon into three equal parts as she an her sisters fell into a circle, the while suddenly dancing as if they had minds of their own. Alex and the boys were not too far behind, there were four ways in and out of this plaza, and it was rapidly becoming devoid of people, except for those willing to fight, however with each second that passed more and more demons kept on popping out of the dark shadow door, Alex knew if they didn''t do something about it, they would soon be overwhelmed. What was even worse was that they couldn''t get to the man who was the root of all this, the demons had built a very tight barrier around him, protecting their gates and making sure no one could touch him and out a stop to whatever weird thing was going on here. "Guys! We have to head to higher ground and away from the plaza if we get stuck here, it won''t be nice." Alex said to them as he pointed at the building behind them. The others nodded as the girls made their lives first, their while stretching out and pulling them to the top of the buildings. Yun Fao pulled out his Autumn Dao, foiled the weapon until he was holding it in reverse and then slashed forward, a beam of purple charged Lightning shot out of his Sabre smashing into the ground of demons and splitting most of them into well hurt pieces, he took a step back just as Alex evaded the claw strike of a Demon, allowing the creature to over extend it''s body, before he smashed his fist forward. (Iron Viper Strike!) The cheesy cavity of the demon burst open as it''s guts, heart and an energy core came out of it''s body, and it fell down dead, without a single sound. Khan swooped down, grabbing the energy core and shoving it into his mouth as he quickly turned back into wind and flew up towards the top of the building. Louis jumped forwards and clapped his hands together, releasing a sharp beam of light that caused all the demons to shrink as they crawled into themselves in an attempt to run away from the light, the boys were surprised by such a reaction, looks like the demons were very terrified of light. The big turned and ran up the wall, utilizing their superior strength, agility and speed to scale it, until they were right on top of the four floored building, looking at as much of the city as they could, and they could see it was very much on fire. "What the hell is going on here, Young Master Alex, I think we''ve overstayed our welcome." Yun Fao said to Alex as he crouched down on the edge of the building. All Alex could say to him was¡­ 110 Macau VI : Nowhere Left Run Even though they had the high ground, it didn''t exactly take them out of trouble as it rather made them a target for the demons that were now streaming from practically every corner of the city. But even in all the chaos, Louis was able to notice something that most people if not everyone would not have noticed with the sheer amount of panic in the air. Louis looked closer, moving his eyes from the plaza below them to the direction of the city''s entrance, then he turned to the others. "Those men are like the conduits for the gates, as long as they''re still standing or alive, those demons will keep pouring out, but the worst part is all of these slaughter and bloodshed is just a front, the gates don''t really even matter, it''s that massive spell circle formation slowly being drawn above our heads that''s really bad, if we let it get completed, I''m Afraid we''ll be massively screwed over, I reckon something much worse will come through or happen to the people still alive in the city, us included. And based on the speed, it would be completed in under an hour if not less. And look here, the demons seem to have split themselves Into three groups, I can see that there are other demons coming from different direction, and judging from the fact that there''s quite a few beams of light spread across the city, I was not say we''re dealing with more than one gate. Most of them are protecting the men generating the gates, others are busy hunting people down, and the third group are creating a perimeter and blocking all entrances and exits. They''re making a kill box, stopping us from leaving and preventing any help from coming in. We''re really screwed." Khan shot off Alex''s shoulder, turning into a gust of wind that slammed into the chest of a demon that reached the roof. It was thrown down onto it''s comrades, sending most of them tumbling down like a bag of overripe fruit. The sisters turned to Louis and asked in tandem. """What do you suggest we do?""" "To be honest I don''t know, we wouldn''t have known they were demons if others didn''t call out their name, we have no idea what we''re dealing with, and as such I have no idea how to counter them. The only thing I can say is that; so far these demons have acted in a manner that''s akin to wild animals, they''ve been killing indiscriminately, however they''re carrying out tactics and formations like a well trained cohesive unit. But nothing about the way they''ve fought so far proves that they have individual intelligence, and their movements are too cohesive, they''re not elves with their golden armies, plus they don''t have eyes or noses, but they move so we''ll and swiftly. My deduction is this; This was news to all of them, but what was more shocking wasn''t the fact that demons were invading, it as the fact that Louis was able to deduce all of this in just a few minutes into the invasion. They knew he was smart, but this was just insane, but now wasn''t a good time to dive into the sheer absurdity of Louis''s deductive mind, Alex had ideas of his own that he needed to voice out, after all; in terms of study about creatures and weird energies, he was more learned than they were. "I think if we can stop one of those men, we can slow down the creation of whatever spell formation these demons are trying to make. We need to split up into two teams, one team has to look for the commander of this demons, though it''s just speculation, I think what Louis said might be true, locate the commander, if we can take him, or her, or it out, we should be able to cause disarray within their ranks, making it easier to pick them off and kill them. The second team would be responsible with either stopping that man.....or rather, we would be responsible for killing him and putting an end to this invasion. I believe killing one of the gate men would out a stop to the Creation of the whole spell circle, these things seem to be connected with each other, so it''s possible when one falls, they all do. But even so, if they all don''t die at once, I believe it should slow down the creation of the spell circle formation, and if not, then we make our way through the city and kill every single last one of them." Alex had Avery determined look on his face, and even more determined mind, he and his friends have been through so much already, that the sight of blood and death no longer shook them that much, however as it stands, this amount of killing and death was not something they could condone, these were their people, and if they could out a stop to this, then they will. But unfortunately they all knew there was one thing wrong with this plan. "I don''t think we can pull this off alone." Yun Fao finally opened his mouth to speak. "You''re not alone¡­.." a new and unknown voice suddenly spoke up from behind them. All six of them turned, coming face to face with more 10 individuals glad head to toe in a skin tight black armored suit, with a hood on their face that left only their eyes exposed. On the side of their black masks, was a taiji symbol placed in the center of a Christian cross, everyone here recognized it immediately, this was the symbol of the Zhang clan. "Young Master Zhang Xiao Feng, my name is Kimiko, I''m in charge of this squard of the Zhang clan secret guards. Our orders were to keep an eye on you and help you out when your lives are in absolute danger, it seems to me that this is as good a time as any to show ourselves. The thing is, it doesn''t matter which choice I make, all six of you will be in danger, but I think it''s better if you fought one enemy, rather than a thousand. My squad and I will out an end to the gate man, you six find the commander, if you can''t fight it, stay hidden and reach me with this communication seal, it''s a secure connection so you''ll be talking directly to me. Telecommunications are already down, so phones and the likes aren''t working at the moment. Stay safe." And then she and her squad proceeded to jump off the roof and down into the rest of demons gathered in the plaza. There were so many of them that if not for the occasional flashes of steel that they could see, they suspected that this team had been swallowed by the demon board below. But this team were heaps stronger than they were, they all felt it, none of the ten people they just saw were within the mortal gate, but all of them were in the earth gate, probably all in the mid realms. The Meeting ended just as suddenly as it began, but that was understandable, they were facing a very real threat, and it didn''t seem as if they could rely on any other person but their own, the city''s forces were also nowhere to be found in this Carnage, there were other cultivators and fighters mounting a resistance of one sort of the other across the city, but they knew it would be useless, these gates will keep on spouting more and more demons until every single square inch of the city was covered in them, they had to put a stop to all of this, and they were running out of time. Alex took off across the roof, his steps so light they could barely be heard, but he was fast enough that he was akin to a speeding car rushing past a person. The remaining five followed after him as they jumped over twenty meter wide gaps between buildings, vaulting over statues and scaling walls as they made their way to the northwest past of the city. Alex had decided to lay attention to what Louis had said, it was not just their heads moving towards a specific direction, but their feelers would also point towards it. And so far Alex had noticed that they only faced three directions for a few moments to receive orders, before moving on to whatever task has been programed into their heads, it was like a hive, with all of them sharing one mind but with multiple bodies. Alex was about to jump over a skylight when something slammed into his stomach and sent him crashing down through the glass ceiling, and into the extremely cold pool below. Khan wasn''t too far behind as a wild gust blew from his body and pushed the creature that just assaulted them out of the sky was from his master. Alex jumped out of the pool, and turned to see what was basically the same demon, only this one had shorter arms, stout shoulders and it had wings and actually used a weapon. Yun Fao jumped down next to Alex, followed quickly by Louis and the sisters as they face the flying demon and it''s cohorts who were now encircling the building. Yun Fao narrowed his eyes as he said. 111 Macau VII : Corpses Shell The winged demon swooped down from the sky, pitchfork pointed at Alex and his friends, but before it could get close enough, a golden whip streaked through the air, splitting the demon in two halves before it could cause any damage. Sabine pulled her whip back, unshaken as black blood rained from the sky and the her whip curled around her right arm. The demons in the air screeched out in rage an anger at the death of their comrade, before they all began to swoop down in rage. Louis took the lead as they all ran out of the roof top pool, quickly crowding through a door and into a stair well as they made their way down. "We can''t use the roofs to move anymore, the demons have taken to the sky, this would make our task a little bit more difficult." Alex said to them as he jumped over the railings on the stairwell, dropping down like a meteor, straight for the ground floor, without the stress and wasted time of taking the stairs one at a time. They all landed on the ground floor of the building one after the other, their landing leaving nothing but a dull thud. This group of cultivators might not have the highest of cultivation, but whether intentional or by just sheer luck, their mastery over their bodies was way beyond that of their peers. Their control over their bodies wasn''t absolute, but they could jump down a seven story apartment building, landing without breaking a bone or making a sound. *Screeeeeeeeeeee!!!* They all looked up to see the flying demons rushing down after them with a vengeance, Alex couldn''t help but wonder if these things were being sent after them on purpose. He rushed forwards, pushing open the door that led to the lobby of the apartment building they were in, however ever shred on instinct in his body rang out a warning as Alex bent backwards, dodging as a black claw sliced over his head. An upward slash from Yun Fao relived the demon of it''s arm, just as Alex clenched his hands, a gleaming silver spear with tiny scales on it showed up and he stabbed back through the head of the demon, immediately draining it of every shred of blood in it''s body. The demon fell to the ground and subsequently turned into dust as Alex flipped the spear to slice through the skull of another demon that head leapt towards him, slicing the creature into very bloody halves. Sabina moved to Alex''s side as her barbed shop shot through a demon and another, she pulled back, dragging the still living creatures straight into the waiting path of Yun Fao''s slicing sabre. Louis closed the door behind them, and spread his hands apart, a glowing good spell circle appearing and blocking the doors, serving as a barricade and shield to keep the flying demons from following after them. "Leave it! There''s nothing you can do for them now, we have bigger fish to fry, come on!" Alex didn''t want to, but the rest of the demons were busy feasting on the dead bodies of the people they just killed. Alex felt Yun Fao drag him towards the entrance of the apartment building, they were moving out when Alex noticed the body of a twelve year old girl lying on the ground, she had on a camera that was smashed to pieces besides her, while her chest cavity was left side open for others to see, her skin was a dark chocolate reminiscent of people from the dark continent...from home. Alex felt Yun Fao nudge him a bit as he closed his eyes and ran out the building with them, the image of the dead girl seared so deeply into his brain and memory, and with it came an anger so curious, the spear in his hand vibrated in tandem with his anger and rage. The spear was a deep silver, almost white, but that was understandable considering it''s shaft was actually dragon bone and coated in dragon scales encased with the weird combination alloy Alex had made back In the Infernal prison Dimension. The spear head was made from a Dragons heart stone, while a dragons Pearl was slotted right at the place where the blade met the shaft. A dragon''s heart stone was an organ synonymous with the western dragons, while the Pearl was attributed to the Eastern dragons, otherwise known as the Imperial dragons. The only two species of dragons known to have once existed on Earth, though some of them still live on the planet, it''s almost impossible being able to find them. Alex and his grandfather had forged this weapon together with precious materials from the Zhang clan''s store house. It was a true spirit grade weapon, and was forged with his grandfather as an apology for the loss of West wind and East cloud, it was a spear with a spirit, one that grew by devouring the blood and essence of his enemies. It also felt Alex''s anger and reacted accordingly as it''s pristine silver white form, turned a deep shade of red, in tandem with Alex''s now boiling rage. The street in front of them was practically devoid of people, screams could still be heard in the distance as demons slowly covered every square inch of the city. They took off running across the city, the demons were mostly ignoring them, which was a scenario they were actually grateful for, not having to face off Against the scores of demons now patrolling the city, made it easier for them to get to their destination. Quite frankly it wasn''t that easy to navigate the city, cars were abandoned, both the dead bodies of demons and people littered the street, and they had to be careful not to draw attention from the demons that could fly. And even worse was the fact they didn''t exactly have an idea of where they were going to. But they just keep pushing until they turned around a corner and came face to face with a giant cathedral. There were dozens if not hundreds of demons standing in front of he cathedral, but there''s wasn''t a gate man around, which means what these demons were guarding wasn''t the gate that spawned them, but something much more important, and in all probability, it''s the commander they''re looking for. Just as they showed up in front of the cathedral all of the demons there moved their eyes towards their direction, it was so in sync it left all six of them feeling uneasy. "Guys do you notice that there''s no a single dead body or drop of blood in sight?" Louis suddenly asked. "What does that have to do with anything?" Yun Fao asked with confusion, however Louis just shrugged as he said. "I''m not sure either, it''s just an observation on my part, but I think it would be better if we''re extra careful. What do you think young Master?" he asked as he faced Alex. "Do be careful, but for now, until we know we''re not a match to these demons.....kill everything in sight." They looked at him, but all they could see on his young face was a calm expression, however when they looked down at the spear in his hand, they noticed that it was blazing red in rage and wrath. In all honesty they''ve all been trying to ignore the severity of the amount of bloodshed they''ve seen, the senseless killings and the many innocent lives lost. Someone was responsible for this, and even if they don''t know who or why, it still left them feeling very angry. But it was easier not acknowledging this horror, at least not yet, it made it easier for all of them to keep a clear head. But now Alex had given in to his rage, and it was not as if he had the worst temper in the group, that title actually belonged to Sabrina. But Alex was leader for a reason, sure it''s their job to follow and protect him, but the young boy had proved himself charismatic in more ways than one. And this was true especially for Louis and Yun Fao who have spent the longest amount of time with him; whatever he felt, they also felt. So right now he was angry and about the go on a demon killing spree¡­....it was safe to say, they weren''t too far behind him. Alex pointed his still nameless spear at the small army of demons protecting the front of the cathedral, Yun Fao pointed his Sabre at them as he took a stance besides Alex whilst Louis pulled out both his Rapiers, his body beginning to glow gold as a spell circle showed up behind him. And as for the triplets, their bodies seems to weirdly collapse into each other, their while fusing until all that was left behind was a woman with silver hair and eyes that were a cloudy grey, a third eye opener up on her forehead as she released and unfathomable pressure for her body. Khan who had been missing for while glided to the top of his master''s had, his tiny fangs bared at the demons, and in that moment all Alex could say was one word. 112 Macau VIII : Thriller To say that it was weird for all three sisters and their weapons to combine into one entity would be an understatement, but this was world that thrived on the weird and the mystic, but none the less the boys still raised their eyebrows when the combined sisters flipped their whip through the middle of the army of demons. The whip elongated and expanded leaving behind a three meter wide twenty meter long death of destruction, with the bloodied and ruined flesh of more than two dozen demons, and that was the signal needed to start the fight. Yun Fao ran forward and took a leap, twisting his body in the air as he brought his Autumn Dao to the ground with full force. Purple Lightning arc over the blade as an illusory Lightning sabre struck out, digging in the ranks of demons and tearing them to pieces. Louis vaulted over his shoulder, delivering a flying kick to a diving flying demon, just before the blades of his rapier began to glow a yellowish orange with the heat of the sun. He leaned backwards letting the pitchforks of one of the flying demon go over his body as his rapier stabbed into it''s head, creating a perfectly cauterized hole. Louis in regards to his talent was not just unique, he was supreme. With a light and darkness Mana element for his magic, and a Yin and Yang spirit root for his cultivation, anything from heat to cold, fire, ice, light and darkness were within the grasp of his control. And even though he was just a second circle mage, his mastery over his spells and his skills were extraordinary. He had a counter for every scenario, not to mention he had a mind too sharp for any of his opponents to keep up with. Louis moved forward, spinning round like a top with both his Rapiers held in reverse grip clos to his chest, facing left and right. He dived right into the middle of a group of demons, cutting them to pieces with the precision and power of a laser. As soon as he came out of his rotation, a light shield sprang to life in front of him stopping three flying demons in their path and even causing them sever burns as they screeched in pain and moved backwards. The combined form of the sisters swished her whip forward, wrapping it around the body of a flying demon and dragging it down to the ground where she proceeded to smash it into the ground. Then she pulled back, dragging the mangled body of the demon along as she began to us it to smash apart every other hapless demon that crossed her path. Her whip was like a whirlwind of destruction, so much so that even the boys knew that they had to keep their distance. A demon was rushing towards him, it''s claws outstretched, but in that moment, the triplets whip severed it in half as it''s too half flew forward with it''s continued momentum. Alex jumped up, using the severed body as platform and going up into the air. The spear caught flames as the fire masks appeared on his face, he released and angry roar as flames spread from his arms to the tip of his spear and he slashed it downwards, releasing fiery orange arc of flames that consumed everything in it''s path until smashed the main doors of the cathedral in front of them. *BOOOOOM!!!* Alex landed and moved forwards slicing his spear upwards, tearing a demon opens from crotch to jaw, then he ducked under a swiped claw, before Yun Fao''s blade appeared and beheaded the demon. Alex planted his spear and gave a double flying kick to a flying demon, his second kick breaking it''s neck, just as Louis streaked to his side, cutting open the neck of demon rushing towards Alex. The three boys moved forwards juts as the triplets whip made an arch around their body slicing open dozens of demons at a time. By this point they were already at the ruined doors, but with the sheer amount of demons still gathered around them, they were unable to mount a defense as the tentacle like hair feelers of a demon came rushing out from within the cathedral, slamming into all three of their chests and attempting to Pierce through. But Louis came through for them once again as a shield of light sprang into existence and defending them from the unseen attack, however it was still a powerful strike as all three of them were blasted backwards their bodies digging up concrete street and gaining terrible bruises. But this was nothing as Alex shot out up from the ground, his speed and power increased as he bulldozed his way through dozens of demons to appear in front of the door, his spear pointed outwards, except this time instead of the feelers, a ball of blackish red energy flew out of the cathedral. His fiery spear met the ball of energy and subsequently exploded with enough force to collapse the entrance of the cathedral and sending Alex flying back until his back smacked into the statue of an angel. Alex spat out a mouthful of blood as he slowly picked himself out of the pile of rubble that was once an immaculate statue of an angel. "Ahhhhh! What''s wrong with you savages! First you got blood on my street! And then you collapsed my chosen abode and filled it with dirt! Are you mad! Have you gone absolutely insane! GERMS! YOU''VE BROUGHT GERMS! TO MEEE! I''LL KILL ALL OF YOU FUCKING CURSED DIRTY HUMAN!" As soon as that loud and extremely deep and bras voice sounded, Alex couldn''t help the chill he felt. From just his words alone he was able to tell just how powerful this demon was, and it was not something any one of them could face alone. The six of them or rather four gathered around each other as they waited for the owner of the voice to reveal himself, they didn''t have to wait long as there was an explosion from the rubble and a seven foot tall demon with red skin, hind legs, clover hooves, actually eyes and a mouth, wings, longer than normal tentacle , feelers like hair. Two fangs protruding out of his mouth and a massive broad sword hanging on his back, he was armored and his eyes were a slitted blood red that glowed eerily under the light of the full moon. One other important factor brought to there attention was the fact that the demon had four arms, and he was also thickly scaled, very much like an armadillo, and then finally he had two curved horns that stretched all over to the back of his head. His feelers were moving as if being caressed by an invisible wind, but there was no such thing, their tips glowed and they all noticed that the demons around seemed to moved their heads or their feelers in tandem with the way he''s moved. This was the commander they were looking for, the one that they had to take care of to even the playing field. "I''ll take point, you guys give support, Louis, Sabina, Sabrina, Sabine! Yun Fao and I will be relying on you guys to cause actual damage, so keep your distance, while Yun Fao and I test the waters to know exactly what we''re dealing with. Let''s go!" Alex shot forwards, his spear spinning with flames wrapped around it. The demon didn''t not even seem as if I was bothered by the people approaching him, he used on of his hands to grab the spear, ignoring the tip spinning and the flames on it, which shredded and burnt his palm, but even then he didn''t even react, almost as if he was incapable of feeling pain. He held the spear tightly, trapping Alex, not at all willing to let go of the weapon that was still burning him. Yun Fao rushed forwards and brought his Autumn Dao down on the hand holding Alex''s spear, easily severing it from the wrist, forcing the grip on the spear to be released. Alex took the chance to stab at his waist while Yun Fao continued with his momentum and completely separated the arm missing a hand from the rest of his body. At the same moment Alex''s spear pierced through the Demon''s but, going so deep it burst out the other side of his body. However he still didn''t even react, he looked down at Alex and Yun Fao and spoke in a dull bored voice. "Pathetic!" Then there was an explosion of energy that blasted both Alex and Yun Fao backwards. Alex stabbed his spear into the ground, digging a furrow and raising Sparks as he moved backwards almost twenty meters. Yun Fao used a backflip to arrest his momentum, coming to a stop right on top of Alex''s stabbed into the ground spear. They looked at demon knowing they had met an opponent they might not be able to beat. They watched in shock as a new arm degree, and the sounds they inflicted healed in seconds. The demon looked at them and spoke with a grin on his face. 113 Macau IX : The Midnight Hour The demon was fully healed in seconds, his clenched his broad sword tighter as he went on the offensive, moving so fast it would be impossible for a normal person to be able to follow with their eyes. Yun Fao jumped off the spear while Alex moved to the side, the demon smashed his arm to the left, right into the chest of Alex who was thrown backwards, his body rolling on the cobbled street like a rag doll. Yun Fao came down from the sky, his Sabre sizzling in electrical currents as he slashed at the demon from one side of his body to the other. However all he did was hiss a bit in anger as he took a step back and slammed his leg forward. Yun Fao crossed his blade across his body as the Demon''s foot slammed into it with a dull bang, Yun Fao was thrown backwards, but it was in that moment Louis moved forward, smashing his Rapiers together as they released a loud ringing sound, quickly followed by a massive flash of light that forced the demon to tell out in discomfort. The triplets made their move as their whip fell from the sky, it''s sharpened edge gleaming a dull and sickly green, as it smashed through the body of the Demon, pushing it backwards for about three meters. Louis moved to push his advantage, stabbing both his Rapiers at the head of the Demon in rapid succession, however every move he made was evaded by the demon, who promptly slashed his broad sword at Louis. But the young man already knew that something was off with the way this demon fought, so he had already retreated, however there was more than enough power behind the swing to cause a shockwave that blasted him backwards and raised a small cloud of dust. The demon shook his body in utter revulsion at the sight of dust, before moving forwards towards Louis with the intent to kill. Louis had landed on his ass, but had no time to get up back up to his feet when the demon leaped up and brought the broad sword down. Louis''s eyes widened in shock as his body froze for a second, but Alex was already there, sporting a rather nasty cut on his head. He didn''t think too much as he slammed his shoulder and entire body into the Demon''s, spearing him from the air and bringing his bulky body to the ground with a loud thud. The demon in abject anger used one of his hands to grab a fist full of Alex''s hair, and then threw away like he weighed nothing, but none the less he was right where they wanted him. He ducked down a bit and threw a lunch out with one of his hands, which was the opening that Louis was also looking for. Just Like Yun Fao he made to slice off the head of the demon with his thin blades, the demon dodged again, but Louis expected this, he wasn''t aiming for the demons head anyways as his rapiers sliced through it''s tentacle feelers, effectively giving the demon a much needed haircut, and a very bloody one at that. The boys retreated as the demon used two of it''s free hands to clutch it''s head. "ARGHHHHHHHHH!! HAHAHAHA ARGHHHHHHHHH! NNNGGGHHHH AHHHHHH!" His screams of pain were definitely nerve grating and extremely loud, in fact they all expected that the demons that have been standing aside so far would come to help their commander, but instead they just stood there watching. Their forms so still it was as if they''ve become nothing more than living statues. And it was in that manner that the others understood the moved that Louis had just made, even when blinded the demon commander was still able to move and evade their strikes by relying on those feelers of his. They were like Antennas, and they received signals that helped him move and perceive movements, he didn''t need eyes to fight. This was the same with the other demons as he also used this to send them messages if orders, but with it injured it gave them a much needed time to deal as much damage as they could to the demon. As he clutched his head in pain Alex rushed towards him, the shadow of an eagle behind his back as Alex seemed to fly around, with much more finesse than expected, it has been a while since he utilized (The Six king of beasts) movement art, but it was still as graceful as the first time he used it. Alex smashed his spear into the head of the demon, moving back and slicing it upwards to deflect the incoming strike from the demon commander''s broad sword. This was an exchange of strength, and Alex definitely lost as he was thrown backwards, but this was a tactic they''ve all silently came up and agreed with on the spot. One person would take a bit and attract the Demon''s attention while the others pressed the advantage and cause as much damage as possible, which was exactly what they did as the triplets wrapped their whip around the Demon commander''s right leg, it foiled around it like a snake and with one forceful wrench, the leg was shredded to pieces of minced flesh all the way down to the bone, forcing the demon down to one knee. He stabbed his broad sword into the ground in reflex, making his first mistake as Louis showed in front of him and smashed his Rapiers together again, creating another flash of light, however the demon commander was prepared as he closed his eyes and crossed two of his arms over his face. "the same truck won''t wont work on me boy!" He bellowed out in rage, but all Louis did was laugh and move back as Yun Fao answered him. "Whoever said it was the same trick!" As soon as he finished speaking, his Sabre stabbed down from the Demon''s back, going right in from the top of his spine. There was a grating sound as the serrated edge of the Autumn Dao scraped against the sound of the demon commander. It was so loud that they all couldn''t help cringing as a chill suffused their bodies. The demon roared out in pain and stood up, releasing a blast of dark demonic energy that pushed Yun Fao backwards leaving his Autumn Dao still stuck in the back of the demon commander. However it was in that moment that Alex made his final move, his fire mask blazed on his face as his hair grew longer, turning into a wild green that seemed to burn with both the calmness of the eye of a storm and the fury of a typhoon. The spear in his hand spun rapidly as he stabbed it straight into the chest of the demon, the demon commander held the spear with his hands, but Alex wasn''t stopping as he began pushing against the demon, cracking the pavement beneath his feet as both man and demon roared out in anger and pain. Alex spun the spear one more time, letting the scales on it expand, shredding the demons palms as he stabbed it into it''s chest, right at the place where it''s demonic core was located. And then a massive display of strength, Alex and Yun Fao who had suddenly made his way behind him, held the spear tightly as they raised the demon into the air, his black blood spilling all over their face, but still this wasn''t enough as two balls of blackish red energy was shot out of the demons palm, slamming into Alex''s chest in rapid succession, forcing him to let go of the spear as he slammed back into Yun Fao, blood spilling out of his mouth. Alex could feel his chest burning and blood rapidly filling his lungs, his ribs were shattered and he was sure he had a serious case of internal bleeding. His vision was hazy, and he was sure he would pass out any second, but he still kept his gaze on the demon as it stood up and looked at them, just as bloody and just as injured, however he was healing albeit a bit slower than normal. "You efforts are commendable, I''ve not been pushed into such dire straits since I was a hatchling, but yet here we are. My name is Morin the clean, remember my name as you take it to your death, I will do well to remember all of your names too while I feast on your corpses." As he finished speaking he removed the spear from his chest, completely ignoring the fact that the weapon had absorbed quite a bit of his blood. Alex struggled to his feet with Yun Fao helping him up. "It was nice meeting you ''Moron'' but you can die now...¡­Khan! Now!" apart from calling him a different name than he introduced himself as, Alex watched in satisfaction as the demon commander''s chest blew apart, and a bloodied but still happy looking Khan came out of his chest cavity with a rough been black stone in his mouth, and a still beating heart in his hand. The demon Morin looked horrified as he looked at Alex. "You!...when.....how!....(thud!)" his body crashed to the ground, rapidly turning grey before subsequently turning into dust and being blown with the wind. "You really shouldn''t underestimate human beings, but that''s understandable we''re not exactly the strongest or the brightest. But we fight the hardest and your mistake, was underestimating my family." As soon as Alex finishes speaking, there was a bright flash of light coming from the location of the Plaza. The beam of light coming from that location disappeared and immediately following that, hundreds of demons, both on land and in the air, fell down dead, their bodies littering the pristine city of Macau. Whatever was going here, Alex knew that he and his friends had bought everyone some very valuable time, now they could properly out up a fight and kick some demon ass. Alex looked up at the massive spell circle that was still above the city, and then he said. 114 Macau X : Out Of Time [Demons are complex creatures, one that can''t be quantified or categorized using normal means. They could be nothing more than animals, mindless, senseless, brutal, and bloodthirsty. They could be intelligent beings, smart, sinister, conniving, loving, hateful, shrewd, down right evil. But they could also be viruses, poisons, thoughts, urges, sins. This more than proved that humanity is not really the most versatile race in all of the cosmos, but rather the demons. They can exists in any shape or form, live for thousands of years with a life that''s practically immortal, without the need for them to do anything other than live, eat, sleep, breathe and fuck! If a demon dies it could be attributed to nothing more than their incredibly violent and vile nature, they thrive on chaos, on anger and on pain, and very much on hate, greed and pride. But never the less Demons are living intelligent beings, and entire face with a different set of rules and powers.......maybe that''s why we hate them so much, because wen we look at them we see a face that''s lost the balance humanity has been able to achieve. They''re practically the full sum of every bad in us, staring right back at our faces, our darkness given flesh and given form in the most grotesque and ugly manner possible. A true look into the heart of man and how incredibly twisted and ugly it is, it tells one fundamental truth....and that''s that deep down..... we''re all demons.] THE JOURNAL OF A RANDOM DEMON SUMMONER Louis and Yun Fao were gathered around Alex as the rummaged through the storage rings, trying desperately to look for any sort of healing pill or potion to help him. But quite frankly they knew that no type of pill they currently had in their position would be able to heal the amount of damage Alex had sustained. His entire chest had been crushed to bits, his bones were digging into his internal organs and his blood had flooded his lungs. The fact that he was still alive and conscious could only be attributed to his strong body and strong will, but even those wouldn''t be able to hold up the young Master and Childe of Spirit Wind Peak for very long, he was running out of time. The triplets were sprawled on the ground having delegated themselves from their merger, there was always a long period of weakness after they''ve used that technique, and it''s always more extensive the longer they stay in that combined form, which is why it came as no surprise that on Sabrina was conscious, they really had their hands tied in this matter as half their groups was passed out or currently dying. There was a flash in the air and suddenly the woman they had met before; Kimiko showed up with the rest of her team, all ten of them were in top shape, except for the ridiculous amount of demon blood and guts still covering their bodies. It didn''t take a genius for them. To know that this woman was a healer of the water element, and even though the water element healed a whole lot more slower than the light and wood element, it was actually what they needed as it would put Alex''s injuries in a state of stasis and slow healing until they could get him proper and more rapid help. How they couldn''t have an ultimate healing pill with them was an oversight they didn''t understand, it was freaking ridiculous. "I take it you guys have taken care of that demon commander?" Kimiko asked, however Yun Fao and Louis were still too focused on their friend to answer so it was up to Sabrina. But all we have as a reply was a nod of the head as she focused on her sisters. "Very well then, Jodha hurry up with the healing, Mathias go and prep the transport vehicle, we only have fifteen minutes to get out of this city before it''s nothing more than Ash and rubble, the rest of you get a me a perimeter and five minute recon report! Cover as much ground of the city as you can and get back here, at the very least if we can find even a little bit of an explanation or an origin of this crisis, we should be able to prevent it from happening again. Now move out!" Kimiko ordered with so much charisma the Young groups of warriors couldn''t help but look at her. "Wait! I don''t understand! What do you mean rubble and Ash?" Louis asked in surprise, asking the question in the minds of Alex, Yun Fao and Sabrina. "The empire has decided that Macau is a lost cause, while it wouldn''t take them too long to send an expert to come clean this place up, there''s too many variables and they would prefer to keep the demons within the city, and prevent that spell circle formation above our head from getting to completion. Imperial mages have discovered that''s it''s a summoning seal for a legion of greater demons and their arch-demon prince. Basically it''s demons all in the heaven''s gate of cultivation with a leader that''s transcended the cultivation limit of this world. Such a scenario only means one thing, the fall of the empire and all life on Earth. So they''re bringing it down, every square in of the city would be burnt to a crisp by orbital satellites hanging just above the atmosphere. Those satellites are in a formation, and it would take a severe amount of energy to use them, they''re s Trump cared of the empire against invasion of any sorts, this seems as good a time as any to use it. The emperor is giving us time to get out of the city, and that''s fifteen minutes, but I want us out of here in eight! No more questions Lord Louis, we''re moving now!" Just as she finished speaking an Airship the size of a large boat flew to the front of the cathedral, none of them had noticed when the guy called Mathias had moved, or how he was ale to get an airship back here so fast, but none the less they had a true out of here. The others who had gone for recon came back, and cradled in one of their hands was a dead body, Kimiko just looked at it once and then inclined her head, forcing everyone to get on the Airship. The sisters were helped in, and Alex was floated in, his body somewhat paralyzed as it underwent the slow healing from the woman called Jodha, but still he had something to say. "But what about the others?" Kimiko looked at him just as the bay door of the Airship was closing. "What others? We''re all accounted for." She said to him in a dull tone that left him feeling chills, this woman was years upon years older than him, heck he suspected she was older than even his mother. But the look in her eyes...they were so cold and unfeeling, so dead and empty. "The civilians and other people in the city! The tourists! The kids! The elderly! Aren''t we going to help them, or isn''t the empire going to send an extraction team?" Alex asked, his voice a little bit more frantic than normal. "Collateral damage!.....There''s no time to extract all of them, you can''t save one and leave the other. Besides my orders were to get you and your friends out of here, nothing was said about any others, so I''m afraid every other person in this city; man, woman, child, dog, cat, reptile! If they''re not already dead yet would be dead very soon. This in turn is a mercy, their deaths will be swift as opposed to what the demons will do to them. Mathias take us out of here!" There was a shocked look on the face of everyone else but this team of secret guards. Logically speaking this was probably the best choice, it wouldn''t have been wise to put the entire empire at risk on the idea that it would be possible to save the civilians in the city, just like Kimiko had said, they were collateral damage, the fate of the many outweighs that of a few. This much they all understood, this world wasn''t as perfect and as good as they hoped it was, it was tough call, and it was made without hesitation. They didn''t like it one bit, but this was the only other option available to them, to prevent an empire wide genocide, this kept everyone else and the world safe. *BOOOOOOOM!* Alex couldn''t see it, but an intense pillar of light shot do an from the sky, scorching the once beautiful city of Macau till it was nothing but sincere, Ash and rubble, just like Kimiko said. The city wide beam of light didn''t stay for longer than 5 seconds, but in it''s aftermath all that was left behind was nothing, just the sea. Macau was an island after all, but right now there was nothing but little crag of rocks and the fading spell circle in the sky to prove that something wonderful and beautiful once stood here, and now it was all gone. None of them knew what to feel, they didn''t really feel guilty, after all they did the best they could buying time for the genocide of a city full of people. But they felt hollow, this amount of death was not something to laugh about or be unfeeling about either, it was sad. And they felt helpless, a month of training later and Alex was already in the fifth level of the open meridian realm, Louis in the sixth almost seventh realm, and Yun Fao squarely in the ninth about to enter the true essence realm. They were stronger than before, but it was just not enough not even the triplets who were all at the first level of the true essence realm could make a difference. In the end it seems that everything that happened always boils down to one fundamental tenet of truth and knowledge. Without strength, it was next to impossible to change anything in this world, you would be helpless to the plight of people, and could nothing but watch people die around you while you wished so hard for a chance to be able to save them. What they''ve seen today, none of them would ever be able to forget. Zhang Sanfeng had allowed Alex and his friends to go gallivanting around in a stolen car because he felt he should give them one final chance to enjoy whatever Innocence they had left...¡­however they ran out of time way to fast and in a manner Zhang Sanfeng would never have been able to imagine. 115 The Forbidden City I : Khans Rank Up The flight was silent, there was a heavy atmosphere in the airship that not even the raucous antics of Khan could lighten the atmosphere. But for Alex, the situation was entirely different, and that could only be attributed to the fact that he has been staring and wispy translucent being, that was tethered to the dead body the secret guard had dragged into the Airship. Though nothing has been said, based on the pale green veins stretched from his neck, all the way to his brain, Alex reckoned the guy had been poisoned, or rather he poisoned himself just so that he wouldn''t be caught alive. But the point was, this transparent being, that looked as if it was fading in and out of focus, could only be seen by Alex. He had moved his eyes through the entire cabin more than once over the past hour, but no matter what he did, it all ended up proving one point, that he was the only one who could see this being. Well him and the Spirits under his service. "Are you sure Nezha?" Alex asked as he placed his entire focus on the being. "Of course I''m serious, do you think ¨¦bi¨¦ would have the answers for you, she''s just been born! That there is a Remnant, an echo of the dead man''s spirit. His Spirit has moved on to reincarnate, he killed himself out of his beliefs, so there''s no need for his spirit to be tethered, however he probably still has quite a few attachments to this world, which is why there''s a remnant left behind. You''re going to have to cleanse it once you get the chance, remnants can turn into wraiths and hologhasts, a type of ghost that can just as easily drain you of your soul, but you can also learn exactly what happened to him. Remnants usually have memories of the last few days or important events from the life of the person they belong to. But you''ll have to wait until you''re alone with the body, a small ritual is required after all." Nezha explained before going silent. Alex felt that; at the very least, he should be able to find the person who''s truly responsible for this tragedy and bring them to justice, and if Cleansing that remnant would give him the information he needs, then he''s all for it, that way he won''t feel as crappy as he was feeling right now. Few minutes later, Kimiko came back from the cockpit, her face was still hidden by the mask, so Alex had no idea what she looked like, or what kind of expression she had on her face, but it seems like she has something to say. They all felt that she was right about what she just said, they were all stressed and quite frankly mentally and physically drained. A chance to rest was something they appreciated, and even though they knew that the moment they closed their eyes, all that may beyond it was blood, fangs, death and unnerving roars of demons, they still closed their eyes, their bodies would not have let them do anything else. <|=|>>>>>> When Alex woke up, it wasn''t to a room he recognized, and considering how well rested he felt, the young man reckoned he didn''t wake up once they landed. The room was huge, and everything in it was in one shade of gold or another, and quite frankly Alex hated it. He was about to get off the bed when he felt a pulling sensation from the depths of his mind, in seconds he found himself within his mantle, and right in the middle of it; he found Khan in a glowing blackish red cocoon. "What the fuck is going on here?" Alex suddenly asked, he didn''t even realize that he had cursed out loud, using a word he wouldn''t usually or normally use. "Khan is evolving from the Embryonic stage, you need to be here for that." Nezha''s voice rang out across the mantle, startling but also putting Alex''s mind at ease. Even though Alex could see Khan''s form through the cocoon, it was just an outline, he couldn''t tell if there were any changes currently happening to his body, or if he was feeling any sort of pain. For some reason, their connection seems to have been cut off, or at the very least temporarily blocked as the Kamaitachi underwent it''s evolution. The blackish red cocoon, that for some reason reminds Alex too much of the demon commander''s energy blast skill and energy, was pulsing slowly. It was like a heartbeat, and at first Alex thought that it''s rhythm was probably to Khan''s heart beat, but then he quickly realized something. Khan was an incorporeal spirit with the ability to make himself solid and not the other way around, hence in his real form, Khan had no heart, talk less of having a heartbeat. The pulses from the cocoon were not following Khan''s non-existent heart beat, it was actually following Alex''s heart beat. Pulsing slowly with a thrumming of power and life, and then something more, something else. "There''s something you should know about spirits Alex." Nezha''s voice suddenly came to Alex, and this time he felt so close, like he was hanging over Alex''s shoulder. But Alex knew that Nezha couldn''t come out of the fire mask, at least not until it''s circle was fully consolidated and trifecta of power for the fire mask was complete. "There''s not been too many chances for me to teach you about the secrets of rather the important factors of spirits. I''ve only for you the most important of them all, but still things like biology, physiology and energy comes into play, but this is not my area of expertise, so it would be hard for me to make any sense about them when even I don''t fully understand them. Either way listen to this; Spirits of all kind can never change their fundamental race. In my case, I''m a Heroic spirit, what I am can be called an ascendance of sorts. When I was still on Earth I was pretty much considered a god, spirits born from legends, from gods, from myths are known as heroic spirits, we''re an entire race all on our own. The point to this is, the jump from embryo, to commoner, to soldier can happen either naturally over time, or pushed forward by training and the use of special materials. But this special materials will sometimes change the physique of a spirit, give it extra abilities, extra appendages, make it bigger or smaller. It all depends on what sort of material was used as a catalyst for the evolution, it''s also smart to play tonight strengths. While the kind of skills a spirit can get is based on the schools it''s a part of, the catalysts used in it''s evolution plays a big role, so it would be wise to build on it''s strengths. Khan is evolving now, because he hate not just the core and heart of the demon commander, but also the cores of countless other drones. His evolution would fully out him on the demonic path, he would still be a Kamaitachi, but there''s a high possibility he would gain demonic abilities, also it could also awaken a second racial bloodline in him, probably making him a Kamaitachi and something else. My advice is in the future if you''re trying to evolve him, make sure it''s with materials that are demonic, wind or spirit in nature. Spirit energy is neutral, and he''s a spirit with wind and hopefully demonic abilities. Think this through carefully, his strengths if properly trained would only be to your advantage." Alex made sure he divested every facet of knowledge Nezha had just given to him, Khan was a soft of his strength, not to mention the tiny annoyance was like his let, he had to make sure to take care of him in the best was possible. Alex turned his focus back to the cocoon, it didn''t take long as cracks began to spread from it, Alex took a step back, watching as light began to seep from the cracks, before suddenly it exploded everywhere, releasing a rush of wind and blackish red energy that spread through out the mantle. Alex turned his gaze towards Khan, and couldn''t help but drop his jaw in surprise. Previously Khan was tiny enough to fit in Alex''s hand, he was a baby weasel, dog like creature after all. But now he was big as a German Shepherd, silver scythes with weird runic scripts short out of his legs, just over his paws that had gleaming silver claws too. Two curved horns grew out of his head as scales covered his back and his fur had changed into lustrous and glossy black. His tail was bushy, but Alex with his keen eyes could tell that his tail wasn''t covered with hair, but rather quills, like the ones in the back of a hedgehog. On the back of his neck were feelers similar to the ones on the demon commander, except Khan''s were pure white and the tip had a dark green coloration, making for a stack contrast with his now all black frame. Khan then opened his double pulled blackish red and green eyes and said. "You should close your mouth master, or a fly might get into, Hehehehehe!" "Damn it! Now he talks, what bloody rank is he!?" Nezha''s annoyed voice boomed through the mantle, guess he still didn''t like the fact Khan was a Kamaitachi. ? SPIRIT NAME: Khan ? SPIRIT RACE: Kamaitachi/ Demonic Brood Wolf(ALPHA) ? SPIRIT RANK: Soldier(Stage 1) ? SPIRIT SCHOOL: (Apparition)(Manifestation)(Mind Sight) 116 The Forbidden City II : Exposed Khan had completed skipped the commoner rank to get to the soldier rank, according to Nezha it wasn''t completely unheard of, but it was somewhat rare. That particular jump in ranks was attributed to the fact that the demon code Khan had invested was from a very powerful demon, Nezha even expected Khan to have at least gained a few more levels within the soldier rank rather than stopping at one, but the more powerful and rare the spirit, the more resources needed for it''s evolution. But then again the fact that Khan had gotten stronger wasn''t a bad thing, and he had also gotten new skills, that would go a long way in increasing his fighting prowess and by extension Alex''s own abilities. The first and only skill Khan had been born with was (Wind coat) the skill was now level three, while the others were just level 1, within the world of the mantle everything about Khan and even Nezha and ¨¦bi¨¦ was presented in the form data. According to Nezha the world of spirits wasn''t just supernatural in it''s existence, it also had a system, a sort of world law that helped governed the growth and advancements of spirits. The energy of the spirit world or Dimensions was not stable, it was erratic and without proper control, it could spread and change things in more ways than one. This system, that seemed more and more like a user interface for some compute program or whatever, made sure that there was balance with the spirits and the world they lived in. It was akin to a dam, it restricted the flow of energy, making sure only what is needed and required is used, or else most spirits would lose their minds from the sheer amount of their own power and abilities, or drown countless worlds in death and chaos. (Wind Coat: Level 3): A racial skill of the Kamaitachi that lets it switch between an incorporeal wind form and physical one. In this form it''s invisible like the wind, and it''s movement speed is greatly increased. It also has vary degrees of control over the wind element in this form. (Cursed Bite: Level 1): A Kamaitachi leaves behind a bleeding curses with each bite, assuming the bite doesn''t kill you, the curse itself if it''s not taken care of in time will drain you dry of every blood in your body. (Hidden effect: this skill is no capable of infecting any demonic beasts or animal bitten with a doors that would bring it under the control of the Kamaitachi. This is a hidden effect of the demonic brood wolf. At level 1 the spirit can only control 2 creatures of equal strength and 1 creature of greater strength, and four creatures of lesser strength. (Perception: Level 1): Brood demons have special biological antennas that help them send and receive signals, said antennas increase the perception of the creature. At level one become completely conscious if every change with a three meter radius, physical or energy wise. Khan''s ability meant that he was fully in charge of a battlefield, basically he gave support and was the general in charge of it, and with his increased intelligence and recently gained ability to talk, there''s no telling what sort of damage he could cause to their enemies should the now find themselves in a fight. It was totally and completely amazing, though it did feel a bit weird now that Khan could talk, but none the less it was also a good thing. "If you state any harder at me, you''ll burn holes through my scales." Khan said, forcing Alex to role his eyes. He sounded like a teenager, but with his tone of voice and prior behaviors, it''s obvious Khan was still a mischievous little weasel. "Lets get out of here first, we need to know what''s going on." Alex said to Khan as the now wolf sized Kamaitachi nodded back at him. The world within the mantle faded and Alex opened his eyes, but what he saw shocked him to his very core. There were hundreds of golden armored guards in the room he had previously woken up in, said room was also in shambles as the walls were cracked and there was a feeling of corrosion on the air. Alex''s grandfather was there, along with the emperor, and his guards, if Alex didn''t know better, it looked like a fight had taken place in here while he was passed out. "Ummm what happened?" Alex asked, but he got his answer real fast. "Silence you demon! We felt your evil energy allover this room a few minutes ago! Do you think you deny it or hide it any longer!" One of the golden armored men with flowing lustrous black hair said as he glared at Alex. However the moment he finished speaking, a wisp of blackish red wine drilled it''s way out of Alex''s chest and rapidly coalesced into the form of Khan. "You have some nerve you pathetic little flesh bag, (Grrrrrrrrrr) you think my master is someone you an accuse of being a demon! Where''s your proof! Do you want to see what a real demon looks like!" Alex felt his heart stop, Khan was not as powerful as the man who was talking, after all the man himself seemed to be in the heaven realm, so it would be quite impossible for Alex to even leave a scratch on the man should they fight...however it seems the same could not be said about Khan. He was a spirit, just because he had a physical form that could be seen, it doesn''t necessarily means he was physical being, and Alex remembered how they had killed the demon commander, a being multiple levels stronger than they were, all it would take was one mistake and Khan could probably kill a cultivator in the heaven realm. But then again this was just speculation, a real fight won''t exactly go that way. "What are you?" The man asked as he took a step back, because quite frankly, Khan looked quite scary now. "Wouldn''t you like to know, hey old man! Why''d you allow them harass your grandson like this?" The guard was being unreasonable, and so was Khan, heck you could say Khan was being even more unreasonable than the guard as they both started a yelling match while everyone else watched on. At some point Alex got off the bed and went to the emperor where he now gave a deep bow in greeting before given his grandfather a hug much to the old man''s surprise. Alex was grateful, if his grandfather had not been so overprotective as to send the secret guards after them, Alex could not even begin to fathom how very different their time in Macau would have been. "Feng''er what''s going on? Alarms allover the forbidden city were ringing, there was an explosion of demonic energy from your room, and then there''s this creature! Have you fallen into a demonic path." Alex raised an eyebrow at that, and that''s when everything seemed to click. The process of Khan emerging from his cocoon had released a blast of energy within the world of the mantle, Alex had no idea that it was powerful enough to escape into the real world. "My apologies grandfather, Imperial father in law. While it is definitely possible for me to acquire demonic skills, I have not done so. However the creature you see in front of you is Khan, my binder spirit. During our fight in Macau he came in contact with some demonic cores, they helped him evolve into the form he''s in now, given him control over a few demonic skills and changing his form. He also talks now apparently and is a lot smarter too." "That''s Khan? I have to admit this is pretty much unexpected. I believe you and I have to sit down and discuss more fully the full extent of your legacy and see what else it can do or achieve." His grandfather said. "Indeed, we have heard much of this small creature of yours that has been a great help in your battles, it is truly fascinating. While we''ve heard of and seen the evolution of a myriad of creatures, mostly demonic and magical beasts, this is the first we''ve seen or heard of a spirit, there''s not much information about them within the empire''s archives, we too would like to have a sit down with you and understand more about them, and about you powers." Alex couldn''t help but sneer in his mind, he didn''t anyone else to tell him that the full scope of his abilities as a spirit king was to be kept a secret. Against this Emperor that seem kind but was incredibly shrewd, Alex had to keep a few cards hidden, and even then he needed to get more cards under his control. His priority right now, apart from training would be to find a way to complete both the fire mask and blood mask, and then maybe find the right conditions to summon another mask spirit or bond with another spirit just like Khan. But before all of that, he still had a game to play. "Of course your Majesty, it would be my honor." Alex replied with a small bow, as he kept his eyes to the ground. "Very well then, you are our royal son in law, and you''ve been through a lot. Take the time to rest before the Banquet in ten days, I''ll reward you and your friends and your clan properly for the time and Intel you bought for us, the loss of lives and the city itself is regrettable, but we''ve discovered that the man received belongs to the Communion of true sons, this was another attempt on their path to undermine to control and power of our empire. We''ll make sure they pay for what they''ve done, all of them. Zifeng! Stop arguing with the Spirit it''s beneath a man of your status, now come! We have much to discuss." The emperor called out to guard arguing with Khan, as he turned to leave, with the guy scurrying after the emperor his face red from embarrassment. Khan came to stand besides both grandfather and grandson before calling out to the guard called Zifeng, his voice loud enough that more than half the forbidden city heard him. "Yeah Zifeng you better run! You coward!" 117 The Forbidden City III : Schemes Alex was moved into a different room, which was understandable seeing as he had involuntarily smashed apart the room he had been placed in previously. But that was no fault of his, it was Nezha''s, but then again the fire spirit was not one for detail and intricate information, telling Alex that Khan''s evolution would cause an explosion of spirit energy, was something that wasn''t at the forefront of his mind, so Alex was left to experience it himself and almost got into trouble with the emperor and his stuck up guard. Alex was kept close to his friends this time, however the were also in an isolated part of the palace, so there was not much interaction with members of the royal family. Alex felt as if they were still being treated as Kids, but that''s was also understandable, adulthood in this world was 16 years of age, and Alex still had a year and two months to go before he gets to sixteen. Khan sniffed around the new room in a rather peculiar way, Alex had no idea what that sport was up to, but never the less he let him do what he wanted to do. It didn''t take long for Louis and the others to find their way into the room, but Sabina did not come in empty handed as she was holding a huge sketch pad with a couple of pens. Alex furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and was about to ask when Louis placed a hand on his lips, stopping Alex from saying anything. "Young master Alex! How''re you feeling today? Much stronger I hope." Louis spoke out loud as he sat on the bed with the others, following to sit in a circle, up until now, none of them had noticed Khan who was sitting in one corner of the room, with his eyes on them. "Ummm I''m doing okay I guess?" Alex answered them, all of a sudden Louis started talking about random things while Yun Fao raised the drawing pad up, and written on it were the words. (We''re being spied on) Alex''s eyes widened in shock, he didn''t expect this to be honest but for it to have reached such a stage, he guessed the Zhang family was even more of a threat to the to the empire than he expected, but then again this was still confusing, it didn''t make sense. Louis kept on talking about the architecture of the palace as he wrote on the sketch pad. (There''s more to the destruction of Macau city than it seems, I think the emperor is responsible for the demon invasion.) (We found out that the Macau region is an autonomous region, it''s not under empire rule, but rather under Management of a third power that could rival the origins of both the empire of heaven and the Albion empire.) Yun Fao wrote on the drawing pad with Sabine taking the pen from him and writing on it too. (Apparently they were blackmailed into giving it up after they lost a war game with said power. Macau has been under the control of this third power for almost two hundred years give or take a few years.) It was Sabrina''s turn as she wrote (The emperor felt threatened by them, especially since there were secret rumors about the third power wanting to use Macau as a forward base to launch an invasion, it would not have been a smart move on the emperor''s part to leave a threat in his own backyard.) Then Louis took the pen from her to write. (This is all speculation though, these rumors are slowly being circulated amongst the servants and guards, probably to undermine the image of the emperor, after all with him being an alien foreigner, not many people are happy that he and his imperial family has taken control and have been filling half the world for the better part of eight hundred years. That man who killed himself when the secret guard went after him might have giving us some answers and clarity, but he killed himself and now there''s also a rumor that the Wudang sect or more specifically the Zhang clan was in cahoots with the emperor, the pending betrothal between you and the youngest princess is not helping matters either. People are beginning to think the Zhang family are well outs, and our presence in Macau before shit went to hell is also quite damning. But with no real evidence against us and the emperor, this is all just propaganda and people looking for someone to blame for the loss of the city. However this is also a big problem for us, so far the Zhang clan has survived based on the public''s favorable opinion of them, however should that change...¡­.then things will not be as easy in the future.) This was messed up, one attempt to be children and enjoy themselves by stealing a car, and they end up right in the middle of political conspiracy with the entire Zhang family being dragged in to. If such knowledge was cemented, sink or swim the Zhang family would have no other choice but to throw their lot in with the Emperor''s camp, and that was not something they wanted. The Zhang family we''re one of two cultivation family''s that once served the original local Emperor of a unified China. The way Alex saw it, there wasn''t anything he could do at the moment that could change the way the public perceived the Zhang family, however he could at the very least find out the real truth behind the destruction of the city of Macau. And if that order came from this palace, then one way or another, Alex was going to get to the root of the matter before he has to leave. But to do so he would have to go deep into the household of the emperor, if it was just him Alex knew he would be unable to truly and fully infiltrate the emperor''s household, besides he was pretty sure they had eyes on him, but the others on the other hand, especially Louis who had a nose for detail. But before that there was one thing that Alex had to take care of, something that could actually help him get to the bottom of the matter concerning the destruction of Macau and the demon invasion. Alex picked up the pen and wrote. (That dead body we came with, do you guys know where it is, and how can we get access to it?) The question written was so weird that Sabina had to break character of talking about random things to ask. "what would you want to use a dead body for?..... it''s not necessary to use a corpse for medical experiments!" Yun Fao slapped a hand to his face as he shook his head, her outburst even if she covered it up was still suspicious and if anybody was listening that was sure to raise red flags. "We spoke about that a week ago and you''re bringing it up now! Seriously? Look; it''s hard to explain on my part, my foray into alchemy means I need medical knowledge, Alchemy is a mixture of pharmacy and medicine, I need to be able to understand the human body. But you''re looking at it from one side, I need to also examine beasts too, basically any creature that exists to understand their biology." As Alex spoke, he wrote something on the drawing Pad. (It''s hard to explain, but I have a way to find out the last few memories of the dead man, it''s a long shot since I''m not too sure about this skill, but it''s the only shot we''ve got to get to the bottom of this, and I''ll need help, all of your help.) Alex wrote down as he looked at them. (This is to risky, it would be almost of not out rightly impossible for us to get past the guards, they''re on high alert and places like that would have really tight security. We don''t even know where the body is, they could have disposed of it already, and if so then how do you expect to find it." Sabine wrote down. She had a point and Alex knew that it wouldn''t be easy, but there was no gain without risks. (There''s an Imperial coroner, I believe the body will be in his lab, they won''t get rid of it immediately, the Emperor''s birthday is in ten days, there are scores of reporters outside the palace, it would be hard to hide the fact that they''re moving a body out, they could put it in a storage ring, but that''s just too much of a hassle for a body that could just be kept in the coroner''s mortuary until after the emperor''s birthday and things have settled down, it''s not bothering anyone there. The best time to move will be on the Emperor''s birthday itself, we should be able to find a way towards that part of the palace, I believe the security would not be as much. We should also use this time to find a way to keep us from being detected by arrays and alarms. Either way this plan is a work in progress, we should have something concrete by the time the birthday comes around.) Louis wrote as he got up from the bed and with just a shake of his hands, set the sketch pad on fire. Then he turned with a smile towards Alex and asked. "Now where is that god forsaken weasel of yours, call him out so that we can have some fun!" Alex raised an eyebrow at that, but before he could save Louis''s life, Khan had already jumped on him and place his very sharp scythe blades on his throat. 118 Forbidden City IV : More Schemes [There are proverbs about a man''s worst enemy is from his own household, if a common man can be betrayed by the very same brother he shares flesh and blood with, what more can you say of a King, what more can you say of an Emperor. The house of a man with power and authority, is a den of snakes, jackals and hyenas. There''s nothing majestic about them, as they try to hide their ugliness behind the splendor of noble beasts like the Lion, the unicorn and the dragon, but alas they''re nothing like the beasts they claim to embody. They lie, they cheat, they steal, they betray, every move made in such a home is an attempt to take, and take, and take, never is the idea to give. And if you give, you''re also giving to take, power and the royalty that comes with it is and abyss. And as the old saying goes, if you stare into the abyss, deeply and long enough...¡­The abyss will stare right back at you.] ANONE "Mother is this really necessary, I might be looking for another wife, but this ploy you and aunty have cooked up would make me cross paths with father''s new toy, it could cost me my chance to become crown prince, not to mention that he''s to be ninth sister''s husband, that girl doesn''t care for much, but everything father gives her she cherishes. This is not a good idea, and it might turn out too badly for us." The man who had spoken looked like he was in his late teens to early twenties, so it would come as a surprise to many that he was actually thirty six years old. It spoke volumes of how high a cultivation level he had achieved at such a young age, but then again there were quite a few things that could make a human being retain their youthful look even at 400 years old. So whether or not this prince was talented as a cultivator it was still left up to debate, however even if he wasn''t talented, the woman who he was talking to on the other hand literally oozed power. The exquisite red Imperial gown she hand on, seemed to ruffle under the caresses of an invisible wind, she was tall, really tall. So much so that she towered over the young man in front of her. And it was not as if she had on any heels or foot wear of the sort to make her seem taller than she was, but she was just extremely tall, and for a woman standing at seven and the half foot tall she was quite fit, slim. So much so that the river she had on did nothing to hide her hour glass figure. She was a beauty, and her piercing silver eyes seemed to hold great power and wisdom within their depths. But even with all of her beauty, the one thing that stood out the most were here ears, they were longer than normal, almost four inches long and tapered to a point; this woman was a full blooded elf and also the mother of the prince in front of her. Once that has been achieved, going above the heaven''s gate would be achieved in no less than 45 years. You would be the most powerful on this wretched world and achieve much more than any of your siblings ever could in a much better world that can and will appreciate your talent. You''ve already found wives talented in the wood, water, earth, metal, yin, the rare and almost impossible to occur yang and then the wind elements, what remains is a supreme talent of fire and this Anya girl is the only one that you have a chance of acquiring, assuming we play our cards right, we should be able to coerce your father to hand her over to you, and if that doesn''t work, killing him should not be a problem. After all your father likes he''s wars, and he''s find of appointing generals of all his so called Childes of the empire, setting it up so that he dies in a war in some random Dimension shouldn''t be too hard. But let''s just hope it doesn''t get to that, the reputation of the Zhang clan and Wudang sect is at an all time low due to the crisis in Macau, as such this Zhang Xiao Feng would probably be keeping his head down for the moment. We can use that to our advantage, a scandal in the palace will spoil even more of their reputation and decrease his standing in the eyes of your father, but there''s not much we can do that your father wouldn''t know we''re responsible. So we can only forge his hand, on your father''s banquet you would have to woo this Anya girl and make sure the public sees you with her, enough of it that it would have tongues wagging for a few days after the banquet. And make sure to find ways to humiliate the Zhang brat in front of her and the people, basically softening up for the final blow that would leave her in your arms and his reputation forever destroyed." "What would you do mother?" The second prince asked, to be honest it was not as if he wanted to know. His mother was one of if not the most dangerous woman he has ever met in his life, not knowing what she has planned for the Zhang boy probably means he would be able to sleep well for the next few days. "Believe me Lu Mang, you don''t want to know, just leave it all to mummy, she won''t ever lead you astray." Second Prince Lu Mang nodded to his mother, before asking another question. "Mother there are rumors that father would be announcing who would be crown prince between me and my Third Brother Lu Yi. I also know he''s the first prince, which means he has the popular vote and he''s also quite strong in his cultivation, but so far I''ve had more achievements than him, the votes of the royals are with him, but I have the support of the people. Do you think I stand a chance?" so far their discussion have been amicable, but the moment he finished speaking, his mother''s face took on an annoyed look as she lightly slapped him on the head. "The support of the people! Don''t be stupid, in the long run, none of that matters. Your father doesn''t care about the people of this world and their opinions, neither does he care about the opinions of the officials around him, they listen and do whatever he wants, it''s just their jobs to make sure the economy of his empire is stable and that his ears on other planes, particle world''s and Dimensions are won. Yes you''re popular amongst the public, but mostly to the women and men who''s sexual orientation is questionable. Lu Mang my sweet boy, you''re the most handsome man in all of existence, you''re noble and to this rabble of filth your kind and benevolent. You''ve done a good job in getting them to heel and letting them ignore the fact that just like your brother and father, you''re not natives of this world. Which should be your biggest concern, because of all the Emperor''s children, only your ninth sister, the sixth Princess shares a native bloodline of this planet. A true born daughter of Albion, the next Lady of the lake, keeper of the sword Excalibur, blood of royals, blood of magic and blood of Merlin. The race for the throne has never been between you and your brother alone you fool, it''s between you, your brother and your ninth sister. Three camps, not two, and there are rumors that she''s actually interested in becoming the first Empress of the heaven Empire. And with how basic the people of earth are, they''ll happily jump on that band wagon in the name of having a true earth born sit on that throne. So you see all of our plans are connected. No matter how powerful she gets, a woman can only marry one man, while a man can have as many as he likes. It''s a demographic that''s been the same for millenniums, so whether she likes it or not she will be devoted to a child she''s older than with 5 decades, if his image is bad, so too will hers be. Embarrass, undermine and disgrace him during the banquet, and it should be as soon as your father has announced their engagement. There''s also no guarantee that he''s announcing the crown prince of princess on that day, in fact knowing your father, I would say he plans to have all his children fight for the throne. 119 Forbidden City V : The Ninth Princess Alex and Louis made their way down a hallway and out into a small garden, they''ve been isolated for days now, which was understandable. They were guests of the emperor and his birthday banquet was drawing close, all preparations were in full swing and the personal of the palace would rather not have unauthorized guests walking all over the place. But the section of the palace they were placed in was large enough, so far in the eight days they''ve been here, they''ve had meetings with tailors, had a few training exercises and a visit from Zhang Sanfeng, but apart from that they''ve not met anyone else, especially in the case of Alex who honestly had no idea what his future bride looks like apart from paintings he saw by chance. Apparently the princess was a very private person, and she was currently in the kingdom of Australia in the elite joint academy of all the still functioning global powers of earth, training. However for the past day or two, there''s been rumors going around that she had returned back to the forbidden city in preparation for her father''s birthday. And while that seemed like good news, in all honesty Alex was a little bit unsettle by it, after this was the girl he was expected to marry. However the thing is he just discovered that she was quite a bit older than he was, of course normally that shouldn''t matter in the long run, even if it meant that should this be a world where cultivation didn''t matter, then quite frankly the woman he was about to get married to would be his grandmother. And Louis was more than happy to elucidate on that particular point. "Im serious though! I mean technically she could give birth to at least three of you if not more, and quite a few older than you too. How can you be okay marrying her, she''s older than you with 50 years!" Louis called out in barely undisguised humor as hey walked into a garden. Alex shook his head and looked up at the full moon hanging in the sky. "If you don''t shut up, I''m going to have Khan chase you all night, and this time I''ll make sure he leaves more than just a superficial scratch." Alex threatened with a look so cold Louis was frozen in the spot for a second. The curve to this however was the ice cold chilly gaze that replaced that warmth, and even though Louis doesn''t swing that way, he couldn''t help but acknowledge the fact that being cold made Alex a whole lot more handsome and very, very scary. It was as if his entire being commanded power and he could make anyone and anything submit with just a look, it was nerve grating, and these days anytime Alex decided to threaten a person he almost usually goes through with it. The old Alex was almost completely gone by this point, Louis couldn''t help but ended if the story would have been a little bit more different if his father was still hear. They eventually made it to the middle of the garden where surprisingly enough Khan was waiting for them, but it wasn''t the idea of him waiting for them that baffled Alex and Louis, it was the fact that he was laying down with his head on the lap of a woman so beautiful Louis was at loss for words as he stood there with his feet planted and his mouth opened. Alex was just as affected but, he had more control of his reaction as he didn''t even stop for a bit and walked into he was in front of the woman. She looked up at him and he looked down at her, the small pond reflecting the moonlight and the koi fish in it casting a soft glow on her black hair. Alex shifted his gaze and the took his feet back, before unceremoniously swinging it into the ass of the still sleeping spirit causing it to help in anger as he jumped upwards, wind blasting every which way. "Who dares! I''ll rip you limb from limb! Curse your families for then thousand generations! Rip apart your flesh and...¡­" "Khan!" "Ma-ma-master! What are you doing here?" The Kamaitachi asked as he sat back on his haunches, his very really long tail leaving smooth trails on the pond behind him. Alex sat down on the grass beside the pond, leaning against a pillar that held the roof of a small pavilion, directly opposite the woman who was still silent. "I think the idea is what are you doing here? Didn''t I give you a task? Did you complete it?" Alex didn''t notice one bit how cold his tone had become, he was decisive and bland, unwilling to show weakness to anyone or anything, he had changed, but whether that was good or bad, it was up to the universe to decide. "But I did! She''s right there! I brought her here just like you asked me to!...I just got a little bit sidetracked so I couldn''t come deliver the message that my task was done.....sorry(mumbles)" Alex couldn''t help smiling, the bond he had with Khan wasn''t one of a master and servant, but rather like that between brothers if not a father and child. In these past few days only the antics of the spirit could elicit any sort of reaction from him. Alex turned to face the woman and then got back up to his feet just as Louis walked close enough, then he bowed to her. "I bid you a good evening ninth princess Victoria, I hope your trip from the kingdom of Australia was fine." Louis''s eyes widened in shock as he gave a flourished noble bow, much more refined than Alex''s to the princess. The princess shifted her gaze to Louis first speaking first. "Louis of house Lumiere, this is a far cry from what the son of a duke is expected to do, especially with the responsibilities that''s been left behind for you back in France. But never the less it is good to see you again, I''ve heard much about your talent and skills from your elder brother, it was my wish that I would be able to have someone as capable as you as part of my retinue, what do you say about that." Alex smiled as he sat back down, he heard Khan growl and watched as Louis''s face took on a different shade as he was put in a tough spot. Obviously the princess did not put Alex in her sights, completely ignoring his greetings and talking to Louis who for all intents and purposes was Alex''s subordinate. Of all the things or ways Alex expected her to react, she took one that quite frankly he expected but she took a curve with it. He expected her to ignore him, but this woman was making political alliances, and quite frankly she didn''t have to bend over to Alex. If you thought about it deeply enough, this marriage alliance was not something she felt inclined to refuse, there were tons of ways for her to make life miserable for Alex and just be his wife in name only, after all his mother was doing the same thing to her elder cousin red dragon. As for support, by virtue of marrying the young Master not the Zhang family, the founding clan of the Wudang sect, support became her''s automatically, plus she was dealing with a big that''s green and completely incapable of politics and all it''s intricacies, she probably felt she could control Alex if it comes down to it, after all what can a 14 almost 15 year old boy do. "You flatter me your highness, but my sword, my life, my loyalty all of it belongs to my young Master. No amount of wealth and power can compare to the debt of a life, or the bond of brotherhood we share, I can''t in good faith serve anyone else but him, not even if you''re going to be one of his wives." Alex smiled again, he expected Louis''s answer, but not one that could be as eloquent as this. The princess gave a small scoff and small smile on a rather emotionless face. "Everyone has a price Lumiere, yours just happens to be different. So instead I''ll ask him, Zhang Xiao Feng, gift this servant of yours to me, there''s so much at stake that you don''t understand and his potential would be wasted serving you. The resources I have would be integral in making him one of, if not the most powerful cultivator in the future, if you''re truly his brother then you would consider what''s best for his future." The princess said as she turned to Alex. Alex smiled again as he turned to Louis who squinted his eyes a bit, Louis knew Alex wouldn''t give him up, he was just trying to warn Alex not to do anything rash after the disrespect he just endured. But the again what could be do or say, she was more powerful than he was, she had more resources, more political strength, more followers and more achievements. Alex just started his first into the cultivation world just under a year ago, he couldn''t compare to her, so expecting her to treat him like an equal was going a bit too far. 120 Forbidden City VI : Pawns Of Pawns Alex and Louis left the lofty princess behind, or so it might seem. Barely seconds into the walk back, the silence had become so unbearable for Louis that every step he took was one filled with nervousness. They were young and Louis knew that many people, the princess included looked down on them in the name of them being too young and too inexperienced to understand some things, however the main issue was how Alex truly felt from their interaction with the ninth princess, in all honesty the entire encounter was somewhat humiliating and it left Louis very unsettled because he had no idea what or how Alex was going to react to it now that they weren''t in front of her. "If you want to ask a question Louis please go ahead and do, your steps are so uneven and loud I can''t even focus." Alex spoke out, and not for Khan to answer in Louis''s stead. "Well duh! What do you expect, that stuck up prissy woman completely disregarded you! If only the humans of this world knew how prestigious and powerful a spirit Ki...¡­" "That''s enough Khan I get your point." Alex cut of Khan from completing his train of thought. Louis on the other hand had an eyebrow raised, there was something Alex wasn''t telling anyone, and it was probably about his abilities and connections with spirits. Whatever it was, Khan had almost blurted it out, before Alex cut him off, and in such a scenario Louis was naturally curious about it. And if there was one fatal flaw Louis had, it was his insatiable curiosity. There was this saying about how curiosity killed the cat, well Louis is the cat that doesn''t die and have used those nine lives of his to properly date his curiosity, learning secrets at his age that could ruin the lives of a lot of people. Alex knew he was no under Louis''s radar so he said to him. "I''ll tell you and the others about it later, when we''re all strong enough to protect a secret worth dying for." Louis opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, he can hold only nod his head and let his trust in Alex stand for them both. "About the princess...¡­are you okay?" Louis asked, only for Khan to short in derision as they got to entrance of the garden. "Contrary to what you''re thinking Louis, I''m fine. The woman we met, while she''s the princess, at the same time she''s not. She''s had more experience playing people and politics, but as a princess and someone who''s loved by the world she''s never had to pretend that she''s someone other than when she is, she''s never had to lie and pretend with a smile in front of someone stronger than she is. She''s entitled, but not spoilt, what she just did was to give us both a test, one that I''m sure we passed, but she doesn''t know I''ve noticed it''s a test. She might have a suspicion, but then again it doesn''t matter. "What is it that you''re sure of?" Alex turned to look at the young Lumiere and then turned his head forward with a smile, almost as if he suddenly found life and everything in it quite amusing. "We''ve just been forced into a game the likes of which we''re not prepared for, and in our minds we much think that''s we''re major players on this chess board. But the thing is, the moment we met the ninth princess, we became pawns on her own board, just like how I envision everyone else but the emperor are pawns and puppets playing a game of her own design. It''s funny really, especially for those who might feel as if they have their hands wrapped around the puppet strings of everyone around them, they have no idea their own strings is in the hand of the princess." Alex said as they got to the door of his room, he was about to walk in when Louis called out to him. "Young Master Alex! Is it bad? Is it bad for us if we''re the pawns of the princess?" obviously Louis was worried, the young man had an eye for detail and could source out information out of the most miniscule of details, he was smart, sharp eyed and could spot danger from a mile away. But he was no politician, which was unfortunate because if skills like his could be used in the game of thrones, he would be unbeatable. Louis might have his own secrets and burdens to bear, but he wasn''t able to do what Alex had been forced to learn and do in order to survive. To detach himself from the world and it''s people, but yet remain tethered in fundamental ways, so that he could see exactly what people are like. To be able to observe human behavior rather than the result and aftermath of their actions. Louis can find out how a person carried out an action, be t Alex was learning to tell you why, and even predict when and if an choice would be made before it happens. Two very good skills on their own, but coupled together it made them the most dangerous of players in this game. "To be honest Louis I don''t know, all I can say is that we''re pawns now, because we don''t have the strength to be castles, bishops, knights of queens. So for now, all we''ll do is watch, observe, prevent, and encourage, letting things go the way we want it. Pawns can become queens yes! But that''s not our aim, we''ll climb a ladder of our own making, from pawn to castle, castle to knights, knights to bishops, Bishops to Queens, and when they least expect it, Kings! And it will be done in an instant. Every move made, small or big, leading into one massive outcome, one favorable outcome." And then Alex went into his room, leaving the door open for Khan to follow him, however before the Kamaitachi could follow his master in, he heater Louis muttering a question to himself. "What outcome?" The Kamaitachi stood straight and turned his nose into the air, his black horns and white tentacle like mane waving in the air in some Eldritch way as his green and reddish black eyes blazed with power, Khan gave Louis the answer he was looking for. "Master! Becomes the most powerful man on Earth and all of the cosmos! You better be there by his side flesh bag!" And then Khan went into the room, the door slamming shut behind him by a gust of wind, leaving a baffled Louis behind. <|=|>>>>> {THE COMMUNION OF TRUE SONS }? {BEIJING QUARTER }? Gufei was a mole planted by the imperial guards within this Quarter of the Communion of true sons, his job was to keep an eye on them and report any major moves being made or sensitive information discovered. The thing about the communion of true sons was the fact that they were being funded by someone with a lot of money, and in a world like this, anyone who had money enough to fund terrorism for the better part of 50 years give or take a few decades had to be a well known figure. Now it was just up to the thousands of secret agents sent to infiltrate this terrorist organization to find out who was funding their operations. And today Gufei finally found out who, or rather the list of people who were responsible for funding such a force, and the names on the list were enough to leave the jaws of many hanging. This was a chain of corruption that went up all the way to the very top of the chain of command. Gufei had to admit that in his time here he had felt that the beliefs and morals of this people were not as eschewed as many others thought, after all he was a native born son of earth, he didn''t like the idea of being ruled by foreigners either. But after today, it was hard to look at this organization as righteous, they were nothing more than pawns! The pawns of pawns of pawns! Everyone was playing each other and there was no end to it, the only thing guaranteed is the suffering of the innocents, pain and agony to those who are just innocent bystanders, people who just wanted to live a life of freedom, peace and happiness. Gufei jumped down into the sewer system, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dark as he ducked under the swing of sword. His heart leaped to his throat at the sight of the person in front of him, he couldn''t help but spit out her name with as much animosity as he could muster. "Errata!" "Ah! Gufei! Gufei! Gufei! Your such a sweet boy, you should have just minded your business and not stuck your nose into where it doesn''t belong, now I have to kill you. Alas, what a loss of an awesome fuck toy! You''re quite literally the best I''ve ever had! Oh well, I can just keep you cock as a souvenir and stuff it for future use, that way an important part of you will always remain with me, Hehehehehe! Now DIE TRAITOR!!!" 121 Birthday Banquet I : Sneaky Sneaky The festivities were in order, the city of Beijing was lit up with the fervor of celebration associated with the Emperor''s birthday. To the common man, there really was a festive atmosphere, after all the emperor only celebrated his birthday every decade, and this time it was an important celebration. The emperor was turning 500 which came as a shock to most as it was believed the emperor was much more younger than his recently revealed true age. But none the less it didn''t matter in the long run, because those who were perceptive enough could feel the tensions in the air. A lot of things would be going down tonight, and a lot of people would be making a play for power. It sizzled with anticipation and scent of plots and schemes, haunting and soothing in it''s own way, one would even find such an atmosphere beautiful. There was a rush in the air that was incomparable to sky diving at 30 thousand feet, it made you want to rush head first into the obvious flames that were sizzling, not at all caring that you would get burned and burned pretty badly too. Alex looked at the mirror, the white suite with motifs of white dragons on wind like swirls seemed to highlight his light chocolate skin. He was neither black, nor white, not at all citing t whatever demographic of skin color the world had right now. His narrowed eyes seemed sharper, and their blue green orbs came off as cold, so cold that anyone who looked into them would feel themselves freeze. He had on black suede shoes, as the form fitting suit hugged his body closely, he had on a black long sleeved shirt, and had on cufflinks with the Wudang sects yin-yang symbol. The collar of his white suite jacket was black, and his hair was packed into a small pony tail while his face haircut was uncovered. Louis and Yun Fao were dressed in all black suits with the same printed motifs of dragons, and a massive yin-yang symbol on their back. The triplets had on the same thing, they were his retainers so they had to dress to show him off, but at the same time similar enough to show their connection to the sect and their master. Weapons were not allowed, so there were no spatial rings or any sort of storage ornaments, there was just a simple silver band on their fingers with the words (Feng) on it, easily translated into (Wind). Alex knew he was more than just that element, but this was what the world was using to identify him, after all he had great talent with the wind element, any other apart from the talent in the wood element didn''t matter to the cultivation world. The tailor that had been chosen for them had done her best to make all of them look good and presentable for the banquet, and to their specifications she was able to make the clothes comfortable enough to fight in. The banquet was scheduled to start two hours from now, but it was already packed full with people who came early, certain parts of the Palace was empty, which means this was just the time for them to make their move, Alex had a remnant to exorcise and question. Alex opened the door to his room and went out, he gave the guards standing outside a curt bow as he made his way towards the gardens. In the time that they''ve been here, he had learnt from Louis that their resident bordered the barracks, and the coroner''s lab was actually located at the extreme end of the barracks. "Young Master we''re going to be running interference in exactly sixty seconds, you have to make your way to the blind spot between the garden wall and the barracks, it''s the only way the arrays around the palace won''t notice you jumping the fence." Louis voice came through a tiny ear piece in Alex''s ear, if one looked closely, they would see an inscription that glowed a dim green as Louis''s words came through. "I''m already there Louis." Alex''s voice came through, shocking Louis as he blinked his eyes for a second, before forwards, heading towards the side entrance of the barracks. "Alright, I''ll be making the music in three, two, one¡­.....Bonjour my good guards, me name is Louis Lumiere no! Are you strong good looking men up for a short game of cards! I have money!" *Chink! Chink!* Alex couldn''t help the smile that swept across his face at the sound of a doing pouch jiggling, Sabine had shifted those coins from the guards that were responsible for patrolling their residence, apparently the guards were among those who believed the Wudang sect and the emperor were in cahoots, she happily decided to teach them a lesson, and no their money was being used to scam other guards. Alex jumped up, clearing a four meter wall in one leap as his body made an arch over it, before he twisted in the air and landed on the other side, silent as a feather, and with the grace of a bird. There were a bunch of trees where he landed obstructing him for the view of the soldiers who were still busy running drills on an open field. Alex shifted his eyes a bit, ignoring the half naked soldiers and their sweaty bodies, as the ran with massive rocks held over their heads, he moved around the trees, keeping his body low and making sure his clothes didn''t get dirtied, he was looking for something, and it was proving to hard to find when suddenly he heard a loud clang and the sound of gears shifting. Alex quickly went up a tree and moved his eyes in the direction of the sound, barely three seconds late two soldiers, both male made their way out of a hole from within the hollow of a tree. It was a well hidden secret entrance that led straight to the infirmary which was conveniently right next to the coroner''s office. "Guys I found the secret entrance, two guards just came out of it." Alex said as he kept his gaze on both men. "Were we exposed! What are they doing there?" Yun Fao''s startled voice came through the ear piece. "They''re kissing, I''m pretty sure they''re about to have sex, both of them, both guys.....I''m going to knock them out now, they''re just recruits, barely in the open meridian realm." As soon as Alex finishes speaking, his body feels off the tree, moving silently passed another tree like a white ghost in the night. He came to a stop behind the soldiers who were fervently kissing each other and trying to take the others trousers off, Alex was still a bit shorter than they were, and he would very much prefer to not have to come into too much contact with them so as not to dirty his clothes. He threw a punch, smashing his fist into the open back of one of the soldiers, forcing him forwards as his head smashed into his partner''s, dislodging a few teeth and sending him to dream Land. They both fell to the ground in a tangle of bodies, a swift slap to the back of the head and the guard that''s sure to have spine problems for a while passed out too. Alex had good control of his strength, he just needed to figure out more effective methods to utilize said strength. He dropped down into the entrance swiftly, there was tunnel underneath it and it was thankfully empty if anyone else. Alex raised his head up and spoke out loud. "Guys I''m in, making my way towards the infirmary." "Great now please hurry it up, the party is in full swing, even with the Emperor''s absence, we need to be there like yesterday!" Sabina''s voice rang out with her sisters echoing agreement. Alex gave them a nod they couldn''t see as he ran down the entire length of the damp tunnel, it was about 500 meters long, and the entire distance was traveled by Alex in under 2 minutes. His speed greatly increased even without the augment of Qi or techniques. The other end of the tunnel was ramp that led up to a set of double doors, Alex opened it a bit, peering through a crack to see if there was anyone else in the storage room behind the door. There was no one, he opens the door as silently as he could, slipping into the storage room that smelled too strongly of antiseptic. He ignored the smell of ammonia and made his way out, what lay beyond was a doctor''s room, surveillance in the barracks was next to none and according to Louis info, the area around the infirmary and coroner''s office had absolutely no surveillance, which means Alex could move without the worry of being caught. 122 Birthday Banquet II : Ghosts and Rituals The first thing Alex felt the moment he stepped into the mortuary was the chill, the cold was unlike anything he had ever felt, and this was not because cold was required to preserve a dead body, but rather because of energy that hung around this place. Yin, negative, evil, death, whatever choice of words you might have for such an energy, Alex could feel it, and it was the most uncomfortable and unsettling feeling he has ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Alex shook his head as he properly registered what it was he was seeing, Specters of human beings floated allover the place. However Alex was sure of one thing, he wasn''t seeing these guys with his normal sight, if Louis or any of the others were here, Alex doubted they would have been able to see exactly what he was seeing, maybe Louis might have a chance due to his Yin cultivation roots, but apart from that, the sight in front of him went far beyond the material world, this theme was well and fully supernatural. Alex didn''t want to call them ghosts, even though that''s exactly what they were, just like the remnant he came here for, these was what would be left behind should a person die with grievances, or at least that''s what Alex believed, he had no idea how ghosts were born or made. There were men, women and children of all age and sizes, they floated around the hallway in front of Alex with blank looks on their faces, they were pale and their eyes bloodshot and soulless. Alex noticed that some of the ghosts seemed to be fading, they looked incorporeal, but the edges of their forms were almost invisible of outright missing. Each of the ghosts had some sort of defining feature, either a broken neck, a cut on the stomach, broken backs etc., basically it was a show of what exactly would responsible for their deaths. Alex took a step forward, and the moment he did so, the attention of every ghost in that hallway was drawn to his form. Alex froze, the chill seemed to have increased even more as the ghosts began to let out wailing sounds as they floated towards Alex, he took a step back but that didn''t stop them as they drew closer. It was a haunting sight and Alex felt his heart pounding in his chest, for some reason he was completely petrified as they drew closer, incapable of moving or doing anything other than watching as the ghosts drew closer and closer, until the first ghost touched him. She was a teenager of about fifteen years old, there was a knife stuck in her chest or to be more precise a dagger with the symbol of the imperial family. [If you don''t move you ass, every ghost in this mortuary will snack on your bloody soul! Move it Alex!] Alex got the feeling that Nezha had been trying to contact him from the moment he stepped into this mortuary, however Alex had been enthralled by the weird feelings and sights the moment he had stepped into this part of the building. Alex didn''t waste time as he rushed forwards, but not before the ghost girl placed a hand on his head and pulled out another sliver of his soul. Alex felt sick, like he would disgorge everything he had invested today, but he was able to fight the feeling and move forwards, evading the other ghosts and he quickly located the room where dead bodies were kept, he closed the door behind him and quick hunched over to catch his breath, his heart was beating too fast. [They''re ghosts Alex, doors won''t stop them. Use this!....] Nezha sent Alex an image into Alex''s head, before coming here Nezha had told Alex to prepare some materials for the ritual that would get him the memories of the remnants and a way to properly end it. Alex looked around the mortuary, ignoring the dead bodies lying down on various tables one of which was surprisingly the person he was here for as the remnant was still tethered to his body. Alex located a basin with water in it, he quickly shoved his hand into his suit we pulled out several packets of salt and then opened on into the basin of water. There was a ruler of sorts on the table besides him, he used it to stir the water as he moved the basin back towards the door, where he proceeded to draw a symbol of a pentagram with a cross on it. Alex moved back from the door as watched as it glowed a golden white light and small barrier seemed to spread around the entire room, preventing any ghost like spirits from coming in or going out. According to Nezha this was a ritual that could be used against ghosts and against the demons and devil''s, all you had to do was invert the cross and you would be able to create a barrier or a safe zone to stop such creatures from entering a place or trapping them. Alex wouldn''t ask how Nezha knew about such a ritual, he had bigger fish to fry. Listening to instructions from Nezha, he took the remaining packets of salt, ignoring other ghosts in the room until he got rid the remnant. He spread the salt in a circle around the body, making sure to infuse as much of his spirit energy into the salt as he made the salt circle. Salt was a purifying life agent, it could trap, seal, bound, and contain which were all variations of the same thing, but Nezha had a way with words. It was also possible to use salt in exorcisms but more often than not extensive preparations was needed. Alex lit his right finger on fire, a pale green flame lit up the dim room, then Alex bent down and placed his hand on the salt circle, almost immediately the entire salt circle lit up, going from a pale green to a deep black in seconds. Alex watched in fascination as the remnant began to shake and move, struggling to get away from the body it was still tethered to and away from the circle of black flames, but it was tightly bound, meaning there was no way it could escape. It released subdued pitched whines that were similar to the whines of a new born pup, but even then Alex didn''t move from his position as he watched in fascination. He watched on in fascination as the remnant began to burn, it''s grey shadowy form began to turn into flecks of blackish red embers that floated over the dead body, turning into a small cloud of seemingly burning dust. It formed a small cyclone that was somehow still tethered to the dead body, but that didn''t last for long as it slowly floated upwards, but still within the confines of the burning salt circle. Then Alex heard the final instructions from Nezha, he quickly moved to the north side of the body and the circle which was of course it''s head, then he used his feet to smudge on side of the circle, creating and opening and immediately the flames went out. As soon as that happened, the cyclone of burning black dust billowed out in fury, rushing out of the break in the circle and straight into Alex''s body. The impact was yeah enough to raise Alex off his feet and slam him against the wall, the walls themselves glowing good as the barrier recognized Alex as having a spirit in his body and preventing him from breaking through. Alex''s nostrils were filled with scent of incense and Ash, there was also a scent of burning leather as a weird tater was left behind in his mouth. If he was asked, the only thing he would have said was that it tasted like death. Alex took a deep breath as he got back up to his feet, the effects he felt leaving his body just as quickly as they had been felt. "Young master Alex! Hurry up! Your sister and your fianc¨¦e are right outside the doors with a bunch of disciples from the Emei sect, we''re stalling them, but you need to get here right now!" Yun Fao''s loud whispers was heard from the ear piece. Alex looked around a bit confused as he tried to understand something, his eyes widening in the process too. He looked around as he made his way out of the mortuary, the barrier breaking on it''s own and the evidence of his tiny ritual left behind him. He evaded the ghosts as he hurried back, then he spoke to the others still listening. 123 Birthday Banquet III : Reunion [It was Tsun Tzu who once said that to know your enemy you must know yourself, because you can''t beat an enemy you don''t know, an enemy you don''t understand. However....to know your enemy is to become your enemy, it''s to live in their philosophy, their drives and their ambition, and some enemies are deep. Very much like an abyss of difference and complexity that pulls you deeper with each and every second that passes. Yes you want to know your enemy, quite frankly it''s the only way to understand why your enemy is the way they are, but do you ever stop to think, that to know your enemies, even if you Know yourself; you would become them! You would lose yourself on the road to victory, becoming the very monster, villain, or hero your trying to fight. War of any kind is not pretty, because no matter what you do, you''re still going to lose yourself to it.] ANONE Anya had enough of waiting as she barged into Alex''s room with his sister in tow, their fellow disciples followed behind them, not at all caring for the flustered Yun Fao, of the bored looking triplets sitting on a couch. Xiao Mei didn''t seem to worried as she sat on the bed, her exquisite purple gown hugging her voluptuous frame, Yun Fao couldn''t take his eyes of her, his enamored look was so obvious it made the three other disciples laugh. But Anya didn''t care, the person she was looking for wasn''t here and she was beginning to lose her patience. "Yun Fao where the hell is Alex! Is he okay?" Anya asked for what seemed like the hundredth time, Xiao Mei gave a sigh as she turned to Anya. "Would you stop being so worried about him, he''s not a child and I think we both know he can protect himself, you''re not usually like this with anyone, not even me. I understand you''ve known my little brother the longest and you guys have been inseparable since childhood and now you''re engaged to each other. But he''ll be fine, in fact he''s...¡­" "ANYAAAAAA!" The door to Alex''s room blasted open again, this time smacking Yun Fao who was still standing there across the room. And overly excited Khan bumbled into the room, making a beeline for a caught of guard Anya. The Kamaitachi took a leap, going for a tackle or maybe a hug, with how these two had played with each other the last time they met it was hard to tell. But rather than getting the hug he expected and elbow smashed into the side of his head, sending him towards the bed where a bolt of lightning shot out of Xiao Mei''s hands and right into the body of Khan. The skirt was thrown across the room, his body smoldering as he gave low pitched whines of pain, Khan was a spirit of wind, but he was also part demonic and sort of a ghost though not fully, he had an extreme weakness to Lightning. "The fuck is wrong with the both of you?" they couldn''t answer, not that they didn''t have anything to say, but because the Alex in front of them seemed...¡­different. Alex walked towards Khan and pulled him back into his mantle, obviously the friendship he had with these two ladies had suffered a somewhat ''shocking hit'' and knowing how mischievous Khan could be, Alex was sure he would come back for revenge. Alex gave a small sigh as he turned to look at them, the look in his eyes had changed, it was softer, kinder, the one they were all familiar with. Louis Gabe a sigh of relief as he released a breathe he didn''t even know he was holding, Alex of recent was like a volatile keg of explosives, Khan was not his let or his servant, the way Alex treated Khan was very much like the way Louis''s one father and brother treated him. That Demon wolf, spirit weasel thing was like a brother and a son to Alex, the fact that the room was not on fire was a good sign. "I''m sorry I snapped, you guys hurt Khan." Alex answered back as meekly as he could, shocking Yun Fao and Louis who were getting used his new no nonsense cold attitude. "I''m sorry little brother I didn''t know, he looks really different from before, he''s grown.....a lot. I''ll make it up to him later, so how...¡­" *Bang!* Alex flew across the room and over his sister''s head as he was smashed into head board of his bed, cracking the ornately designed golden frame. Xiao Mei shook her head as she got up from the bed just in time for Anya to jump over her, her white and black single strap dress billowing around her as she brought a knee down on Alex''s neck. But this guy was very much different from the Alex she knows, Alex turned to the side, ignoring the groaning sound the bed made as it collapsed under pressure of Anya''s falling knee strike. She stabbed her palm towards Alex, using a technique he had taught her as Alex retaliated with the (Viper Evaded Buddha Hands) deflecting the strike and forcing her off balance as she fell on top of him. Obviously the fight should be over, but Anya''s teeth quickly found it''s way to Alex''s ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Anya stop! Stop! You win! Owwwww! Let go, let go!" she didn''t seem like she wanted to listen, but with his ear still in her mouth she said to him. "I don''t care how many dark things you see, how many times you come close to death, you never look at me that way again! Never ever! Promise me!" Alex fell silent, Anya was the toughest chick apart from his mom Alex knew, but just like Yun Fao she was sensitive to change and detail, but not in others, that particular skill was only tailored for one person, and that was Alex. All of the politics and machinations aside, in the end these two cared deeply about each other, a love so strong that even the years they spent together should not have been enough to forge it, but it was there, and they were still quite young. It was hard to say just how devoted they would be to each other in the future. Alex hugged her as she released his ears and softly told her. "I''m sorry for looking at you like that, I was just made for a second, Khan is family to me. But I promise, I''ll never turn that look on you, or on the rest of our family." Alex promised with a smile, however. "I don''t know about you master! But I''mma look at her and big sis Xiao Mei with the eye of evil for ten thousand years! I''ll curse them both!" A livid Khan appeared besides Alex looking as good as new. Anya turned to him and attempted to grab the spirit, but he had already leapt off the bed, hastily dodging a Xiao Mei who also tried to hold him. "Oh Khan come here, let us Apologize, we didn''t mean anything by it! We''re sorry my baby!" Xiao Mei said to him. "Who''s your baby? (Mumbles) I''m not anyone''s baby" Khan said as he turned his head to the side looking all wronged and solemn. In the madness of everything, both Xiao Mei and Anya hadn''t realize that Khan was talking now. Anya got off Alex, her knee pressing into his sternum in the process and driving the air out of his body as she scrambled off the bed. "You can be angry at us then, I guess we can give all these special snacks we found to someone else, and heard you really like wind attributed materials. I have some really weird fruits here that whistle every time the wind touches it, I hear it''s extremely delicious and of the wind element, we''ll give it to Louis then." Anya said as she pulled out a small sack from a storage bracelet. "Noooooooo! Anyone but Louis! He''s a Lesbo!" Khan''s outburst was surprising, but all Alex and Louis could do was shake their heads and cover their face. The Kamaitachi was under the impression that Louis was gay due to how beautiful he looked, which was partially true as the French noble swung both ways of the gender spectrum, but then the term he used in describing Louis was a teensy, tiny bit..... wrong. But none the less it seems like the girls got the forgiveness they were looking for. *Knock! Knock! Knock!* "Childe Spirit Wind I beg your forgiveness for this intrusion, but the ninth princess humbly requests your presence on her way to the banquet, you''re to be her escort Young Master Zhang Xiao Feng." A voice called out from behind the door, drawing everyone''s attention. Alex went to a mirror to adjust his clothes as he inclined his head to Louis who went to the door and gave an answer to the Maid that was sent. "Thanks so much for informing us beautiful, The Childe would be with the princess shortly, have a wonderful evening milady." Alex had no doubt that there maid was probably blushing her life out, but then again that''s just the effects Louis had on most women. Alex turned just as Sabine said. "Well I guess....." 124 Birthday Banquet IV : Two Tigers, One Mountain There wasn''t enough time for Anya and Xiao Mei to introduce the three girls that accompanied them from the Emei sect, even then there didn''t seem to be a reason too because as soon as they left Alex''s resident all three of them excused themselves and took a different route to the party, evidently it might seem hat they were not too keen on meeting the princess. So Alex and with Anya and his sister in tow, along with Louis, Yun Fao and the triplets with a haughty looking Khan walking right besides Alex, met the princess and her entourage, which for some reason was filled more with men than women. The thing is they weren''t dressed as subordinates, rather they seemed more like nobles, men with power or the son''s and daughters of families who had power. "You kept me waiting." The princess said as she looked at Alex with a bored look, and he replied to her with the same time. "I was busy." Short, precise and straight to the point, if she wanted to ask what it was he was doing Alex was going to make sure it didn''t end to well for her face l, especially in front of a crowd that he was sure we''re mostly her suitors, suitors who had no idea that the arrogant looking and sounding kid in front of them was going to be the husband of the object of their affections, Alex couldn''t help but feel a little bit as a bead of sweat broke out on his head. He might be different, but he knew exactly when he was being surrounded by a pack of lions, and this scenario was such a case. Obviously regardless of what position he might now hold in the empire, even if he does get engaged with the princess, the moment it''s announced that Alex was to get engaged with her, he would have a target painted on his back, and none of these guys would care who he is, the position and the power that comes with being the husband of the ninth princess was worth offending even the emperor for, as long as they succeed. Victoria turned her eyes to look at the group of people behind Alex''s back, they were dressed well, all too well. So even if she wouldn''t say it, they all made an impression on her, especially Alex. However his sister and the girl besides him was just as eye-catching, the silver dress the princess was wearing with diamonds encrusted in it made her look like a fairy goddess. Xiao Mei with her purple dress looked regal, enough to match the finesse of a queen, but brown skinned girl besides Alex on the other hand, with her right fitting black and white dress, and bountiful assets, and me that Victoria was afraid that in a few short years she wouldn''t be able to compare too, after all last she heard this girl was just seventeen. "Your majesty it is good to see you again and in such good health, and yes I''m aware of the arrangements that''s been made. All I can say is as long the wind I love flows in the direction you choose to lean, then this Flower''s blades shall belong to you." This was basically the same thing that happened with Louis, but apparently Xiao Mei and princess had history together, but none the less the gist was the same, "be loyal to my brother and I''ll be loyal to you" even if she didn''t say it out loud. "And you must be Anya, I''ve heard a great deal about you and your talent, and also recently learned of your betrothal to Childe Spirit Wind, that definitely came as a surprise to me, but in the end you''re not a threat to me any manner whatsoever. I trust I can count on you to not get in my way, things tend to get unpleasant for those that do." Alex felt his heart stuck in his throat as the only thing he could say in his mind was they''re dead. Anya was all brawn and no brains, no finesse and no political no how. Sure she knew what''s up, but she''s a girl greatly led by her heart, and right now she was being threatened...¡­Alex knew what happened to people who threatened her, but the thing is the princess was too powerful and Anya with her wild and ferocious manner might cause an incident. However she gave an answer that shocked everyone who knew of her character. "Sure no problem, I mean come on! You''re the princess what could you possibly have that I want or be doing that I''ll want to get in your way. Please your majesty, in this life all I need is food and water in my belly, and Alex by my side, nothing else matters, so I don''t see how I''ll get in your way when I don''t care about you or what you do." Louis had to pick his jaw up from the ground with the help of Yun Fao, Nezha was laughing his ass out and ¨¦bi¨¦ chuckled softly and muttered about how much she liked Anya. This girl was just too simple and too straight forward, she knew this was not a time for a fight, and she wasn''t really good with politics, so she was as honest as possible when she gave her answer. But no matter how you look at it, her answers made her seem condescending, not caring about a princess that had the entire world hanging on the lapels of her dress, Anya had guts, and those around the princess thought she had too much of it. "How dare you, you filthy low born dirt....." "Enough!" the princess called out, shutting the over eager young man, and eventually preventing Alex and Khan from pouncing on him. The others might not have noticed, but the princess did, both master and spirit beasts looked prepared to tear a person apart if any I''ll was mentioned of Anya. Victoria didn''t understand why, but it left a sour feeling in her mouth and eerie turn to her stomach, it made her jealous...¡­she didn''t like it. "Very well Anya, it seems you''re as honest as the reports say you are. Please can you and Childe Zhang Xiao Feng walk with me to the banquet, it would be my extreme pleasure to get to know you more on the way." The princess offered an olive branch that Alex didn''t see coming and Anya took it. "Really? That''s great! I''ve never met a real princess before! Come!" Then she dragged Alex behind her almost as if he weighed nothing. She placed Alex between her and the princess as they walked forward, it was a fifteen minute walk to the hall where the banquet was being held, however the got there after 40 minutes, with both Anya and the Princess asking each other questions and Alex was drafted after them, helplessly stuck in the middle. As for the people following them, they could only watch on helplessly at what was happening in front of them, it was...¡­. Unexpected. <|=|>>>>>> Soft music was being played as a life band entertained everyone, the banquet could be said to already be in full swing as all of the royal family with the exclusion of the emperor and empress and the three Imperium concubines. The ninth princess was also not here, but everyone understood that the princess was quite a figure, she came and left as she wished and the Emperor won''t fault her for it. Cliques were formed all around the banquet hall, representatives from the six main schools were there. The Shaolin temple monks had on their traditional monk robes, the people from the beggar''s sect we''re properly dressed for once, though they still looked out of place with their weird hair ornaments. The imperial academy were in formal military wear looking all serious and poised. The Tang sect with their black and purple suits probably hiding a lot of poisons and hidden weapons grouped themselves in the darkest part of the banquet hall, only the bravest of waiters and lot foolish of people could Walk up to them to either serve or talk to them, rumor had it that they could poison with a look. Next was the Emei sect, obviously they had the most amount of people around them, mostly makes who could not resist the slide and beauty of the females of the sect, every time there was a function like this, females of marriageable age were the ones that always accompanied the representative, that way the sect could make more connections and with more power, most people just think it''s an elaborate front for prostitution and slave trade, but then again only people without strength thought so, none of the girls were forced to marry someone they didn''t want to, so it was all a matter of perspective. The Wudang sect had as much people around them as the Emei sect, but it was split between two camps. One that followed the current sect head and the other that followed Zhang Sanfeng, the acknowledged strongest man in the world. Basically it was quite a conundrum who to curry favor with, but apart from the side powers of the east, there were also powers from the West. But none of those people were In the spotlight as a page opened his mouth to announce the arrival of new guests. "Introducing the ninth princess of the empire of heaven, the next Lady of the lake, keeper of the sword Excalibur, Blood of Royals, Blood of Magic, Blood of Merlin; Her royal Highness Princess Lu Victoria Albion! Accompanied by Daughter Of Fire, Anyaja Omakpe Of the Wudang sect! 125 Birthday Banquet V : Invitation, Gif The princess was sight to behold and so was Anya, Alex on the other hand didn''t have face that could cause kingdoms to fall, what he had however was the audacity to bring a wolf into the banquet hall of the emperor, and for that reason alone he had all eyes on him. The princess made her way to her own circle of friends, Alex gave a smooth bow and made his way to his mother and grandmother, Anya and Xiao Mei followed, and after a quick greeting they found a corner of the banquet hall to sit and watched the festivities. The hall was beautiful, it''s decoration were golden themed as was expected of an Imperial celebration, but in all honesty Alex felt a little sickened by it. There were too many lies woven into the splendor and glamor of this place, but this was what it meant to be in the royal court, it was a veritable nest of snakes and scorpions each one more poisonous than the next. As they say waiting for the arrival of the emperor, a servant walked towards their table, he was dressed differently and he had an air of pride about him, Alex leaned back on his seat as Anya whispered something into his ears making him laugh, while he kept a wary eye on the approaching servant. "I bid you all a good evening, and a gracious one to you lady Anya. Please if you would be so inclined, my master has requested your presence and it would delight him greatly if you were held comply." They were all taken aback, Khan who was lying on the ground raised his head up to look at the servant a rather mischievous glint in his eyes. All eyes seemed to be on them, in one way or the other, this banquet seemed to be an arena for the younger generation to showcase their skills in subterfuge and politics. "And who the fuck is your master?" a voice asked, however none of the people sitting in front of the servant had opened their mouth, so he couldn''t tell who could be so crass. "My master is the second prince of the heaven empire, the world''s most handsome man His royal Highness prince Lu Mang!" There was so much ego dripping from the servant''s words that Alex almost felt sick, he raised an eyebrow, but still didn''t say anything, none of them did, Khan was still having his fun. "Oh! If he''s the most beautiful man in the world then do you reckon he''ll taste good master, should we go eat him? We can have his servant to desert too." Alex gave a small smirk as he placed a hand over Anya''s shoulder and pulled her closer, she didn''t resist, and if not for the fact she had a skin as brown as the richest earth, Anya would probably be blushing from crown of her head to the soles of her feet. Alex turned his head forcing the servant to follow as he discovered who had been given him answers since he came here. "I''ll tell the prince that Lady Anya is currently preoccupied, please excuse me." He left much more quicker than he had arrived, Alex and the others laughed amongst themselves. They really couldn''t help it, the entire experience was really funny, but Alex reckoned he''s probably made an enemy of the second prince, but then again he was getting married to the ninth princess, rumors were that they didn''t get along. "Do you think such a course of action was wise little brother, the prince is not just the most handsome man in the world, he''s also quite powerful with a lot of powerful friends." Xiao Mei said to her brother with a worried look. "The Zhang family does not even cowl before the emperor, his tenth and youngest child is not fit to carry your shoes big sister, don''t worry about it and let him play his games, no one is laying a hand on Anya this night, I''ll kill them first!" "Wow so fierce, you''re so young but you''re so in love! So cute!" Alex couldn''t help but shudder as he turned to look at Louis, they all did. The young man had actually squealed like a girl at the end of his words and it freaked them all out. "What! I like romance okay! (Mumbles) it''s nice you know(sniff)." It was in that moment the emperor was announced, the entire hall sudden went silent as the supreme ruler of the empire of heaven walked in. As usual he was glad in a golden suit, but this time the shit he had on had a tail coat and was quite formal, the Empress, and the three Imperial concubines behind him followed behind, ach wearing dresses of the deeper shades of red, looking exquisite and all so eye catching that the vigor and lust of more than half the men within the hall was stored. These were some of the most beautiful women in the world, and the fact that none of them were native to earth made it all the more obvious how wanted they all were. But they belonged to the emperor, except for the empress, who was of the royal family of the empire of Albion and the mother of the ninth princess, the other women of the emperor could and would be considered and exotic foreigners, especially in the case of the second Prince''s mother. She was an elf, and had a beauty and body shape that was unmatched by any other woman. She has even been called the epitome of perfection, and as such it came as no surprise to many that her son was the most beautiful man alive. A customary how was given to the emperor, and it was held until he was sitter on his throne, his eyes surveying everyone and everything. This was a celebration, but he had such an imposing sure on him that was unmatched by anything or anyone present, it wasn''t his cultivation base that caused such pressure, but rather the idea of who and what he was, a freaking Emperor. Every movement made and taken spoke volumes of the amount of power he held, Alex wouldn''t openly admit this to anyone, but he was extremely envious of it. "Everyone! We''re very glad that you''ve all decided to brace us with your presence and this glorious and auspicious day. Our very long life has been made meaningful by your service and loyalty to the throne, to me and we will not take it for granted. Now come! Present your gifts! And let the younger generation display their extreme talents! Because while we grow older we still see clearly, and we know that our children are our future! Enjoy yourselves!" The speech was a little bit more brief than was expected, but then again there was no need for the emperor to give a very long speech on his own birthday, it would be somewhat exhausting. Though Alex got the feeling the Emperor like to hear himself talk, he was only brief because he wanted to go deeper into the action that this night will bring, like it was some sort of game. Alex watched as gifts were given to the emperor, even he had to prepare a gift at the behest of his grandfather, and it was something Alex really wished he didn''t have to give. Alex, His sister and Anya walked up to the emperor with a box in Alex''s hand, honestly given what he knew about the emperor he would rather prefer to not have any collaboration with him, but it was not as if he had much of a choice in the matter. Alex bowed as a servant raised the lid of the box, and nearly golden into it was a coat made of glimmering Sylph scales and a bunch of other precious materials. "Your Majesty, this gift is humble in regards to what has been offered to you, I forged this coat myself after mine and my fellow disciples rescue from the infernal Prison Dimension. It is made from Sylph wings and a new metal which I had at synthesized while in the Dimension. The metal is capable of channeling both Qi and Mana, making it this equipment a multi discipline equipment, capable of serving a cultivator or a mage and knight. It''s not had any arrays or wards inscribed into it, so it''s still pretty much ordinary, however it is strong and extremely durable, possible and almost impossible for someone under the peak of the earth gate realms to cause any damage to it, and that''s without Inscriptions. It gives minor control over the element of wind and can actually change the size of it''s user to that of a sylph, I hope his Majesty likes this gift." As soon as Alex finished speaking the Emperor gave a nod of his head and wild smile, that to everyone else might seem endearing, but to Alex, seemed like the look of a man toying with the lives of someone else. "You''re quite talented as a forger Childe Spirit Wind, but I want to see you in a battle! Show me your power boy! Is there anyone willing to challenge the young Master of the Zhang clan and Wudang sect, you can not be above the cultivation realm of the true Element realm, it has to be fair. He''s only in the open Dantian realm, but has such great talent, I offer a million gold to whoever decided to challenge him first, and he will earn my favor." Safe to say, five people, four boys and a girl took his offer almost immediately, setting the stage as Alex cursed softly, none of them were in the open Dantian realm, but rather the true essence realm, thankfully no true element realm of he would be screwed. This was just so bothersome but Alex had no choice. "Now choose Childe of the Empire, who would be your opponent?" The emperor asked as he looked down at Alex from his perch on his throne. Alex took of his jacket and handed it to Anya, as he turned to the people who were all too willing to kick his ass. 126 Birthday Banquet VI : Fight! "All of them at the same time? It seems your grandson is quite arrogant elder Zhang Sanfeng, but then again considering the cloth he was cut from I shouldn''t be to surprised." Alex''s words did have the impact of making everyone think he was arrogant, after all he was going up against five individuals not at a higher level than him, but at a higher realm. "There''s not a single but of iota of arrogance within the body of my Zhang clan''s young Master, in fact I would say he''s too humble for his own good, not fighting them one on one is so that he doesn''t accidentally focus too hard on one individual in leave said person Injured." Alex''s uncle answered, quite frankly Zhang Sanfeng could not be bothered to answer common schemers like this, he only had eyes for Alex. Alex at Fourteen was just under five feet tall, he was slim but quite fit, those ugh shape eyes knew he would grow up to be quite tall, and even though he couldn''t be considered as overly handsome, Alex had poise and grace even the most handsome of men would not be able to replicate. Besides he was still growing and there was no telling just how much more good looking he would get, but right now the simplest words to use in describing the way he slowly coded the sleeves of his shirt would be...cool. But good looking or not, there was just some things that didn''t add up. "Did the Zhangs offend the emperor again? Why is he putting the young Master of the Zhang clan against such unfair odds?" "I don''t really know, but looking at the people he has to fight I feel sorry for the young man already! If he had picked just a single opponent then maybe he would have stood a chance." "Don''t count him out yet, I heard his talent is a once in a billion years! The tabloids say he''s the best Zhang to have come out of the Zhang family and that he would surpass all of the previous Zhangs that came before him!" "I feel like that''s an exaggeration! Sure he''s talented but he''s also young and inexperienced! Look at the people he has to fight! They''re scions of major sects and clans! Not to mention top class talent and a little bit older and more experienced than him. Just face it, the Zhang kid is toast." "Maybe, maybe not, the fight''s not started yet, neither has it ended, we''ll know exactly what we''re dealing with once it''s over, you all don''t have to make unnecessary noise around me you fools!" "Our apologies your highness, we''ll mind our words second Prince Lu Mang." Alex tried not to pay attention to the people whispering around him, it was really annoying and some small part of him was doubting whether or not he''s not bit off more than he can chew, but there was no going back, not at this point. Alex walked to the middle of the hall, and right besides him was a haughty looking Khan, but considering his tail was moving in an agitated manner, it was easy to tell us was also preparing to fight. "You shameless, virgin forever celibate! You''re one to talk about fairness, you''re an entire realm above my master! I''m a part of him as he is a part of me, if you can fight us both then go sit your bloody ass down!" Alex wanted to dig a hole and throw himself into it, no matter the outcome of this fight, Alex had made an enemy. "My name is Bo Ran! And this is Chong Yu, Lian Fei, Bing Meng''er and Erasmus Colt! I would suggest we fight one on one, but words spoken in the presence of the emperor must be honored, now! Take my (Arhat Fist!)" Bo Ran the monk shot towards Alex his fist covered with a golden his as he smashed it towards Alex''s chest. Alex moved his body to the left, the fist brushing past his chest with barely three centimeters not separation between them. Alex took a step back and ducked down, his entire body seemingly shrinking into itself as a kick went over his head, however in that moment Khan made his move as he shot towards the outstretched let of the man that was introduced as Lian Fei, a lanky looking frail thing dressed all in black. "Arghhh!" He screamed out in pain as he took a step back, Khan turned into a very visible gust of wing that went back towards Alex as he moved up, locking his arm under the armpit of the monk and executing a judo style throw. The monk twisted his body landing on his feet as he turned, his golden fist twisting in the air as it flew towards Alex''s unprotected face. The gust of wind that was Khan slammed into the monk, throwing him backwards and into a table with fruits, meanwhile Alex ducked down and sent both his elbow backwards, smashing into the chest of Chong Yu and Erasmus Colt sending both men flying backwards as he turned and hooked his hand under the soft thighs of Bing Meng''er, his other hand grabbed her throat, with the young woman completely shocked and caught off guard by how close Alex''s arm was to her forbidden area. But Alex didn''t care one bit about that as he brought her smashing down into the earth in a child slam that not only rattle her bones but forced her to spit out blood. Alex too a step back and watched as all of a sudden Lian Fei gave out a gurgled scream as he collapsed to the ground, his hands was clutched around his chest as blood began to spill out from his nose, eyes, ears, mouth, and even the pores of his skin, but more importantly from the very nasty bite wound Khan left behind. Alex rolled his shoulder and said out loud. "If you don''t get him to a doctor, or at least someone who can lift curses, then he''s going to die painfully. He''s under a bleeding curses and he doesn''t have much time left, as for the rest of you, enough games! Higher realm of not, without your energy, when it comes to strength, speed, or martial arts you can''t beat me. And for your sakes you better come at me with the intent to kill, because I will do the same." It didn''t take too long for some people to come over and carry the already unconscious Lian Fei away, however at that moment this became more than just a simple demonstration. Alex took just a minute and some seconds to completely change the atmosphere of the banquet, and from the smile etched on the Emperor''s face, it was obvious he was enjoying it. "This was supposed to be a simple demonstration of your prowess and that of your opponent, you and your demonic beast should not have been too heavy handed, you lack discipline, and compassion and are too ruthless. In the name of Buddha I will have to enlighten you on the right path by battling you, please my friends! Do not interrupt, Childe Spirit Wind has made this personal." Bo Ran spoke out loud with a ridiculous amount of righteousness just oozing and dripping from his words and demeanor, it made Alex sick. A golden Buddha suddenly appeared behind Bo Ran, and clasped in the hands of the Buddha was a somewhat familiar golden bell. The illusory bell came down to cover Bo Ran, serving as a sort of defense against attacks from Alex. The appearance of the golden Buddha and bell however, sent shockwaves through the crowd of people watching. "The Shaolin temple has a splendid and talented disciple this time, maybe too talented." "Indeed! He has obviously fused the Shaolin (Golden Bell) and ( Buddha Palm) technique together to create this new and entirely unique martial art. Such intuition and perception is next to none, the birth of a new martial art! And not from scratch, but from the combination of two other powerful arts! It is sure to be extremely powerful!" "That''s very true brother! Do you think the Zhang Childe will be able to come up with something that can defend against this art, because the defense of the golden bell is absolute, not to mention Bo Ran is at a higher realm than he is, he would not be able to break through the bell!" "To be honest the Zhang Childe has not showed any of his cards yet, he just evaded and fought against all of them to get a feel of ordinary abilities, he should have a strategy to handle Qi or in the case of the Erasmus child, Qi and Mana Battle Energy!, If not.....then I''m afraid he''s finished!" Alex got tired of all the words goings around, he raised his hand to his forehead as the temperature rose up, reaching an all time high. As he brought his hand down from his face, his fire mask had suddenly appeared on his face, Alex looked at Bo Ran and pointed a finger at him. 127 Birthday Banquet VII : Two Elements Bo Ran planted his feet solidly on the ground, obviously he had no intention of moving from his position, from the look of things, Alex suspected that this new martial art of his probably emphasized on defense being the best offense. So all in all Alex would have to take the fight to him, but why worry too much about getting up close and personal when he knew he could just as easily school this guy from a distance. Alex had no fire cultivation root, but with his mantle spirit masks, he had no just masterful control over flames, but he could actually enhance their powers to levels that normal human cultivators would not be able to reach. After all what Alex had told Bo Ran a few minutes ago was actually right, he had the flames of a god, because that was exactly what legendary spirits were, they were gods that humanity used to once worship, Nezha had called them heroic spirits. Alex''s and Nezha''s power had grown to be completely in sync with each other, their bind stronger and as such their understanding of each other. It was safe to say that Alex and Nezha were almost completely at the stage of body and spirit as one, a stage where Alex''s human body would be no different from that of Nezha''s, and his control and resistance over flames would be absolute. Alex clapped his hands together before pulling them apart, and as he did so a spear made completely of fire came into existence, burning a blazing reddish good as Alex kept his gaze on the righteous looking Bo Ran. "I though he was in the open Dantian realm? His is he able to control flames, and even more so how is it possible that he can shape them in such a way, cultivators in the true element realm aren''t that capable of such a level of control, but most of all isn''t his cultivation root wind attributed, and what''s with the mask?" a startled voice asked amongst the crowd. "I heard that mask is a part of a legacy that he found in the dark continent, not much is known about it, but I hear the god of fire resides in it, he had made an appearance once before in the Wudang sect." another voice whispered to the one asking the question, but with how loud and how powerful the people in the hall were, it was no different to him climbing on top of a take to announce it to the entire world. "You expect me to believe that this half breed has the power of a god of fire? Are you retarded?" "Who''re you calling retarded, you''re retarded, your mother''s retarded, your whole family is retarded you retard!" Alex dug his heels into the ground as he was pushed back, a squeaking sound being made as his heels left a blazing trail on the polished marble floor. He got back to his feet to notice the haughty look on Bo Ran''s face, however one shift of Alex''s gaze was enough to completely destroy whatever pride Bo Ran had in his heart, because his golden bell, the ultimate defensive measure had a massive crack through it''s illusory form, basically Alex''s fire spear had sliced in to like it was nothing but paper, the Buddha attacking was what had prevented him from completely destroying the bell, leaving behind a meter long crack on it''s two and half meter frame. Alex bounced a few times on his feet, flames and Sparks showing up every time he hoped, then he crouched a bit... (Six Kings Of Beast Movement Art: Shadow-Wind Dragon Eagle!) There was a loud cry of a bird as the red flames took on a green hue and the shadow of a massive seven meter tall and two and half meter wide bird showed up behind Alex, and then it outstretched it''s wings covering Alex in it''s form, with it''s wings being a whopping 15 meter from on end to the other. Alex was a blur, leaving behind flames and a massive draft of wind as he shot forwards, talking his shoulder into the bell and the golden Buddha''s form, ripping it apart in seconds as he shoulder slammed into unprotected stomach of Bo Ran, blasting him backwards like a meteor falling from the sky. Alex watched as Bo Ran''s body smashed through a couple of tables and through a crowd of onlookers who weren''t fast enough to get out of the way, before smashing out a window in the banquet hall. Alex stood in the position where Bo Ran once stood, green flames wafting off his body, but not even burning his clothes, he turned his head to the remaining three challengers, and just waited for them to make the first move. "Magnificent! Zhang Sanfeng! Zhang Suiyan you''ve raised such a fine and talented young man! Combining two martial arts to create a new one is hard and an extremely amazing feat, but it''s not undoable! With enough hard work, even those with the poorest of aptitude would be able to make it work, however! To combine two elements into something else! That doesn''t take a genius, it takes a monster! Hahahaha indeed he is the perfect candidate!" The emperor''s uproarious laughter caught everyone off guard and his praise of Alex even more so, combining two elements was no small feat, all elements naturally complimented and suppressed each other, especially in the case of wind and fire, however successfully combining both element to their highest degree would give birth to an entirely new element, WindFire was just the base, there was more to come as there were already records of combined elements and their effects. But at this stage this was all just a well known legend, it was hard to pull off even if everyone knew about it, but here was Alex, a fourteen almost fifteen year old boy that had pulled off the impossible. The only girl in the group Bing Meng''er and the other guy who was a native of the empire of heaven Chong Yu took a step back, obviously this was their own way of acquiescing to the fact that they couldn''t match up to Alex in a one on one fight, and honestly at this point hanging up in the boy would not be honorable. Erasmus Colt on the other hand looked like he was just getting ready for a fight, he turned to the Emperor and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, please permit the use of weapons, the idea of fully competitive against Childe Spirit Wind at both our full capacity is an opportunity I don''t want to miss, and also an opportunity to fully showcase the full prowess of Childe Spirit Wind and my Tang sect." Alex raised an eyebrow at that, as the flames on his body died down and the fire mask faded. Of all the people he had fought, Erasmus had the highest cultivation level at the fifth level of the true essence realm, in regards to level, that was a whole ten levels above him. Alex knew the others had underestimated him, but also because quite frankly he had more cheats on his body than they do, but then again here was Erasmus, and Alex got the feeling that this guy wouldn''t be so easy to deal with. Alex turned to the Emperor half hoping he grew a conscience and would end this fight before it gets out of hand. "You do realize that there is a chance of death and severe injuries, are you absolutely sure you want to have this fight, I think by now it''s already been established that Childe Spirit Wind is not ordinary cultivator." The Emperor asked with a somewhat bored voice. "Yes your Majesty, as long as you would permit me, I would like to fight seriously against Childe Spirit Wind." Alex was livid, based on the way they were both talking, it obvious they knew Alex wouldn''t back away from this fight, like he was some tool or robot they could order to fight at their behest, it made Alex so angry that the cool and calm expression he had been maintaining all night almost faded. Alex kept his gaze on Erasmus, not turning around to face the emperor, if not he wasn''t so sure he would be able to control his facial expressions. "We''re impressed by your guts Erasmus, initially Childe Spirit Wind was going to be announced as our chosen candidate to become our royal son in-law by marrying the ninth princess. Their engagement would have been announced today, but if you can triumph over him, then you will be our chosen son in law." Alex couldn''t resist, turning his head and cutting off Erasmus who was about to suck up to the emperor. "Your Majesty are you saying that if I lose then the princess would be engaged to Erasmus instead?" Alex asked with a tiny hint of steel in his voice, just enough for everyone here to know he was pissed off from the humiliation the emperor was obviously trying to dish out on him. "Yes Childe, that is what we! Are saying!" The emperor replied with mirth in his voice and rather dull smirk on his face, it looked as if he was having so much fun toying with Alex. 128 Birthday Banquet VIII : Are You Not Entertained? [No matter how much you plan, children much like the future would never act or do the thing you expect the to.] ANONE Alex looked around, not exactly sure why everyone looked so shocked; was the idea hat there was someone who would be completely unwilling to marry the ninth princess that much of a bad thing, the world''s doesn''t revolve around her beauty and talent. Besides this was his own way to strike back at the Emperor, with his grandfather here the emperor couldn''t do anything to him without valid reason and everyone here could see that the emperor news deriving pleasure from treating Alex like he was nothing more than a tool for his empire, unfortunately for him this tool had claws and teeth to scratch and bite back. "My apologies Childe Spirit Wind, I meant no disrespect from the honor showed to me by the emperor, but even I am unwilling to have the hand of the Princess if I don''t win it fairly from the hands of the person she has already been promised to. So please be magnanimous like your grandfather Zhang Sanfeng and do me the honor of having this battle." Erasmus said to him with a flourished how. "Do you always talk too much and with such poise whenever you want a fight, Master! That princess has no value to us, but we have to kick this stuck up pompous hypocrite''s ass ten ways to next week. I can see through his lies!" Khan''s loud voice was heard as he reappeared besides Alex, murder in his eyes. "Zhang Xiao Feng are you saying that our daughter is not good enough for you?" The emperor asked with a hint of steel in his voice. Khan was about to answer only for him to recurve a kick from Alex as he spoke instead. "Not at all your Majesty, ninth princess Victoria is just too good for me, I believe the empire will thrive better if you had a more worthy son in-law." Alex replied as he bowed again. "Are you saying we''re incapable of choosing correctly when we picked you to be our imperial son in law! Our eyes have never once dimmed in our 500 years of life, so we know who is worthy! You will fight with the young son of the Colt family, and you must give it your best, because anything less than that would be considered treason! Prepare your weapons and fight!" Alex didn''t say anything else as he gave a small bow to the emperor, he was not given a way out as the emperor made it so that he had no choice but to fight Erasmus. Alex walked towards Louis and Yun Fao and gave them a nod, Louis left his position, his body nothing more than a flash as he headed back for their residential area. It didn''t take long for Erasmus to come back and take his position, two revolvers holstered snugly on his thighs. Alex took a step back as he grabbed the bundle from the air, unwrapping it in on smooth motion and exposing the form of his new spear. Alex cracked his neck from side to side as he went back to take his place in front of Erasmus, and then just as Erasmus was about to say something to get the right started, Alex vanished from his position, the Shadow of a giant eagle coasting across the floor of the hall. *Bang!* Two revolvers were crossed over the other as Erasmus intercepted Alex''s suddenly strike taking two massive steps backwards that shattered the marble tiles underneath his feet. He twisted the gun and pointed it at Alex''s face, arrays on the gun lit up as a spell circle also appeared around it, Alex widened his eyes in shock as he bent down, his spear rapidly spun on his back as a red hot Lance of energy shot over him and towards the crowd of onlookers, thankfully a barrier had sprung up to contain the effects of their fight. The energy smacked against the barrier and exploded with the force of a highly compressed nuclear explosion, if that had hit Alex then not even a scrap of cloth would be left behind. Erasmus sent a kick towards Alex''s face as he pointed his revolvers at him, (bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!) Rapid shots went at Alex as he twisted his body in the ground, evading each bullets with more speed than he ever thought himself possible. He raised his body up just in time to receive a flying back kick from Erasmus, Alex crossed his spear over his chest, but the kick was no ordinary kick as Alex felt as he was kicked in the chest but five people at the same time, as he was pushed backwards, his legs rapidly stomping on the ground to regain his balance, he heard someone whisper. "That''s the shadow kick!" But Alex didn''t have time to worry as two more shots came at him, but Khan was there to intercept as he turned into a spiraling gust of wind around Alex, becoming a shield of sorts that absorbed the flames, spread and dispersed it. But Alex could feel that such a move took a lot out of Khan, it even left behind Injuries as the energy being used against them was not fire, but rather Light and the Yang element, which makes Erasmus a bit just like Louis in the fact that he had a Yang cultivation root, and a light attributed mana element. Alex shot towards Erasmus, evading two more shots before he got close, however the moment he did so, Erasmus stomped his feet on the ground, releasing a bright sphere of energy that slammed into Alex, burning the shirt on his body to a crisp and throwing him backwards, and just in time too as Erasmus rapidly reloaded both his guns that were now short of bullets. Alex landed on his back, breaking up a few of the marble tiles as he dug a furrow in the ground. All eyes were on home when he got up, his upper body was hard and slowly smoking, but there was absolutely no damaged done to him, like the heat or the flames were completely incapable of harming him, leaving everyone with the obvious answer, Alex was immune to any element with a heat or fiery effect, which means Yang, fire and Light element cultivators and mages would have a hard if not impossible time defeating Alex. However the thing with Erasmus was that his guns were not ordinary, they were the results of a perfect marriage between Blacksmithing, Inscriptions and Alchemy. Their penetrating power and speed could not be compared to anything else, so basically all he had to do was make sure a bullet got into Alex''s body, and then he would be completely done for. Alex took a deep breath and shot towards Erasmus, the sound of his guns being fired filled the hall, but Alex had already reach for the sky, running up into the air on an invisible Platform that was for all intents and purposes, Khan in his wind form. Alex counted as Erasmus fired, and when the last shot was fired, just before he could still his feet on the ground and create that Sphere to push Alex back; he threw his spear. Alex twisted his body in the air as the spear flew through, but Erasmus was no common cultivator as he moved his head to the side just in time for the spear to leave a shallow cut on his neck. He went on to stomp his feet, throwing Alex back with the shockwave from this crowd control skill, Alex slammed his back against a pillar and slowly slid to the ground where his body was caught be Khan. Erasmus quickly reloaded and pointed both guns at a defenseless looking Alex who was sitting with his back against the pillar and his hair over his face. Khan stood right besides him, growling in rage at Erasmus. "You''ve lost your weapon, and you''re in a corner. There''s no other move you can make that would save you from me. Forfeit this match, you fight well, but it''s obvious you lack experience and real talent. With you at the Helm I''m afraid that Zhang clan would fall for good in your generation, all you''ve done was charge head first, with properly planning and articulating your next moves, it is such a reckless and childish manner of fighting I''m left in awe how you were able to survive the border of demons during the invasion of Macau, you should...¡­ Alex suddenly raised his right hand up and closed into a fist, immediately Erasmus closed his mouth. Where Alex was sitting, his hair turned blood red, and grew so long that it was spread Allover the area around him like a pool of blood. On the pillar behind him, the shadow of a massive dragon cold be seen slowly curling around it, leaving behind a pressure that even the emperor himself felt, and a very thick stench of blood. *Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr* No one heard that roar with their ears, rather it and from the very depths of their mind. Alex raised his head up, exposing a ferocious dragon mask that made Erasmus''s heart beat faster, but he was paralyzed and completely unable to move. Alex leaned back on the pillar and raised on knee up to rest his right hand on top, he was in a very relaxed state, so much so that some people thought he would just start sleeping. "Erasmus...¡­you talk...¡­just way too...¡­much." Alex''s voice had changed, it was as if the voice of a sultry female was superimposed over his own, and it was quite haunting, but what came next was even more so. From the cut around Erasmus''s neck, his blood began to bubble out, rushing into the air as the formed hundreds of tiny blood strings, strings that every one could were thousands of blood dragons. Alex moved his hand around like he was controlling an orchestra, moving the dragons around a paralyzed and pale looking Erasmus, and then Alex froze them. And in that second, just before he closed his fist, everyone within the hall could feel a suppression on their blood, a fear. One that not their mind, body, organs or bones could feel, but their blood. And then the dragons fell from the sky. Erasmus''s screams were not heard, how could it be heard when he was left paralyzed by Alex''s control over his blood. And so everyone and the victim included could do nothing but watch as Erasmus was practically devoured by his own blood, and in all of that horror and torture he could not open his mouth to scream or even move his energy. (Blood Dragon Spirit Art: Blood Stitching) It was 5 minutes of pure agony, until Alex felt it was enough and the blood dragons drilled their way back into Erasmus''s body, returning back control and with it pain. Erasmus''s scream was haunting, but that was to be expected, both his hands had become strips of meat hanging on bone, his right eye was gone, and so too was one half of his face. Alex stood over his bloodied body and raised both his hands In the air as the blood Dragon mask faded away and he returned to his original form, then he asked in a deep voice. 129 Birthday Banquet IX : Hidden Thorns Silence, there wasn''t much to be said and no one could even make the move to go save Erasmus who even though he was still alive and had all his blood returned into his body, was so full of holes that he would probably bleed out in a few minutes. This was the power of a spirit king, his spirits as long as they can gain a single advantage over you; it didn''t matter what stage of cultivation you were in, the Crux of the matter is that you would still fall to their power. The shocks being felt from Alex''s display hit closer to home than most, especially for the sect master of the Wudang sect, after all he was there the day the power of the blood dragon was born in Alex, and never would he have imagined that a plot to kill a threat would leave him with a power that threatened even himself. The Emperor got up from his seat as he walked towards Alex, he waved his hands and a strip of energy seemed that cover Erasmus, slowly healing him and stopping him from bleeding out. The emperor came to a stop in front of Alex and waved his hands, a green, robe with White and gold highlights appeared in his hands. The robe had a good and it was of an exquisite design, there was yin-yang symbol on the back, specially designed to look like the swirling of wind. "Listen to the decree of this Emperor!" the booking voice of the emperor shook the entire hall, as everyone bowed their heads down, Alex included. "Two months from now on the night of this young man''s birthday! The Imperial Lu clan and the Wudang Sect Zhang clan would be joined in an alliance of matrimony as I hand over my beloved daughter Lu Victoria to the capable hands of this young man. Three years hence on his 18th birthday, I shall specially host a wedding ceremony for him and my daughter, and his first betrothed Anya! He shall become the royal son in-law of the empire of heaven! As rewards for his brave actions in Macau, fighting to save lives and buying the empire time to strike a decisive blow against the demon invasion, he has been granted command of; 1000 imperial soldiers at the peak of the mortal gate, 100 commander''s within the earth gate, and 10 generals at the peak of the earth gate. Also the empire will grant him special admission into the Earth Alliance Defense Academy in the kingdom of Australia to further his education and grow stronger! And finally the rights to explore and colonize a recently discovered new Dimension in the name of the empire! We expect great things from you.....Zhang Xiao Feng...Alexander! Do not let us down." Alex still had his head bowed when he felt the robe placed on his bare shoulders, it was a lighter than he expected, but somehow it still felt heavy to Alex. He cupped his hands and said to the Emperor. "I accept all of this gift with the deepest honor, your subject will try his best not to disappoint." It wasn''t fair, but that''s life, this was life. Alex knew the Emperor had no other choice but to give Alex extra rewards than what he had promised back at the Wudang sect, because Alex had gone behind his expectations, and had in one way or another gave the emperor a resounding smack on the face by brutally defeating Erasmus. But whatever game it was that the Emperor was playing, he couldn''t make any moves at will, not with Zhang Sanfeng ready to rain thunder and fire for the sake of his family, so he crafted more and more shackles around Alex, the Academy, the pioneering of a newly discovered Dimension, the imperial soldiers and finally the marriage to the princess, they were layers upon layers of traps and cages the emperor had craftily put in place to control Alex and his growth. An elaborate death trap in the form of gifts. (You should be careful of the Cloak Alex, there''s a spell on it; which if you ask me is quite smart. You''re a practitioner of Qi not Mana, so it would have been incredibly hard for you to discover the spell or even more so know what it was doing. It''s mapping your entire meridian and Qi channels, and doing so it would know how your power works and leave tiny triggers behind that can be used to detonate them, or serve as beacons to any other tool that could be used to countering your power and making you weak.....this fucking Emperor must really hate your guts, because the longer this triggers are in your body, they''ll turn into a poison, slowly corroding your talent until you''re nothing more than a normal human being. Now don''t worry too much, the Mantle can keep it at bay, but to completely eliminate it''s effects you have to complete either the fire mask or the blood mask and also get another mask spirit, two would be nice as it would increase your spirit power and rank, there should be a cleansing of your entire body and energy once you get to the Lord rank. But for now, we can hold it at bay while you get stronger, but not forever so get to it.) To say Alex didn''t expect such a move would have been a lie, but then again he didn''t expect it like this. The emperor didn''t even waste a bit of time and was already putting things in motion to put an end to Alex, he was efficient Alex would give him that. But he''s also cruel, there was just too much potential and danger in the name Zhang, and Alex bore it, in fact you could say he was the future of that name. Now it made complete sense why his father had been so reluctant about letting his son cultivate, because it meant that no matter what he did, innocent or not, the most feared man in the world would be after his life, and his mother wouldn''t be enough to keep him safe, all he had to rely on was himself. Alex gave the Emperor his best wishes and then excuse himself, he would be returning to the Wudang sect with the others first thing this night, which was good, he didn''t want to be here when the destruction to the mortuary was discovered. Louis, Yun Fao and triplets followed behind, Kimiko was already outside waiting to take them home. As Alex and the others were about to embark on the ship a voice called out behind them, or rather two voices. It was the ninth princess and a man that was just so handsome or rather beautiful that Alex spent a good while staring at his face. "Lady Anya! Please isn''t there a way that I can convince you to stay a bit longer, I''m starved for your company and it will give me great pleasure if you could at least accompany for thirty minutes, it would be a dream come...¡­" "No!" surprisingly it was not Alex or Anya who had said no and brought the second Prince''s charade to a stop, it was the ninth princess herself. "Excuse me? Ninth senior sister, what''s the meaning of this?" He asked with his eyebrows twitching an nearly undisguised rage. "It is as you''ve heard younger brother, I said¡­..No! Stay away from Anya or I''ll kill you and your fucking alien mother! Now get the fuck out of my sight before I break something unfixable!" Everyone watching was gob smacked and shocked by how crass the princess was, and even more so from the threat and the way she addressed and Imperial concubine, even going so far as to say she would kill both her brother the second prince and his mother, who was an Imperial concubine. Khan was the only one who seemed unaffected as he laughed without restraint, sitting back on his haunches as he pointed his right fore paw at the prince, laughing even harder at the ugly look on his face. "I''m pretty sure there''s nothing more you can say here little brother, don''t you have wives to look after, get to it." This was pure undisguised humiliation, obviously the princess didn''t care one bit about the ninth prince and his elven mother, so much so that every speck of the decorum and regality she was known for had disappeared and all that was left was pure disgust. The prince stood there shocked as the princess turned to face Alex, he shifted his gaze back to hers and he couldn''t tell exactly what was going through her mind, and even more she couldn''t tell what was going on through his own mind. After all it has been quite an eventful night for the both of them, she raised a hand to Alex in a handshake and said. "Can we talk? All three of us....but first let''s start over. My name Is Lu Victoria Albion, but my friends call me Tori. Walk with me..... please." 130 Birthday Banquet X : Promises Of Treason, You Already Belong To Me The night seemed pleasant, but considering everything Alex has had to endure so far he probably had a different view than what other might think. The princess didn''t lead to far from the hangar where their airship was parked, rather she led them to a shed a few hundred meters in front of it. Alex had no idea what she had to say, quite frankly she was an enemy, and anything that will bring them together would be solely for the benefit of each other, this marriage was nothing more than a sham as it meant nothing to the two of them. Anya on the other hand didn''t have a thought as complicated as Alex''s, all she wanted to do was get out of here to where things made sense. There was so much insincerity that she felt the urge to set a few things on fire, maybe the entire forbidden city if she had anything to say about it. But she couldn''t and it was because she couldn''t that she understood just what it was she lacked, just what it was she didn''t have that she could use in protecting the most important person in her life. Her devotion to Alex could be considered somewhat ridiculous at times, it was bordering on blind worship if it isn''t already, but she loved him, she was at least old enough to know and understand what that truly means. So it didn''t matter how the world saw her, or what it is she had to do in order to keep him safe and be close to him, she was going to tolerate this princess woman thing, for one reason and one reason only, because she was strong, she could afford Alex the protection Anya knew she couldn''t give him yet. Because in this world it didn''t matter how strong or how fast or how painful a bit you can give to a person, as long as there was someone willing to fight for that person and another willing to fight for the person willing to fight, you will always lose. True power laid in people, and Anya didn''t have that, all she had was her fists and her flames, Victoria had that, she had people, she had reputation, she had true power. "I reckon you must be very angry from the way my father treated you today, I have to admit I didn''t see that coming, or the fact that he would use me as a bargaining chip in such a game.....I guess when it comes to his ego or his grasp on power anything and anyone would become expendable. I''m sure you know he''s going to try to use me and keep you under control, I don''t really want my life to be so out of my own control. While that control is limited given that the sect is split between your grandfather and the current sect head, it''s still enough for my father to completely suppress you. So let me help you, I''ll give the prestige you need to stand up to the world, all you need to do is get the strength to not only just back up said prestige and be respected, but enough to help me secure the throne of the empire of heaven and the Albion empire. I believe with your help and the tools you''ve been given, it''s extremely possible." Alex was confused, if he didn''t know better he would say everything this princess was spouting was right on the verge of the word treason, and things that would get them all beheaded regardless of who their fathers of grandfather''s were. Victoria was playing with fire, but there was a point she was trying to make that neither Alex nor Anya were getting, Alex was more than happy to patiently wait for her to make her point, but Anya wasn''t built that way. "What exactly are you trying to say? Do you want Alex to help you fight some people?" the princess looked at Anya with a smile as she turned to her. "Not some people Anya, I want Alex to help me fight everyone and everything, the entire world, and the universe beyond it." Anya seemed confused, details were not her forte, but Alex knew exactly what she meant. "You want to fight for the throne against your brothers?" he asked her with a pensive yet serious look on his face. "yes, but I intend to fight not just for the throne of the empire of heaven,..... I want Albion too." "That''s an aggressive campaign, one that at this point seems quite impossible. You''re going to be committing treason against two governments, are you sure you can handle that, are you sure you would be able to gather the resources needed for such a fight." Alex asked her as he folded his hands and stared hard and long at the princess with ambitions that quite honestly were a little too big for her. "Nothing''s impossible, as long as I have someone like you, someone who can inspire severe loyalty from people around him, a person who can evoke respect with just the way he talks, a man who had the potential to become one of , if not the most powerful man to have lived in the history of earth. It will take a look it time, and to win I''ll need your strength and the strength of many others who believe in my cause. I will need you to become exactly what everyone is afraid you''ll become." "And what''s that?" Alex asked her with a raised eyebrow. "A threat to order, chaos in the form of winds that would carry change along with it." It was surprising to Alex that someone could see so much in him after just under a week of knowing each other and just meeting each other twice, it was flattering, but Anya had other things in mind. "All these things you''re talking about is dangerous, it''s too dangerous. We can''t do it for nothing, what do we get for helping you with this." Alex wanted to laugh, the intricacies of politics was not something Anya would be grasping any time soon, but what she did understand she made a play on, all these was worth nothing if there was no benefit to it. She might not know it, but she had gotten something right. This world was too messed up to base actions for change on things like morals and a noble cause, the princess was aiming for power, it would just be easier for her to mask the hunt and hunger for that power in the name of changing the status quo and getting Independence for the people earth, to usher in an era where none of them would be ruled by foreigners from another world, and swift and sure end to the colonial control of the empire of Heaven and Albion. But it was just propaganda, Anya didn''t care, all she knew that this was a risk and they wouldn''t be putting their lives on the line to out this princess woman thing on the throne for no reason at all, she knew the marriage between her and Alex was just a complete joke, they didn''t love each other. "You''re a lot more smarter than I thought Anya, but yes it''s impossible for this endeavor to be carried out without there being something in it for you. It would be a unified Empire with me as Empress, and you will be queen of the dark continent, under my rule. And your children and their children, and their children will hold that post for all generations to come, that''s what I will give to you." Victoria said to her, and even though Anya would usually not care about such things, power is something she now understands they need, and if she has power, so too does Alex, however.... "But what Of Alex? If you''re going to make me Queen and our children will rule the dark continent, that''s good enough for me, but what about him, after all he''s the one you need, you can''t cheat him! I won''t let you!" Anya said to Victoria, viciousness in her eyes. "Of course I won''t cheat him, he''s the most important piece of this puzzle. He''s going to be your husband which means he''s going to be by default the king of the dark continent, even if he doesn''t have a crown. But he''s also going to be the one and only husband of the new empress of this world we hope to build, our children will rule for all eternity, and if things go well, the name Zhang! Would be the surname of Earth''s new royal family. Even before we achieve everything that''s needed, I''ll give myself to you, and I''ll give you a legacy this world would honor and respect! However you have to be worthy for such an honor, because believe when I tell you¡­....you own me now by virtue of my father''s games...but the amount of men who want me are akin to the sands on a beach, and each and every single one of them is more talented than the other. Help me get what I want, and I will fully and shoot belong to you, so Alexander prove yourself to me!" Alex frowned and turned around to leave, but just before he did so, he turned to the princess and said. 131 Whispers In A Hidden Place THE FORBIDDEN CITY EMPEROR''S INNER SANCTUM LU VICTORIA ALBION The amount of times she''s been in this room compared to her other siblings was uncountable, in her 63 years of life, she''s learnt a lot from Within the confines of this sanctum. She''s learnt to lie, to steal, to hide, to cover, and to think for herself. To her father she was more than just a daughter, she was a weapon, a tool, a bargaining chip with the empire Albion, and the one thing she''s been fighting so hard not to become and hopefully she succeeds...¡­a lover. Because failure to keep her own chastity safe from the clutches of her father would probably be the worst possible thing that would ever happen to her, but she was scared, scared that the day he does finally decides to make good on his threats to take her body, she would be incapable of stopping him, she would fail, and she would lose something of herself that day, just as she lost something of herself the first time she was brought into this room; all of this and more has taught her one thing, her father is a monster. "How did your talk with Zhang boy go?" she shivered, but fortunately she''s had enough time to get used to the terror of his voice that she was able to hide her reaction properly. She could feel him behind her, he was close, too close; enough that she could actually feel his breaths on the nape of her neck. "It went fine father." She answered him as curtly as she could. "Oh really! Given everything that''s happened I get the feeling he would not be willing to listen to anything you have to say, but then again he''s young. He might have surprised me and quite a lot of other people when he rejected marrying you, but in the end he really is still just a kid. So did you tell him exactly what I asked you to?" he asked her as he brushed her blonde hair back, exposing the side of her neck where he left trails of little kisses forcing Victoria to curl her fingers into a fist as she resisted the urge to throw said fist into his face. "Yes! I told him that I aim to take the throne of the Empire of Albion, and that taking that throne would give me the power we both need to stand up to you and end your suppression of the Zhang clan. He seemed taken to the idea of putting you in your place." She said to him as she let out a deep breath. "No offense father, but winning the empire of heaven is a long shot and a risk, the children of the other concubines don''t like me, after all my mother is the empress, and a native of this world, their mothers are denizens of higher worlds but are still just concubines. And I''m sure the higher power you serve won''t be too keen on a native they can''t control sitting on the throne of a valuable resource. So I rather not place my faith in something that I might not win and even if I win, I''ll be face with too many threats and the sword of Damocles hanging over my head, the Empire of heaven is not worth such problems." Victoria said to her father as she ignored just how close his toes were to her most secret place. "Ahhh the sword of Damocles! I''ve had the pleasure of seeing that blade at work many years ago, but that was through a recording from the great colonial war. It''s really fascinating isn''t it daughter, a planet that it''s only unique feature is the fact that it''s right in the center of the universe, has the capability of creating warriors, and weapons capable of killing gods! The legends of this planet speaks of Zeus, Odin, Ra, Sango, Kali, Morrigan, Hercules, Damocles and his sword, Thor and his Hammer, Pangu and his universe splitting Are, Nuwa, Sun Sucking, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, Loki, and those of the church! Of the archangel Michael, Satan the Devil Lucifer Morningstar, Of Christ the savior and his father Yahweh! Of Noah and his ridiculous ark, Of Samson and his brute strength! Legends upon legends.....and every single one of them is true! Hahahaha hahahaha this desolate world spawned gods and monsters that gave even me shivers, and it took the combined effort of ten thousand higher worlds, ten thousand higher realms and all of their experts to bring them down! The original method of training was scrapped and cultivation and magic was introduced to keep them all in line. Daughter, I''ve been in the dump, ruling over a planet with such weird energies that only serves those born here better, it''s weird and it''s uncommon, but it''s power! Supreme power! And I want it, all of it. I''m being called back home, but I can not leave until I''ve unearthed the secret of earth, to know why this lousy useless rock would birth makers of the universe, I want to be like him, like that one God that survived, the one the Christians worship, the one the Muslims call Allah and the Christians call Jehovah, Yahweh, Adonai, the maker, I want to be fucking God! And it''s here on this blasted rock that I''ll find my answer! And to do that, I have to gain it all, I have to have complete and total control of every square inch of this place. Politics won''t let me go on a conquest, so I need you to get the empire of Albion for me, if you do that, then I promise you, I''ll give you the empire of Heaven, and the kingdom of Australia, and the ice tribes of the frigid north Pole, and the hidden kingdoms of the South Pole, my child! I''ll give you Atlantis! Everything you could ever want and more." Victoria believed the emperor was completely out of his mind, but there was still something she needed to know. "You can get all this, but why is Zhang Xiao Feng so important to you?" Victoria couldn''t help but ask. "Well for three reasons really, first! The energy the people of this planet cultivated before the colonial wars, a power that gave them the ability to call upon the powers of their ancestors, of nature, of the very universe! An energy they called spirit! So far only the mages know how to use trace amounts of it as spirit is the purified essence of Qi and Mana combined, the purest form of energy there is, undetectable unless to those who can use it. And that boy is filled to the brim with it! 2! The gods have been dead for millions of years, the history of this world only starts about a thousand years ago, but there millions of years of undocumented events, and in all that time one thing has been absolute! There are no gods, there are no legends, there are no Monsters but the one created from the corruption of Qi and Mana. Yet! A god of fire is living in his freaking body, and he is bonded to a demonic wind spirit that brings bad luck; a fucking Kamaitachi! A god! And a monster! Under his command, I want that power. And finally the third reason; when we speak of talents so many names are called, but let me tell you compared to that child, everyone else is trash! I''ve seen the real results of his talent test. For spirit to exist in his body, he has to be able to handle both Mana, and Qi and have sufficient talent in both of them. The original test said he had a dual cultivation body, two peak dual cultivation physiques. Spirit Emperor and Wind Emperor, but I''ve learnt for a fact that the energy Spirit embodies the Element air, so in retrospect it''s rather Spirit Wind Emperor physique, but the rest wasn''t wrong, he has two cultivation physiques. I''ve had people investigate his mother and father, their history and trace the ancestry, The Spirit Wind Emperor physique has never existed in any of his family lines, especially since I''ve found out he''s a direct descendant of gods! The physique gives him access to spirit energy, and it''s two very distinct unpurified forms...¡­Mana and Qi, so we can call him a dual cultivator in the making of rather Tri cultivator with his control over spirit. The second Physique however has been registered before amongst 7 distinct gods, each had their bloodlines scattered but eventually pooling into one person! And that''s Zhang Xiao Feng or Alex as he likes to be called. From his mother''s side, The gods Pangu, Susanoo and Ares and the Titan Rhea! From his mother''s side, The gods native to his home land, Amadioha and Sango, and Sango''s wife, a war goddess of the wind; Oya! Funny thing is he belongs to a tribe not native to those gods, Making his entire ancestry shrouded in mystery on his father''s side. But basically all gods of old earth shared one very similar physique even if they different powers and other unique bodily attributes. They called that Physique Origin! It has no grade, it''s basically the physique of the first conscious bodies to have ever existed in the cosmos, and I want that Physique." The emperor finished as he leaned back with a smile, withdrawing his legs from his own daughter''s crotch. "I don''t understand what do you mean you want that Physique?" Victoria asked. 132 Everybody Wants To Rule The World [There are some fights in your life that you''re not supposed to win, obstacles that you''re not supposed to surpass, mountains you''re not supposed to climb. But in the end that''s why we''re human, because to be human means to do everything they say we can''t do, and do it better!] ANONE Alex closed his eyes as he sat under the thousand year chrysanthemum tree, Qi slowly snaked in and out of his body, nourishing his bones and strengthening him as he drew upon the essence of the world. The (Wudang Heart Sutra) had already reached the second stage, the inner pill right above his Dantian meant he had an alternate source of energy, a highly compressed and purifier form of energy, but such an existence also meant that his cultivation would be a bit slower. But Alex didn''t mind, wonder he had rushed his way through the realms and levels, and while his foundations were already quite stable, he wanted to be careful at the rate which he Advanced. In all honesty Alex was still quite frantic about his low cultivation, sure he''s able to fight against people at a higher realm than him, but that''s mostly due to luck. It was as if there was a common disease going around with cultivators where they would happily underestimate someone at a lower level of cultivation than them, it was stupid and Alex had more than proved that the realms were just a formality for him. But the one thing he had to worry about were the gates, he was still in the mortal gates of cultivation, those within the earth gates are akin to elephants while he''s an ant, there was a very big difference. Alex continued to meditate, Qi filtering into his body and strengthening his bones, organs, tissue, blood, married etc. His body was still taking in an abyssal amount of Qi every time he medicates, but now instead of rapidly leveling up in cultivation, his body was being strengthened to ridiculous proportions. There weren''t anything like body cultivation methods, as far as Qi is concerned everything grows together, the Energy, the body and the soul, those are what The cultivation of Qi nourishes. So there was no specific method to solely for us on the training of the body, there might be cultivation techniques that would place emphasis on creating a strong body, but the cultivation of Qi and the soul would Leave be and important aspect of it. It''s been two months since the emperor''s birthday, tomorrow Alex would be fifteen and the Princess and a bunch of delegates from the emperor would be here to officially sign the engagement document and make it fully and completely official. Alex didn''t trust the princess, even with all of her very obvious ambitions and plans to change the world they live, he knew it was an insurmountable task, a task she would be taking against the man who raised her, her own father! Alex didn''t believe she hated him enough to want to bring him down. What happened in Macau was a cover up, a clean up for the mistakes and errant bad decision of someone else. The first prince Lu Quan was quite respected, even though he''s not as famous as his two youngest siblings, he still hand enough clout to be respected. He was known as a fierce general and had won many a conquest for the emperor across multiple Dimensions and particle world''s, winning resources not just from Albion, but from other worlds. He was also married; married to a woman who was born and raised in a hell dimension, a succubus; a demoness of great power. Not much is known about her as she keeps out of the public eye, besides there''s nothing too good to be said about demons, either way she''s lived twice as long as the emperor himself, and in that time had founded cults to the worship of demons. According to what Alex had found out from the remnant, this woman was fucking the emperor, the father of her own husband. She was the one who had handed the secret of the demon summoning ritual to the communion of true sons! A terrorist organization created in secret by the first Emperor to cause dissent and havoc amongst the people so that they can always turn to the Emperor for help and security, keeping them under his heels and silencing any talks of rebellion. And as for those of them who feel joining the Communion would be a way to make a difference, they had no idea they were working solely for the Emperor. Macau was a loose end, a thriving city this close to the heart of his empire but completely out of his control, it was too much of a threat, and an outright war would cause problems with the power who had claim to that city. So basically everyone that died was just collateral damage in the Emperor''s attempt to not give anyone a foothold over him. There was too many things wrong with this world, and it as quite unfortunate that things like truth and justice and fairness would never be enough for Alex to truly change it, if he wanted to beat all these snakes, then he had to be an even bigger, dangerous and much more poisonous snake; he had to become a dragon. "Now what are you thinking so hard about, aren''t you supposed to be training?" Alex heard Anya daily as she took a seat behind him, wrapping her legs around his waist and resting her forehead on his back. "I was training, until someone decided to interrupt, how are you doing Anya." Alex asked as he leaned back the rest his head on her chest, ignoring the very cushy feeling beneath them. "I don''t like that your mother won''t let me stay with you, plus she''s been teaching me a whole bunch of things that I don''t think I need, but she says it would keep both of us alive, so I don''t think it''s too bad. However tensions seem to have rises between the Wudang sect and the Emei sect, for some reason the sect leader didn''t like the fact that Xiao Mei and I were drawn back home ending the promised three year student exchange program. I get the feeling that there''s something that I was supposed to do that didn''t happen, and now it''s causing problems. Maybe it''s because before I left the assistant sect head had asked me to be her disciple and join the sect, she said the Emei sect will treat much better than the Wudang sect and that I didn''t have to worry about their politics and schemes, and that I could train as much as I want and be as strong as I wanted to be. I just have to refuse the engagement with you, she said it was a trap set by your mother and grandfather and that they were trying to take advantage of me." Alex wasn''t sure what to say, because to him it sounded like Anya had doubts, but then again he''s never once lied to her before about anything, he wouldn''t start now. "You''re right Anya it was a trap and my family took advantage of you in an attempt to keep me safe, but we never hid that from you. If you''re not sure about this, then we can call if off, if you have doubts....." "Did you heat your head or something, did I sound like I had any doubts, I was just telling you what happened. Alex my place is with you, who''s going to keep you safe? Even though people keep telling me that I''m too young and all these feelings and devotions I have for you will pass the older I get, I know they won''t. Because you and I we''re written in the stars, we''re destined for each other. Sure you might have to marry another woman, and you will have to learn to love her because I won''t like it if you don''t! But it doesn''t change one very fundamental fact, you belonged to me first, and you will always belong to me. I''m not sharing you, I''m just lending you out every once in a while. I don''t care about the Wudang sect or the Emei sect of the Empire, all I ever wanted was to keep you from beaten by all those boys back in the village. But you like to dream, you had visions of seeing the world, of becoming a very powerful cultivator and enjoying the good things of life. You made me want that for myself too, you made me want to grow stronger and be happy and not live my life in a cage. And all these things mattered to me because in my head, I will have them all, and you''ll be right there with me, always. I won''t let anyone ruin my dreams for their own ambitions, not even you and you''re schemes. 133 Dad Alex walked to the edge of his peak, it seems his favorite spot was now under this thousand year chrysanthemum tree. He could clear his head and be at peace whenever he''s standing underneath it or close to it. And at a time like this he felt a little overwhelmed, after all it was his birthday and he had just finished signing the betrothal document between him and the princess. So basically in the eyes of heaven and the law they were now bound and would be married to each other in three years. Honestly it felt like he had taken up a burden but at the same time it felt like something more. The idea of politics aside Alex now felt responsible for the princess, responsible for her actions and her safety. Marriage should have been something sacred, a bond born out of love, but now it''s become a tool for one person to control the other, a means to an end. Alex didn''t want that to be his own story, he didn''t want to be like the others and make their mistakes, he wanted to be better. He let out a melancholic sigh as he looked out to the clouds in front of him, as a tiny gust of wind flew past him. "I always told you to stop frowning and sighing, it would make you age a lot more faster than usual." Alex froze, his bones felt rigid and there was chill he couldn''t understand, his heart beat sped up and there was this extreme urge to just cry, he was scared to turn around. "You always did this as a kid, you''ll miss me so much when I go on my trips, but when I come back, you''ll be scared to turn around thinking I''m not really back and I''m just a figment of your imagination. And every time I tell you the same thing, over again; Alex... Baba ¨¦ d¨¥ (This is your father)." Alex turned around and buried his head into that firm chest that he had called refuge for the better part of fourteen years of his life, he listened to that voice that he''s not heard in 10 months, his father was here. And Alex wanted to be angry, he wanted to scream and yell and list all of the things his father had done wrong from the moment he was born till this very second, but he couldn''t, all he just wanted to be right now was this man''s son, and he did. "I''m sorry I left, I''m sorry I didn''t prepare you enough for this world, I thought it was best if I gave you a normal childhood for as long as possible. But you were always drawn to it anyway, should have just gotten you ready rather than shield you from it. I''m sorry I didn''t tell you the truth about myself and your mother, or showed you just how awesome your pops can be. I''m really sorry I was such a shitty father! I''m sorry I failed you so many times. I''m sorry I wasn''t strong enough to keep your mother in both our lives, or strong enough to swallow my pride and make sure you were raised in the best possible place with the best possible resources, and I....." "Excuse you young man, watch your language in front of me, and two I''m plenty attractive I snagged your mother didn''t I?" "You shouldn''t listen to him Feng''er, I wasn''t attracted to him, look at him? He''s ugly! What I really loved were his paintings, they were so divine." Alex''s mother said as she made her presence felt. "What are you saying Mom! You big liar! You told me you liked that he wasn''t ambitious that all he wanted to do was paint worlds and the magic of universe, and that he always looked so devilishly handsome when he was so focused on his paintings. On another note, UNCLE BEN!!! Out of the way Squirt!" Alex was unceremoniously pushed aside by his sister as she wrapped her hands around his father''s neck, squealing in such a manner that left Alex horrified, that sound would murder thousands of she was left to cultivate it. But still how the heck is Xiao Mei so familiar with Benjamin Al¨¦, it was weird for Alex, like really weird. "Ahhh little Mei-Mei had grown up! Your such a fine young woman now! What has Suiyan been feeding you?" he asked as he broke out into a wide smile that was a little too bright. "wuwuwuw she doesn''t feed me at all, you used to make those awesome Akara balls, and those fried plantains! She doesn''t make them! She doesn''t know how!" Xiao Mei mocked cried on Ben''s shoulders, and just in time too as Anya came from behind and climbed on his back. Alex wasn''t too shocked about Anya''s display, she and his father had always been this close, Alex remembered his father teaching chess to an eight year old Anya while six year old him watched, then he remembered her getting angry and breaking the chess board amidst extreme tears. His father gave her a piggy back ride for the whole of three hours before she calmed down. "No offense but can you people give me back my father!" Alex asked in annoyance, but they weren''t even listening, but then again there was also a question he had to ask. "But dad! How are you here? I mean the gate guards would have noticed you the moment you came close to the sect, plus I really didn''t think you would be here for my birthday." Alex said as he looked at his feet. "That''s because he''s here as my guest!" Alex turned to see Victoria and a couple of guards come out of his manor, looks like the party came outside. "The princess looked for me, which I can tell you wasn''t easy for her seeing as she did so herself. She found me poking around old Aztec temples in the Amazon and asked me to be here to witness the betrothal of the both of you, but above all to be there for my son. Plus I had gifts that I needed to give to you anyways." Ben and Alex weren''t that different from each other when it comes to character, they were cool, quiet, focused, they could be funny at times but not always, they''re always serious, and they feel responsible for the people around them. Alex know even without the princess''s intervention there was no way in hell his father wouldn''t have tried reaching out to him for his fifteenth birthday, men of the Al¨¦ family have always live by one principle; family first. "Well isn''t that a touching story, cousin you bringing this man here to my Wudang sect is an insult to my honor, you would tender me an explanation!" And just like that the happy mood soured as Red Dragon and Lu Wan made an appearance, Alex moved to stand in front of his father much to Ben''s surprise and pride, the look in Alex''s face however if looks could kill, would have buried Red Dragon a million times over. "I''m the ninth Princess of the Empire Heaven Lu Zhou! I owe you no explanations for my actions, like I said he''s here as my guest, plus since when did the Wudang sect belong to you? Take caution with your words cousin and do not embarrass me in front of my father in-law, I''m working really hard to earn his approval!" Alex couldn''t help the smile that broke out on his face, Victoria would make herself seem righteous and then expose and ulterior motive in one sentence, it was all a play, yes! But Alex couldn''t help but admire that trait! Schemes aside the princess was a pretty straightforward person. "You might be the princess but you''re not allowed to do anything you like wherever you go, least of all here! In the Wudang sect! Now step aside while I teach this wife stealing braggart a lesson in front of his bastard son!" so obviously Red Dragon was pretty much mad and filled with rage that he had lost all reason, in a way Alex felt like it was understandable. He might not care much about the princess, but they were betrothed, if he found out she had kids for two men after now, it would drive him mad, but then again the scenario with his parents weren''t the same. His mother was a bargaining chip, blackmail from the emperor to keep his grandfather in line. Red Dragon didn''t care to build a relationship with her, so in her travels she met Xiao Mei''s father, a simple terms that truly showed her there was good in the world, but Red Dragon showed up, killed the man and was going to kill an innocent baby Xiao Mei unto Zhang Sanfeng taught him a lesson he won''t ever forget. 134 Nezhas Descent!: Fury Of Fire "You will do no such thing Lu Zhou! You do so and it''ll be treason against my Imperial father, after all this man is my Imperial father''s in-law!" Practically no one here had the power to stand up to Red dragon. Suiyan who had the highest cultivation was at the peak of the earth gate, Red Dragon was already in the heaven''s gate realms, and he''s been there for the better part of 45 years. He could flatten them all before they could even say a name. But nobody was afraid, they might not be able to stand up to the bullying of the Emperor, but they would definitely be standing up to this bully, if it''s a fight he wants, then it''s a fight he''ll get. Alex''s entire body caught on fire, Shocking everyone who was there, they all took a step back as the flames died down, but instead of Alex there was someone else standing there. He was taller, his orange, red and green hair seemed alive like the flames of the sun, underneath his feet were a pair of wheels that slowly rotated and kept him aloft. He stretched out his hands and a spear blasted out from within the manor to land snugly in his hands as he looked down on Red Dragon as a man would look at an ant. Anybody who knew about Alex by know, knew exactly who and what they were looking at, anyone who knew a bit about the legends of the earth also knew who was floating in the air at that moment, and not just them, the world itself knew who had appeared, and it celebrated. The earth trembled as all of the energy, either Mana, or Qi began to surge and compress, and then increase in volume and quality. New life were born, more stronger than before, new treasure were born and both underground, in the oceans, on land, numerous volcanoes surged into the sky, releasing fire and Ash that swirled and moved through the air heading for his direction. Mystics with limited abilities and control over spirit energy had visions and Prophecies, the very spirit of earth itself telling them of it''s joy. The heavens glowed with an Aurora of lights, causing a phenomenon all over the world, not many could understand why the planet would be so happy, but few did. And it was simple...¡­a god has descended! "Is there any particular way that you would like to die?" Nezha''s voice was deeper, but yet had a clarity and purity so startling the only thing you could compare it to, was fire. But Nezha knew this was just for a little while, taking possession of Alex''s body and manifesting a partial cut of the full scope of his powers was tasking on Alex, he wasn''t strong enough and if Nezha didn''t pull off his bluff quickly, he could burn Alex into Ash, body, mind, soul, and spirit. "Stay your hand Lu Zhao! Please show Mercy great god of fire and justice! My son has not been taught well by me. I shall remove him immediately!" Seconds weren''t enough to describe how fast the sect head used in appearing and fleeing with both Red Dragon and Lu Wan in tow, Nezha might not be strong as he used to be, but the power he just showed was well beyond the heaven gate realms, it was a power none were ready to contend with. Nezha didn''t stay too long either or said anything else, he was pressed for time anyways as he relinquished control of Alex''s body. Flames once again covered Alex''s body as all of the fiery phenomenon of the earth settled down, Ash floated down from the sky across major cities in the world, Alex was hunched over, leaning over his spear with sweat all over his body. His knees shook and his breath was heavy as he fought to stay conscious. Things have been quiet for a while, he couldn''t help but think he was glad that there was something to stir things up and make tonight quite eventful. But then again maybe it was a little too eventful and some peace and quiet would actually be nice. Alex turned to look at his dad who rubbed his hand on his head. "I hear you''ll be heading to the Earth Alliance Defense Academy, you''ll be heading to the best school for warriors in the entire world, not even the sects themselves could compare. I left a few gifts for you in your room, it probably wouldn''t compare to what your mom or Grandfather or the princess might give you, but it''s from my heart. You''re a little tired now, so the next time I see you, we''re going to have our battle, is that okay?" Alex knew this was goodbye, he knew that no matter how much he wanted his father close to him, them being near each wasn''t safe for the other and Alex could feel his father had gotten stronger, just like had promised, in just under a year he had gone from the open Dantian realm to the peak of the true element realm and almost into the earth gate, his advancement was ridiculously fast compared to Alex''s at the early stages as it''s supposed to be harder at the latter stages. Alex was too tired to say anything, so he just gave his dad a nod and a small smile, then his father turned to the princess. "I know with you royals everything is politics, but I thank you for coming to look for me, I thank you for this gift of letting me be here with him on this day and for standing up for me. Whether you mean wrong or right, my son and I will never forget it, but I do not approve of you being his wife, you''re a trap, a darkness that has been thrust upon him by the Emperor, and I can''t forgive you or him for that, whether or not it''s your fault. But if you''re going to be his darkness, then work hand in hand with his light to protect him, because I''ve raised him well enough to know that if it''s the right thing, he''ll protect you to both your dying breaths. Whatever game the emperor is playing, it''s not worth your soul or your happiness, protect your marriage, because it will be the only real thing that belongs to you in this world, whether you love each other or not. The same goes for you Anya, and you too Alex! Always do the right thing, even though sometimes the right thing would seem like the wrong thing is actually the right thing. Stand by your choices and fight hard, until we meet again." And then right in front of everyone, Ben unfurled a scroll with a painting on it, one flash of light later he was gone, leaving the scroll behind, and painting slowly fading away from view, much too fast for anyone to be able to memorize it. Alex looked up at his mother and the people who had been invited and had now become onlookers, she seemed to catch his meaning as she said. "well the party is over then, please let me see you out." And with that done, Alex could now happily pass out in peace. <|=|>>>>>> 30,000 FEET IN THE AIR IN TRANSIT LU VICTORIA ALBION "Hello mother, I trust you''re doing well in the palace?" Victoria asked, speaking into the phone held to her ear. "Don''t banter with me Tori I''m your mother! Now how was my little girl''s engagement?" a youthful but somewhat elderly voice spoke from the other side of the phone. "It was drab at first, I understand the boy does not feel in control of his fate and destiny and is trying to make things right. He''s lot more smarter and wiser than we gave him credit for, and a lot more mature." Victoria answered her mother as she looked out the window of the airship she was in. "Of course he''s a lot more mature than normal, he''s a Zhang! The world has been trying to bury the light of the family for centuries, forcing their young ones to grow too fast, and too smart. They''re built of tough stuff, so he''ll be fine and probably find a way to make all this arrangements work in his favor. But still how are you daughter? This is your future in play here, your father is a monster to his deepest core, but in the end you''re still human, how are you feeling?" Victoria was silent for a while, not at all sure which word would properly describe how or what she was feeling right now. "I feel optimistic mother!" she answered after a while. "Optimistic? How?" "My Betrothed is weak, terribly so that a simple sneeze from my father would kill him, however the power of the gods sleep within him, and I''ve been able to bear witness to it. I''m sure by now you''ve heard about what happened and the descent of a god of fire by way of possession, he''s the only one capable of doing that, and the power a god commands? I''ve bore witness to it mother, it''s incredible. There''s a higher level beyond the heaven''s gate and today I''ve caught a glimpse of it." "Interesting; well then daughter what do you intend to do about this discovery, especially with the pressure and schemes of your father in play." "It seems no matter what I do, the universe wants me to belong to someone, there are two options, one is not a choice and the other is a gamble, even with all of his potential.....so it''s up to make a choice, sink or swim I have to make a stand and choose who I''m giving myself¡­....and I''ve decided to do so." "Really? Would you tell me which choice you''ve made daughter?" 135 The Secret To GodHood! [School Na Scam] NIGERIAN YOUTH PROVERB The idea of packing for a trip is all well and nice, but when you''re dumping all of your clothes into a storage ring it was a winder if this could still be considered packing. Alex paused for a minute to contemplate if this sort of action should have a different name of if it still counted as packing up for school, well there''s nothing to be done, it''s not as if he had time to discuss the philosophical difference between using a bag and storage ring to pack, that would be too easy for people to come. To a conclusion about, Storage ring good, bags are a waste of time and energy. Books about Alchemy, Blacksmithing and Arrays sat on one side of his bed, while the books in the sect were limited edition, the books at the academy were a compiled experience of every cultivation discipline and from all over the world and from different sects, schools, organizations and kingdoms. The knowledge there was richer, so it would be quite redundant for Alex to carry all these along. But what he could carry along were the broken pieces of West Wind and East cloud, along with his new spear, and the boat load of precious ores his father had left behind as a gift, it was a chance for him to properly reforge his swords, but not just that he left a couple of paintings behind too and if Alex didn''t know better, he would say it looked like a refined version of the (Four seasons of the Weeping world) weapon skills, and a bunch of others things Alex didn''t recognize. There was a letter, but Alex hadn''t mustered up the courage to open it yet, but there was still time. Also Alex was rich, a lot of people gave precious materials, priceless treasures of basically really expensive shit that Alex didn''t need as gifts for his fifteenth birthday, he couldn''t imagine what next year''s birthday would be like when he''s officially considered an adult. Either way School Fan and Laozi had taken most of the gifts to an auction house in Beijing, the one''s that were really value and had sentimental value were kept in Alex''s non-existent treasure vault, to be kept there for safe keeping until he has need for it. "Are you ready?" Alex turned at Louis''s voice, while a pouting Yun Fao stood behind him, with a look that could kill. Alex couldn''t help smiling as he spoke to them. "Yes Louis I''m ready, and Yun Fao what''s with the long face, you can take the Academy''s exam in six months and come join us, I''m sure you''ll pass with ease." "But by then you and Louis along with the young mistress and Xiao Mei... Ahhh I mean lady Xiao Mei would be way ahead of me!" Yun Fao complained. "Right basically you''re saying I''m dumb!" Yun Fao spat out. "He''s not saying you''re dumb, he''s just saying you''re a big stupid lumbering giant without a single hint of finesse in any of your actions, and I think...arck!" Alex ignored Louis who was currently being strangled by and say upon by a now six foot tall seventeen years old Yun Fao, not to mention he was ripped with muscles that would make even the toughest of men weak in the knees with fear. He probably wouldn''t hurt Louis too much, as he thought so Alex turned to see a purple faced Louis stretching out an arm to him...''yeah probably''. Alex walked out to an Airship parked on his mountain peak, or rather it would be better to call it an Airbus, it took a while for the rest of them to understand that the correct terms for vehicles had to coincide with their size, shape and functionality. So in that regard there were hover board, Air bikes, air cars, Air buses, and then air ship''s. There were also space faring vessels, but with the existence of spatial gates, the use of space ships seem like a waste. They would be transported to the city of Hong Kong, though they wouldn''t had much time to see the city as they would be stopping on a tower owned by the academy, before boarding the Academy''s own transport air ship all the way to the heart of the kingdom of Australia, all the way out in the Australian outback where canyons and ravines were the norm. It was here the academy was built, and where for the foreseeable future Alex would live and build his power, because while the academy trained a joint force of fighters from all around the world to combat threats, the academy is also the place where alliances are made and followers are gained. No one who goes to that Academy is not considered a peak talent, and then there were those without talent, but with reputation and influence, a political bit spot for the next generation to make their bones. Alex will go there to study for at least a year or two, before taking control of the army the Emperor had given him and proceeding on his dimensional conquest, but before that, he had to make allies, make connections not just for himself, but also for the princess to help her develop a secure foothold on both thrones and to have support for the inevitable war that Alex knew would happen. "Feng''er where''s Louis? It''s time to leave." His uncle asked as he looked behind Alex, being responsible with delivering the children to their destination. "Don''t worry he''s being mauled by a human bear, so he shouldn''t take long anyways." Alex said to him, Zhang Alex moved into the air bus and took a seat behind Anya as she sat ahead with his sister talking animatedly about God knows what. Unlike the previous day''s and months of tension by the seemingly insurmountable enemy and task they had ahead of them, today she seemed completely at ease and excited for the journey to come, so to was Alex. He leaned back in the seat waiting for the bus to finally start moving, he didn''t have to wait long as seconds later, a black eyed Louis came in to take a seat besides him, followed closely behind by a stoic looking Lu Wan and Alex''s Opponent during the open meridian sect competition. And then the bus moved, taking them to new lands and on to new adventures. <|=|>>>>>> SOMEWHERE IN THE VASTNESS OF SPACE WITHIN THE DEEPEST REACHES OF THE COSMOS THE WORLD TREE Nirkelik loved his home, it was the greenest of green, the purest of nature and a marvel of magic and arcane technology. It was hard for such a thing to not come about, better all the elves were such long lived and intelligent creatures; that advancement was all but guaranteed. And Nirkelik relished every chance he got to come home, every opportunity given to see the great plains of the Shon''da''Kar, the eyrie of the Silver Griffins, the great pearl ocean and the blessed mountains of Moi''eon''Ker, and above all the magnificent world tree and the city built from the deepest crevasse of it''s roots, to the highest branch of it''s trunk...¡­Sumerkran (the city of a thousand summers!). But he wasn''t home just to admire the sights he had grown up amongst, his king and queen had requirements of him, and he would happily deliver as was his duty as Special agent of Fae''Ran! Blessed world of the Fae. Nirkelik sat poised on his wooden stool, the thrones of life and light a few dozen meters in front of him. Forged, and carved out from the heart seed of the world tree itself, even from this distance he could feel the immense power those thrones had and the energy that came off the runic script that dotted it''s entire frame. The power to control the seasons and elements of this world, the ability to move it through the void across great distances and reached of space, all nestled in two very pretty chairs¡­.. fascinating. "Nirkelik give your report! The king and Queen can not be here in person, but they''re connected by means of a magical connection, please explain more about the breakthrough you discovered and mentioned in your previous letters." He was alone in the throne room, all that could keep him company was the sounds of breathing, to prove that truly there were people listening to him, and whether they were the king and queen or not, it still remains to be seen. He had hoped to finally get the chance to see the people he lays his life on the line for everyday, but nothing! However he was a dutiful soldier, and he wouldn''t back down from his responsibilities. "The Emperor of the Empire of Heaven has found very important clues about the true pathway to godhood, though not much is know about it...yet, I''ve been able to confirm with an 95.77764.9488393% that it has to do with one Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Al¨¦. And extraordinarily talented boy who is believed to be a direct descendant of her powerful ancient gods, and he''s capable of calling them forth from the world beyond the veil." "Wait what! Explain it clearly to me loyal warrior, what do you mean?" he knew that voice, it was the voice of the Elven king, and hearing it, had renewed his deal, but there wasn''t much to say but to hit the nail on the head. 136 Off To School They didn''t spend enough time in Hong Kong before they were in transit to the kingdom of Australia, so right now Alex, Anya, Louis, Zhang Xiao Mei, Lu Wan and the girl who introduced herself as Gongsun Bai were stuck 30,000 feet in the air with other early entry candidates from the beggar''s sect, the Emei sect, the Tang sect, and the Imperial academy. The Shaolin temple was the place of study for monks of the Buddhist path, many would say they''re the birth place of martial arts, or at the very least Earthen martial arts. As such the monks viewed themselves above worldly affairs and weren''t too interested in sharing their sacred knowledge with the world or allowing their students experience a world when it''s all too possible for them to be corrupted by the sins of society. So while four spots have been offered to them every year ever since the Academy was created, the Shaolin temple has never had a single student enter or graduate from it. Normally with how greedy and self serving the cultivation world is, this should have been a problem, but the Shaolin sect we''re recluse, they only came out when it''s absolutely necessary, like during Emperor''s birthday, but apart from that, they stayed in their valley and mountains seeking enlightenment in the way of the Dao. Either way the entire trip has been silent, though everyone had taken their fair share of glances at Alex much to his horror and annoyance. No introductions were made, so everyone had stuck with people from their own sect, which meant Alex had no other choice but to hand around his bloody step brother who for some reason (obviously a lot of reasons) was ignoring him (thank God for that). Honestly Alex thought that he was being a drama queen, but he didn''t care either way, as long as Lu Wan stayed out of his way, then he would consider not burning the fool to cinders. With nothing else to do, Alex discuss to shift his focus to the book about the Kingdom of Australia. Of all the places in the world where the Academy could be placed, the kingdom of Australia was chosen because it was entirely neutral in whatsoever conflict of interest were in existence between the two empires and the other smaller powers vying for supremacy on the planet. The Earth Alliance Defense Academy was the product of a team of mercenaries lucky enough to travel to higher realms of existence, gaining knowledge before coming back to earth and making a deal with the Wraith Rose organization; the power responsible for the colonization of Australia and also it''s truly dulling power. Basically while the two great empires were spoken off in history, the truth was that the earth was practically split between the strongest forces during the colonial war thousands of years ago. Much of the kingdom was practically desert, places where life couldn''t grow, they actually attempted to terraform the land and in some ways they were successful. There kilometers of green forests, mountains with caves, deep lakes, and underground cave systems that stretcher across the entire continent like Kingdom. But even with all of these changes, the dead part of the land still remained, and excluding the cities, the part of it that showed life; the forests the mountains, all had one thing in common...¡­..Snakes and poisons! Which was what made this place the ideal area for an Academy, snakes changed and evolved from the twisted terraforming of the Wraith Rose organization, turning into ferocious demonic beasts, and evolving into new races. Nagas, gorgons, Lamias, Titan Boas, and so many that just by their existence alone, they exuded poison wherever they went unless for the cities protected by fearsome magic and Qi. Students of the Academy take missions and use these evolved monsters for training and experiments, there by culling their numbers and keeping it manageable, all in exchange for a place to learn completely unaffected by the influence of the world at large; The Earth Alliance Defense Academy. There was a brochure describing much about the academy and it''s history, and a whole bunch of propaganda about the achievements of it''s Alumni and what they''ve achieved since graduation. Alex had to admit it''s impressive, it was the Squads from the academy going about the world and through different Dimensions taking care not missions that had given the academy great popularity and also given the normal people of earth, celebrity like figures to look up to. Dangerous as it might seem, the academy had much to offer, and being responsible for training so many young cultivators and mages from different forces around the world has given the academy a lot of clout and influence in matters that had to deal with much of the world''s governance. "You really shouldn''t put too much focus on that brochure, the academy is a lot more amazing when you experience it for yourself, but then again it''s also quite dangerous, but I''m sure you''re more than prepared for it." Xiao Mei said to Alex as she smiled at him. The others were all asleep, the Airship was fast, but it was still going to take them a little more than eight hours to get to the academy, so most of them were using this opportunity to get a rest. "What do I have to expect Xiao Mei, I''m going there to learn, but based on everything I''ve heard, the academy is no different from the imperial court. There are too many snakes hiding there." Alex muttered as he looked out the window besides him. "True, but since when where you scared of a few snakes, you just have to make your place, a place for all of us, and study and train, and be strong. And make friends, because you''ll need it, friends that benefit you, there''s no less politics in the academy as there is in the imperial court, but that shouldn''t stop you from living your life and chasing your goals. There are a lot of good things about the academy, it will be fun." Alex felt as if Xiao Mei was being a bit biased about her school, but then again a lot of the students who have left the school have a severe amount of loyalty to it. And it couldn''t be for no reason, so maybe she''s right, and there''s really a lot of good things to be experienced in the school. If that was the case Alex was willing to do everything in his power to enjoy it, these days it''s hard to find things that..... *BOOOM* The Airship tilted to the left, throwing everyone and everything not tied down all-over the cabin they were in. The movement was so sudden that neither Alex not Xiao Mei could muster up any sort of defense before Alex''s head smacked against the steel support of one of the seats, busting his head open even with all of his cultivation prowess. The sudden movements of the Airship and the probable bruises they all had, forced everyone awake as they tried to regain their balance, Alex felt a bit woozy from the rush of blood flowing down his head, but he was able to look ok out on my enough to notice that the airship''s engine had been damaged severely. Thick plumes of smoke and fire spread out from the engine, covering the entire left side of the Airship, causing a serious amount of panic to spread through the Airship. "Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, I regret to inform you stuck spoilt brats that the ship has been hijacked and sabotaged Hehehehehe! You''re all going to die before you get to that accursed academy! This is the way forward! For freedom, for our future! These are the deeds of a true son of earth! Let it be remembered!" The communication cut of just a suddenly as it had come on, and in no time at all the engine on the right side of the Airship also went up in smoke, forcing the already unstable airship to get even more unstable. Everyone grabbed onto whatever it was they could grab to keep them stable as someone yelled out. "We have to get off this Airship!" And they were right, however Alex with his bloodied head had no idea what to do, and no one here had the confidence of being able to save themselves from such a bright, much less others. Everyone here was still within the mortal gate of cultivation, it was guaranteed that without proper skill and technique, a fall from a 200 feet would leave them Injured, not to talk of 30,000. They were all at a dead end, or at least Alex thought so until someone offer to help. (I can save all of them, but I need control!) 137 Orcon Forest I : Of Poison And Catalysts! Alex''s turn from skinny but muscular pubescent boy to seriously gorgeous naked lady with hair and eyes so red they looked like blood, not to mention her hair was all-over the place, wrapping around every single person in the cabin. Then she looked at them with a smile and gave a wave before she said. "Y''all better hang on." And then she waved a hand, using her hair to destroy one part of the Airship and letting the rush of Air drag her and every other person on board out and straight to the ground. The sound if the wind rushing past their ears was defeating, but all in all everyone was still safe and somewhat intact as ¨¦bi¨¦ led them all to the ground, a ground that as it approached, they all quickly noticed was an Expansive forest that instead of being green, was the cloying purple of poison and decay. They weaved through the trees, their bodies covered and protected by extremely long and soft red hair that stretched forth from Alex''s possessed body. They all made it to the ground safely and without any sort of injuries, ¨¦bi¨¦ quickly vanished, just as quickly as she had appeared and Alex was left curled on the ground, trying to catch his breath as his body tried to re-acclimate itself. Apart from Xiao Mei who was a returning student, every other person on the airship were new students, so basically there were really no veteran students here to take charge except Xiao Mei, and also no teachers as the airship was supposed to deliver them to the school before they had a chance to meet up with any teachers. So for the moment they were all unsettled whilst staring intensely at the boy who just changed into a woman and back into a boy in mere seconds. Anya and Xiao Mei hovered over Alex Ashe coughed and disgorged his breakfast, the last time this had happened, he had passed out so the effect of ¨¦bi¨¦ possessing his body wasn''t felt in such a way. But he''s gotten stronger since then, especially his body; which was why he was able to resist the feeling of passing out, but in the end having your body change gender and shapes, was not easy. This wasn''t an illusion, and compared to Nezha who was still make and had more control over his abilities than ¨¦bi¨¦ who was female and was a recently born spirit, it stands to reason Alex would be under a lot of discomfort once he gets back into his own form. "What just happened?" Alex asked in between deep breaths, as he leaned on Anya who supported and raised him up. "What just happened? We''re cursed that''s what! Why is it that every time we''re in an Airship or away from the sect some terrible shit always happens to us! It''s not fair!" Alex looked up at a complaining Louis and couldn''t help but shake his head, though to be fair, the boy was right. Xiao Mei took a look around, the forest in front of them had purple leaves, it was vibrant and lush and had the same amount of humidity you would see in a rain forest during spring. Few clung closely to the leaves as sap leaked out from it''s bark, subsequently expunging tiny wisps of purple vapor from itself. Xiao Mei opened her eyes wide in shock as she crouched down, and then shot upwards, her body easily going last the hundred and fifty foot tall tree line, to have a wider and unobstructed view, for a moment she was suspended in the air a platform of ice in the shape of a snowflake appearing underneath her feet, and then it disappeared and her form covered in most moved done through the trees in a speed that barely any body around could follow. "All of you! If you have any sort of antidote for poisons, or a spell or skill to raise your resistance to poison, then I urge you all to take it now. As for those of you who are Alchemists, keep your eyes open for any herbs or materials that can be used in forging antidotes and maybe a few healing potions and pills, we''re all in extreme danger." Xiao Mei said as she walked towards Alex who was slowly getting back to himself, tough the questioning look on his face more than showed he had no idea what was going on. "Please Lady Zhang Xiao Mei for eh Wudang sect, my name is Tang Lin, I''m pretty sure my expertise in poison is lot more than anyone here. I can see that our current environment is heavily saturated with poison, but from what I can see it doesn''t seem to have any sort of harmful effect, from my observation it looks like this poison in the air needs a catalyst to come into effect, but if there''s no such catalyst in sight why worry so much?" Xiao Mei looked at the young man who was talking, his silky black hair, pale skin, purple eyes and skin tight black clothes more than proved his point. This twenty or so looking guy was from the Tang sect, and with the way he carried himself amongst the other disciples of the Tang sect, it was obvious he was the leader. His deduction wasn''t wrong, in fact it was completely accurate, but Xiao Mei was annoyed, he was arrogant. This was a place completely foreign to him, how the hell would he know that a catalyst isn''t around. "This is Orcon forest, it stretches for almost 70 kilometers in every direction from the center, the catalysts for it''s poison is every single thing in it. By now we''ve all inhaled the poison, but if so much as a bark from a tree or a thistle or thorn scratches you, then you''ll be dead in minutes, and every second will be agonizing. It is believed the poisonous humidity of the forest itself isn''t that dangerous, and a couple of hours in open air or with the proper antidote will neutralize it''s effect quickly, but everything here, the animals, the demonic beasts, the biology itself produces this dormant poison, and the catalyst to trigger it is contact with them, mostly you have to get injured and any part of them exposed to your blood stream or skin will trigger the poison. So Tang Lin, the catalyst can''t be seen because it''s everywhere and everything you see, so please be careful." The revelation she just gave was enough to put things in perspective for a lot of them, Tang Lin bowed in thanks as he went back to his fellow sect members and started taking precautions. Every other person did the same, some even putting on armor and clothes that completely covered every exposed inch of skin. But Alex knew it might be futile, everything was a catalyst, which means if a tiny speck of dust or pollen got into your nose or mouth or even your eyes, then that''s game over for you. Alex turned to Xiao Mei and asked. "So what do we do now? Where do we go? Will the Academy send someone for us or can we reach them?" it was a lot of questions, but Alex rather get it out of the way and hear her answers. "The poison humidity of this forest might be harmless without a catalyst, but it''s quite capable of blocking any and all sort of communication. No amount of messages we send will get through the blanket of poison over the forest, however the Academy borders the forest from the West. The sun is almost directly over our heads meaning it''s close to noon, so I can''t exactly tell which direction is west for another hour or two, and compasses don''t work here so put yours away Louis." She said, much to the embarrassment of a red faced Louis who sneakily returned his pocket watch like compass into his clothes. "But we can''t stay here, the crash site of the Airship is about three kilometers Northwest from here, fires don''t last long in this forest, it''s too humid that if you have enough control over the wind and water element, you''ll be able to pull out gallons of poison in a second. But none the less the area of the crash is on fire, and the wind might blow the ash our way, and that''s a catalyst I don''t think anyone wants to deal with, plus the magical and demonic beasts of the forest would have heard the crash, they''ll be on their way here and they''re choke full with poisons that would give even the head of the Tang sect pause. So for now let''s go south of here, for another hour until we get our bearings, once we do we can start making our way east and hope to the gods that we''re closer West than I think, because we can''t move too fast through the forest for fear of triggering the poison, Hopefully we''re really close to the academy, we might be able to meet other students training here, or if we''re really lucky, teachers that can get us out with any sort of transportation artifact. 138 Orcon Forest II : Spines Of An Ancient Beas Alex felt a lot better than he did 30 minutes ago, if he had to be honest he really didn''t like the feeling of ¨¦bi¨¦ possessing his body. But maybe it''s because this was something that they''ve just started and it would take a little while for him to get used to it, but either way, it was still weird. It was like an out of body experience but at the same time not, once she took over everything went dark for him, like he was asleep. But he still knew every move, every word and every action she takes like he was dreaming, but he was still awake and conscious. It was unexplainable and probably top the charts of the weirdest shit that has happened to him since he was born, but then again he couldn''t help but admit that at this point, he was a magnet for weird shit. So far their walk through the forest was uneventful, over time they''ve heard the sounds of all manner of beasts walking and running through and beneath the forest, at times like that they always huddle together for protection, before moving forwards. But Anya couldn''t help but feel as if they were moving on borrowed time, though she was sure should anything come up, someone especially Alex would able to pull out some trick out of that proverbial hat of his or rather in this case mask. The trees were clustered tightly in some areas of the forest, in fact clusters of four to eight trees if not more were spread out across the forest, this was how it was, like the stalks of grass on the ground. If they didn''t know any better, they would think that someone had planted this entire forest. Because of the way it was placed, it was quite easy to evade the clusters, but the thing is even if there were gaps between each clusters, most of the time they were quite close to each other, making for narrow pathways, and increasing the danger they had to experience. But like all forests, there''s always an areas devoid of trees, and an hour and half in their trek through the forest, they came into such a place. A bunch of rocky outcroppings, that shot up into the sky like the spines on the back of a massive animal. Xiao Mei paused, even though no one had mentioned anything about it, she had become the unspoken leader of this group of students, and everyone was relying on her to get them out of this place, so the moment she stopped with such an intense look of concentration on her face, everyone did too. She came back down and knelt on the ground, she placed both her hands together, before slowly separating them, a dagger made of ice coming into existence in between her palms. Then she started drawing a map that quite honestly none of them could understand, but everyone was gathered around her, fully focused on what she was doing. Even member of other sects that were enemies or not exactly on good terms had settled down to follow her lease because they all knew that their lives depends wholly on her knowledge and experience of the forest. "This rocks are the spines of an ancient magical beast, it died here some 4 or 5 thousand years ago, but then again the people who have come to investigate are not exactly sure as they just made an estimate. The carbon dating on the bones themselves kept on showing different results, so all they could do was speculate and come to a conclusion of 4 or 5 thousand years. I''m reality it can be a lot more, or less, however with our current speed from this place to the western edge of Orcon forest would take us 5 days. If we''re allowed to move at the speed our cultivations would allow, I reckon we can be out of here by the end of the day, so give or take 6 hours. However if we do so, we''ll probably have the entire forest on our tail and I''m sure there are some of them faster than us. Unless you have a skill that can help you silently travel quickly through the forest we all have to stick together and move as quickly and as silently as possible. But beyond that, we have a problem." "Of course we have a problem! As if the difficulty is not hard enough as it is, there''s always going to be something extra. What do we have to deal with now hmmm? Is it Nagas? Or, or...¡­." Louis''s tirades was cut short as Xiao Mei asked him. "How did you know?" all Louis could say to that was. "Oh fuck me!" "Technically these are not Nagas, they evolved from the snake beasts of these forest to gain a humanoid traits, so they''re still just demonic beasts. Nagas are a sentient race, a civilization that did not evolve in any way or form from a demonic beast..... though given they''re snake men, it begs the question just what they evolved form if Darwin''s theory of evolution should be taken with more than just a grain of salt...either way there are two rival packs of snake demonic beasts located on both sides of the rocky outcropping, which means we have to go straight through it. But even then there''s no guarantee we''ll not draw their attention as the outcropping is only about 50 meters wide and about two kilometers long. However the only good news I can give you is that the outcropping is a safe zone, basically it''s the only thing that''s not a catalyst to the poison, and as such the demonic beasts pack on both sides consider it sacred. So we should be relatively safe as long as we''re not noticed by either packs." Xiao Mei finished as she stood up, when she did though Louis couldn''t help but ask her. "How do you know all this?" "In the three years I''ve been at the academy I''ve been studying Orcon forest in the hopes I can give my ice and water element a poison attribute, or at least create a technique with them that has a poisoning effect. The area we''re currently in has been extensively mapped, though it''s a little bit deep into the forest, it''s still within the academy sphere of influence, just at the edge. So we should...¡­.. where are the Tang Men?" Xiao Mei suddenly asked, but no one could give her any answer as Tang Lin and his comrades were gone. "The Tang sect has the shadow walk movement skill, speed and silence all rolled up in one package, they left us behind to be bait. Whatever attention their travel through the forest might cause, it would be left to us to deal with is, those bastards!" Lu Wan suddenly spoke up for the first time, undisguised fury and hatred Within his eyes. "Then that means we''re all sitting ducks if we move silently! If we''re already close to the Academy, then let''s hurry out of here! Come on!" and then someone from the Emei sect suddenly panicked and called out as she and her fellow disciples ran into the rock outcroppings, leaving behind Alex, Anya, Xiao Mei, Louis and four disciples from the beggars sect. Lu Wan and his companion Gongsun Bai had been the first to take to their heels after the Emei disciples. Alex was surprised that they had stayed put, so he couldn''t help asking them why. "Its simple really, the beasts in the forest would be going after the noise, there''s no guarantee that all of them would be coming from behind us, and even if they are, we''ve been able to evade discovery so far, we should be able to do so too now. You''ve led us well Lady Xiao Mei, the beggar''s sect are true to their debts and we owe you, we can''t have ran away leaving you and Childe Spirit Wind behind when you''re both the reason anyone of us is still alive. I would very much like to be friends with the both of you, my name is Hideki¡­....Ken Hideki. This are my fellow disciples, Sarah Lorne, she''s from the Americas, this Ibrahim Abdul Salam, he''s from the Emirates and used to be a servant there in the palace of a sultan. And this is Minerva Crucifixio, we just call her Cross, she from the Vatican." True to the demographic of the beggar''s sect, the sky itself was their roof and they had branches all over the world. They were practically the sect with the most disciples, but without a stage root and being more like nomads even though they had a sect, they were looked down by a lot of people and are considered the weakest of the six sects, but the thing is they believed in truth and justice and went round the world trying to save people and do good, making them the most loved of all the sects on Earth. 139 Orcon Forest III : Dealing With Snakes Xiao Mei took the lead with Alex close behind as they began to find their way through the rocky outcropping, the spines of whatever ancient beast was laid to rest here, it stretched above their heads with the least tall being about two meters and the tallest reach almost six meters. With spines this size, Alex could not begin to fathom just how massive a creature this must have been, not to mention how powerful and just how dangerous was the person or thing or creature that caused it''s death. It spoke volumes of just how much power was still out there to be found in the cosmos, earth seemed really small in comparison to all of it. But the size of the creature aside, Alex couldn''t help but have this sort of ominous yet anticipatory feeling, there was something dangerous here, Alex couldn''t help the feeling like he was being stalked by some sort of predator, but when he thought about they were in a forest filled with predators, so the feeling was probably normal, or so he thought until an extremely fast was of green saliva sit towards his face, leaving him with barely enough time to react and defend himself. *Thud! Hisssss* A snowflake one meter in diameter had appeared in front of Alex''s head, intercepting the green acidic spit, just as a massive snake with arms and a narrowed neck than usual rushed out from within the edges of the bone spine outcropping. It was moving really low and really fast, gliding across the ground as if it was slick with water on marble floor rather the rough uneven forest ground. However the weird snake barely got anywhere before a black law smashed into it''s back severing it in two as a massive use proceeded to smash it''s head to bloody bits. "I can''t believe you guys didn''t invite me to this party, you''re all so mean!" if their lives weren''t on the line, either one of them would have had a proper answer for Khan, but for now everyone just wanted to get the hell out of here. They moved forward with a little more haste to their steps, but they had scarcely taken ten steps when another snake rushed forwards, this time from the left as opposed to the first that came from the right. It''s body was multicolored with a bright colored head that had just an ominous vibe as the extremely long fangs that liked out of it''s mouth, and this snake was not alone. A blast of ice rushed forwards, freezing the approaching snakes and creating a meter tall and seven meter wide wall to keep them at bay. Xiao Mei rushed forwards, dragging her brother and Anya along with Louis and the disciples from the beggars sect close behind. "Everyone use your movement skill, I can hear them coming in droves from both sides, we need to get out of here fast before we continue taking a more careful approach." Everyone nodded at what she had just said as her form became wrapped in mist and she glided forward swiftly and quickly like a ghost. Anya was right behind her, two chakrams held in her hands with blazing red edges. Her body rushed forwards, leaving behind embers, as her movement seemed to burn the very air itself. Louis as usual began to glow, though it was a little bit subdued, he was still a flash of light moving through the forest. The members of the beggar''s sect moved quickly, leaving just one person behind....and that was Alex. It was not as if he didn''t want to run along with them, but he was being assaulted by a feeling he couldn''t explain, Khan was still with him, but even he could see and also feel that there was more to this massive formation of spines than what was currently known, and whatever secrets it held, it as calling out to Alex. Trusting their gut feeling, Alex ducked down just as Khan swiped through the air, slicing one of the snakes in half, just as Alex stretched out a hand to grab one out of the air, barely wrapping his fingers around it''s neck. He quickly turned and smashed the head of the snake into on it the rock hard bone spines, smashing it''s head to bits. However the moment the head was smashed, flecks of bone dust came off the spines, touching the smashed in head and body of the snake and then began to rapidly burn and decay it at the same time. Alex was shocked, it was as if the bone was like a fiery poisonous Ash, that burned in much the same manner acid did. And it was in that moment Alex hear Nezha''s voice. (Looks like you''ve found a compatible beast or animal spirit for the fire mask, one with an extremely powerful Bone Ash poison. You need find the core of it''s ability, basically the palace where it''s there spirit and power still resides, I know you can feel it. Get to the central part of the spine, or locate it''s skull, once you get there the fire mask will take care of the rest, and hurry up! You have company.) Alex called out his spear that he had decided to Affectionately call (Nameless). The silver spear seemed to sing as it whistled through the air, it''s edge gaining a fiery glow as it cut through three snakes a the same time, cauterizing their sounds and preventing them from having their blood spraying over Alex''s body. Khan turned into a rapid gust of wind that went around Alex, putting an end to the other snakes he couldn''t reach, before the both took off heading for the skull of the ancient beast, relying on nothing but Alex''s gut feeling and perception. Alex''s form seemed carry the Shadow of an eagle as he used the bone spines as springboards, jumping from one spine to another, and moving so fast he was akin to a bird. Khan was wrapped around his body in the form of a gust of wind, and as they jumped off different bone spines, they always left behind a cloud of bone Ash in the air, creating their own poison and catalyst as whichever snake went chasing after them, died miserably soon after. They moved without a hitch and was just two meters away from their destination when Alex felt something slam into him. Khan rotated furiously around Alex, creating a barrier of sorts as he was thrown back and smashed through on of the bone spines and into the dense forest foliage, smack dab into a nest of snakes with tiny arms that was not at all necessary for their serpentine body. Alex had tried enough by this point by keeping himself together, because through it all, there was nothing he was more terrified off than snakes, and right now he''s been thrown right in the middle of a bunch of them, it was safe to say that his next course of action was very understandable. Alex slammed (Nameless) on the ground, causing a pillar of fire to rise up as the fire mask slowly took it''s place on Alex''s face. The nest he was thrown in to should be about fifteen to twenty meters in diameter and was filled to the brim with lot''s of baby freaky snakes, in just a second all that was left was a blacked piece of earth and the smell of hundreds if not thousands of snakes burnt tons crisp. The figure that she smiled into him was a massive snake, the size of it''s head alone was Alex''s entire body, and it''s length, from what Alex could see seemed to be somewhat up to fifty meters, it dwarfed Alex, but still kept it''s distance due to the flames. "You threw me into a nest of snakes....I''m going to fucking kill you!" Alex was never one to lose his temper in a fight, but right now he was scared (after all there was big see snake in front of him), irritated and revolted from being thrown into the nest, and all of this seemed to channel into one massive pool of boiling rage. The giant snake with a glossy grey skin, two horns on it''s head growing on top of it''s nose, and fangs that jutted out of it''s mouth, looked down on Alex and said. "Well human! I would like to see you try!" Alex raised an eyebrow at that, before smiling, a sinister look on his face that was just born as of recent. "So you can talk, and think, and feel....very good. This would make slicing you up to bits all the much more sweeter and satisfying, and I assure you, every moment and second from now will be filled with Agony for you." Alex said to him as Khan rematerialized besides him. "If it''s you and that pup of yours I doubt you would be able to cause me any damage, Hehehehehe, you''re going to die kid, the both of you alone is not enough to bring me down." "Who says they''re alone!" Anya''s voice sounded out as she landed besides Alex, with fury in her face, Louis was not too far behind her. They both looked at Alex before Louis opened his mouth to say. 140 Orcon Forest IV : Dealing With A Bigger Snake [Cultivation has always been a solitary walk, many cultures and philosophy believe that in the pursuit of power, there can be no companionship, no friends, no allies, no lovers. Because quite frankly power can''t be shared, but such things have also been proven wrong, but then again I''ve not been alive long enough to see such believes proved wrong. But the thing is, when a group of like minded people, who believe in the same vision come together to fight, learn and work! It becomes almost impossible to beat them. Because one very fundamental factor of humanity has remained and not changed over the years, so much so that I can''t help but admire the words that go with it...... "THERES STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!" and it couldn''t be any more true.] A RANDOM SLIP OF PAPER Alex shot forwards, his spear gleaming as the afternoon sunlight peeked through the dense canopy of the trees above. Alex had fought besides Anya all his life, granted it was never battles like this, it was enough that they could trust each other and predict the moves of the other person before the person makes it. And Alex and Louis have been through enough life and death battles that by this point, they lived inside the head of the other person, and it was because of that they knew that Alex rushing forward like an idiot was a sacrificial move to test the capability of their opponent. Louis flashed with light and vanished from his position, while Anya threw the chakrams she held in her hands, both disks spinning through the air as two blazing circles of fire, drawing the attention of the giant demonic beast snake away from Alex. The snake turned it''s head to the side in an attempt to protect it''s eyes, letting the chakrams bounce of it''s grey scales, leaving behind light wounds and burns on it, before the spun back into Anya''s hands, where subsequently chains attached to her wrists, shot forth and latched onto the Chakrams. It''s defense was really good to withstand a strike from Anya, though considering that strike wasn''t a full powered one, Alex doubted the defense of the giant snake. And with it''s size, even if it was a snake, Alex didn''t think it was quite fast, because in the end the snake had only been able to hit him before by catching him off guard, even then Khan had been fast enough to create a defensive shield around Alex. So speed and defense were not up to par, however power was another matter entirely. (South Spear Of Summer!) Alex was about to stab into it''s side when it rapidly coiled itself up, bunching up his body and slamming into Alex, throwing him off his feet and straight towards a pair of cactus like plants. One contact with those things and Alex would be dying quite painfully and in minutes. However another golden shield appeared behind him to bring his momentum to a halt, though honestly Alex would have preferred if it was anything other than a shield as him smacking his head seemed a lot worse than being poisoned to death. The Snake rushed towards Anya, massive jaws outstretched, only for it to run into a massive punch from Anya. Her chakrams were around her wrists like bangles as her right fist caught fire, she slammed it straight into the open jaw of the snake, completely flipping the massive creature into the air and throwing it backwards over the rocky outcropping all the way to the other side of the forest. It was a full powered strike reminiscent of Alex''s (Iron Viper Strike) or the Legendary (One Inch Punch). She had focused all her power into one strike, however Anya''s technique was but different, as the power would also spread, kind of like a ripple in a lake, creating a wider area of damage from one point of impact. However against such an opponent, the cost seemed to be a bit too much as Anya''s fist were a little bit mangled, and for Alex seeing her in such an injured state was the deal breaker for him. He always tried his best to avoid wasting too much energy whenever he was using his masks, as they drained him a lot, but when he''s angry, energy expenditure be damned. Alex shot through the forest, his aim was obviously the giant snake that just and it''s brain rattled, and the fangs on it''s right side knocked out of it''s mouth. The snake was still reeling about, when Alex took to the air and twisted his body, his silver spear blazing red as they both shot down from the sky, their forms covered in green flames which quickly turned into a greed WindFlame dragon. (Dragon Fall) Nezha''s ultimate spirit skill, dropping with the force of a meteor, Alex pierced through the head of the snake who was pretty much still out of it, and in the same second, released green scorching flames across it''s entire body that turned it and it''s surrounding are to Ash in just five seconds, leaving a tired and heaving Alex behind as he dragged his spear on the ground behind him. Louis came out of his invisibility state, which was surprising to Alex, because he didn''t know that his friend had learnt the invisibility spell. It was a welcome surprise, but given the stern look on Anya''s face as he approached, Alex felt it was better to just quietly head to the exposed horn that was right on top of the skull of the ancient beast. It was better to ask forgiveness than permission, but right now, forgiveness meant more beatings and berating and Alex didn''t know which was worse. Their battle with the giant snake was sure to attract more attention, and even more so Alex was feeling a little frantic, because only Louis and Anaya came back for him, his sister and the disciples from the beggar''s sect we''re no where to be seen of course it didn''t mean that they were in any trouble, but Alex would very much prefer it if all of the people he loves and caress about were where he could keep an eye on them, even in the midst of danger. Alex eventually found himself standing in front of pillar like bone spine, it was snapped like a dagger and wave over fifteen meters tall, practically the tallest of all the spines here. It was probably the horn just like Nezha had said, however there were writings on it, the names of hundreds of students from the academy that had perished Within the forest over the years that the Academy had been active, a monument to their sacrifice. Alex didn''t want to seem disrespectful, but what he needed was hidden beneath that pillar, and given his destructive his mask is, Alex doubted they''ll be anything left by the time he was done with it. Alex stretched forth a hand towards the pillar, but there was no reaction of any sort, it just stood there, dead to the world, just like the beast it belonged to. Anya and Louis drew closer questions on their face about what was going on, but there was no answer from Alex who was staring at his glove covered hands. Then much to the shock and horror of both Anya and Louis, Alex took off his gloves, leaving his hands exposed to the air, and probably a million other things that could trigger the poison within his body. "What the hell are you doing?" Anya shouted at him and moved forwards to stop, but by then it was too late, Alex had stretched forth his hand to touch the pillar. Before his hand had even gotten close to touching the pillar, wisps of Ash with blackish red embers wafted off of it. Alex pulled his hand back, and felt it numb and at the same time felt the fire mask on his face begin to tingle, but more than that he began to feel a tightness in his chest. The horn pillar in front of him was also a catalyst and touching it had activated the poison in his body, he didn''t have a choice now, he had to see this through to the end. 141 Orcon Forest V : Black Ash Salamander: Xeron [Fire destroys, it purifies and sometimes it strengthens, but regardless of what it does, once it''s run it''s course there would always be something left behind...¡­Ashes! You can''t save, build or learn everything, in then end no matter how high a height you hope to reach, you would always be leaving something behind. Whether it''s good or bad it''s up to you, but once it''s ashes; you''re never getting it back.] ANONE The cloud of Ash began to circle around Alex''s body with greater intensity, it didn''t take long for the next bone spine close to the now missing horn pillar to explore into a rusty cloud of black Ash and embers, such a reaction had forced Anya and Louis back, and just in time too as the spot where they were once standing on was over turned by the rib bones of ridiculously massive creature. They kept on moving back, in shock and surprise at what was going on as Xiao Mei returned with an older man in tow. From the look of things she seemed to have met you with someone from the academy, before she could open her mouth to ask where her brother was and what was causing all the commotion, Louis pointed at the middle of the storm of black Ash, and there was Alex sit black veins all-over his body, and his mask slowly changing. The earth shook some more as more and more of the dead creatures body was dug up from the ground, the academy had never bothered about excavating the beast''s skeleton because they felt it had no use. Apart from being an incomprehensible amount of years old, there was nothing, not a single smidge of energy to be felt from it, even the minerals in it''s bones were common and absolutely useless for anything related to science or Alchemy. So it was very much to the old man''s surprise that there was something that could elicit a reaction from the skeleton itself. But even so, the more of it that was dragged out of the ground, the more it seemed to fall to decay as the bones all turned to black Ash, leaving nothing behind. Even the presence of the black Ash was somewhat surprising as the bones themselves were grey, but none the less it was probably the residual power within the bones themselves that had the attribute of black Ash. The old man watching this display had funnily pulled out a camera to record it, whilst stealthily sending a message through a special channel to the head of the academy. Anya, Louis and Xiao Mei were quite ignorant to the situation, but the old man knew that Black Ash was a very rare poison element that''s born as a combination of both the fire and poison element, though even then there''s not always a guarantee that it would manifest in someone with both elements in them, either from the cultivation spectrum or the magic spectrum. And for an Academy ran by the most powerful Assassin organization in all of existence, the return of the element used by one of their most legendary figures was an event that needed to be seen. More and more of the bones turned to dust until all that was left was just a floating black heart the size of basketball. This was the source of the power, and even though much of the if had saturated the bones, they were barely a quarter of a quarter of a quarter of the true power this heart held. And seeing how alive and vibrant it still looked after who knew how many thousands of years, both Xiao Mei and the old man could tell with a glance that this was a Dragon''s heart, or at least a variation of it. The old man didn''t think or care, he shot towards the heart using a speed that would Alex and his friends another 50 or 100 years to reach, he was obviously within the heavens gate or at the very peak of the earth gate. *Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!* A refreshing roar was heard as a shockwave was blasted out and the old man was thrown backwards over the heads of Anya, Louis and Xiao Mei. Blood spewed out of his mouth as his arm was crooked and his chest was caved in, he was seriously Injured but none of the could muster up the courage to feel sympathy for him. By this point the heart disintegrated into black Ash and melded with the cloud of black Ash that was still floating around Alex and slowly going into his body or rather, straight into his mantle. The moment the heart joined the formation of black Ash, there was a deep rumble as lighting suddenly cracked across the sky and thunder booked in rage. The black Ash turned into a pillar that shot up into the sky, right in the middle of a storm cloud. One lightning crack and thunder boom later and bright beam of light came down with black ash pillar and slammed right into the forehead of Alex, throwing him to the ground as a crater was formed and an ensuing shockwave spread out into the forest, rapidly turning every living thing in husks of fiery black ash, a poison that destroyed a forest of poisons. Xiao Mei and Louis worked in tandem to create barriers around themselves, not even sparing a glance for the old man hunched over in pain behind them. And as for Alex, his already dark world suddenly became white. <|=|>>>>>> Alex found himself in his mantle, the fire arch was brightly lit with it''s golden form intertwined with a kind of green metal and now symbols of a kind of lizard in reddish black, besides symbols of young man floating with fire wheels and a spear. And then the vision of the mantle disappeared and Alex found himself in a wasteland, a forest blacked by flames and filled to the brim with ashes of it''s aftermath. Alex could only use one word to describe the scene in front of him, and that was death! The realization left a chill in him that he couldn''t understand, of maybe he did but he just couldn''t come to terms with. This was the power he now wielded, it was nothing like the blazing destruction of Nezha or the eerie invasion of ¨¦bi¨¦, all he could see and feel was just death, no destruction, no fights or struggles just death. Across the expansive bare bones forest in front of him, Alex could make out thousands of not millions of living creatures, humanoid, or animal like, men, women, children, birds, fishes, horses, wolves,...¡­dragons! All of them fossilized in black ash, infected with a poison that burnt them from the inside out. And there on the horizon was the setting sun, seemingly lamenting over this scene as it seemed to say good bye, never to shine upon this land again. "I know it''s scary, and daunting, but this is my power, and now it''s yours. You can not use this power to defend your majesty, if you''re in a position where you have no other choice but to use it, then know that your opponent will be dying one way or the other. My name is Xeron and I''m a Black Ash Salamander, the first and last of my kind." Alex turned to look at the voice talking and was shocked at the massive size in front of him, though to be fair, he wasn''t half as big as ¨¦bi¨¦ in her real form, (she was a dragon the size of an ocean!). But Xeron was big enough that his size was akin to a mountain, skin a glossy black with splotches of red and yellow, lizard like legs, with the only thing different being the bone spines that stretched from the massive horn on his head, to the bashing spikes on his tail. A Salamander indeed, just a thousand if not a million times larger. Alex nodded his head in agreement with Xeron, this power was truly sinister, not that it was bad as only the wielder of a power is bad and not the power itself. However the power of Black Ash was the power of death, and looking at the scene in front of him, which Alex knew was a memory, he couldn''t help but agree that this power would only be the final nail in a coffin against someone he really wants dead, an example of what might happen if he lost control was right in front of him. He looked up at Xeron and asked. "What happened here?" The giant Salamander looked down at his master and gave a somewhat melancholic grin, though how a giant lizards could grin Alex wasn''t to sure, but he got his answer regardless. 142 Orcon Forest VI : Black Ash Xeron Alex knew that each one of his spirits had a story to tell, and Xeron would not be any different. There was just something about this salamander that made his seem so tragic, Alex really couldn''t understand much of it, but Xeron felt as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Alex kept his eyes in the horizon, past all of the death and destruction caused by black ash, watching the sunset that seem frozen to the sky. It was a beautiful sight when you to used on it alone, and Alex was sure Xeron felt the same way. "I wasn''t born a demonic, magical or even as a spirit beast. I was just a common animal, a common salamander if not a little bit weird because of the mutation or evolution that gave me the spines on my back. But none of this should even matter because before I could fully grow, or had the chance to breathe the sir of the world I died, right in my egg, but for some reason my spirit was aware. At that point there was a fearsome battle between two creatures of great magnificence, till date I have no idea what the other creature was, but the first was undoubtedly a dragon. It''s blood eased all-over my egg, reviving my dead form and giving me the ability to evolve beyond what was expected of me by nature. And so that''s just what I did, by virtue of practically being the vampire for lizards, I could take on the essence of any other creature and use it to fuel my growth, and grow was just exactly what I did. But the price of evolution and power was steel, as I grew stronger, and more conscious, the need to absorb essence became more than just an animalistic instinct, I knew I needed to hunt for said essences. And for that, across mainly centuries, I carved a path of death and desolation, my ability to control and elusive and never before seen attribute of fire and poison, made me so dangerous I could kill existences many leagues stronger than me if I could just get close enough. Within those years I realized that even with all of my powers I was still just a simple Salamander, a freak of nature born from an accident, something that was considered impure. So my ultimate goal was to reach the Pinnacle of my evolution chain, to become a member of the prime race and be feared and respected¡­..dragon hood. And it was right there, right in my grasp, but years not visiting the horror of black ash across many worlds had more than gained me my fair share of enemies, many of which were loads stronger than me. And each and every single one of them were willing to die to stop me from becoming what I was supposed to be. In their eyes I''ve never seen such rage, and anger and fear, so much fear. I really didn''t care what they thought about me, it''s a hard universe and the strong eat the weak, just as many times I was trampled on by an existence stronger than me, I too did not hesitate to trampled on the strong and weak as long as it made me strong. Who knew fire and ashes could be so dangerous.... Practically everybody knew of course, but still, not even ¨¦bi¨¦ blood controlling ability gave Alex pause the way this did. It''s not as if there''s not a possibility that he might develop more sinister abilities in the future, but at the moment the power to leave the world desolate from Ash and flame, killing it from the inside made him somewhat terrified, he has always been looking for power to be able to defend himself and his family, but now that it has come to him, Alex couldn''t help but wonder if too much power wouldn''t be a problem. The world seemed to care into itself and Alex found myself back within the mantle, he had a lot to think about, because he had this feeling that with great power comes great responsibility. He also knew he probably head that phrase from somewhere, but he couldn''t exactly be sure, but honestly it couldn''t be any more true. A screen popped in in front of him, it wasn''t exactly easy getting used to this, but this interface only ever showed up within the mantle, and Nezha had told him that the Spirit world itself ran on screens like this, it made things easier to understand and keep track of, Alex though felt it was ridiculous. SPIRIT MASKS (7) 1. FIRE SPIRIT MASK: 2 FIRE SPIRIT CONTRACTED 2. BLOOD DRAGON SPIRIT MASK: 1 BLOOD SPIRIT CONTRACTED 3. ?????? 4. ?????? 5. ?????? 6. ?????? 7. ?????? Guess this was a welcome improvement, hardly anything new who goes out searching for power ever finds it, and Alex seems to be riding on some boat of invisible luck that has taken him where he needs to be every time he needed something. Though if you begin to think about the sheer amount of danger that''s connected with all of his increase in power, you couldn''t help but wonder if it would not be better for Alex to just remain locked up in his house instead. But never the less this was his power now, and he would make the best of the situation that has been placed in front of him. The world of the mantle faded away as Alex opened his eyes to the sky above, it seemed like they were in a clearing, but he had barely opened his eyes when a massive spider with spike like hair on it''s sharpened to a point let''s flew over his head. Alex scrambled to his feet just in time to see a spinning snow flake fly through the air to decapitate the spider, spewing green acidic blood all-over the barrier of light that was over their heads. Alex looked around to notice that they were surrounded on all sides by a ridiculous amount of beasts, Louis was kneeling on the floor, his hands raised up, with sweat on his brow as he struggled to maintain the light barrier spell. But from what Alex could see, he was almost at his breaking point, and it was only a matter of time before he completely ran out of energy and then all of the beasts would be right on top of them. Alex noticed a terribly injured man lying down helplessly Within the barrier with them, and Anya cradling her injured right fist that was still bleeding as her Chakrams flew through the air outside the barrier, slicing monsters into well cauterized bits. Xiao Mei was fully concentrated on also controlling five snowflakes a meter in diameter each, they were basically the primary method of attack and defense as Louis and Anya were her support. But there were running out of time, they could only remain safe for as long as Louis could hold on to his spell, and it seemed as if time was almost up. Alex scrambled up to his feet, his fire mask appearing on his face, it had changed again from what it looked like before. The basic color of the mask was still orange, with two green bands running from the hair line, all the way down the forehead to the bridge of the nose. The mask covered much of his head as it''s edges stretched backwards, jagged and hanging over Alex''s head like flames, and now, there were two reddish black fang like bands running from top to bottom, starting from the top of his cheekbone, to the edge of his jaw. And this bands represented the power of Black Ash, the power bar Alex was about to unleash into the world again. 143 Orcon Forest VII : The Power Of Black Ash Calling on the power of Black Ash for the first time was not as impactful as Alex thought it would be. Apart from a little drain of spirit energy, this was just as easy as breathing for Alex, after all this was a power that belonged to him and him alone, it was a part of him, and he unleashed it with extreme prejudice. And just in time too as Louis spell ran it''s course and fizzled out, shattering into multiple pieces of light like shard that quickly vanished into thin air. And as for the beasts?; The moment they noticed the barrier had disappeared it was as if Christmas had come early for each and every single one of them. *Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!!* It left his ears ringing a bit, but Alex ignored that. None of them knew he was awake yet, and as the beasts surged towards them, ready to end the lives of this groups of young people unwilling to back down, Alex jumped to his feet and clapped his hands together, hard. *CLAP!* The sound spread across the entire forest in the form of a greyish black shockwave that spread from Alex as it''s epicenter. The appearance of the shockwave gave the Beasts pause, especially when said shockwave suddenly became swirling clouds of grey Ash that surrounded their preys, guess they were smarter than they looked. Khan showed up besides Alex, just as Anya, Louis and Xiao Mei turned to look at him. His clothes were ruined, with only his trousers barely hanging on to his body in thin very ripped strips, but enough to cover whatever shred of modesty he had left. His black hair had turned a fiery orange as was usual whenever he used the fire mask, but this time there were strands of grey and red hanging within his locks. And his blazing orange eyes, as could be seen from the eyeholes on his mask, had gained a reddish black band around the Iris. The grey cloud was chaotic in the way it surrounded them, it was no different from being in the eye of a storm as the world went to hell around you. It kept the unsure monsters at bay, and kept the people within safe from assault, at the very least it gave Louis, Anya, and Xiao Mei enough time to recover the energy they had expended in order to defend him. Alex knew they could have just chosen to run instead, but they stayed back to protect him, after the commotion he was sure his absorption of the Black Ash Salamander''s spirit would have caused; Alex didn''t doubt that they must have had a really hard time before he woke up. But even if they were safe, Alex knew that this power was not made for defense or holding monsters at bay. The fact that he was beginning to fill an itch to use it properly was already sign enough that for anything less than killing, this power that seems to have a mind of it''s own would turn on it''s own master. The grey cloud rumbled and then surged forwards, turning reddish black immediately as it''s intent to harm was now exposed. Those who had not been injured by the black Ash were given pause, some quickly took their heels, while others, much stronger than their peers felt that it was possible to withstand the onslaught of black Ash and get to the prize hidden within it''s folds. But Black Ash did not discriminate, not against species, not against race and in this scenario definitely not against power. Alex was going to kill them all, and leave this part of the forest a blackened area of death and horror as a reminder to the beasts (not that they needed it, they were just beasts after all) that messing with a man''s family was a sure-fire way to die. The Black Ash reared back, stretching upward to make a dome of blackish red over Alex and the others. Alex had his hands raised up, and his eyes glowing a sinister red and black, and then he dropped his hands, stretching them outwards as the Black Ash surged outwards like the waves of a tsunami, swallowing hundreds of beasts at a time, both those still alive, and the hundreds Anya, Louis and Xiao Mei had killed when Alex was unconscious. None were spared from the power of Black Ash, and even though they tried running away or digging into the ground, or even taking to the skies in an attempt to escape, it still caught up to them, rapidly and swiftly. This power was guided by rage, and an arrogant disdain for the life that it was now taking, these beasts were unworthy, and get they sought the flesh of his family. Just as well then that they all died a death as painful as can be, and by his hands. Ten minutes was how long the floor of Black Ash spread and wreaked havoc around the four of them, and in that moment Alex was completely silent and seemingly oblivious to the world around him. And then the Black Ash began to recede, rushing straight back into Alex''s body like chickens coming home to roost. The Black Ash poured into him from every direction and through every possible access they could find. His ears, eyes, skin, nose and mouth, creating a rather horrific and scary sight, until there was no more Black Ash to absorb. The mask slowly faded into Alex''s skin as his clear black eyes were revealed to the world once again. Anya didn''t hesitate to wrap her hands around his neck and place her forehead on his. Xiao Mei quickly followed behind as she hugged her brother and friend, And Khan unwilling to be left out rubbed his head against Alex''s legs whilst Louis was left aside looking pretty awkward, and very surprised at two things. He turned to look around him, his eyes widened in shock at the fossilized bodies of beasts spread out across a radius of two hundred meters! Even the trees were not spared. \"My God!\" it was death the likes of which Louis had never seen before, and if he said it didn''t scare him then he would be lying. However, he also couldn''t help but admire such power, which more than shows why that old man acted in such a greedy manner, he recognized exactly what sort of power that was. \"You don''t have to overreact Louis, I for one think this part of the forest looks really beautiful now, it''s like sculptures of black and red in the middle of a forest of purples and greens. It''s beautiful art!\" Everyone of them turned to look at Anya with a raised eyebrow, of all the people who could and should have an appreciation for art of any sort, she was the least person you would expect. And even so, she was brash and brute that only she would see art in this scale of death and destruction, truly Anya was one of her kind. \"Well art aside, am I the only one that noticed Young Master Alex has gotten taller, like really tall seeing as he''s now five foot eight! How the hell did that happen!\" Alex used to be short, like really short. Not a dwarf per se, but extremely short for his age. And now he was just the right height, if not a little bit taller for a fifteen year old. Obviously the onslaught of energy had improved his physique to a whole new level, he didn''t know it yet, but he was stronger, faster, smarter, and much more perceptive. And this was because of the Origin physique. I legends there barely an stories about the gods in their childhood years, and that''s because gods aren''t children for anything more than 5 to 8 years, before their bodies fully grow into what it''s meant to be. Alex was a descendant of multiple gods, and even if it has taken a serious amount of time and the bloodline has become extremely diluted, it was concentrated enough in Alex, that it could now bring out to a certain degree, the same effects of growth the gods enjoyed thousands of years ago. Alex looked at his tall frame and couldn''t help but ask. \"Is this a bad thing?\" \"Not at all little brother, at least now I can stop calling you squirt to your face and midget in my head. Isn''t that awesome?\" Xiao Mei said with a grin as she hugged her brother again, this time a little more deeply as she had been really scared she almost lost him. \"I don''t mean to interrupt your sibling moment but...¡­what the fuck are we supposed to do about the greedy academy official?\" Louis asked in annoyance as Alex turned to him and asked. \"What greedy academy official?\" 144 Making A Statement 1 : Confronting The Tangs The forest was a whole lot more silent now, than it was the first time they had landed in it. While it wasn''t completely devoid of danger, whatever could cause them any problems were smartly keeping their distance away from them, which made their movements through the forest a whole lot more faster. They came across remains of the students who had went on ahead, based on the stern look on Xiao Mei''s face, Alex reckoned she must have come across their bodies when she went through in the first place. It took at least an hour of walking through the forest before they came up to a camp in the forest, most of the students had thankfully survived and were huddle in one area whilst officials of the academy, dressed in tight fitting black and silver uniforms moved around trying to help the students and arranging transport for them. There were also students of the academy around, though they had on silver and blue uniforms instead of the black that denoted someone as a staff of the academy. Much to Alex''s annoyance, Lu Wan was still alive, but that was up to him and Alex didn''t really care about the dude. So far they''ve not had any sort of clash since the first time Alex was able to manifest Nezha''s spirit, and since that time, Alex had gotten strong enough that he would be able to beat anyone within the same cultivation realm as him without stressing himself too much. The Tang students were huddle together about to get on a transport when Xiao Mei''s body turned illusory and her must like form crossed a thirty meter distance in two seconds to appear behind Tang Lin and then wrap both her hands under his shoulder to place it around his neck in a full nelson hold. Alex recognized that move since he had used it before, and it was his retelling of it''s usage that prompted Xiao Mei to learn it from him. Tang Lin was shocked, but before he could even register what was happening, Xiao Mei pushed off from the ground and threw him over her head, using the dragon suplex moved to plant his skull deep into the ground. His neck could have been broken, and it was because of that Alex knew his sister was aiming to kill, and to do it in the most painful way possible. The three others from the Tang sect went on the offensive as darts flew through the air towards Xiao Mei at point blank range. A shield of light showed up in front of her, just as Anya appeared from the other side with a fiery punch that almost took the head off one of the Tang disciples. The girl immediately passed out with the smell of burnt hair and scalp wafting into the air, luckily it wasn''t her face or she''ll be spending a pretty penny for plastic surgery. The other two pulled out guns, however before they could make any moves their bodies froze, the blood within their systems began to flow in reverse as they were raised into the air, their bodies contorting in grotesque ways, almost to the point of being broken or twisted into pretzels. Louis held up Tang Lin and the passed out girl who was shaken awake, he other two were still floating above their heads, with looks of horror on their face as Alex slowly tortured them. Tang Lin who had his head busted open from Xiao Mei''s earlier move had a look of fury and anger in his eyes, he looked like he was ready to spit fire. There were teachers amongst the staff, heck Alex could feel someone of great power watching them a few hundred meters into the air, but no one could see them, at this point it made him understand something. This academy functioned in an even more extreme manner than the current Wudang sect, as long as you had power and you could subdue your opponent, then you could decided their fate. Of course Alex didn''t think they would allow him to kill or outright cripple someone, but they would let you send a message and thrive and grow from the conflict that it brings. This was no school, it was a fucking warzone. Xiao Mei was about to say something to Tang Lin before Alex placed his hand on her shoulder, and then much to the shock and surprise of everyone here, he swung the same hand at Tang Lin''s face. *Smack!* Alex''s current body, without his knowledge was way stronger than anything someone Within the mortal gate can handle, or damage without using special techniques or powerful weapons. He hadn''t gotten to the point where he could withstand a full powered strike from someone in the earth gate, but he could hold his own for all of three seconds before he gets completely flattened. But amongst the cultivators of the mortal gate, unless you had really good talent, so much so that it''ll set you out from your peers, then it would be hard kicking Alex''s ass if he decides to get serious. \"You owe me your life, I''ve come to collect.\" Alex said to him as he knelt down in front of Tang Lin, his red hair covering part of his fearsome blood Dragon mask. Tang Lin couldn''t say anything, what was there to say; he had decided to use the people who save his life as bait do that he and his fellow disciples could escape the forest and survive. They''ve not even entr¨¦e he academy yet, but he was willing to make enemies in the name of survival, if rather he just didn''t care about anyone other than himself. Alex got the feeling Tang Lin would have left his comrades behind if it meant he would survive longer, Alex looked up at the people still undergoing his torture and just set them free, letting both of them fall to the ground. He didn''t think they were innocent, it''s just that compared to this scum bag and the unrepentant look in Tang Lin''s eyes, Alex felt this was the bigger fool to make an example of. \"You put the lives of innocent people in danger, when my sister and I save all your lives we didn''t discriminate, we didn''t give a shit which sect or country, or colony or land you''re from! And then in your selfishness you condemned people that would have had a fruitful and worthy life to death! Do you think your life is worth more than theirs, that you''re some chosen one and you''re destined for great things! No! What you are now is my prisoner, my prey, and a fool who I''ll be rushing out retribution and punishment onto. I''ll make sure...¡­\" \"What gives you the right to be judge, jury and executioner! There''s no telling your sister''s plan would have worked, she would have led us to our deaths!\" Alex was pissed and so he blew up! At the Emei disciple that was talking. \"People are already dead! The died following the example set by this stupid fools! And how fucking dare you talk about my sister like that! If it wasn''t for her none of you fools! Would still be alive! Do you think she''ll purposely lead you to your deaths, his foolish can you all be! She has more experience of the forest than anyone else here and told you waste of space and talent which direction to head towards, yet you left her behind! From today henceforth the Zhang family will have nothing to do with the Emei, and Tang sect! As for you students from the imperial academy! I''ll be dealing with all of you later, personally!\" Alex didn''t have the power to make such a decision for the Zhang clan, not yet anyway and many of them knew it, but as for the students of the imperial academy they knew they were at his mercy and command, Alex was after all Childe Spirit Wind of the empire of heaven, a post that gave him control over the military forces of the empire, something that the imperial academy fosters and raises, soldiers! Not to mention he was the emperor''s own son in-law, by all means they were supposed to be protecting him from the moment they met him in Hong Kong. \"Please Childe Spirit Wind, temper justice with mercy, this was an oversight on our part! It will never happen again!\" Military rule within the empire of heaven was absolute, it was why the empire of heaven had been so successful in their attempt to colonize the world. And right now Alex was the ranking officer, heck even a general or commander of the army will have to listen to him. But there were others who would be willing to challenge Alex, especially in the grounds of the Zhang clan cutting of ties, and who else but Lu Wan would raise such a challenge. 145 Making A Statement 2 : A Family Affair [The true power of a family lies in their ability to unite and stand for each other during trying times! No army in existence, now or in the future can compare to the cohesiveness of a family when it comes to standing and fighting for each other. And it is because they bound by the single most destructive and creative force in all of heaven and Earth...¡­the force of love. And as for a family that loves each other...¡­no army ever in existence, past present or future, would be able to touch you, because a family is the strongest army there is.] ANONE \"Maybe you can flaunt you stupid control over this dumb soldiers, a control you gained from selling your body to the imperial family, but you can not stand there and make such decisions for the Zhang clan, who the fuck do you think you are you bastard son of a painter! Our mother will not stand for this!\" Lu Wan shouted out in sever righteousness it made Alex want to puke, but Xiao Mei had an answer for him. \"Our mother! You mean mine and my brother''s mother you psychopath! She''s not your mother and she''ll never be your mother! And who says my brother can''t speak for the Zhang clan, he is the heir to the clan! It''s future clan head! The future patriarch of my family! You! You outsider! You have no right to come interfere with matters that concerns my Zhang clan.\" Alex got the feeling that Xiao Mei hated Lu Wan even more than he did, but this was getting out of hand really fast. \"The Zhang clan is the founding clan of the Wudang sect, every connection they have made is for the benefit of my Wudang sect, and you can not make such drastic decisions that can affect the sect! It is wrong!\" Lu Wan was right, every deal or agreement the Wudang sect had right now, as built on the merit of the Zhang clan, and it''s resources, rather than the resources of the sect. And the sect has been reaping the benefits, should Alex make such a statement right here! In front of all these major members of other sects, it would stand, because regardless of what he said, anything Alex says goes in the ZHANG CLAN. They''re a close knit family of ultimate warriors and they would never contradict any one of their members, much less their heir! If Alex says the Zhang clan would leave the Wudang sect tomorrow, then they will, that''s just how much power the kid has, and Lu Wan knew Alex barely had any idea the scope of it, so he was hoping to bully him down from making a decision that would affect his father and grandfather''s hold on the sect. \"Just the two of you isn''t enough to make a decision for the Zhang clan, if an elder was here or even a couple of Zhang clan members to stand with you, then this rubbish you just spouted might stand and...¡­\" \"Zhang Feigu greets the future patriarch!\" \"Zhang Xuelan greets the future patriarch!\" \"Zhang Ming Su greets the future patriarch!\" \"Grand Elder Zhang Wuxi! And Spearmanship Instructor of the Academy greets and welcomes the future patriarch! Forgive me for coming to receive you so late, I might have drunk an extra bottle or two during my morning class.\" Alex blinked in shock and surprise, the powerful force Alex had felt watching him was exactly this Zhang Wuxi, and Alex knew he has been watching over them right from the beginning, sow hat was this shit about being late. But most of all this guy was gorgeous, his long silky white hair, and pitch black spear floating around him, or the pristine white robes he had on, along with that beautiful sword in a Ruby studded scabbard. The only thing that ruined such a picture perfect moment was the bottle of vodka in his hands, and the rather mischievous look in his eyes. Alex found that he suddenly liked the guy, though the blush on his sister''s face was annoying to say the least. Alex turned to look at Lu Wan who was completely stuck speechless by the current turn of events, then he looked at the members of the Emei and the still kneeling members of the Tang sect. Then he looked at the Imperial students and gave them a tired nod, he really couldn''t do much to those guys though, it would out him and Victoria in a rather precarious position. Alex outstretched his hands toward Zhang Wuxi, asking for the sword in his hands, the elder that looked no older than twenty five raised an eyebrow but did not hesitate. Alex pulled out the blade with a ringing of steel that left everyone feeling a deep chill, in Zhang Wuxi''s hands this sword was beautiful and had an aesthetic beauty the likes of which no one had seen. It was the kind of sword that you would want to just hand on a wall in your house and stare at for hours on end, but the moment Alex pulled it out from it''s scabbard, heck the moment he held the sword, it was no longer an image of beauty, it was just an instrument of death. Alex looked up and turns said. \"I have spoken!\" and then the sword flashed and an arm went flying with it. \"Arghhhhhh! My arm! Ahhhhhaaaahhhhaa! Ngggggarggggg! ZHANG XIAO FENG! I''LL MAKE YOU PAY YOU WILL PAY!!!\" Alex didn''t pay attention to Tang Lin''s insane cried of pain and anger as he sheathed the sword and handed it back to Zhang Wuxi. That sword was very powerful, like waaaay powerful, however it was neither West Wind or East Cloud, those swords were deeply ingrained in his soul, swords didn''t feel the same without them. Alex had made a statement, and it was one that everyone here would remember for a very long time. Zhang Wuxi had a transport of his own, so after saying their goodbyes to the members of the beggar''s sect and letting the students of the imperial academy off the hook, Alex, Louis, Anya and Xiao Mei along with the rest of Zhang clan members, all boarded the transport and headed for the academy. It would take them another two hours to reach, and Alex decided to use this time to get to know this extended family of his, he was sure it would be quite the experience. <|=|>>>>>> The Zhang family were a bunch of crazy people, Zhang Wuxi was no less than 200 yard old, but he was being insulted by the other three like there was absolutely no age Gap at all. Anya fit right in as it became an all fun fair for miscreants as they slowly made their way to the academy, soon enough they created over a hill and Alex was able to see the place that would be responsible for his next step to power. Though there was much to be done, all Alex wanted to do here was study and learn, learn a lot of new things, both in academics and life. He was here for two things only, experience and knowledge. The Earth Alliance Defense Academy was built into and above a gorge or was it a canyon, it''s really hard knowing the correct term to address such an environmental architecture of epic proportions. It was a good three hundred meters wide, meaning it had a wide enough streets for the cars Alex could see moving in and out of it. There was a gate, well not exactly a gate, but an arch that served as he entrance to the Academy, it stood on top of the canyon as a sentinel, though it was quite old. It would show to most, but Louis was able to pick out the signs of aging and rust from it''s edges whilst Alex was drawn to the inscription arrays and runic wards etched all-over it, highlighting the two main discipline of cultivation and magic. Their transport went down into the gorge, there were a couple of buildings built into the walls of the gorge and stretching upwards as towers above it. Then there were a bunch of smaller buildings, a market, and lot''s of other miscellaneous structures that made this place seem more like a town than an Academy. The gorge itself was more than fifteen kilometers in length, and it took them a while before they got to the opposite end where the official academy itself began. There were fields of green, and multiple towers stretching to the top of the gorge above, buildings built into the walls, and bridges, hundreds of bridges stretching from one side of the gorge to the other, and from one building or tower to the next. There were walls on the ground though, demarcating different part of the academy for different types of study, it was not as if it was more beautiful than the Wudang sect that''s nestled safely within it''s mountains, but it was unique, and whether Alex would like to admit it or not, for some reason, this place felt so much like...¡­home. 146 House Cleaning I : Arrival, cliche cannon fodders! Registration was also an interrogation of sorts, after all our arrival to the academy was accompanied with a little too much fanfare than what we expected. People died, a new student lost his arm, and a staff was heavily injured, which is why it came as no surprise to Alex that he was treated like a criminal for a while, at least until they realized just exactly who he was with the way Zhang Wuxi was being so deferential to him. Either way after a couple of questions, Alex was given a new uniform and was given a map of the famous while a dorm was prepared for him, Anya, and Louis. Usually a dorm room is supposed to carry 9 freshmen and a senior, but the academy was ran based on a system of student created organizations that battled it out for the schools resources and a chance for supremacy over the other, so most students already find themselves in organizations within the first month of their stay in the academy, and each organization usually has a Dorm that specifically catered to them. The dorm rooms themselves were the tall tower like buildings that dotted the Academy''s land, they were shared by floors, and the more floors you had in a dorm, the more powerful your organization is. Many of the students here were special cases, not one person had the same starting point as the amount of reputation you had outside the academy could de iced what sort of allocation of resources and dorms to be given to you. However if your incapable of defending it from the greedy hands of those who would want to take it from you, then that was your own problem. All the academy offered was knowledge and reputation, and in return you as the student would be expected to repay the academy by completing it''s missions, paying tuition and trading with them. But not just the students themselves, even the countries they come have to pay a certain amount of money every year, a simple tribute to the academy for turning their citizens into fierce and powerful warriors. Alex and the others were led to a tower on the western edge of the gorge, this particular tower was built into the walls of the gorge, and it was in a couple there that pushed in quite a bit, creating a natural alcove within the walls of the gorge. Basically it could be called their own little corner, which was just as well as this particular tower only had seven floors as opposed to the ten, fifteen and twenty of the other dorm rooms. Xiao Mei would have had that role, but she had joined the organization ran by the ninth princess herself, but now she was with her brother and the three students couldn''t help but be glad about the possibility of them gaining a little bit of reputation and prestige for themselves. Zhang Wuxi left them at the front of the tower with a schedule of classes that follow, in here apart from some compulsory weekly assessment class, it was up to the students to decide the courses that best suits them and learn from it, and from what Alex could see there were a lot of classes here. \"Well, well, well, if it isn''t the trash from the Zhang clan, I see you guys have gone an and gotten a bunch of new trash to join you as well. How about a little orientation hmmm? A tiny spar from us members of the night shroud organization, a way for us to welcome you into the Academy.\" The nasally voice of a very thing young man sounded out as he came out of the tower in front of them. There was also one very important rule that Zhang Xuelan and her fellow clan brothers t died really hard to make sure Alex and the others retained, even Xiao Mei who had taken a back seat as a way for Alex, Anya and Louis to enjoy their experience within the academy had to speak up. Regardless of level or realm, as long as it''s not in a different gate, you can be challenged by anyone at least three times in a weak and at most 5 times too. The number of win/loss ratio coupled with the strength of the opponent was talkies every week in a weekly ranking system that''s always refreshed to once the next week starts, and then once a month ends a monthly ranking system would be released. But said ranks aren''t decided solely on your ability as a combatant, your studies and the application of the things you''ve learnt would also come into play, and if you have an impressive enough rank, then there''ll be rewards for both you and your organization. Either way the bottom line of it was that this school thrived on competition, and as long as you can win, you can have and take any and everything you want. Alex looked at the people standing in front of them and couldn''t help but ask. \"Who the fuck are you?\" Alex might have noticed the drastic changes his vocabulary has been undergoing with each new day, but being crass came easily to him, though given that he always used such a soft spoken and refined voice, it was hard to call him crass and not an aristocrat with an eloquent tongue built for the rougher speech of life. \"Ahhh! Of course you guys don''t know me, you''re all a bunch of noobs! My name is Jafar, 92nd prince of Saudi Arabia! And your soon to be teacher in the art of eating dust! This here are members of my organization; The Night Shroud, we have occupied the second floor and since you''re here I think it''s time to establish the hierarchy before the other organizations beat me to it.\" He was lanky with a nasally voice, but he was also handsome. He had glossy black hair, he was tall and given that he looked about 18 and was in the true element realm, he was obviously a really talented individual. But Alex didn''t pay attention to the fool in front of him as he turned to Zhang Xuelan and asked a question that was probably going to change a lot of things in the academy and put Alex and his table of trouble makers on everyone else''s radar. \"The organization on the seventh floor, how powerful are they?\" Zhang Xuelan and the other two members of the Zhang clan blinked their eyes in surprise. In fact they were the only three members staying in the tower as most of the other Zhang clan members had either graduated, died, or had been talented enough to be scouted by other more power and influential organizations in the academy, leaving just this three to their own devices, but they''ve been isolated here and even if feats about Childe Spirit Wind had already spread across the world, not too many people knew what Alex looked like as he hasn''t been in the public eye much, that was about to change. \"Why do you want to know that?\" Zhang Xuelan asked, only for Anya to give her a hard hit on her back, almost throwing the older girl forward. \"Well it''s simple really, my husband wants the entire tower for himself!\" Louis and Xiao Mei couldn''t help shaking their heads, by this point they knew for a fact Alex hated schemes of staying close to people that could mean harm to him or the people he cared about. When it comes to the emperor of the management of the Wudang sect, he really didn''t have a choice as there was nothing he could do, but here, right here in this academy Alex would not tolerate snakes or hyenas around him. This tower was already a nest of snakes and hyenas, before he steps in Alex was going to turn it into a den of lions and dragons! Even if he has to break a few bones and burn a few skins to do it, Alex intended to put himself, Anya, Louis and Xiao Mei through a six floor gauntlet. Now the trio of miscreants behind Alex knew exactly the loud Josie he was about to make, after all this was basic prison psychology, something that Scholar Fan had included in his teachings for both Alex and Xiao Mei and Louis and the others when ever they had classes together. As for Anya, she was the very definition of refine thug or bully, she knew exactly how moves like this went. Basically they just had to find the biggest, meanest kid in the room and beat his or her ass to the ground in the most painful and humiliating ways possible, make a statement that would force the others to acknowledge and five you the respect you deserve. Of course this will paint a target on their backs, but at this point.....what else is new. Going up against bigger odds than themselves has always been what this group of people have been about, besides neither one of them could deny the fact that; they only ever gave their best, and grew stronger when there was pressure on them, and having an entire tower if not an entire academy of pompous fools after them, was just the way to do it. It was wholly and fully, the Al¨¦ way! 147 House Cleaning II : The Night Shroud Blanke [There''s nothing quite as scary as knowing that the boogey man is coming for you. The fear of the unknown, of change, of failure and of defeat.....at times like that, if you aren''t careful you usually end up doing something stupid!] UNKNOWN \"The strongest would be the starlight organization, it''s ran by a woman from the Spanish isles called Miranda, she''s in the first realm of the earth gate, right in the first level too. But even if that''s just a step above the peak of the true element realm, that''s still a difference of two whole gates, you can''t beat her. And not to mention, every organization in this tower, from the second floor all the way to the sixth are under her command, it''s why we couldn''t do much but swallow all of the insults and rough housing of the Night Shroud organization! Young Master Xiao Feng I think it''s much to early to challenge them, you just came into the academy, students and learn for like six months or a year, I''m sure with you talent you can even beat the leader of the fourth floor!\" Zhang Xuelan tried desperately to plead with Alex, however forget even Alex, not even Louis would have allowed the man he had chosen to follow to back down. Win or lose this was something important that they had to do, besides they were not going to let themselves lose, even if it''s going to be a tough fight. Alex turned his head to Louis and inclined it a bit, as if to tell the young man to handle the situation in front of them. Neither of them were at peak shake considering they just left the Orcon Forest after going through some serious amount of problems, but the two hour drive here was just enough for them to restore lost energy, they could fight for an entire day now if it was required. \"Alright listen up, Nigh blanket or whatever you call yourselves.\" Louis spoke up as he stepped out to stand in front of them. As usual by some divine providence the late afternoon soon seemed to let down it''s days upon Louis''s golden locks, making his entire body seem as if it was glowing good, as a wind came out from God knows where and began ruffling his clothes and hair. Alex and Anya blanched in annoyance, Xiao Mei had stars in her eyes, though to be honest he felt as if that meant quite a bit of unfortunate events for Louis in the future at the hands of his sister, what that might be...¡­..he wasn''t sure he really wanted to know either way. \"By the time I''m done with you, you can all take your defeated and battered body to the next floor and tell them that Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Al¨¦ of the Zhang clan and Wudang sect has laid down the gauntlet. Send your best, loser takes all. We win and you fuckers can get the fuck out of our tower!\" But Jafar had to admit he was quite embarrassed, he wasn''t even getting to fight the tables Childe Spirit Wind, but he wouldn''t be complaining about that. The stories about this boy so far has not made him admirable, rather it has made him extremely terrifying, he sorely hoped that it was just exaggeration that and open Dantian realm cultivator had enough power to face someone in the earth gate, that would be just ridiculous, because jumping realms in battle was already ridiculous, but there were talented people capable of doing it, but jumping gates! That''s fucking ridiculous! \"And who are you to make such demands of me!\" Jafar asked, trying hard to salvage his dignity in one way or another. \"Ahhh! Forgive me for my rudeness monsieur; my name is Louis, Louis Lumiere.\" And then Louis gave a flourished nobles how, Alex would have sword that he saw hearts floating off Louis''s body. \"Lum..... Lumiere!\" Jafar felt as if he swallowed an egg, not just him, even the people behind him had more fear on their faces than usual. \"Ahhh I see you folks know of my name, perhaps you have met my big brother no? Oh! Surely you just have, and given that you''re almost pissing yourselves, I guess I can say you''re not in his good graces. Oh well, that''s him and this is me, please motherfuckers! En garde!\" Louis was even more crass and disrespectful than Alex, but that was to be expected, after all, it was he who taught Alex how to really curse like a noble. Louis''s body flickered as a beam of light shot towards Jafar and his lackeys, Louis appeared behind Jafar, facing the four that were standing behind him as he threw a punch into the jaws of an unsuspecting girl. He kicked her out immediately, before he ducked down over a sloppy right hook and grabbed at the person''s throat, before rising up and slamming said person down in a choke slam that forced a glob of blood out of his opponents mouth. It was just an instant, but Louis had taken down two people, Jafar was shocked, not even he could do that, and he knew for a fact he had a higher cultivation realm than Louis. The remaining two were stuck where they were, but Louis decided that if they weren''t coming to him, then he was going to them. He rushed at them, only for him to comfort his body to the left as a light shield spell rose up, blocking against the Saber that crashed against his side, thrown by Jafar in a desperate attempt to catch Louis unguarded. Seeing their leader attacking, the other two took a step back as spell circles began to appear in their hands, of course they were all mages., But so was Louis and his spell casting abilities have been refunded in the midst of life and each situations, so while these trio of idiots with one having the delusions of being a spellsword, a discipline that Louis masterfully wielded, not to mention his cultivation skills, it was like a bunch of seven-year olds chasing after an adult. (FLASH) There was a bright flash of light that blinded all three of them, the spell was released in a controlled environment, and with Louis control over the darkness element, it was all too easy for him to manage the explosion of light and made sure it was focused on Jafar and his lackeys. They lost their sight as Louis rushed the first, a heavy set guy with a turban on his head, and gave him a clothesline that turned his body inside out, forcing him to rotate three times in the air before he landed hard on the ground, groaning and moaning in pain. Louis didn''t have to move far as he sent a super kick under the jaw of the fourth, the fact that she was a girl didn''t matter at all to Louis as she stood there frozen for a few seconds, before she fell back on the ground like a sack of potatoes completely knocked out. Louis was on a roll, he was bouncing on his feet, a move he had copied from Alex on more than one occasion. Apart from the fact that it pissed your opponent off, it helped sharpened your focus and made the entire fight as fun and as light hearted as it could be. Jafar had finished a spell as the saber on his hand took on a brown hue, grains of sand created out of his Mana gathered in the saber, giving it more power as Jafar raised it up and slashed down, yelling out his anger and distaste in his native tongue. (SAND SLASH!) Louis just raised his hands up as his light shield came up, defending against the six meter long and three feet wide sand Saber that cake crashing down on him. Jafar looked up expecting to see Louis in a rather terrible and defeated state, but there was not even a single scratch on the shield, Louis stood there his left arm outstretched and his right hand in his pocket, looking completely bored. \"Are you done? Good let''s end this joke of a fight.\" The shield, for the first time since Alex had seen Louis use it, actually moved on it''s own, shooting forwards and slamming into Jafar with the force of a speeding car. Jafar flew back, blood spurting out of his mouth as he landed rather painfully on the ground, a couple of bones probably broken in his body. But Alex didn''t care so much about Jafar''s loss as he turned to Louis and asked in surprise. \"You Modified the spell?.....How!\" 148 House Cleaning III : 3rd & 6th Floor, Another Spirit User! Learning and mastering a spell was easy......well it wasn''t that easy, but the crux of the matter was that, modifying a spell was a whole other ball game. Alex had the feeling that he could use Mana, and hence also learn magic, but he didn''t want to bite off more than he could chew so he had instead chosen to focus on cultivation. However he had taken to studying a bit, and he knew the fullest measure of a mage, was when finally they made a spell their own, or created a spell of their own. Basically making a spell your own, is to modify it into something that serves and suits you better, creating a new spell formula, and adding more spells to the spell tree of the spell you had chosen to modify. But that was a topic for another time, All of Jafar''s Lackeys have been defeated, with Jafar bit being in too good of a shake either. But this was just the beginning, that was one floor down, there were five more to go. Alex looked up at the tower and noticed that there were people on the third all the way up to the sixth floor watching, guess there''s no need to go knock on their doors. Alex gave a small smile as Anya waved at them besides him, and Louis beckoned with his finger for the student at the third floor to come down. He threw down a challenge, and they now had no choice but to accept. Louis began to stretch as he waited for the members of the organization occupying the third floor to come down, he didn''t have to wait long as they came down swiftly, anger very obvious on their faces. They were lead by twins, a boy and girl that had more in connection with Anya and Alex than any other person here, just like them, these two were from the dark continent, bit that it mattered, because they were now obstacles that Alex had to mow through to make an example. \"Our names are...¡­\" \"We don''t care! Louis wrap this up fast!\" Anya called out from besides Alex, life disdain on her face, apparently there was something about this twins that she didn''t like, Alex wish he knew what, but even her upset face wasn''t any forthcoming with answers. Subsequently her blatant disregard for the Louis''s opponent was like a spark on a keg of gunpowder, the twins blasted forward, but their aim wasn''t Louis, rather it was Anya they were aiming for, but the young girl didn''t seem any bit disturbed as she rushed forwards to meet them, leaving Alex with his mouth open and the words he was about to say stuck in his throat. Alex stretched forth his hand as the fire mask appeared, Louis created a shield in front of the twins as Alex used his control over fire to snuff out the flames around her fist, which proceeded to smash into Louis''s shield, blasting it to pieces and creating a shockwave that sent the twins flying backwards until they but the wall of the tower and their broken bodies fell to the ground in a heap. They were still alive, but they would probably be bedridden for a few days. Xiao Mei quickly grabbed Anya as Alex raised his eyes to sixth floor where a man with bright pink hair tried to duck back into the tower, but Alex wasn''t having any of it. The fire mask was rapidly replaced with the blood mask as everyone single person on the sixth floor, all 38 of them, were dragged down, and brought crashing to the ground in the most bone chilling display of power ever. It was literally raining bodies in a manner that was just horrifying to look like, and then just after they all hit the ground, they were all hung suspended in the air while Alex dragged the pink haired guy to the front. (You''re using too much of the mask''s power, your spirit energy might be recovered but you''re mentally exhausted! You don''t need to use it this much, now release your hold from the mask, and let your mind rest! I can''t believe I''m saying this, but if you have to make a display of power, using your brawn rather than your brain! That way you won''t give yourself an aneurysm!) Nezha''s annoyed voice rang out in Alex''s head, he knew the spirit was right considering he was beginning to feel the start of a very terrible migraine. Guess this time it would be better to rely on brawn rather than brains, but before he would let go of this power, he moved his head to the left as multiple resounding cracks rang out, and all 38 of the people he had dragged down from the sixth floor had their legs twisted into very awkward angles, each and every single one of them sporting the same type of injury. Alex didn''t notice, but they had gotten a significant amount of onlookers, so it was not just the people in the tower, but also people outside who were passing through the entrance of the alcove and noticed the ensuing conflict. Which was to say quite a significant amount of people saw Alex''s display of power, but even they did Alex was not going to pay attention to them. Alex turned to Anya, and saw shaking her head as she battled with bout of dizziness, from the moment Louis defeated Jafar, Alex had felt spirit energy in the air, but the thing is he was not the one using it. It wasn''t until Anya decided to attack that he noticed just where it was coming from and just who was using it and what it was doing. \"Mind control is quite a powerful ability, and you seem quite familiar with it. I admire power, but the way you used it was downright sinister, you wanted her to kill people who were considered your comrades, not only would you have ended their lives you would have also ruined hers, and for what? A reputation that means nothing outside the walls of this academy, for a sense of superiority, a game? Are you a fucking child!? How can you comfortably stand there and implement such a scheme? Is there really no hope for anyone of you, are all of you just serpents and opportunistic hyenas in disguise. You make me sick! Keep your power away from my family, or the next time you use it again, I''ll kill you, consequences be damned!\" There was no need to do anything, Alex was not one to hit an opponent that was already down, and so in one fell swoop both the sixth and third floor have been defeated, and by agreement those floors now belonged to them. Leaving the fourth, fifth and the seventh floor left to be challenged, but seeing as the sixth floor was supposed to be stronger and had more people than the fourth and seventh and Alex just dismantled the entire sixth floor in a second, it was safe to say that no one from the fourth or fifth floor wanted to have anything to do with Alex and his gauntlet. \"In the spirit of fairness! The fourth and fifth floor can send their strongest representative, you''ll fight Louis one on one, if you beat him you get to keep your floors. And we''ll back off from the gauntlet, but if you lose......well you already know what will happen.\" Alex said as he moved back and wiped his hands on his nose, there was blood on it. Using Spirit energy as much as he has, especially just after getting a new spirit was really tasking on his body. There were so many whispers going around, but the question were mostly about who the hell was Alex and why was he so strong. Of course it didn''t take long for information about Alex to pop up, after all this was a digital age, and just asking the right questions online would get you the answers you''re looking for. Alex''s feat from when he burst into the scene more than a year ago in the dark continent, to his adventures and feats in the Wudang sect, the Infernal prison Dimension, Macao and his startling display in the Forbidden City during the Emperor''s birthday, and the biggest need of them all...¡­the fact that he was the fianc¨¦e of the ninth Princess who was practically the most famous individual in the academy and one that had so many talented suitors that any other man other than Alex being betrothed to there would be paranoid for his life. But nevertheless Alex had given the fourth and fifth floor a chance to escape a rather humiliating display at his hand. Besides Louis had fought and used spells, by now he should be a little bit exhausted, so there was actually hope that they could beat him. But Louis was ready, after all he has been using so far was Mana and not Qi, and between the two...¡­Louis had more Qi than he knew what to do with, this was going to be another humiliating beat down! 149 House Cleaning IV : 4th & 5th floor Louis moved his neck from the left to the right, releasing ear piercing cracking sounds, as he pulled out his two Rapiers. Even he knew that this fight would be a little bit more serious and desperate than the others, if not for anything, but for the fact that these two in front of him were both in the True Essence realm. And he was in the Seventh level of the open Dantian realm, having recently advanced in cultivation, but then again there was still a gap between him and his opponents. The only difference here would be the fact that Louis has hard access to better training resources than they have. He might not have had a chance to get into the dragon blood qi pool like Yun Fao and Alex, but their time in the Infernal prison Dimension training under a waterfall was not wasted, not to mention the limited access to study and practice the Yi Jin Jing had given him a body completely adaptable to any situation, and much more stronger and filled with the purest of energy. Against other opponents, he didn''t just have access to better training resources, he was also filled with a crazy amount of talent. There was no need to stand on ceremony or say things that really didn''t have much of a meaning. The moment his two opponents, both males realized that Louis was ready, they rushed towards him, a spear and two gauntlet covers arms with claws aiming for his body. The guy with the gauntlet-claws was faster, but the guy with the spear had a longer weapon which gave him a greater reach, hence even if they didn''t arrive at the same time, both their attacks did. Louis waved his rapier, raising a small circular shield to his left, right over his heart and making it a little bit more concave to deflect the strike from the spear. It was a good idea, and for the most part it worked, however the guy with the spear had a little bit more power than Louis assumed as the spear pierced through the shield, and was stuck there just as Louis reversed the grip on his right rapier and deflected the first clawed punch heading for his face, and then he took a step back, dodging another one and dislodging the spear from the ruined shield. Louis leaned back, dodging both a claw and spear strike to his face whilst simultaneously slamming both blades of his rapier together, creating a bright flash that filled the area and left quite a few blindest, chief amongst them the opponents in front of him. However these guys weren''t your average cultivators, immediately they lost their ability to see, they rapidly utilized their movement technique to move back, taking them swiftly away from the reach of Louis''s Rapiers. Louis couldn''t help but notice how well these two work together, they were either good friends, brothers or at least related to each other, or lovers...though he had his doubts about that last one. All spells had a definite cost, even after modifications, however some are sustained spells and would continually be active and increase or decrease in intensity depending on how much Mana was being infused into the spell. However you can out less Mana than what you used to cast the spell, It would take a serious amount of time and energy to modify spells to have completely varying degrees of power based on the amount of Mana infused, a talent in Mana manipulation would be required for that, and that was practically the hardest thing to train as a mage. But nonetheless Louis was still in the middle of a fight, magical theories and philosophies can be pondered on later. Louis took a stance, one rapier pointed behind him to the ground, and the other facing the sky and held close to his face with it''s hilt being right under his jaw, both his legs brought closely together. It was a Noble''s stance, one that was quite familiar to most as it was a stance from an acclaimed and famed sword style. (Lumiere''s 12 Sun Of Light Style) a sword technique belonging to Louis''s family and one his elder brother has used to out the rest of God in quite a few people here. Louis shot forward, his right and left Rapiers blazing with ours yang energy. Everyone who could see it could tell it was neither light not fire, and cultivators were very sensitive to the two prime elements of Yin and Yang! So they could immediately to that Louis was a dual discipline practitioner! A mage and a cultivator! Even more talented than his mage and knight brother. Basically it meant that Louis had access to not one, but two energy reserves of different alignment. Hence he could use different techniques for different situations, a jack of all trades and quite simply a master of all. It would be harder training and advancing, but such people would always be invisible. Louis arrived in front of his opponents, his rapiers moving rapidly as he began to shoot his hands forward, both Rapiers stabbing at high blazing speeds as Louis utilized the (Lumiere''s 1st Sun Of Light: Rapid Flashes). It was a control technique meant to disorient the enemy and push them back a bit, whilst attempting to poke them full of holes in the process. His Opponents tried their best to defend against the onslaught of attacks, but in the end they were still being pushed back. The guy using the spear became a little impatient and made a risky move, shooting his spear forwards towards Louis''s heart, a brown surge of energy leaping from one end of the spear to the other. Louis was shocked as the spear wielder was actually stabbed four times form him to utilize such a risky move. Of course the stabs were light and not too deep, seeing as the (1st Sun Of Light) move was not a killing one, but one for control. Louis however was just too fast for him to keep up with, though not fast enough as even in the midst of the dodging, the spear still went under Louis''s armpit and left a nasty gash on his side. Louis made half a rotation as he was facing the soft while the guy''s moment carried him forwards. Louis rapidly reversed the grip of his rapiers as he struck forwards with the jewel studded hilt, using the same (1st Sun Of Light: Rapid Flashes) move, but this with the hilt of the blades. There were numerous dull thuds as bones were broken and his opponent was quickly incapacitated and left paralyzed. But before he could even touch the ground, Louis had ducked down, and reversed his rotation going anticlockwise as he evaded the claws that were this time aiming for his throat. Louis shot upwards, his Rapiers still held in reverse as he slammed their hilts under the jaw of the claw wielding opponent, obviously shattering it and about a couple more dozen teeth along with it. His Opponent flew into the air already knocked out as he fell to the ground, in just about the same time as the guy with the spear. None of them were moving, and white frankly nobody else was savings anything, as to the onlookers, Louis had just defeated two guys in one swift and smooth motion, without even an ounce of movement of energy wasted. Even more so for them was Louis shocking talent, and his weird ability to actually reverse his rotational movement at the drop of a hat! To them it was absolutely insane, and there was definitely going to be more stories to tell; because it wasn''t just Alex who was a freak of nature, even Louis could not be considered normal, he was just as talented as Alex. It was an unprecedented but still unique victory, one that many of the people watching would not be forgetting any time soon. Alex gave Louis a nod of his head and shook it a bit, asking Louis to step down. If there was going to be any more fighting done, Alex was going to be taking care of it himself, however before he could take that step forward, Zhang Xiao Mei already walked forwards as she raised her head up towards the seventh floor, that was now filled to the brim with people who were members of the Starlight organization. It looks like Xiao Mei didn''t want to put any more stress on her little brother, she had already seen him bleeding from his nose after using those blood abilities of his. She would fight in his stead, besides she was the big sister, it was her job to protect him, not to mention he was the weakest and youngest out of all of them. It just wouldn''t be fair having him fight, of course that was just a bullshit excuse, but Xiao Mei didn''t care. The organizations in this tower had treated her clan mates terribly, so as it stands.... She''s coming for blood! 150 House Cleaning V : Miranda Miranda was a beautiful woman, like really, really beautiful! But the Crux of such a beauty was the fact that it was accompanied with power. The first level of the soul refining realm, right there in the earth gate stage of cultivation. She could attack even without moving and battle her opponent in a contest of wills, as cultivators within this stage becomes capable of cultivating soul power. Yet Xiao Mei who was at the peak of the true element realm wanted to fight her...¡­to most this was nothing more than suicide. However attributing normalcy to cultivators of the Zhang family of the Wudang sect would be nothing more than sheer idiocy and stupidity along with a boat load of ignorance. Performing miracles is what they do. Miranda was wearing a purple robe that was tailored to her feminine figure, it clung tightly to her figure and as she came down from the seventh floor, floating down like some immortal goddess from an ancient fairy tail. She was beautiful, devastatingly so, so much so that Xiao Mei looked somewhat plain in front of her, but considering Xiao Mei was dressed simply in a pink hoody, and faded jeans along with sneakers, and no make up it would be hard to compare her with Miranda who had the whole ensemble ready to slay. \"I do not wish to fight you guys Lady Xiao Mei, it would be counter productive and quite frankly you''re not my match, the gulf between the mortal gate and the earth gate is not something that can simply be crossed by the miraculous talent of the Zhang clan. You will fail, and quite frankly you''re not the one leading this charade, so I would want to face the person you all seem to be deferring to....your brother.\" Alex raised an eyebrow at that, he didn''t expect that at all. \"Then I guess you''re pretty much a hypocrite, you already said I''m not your match, so why would you want to face my brother who''s in the open Dantian realm, and not to mention pretty much tired after a battle with demonic beast in the true element realm.....that won''t be fair now would it.\" Xiao Mei asked, her eyebrows scrunched up together in annoyance. \"Don''t get me wrong Zhang Xiao Mei, I''m not that shameless. But you people can''t just come out of nowhere and destabilize my organization floor by floor and ask me to be okay with it, and then have the gall to throw a challenge at me and offer conditions like I''m so bitch at the behest of a child who doesn''t even know what a woman''s vagina looks like! I hear you used to be really good with swords right...you and I would have a duel between the swordsman and swordswoman. First to draw blood wins, if I win, you and all your Zhang clan family members would move into the first floor as members of my organization. If I lose, I''ll disband the starlight organization and leave you guys alone. This should be fair enough for all of you, so Zhang Xiao Feng, what do you say to my proposal.\" Did Alex even feel the need to think too much about this, it was not as if he was confident hat he would be able to beat her, but it was the way she had described him. Alex couldn''t help the feeling that it was true, that somehow in one way or the other he had slowly become the very thing that he was trying to fight. It was a rather rude wake up call, he didn''t want to be the guy who would go everywhere and making everyone bend over for him based on his backing and power, sure this was place where power spoke the loudest, and if you weren''t strong people would step all-over you. But the thing is, Alex did not want to be the bully, regardless of how other people saw it, he wanted to in some way or the other do something right, to still be the good guy, because no matter how you saw it, in this world, everybody is a bad guy. \"Very well Miranda, I accept your challenge. However should I win, I would make a request of you that you can not refuse, are we in agreement?\" Alex asked her as he walked forward, raising his hand to catch the simple steel sword Miranda grew at him. \"You''ve got yourself a deal.\" There was no fanfare, no announcement, no staring at themselves like mortal enemies, they just fell right into the fight as they rushed towards each other, their bodies moving so fast it was like a blur to the others.*clang!* Alex felt vibrations traveling all through the body of the steel sword and back into his arms. This was not the one handed longsword he was used to, but rather a two handed longsword. Sure he could still use a single hand, but both Hans gave him more power and balance, something that Miranda also seemed to understand, as she pushed back at Alex holding her sword in the same way. It was a contest of strength, and they seemed equally matched as Alex was not the only one to feel the vibrations from the swords hitting each other. Alex kicked Miranda in the foot suddenly, trying to throw her off guard, but she responded by tripping her way into a head butt that rocked Alex''s vision, making him take a few steps backwards as Miranda slashed upwards, attempting to tear Alex in half. Alex slammed the side of his sword into hers, pushing it out of the way and he moved forwards slamming the hilt of his sword into her chest. The moves of always using the hilt of a sword in a fight was a quick of Alex that both Louis and Yun Fao had picked up, it wasn''t a part of his training, but it was like someone learning to dance, but always eager to add an extra flourish of his own. Miranda cost as if someone threw a massive rock into her chest, but she only took three steps backwards, leaving cracks on the ground, as Alex''s strength truly shocked her. Alex tried for an over head swing, but her sword was there to meet his, as they slowly began to pick up speed.*clang!* *Clang* *clang!* The sounds of both steel swords slamming into each other was so loud and so never grating that every time those blades met, everyone else watching would be wincing in refund as their ear rang. Miranda unleashed a triple slash combo, forcing Alex on the offensive as she stepped forwards after getting him over extend himself a bit, her sword was coming up from the left side of Alex, as she hoped to cut him in half from hip to shoulder. But Alex quickly took a play out of her own play book and slammed his forehead against hers, hitting her so hard she was thrown backwards. Miranda stabbed her sword into the ground, bringing a halt to her momentum as she shot forwards towards Alex, who in turn rushed at her. She slid across the ground as she slashed as his Legs, but Alex made a leap over head, his body making a cartwheel in the air as he stabbed down. Miranda had used the force from her missed swing to make a full circle rotation, her still slashing sword meeting the sword being stabbed for above and pushing it aside, almost throwing it out of Alex''s hand. Alex landed and took two steps backwards before rushing forwards again, the long sword being dragged behind him. Then much to the shock of everyone, Alex threw the sword at Miranda, forcing her to slash upwards, hitting Alex''s thrown sword into the air and leaving herself wide open for the young man to slither like a python around her body with his hands tightly grasping here, and her breasts were fully in his clutches, forcing Miranda to go blank for a second as Alex utilized a move that has no failed him yet. (Sky Python Slams Earth) All his muscles contracted and pushed their limits, his gaze fully focused on Miranda, the sword in her hands, and his sword in the sky that was about to make it''s descent back down. He better the young woman up, his grip very much like the unbreakable coils of a dangerous python, and without a single hint of remorse, Alex slammed her into the ground.*Boom* the hit was so hard and so thunderous that cracks spread Allover the ground and a little crater 10 inch deep was formed, it was hard to imagine just how big a crater that would be if Alex had been able to utilize his energy in that move. Miranda was rocked, daze as she felt as if her brain was rattling around in her own skull. Sure she would be able to recover from this in a second or two, but a second was all Alex needed as he raised his hand to grab the hilt of the sword falling from the sky and stabbed it down hard, right towards Miranda''s pristine head. Loud exclamations were made as many eyes were closed, Miranda herself had her eye open wide at the sword a centimeter away from her face, and a trail of her blood sliding down it''s blade from the small cut it made on her cheek. Alex had drawn first blood, he won, which means, he was now the master of this tower. 151 Tower In Dire Straits [Knowledge is power, Power is control, Control is Command, and to Command means to be Wise, and to be Wise means to have Knowledge! A king is not king by the hardness of his fist, but rather by the strength of his heart and the wisdom of his mind, all things powerful are born from the Discovery and seeking of knowledge; Knowledge is power!] ANONE <|=|>>>>> THREE DAYS LATER Running a tower was a lot more complicated than Alex thought, and the fact that he was now the master of said tower, it meant that it was up to him to take care of everything that had to do with it. The tower dorms of the academy were a unique existence, there were more normal like dorms within the academy built for normal students who were not part of an organization or influential enough to be offered a chance to stay in one, however the towers themselves were responsible for the entire economy of the academy. Each tower had a unique trade or set of services that could be offered to other towers in exchange for money. It was that same money that was used to purchase services or resources from other towers, or the school itself to help with the training of the students living within the tower. So it was basically like a trade between nations, however this tower was ranked amongst the lowest, the only thing they had to offer were herbs and plant materials for Alchemy, and even then due to the lack of knowledge of everyone else in the tower, the growth rate of the herbs were slow and their quality was terrible. A tower master can make a tower if he or she has total control over all of it''s floors, but even when Miranda was in charge, she didn''t excel too well when it came to management and as such the tower and the students in it had a severe lack of resources and would instead choose to go out on missions for the academy of other towers in order to raise money for or gain the resources needed for their training, this had to change. Anya and Xiao Mei had already started taking lessons, but Alex and Louis have been left with no other choice but to find a way to improve the quality of a tower, not to mention they also had to submit their registration form and take a test to be recognized as an official organization. But Alex and Louis weren''t the only one going at this, Alex''s new assistant/maid had to also be there to help. \"I''ve made a tally of the amount of resources we have in the tower, I''m afraid to say that it''s not really much, and I don''t know how we would be able to increase it anytime soon.\" Miranda said as she walked into the office on the seventh floor, a place that used to be hers, but now belongs to Alex. Regal as she was, she was no different than Anya who thought with her fist instead of her head, now she was someone else''s servant for the entire duration of his stay in the academy. Tuition in the academy has always been free, until after six years regardless of your age, it is expected that you graduate. To continue staying in the academy you would be required to pay a certain amount of fees every year, and honestly there was nothing cheap about it. So far Miranda has been able to scrape by, relying on her insane beauty, hardly efficient followers, and the fondness some of the teachers and students have for her, or rather the lust they had for her body. But lately all of these has never been enough, lately she has been assaulted with marriage proposals, as all of her admirers have gotten tired of just admiring and not being able to posses. But the thing is, Miranda didn''t exactly like boys, or at least she didn''t think she did until Louis ran rough shod over her subordinates. Not to mention he was really, really handsome. But that aside, servitude to Alex, who for all intents and purposes was a rich third generation young Master of the Wudang clan, would enable her to continue her studies in the academy, and if possible increase the speed of her cultivation with much better resources. \"This is terrible, first thing first the tower itself is in a state of disarray, the Inscription arrays, and rune wards protecting it and responsible for most of it''s functions have not been updated, this is just a simple building that could be brought down by anybody. We''re lucky it''s built with very sturdy materials, of the fight from three days again would have brought the entire thing down. It has three sub-basements, but two have collapsed, and the third which is supposed to be an Alchemical farm has been turned into a stoner lodge, with only a small part allocated for the card taking and growth of alchemical ingredients. That''s just neglect and irresponsibility of the highest order, they''re supposed to be focusing on their cultivation but you let them do drugs! Truly leadership doesn''t suit you.\" Alex wasn''t trying to be harsh, but with the way Miranda was clenching her fist, it wouldn''t be too far fetched to say she was considering murdering the guy. But she was also rational enough to know that he was right, she had fought to become tower master because she didn''t want to be at the mercy and control of someone else, not because she felt the need to lead, in fact she felt that baby sitting a bunch of grown children was just too much work. While she would never admit it, a part of her was all so happy that Alex was the one now in charge, at least he''ll see hard it is to lead a tower. \"The towers main source of income is the growth of the Indian Nightshade, poisonous to normal people, but one of the few valuable multi-discipline flowers, on it''s own capable of causing a vibration of energy, causing a stimulation that refined said energy in the body of a practitioner. The higher the grade of the Indian Nightshade, the better the efficacy. And the Indians Nightshade grown here for all intents and purposes suck! It''s easy to grow but hard to properly cultivate, and yet you let a bunch of stoners smoke and do drugs right where it grows.....fuck! This is going to be harder than I thought!\" To Miranda it was quite the comical sight watching Alex lament about having too much work or about her shortcomings. He was taller now, but everyone knew he was still just fifteen, and Miranda who was already way past her thirties thought it was cute that Alex was trying so hard to be a grown up. But nevertheless she recognized intellect when she looked at him, he was not just strong, he was also very smart. And the thing is she wasn''t wrong about that, Alex didn''t know the first thing about management, but he used to help his father paint houses and hear him talk about the way thing were ran back at the village. And then Scholar Fan had crammed an inordinate amount of knowledge into Alex''s head about military and economical management, along with a bunch of history lessons and books, most of them histories of alternate Dimensions or worlds in a higher realm that fell due to a lot of shortcomings of their leaders. Alex never read those books until it became obvious he needed them yesterday, so he''s not had a wink of sleep in 48 hours, learning how to properly run things. \"The Indian Nightshade aside, the only other source of income is by being mercenaries, carrying out missions for the academy and then for other towers. The problem is this tower had a very terrible track record, and all of the people under you are just incredibly lazy! And finally the only amount of money left is 300 gold, that''s not enough to even get substantial resources for me, and I''m the one with the lowest cultivation here...¡­however it should be enough to get us some proper farming supplies to get that first floor basement farm back in order. We''ll oversee the restoration of the farm first, as far as resources are concerned of learning, me, you and Louis can put that on hold for now. After the farm is restored we will take a few missions to raise enough money to last us a while, I''ll personally take charge of the farm, and focus my studies on arrays and wards for now, apart from defending the tower, they would help with the growth of the Alchemical plants and make life a bit easier and more comfortable for everyone. If there''s any other thing to do, we''ll jump that bridge when we get there. Now is there anything else? Louis?\" Louis who had been silently looking out the window in the office by Alex''s right turned, his gaze brushed over Miranda, lingering for a second before coming to rest on Alex. \"There''s a few reports to be given, but we need to move now. The other organizations would begin recruiting the early admission students, and I remember you wanted to draw those students from the Beggar''s Sect into our organization, and probably look for a few other Talents. That event begins in ten minutes and we''ll be Kate if we don''t leave now.\" Alex groaned as he rubbed his hand on his forehead, before scrunching his eyebrows and downing the cup of cold coffee sitting on his desk. Then he slapped his cheeks a few times to wake himself up before turning to Louis and saying. \"Let''s go!\" 152 Recruitment, Louiss Big Brother The Earth Alliance Defense Academy covered more grounds and territory than Alex imagined, it also went down a couple thousand feet Underground where there were secret facilities, teaching halls, specialized libraries, and multiple battle arenas, and finally entrance to another Dimension that''s not been fully conquered and is used as a training ground for the students of the academy. Some of the Academy''s graduates actually live in that Dimension, gaining grounds everyday against the local races in a bid to take it over. It was all very fascinating and quite a new experience for Alex. The academy itself was like a well planned out town, Alex had seen pictures of places like London the capital of the Albion Empire, places like New York and Seoul and the academy reminded him so much of those cities. There was a hall underground, this was located right at the center of the academy and was known as the convocation hall. It was basically where every official ceremony was held, which also includes the induction ceremony for the new students and where they would receive orders to join the numerous organizations scattered all-over the academy. It didn''t take long for Alex, Louis and Miranda to find the hall and get themselves a seat right on the edge of the massive arena. It wasn''t as but as the arena in the Wudang sect, no that place probably held the record as one of the most Expansive arenas in the world. If Alex had to go out on a limb, he would say the arena in the Wudang sect could sit at least 80 thousand people if not more. For all intents and purposes, Alex and Louis were supposed to be down there with the other new students, but they were a special case. The students were being introduced to the academy and being told about it''s rules and regulations, a map quite similar to the one Alex had received from Zhang Wuxi. After that the students themselves were asked to introduce themselves, their level of cultivation and specialties as cultivators. Once that was done it was now up to the leaders of the organizations to ask the students they feel were worthy enough to join them. Alex turned to Louis and gave him a simple nod, for some reason Alex didn''t feel the need to show himself yet, his main aim this time was to get Hideki and his friends from the beggar''s sect into their organization, Alex was hoping to use the fact that they owe him and his sister their lives to drag them into the organization, it was a guilt trip of sorts, but Alex didn''t mind using whatever tools at his disposal to get what he wanted. But more than that since the students here were special cases of early admissions, it''s obvious that a majority of them already had roots set up for them in the academy. So while Louis tried recruiting, many of the students already have been drafted into other organizations and were just here for the ceremony. It really didn''t mean much to them, so in the end, Louis was only able to convince Ken Hideki, and his fellow disciples Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Sarah Lorne and Minerva Crucifixio Affectionately known as Cross. The beggar''s sect had dorms and organizations of their own, in fact they were more of them in the academy than any other sect, hence there would definitely be and umbrella to cover all four of them. But there were no rules stating that it was absolutely necessary for you to join a dorm, or organization created by members of your own sect, so as Louis led them back to Alex''s and Miranda''s position, Alex heaved out a massive sigh of relief. In fact he wasn''t really looking for too many students to become members of his organization, every other member from Miranda''s starlight organization have been sent away as Alex didn''t trust any one of them, what he hoped to cultivate was a small organization of really capable fighters from multiple discipline, he was aiming for just 20 students, that way there should be more than enough resources to go around and then some extra lying around. With the inclusion of the students from the beggars sect, the amount of people in that tower now amounted to 12, which meant there were 8 slots left, and this were slots that he would fill six months from now when students are admitted from the entrance examination. Four of those slots belonged to Yun Fao and the triplets, so basically he was waiting to recruit four other students. \"Hideki, it is a pleasure to see you well, I trust the rest of you have also been in good health?\" Alex asked as he got up to his feet and shook hands with Hideki and the others. \"We''ve been doing really well thank you, to be honest I doubt anyone of us will be here if it was not for you and Lady Xiao Mei''s help in surviving the Airship and the Orcon forest, we''re grateful.\" Hideki replied as he gave a small bow. \"lets consider ourselves even, after all you''ve just been roped into an organization that doesn''t really have much to offer at the moment, which means you all will be working that much harder than others to get ahead. I''m not going to lie to you, this won''t be easy, but if you''re all willing, I believe there''s nothing we can''t achieve.\" Alex said to them as he led the way outside of the arena, only to have their way blocked by a familiar face, or rather an older more refined version of a familiar face. \"I guess all you members of the Zhang clan are the same, dreamers who think they can change the world with their hands tied behind their backs! To me you''re just a fool who doesn''t know how night the heavens above you really are and is reaching for something you shouldn''t. But then again you have not just reputation but an incredible bloodline to watch out for you, so you can afford to be stupid Zhang Xiao Feng. Honestly little brother, you could have done better.\" This was awkward, with how much Louis had spoken of his elder brother, Alex knew both brothers cared about each other a lot. But it seems the big brother had a problem with Alex putting the younger brother in a rather difficult situation as Louis who was about to hug his brother froze in his tracks from the pure animosity dripping for his words, he really didn''t Understand what was going on here. \"Brother I.....\" but the elder Lumiere raised his hand in the air to stop his brother from talking. \"We Lumiere''s are known for our foresight and ability to spot talent, not to mention we''re incredibly stubborn and always follow our heart rather than logic. You owe me no explanation little brother, the blood in my veins is the same one that runs in yours, so I understand. My problems with the man or rather boy you''ve pledged yourself too, is one that not even he himself could fathom, but it would not be fair to use that as a catalyst to spoil the relationship you have. Last I heard you two were as close as real brothers, but let''s get this over with.\" The Elder Lumiere was here for a purpose, and it had to do with Alex, but he didn''t like Alex so obviously he hated the fact that he was the one assigned to do this, but in the end he couldn''t refuse a direct order from his master. \"My master feels that it would be too difficult for you to support your organization on the meagre resources your tower has. She asked me to invite you to hers as she''s willing to outfit seven whole floors to you for your use and provide enough resources for you and your friends to advance to true element realm, and can wholly focus on your studies here. So in retrospect, this is an official invitation from the Ninth princess of the Empire of Heaven Lu Victoria Albion into the organization Scions Of The Round Table. What is your answer?\" \"No!\" Alex didn''t have to say much, it was just a simple answer anyways. And he would have happily left Louis''s brother with just that single word, but he decided to take the high road and be courteous to the dude. From what he heard the elder Lumiere was a good person with a string sense of Justice, it didn''t take much for Alex to realize that this guy was Jealous, and it made Alex wary. It was Jealousy that made the Zhang clan the oppressed giant it was today, that emotion can literally bring out the worst in people. \"Tell Tori I''m grateful for her concern, but I''m going to try and stand on my own for a while, if I need any help, I''ll reach out to her. But for now she should let me get a feel of the academy, it would be never too late to accept her offer later as I trust it''s open to me indefinitely right?\" say what you will about Alex, but he had a pretty streak almost as dangerous as Anya''s, and calling Victoria with the let name only her closest friends and family used, almost made big brother Lumiere blow a gasket. \"Yes...¡­the offer is open indefinitely.\" He replied through gritted teeth, Alex felt Louis tugging at his clothes as if begging him not to escalate whatever drama was bubbling right now. \"Well thank you so much for delivering the message, I''m grateful that you did. Please I leave you and your brother to catch up, I know you''ve not seen each other in a very long time.\" Alex said to him. \"Thank you for your generosity!\" the sarcasm in those words were not light, but Alex didn''t say anything else and was about to leave when he spoke up again. \"The princess has also invited you and.....and...and her sister wife to dinner this evening at Emiliano''s combat restaurant in the golden plaza. The time is 7pm so please don''t be late.\" Alex looked up at him with a smile and then said. \"Don''t worry, I won''t be late.\" 153 A Samurai, An Assassin, A Knight And An Elementalis The walk back to the tower was quite uneventful as Alex took that time to get to know the new members of his still yet to be named organization. And it was quite a surprising and enlightening experience, for example; Minerva or as everyone calls her Cross was neither a cultivator, or a mage, she was what was known as an Elementalist. And quite honestly this was the first time Alex had ever heard of, or even came in contact with an Elementalist. Elementalist were actually humans who''s power come from the very own biology as opposed to he intake if energy from fundamental sources to grow stronger. The world itself, every part of it is made up of elements, it didn''t matter if it was traditional elements of air, earth , fire and water, or chemical elements from the periodic table like Hydrogen, Magnesium etc. Elementalists could control and manipulate this in a variety of ways, thankfully Cross''s ability was simple enough for the dumb people to follow. She had the ability to control every form of metal in existence, it didn''t matter if it was buried deep within the earth, or hanging far out in the reaches of space, Cross would be able to control or manipulate it. Of course the idea of controlling metal deep in space and the earth was just in theory, according to Cross, Elementalist as divided into D, C, B, A, S and X class talent. Her control over metal put her firmly within the S class with the potential to be an X class is she trains her abilities well and her body grows capable of handling more of the strain when using her powers. There was no progression of realms for them, but there were ranks to show just how powerful they were. You might have an S class talent, but if your abilities could only cause a rank 1 damage, then you were rank 1. The stronger you and your ability becomes, the higher rank you climb, until you reach nine which is the pinnacle, anything after that and you would have increased the class of your talent. Which was very rare, but could happen. Sarah Lorne was actually a Knight, instead of using Qi or Mana, she''s using a different and more obscure energy called battle energy, which was actually what is created when Mana is used to strengthen your body, rather cultivating a Mana heart for the casting of spells. She wasn''t that forthcoming about what level and realm she was in as a Knight, but she seemed like an easy person to get along with. Ibrahim Abdulsalam was a mage, a rare illusion mage with a rather weird love for scorpions. Apparently he''s raised over ten dozen scorpions of 16 different breed, each more poisonous than the others and completely under his control, so while his illusions are active, his scorpions are at work, silently sending his opposite to a painful grave. Apart from being a former slave, Ibrahim, affectionately called Rahim was a trained assassin, so honestly he was not your conventional mage. Alex need to know how to share the tower, after all there were seven floors to it, and just in case there would be more students joint the organization apart from the 20 he planned for, Alex had to make sure the people who end up together would be able to complement themselves. But it was probably honestly to begin worrying about things like that, there wasn''t enough of them, and the seventh floor alone had 15 rooms, each big enough to comfortably house 3 to 5 people. And the subsequent floors had 10 rooms each, in all honesty it was too much for them with how small their numbers were, so they had enough space to themselves to do what they wanted. Alex reckoned he would probably turn the first floor into a store of some sort, with ten rooms there was a lot of leeway to figure out what sort of products could be used to fill them up and be placed on sale. Alex had no intention to just focus on the growing of the Indian Nightshade. Apart from the Alchemical plants, he wanted to sell Alchemical materials, blacksmithing and Array and Warding materials, heck he was even going to start a restaurant if he had to and make sure this tower was self sufficient and prosperous. Sure there would be a few competition and he might be biting off more than he could chew, but this was so that in the end if one thing fail, they would be able to fall back on the other. So for now it would be better if they all just lived on the seventh floor, the fourth to seventh floor should be enough as residence for whatever members are allowed to join the organization. The third could be kept aside for guests, while the second and first along with the sub-basements would be used as resources to help push the cultivation of the students forwards. The most pressing matter right now, was to raise some money to undertake some major projects, and once that''s underway, Alex intends to study intensely for at least a month or two, learning all he can about arrays and inscriptions so that he could fix the tower up and probably make it more presentable. And for that, Alex had to utilize the forest materials in his front. Orcon forest was very dangerous, but his body always grew resistant to a particular element or skill depending on the spirits he had on him and Xeron''s poison attribute has probably made it possible for Alex to turn the entire Orcon forest into his playground. But that was a matter for tomorrow, today however he had dinner with his two future wives, and wild this might be a weird thing for a fifteen year old to think of say, it was none the less the truth. Louis''s extra reports can wait till tomorrow, right now he had to go get ready. <|=|>>>>>> EARTH ALLIANCE DEFENSE ACADEMY CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK INFIRMARY \"I can''t stress enough your level of stupidity and complete ignorance in the face of greed. But then again I don''t think I have to bother too much to tell you just how much of a screw up you are. Black Ash has always been an important foundation for the academy, something that you know is only ever effective when it''s host is still alive, yet you attempted to kill said host and even attempted to absorb the power into yourself. The fact that you''re alive right now is nothing short of a miracle, but it''s not without cost. Black Ash isn''t just fire and ash, they''re thousands of tiny fire cancer cells, they spread fast and are hard to neutralize much less extract. You have a ton of them lying dormant in your body from the combined efforts of some very capable doctors, but should they get activated again, if they don''t kill you, then I''m sure the pain will drive you insane. It would be better to ask their host to remove them, but I don''t want to put that much power in his hands. Black Ash is important to the academy and our plans, the fact this is a power that belongs to Zhang Xiao Feng of the Wudang sect is all the more better. Getting him under our control would give us the foothold we need to fully launch the full scale plan and take what we want on this planet. We need to keep a close watch on him for now, preferably create opportunities to have him become Endeared with the academy, foster his loyalty to the cause. As soon as you''re done here, talk to the teachers, have them push him but make sure they all try to develop a good relationship with the young lad. Also it would be smart to prepare a reward for him and his sister, after all it was from their effort so many of the new students were able to survive the Airship hijack by the communion and the subsequent trek through a very dangerous forest. This should be the first step in establishing a relationship with him, and then we can work on bait, the hook, the line, and the sinker. Find out everything you can about him, such information would be handy, now rest a bit and get to work! As a staff of this Academy, you''re a fucking disappointment! I hope you won''t disappoint me again Roland.\" 154 Dinner Emiliano''s combat restaurant was quite different to what Alex had expected, it was cozy with four floors to it, but at with an open basement that had a battling platforms where battles could be carried out and the people on the balconies on each floors could watch while having a meal. Guess Alex could scratch out having a restaurant out of the most of things he wanted to do to raise money for resources, as it stands though it would be better if he just worked as a merchant/mercenary of sorts, at least until everyone had enough resources to focus on their training, besides he was sure that everyone else would pitch in to help. Alex didn''t feel the need to dress to impress, but with someone like Louis for a subordinates and Xiao Mei for an elder sister, both Alex and Anya were subjected to an hour of make up and dress fitting. But it was just dinner and they all knew how simple Alex and Anya preferred to be when they wore things like clothes. So Alex had on black dinner trousers and dress shoes, and then he had one a simple white long sleeved shirt that had it''s top two buttons undone, and it''s sleeves rolled back while it was fucked into his trousers. His hair was styled backwards and looked really glossy, which was an improvement from the shaggy mop he loved moving around with all the time. The person who had the most change however and very much hated it was Anya. She had on a white mini dinner dress that came down to her thighs and clung to her seventeen years old frame quite tightly. It was enough to give even men ten times her age pause when she passed by. Her chocolate skin seemed to glow in the night and as she was led up the stairs along with Alex by a waiter, heads turned. The dress itself was simple, the sleeves and the area around her collar bones, chest and shoulders seemed like it was a net or a mesh (fashion terms were not really something either she or Alex cared about.) And it left her neck exposed as her short black hair was parted to one side with bangs on the left side of her face while her buzz cut was shown. Anya was such a tomboy that any hair longer than five inches was too much for her to carry, she felt that if it was too long it would get in the way of a fight. She preferred to be practical than fashionable, either way it was still taking all of her concentration to walk with the silver heels she had on, so she had to rely on Alex to give her support while they weren''t up this stairs, all the while silently cursing at Xiao Mei for putting her on five inch heels. They turned heads, making them really look like the perfect couple, so much so that when they came up to the floor Victoria was sitting on, the princess was lost in thought looking at the both of them as they say down in front of her. \"Then it would have fallen out for a worthy reason, you both look wonderful Alex, and you too Anya.\" She said to them as parted her blond hair to the side, whether by coincidence or just the divine providence of Xiao Mei''s extensive information network (if it actually exists), the princess had on a similar dress to Anya, only her''s was black. It was like they were both switching roles his night. \"Thank you, your highness but couldn''t you have chosen a less crowded place.\" Anya answered as she complained, Victoria raised an eyebrow as she said. \"We''re in a private room Anya, sure the walls here are a bit thin and the people next tonus might hear one or two words of what we''re saying, but we''re not having Sex, so I think we should be safe.\" Victoria replied with a smile that gave Anya pause, obviously the young girl was blushing, but by virtue of her skin color her reaction was the only evidence of how flustered she was of Victoria''s comment. It wasn''t too long after that as their dinner served, and it was a three course meal that to the extreme shock of Alex and Anya, the princess had prepared by herself. How she had time to come to the kitchen of the restaurant and work with the chefs was beyond them, but it was an amazing experience and Anya could not help but admit defeat in this one. Even though she came from a land where their customs are quite conservative and patriarchic, where it''s believed that a woman''s place was in a kitchen and in the home doing nothing but popping out kids and caring for them while remaining under the mercy of her husband. Anya knew when it comes to cooking, Victoria had her beat. But they weren''t just here to eat now were they. \"You guys have had quite an eventful three days since your arrival, quite impressed on how you achieved something that previously took the quickest record holder a month to accomplish. You''re becoming more and more the leader I know you are, but for what we hope to achieve there''s no time to waste. There''s already a competition for the throne going on, it hasn''t been officially announced yet, but it''s no secret that now the daughters of the Emperor can fight for a chance to sit on that throne. Four of my sisters are here in the academy, I don''t really get along with their mothers, but I would need to be able to rope them into my camp as supporters. But that would be a pile dream, my mother was the last to be married out of all the concubines, and yet she''s the one who became empress. I have an elder sister who''s back in the empire of Albion putting things in place, but with just her support alone we would have no ground to stand in the empire of heaven. As far as Albion is concerned, I have even more of a reputation and influence than the empire of heaven, especially amongst the circle of nobles there. What I need you to do is to make alliances on my behalf, and get rid of people who would obviously stand in our way. We need to build more influence with the empire of heaven, and to do that we need to make alliances with some court officials and get the support of the military which at the moment is split between my two brothers. I would like to take it over from under their nose, and this is where your title as Childe of the empire comes in. You can go on campaigns for the empire, conquering new lands in different Dimensions and bringing back resources, but that would take too long as we need to set up some ground work first before we do that, together. I have no intention of sending you to wars in other Dimensions without standing by your side as is my role as your future wife. Alliances are to be made, and I believe the three of us can work together to achieve that, but...¡­some people also have to be eliminated.\" The princess had been beating around the bush, but Alex knew what''s up, and so too did Anya. They may not have been in this world of schemes too long, but they''ve seen enough to learn and know what was going on here. \"So basically you want Alex to do your dirty work, he plays the villain and brings all your enemies to heel while you make alliances that would serve you better. Two sides of the same coin, each working towards the same goal, but one would be invariably stained, whether you win loss...¡­you''ve got some guts!\" Anya spoke up, but her voice was so low that the anger in it made the very air vibrate. \"Basically yes that''s what''s going to happen, however you misunderstand my aim. Alex is going to be my husband, in fact right now he could be considered half my husband, his reputation and honor is mine just admit is yours. Even if I don''t love him, I love my reputation very much so I wouldn''t out him in a situation that would put that I jeopardy. We don''t have to go up an challenge anyone, they''ll bring the fight to us, and we can use that to our advantage to either get rid of them, or bring them to heel.\" Victoria said as she took a sip out of a glass of red wine. Through it all Alex was silent, as he tried to make heads and tails of whatever schemes Victoria wanted to come up with. But it was better if she laid everything on the table, Alex would be a fool to fully trust her words, at least not at this stage, so as long as he knew what was fully going on or even partly, then he would be able to take counter measures of his own to prevent any sort of drama or scenario that ends up with his trousers on his ankles. \"I got the idea from the way you just bounced in and took Minerva''s tower away from her, instead of a head on fight, why not just mess with economy in the academy a little. Because the people supporting my competition, all have children or chosen one''s of their family learning here, get rid of them, and out them to heel, making sure it looks like the fault of their chosen support and we can cause disarray in their camp, besides there''ll probably be a bunch of people willing to jump ship for enough benefits and assurance of victory. And right now, I have the best chance out of every sibling to get that throne, but the others are killing at my heels, I have to thoroughly grind them to dust. I''ll give you a list of targets, these guys are staunch supporters of my siblings and nothing I do might be able to sway them, so we have to bring them down, killing them is not really required, but actions that would affect the foundation of their family back home would be nice. Many families and sects rely on the reputation of the Scions within the Academy to move around, we''ll eliminate it. Also you might not know this, but the academy is an open investment plan, families, schools, sects, powerful individuals have businesses and investments here worth millions and billions of gold...let''s take it, all of it. Because we''re going to need a lot of money for what''s to come.\" Alex just looked at her and asked. \"When do we start?\" Victoria smiled and stretched both her legs under the table, touching both Alex and Anya as she motioned her head behind them, pointing to a group people coming up the stairs directly opposite their private room. \"How about now!\" 155 You Smell! \"That''s my cousin Ming and my other cousin Walter, from both sides of my family tree and are quite the famous lovers around here. They''re also staunch supporters of the tenth prince, my brother who had tried taking Anya away from you. Ming''s family is a part of the royal Lu family, however the bloodline is a little thin on her end. Her family run an opium/Alchemical opium operation right here in the academy. There''s hardly any sort of substance that can give cultivators and mages the high needed once they want to unwind, but her great grandfather had discovered the plants on a dimensional expedition some four hundred years ago, and from then till now, it has been raising a ridiculous amount of money for them. Estimates say they make at least 5 trillion good coins every year alone from the sales, and they alone have a monopoly over the plants. For her our target would probably be to get the seeds and the method to cultivate them, and get a portion of the shares. Worldwide, her family is the 3rd richest in the entire world, which is why they so important and valued. My other cousin Walter on the other hand is even closer to the throne of Albion than I am, my mom is a princess or was, Walter is the son of her elder brother from another mother. The siblings have hated each other since young, and Walter saw the need to carry it over into our generation. Walter runs mining operation for his father in the Dimension that the academy uses to train the students, he receives regular shipments every week of the most precious of ores and gems, materials to make better weapons and enchanted items. Not exactly an arms business, but responsible for providing the materials needed to make weapons...¡­and jewelry. His father might not have as much money as his Ming''s, but he''s still a royal and given the nature of both their businesses they run in the same circles, having the same contacts and making the same deals. As far as money is concerned, they''re the biggest fish in the pond, and one that neither empire can control, so let''s help ourselves to portion of the pie.\" The princess was certainly greedy, but even though Alex didn''t know much, he knew businesses such as the ones Ming and Walter''s families had couldn''t not have been built in one day, and they would obviously be relying on people to move a few things around, just as people would be relying on them to move things around for them too. The academy being a school was just a fucking fa?ade, this place was a literal no man''s land, with no rules or fear of repercussions where the elite of earth carry out their shady dealings and in some way or the other, introduce their children into the family business. A lot of funds has been sunk into this place, so it came as no surprise why the academy was as powerful as it was, and Alex was definitely sure that the people benefiting the most from all of this was the academy itself. \"Cousin I would advice you to put your man toy on a short leash, we wouldn''t want to break the gift from your father the emperor. Walter spoke up, annoyance etched all over his fair face as the accent used synonymous with the people of the Albion empire slithered out with his words. \"Is that so Walter, well I will put that in mind. But you seem to be getting the wrong idea, my father did not gift him to me, I was gifted to him. Get your facts straight cousin, you''re already enough of a disappointment to grandmother and grandfather, don''t give them any more grief.\" Victoria answered him with a nonchalant vibe to her words, enough that it would lie anyone off just the way she spoke, rather than the words themselves. \"I guess the standards of Emiliano''s Combat restaurant has dropped in the beginning of this new semester, but they can''t be blamed. Some trash are just born into positions they don''t deserve.\" Ming said as she raised her nose into the air, by this point Anya was already tired with all of the back and forth banter. \"Please can you move along, you smell!\" And that was loud enough for the entire floor to hear, there was no one here who didn''t have a sensitive enough nose to know Ming had come into the restaurant. She was well known for her heavy perfume, but this was the first time that someone straight out called her out on it, even going so far as to say she smelled. Obviously Anya had just gotten herself a nemesis, but obviously the girl didn''t give a shit. \"How!...how!....how dare you! You uneducated barbaric Savage! You''re the one that smells, it''s your whole family that smells!\" Ming had lost her cool, but if she thought she was a hot head then she hadn''t met Anya yet, and the fact that it was in such a way was all to her misfortune. Anya wasn''t just a hothead, she had a poisonous mouth to boot. \"You say I smell, but you''re the only one any one can perceive in this restaurant, even the food is loosing it''s taste. I don''t get it! Why would you be smelling so much, it begs the question about the taste of that Walter dude that looks like he''s got a ten foot pole shoved up his overly pompous and pampered ass. He must have some really weird fetishes if he can handle the stink coming off your body, so I''m really scared for you! If your body smells this much then...¡­I can''t imagine how rank it would be down there! Are you sure it''s not a nest for maggots?\" Alex and Victoria simultaneously spat out the wine in their mouths. Victoria burst out laughing while Alex looked at Anya with his ears burning, he felt embarrassed for her, he really did. Ming on the other hand had watery eyes and no words, so she turned around and ran out the restaurant her face in her palms as her body was wracked with sobs. Anya had just made an enemy, and it was not because they were Victoria''s enemies, nah it wasn''t as complicated as that. It was simply because Ming''s perfume had made Alex sneeze, and instead of moving on, Ming her dainty looking boyfriend was putting on airs. It pissed her off, and she responded in kind. Walter looked at them, pure undisguised fury in his eyes as he glared at the three people in front of him. \"This is far from over Victoria, you and your hooligans will pay for this!\" \"I''ve told you already Walter! They''re not my hooligans, I actually belong to them!\" she yelled out to him as he left the restaurant, her mocking laughter escorting him out. \"They can make things really difficult for us you know, they have more resources in hand to fuck us up badly.\" Alex said to Victoria as he leaned back and held Anya''s hand under the table. \"Just join my tower, that wouldn''t be a problem too difficult for me to handle.\" Victoria said to him as she tried convincing Alex to for all intents and purposes; move in with her. \"Oh I''m not worried, in fact I would very much welcome a challenge. Whether it''s a battle or a contest of schemes and intellect. For now it''s better if I remain separate from you, sure the world knows we''re getting married, but if we''re not in the same tower, it would give the impression than one of us or both of us aren''t too happy with the arrangements, it would paint a target on our backs and take a few eyes of yours. Because even then, whether or not we do want to get married, we''re still considered a pair in the same camp, and an attack on me is an attack on you. They''ll come after me since they can hit you directly, and that''s just what I want. So far I''ve learnt cultivators and mages or any other practitioners are very prideful, they''ll make stupid deals in the name of reputation. I''ll use that to my advantage.\" Alex answered her with a smile. \"But wouldn''t the pressure be too much?\" Victoria asked, but this time it was Anya who answered. \"They say Alex''s talent makes his rate of advancement really slow when it comes to cultivation, his grandfather even believes that Alex might also have a Mana heart and element so he can become a mage too, but it''s already hard enough to advance with Qi talk less of adding Mana to it. But we''ve discovered his cultivation advances faster than normal, like 20 times the speed of normal people when he''s under pressure, be it physically or mentally. As long as he keeps pushing his mind, body and soul to the limit, he would be blowing through levels and realms like it''s nothing. Which is the only reason we both don''t mind being your sword and shield while you use daggers to stab others in the back. All of use in our tower would be forged even stronger from the pressure coming out way, so we welcome it with open arms. But can you keep them off our backs for a month or two while Alex''s gets things set up, he needs to focus on fixing that tower and getting some resources. And don''t offer any help, his pride as a man won''t let him accept help, much less from you.\" Anya sneered when she said the last part, obviously she gave no fucks about Alex''s stupid pride, but Victoria understood, after all she grew up in the midst of powerful men, and their pride was incredibly important to them. \"Very well then, I''ll do as you ask. For now anyway our targets would be Walter and Ming, because they have what would probably be the most important resource for the fight to come, and one we need to get our hands on first.\" Victoria said to them. \"And what resource is that?\" Anya asked, And Alex gave her the answer. \"MONEY!\" 156 Study And The Plans For A Blood Ritual [Even if something is good, with hard work it can become better, and with even more hard work it can become the best. ] BENJAMIN ¨¢L¨¦ Multitasking was hard, well it would have been hard if you had to rely on just yourself to do it. Alex was focused wholly on studying, trying to get his mastery of arrays from beginner to intermediate, and at the same time he had ¨¦bi¨¦ studying about the Indian Nightshade and other cross discipline herbs, fruits and plants that could be used to raise money. Nezha was smart, really smart...¡­when it had to deal with martial arts, he sucked when it came to cultivation arts, not really having the finesse or fortitude to meditate and take Qi in, he was just lucky he was born a god. And since there was no immediate martial art to learn, he was out of a task, same as Xeron who spent most of his time sleeping. Khan on the other hand had become Louis''s partner, and their jobs was to get information about who''s who, and what''s what in the academy. The others were off doing whatever it is they wanted, though Alex had told them to focus on honing their skills, as they would be going on a few missions soon. The arrays on the tower served to create formations that improved it''s defense and attracted Qi into it. But there weren''t just arrays, there were also runic wards that catered to Mana, somehow, or in someway the previous people responsible for placing them had made a humble of it. Normally arrays would be placed on select floors for Qi practitioners, and Wards would be on other floors for Mana users. But whether they were ambitious and we''re trying to very something revolutionary, they had mixed both wards and arrays together, trying to create some sort of grand formation that would regardless of Qi or Mana. They failed, massively and almost brought the tower down, hell the backlash had killed one of them, and left the other comatose for three years. And this all happened twenty years ago, no other Arrays or ward master could fix the damage to the tower that was built with special materials, not to mention parts of the arrays and wards were still etched, and messing with those things could bring the canyon down...¡­Alex was going to mess with them. It wasn''t until he realized this, that he knew how talented he was, and sure it made him a little prideful, but Alex still knew the humility of hard work, it was something his had had made sure to teach him properly. Even if something is good, with hard work it can become better, and with even more hard work it can become the best. So Alex was determined to work hard, however the tower was not something he could fix fully at the moment, in fact he had no intention of touching it at the moment and was just studying arrays to pass away time while Louis and Khan find information and he gets ready for a mission to raise some money. And that''s because fixing the tower did not just require knowledge on inscriptions and it''s Arrays, it required know knowledge on Runes and it''s Wards. And that meant going down the path of a mage, which would be biting off more than he can chew at the moment. He was just trying to see if he could come with an array that stimulate growth and draw in energy to nourish the Indians Nightshade. He would combine his studies with ¨¦bi¨¦''s and see where they go from there. Of the basic arrays that Alex wanted to use, he wanted to combine (GROW) (SPEED) (DEFEND), he also wanted to combine the elemental Arrays (WATER) (AIR), (LIGHT) And (EARTH). However once the elemental arrays come into question, something else might be made, so he scratched that off the list. Rather than making a grand formation with the arrays, he could make a simple formation with the basic arrays, and then single arrays with the elemental arrays, depending on when they''re needed. The water arrays would water the plants when it''s need, light would provide the photosynthesis needed since they''ll be planting in the first basement until Alex can make a rooftop garden on top of the tower. Air is also important, the Indians Nightshade likes really chill environment, so perhaps another combining the water and air array to make an intermediate (ICE) array would be best. Alex reckons he should be able to tweak it a bit to just release cold air rather than real frozen ice. (Alex! Come in here I''ve got something!) ¨¦bi¨¦''s voice rang out in Alex''s head as his hair and eyes turned blood red for a second and scales appeared at the side of his eyes. Alex rolled his eyes as he sat back on his chair and then fell back, only to be standing in the mantle. \"Alright ¨¦bi¨¦ I''m here, what is it?\" Alex asked as he faced the blood dragon arch. \"You don''t have to worry too much about the arrays for now, if your aim is to start growing higher quality Indian Nightshade plants for cultivation and also rapidly, I''ve come up with a blood ritual that can help you achieve all that and more. But to be honest after all of my calculations, it requires a bunch of materials, but I''m sure if you have all of those materials it would work out well.\" Alex was quite interested, he has seen the powers of Rituals, even simple ones from when he had to sneak into the mortuary in the Forbidden City. If Nezha could give him a ritual that could keep ghosts at bay and even help him purify a remnant and absorb the memories of someone who had already died, then Alex had faith that whatever ritual ¨¦bi¨¦ had come up with, it might even be more effective than his arrays. \"Okay so I need to prepare some materials for the ritual, fine, what kind of materials are needed.\" Alex asked as he took a seat on the Platform beneath him. \"The Indian Nightshade is a plant suitable for cultivators in the mortal gate, and mages from the apprentice stage to the 3rd circle. Basically the first basic gates would all benefit greatly from it, hence to in increase the grade of efficiency of the plant. We need the blood of a magical and demonic beast either in the true element realm, or the third circle, or in the soul refining realm or 4th magic circle. A higher grade would improve the plants. Next you need the core of creatures with rapid growth, so you''ll probably have to focus on rabbits or pigs, or alternatively find a material or fertilizer if there''s any that improved growth. And finally you need a soul to power the ritual, I''ve found that blood rituals could be considered death rituals, to gain life, you have to give life back.\" \"Wait-wait! Wait! Are you saying I have to kill someone!\" Alex asked completely appalled by the idea she was suggesting. \"I mean if it used a human soul then that patch of land would be fully fertile for 200 or so years, killing a human being is much better, or at least any sentient humanoid race. But that''s not what I''m saying, you could find a wandering soul, aka a ghost or wraith or what not and use that, or kill a pure creature during the ritual. I would suggest a unicorn, but those are quite rare, a dragon would be even better than humans, but you''ll be dead in seconds. So we can start small, get a dove or a any new born creature, demonic or magical, it can serves as the sacrifice for the ritual. That should be all the materials needed, and a ton of spirit energy is also required so on that day no using the masks or Summoning Khan outside of the mantle.\" Alex let out a sigh of relief, the idea of using humans or any fully sentient humanoid person for a blood ritual scared the shit out of him. But as it stands it seems this was actually the better option available to them, Alex was sure he would be able to find everything that he needs from the Orcon forest, but given how poisonous that place was, it seems he would have to go in alone to prevent any others from being in danger. He should also use that opportunity to compete some missions and raise some money, even with everything he''s achieved, Alex didn''t really have heavy pockets, and he was not one to ask him family for money. \"Alright ¨¦bi¨¦ I''ll get right on that, I''ll leave in the morning. Please keep researching, in case you can come up with something else.\" Alex said to her as he prepared to leave. \"Don''t worry Master, this is just the beginning.\" 157 Orcon Forest 2 I : Missions The academy had coin like tokens where missions could be imprinted on and delivered to students willing to undertake it. It might seem a little too much, but Alex had five such tokens on his table and as he made his way outside the tower and towards the transport area, he began to go over the missions that have been given to him. Of the five mission, two of them required him to hunt down a particular kind of demonic beast and retrieve it''s core, the third actually wanted him to wipe out a nest of demonic arachnids, massive spiders with a rather for human flesh. Then the final two were actually collection missions, where he had to find a particular kind of plant and a moss. Of all the missions, the lowest paying one was the Moss collection mission, and that alone was worth 10 thousand good, which was a lot of money. All of these missions were based in the Orcon forest, no to mention the danger the creatures he might face would pose, the environment itself would be out to kill him, so the reward amount could not be little, especially since the Academy would be taking a five percent commission from it on the completion of the mission. Either way it was just Alex going into the forest this time, for one he''s had a lot of people around for quite a while it was becoming hard to know just how capable he was on his own, so he just had to do this. Two the poison from Orcon forest might actually be able to affect him, but it could also be quickly neutralized. One of the capabilities of black Ash was it''s ability to eat(for lack of a better word) other poisons. Alex was safe from the poison of the forest and his friends would be more in danger if he dragged them along, plus this was also a chance to train a bit and increase his cultivation. Alex lacked a personal transport of any kind as opposed to the numerous other towers and individuals who had personal care or even airships of their own. Alex on the other hand had to use a public system that was heading for the Academy''s camp outside Orcon forest, when he gets there he would probably have to look for something smaller to ride, probably one of those tamed beast native to the forest, sure he could be faster, but utilizing his movement technique burnt through his Qi reserves, so it would be better to use a mount. Alex successfully bought his ticket and took a window seat in the bus heading to the camp, he was wearing some dark clothes, along with a face mask and a hood that covered his head and his eyes. He drew a lot of attention with his weird dressing, especially with how Hot Australia was at the moment, but he didn''t care too much about that as he closed his eyes and quietly listened to the hum of the bus as it moved forwards. The only companion he had with him was Khan, and he couldn''t let the guy out until they got to the forest, away from prying eyes, so for the next hour or so, Alex decided to take a short nap. <|=|>>>>>> The only way he could cowl this guy into submission and stop such blatant rip off was to expose who he was, his reputation would probably force him to rent at the proper price. But that would just defeat the point, Alex wasn''t hiding from people, he was hiding from Anya and his sister. Those two overprotective women would never have allowed him to go into the forest alone, which was why had to sneak around in a disguise. Alex looked at the seller and let out a small grunt of annoyance, he only had 900 gold with him, and had intended to use 500 (as he was previously told) to rent a demonic beast mount, and the rest to buy some extra supplies for the forest, cause he honestly had no idea when he would be back. Alex just turned around and began to walk away, this was the only guy renting out demonic beast mounts in the Academy''s camp. Beast mounts were an old and redundant form of cultivation, so it was only in places like this that their value an be shown, or in Dimensions where the use of Qi or Mana tech wasn''t allowed. As he was about to move on, resigned to use his legs to travel, the seller called him back. \"Errrm! *Cough* esteemed buyer, I can give you a one time discount and rent to you for 700 gold, when you return successfully without any sort of scratch on the beast, I will return your 600 good deposit. But as this is a business and it was really hard to capture and train these beasts mount, I can''t go any lower.\" The seller lamented with tears in his eyes, Alex knew that it was all just bullshit, but he didn''t have too much of a choice, he wanted to be on his way. If he''s lucky and the beast doesn''t die or get injured, he''ll get his money back, if not, then that''s all she wrote. Alex laid the guy and was handed the reins of an Orcon Grey Deer. The Demon beast had a blackish grey coat, pitch black hooves, antlers a whole two meters wide stretching from over to right and half a meter tall. There was an extra horn in the middle of it''s forehead and for height alone, this beast was a good two and the half meters tall, and that''s not counting it''s outstretched antlers. The demonic beast had powerful muscles and a bulk that let Alex know that it was too simple, a cheat the seller might be, but he delivered Quality, and that was good. There was a saddle on the back of the demonic beast, and storage pouch on both sides to store things that a storage ring can''t otherwise carry, in case it was full. Alex led the mount around the camp as he purchased whatever extra resource he might need to survive an extended stay in Orcon forest. That didn''t take too long, and he was able to avoid getting cheated (hopefully) before he finally mounted the demonic deer and made his way into the forest, a map in his hand as the deer walked at a leisurely pace. Based on the map the closest target out of all his missions was the (Yutiok Moss), it was a natural coagulant when you if ores the fact that it was total poison. With a little bit of processing and purification, it becomes possible to use it as an ingredient in healing medications. With his aim determined, Alex rolled up the map and sent it back into his storage ring before grabbing onto the reins. \"Go!\" The deer was well trained, the moment Alex had given it a command, it had shot forwards through the forest like a bullet. Contrary to his believe, this deer was fast, in fact it was almost as fast as he was, but that''s in a forest. In an open field, the deer wouldn''t even be able to catch Alex''s dust, but none the less the east was good specimen as it bounced through the forest, going above and around natural obstacles. Alex noticed that the beast was traveling in a way that made it avoid coming in contact with anything that could be a catalyst for the Orcon forest poison, which means it was not just a well trained, it was well trained and smart. The (Yutiok Moss) grew in rapid batches near a small Brook 3 or four kilometers away from the camp. It was close enough to the camp that any dangerous beasts would have already been taken care of, so the most rushed had to come from the poison itself. There wasn''t a river or a proper stream in the Orcon forest, there was just a massive lake towards it''s central part that delivered water to the shop forest. Either way, a bunch of peculiar plants that need water to survive always grew in batches around the tiny bodies of water spread throughout the forest. However there wasn''t an abundant of water so the plants act like weeds to each other, the stronger or the plant that can grow the fastest, becomes the one in charge of said body of water. Which explained why some of the plants grew in massive batches around bodies of water. Either way his mission had said he only needed to bring back three batches, and since a single batch was 10 un-damaged single stalks of the (Yutiok Moss). Alex was lucky enough that when he got to the location there was no one else around. Alex immediately got to work uprooting the Moss, he had on a pair of black leather gloves to serves as protection from the poison. Just because he was somewhat immune to the poison, it didn''t mean he would recklessly endanger himself by being careless. Alex didn''t have to spend more than fifteen minutes gathering the Moss, before he was done and had to move on to the next target. His next target turned out to be one of his hunting targets; (The Red Orcon Herd Boar), and this could prove to be a little bit harder than he thought. After all even though the here boar was just a 2nd circle magical beast, the secret of the danger it posed was in it''s name, it ran with herds of at least five to at most fifty, so Alex knew he was in for quite a ride. Guess it was time Khan came out to play. 158 Orcon Forest 2 II : Predator The forest was tranquil and silent, the scent of humid poison in the air and poison plants on the ground was unlike anywhere else in the world. But even in a place as dangerous like this, a predator still stalked his prey, his every move silent as he observed the prime rules of hunting, it didn''t matter what such of terrain he found himself he was still able to bring out the beast in him. He kept himself low to the ground, a deep rumble dancing behind his throat as he felt the soft earth beneath his paws, his claws glinting under the canopy of poison trees. His prey or rather preys were all gathered around a small pond drinking to their fill, not at all worried about the danger that slowly stalked them. There were right of them, with skin as red as blood, bodies as big as an ice cream cart, with taught and tightly pulled muscles capable of calling and crushing into the strongest person or objects possible. Their ivory tusks glinted and promised death in whichever way or manner possible. They released low grunts, lost in the revelry and refreshment of such cool water, and then the direction of the wind changed. They noticed it too, and while they weren''t really worried about it, their hunger knew what it entailed. This was the chance he has been waiting for all this while, this was the time to prove to these lowly creatures how much of a danger he was, because whether they would like to admit it, there was another top dog within the embrace of this forest, he moved, his black form rushing out of the underbrush he had been hiding. He was Practically a streak of black light crossing a ten meter distance in less than a second. His arrival brought with it wind and a blackness unlike anything they''ve ever faced. His claws flashed, and a throat was sliced open, what quickly followed was a ramming of his well muscled shoulder into the belly of another one of his prey, sending it flying across the pond, into an outstretched silver spear that was just conveniently placed there. His preys were slow to react as his claws flashed one more time and he leaped into the air, crashing into the form of the biggest prey yet. His claws dug into it''s sides, refusing to let go as the prey ran around trying to smash it''s body into trees in an attempt to dislodge this predator of wind and darkness, but there was no chance afforded to it. One wrong step sent both prey and predator tumbling into the pond, highlighting the preys first mistake as his predators jaws and sharp teeth found purchase around it''s thick neck. This was euphoric, the predator relished the feeling of life escaping and ending, of blood gushing down his throat to slake and sate a thirst and hunger that never seems to end. For the predator it would be an incredibly easy thing for it to just snap the neck in half, but there was a darkness in it that wouldn''t let it give the pleasure of a merciful death. So it watched in life goes as light faded from the eyes of the beast, watched in happiness as it''s spirit and soul quickly found purchase within it''s body, giving it even more strength and power than before. The predator couldn''t help it, this forest had to know who was it''s king, it had to know who was the ALPHA! *AWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!* Alex rolled his eyes as he dragged the dead carcass of the Orcon Red Herd Boar, placing it into his storage ring along with the fifteen others, before gather the three dead, including a herd leader, bring all of it to nineteen. All he had needed was 1, but the Red Herd Boar was an expensive commodity, and it was currently in high demand. He was getting paid 20 thousand good just for a single one, though they''re easy to kill, the fact that they''re in a herd makes it incredibly difficult to hunt them. Also people who hunt boars like this are normal students in need of money, the commissioner of this mission, Emil''s Combat restaurant was so rich they could afford to buy a single one for 50 thousand, which was fine. A plate of it was sold for 10 thousand good, and a single boar could feed a hundred people, not to mention there those who preferred the guts and organs which go for a much higher price than it''s flesh. So when you think about it, the price for hunting it was just ten if not river percent of the entire profit made. But with nineteen boars, a single one going for 20 thousand good, then he would be earning 380 thousand gold. Enough to get cultivation resources for everyone in the tower for a good two weeks, though it might be a bit hard if he had to consider Miranda, she was in the earth gate after all, which means she needed more resources than everyone else, and hers is sure to be a lot more expensive. But if everything Alex was planning panned out, they should be able to grow or make their own cultivation resources without having to spend too much outside. They would be able to save more money and undertake more projects to raise more money, and it would leave Alex with enough time on his hands, enough time to study. \"Ahhh that was so much fun! Are we tracking down another herd?\" Khan asked, his tail wagging a little too much in his excitement. Alex shook his head as he answered. \"Nothing like that, we have enough as it is, so let''s stop while we''re still ahead. We should head for the next target, and then maybe find a place to rest for the night.\" Alex said to Khan as they both made their way through the trees, until Alex came up to where the beast mount was tied. Alex stretched his hands to rub the body of the massive and majestic beast, feeding it a couple of fruits he had bought back in the camp. Alex got on the back as Khan turned into a gust of wind that burrowed itself into Alex''s clothes. \"Go!\" \"So what''s the next target?\" Khan''s voice sounded in his ear, though it was a bit disembodied and freaky. It was basically his you would envision the wind to sound when it''s talking to you. \"Our final collection mission, the client had asked for a (Rock Poison Rose). It grows right at the top of a tall Rocky Hill some 6 kilometers from here, so we would probably be riding for a while as the area around is a little bit uneven. There''s a swamp. Surrounding the entirety of that Rocky Hill, and the beasts there aren''t nice. We can just use that opportunity to kill them, everything in this forest is valuable Khan, so no death is in vain. Besides we have our own mission here too remember, so keep any eye open.\" Alex said to Khan as the beast move forwards, trees whipping Past Alex like he was in a fast moving car and not on deer back. \"Okay, but I just don''t get how a Rocky Hill would be right in the middle of a swamp, and let me guess, we have to climb it right?\" Khan asked him. \"Well duh! The Rock Poison Rose grows right at the top of the rocky hill, and it''s about 90 feet tall, give or take a few feet. Is shouldn''t be too hard to climb for us, as long as we take care of whatever beasts are hanging around the hill.\" Alex answered as he ducked his head evading the leaping strike of finger sized poisonous snake. A gust of wind flew behind him and decapitated the snake in two. \"Why do I get the feeling you''re not telling me something!\" Khan suddenly complained as a wisp of air came out of his clothes and coalesced into his head, hanging at Alex''s side and talking to him. If someone else was here, they would think Alex had grown a second demonic wolf, weasel like head. \"Well that''s because I''m not telling you something.\" Alex replied nonchalantly, as he stabbed his spear forwards, piercing it through the head of a massive spider that was lying in wait for them on a web in front of them. \"Well then are you going to tell me what it is! Seriously you''re not supposed to keep secrets from me, you dirty old man!\" Kahn complained as his jaws stretched forwards and bit a hawk like demonic Beast half the size of Alex''s body, Killing the creature and swallowing it in on massive gulp. \"Well there''s a rumor about a wind attributed flower growing on top of that rock, but it only appears everyday at high noon, and for only 5 minutes. However a lot of people have been unable to get that plant because it''s being watched over by a 4th circle magical beasts, and a soul refining realm earth gate demonic beasts, not to mention the hundreds of other beasts that seem to follow their rules. Apparently both beasts want the flower, but they''re equally matched in strength, so all they''ve been doing is watching the other and preventing anyone else from getting the flower. The Rock Poison Rose is a Catalyst, but that''s just it, without the humid poison of the forest all it is, is a pretty rose that some love strike fool wants to give a girl as a token of love. Which is why the fool is paying a 200k gold for it. Apart from the Demonic Arachnids nest clearing mission, it''s the highest paying mission I had taken. But that was just because the information about the location of the Rock Poison Rose had some of the things I needed for the soul enriching blood ritual. Killing a bunch of extra beasts is just more bonus cash. So. What do you think?\" Alex asked Khan. \"I think you''re awesome Master! Let''s go kill stuff MWAHAHAHAHAHA!\" 159 Orcon Forest 2 III : Crater Alex had ditched the demonic beast mount about a kilometer or two back in a hidden Grove, which more than explains his and Khan''s current sprawled out and crawling forms through the underbrush of the forest. Now normally such an action was asking for a one way ticket to the land of the dead, however because Alex already had Xeron, the idea of dying to poison would probably be an alien concept to him, not unless it''s a poison specifically engineered to kill him. The hill that Alex had to get the Rock poison Rose was right in front of them, there was a little depression going downwards from where they were, it made Alex suspect that the massive rocky hill/boulder was actually a meteor that fell here years ago. After all if he had to properly take the lay of the land into consideration, this place was a crater. On one corner of the crater there was actually a lake with, a suspicious amount of Jelly fishes there. Now that was actually the most surprising thing Alex had seen in the forest in all of the time he had spent here. Jellyfishes were salt water creatures, so it''s surprising seeing them in a bubbling crystal clear poison lake...¡­there''s no way that Lake isn''t poison. The jelly fishes themselves were quite large, just about a meter in length and diameter, and not just that, apparently they could float in the air too, and their tentacles had glowing bulbous bulbs lining their edges. But when you took into consideration that on the other side were actually a bunch of miniature hydras, it becomes obvious that there was a power struggle on different sides of the crater, with the massive hill/Meteor being the dividing line. As for the magical and demonic beast that are supposed to be fighting each other for ownership of that Wind flower, there was no sign of them, and honestly Alex hoped they showed up quick. The materials for the ritual aside, that wind flower would definitely be beneficial to his cultivation, after all Alex was know to have a platinum grade wind cultivation root. The very best, and so far he''s not really paid attention to that part of himself, even though in one way or another, the wind has always been helping him achieve great things. Fire was destructive, and the fact that he could use it with such ease was amazing, but the path of fire didn''t belong to him, heck the fire he uses belongs to the fire mask, something that''s a part of him, but comes from the outside. Basically you could say it was an augment to his power, but the wind, that came from within, and Alex wanted to start building his strengths. (Master it''s almost noon.) Alex heard Khan''s voice in his head, the Kamaitachi was in his wind form and we''ll hidden within the folds of Alex''s clothing. He was pretty much invisible to everyone else, even to his master. Over the last month, He has grown exponentially stronger and more in touch with his skills, though Alex was still hoping to see him use his demonic abilities in a fight, and speaking of which, the demonic weasel/wolf was actually advancing quite rapidly. ? SPIRIT NAME: Khan ? SPIRIT RACE: Kamaitachi/ Demonic Brood Wolf(ALPHA) ? SPIRIT RANK: Soldier(Stage 6) ? SPIRIT SCHOOL: (Apparition)(Manifestation)(Mind Sight) ? SPIRIT SKILLS: (Wind Coat: Level 5)(Cursed Bite: Level 2)(Perception: Level 3)(Demon Wind: Level 1) All of his skills except for (Demon wind) had leveled up, and even more so was the fact that he was now stage 6 when it hasn''t even been up to two months since he became a soldier rank spirit. Wind coat had seen the most growth, which was understandable; Khan used it all the time as that skill was the source of his ability to have a wind form that basically the epitome of all stealth skills. There wasn''t much to his demonic side as apart from demonic wind there were no accompanying skills, think the Alex couldn''t wait to see if Khan could have a brood army like the demons they had fought in Macau. He probably has to use his cursed bite on a few wolves to see if it works....maybe they could try that later and see just how far Khan''s skills could be pushed. Alex turned his attention back to the crater, both camps of beasts were keeping their distance from each other, so the central part was Practically a no man''s land. The easier way would be to have Khan go there and harvest both flowers, but Alex didn''t just come here for the flowers to also kill. Honestly since it was just him he would very much prefer not to fight any of the lackeys around and just focus on the main beasts, which hopefully don''t gang up on him in attempt to keep the wind flower to themselves, which was why Khan would be running interference and be bait. But first he had to get those beasts to come out of hiding, and the easiest way to do that, was to kill a bunch of their kids. But it would be hard, except for the spirit masks themselves, Alex had no wide area of effect martial techniques. All of his Qi arts were direct and one on one, he could attack more than a single target at a time, but not in a wide areas as his spirit masks allows him, such that he could kill three dozen creatures or people in the blink of an eye. His mastery of the (Four seasons of the Weeping world) was actually complete, there wasn''t too much to understand, the( south spear of summer) the (North sword of winter) the (West Bow/darts of spring) and the (The East hammer of Autumn). (Fire, Wind, Water, Earth) basically this was the fundamental behind the martial art, and all the weapons could be different. The north focused one bladed weapons like swords, sabers and daggers, the south was all about the range of spear like weapons, the west was basically for ranged weapons; flying daggers, arrows, bullets, hidden needles etc. And East was for blunt weapons like hammers, made, rods etc. The south and the north was all Alex needed, but as it stands he would probably have to go look for a new martial art that can help him delish our ranged attacks. Though an increase in cultivation would also help, as it''s in the true essence realm a cultivator becomes truly capable of expelling Qi from their body past a two meter range, not unless they''re using special energy, like the sword force Alex had accidentally cultivated. But that was until he gets back, for now he would just have to wreak havoc with what he already has on hand. He had to draw those boss Beasts out, Khan could secure the Rock Poison Rose and then later the wind flower to cause a distraction and lead the beasts on a wild chase while Alex whittled them down with attacks from the side. He was saving his spirit masks for that fight, so for now, he has to fast the extra beasts with the only his Qi and martial skills alone. But Alex wasn''t worried, quite frankly even though he doesn''t know how strong he really is, one thing for sure is the fact that he''s practically unbeatable with the Mortal gate. He turned to Khan even though he couldn''t see the spirit and called out to him. \"Khan are you ready?\" (I was born ready master, let''s go already!) Alex rushed out, spear in hand, keeping a straight line as he stuck firmly to the middle, but then he veered towards the jelly fish, ignoring the Hydras that were content to just watch a stupid human run towards his death. The jelly fishes themselves were magical creatures, hence their attacks were a little bit more weird than the norm. As Alex got closer, his ears was beset with a sort of sonic scream, or rather he felt as if the moment he crossed into their part of the crater, there was a kind of sonic domain that made him disoriented and his ears ring. He was brought down to his feet in a second, blood already looking out of his ears. What Alex didn''t one was that the Jelly fish magical beasts, were not actual water attributed magical beasts, but wind type with a specialization in sound and sonic magic technique. And till today, Alex hasn''t really had a chance to face a full magical beasts, the ones in the Infernal prison Dimension don''t count as they were very much corrupted by some other energy. But as the jellyfishes began to gather around his location, Alex couldn''t help but wonder if maybe he had bit off more than he could chew this time, after all this was a rapid turn it events. 160 Orcon Forest 2 IV : Giant JellyFish And A Hydra There was a swirl and a loud growl as a small cyclone of wind seemed to have been formed around Alex, it was two meters in diameter, and it was just enough to completely cancel out the effects of the jelly fishes sonic domain. The cyclone around Alex was a deep shade not reddish black, in all honesty it was the first time he had seen wind with a color, and it gave him an eerie and somewhat scary feeling. This was Khan''s work, but this was unlike any other wind, Alex have seen from the Kamaitachi. He had scarcely finished speaking, when one of the jelly fish came in contact with the small cyclone, there was a sound like that of a blender, but instead of pieces of skin, or a ripped apart beasts, all Alex could see was the dried up husk of a body that once belonged to the spirit beast, it was dead and completely drained of it''s essence and vitality, this was (Demon Wind). After the death of their comrade, you would think that they would take a step back, after all, demonic and magical beasts were smarter than common animals. But no, it was as if a fuse had been out, a spark deep within their bodies that they couldn''t resist. They kept on floating and flying towards the still rapidly spinning demonic wind cyclone, I felt as if the wind itself had some sort of charm like property, it was calling to them, and they were happily moving to their deaths, and as more and more of them died, their vitality and energy completely drained from their bodies, the wind cyclone got bigger and bigger, and bigger until it was a tornado with Alex stuck right in the middle watching in awe an Khan decimated a school(since they were fishes in a manner of speaking)of magical beasts until there was actually nothing left on the other side, and all this only happened in just five minutes. The cyclone disappeared, and as it did so the sonic domain, even though it was still there, had been reduced to nothing but a dull high pitched ringing in his ears. Alex reckoned the 4th circle magical beast was still here somewhere, the domain was his after all, but even with the death of all of it''s comrades, school mates, children or whatever, it had still not made any sort of appearance to the fight. Alex turned his head to look in the direction of the miniature Hydras, the two meter tall snakes with a lizard body and three years looked fierce, but they were keeping to their side of the crater without any sort of encroachment, which is to say the power of the boss jelly fish, was one that had their instincts tingling even without it''s appearance. Alex envisioned he would probably make a little bit of money off it, this were the ingredients for a basic vitality pill, but in his hands he had turned it into a pill that could heal over time, and work on all sorts of injuries, even broken bones! Which was something the Vitality pill couldn''t do. The only set back was it''s somewhat slow effects, a rapid one would help, much like the red health potions of mages which quite frankly was right at the top of the mountain for any sort of healing medicine. Alex shook his head and turned to boulder, it was uneven in a lot of places so climbing it shouldn''t be too much of a problem. Alex placed his hands on it, and slowly began to make his way up, Khan had already flew up ahead, and nearly ten seconds into Alex''s climb, he came back with multiple stalks of the Rock Poison Rose clutched precariously with his wind form. Khan didn''t too much of a direction to send them into his master''s storage ring, though his attempt to do so had made Alex loose his footing as he slipped, barely having enough time to grab onto another hand hold. Years growing up in a remote village with Anya had taught him how to be a very good climber; Alex was already thirty plus feet up within the span of five minute, a quarter of the distance to the top of this massive rock. In a way this rock sort of reminded him of Zuma rock from back in the capital of the Nigerian colony, though that was a freaky massive rock with the face of a man formed on it after years and years of erosion. Alex carried on with his climb as Khan promptly decided not to come out of the storage ring, it left Alex confused for a while until he remembered there was still a bunch of Sylph wings laying around in the ring, and Khan had an acquired taste for them. It took Alex another ten minutes to get to the top as, the later part of the journey became a little bit harder seeing as that area of the Rock was smoother and had lesser handholds than the bottom. With a brave Alex threw himself over the edge, lying on his back only to see a glowing ten inch wide tentacle stabbing towards his chest. Alex rolled to the side, but as he rolled, more and more tentacles were stabbing into the areas he had just escaped from. He couldn''t get enough respite to fully see the enemy or where it was attacking from, but Alex wasn''t going to let this continue. He already had his hand when he used a skill he hardly ever used outside of his personal training with the spear. (The Imperial King''s Wrath (Second Stance): Black Wildfire Sweeps!). The full might off the technique was unleaded as a blaze of black flames gathered around the tip of the spear, creating a massive 360 cyclone that fender off numerous tentacles, burning them in the process as the smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and his assailant took a step back. Alex sent his awareness into his storage ring and Kicked a contended Khan out, his fist rapidly dropping on the Kamaitachi''s horned head as punishment. Sometimes the idiot was so smart, and other times he would just be so childish and incapable of controlling his urges, it got on Alex''s nerve a lot, and it was taking all of his self control not to pounce on the spirit and beat him to a stupid. But never the less, they had an Enemy in front of them, and one behind. Alex now understood why both the 4th circle magical Beast and soul refining realm demonic beast weren''t there to run any interference, they were already on top of the Rock, have their usual standoff as the time inches ever so closely to noon. Alex could not imagine having such an existence, he would be stuck there against an opponent he can''t beat, but an opponent that also can''t defeat him, waiting for an opportunity that said Opponent was also waiting for, and making sure to stop others from gaining it. This was crazy and at the peak of insanity, which showed that even if they''re were smarter than your average magical and demonic beasts by virtue of their cultivation, they were still beasts. Completely uncivilized and incapable of coming to an agreement that was his have ended this feud long ago. The enemy in front of him was a glowing blue and green jellyfish who''s entire body was roughly ten to fifteen meters in diameter, it had three meter long tentacles ending in sharp points that it had tried to use in poking holes into Alex. Thankfully it failed, but it was still quite scary looking. Unlike normal jellyfishes, there was a single eye right in the middle of it''s transparent head and the eye was fiercely glaring at him. Alex turned a bit to look at the hurts behind him, this one was a car cry from the legendary magical beast with nine heads, capable of spitting poison, fire, lighting and all manner, but it still had five heads, was just about 20 feet tall, and unlike the original Hydra, this fucker was a demonic beast not a magical beast. It''s methods were more direct and brutal, no different from a wild animal. Just as Alex finally paid attention to his tow opponents, the wind around the crater began to pick. At first it was slow, just a gentle breeze that caressed you skin, making you sigh in pleasure at the gentle draft. Then it became stronger, and stronger, and a whole lot more fierce as the wind carried along with the dust of the desert and the leaves of the forest. Alex''s clothes billowed in the wind, and Khan had stab his claws into the rock below him to keep his balance, there was a small rumble beneath their feet as Alex came to a realization....the wind flower was about to make an appearance. 161 Orcon Forest 2 V : Five Vein Element Treasure The wind seemed to rapidly coalesce in the air as the image of a flower with five petals showed up, it was illusory, not clear and seemed as if it was fading in and out of focus. But seeing that flower struck Alex with a realization akin to a thunderbolt, this was no wind flower! Or rather it was a wind flower, but it was a treasure of heaven and Earth, it just took the form of nearest form of life near it to congeal it''s essence into a single form. From his time reading and studying up on items that shared both Alchemical and blacksmithing usage, he came across a meteor like material. The meteor travels around the earth, weaving in and out of Dimensions in a sort of centennial cycle. And Every time it was close to earth, a piece of it would always drop down, and merge with one of the four fundamental basic elements, to create a treasure capable of capturing the main essences of an element. Basically in it''s rotation, the first element was fire, and the five petals gave cold fire, wind fire, sun fire, earth flames, and moon fire. Five special versions of fire with different powers an attributes. The woman who had gained the treasure, had moved to a higher plane of existence and created a clan with five distinct branches, her descendants each inherited a specific kind of flame ability, in correspondence to the five flame essences, also corresponding to the five branches of her clan. They were still a well know and feared force. The earth treasure feel into the hand of a boy not strong enough to protect, he was killed immediately he had invested the treasure, and it was forever lost. The same thing would have happened with the water treasure, but the person who found it was lucky enough to be the love interest of the greatest mage to have ever lived...¡­Merlin. She went on to become the lady of the lake, her descendants rule the throne of Albion, her bloodline mixed with that of the legendary Pendragons. As for Merlin...¡­he never got the girl, but yet still protects and shows love to her descendants and the descendants of the man she chose.....it must be a really tough life for him. But here was the fourth! No name has been officially coined for it, but most people call it the (Five Vein Element Treasure). And here was one in front of Alex, with no one else but a jelly fish and massive snake to fight him for it. Alex felt frantic, and so he gave Khan a look. The treasure would probably only be fully corporeal for a few seconds, that was Kahn''s once chance to grab it and take it straight to the Mantle''s spirit hall. But it was hard making a choice about which enemy to go after, Alex was very much worked that if he went after one, the other would be right behind hoping to take advantage of the chairs to either get the (Five Vein Element Treasure) or take out the warring team in one fell swoop, so the only move available was to eliminate the option of the treasure. "Now Khan!" Alex didn''t need to about, his partner had already turned into a gust of wind that shot towards the treasure, the enemies on the other hand had placed their attention on the wrong person. It seems that every person before Alex who had come here for the treasure had gone after it hoping to use speed to their advantage, grab it and leave, except of course for the fact that while both beasts weren''t fast, The had attacks that could take a life in an instant. Alex was considered the bigger threat, not the wolf with him, so they had attacked Alex instead, while Khan grabbed the treasure and vanished from sight with it the moment his grubby paws had touched it. (Six Kings Of Beast Movement Art: Shadow-Wind Dragon Eagle) Alex''s body soared into the air just as he felt Khan''s wind form slam into his chest and disappear, without a doubt, Khan and the (Five Vein Element Treasure) were safely tucked away in his spirit hall, within his mantle. The attacks from both beasts slammed into each other beneath him, creating an explosion and an updraft that pushed him even higher, His fire mask rapidly coming into being on his face as the temperature around him seemed to go up a few hundred degrees in that moment. The treasure was gone and both beasts were incredibly livid, and they knew there was no one else to blame but Alex himself, even if the wolf that had ran away with it wasn''t his comrade. They would do everything in their power to tear Alex apart. Now normally if this was some other person, hey would have used this opportunity to get the hell out of town, after all they weren''t a match for the beasts and they came here for the treasure. But for Alex it was the other way around, getting he treasure when he thought it was just a simple wind flower was a bonus, what truly brought him here though was the lives of both beasts, and he wasn''t leaving until he took their dead, bleeding corpse with him back to the academy for a blood ritual. Green Wind fire gathered around his body as the Jelly fish was the first to reach him, he was still in the air and was already talking when bright green flames shot out from his feet, propelling him towards the jelly fish. His spear gleamed as he called out the fire masks ultimate human skill. The rage of the flames seemed to grow even more as the giant illusory form a dragon seemed to swallow his form as it pierced right through the body of the jelly fish, tentacles and skin burnt to a crisp and a hole in it''s massive eye. (Dragon Fall) The flames rated on for a good 30 seconds, creating a massive conflagration of green fire that burnt the rocks under Alex''s feet to molten slag, exposing the gleaming meteorite metal underneath his feet. But this was besides the point as the flames quickly died, and all that was left of the jelly fish was a burnt corpse, Alex had over did it with his flames. There wasn''t a single smidge of blood left in it''s body as seconds later it turned to ash, leaving behind only it''s Mana core. Alex cursed softly as the massive loss as he stowed away his spear and changed his mask front he fire to the blood mask. As it stands he might have overestimated their abilities and underestimated his own by a large margin. The Hydra on the other hand took one look at scale of the destruction Alex had left, he didn''t really notice it, but more than half of the ninety foot rock had been burnt away, leaving behind only a gleaming massive chunk of meteorite that had dents and holes in it. But the Hydra seeing the destruction wasn''t going to be sticking around for dinner, it swiftly turned around and was about to slither away, utilizing every speed it''s awkward lizard body could muster. But Alex was not going to let that happen, he already lost a valuable material for his blood ritual, there was no way in hell he was loosing the other. The Hydra suddenly felt it''s body becoming stiff, it''s chest was right, it''s limbs were heavy and it''s brain seemed incapable of any kind of complex or instinctual thoughts and reactions. But even with that, all nine of it''s heads showed massive fear as it was Alex''s opened and outstretched hands, the blood pouring out from his nose, and eyes seemed to add even more terror to the Hydra. Alex was being pressured, the powers of a blood Dragon was immense, not even Nezha being an actual god could compare to the scope and magnitude that was ¨¦bi¨¦''s power. And it was all the more surprising hat she was just a young spirit, a few hundred years as a single spirit it''s almost terrifying just how much power she would be able to muster. Blood was not fire, the domain of blood was just too expansive and unique to be contained within a body as weak as Alex''s, even with all of his ability his body and cultivation was not get strong enough to handle not just the power of blood, but the power of a dragon, and he knew it. Alex clenched his hands as the blood flow within the body of the Hydra became erratic, he increased and reduced the pressure more than a 100 times in ten seconds, ,a human would be dead by now, but the Hydra was not in good shape. It was trashing, writhing and biting at itself, trying everything possible to bring an end to the intense pain it was feeling. But there was no respite, not until it''s first heart and brain exploded and a head dropped, and then another and another and another. The fear in the eyes of the last head was not a look Alex ever expected from a beast. But this was necessary..... *Bang!* The last head exploded and both Alex and the body of demonic beast collapsed to the floor, his breaths heavy as his vision got clouded and darker. Whatever may be, he just wanted to close his eyes for a few seconds, yeah his work here is done. 162 Orcon Forest 2 VI : Sky Steel And Calling The Lightning Of The Heavens When Alex woke up it was well into the middle of the night, the forest itself wasn''t silent and the moon was out in all of it''s splendor. Alex shifted his head to the left and almost had to resist the urge to scream at the sight of the dead Hydra, he almost forgot about it, but thankfully he was smart enough to use the blood dragon mask to preserve the blood of the beasts. If that wasn''t the case with the way he passed out, the blood would have either flowed away or coagulated by now. Alex stretched his hand and the massive body was sucked into his storage ring, normally storage rings shouldn''t be large enough to carry beasts like this, but Alex was the Emperor''s son in law, not to mention the Childe Spirit Wind of the Empire. A ring was made with a unique seal to denote his position, and it was a storage ring with a rather massive space. Alex didn''t trust it for one bit, everything with the Emperor was a trap, especially with that poison in his body, but Alex had even more cards up his sleeve than the Emperor would have ever realized. The only reason that poison was still left in his body, even with the arrival of Xeron who could neutralize all toxins and poison; was because Alex didn''t want to Alex the emperor, after all he was sure the emperor was watching not just him, but his body. Either way Alex''s work here was done, though to be honest he was standing on Sky Steel. And this was basically meteoric ore, this was sure to be massively expensive for just a pound, yet Alex was sitting on a sixty foot tall and fifty foot wide stash of it. This much would make him a billionaire, not to mention the amount of weapons he could forge from it, in all honesty it was the forging that would bring more money, except of course the ore was sold to certain circles of individuals. None the less there was just one problem in front of Alex, and that was the fact that it was too big, and as such he had no other choice but to call for help. Alex pulled out his phone (yes he has one, it''s the freaking 21st century) and sent a message to Louis, now all he had to do was wait for the Lumiere to get in touch with the princess and cut a deal. Alex knew even his reputation won''t save him from the amount of greedy people who would want to get their hands on this piece of Sky Steel. And while he could rely on the Wudang sect and the imperial family, this was the Academy. Family backgrounds can only take you so far if you don''t have the strength to back it up, and the thing is the Imperial family won''t go out of their way to help if there wasn''t anything in it for them, not even if the person he was asking for help is supposed to be his fianc¨¦ (one of them anyway). Alex knew Louis could cut a deal that would profit them greatly and facilitate the transfer of the ore back to the Academy. Not just for his Qi cultivation, but also for his spirit cultivation and the very sure feeling he and that he could also cultivate Mana as a mage. So it was perfect improvement in all three schools even if he hasn''t started on one yet. Alex closed his eyes and began to utilize the (Wudang Heart Sutra). The cultivation technique was extremely unique, and wonder Alex had been able to achieve two of it''s three stages. The (Yin-Yang Heart Protection), and The (Inner Pill Skill). Alex''s somewhat cold and calm temperament cake about as a result of the first stage, the (Yin-Yang Heart Protection) stage fortified his mind and gave him good control over his emotions, not to mention it gave him a resistance against mental abilities like charm and illusions, and even telepathic attacks. The (Inner Pill Skill) was unique, it Practically gave Alex another source of energy, from a highly condensed energy pill above his Dantian, you could say it was a second one. Relying on just his Words alone, Alex could probably fight for hours against stronger opponents, his only shortcoming being the lack of highly powerful and destructive skills in his Qi arsenal. He has been relying a bit too much of his masks and spirit energy, and Alex wanted to change that. The (Wudang Heart Sutra) was known for being a powerful cultivation technique that could out a cultivator in the most optimum and prime state to become one with the universe, even more so was the fact that it drew in the breath of the heavens and the earth with much more ease and speed than other techniques. It was like the slow and steady rush of a powerful river, and scarcely had Alex stated cultivating, when he felt a powerful explosion with his body, and his Dantian expanded. "The sixth stage of the Open Dantian realm." But that was just the beginning as Qi rushed to fill the Dantian, it''s excess getting absorbed by the inner pill that was also growing in size, not to mention the purity of Alex''s Qi was unlike any other. It was clear and smooth, like the best of all spring water right at the peak of a beautiful sunset. Ferocious winds began to pick up around Alex, they howled and whooshed as they carried with them the scent of blood and the remains of the previous battle, a sharp warning to all other Beasts to stay away, while Khan watched on with open eyes and a focused gaze. Alex began to pull Qi from every nook and cranny of the forest, a massive funnel of energy and wind slowly forming above his head. Qi was like the wind, it was energy that could not be seen or touched, only felt and sensed. In fact this was the case with all energy, they were just like the wind, present in all things, absent in none. A part of you just as you are a part of them, and Alex''s very biased alignment with the wind element was helping him drag every manner of energy possible, be it Qi, Mana, or spirit energy, all of them were slowly being funneled into his body. Tempering it, building it up and making it much more stronger than before. In no time at all his Dantian was full again, but Alex was not just feeling pressure from his Dantian, there was also the pressure from his heart and from his mind. Though full, Alex could feel the Qi in his Dantian being guided by the Sutra to not just fill, but to also reinforce his Dantian, making it thicker, wider, more flexible and more durable. A Dantian was like a glass case, a hard enough but and you would rupture it, destroying a person''s chance of ever cultivating, but then Alex''s was being turned into something if a rubber ball. Yet very much similar to steel as it was tough and rigid, yet soft and pliable. *Boom!* "Seventh level of the Open Dantian realm" Alex exclaimed to himself as his meridians began to furiously rotate, not at all willing to slow down as the intake if energy became even more intense. And soon enough there was another explosion and a loud sound of breaking through, this one however came from within the depths of his mind, and Alex was able to hear the voice of Nezha even in all of the commotion. (First stage Spirit Commander Realm! What the hell? Did you just skip nine whole stages and went directly to the next spirit realm! What sort of monster are you?) Even Alex couldn''t answer that, it had always been an obvious fact to think that his spirit cultivation always advanced the fastest, wild most would say his advancement with Qi was insane seeing as he has just been cultivating for a little over a year, none would understand that for a spirit to cultivate from the spirit Embryo stage to the spirit commander stage, no less than 200 years of hard cultivation was required. Yet Alex was there, solidly and without and damage and a very sturdy foundation. Obviously it''s either the Mantle is all too powerful or Alex''s talent was beyond mortal and even immortal comprehension, of worse! It was both. Honestly no one knew the true scope of Alex''s talent, the emperor, his grandfather, mother and uncle had an idea...but how can Talent be measured with a machine, even worse when the person who owns said talent is willing to work hard to improve it. There was no answer to it, but right now, Alex was just getting started, the winds picked up as ominous lightning clouds began to gather above his head. Alex was not aware, but his obscene talent and method of advancement had stirred the wrath of the heavens, and for the first time in all of history, a fifteen year old boy in the mortal gate realms of cultivation had summoned.....A HEAVENLY TRIBULATION!! *cra-ca-cacka-kaka- dooom!* 163 Orcon Forest 2 VII : Advancement, Blessed By The Heavens The crackle of thunder and the peal of lightning above him did nothing to slow Alex down, he was dead to the world, so impressed in his connection with the greater part of life, at this moment it was not just his cultivation that was improving, but his understanding of his martials arts, of the world he lived in. He felt such a deep and fundamental connection to the wind, the earth, the trees, the flames, the sea, life as a whole, living or dead, in one form or the other. All of this was just a foot into the threshold of a power he could neither make heads or tails of, but he could feel it, feel himself standing right at the threshold of such power, so close, get so far. It would take a lot more time, and a lot more strength for him to be able to finally achieve the height of his power, and even then he would only be one foot into this next and expansive world that he just perceived. And so instead of just focusing on what he couldn''t achieve yet, he used what he had gained to strengthen what he already has. His movement art saw massive improvements, so much so that Alex felt it was time to move to the next stage and study the moves of another creature, and with his senses so wide and his perception unlike anything he had ever felt, Alex fell into a deep trance, studying the movements of golden viper. But while he studied and mastered the movement of the reptile, restructured his body and bones to the sinews and flex of it''s serpentine body, Alex was still advancing in cultivation. It was as if everything in his body had gone have wire and was rapidly attempting to suck in energy like a dry sponge. His spirit commander stage increased by another level, giving even ¨¦bi¨¦ and Xeron a shock, because the fact remains that he stronger his spirit cultivation was, the more of the power he could bring to bear, and the stronger they also became. Within Alex''s body, it was as if there were multiple big bangs currently taking shape, everything martial arts that he had learnt, most especially the sky Python techniques, and his Tai-Chi fist techniques all seemed to consolidate into each other, becoming something new, something better. At that moment Alex''s mind seemed to have been split into a million different parts, and each part had a with to follow in the improvement of every single thing in Alex''s body. Shaky foundations were restructured and reinforced, unnecessary movement in his martial arts was eliminated, giving birth to the combination and propagation of something new, something much more powerful. *Booom* His Dantian suddenly closed up, unwilling to take in any more energy lest Alex blows himself up like a balloon, and it was in that moment the second meridian lit up, and Yin-Yang diagram became and inner pill of it''s own, and then there was a third and a fourth, all of them becoming more than they were in rapid succession until there were fifteen meridians lit up like a constellation within his body, each of them a veritable source of energy that gave Alex not just a single advantage, but seventeen Dantian worth of energy than anyone else within the mortal gate. Sure the efficiency and power of his Qi might not match up to those at a higher realm, but when it comes to stamina and who could fight the longest, not even people at the first earth gate realm could match him. For all intents and purposes Alex had become an ultimate powerhouse, a one man army. Now all he needed were the techniques to utilize the sheer amount of energy at his disposal. His Qi cultivation seemed to have stagnated as the energy stopped moving into his body, but was rather spinning around him, slowly forming shapes that at first seemed illusory, but over time began to clear up and become more vivid. Alex was in a powerful trance, and the images being shown were of all the martial arts he had learnt, they were slowly being forgotten, and then being recombined into something that was truly fitting for him. When it came to martial arts, Alex had already himself too thin, the flash of energy in his body was not really helping as he would be using fire Qi techniques with his wind one, and unless he was using his masks, that was quite damaging for him. So a martial arts series never seen or heard of before was slowly being created from the enlightenment of Alex, and this was what had brought forth the wrath of the heavens. The sky Python techniques fused with Tai-Chi fist and quickly fused with the four seasons of the Weeping world, and quickly joined up with Nezha''s The imperial King''s Wrath, and then finally the six kings of beast art of which Alex had only mastered the movements of the Shadow-Wind Dragon Eagle, and now the recently gained insights of the movement of the golden viper. It was so many things to focus at one time, and so the universe was helping Alex narrow down his focus, all of his mastery and his seemingly Jack of all trades manner of learning was quickly funneled into a martial arts that was strictly tailored and personalized for Alex by the universe itself, and hence the Jealous heavens struck. *Braakraaam!!!* Alex felt it, even in the middle of his enlightenment, but he was incapable of stopping. More and more bolts of ours white Lightning flashed down from the sky with a fury unlike any other as a storm swept across the land. Alex''s tough body was ripped apart as flesh and bone and dimes was exposed to the ravages of the element, yet he didn''t stop, he couldn''t stop. Wind encased with lighting smashed against his body, again and again, rocking his body the same way a boat would be rocked in the middle of an ocean beset by storms of the worst sort. His rapidly improved body was already at the limit of what he could handle, and when it seemed as if he couldn''t take any more, a final bolt of pure silvery white lightning smashed into his chest, straight into his heart, forcing Alex to spit out and inordinate amount of blood as something seemed to have been unlocked in his heart, and his cultivation advance to the next stage, standing right at the threshold of the true Essence realm, tribulation lightning finding purchase in his Dantian and meridians. Slowly becoming a part of his body as his heart felt lighter, his mind clearer, his Dantian drained but his meridians and inner pill filled with energy and life. In his mind the moves of a martial art unlike any other was swiftly imprinted into his mind, it was incomplete, but that was because Alex himself was not yet at his best. But never the less he would be akin to a storm sweeping across the lands once he has mastered the first move. Alex felt happy, fulfilled, strong. Power had become a necessity for his and the survival of the people he loved, but it seems in his case he would be paying a price for the power he gains. How else would be able to explain the now snow white hair, or the fact that his right arm was a few meters away from his still very bloody body. He had no answers to that, and so he let the darkness take him, the storms his advancement had called, still raging above him furiously. And that was where he remained, battered and beset by the elements for three whole days as storms the likes of which has never been seen before washed over they Kingdom of Australia. Life ended, deaths propagated, the land was flooded and the skies held death themselves. It was as if the heavens were angry, of maybe to those who could listen a little clearer, as if it was happy. Changes to the earth that has not been experienced or seen in thousands of years began to take shape, children born within the three days were a breed above their peers, the land was off vibrant. Poisons were stronger and so too was their antidotes, numerous treasures of heaven and Earth were exposed as the earth began to witness a surge in energy and cultivation even for those who have been stuck in a particular stage for a long time advanced. It was a wonderful phenomenon and the world rejoiced. But there were those who couldn''t help but feel a shiver and a chill of death crawl up their spine. The feeling of something being unleashed that should have remained bound was there, and chief amongst them was the emperor of the heaven''s Empire. He knew this had something to do with Alex, after all....the tribulation lightning did not just go after Alex alone, it also came for him, and with a warning attached to it. The emperor was powerful enough to resist, but right there nestled in his hands was the very poison he had secretly administered to Alex, and the universe had slapped him in the face with it...¡­interesting. 164 Orcon Forest 2 VIII : Waking Up, Gains "Hahahaha! Today is my luck day! Look at all this sky steel! My Rostchild family will definitely be making an impact with the world once we''ve fully moved it. Quick! All of you start mining! And create a perimeter around this crater, we don''t anyone to disturb us, and it would be smart if we move our asses before the demonic and magical beasts that live here return." Alex furrowed his eyebrows at the squeaky male voice that sound a little to excited for his own good, he didn''t need to think too much time to know that something was wrong. He got back up to his feet, not at all conscious of his state of undress as the pieces of his clothes fell off, luckily his underwear survived. He used his right hand to moved the hair from his face, and his left arm to support his waist as he stretched, then he stopped. By his foot was the remains of a desiccated arm, normally things like this wouldn''t spook Alex, but when he wholeheartedly recognized said arm as his own, and the fact that he remembers losing an arm during his crazy cultivation experience, if even better yet the fact that the arm that was lost had been regrown and didn''t seem as if it was lost in the first place. It was beyond amazing and quite honestly very terrifying, he had no idea what questions to ask until he heard ¨¦bi¨¦''s voice in his mind. (You''re welcome Master, but you should be more careful next time. Limbs are easy for me to restore, but what if you get form in half, that would be next to impossible for me to fix.) There was a mischievousness to her voice as she spoke to him, but none the less it spoke volumes of what just happened or rather what had already happened. ¨¦bi¨¦ has healing abilities that are downright ridiculous, her specific words were that if he were torn in half, it would be next to impossible to fix, not that it would be impossible. Healing abilities as crazy as this was honestly...¡­godlike. He was lost deep in his thoughts, but even if he was so lost in those thoughts his body was able to react as his hand waved through the air and caught the bullet that was just shot at his head. Alex furrowed his eyebrows in surprise, he looked at the silver metal in his hand, and then down at the large crowd of people that were gathered around the crater with very obvious mining equipment. It didn''t take a genius for Alex to understand what was going on here, and hat was the fact that someone else had gotten here before Louis, they didn''t notice him on the still sixty foot tall meteorite, so they assumed this was a pressure ore right in the middle of the forest with no one to claim it. Unfortunately that was just bullshit, Mana didn''t fall from the heavens just like that. "My Name is Alex, but most people know me as Zhang Xiao Feng; Childe Spirit Wind of the heaven''s empire..." "And so fucking what! I don''t care who you are! What''d you want you fool, get off my money making rock!" the guy in very rich and extravagant red called screamed out, not at all willing to listen to reason, though his companion were definitely smarter as a few of them seemed to have moved to the side to send messages. "Aish! Master this guy is so stupid and loud! And he''s trying to steal from us in broad daylight, does he not see all the scotch marks left on the big shiny rock, and the surrounding area! Doesn''t he know he''s playing with his life?" Khan asked, and just loud enough for the man to hear and to take pause with his pampered tirade, enough to actually notice how much of a terrible state the crater was in, the boasted pieces of rocks, the scorch marks on the crater, Alex''s state of undress and his white hair that seemed to be sizzling with electricity everything the wind blew through it. Alex would rather avoid a fight if he could help it, Louis should not be too far away from here, though Alex really couldn''t see him, he could feel him. Louis along with Anya, Xiao Mei and surprisingly Zhang Wuxi were drawing close and were about two kilometers away. Alex couldn''t help but smile, he had his awareness covering an area of at least two kilometers in every direction. It was probably a hundred times better than other people who advance to the soul refining realm, but the shocking fact was that he was just in the true essence realm, still stuck in the mortal gate, yet he had abilities those in the soul sensing realm would even struggle to learn and would be unable to go past ten meters. Alex got the feeling that if he retarded the range, the effect of this ability would be more powerful. He would sense things clearer at a kilometer as opposed to two, and at twenty five meters, Alex could even tell the color of a person''s underwear if he wanted to. Being a spirit commander seems to come with a lot of perks, apart from an increase in the amount of spirit energy he has, Alex could now feel trace amounts of it in the air and in living beings, with enough time he was sure he would be able to manipulate it. It was kind of like having a second sight, and with this new perception domain of his, Alex could not just see spirit, but the flow of every other kind of energy. Khan was lit up like a beacon, his body being a nebula of red, black, and grey with tiny Sparks of light running through it. Alex sat down, marveled by his gains, from the look of things he really should out himself in danger more often and fight dangerous creatures. Sure the fight wasn''t as desperate as it should have been, but the rapid usage of spirit energy, especially to use ¨¦bi¨¦ had pushed his body to the limit, not to mention he has been dodging and dealing with death before he got here. All of his experiences together had combined to give him the push he needed to advance, and he did it in such an overbearing and ridiculous manner. When they said Alex would have slow cultivation speed they weren''t wrong, focusing on just Qi alone would have taken him a long time to get to this level, probably another year of two, it would be shorter if he realized on pills and herbs, but that''s not really recommended. But his Qi cultivation is supplemented by his spirit cultivation, they supported each other making up for the deficiencies of the other. With spirit energy he couldn''t attack directly and could only augment like the domain he just developed, or perform rituals. Direct battle was out of his reach unless he used the abilities of the spirit mask and Khan. But it gave him access to not just immense power, but the unseen part of humanity, the ghosts, the souls all of these were laid bare to him, along with a mental strength that was unlike any other. Qi gave him ridiculously strong body and abilities that could cause real damage by relying on his own strength. He had been told that Qi is the physicality of spirit energy, but since it mostly tends to be balanced and mild it''s hard to notice that sort of it. Basically spirit was like a combination of yin and yang. Separate those two, and yin becomes Mana, and yang becomes Qi. But they were not the same, spirit can''t do what Mana or Qi can do, and vice versa. Some moves can be replicated to a degree, but it would never be the same as the other. But beyond the advancement in cultivation or the very real fact that Alex felt a new kind of energy from his heart, the biggest gain apart from the change of hair color and the tribulation lightning now living in the roots of his hair, Alex had forgotten every single martial art he had learned. Sure he knew their names, but there was nothing more, and no matter how hard he tried to recall it, there was only one thing or rather one name that came to mind. It was the (Wind God Martial Series), and he only knew three moves from it, or rather it would be better to say he knew the basic moves of three distinct type of martial art. A fist move, a weapon move that could be used regardless of which weapon, tough it has to be a blade, and a movement technique. In his mind it was like skill tree that he had to follow, so much so that Alex could even use his spirit energy to tabulate the data and progression of the skill, and even make it appear before him. But before he could do that, someone had slashed a saber at him, releasing a life beam of energy that normally would have cleaved even the toughest steel in half. But Alex was not steel, seems this guy won''t rest unless he gets the beating he wants, and Alex was itching to try something new out. 165 Orcon Forest 2 IX : Fairy Druid; Devonte Khan was the first to make a move, He turned into a swirling gust of wind as he shot in the direction of the group of people who were obviously intent on starting something. His intangible form crashed into them, as sharp claws slashed out and soft really nasty sounds on their bodies, but they had scarcely any time to react when Alex decided to make his own move, relying instinctually on something that seems to have been branded into the very essence of his soul. (Wind God Martial Series: Movement: Wind Stride Of The Seven Heavens!) A new movement art that has never been seen or heard off before. Alex''s body turned illusory and seemed to face into the wind, his figure was seen appearing in the air above the red dressed youth, before his body seemed to rotate in the air like a log rolling down a cliff, his clenched fist swinging down like a hammer, guided by the divine winds of the heaven, unstoppable in all it''s might and finesse. To the eyes of some of the onlookers, it almost looked as if Alex was moving in slow motion, but his speed had surpassed his previous level as he had almost become one with the wind. (Wind God Martial Series: Fist: Storm Judgement!) This move at it''s core was carrying the seemed of Alex''s (Iron Viper Strike), channeling all of the forces in his body into one precise and powerful hit. It was swift and unstoppable, and all the guy in red could do was stand there dumbly and watch. It was as if he was a criminal on trial and this was him having no choice but to accept the verdict that was being given to him. The area around him was locked down, and even though winds could not be seen gathering around Alex''s fist, tiny arcs of blue and white lightning were dancing all-over his fist. His punch fell, but there was a swirl of leaves as someone had swooped in and rescued the guy wearing red. He was safe, but as for the ground where he was standing a few minutes ago, it exploded in a manner akin to a grenade good my off. The explosion pushed Alex upwards, but his body seemed to glide along air currents and he gently found himself back to the ground, his gaze stuck firmly on the man who had just rescued his target. Alex furrowed his eyebrows, this guy was an Earth gate cultivator with his cultivation stuck firmly in the soul refining realm, and seeing as he had pulled out two green daggers, it was obvious there was going to be a rather serious fight. Alex honestly wasn''t too sure of his chances, after all this guy was at a higher cultivation level, and he was restraining his energy like the last time Alex fought with Miranda. Khan flitted across the crater smashing his wind form against people and leaving them with rather nasty cuts that Alex knew was pretty much cursed and would continue bleeding until they died of were saved. If he could finish this city on time, he would try saving them, after all a dog can''t be blamed for it''s master''s stupidity. Alex bent his knees a bit, and held his fist up in a boxing stance, his opponent, a man dressed in a dark green hooded garb, crossed both green blades in front of him, it was like he was some sort of Assassin or ranger. "Kill him Devonte! Kill him I say!" the guy in red all but screamed, his annoying nasally voice was all they needed to start the fight. The hooded guy moved, his figure a hours as his green daggers glinted with a promise of pain, Khan rushed forwards in his wind form, swirling around like a horizontal cyclone. But this guy was good as he jumped into the air, twirling his body around as he evade Khan and landed in front of Alex in a sliding crouch as he slashed at Alex''s waist. The daggers went through an after image as Alex kicked at his head, the guy moved back and rested all his weight on one hands and jumped up to give a one handed bull kick that smashed into Alex''s chest and shot him backwards faster than he could register the hit. Khan''s wind form caught up with him and cushioned the blow before Alex could smash against the massive meteorite behind him. The green Assassin didn''t not even give them anytime to catch their breath as he appeared in front of Alex, daggers slicing towards his neck. There was a loud clang as Alex''s spear showed up and intercepted the strikes, before Alex pushed forward banking on this surprise to smash the body of the spear against his forehead. He was blasted backwards like Alex was, but he was pushed back five meters, as his hood slide off his head and the blank eyes of black teenager was staring right back at Alex......he was blind. Devonte as he was called held both daggers in a reverse grip and sliced upwards, releasing a beam of bright green and white energy at Alex, and as he did so, roots with sharpened tips shot out of the ground, stabbing towards Alex with a vengeance. I was as if an entire forest was after his life, Alex jumped up, leaving behind an afterimage as he shot towards Devonte, evading the roots that were piercing upwards at him with an ease of movement that was very reminiscent of the Tai-Chi fist technique. Alex shifted his spear to his left hand once he was above Devonte and began to spin. Devonte had already seen or rather sense the power of this technique when he had rescued the red dressed youth, so he knew he would be seriously hurt if he took it head on. Roots as fat as tree trunks shot out of the ground, piercing upwards towards Alex who had completed his rotation and was smashing his fist down. (Wind God Martial Series: Fist: Storm Judgment!) *Boom!* *Cra-ca-cacka-kaka-cack!* The sound of wood cracking and breaking was so loud it left some of the onlookers feeling extremely weird, but none the less Devonte had successfully blocked Alex''s strike, however all of the roots he had summoned were now nothing but chips, and he was exposed to Alex who brought his spear smashing down. He crossed his daggers and raised them up to defend, he was brought down to his knees in a single stride as his eyes widened in shock at the sheer power hidden within Alex''s body. He could sense that Alex was only in the first levels of the true essence realm, which made this entire fight completely ridiculous, however Devonte was no ordinary cultivator either. He rushed forwards, his daggers raising Sparks from their contacts with Alex''s spear. They were too close, and Devonte was just as fast if not a whole lot more faster than Alex, so when both daggers stabbed into his left knee he panicked. Devonte was extremely ruthless and was about to use both daggers to dig his knee cap out when Alex smashed his second Knee against the side of Devonte''s head, surprising the other teen at Alex''s sheer tenacity to endure pain and make a move. He was blasted backwards into the air, his head ringing just as a gust of wind smashed him into the air and subsequently into the ground, and then a massive jaw unceremoniously took a chunk out of his shoulder. Devonte stabbed upwards, feeling his dagger dig into flesh before it subsequently became wind and flew away. He dragged himself back to his feet, ignoring his bleeding shoulder as he watched Alex hobbling on one feet with Khan besides him, also sporting a rather nasty Injury. It was a stalemate, Alex could keep on fighting for a very long time, but his opponent was no ordinary cultivator. And even if he was ordinary, this was a guy in the soul refining realm, if not for the fact there was a difference of two realms, there was a difference of an entire gate! Alex was the freak here, fighting such a talented soul refining cultivator to a stalemate was beyond insane. Devonte knew he had underestimated Alex, he didn''t think he would push to such a state by a cultivator in the true essence realm. If Alex was in the same realm as he was, it was obvious that he would already be dead. And that realization gave him a chill he couldn''t Understand or get rid off, this foolish young Master of his had gone on and made a terrible enemy out of his greed. But there was no going back now, he had started this fight, so it''s either this opponent of his dies or he dies. It was in that moment that there were a bunch of new comers, and judging from the look on their faces, these guys were his people, guess he was here first and was waiting for help. But it doesn''t matter, the strong took what they wanted. Alex could see emotions going through Devonte''s face, but his blind blank look made him seem pitiful. But he knew there was nothing pitiful about this teen in front of him, he was strong, probably the strongest challenge Alex has had to face so far. And Alex could not help but come to one conclusion, he wanted him. "Devonte was it? If you survive this next move you will serve me instead. Because quite frankly you''re only still alive right now because I want to test myself. So try your best, and if you want to kill me then you better aim for the head! Anything other than that will see you on your feet, prepare yourself!" Alex also noticed something about Devonte, something that Nezha also noticed and had to tell him. For one Devonte wasn''t human, the ridiculous amount of spirit energy coming off the guy was more than enough proof that we wasn''t fully human. And Nezha confirmed it. (Alex! That boy......is a druid! But not just any druid! That kid is a fairy!) 166 Orcon Forest 2 X : Desperate Fight! A fairy? Alex had no idea what that was.....or rather it was not as if he doesn''t know what a fairy is, but the idea was that they''re short five inch humans with shiny butterfly wings who go about pranking people, not blind green clad assassins that can control the nature around them and move so fast it was making his head a he just to follow up with his movements. But he knew Nezha would never lie to him, this guy was a fairy, and a druid! And the severity of such an exposure completely went over his head. But it was not really his fault, in the first place it seems what he understands of fairies were completely wrong considering there was a human sized one star don''t in front of him, and as for druids, Alex had absolutely no idea about them, he might have heard or read that name in passing somewhere, but he just couldn''t bring himself to fathom or Understand what and who a druid is. All he knew right now was that his blood was pouring out of his leg and dying the ground beneath him red, he had to finish this fight fast. Alex took a hobbling step forward, he almost died out at the sheer amount of pain he felt. If he had to be honest he couldn''t remember the last time he has been forced to feel this much pain, it was a wake up call for him. This just went to show that his cultivation abilities weren''t as over powered as his spirit king abilities and he had to place a little more focus into improving those abilities. Ignoring the shooting pain in his knee, he took another limping step forward, and then another, and another until he picked up speed, which quite honestly was not even 10% of his top speed. He was slow from being injured in one leg, Devonte on the other hand still had full use of both his legs, his only weakness was his injured right shoulder, making his right arm useless. But in the end it was just an arm, seeing as his legs were okay he still had an advantage over Alex, he could still move faster and that was exactly what he did as vanished from his spot leaving behind a shower of leaves. Alex moved his spear to the side, a pound ding signifying he had blocked the strike heading for his head, though he had to moved his head forward as blast of energy from the green dagger went past his head. Devonte disappeared again, and barely a second later his father was sweeping from the opposite direction. Alex ducked and stabbed out the bottom of his spear into Devonte''s stomach and pushing him backwards. No other moved were made as Devonte moved to his back and sent a sweeping kick to Alex''s injured Leg, but at the same time he also stabbed out with his dagger hoping to bury it at the base of Alex''s skull. Alex twisted his body, ignoring the pain in his knee as he defended against the dagger strike, but he couldn''t help but cry out as Devonte''s foot ruthlessly smashed into his Injured knee and forcing Alex down to one knee. His injured knee hitting the ground sent a bolt of white hot pain lancing up his thigh, so much so that Alex felt as if he would pass out. Those free daggers were definitely not normal, they either had poisons or had a pain amplification effect, which while rare was actually a fun array of war etched into the weapons of assassin''s and the torture tools of interrogators. Devonte''s pulled back and stabbed his dagger again, Alex used both hands to hold the spear as he raised it upwards to defend against the stabbing strike. The impact shook his body, aggravating his injuries, but Devonte pulled back to Initiate another strike, this time sweeping from the side in a hope to stab his fever through Alex''s ear. That was a mistake as it was a longer roundabout manner, and Alex was just hoping for a single extra second delay to pull something off. The Iron Viper Strike that he had somehow forgotten, was a move that emphasized on delivering all of the body''s power and energy in an instant, so it was speed and power combined with some really bone breaking concussive force. It was extremely rare to find a cultivator who had enough control over their body and strength that they could utilize all of it into a single strike and all in an instant. Only one legendary move was capable of such power; the legendary (One Inch Punch). But the move and it''s creator has been lost to the flow of time, but vestiges or copies of the move had come into existence and the iron Viper Strike was one of them. It''s power was only great for low level cultivators, it took time to prepare and it''s speed was slow, however this next move of Alex had all of the advantages and none of the weaknesses, Devonte''s didn''t see it coming. (Wind God Martial Series: Fist: Storm Judgement!) So far Devonte has been successful in evading the power of this move. But at point blank range and with all his focus on putting an end to Alex, there was no way he could have been able to raise any sort of defense. Alex''s fist smashed into his sternum, he felt a tiny bit of resistance, like a sort of energy field that dissipated more than fifty percent of the moves power. But still fifty percent was still enough to blast Devonte backwards like a bullet out of a gun, carrying his green clad form as he smashed into multiple trees at the edge of the crater, breaking them down and creating a path of destruction as he roughly made a thirty meter trip. With the exception of Devonte who was blind and probably couldn''t see (obviously), everyone who was watching had a look of shock on their face. The previous strike could only be considered as tyrannical with the way Alex had hit him, Louis so was watching felt as if Devonte''s bones would have been smashed out of his flesh in the process too. Normally they all thought that the fight was over, but Alex knew better, especially when he headed Nezha''s voice a second later. (Don''t get complacent! He''s a fairy and a druid, and he''s right in the middle of a forest! This is his domain, it would be almost impossible to beat him here as his rate of recovery is almost as powerful as yours when you''re using the Dragon blood mask!) Alex needed Nezha''s warning and clutched his spear, pushing himself up in one sweet motion and slicing his spear upwards with all of his power, and just in time as Devonte''s verge injured form seemed to appear above him, with eight two meter long wood spikes circling around him and stabbing down towards Alex. It was as if their roles had been reversed from back when Alex was the one attacking from the air. *Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!* The ferocious roads of a dragon sounded out as a dragon made of highly condensed wind numerous arcs of blue and white lightning about out of Alex''s spear, quickly swallowing up Devonte and his wooden spike attacks. The move itself was not just a dragon made of clustered air flow, the winds themselves were akin to knives that were rapidly in flux, cutting and shredding as they moved whilst carrying the impact of a moving bullet train. Devonte was done, and as Alex watched the wind dragon raise him into the air unleashing unspeakable tortures on his body, he called out the name of the move, just in time for the dragon to bring the young fairy smashing into the ground. (Wind God Martial Series: Weapon: Zephyr''s Ascension!) If was over, Alex couldn''t help releasing a breath of relief as he crashed to the ground finally losing strength in his leg. Louis and Anya rushed to him while Zhang Wuxi watched from a distance with Xiao Mei who was staring daggers at the youth clad in red. They helped Alex up, but he shook them off, almost falling again, but Anya held on to him stubbornly refusing to let go. With her help Alex hobbled all the way to the small pool that used to be natural habitats for the jelly fish magical beasts. Devonte was lying half in the water and his silvery blood was slowly spreading everywhere. There were deep cuts all-over his body, deep enough that Alex could actually see bone. His clothes were in ruins and his breathing was shallow, Alex didn''t need Nezha to tell him that even with his unmatched Vitality in a forest, he was still going to die, or rather he was dying. And this was because the move Zephyr''s Ascension was still active, as long as he kept on breathing, all of the air taken would find into numerous wind blades hat would be tearing his body from the inside out. Even to Alex, this was a very scary move, it was asking to how flames would leave behind a burn. But this was much worse. Alex placed his hands on Devonte''s chest, ignoring his milky white eyes and the way it seemed as if he was staring at him, Ghent Alex''s hair turned blood red and the dragon blood mask stretched across his face in the most unnerving manner possible. But Alex didn''t care, all he cared about was saving Devonte, and this was because he was the spirit king, and as a spirit king, he could feel the distress and negative emotions of any spirit close enough to him on Earth. It was his sacred duty to calm and help those spirits or end them should the need arise, and right now Devonte was filled with a lot of said distress, but not just that.....there was just so much hate! 167 Blood Of Ancient Earth Ritual I : Fairy Spirit Devonte Bonded Alex found himself in his spirit hall, odds were he had passed out during the process of healing Devonte, but that was understandable. Devonte had not just nicked an artery when he stabbed his daggers into Alex''s leg, he had completely severed it. A normal human would have been dead by then, but cultivators had tougher bodies, as Alex was there was even a possibility of him surviving for quite a while even if he has been completely drained of blood. But in the end Alex was till just human, plus the fight had pushed him to edge of his cultivator abilities, and while some part of him might actually be dissatisfied with the way the fight had turned out, he could actually zero out one thing. His cultivator abilities were definitely not weak, a few more training sessions and his skills would be refined. (You have Bonded with a new spirit!) SPIRIT NAME: Devonte Xer''Tania Oberon Nirketik ? SPIRIT RACE: Fairy (Royal)(Dormant Form) ? SPIRIT RANK: Commander(Stage 9) ? SPIRIT SCHOOL: (Manifestation)(Mind Sight) ? SPIRIT SKILLS: (Nature Embrace: Level 8)(Nature Spirit Blades: Level 3)(Perception: Level 8)(Nature Control: Level 4) (Leaf Shift: Level 3)(Illusion Magic: Level 8)(Shift: Level 1) He was surprised if he had to be really honest, but at the very least it seems like a welcomed one, Devonte was unlike anything Alex had ever seen,. Ur considering he''s not had the chance to go out much, that much could be understandable. Alex knew sometimes spirits from the spirit world would cross over into earth to cause a little bit not mischief, but Devonte did not seem like a spirit that would do such, in fact he could easily pass for human so it''s a bit hard to be extremely sure of how or why he was here. "I think just like me, he was born here; on Earth."¨¦bi¨¦ said to him as Alex was about to leave the mantle. It sort of made sense, fairies were supposed to be tiny little things, but here was a full-grown teenager that can easily pass of as human, in fact there was nothing on his body that made him seem less then human. There was a story behind his existence, Alex wanted to find that out. He woke up resting under in a tightly sealed tent. Everyone we had taken extra precautions when coming here, even Devonte had been covered head to toe, get Alex had no such protections and was clad in only his boxers. Of course his current state of undress wasn''t completely or entirely his fault, but it is what it is. Anyway this was just a standard procedure for his safety and the safety of everyone else, he was being Quarantined for any catalyst that might be hanging on him, or if he''s already been poisoned and didn''t know it. "You really should take some time to rest, or at the very least consolidate your new cultivation base. So I would advice you not to get up from that bed." "I have things to do Elder Wuxi,. Tower to run and a nest of arachnids to destroy, I can consider getting some rest once I''m done with all of it. Besides I''m fine, and there''s no hidden injuries or poison in my body." Alex said to him in an attempt to convince him. "I know you''re fine, but I''m not the one who needs convincing. Either way you can go take care of what you have planned. I''ll watch over the mining and extraction of the sky steel, most of it is still buried underground. If my advice counts for anything, I would suggest we escort 60% of it back to the Wudang sect or rather back to the Zhang clan. But we''ve made too loud a noise, and it wouldn''t be that easy to move the ores without attracting unwanted attention. We might have to ask the patriarch himself to come retrieve it." Zhang Wuxi said as he took a swig out of the wine you''re he was always carrying around. "That''s a wise course of action, I''ll reach out to my grandfather immediately, if rather as soon as we''re out of the forest. The ores themselves would need to be boxed and arranged for his arrival, we can do that ourselves we just have to make sure no one else finds out or interrupts us. With this in play we''ll probably going to be seeing a lot of challenges in the coming days, so it''s best to keep most of our operations secret and close to our chest. Thank you so much for your advice elder Wuxi, please excuse me." Alex was already dressed in brand new clothes, he didn''t know who did that, but he''d rather not dwell on it. He moved outside to gaze that the tent had been pitched right at the edge of the crater, dozens of flying round robots or something of the sort were floating all over the place, using lasers to cut off parts of the sky steel before having them placed on massive truck like hover crafts that were flying above the tree lines. This was still a forest filled with poison, and Alex was sure it must have cost a pretty penny for each and every single one of them to but antidotes that made them immune. "Master! I apologize for my insolent actions earlier, I''m willing to accept any sort of punishment to make up for what I did." Alex didn''t even turn his head as he spoke out loud to a kneeling Devonte. "What are you doing? That fight was not your fault, besides! It was a great fight, one that I wouldn''t be forgetting any time soon, so let''s do that again sometime. Now get up, you, me and Khan have some things to care off before we have to head back to the academy." Alex wasn''t too worried about his relationship with Devonte, just like he was with Khan, they were now inexplicably connected. And it was like the bond between a father and a child, he understood Devonte, he could not just see, but he could also feel his sincerity, and also a whole bunch of other things. Anya and Xiao Mei seemed to be really busy giving directions to the men driving the hover raft, Louis was writing in a note pad right next to a group of tied up men, with the guy wearing red sitting at the forefront looking like a kid who''s hand had just been found in a cookie jar. But considering there was a bandage soaked with blood around his stump of a right hand, Alex guessed he got punished for trying to steal. Devonte was silently following Alex as they slowly made their way to the tree lines, and in one smooth motion disappeared into the forest. There really wasn''t anything left for Alex to do here, plus he still had one last mission to complete before he has to refund to the Academy. It would not be too hard for them to find him if they wanted to, but he came to this forest to temper himself and get some ingredient for a blood ritual, and he was still missing some of those materials, leaving only one other stop, and that was the Arachnids nest. "Master are we not going to tell your friends about your departure?" Devonte asked with a little too much difficulty, the fairy had never been in a position where he was able to communicate with the people he served, he was nothing more than a beast of burden to them. "Why should he tell them! Listen new guy, they''re just going to make things complicated and rain all-over our parade with their overprotective attitude. It''s best if we quietly just sneak away into the forest." A disembodied voice answered Devonte, and a second later, there was Khan walking right besides Devonte with Alex ahead. Devonte wasn''t to startled, the bond of a master to his spirit was something all his spirit share. Rather than say he makes a single connection every time a spirit is bonded, it would be better to think of the bond as a seed. It sprouts roots, then stalks, boughs, leaves, branches, fruits etc. They might seem different, unique in their effects, disposition and size, but all connected to the same seed. He was rather comfortable with Khan walking besides him, his loneliness at this point was pretty much none existent. "Hey Master where are we going now?" Khan asked a silent Alex who had left both spirits to talk like a father would to his children, whilst reading a map and trying to plot a course. "Our final target should be the Arachnids nest, they''re hybrid magical and cultivation creatures, one of the few that exists in the world right now, and extremely valuable. They''re not always as strong with their abilities peaking at the mortal gate, and few barely going last that to the earth gate. What makes them really fearsome are their numbers and disposition to eat every single thing in their way, even if we can''t completely destroy the nest, we have to significantly reduce their numbers, so we can kill as many as we can and bring them back to the academy for confirmation. It''s just that I can''t make heads or tails of this damn map!" Alex complained as he threw the map against a tree that seemed to have developed and open mouth with sharp fangs. A gust of wind from Khan, and the free was sliced in half, along with pieces of Alex''s map. The young man couldn''t help but since as he turned to Khan with a board, he still needed that nap. But then again he threw it away first, Khan looked back at him and sat on his haunches and shrugging his shoulders as if to say, ''this aunty my fault''. And Alex knew he would be right. "If it''s a nest of Arachnids, I can lead you to it, there''s nothing and no one I can''t find in a forest." Devonte said to Alex to placate his new Master. "Okay then Fairy boy! Which direction do we take?" Khan asked. "You both just have to follow me.....I assume you both can keep up right?" Devonte asked, but Khan and Alex looked at each other with raised eyebrows and a weird smile before Khan spoke to Devonte. "Is that a joke or a challenge! Either way whatever it is...¡­. Let''s run fairy boy!" 168 Blood Of Ancient Earth Ritual II : Missions Accomplished Devonte was fast, in fact it almost seemed as if he was just teleporting through the forest, and Alex knew that even for cultivators in the Heaven''s gate, spatial manipulation and control was very hard if not out rightly impossible. Not unless you were on of those very few, very talented people that were born with the spatial elements of space, gravity and time. It might not seem like it, but all three were separate elements, and one can not exist without the other when it comes to traveling through space. Either way, Devonte seemed to be traveling through the shadows of the trees, or maybe even the tree themselves as Alex would see him on the branches of a tree 20.meters away, seconds after being on the root of one 2 meters closer. This was very much unlike his movements when they were fighting, this was just strictly for traveling, hence he seemed to have a much better speed than when they fought. Khan didn''t have a problem keeping up, he was basically a wind spirit, so when it came to speed and movement, the Kamaitachi had most cultivators beat in that regard. Devonte led them for the better part of three hours before they came up into a cluster of trees. The trees here were taller than normal, and they were arranged in a neat circle tightly grouped together that there was only one way in or out. There were almost invisible fine threads of webbing wove in-between the trees, and it would have been impossible for Alex to notice it if he did not have an above average perception due to his spirit energy. The trees encircled a three meter tall and two meter tall rock, but it wasn''t the rock that mattered, but rather the hole at the front of it that led into the ground. This was the entrance into the Arachnids nest, and there were already Arachnids waiting for them there.....or at least trying to guard the entrance. Devonte stopped them about ten meters away as he hunkered down behind a tree and beckoned Alex and Khan closer. "There are threads all-over the entrance, they serve as a sort of warning system for the arachnids. Should we break any of those threads they''ll feel the vibrations and come out in droves. They''re not too strong, but there''s a lot of them." "It doesn''t really matter how many of them there are, it''s not as if we''re here with a specific target in mind, we just came here to slaughter them. So in retrospect them noticing us is not too bad, besides look at how narrow the entrance to their next is? It''s the only entrance so we would be able to create a choke point, we can kill them as they come out, it would be a tight fit for them." Alex suggested as he retrieved his spear from his storage ring. For a second, it didn''t seem as if anything was going to happen or that any of the arachnids would come out, but soon enough there was a deep vibration underground, and with each second that passed it became more and more, and more. It was at that point Alex realized something, these things weren''t just a lot there were also quite fast, it would be too hard for them to fight if they couldn''t kill them as fast as they came out. So making a decision Alex summoned the fire mask and took his spot a little closer to the hole. He spread his awareness as wide as he could, this time focusing it under ground and at the border of approaching Arachnids. There was system of tunnels underground, the tunnel themselves branched and fries crossed amongst themselves and there were hundreds of them. It would be hard for anyone other than the spiders that lived in it to navigate as it was quite easy for someone to get lost in there. Either way Alex could see the Arachnids coming from different directions, all of them funneling from different tunnels and heading towards the entrance, an they were close, Alex reckoned they would be here within the next seconds, more than enough time to prepare. He spun the spear in his hands, and the flames on it''s blazed higher. Alex realized he had a lot more control over his flames now, they were clustered around his hands and coated the spear rather than being a blazing inferno that swallowed his clothes. Alex was grumpy happy for that, he could not begin to emphasize on the amount of clothes he''s burned through during the process of mastering and using his fire mask. But now with more control he realized he could determine and control the intensity of his flames, but there was always a build up to greater power. And so when the ten seconds elapsed and the first red eyed Arachnids with eight let''s all ending in sharpened points showed up, Alex released his hold on the flames and stabbed his spear into the hole. (Dragon Fall!) There was a loud whoosh as flames surged forwards into the hole, completely unforgiving as it swallowed everything in it''s path. This would be considered a waste on his part as hundred, of Arachnids all died, completely burnt to a crisp by Alex''s flames. But it was necessary, now they wouldn''t be swarmed and they could actually make a foray into the tunnels itself to kill the stragglers. Alex could feel that there was a lot more Arachnids deeper down into the earth, but he wasn''t too worried, they weren''t exactly making any moves, and the wave of heat had rushed outwards rather than deeper. It would take time for any reinforcement to find them. With that in place Alex, Devonte went into the entrance and the tunnels below, very much prepared to spend the rest of their day hunting spider beasts. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 2 DAYS LATER. Alex and Devonte stood in front of the mission administration secretary completely covered in blood from head to toe and with a significant enough stink that the other students were giving them a wide berth. But as if that wasn''t enough, the two Arachne corpses behind them were shocking enough that no one cared make a face that was obvious. Arachne''s were the evolved form of Arachnids, or rather they were two evolutions above an Arachnid. An Arachnid would evolve into either a spider Queen or spider king Arachnid, and usually there was only a single Queen and about nine to ten Kings in a single nest. An Arachne was a 5th circle existence, basically at the mid realms of the earth gate, not an entity these boys could face, and they were absolutely right. Only a spider Queen can evolve into an Arachne, however during their time hunting, another Arachne had come to claim ownership of the nest, killing multiple Kings and the Queen of the nest in the process. The Arachne was more like a Matriarch and would not have been bothered by the power struggles of lesser evolved Arachnids, except this Arachne came for her. It was a full blown war that Alex and Devonte struggled and barely manage to escape, both Arachnids kept dragging their fight towards the direction Alex and Devonte tried escaping, and then Khan did the cowardly thing and ran into the mantle, leaving Alex and Devonte behind. Devonte could have also escaped into the mantle, he was Alex''s bonded spirit after all, but the Fairy was unlike the mischievous and cowardly nature accrued to fairies in stories, he stuck with Alex while both Arachnes dealt fatal blows and injuries to each other. And when the time was right, they happily reaper the rewards Killing both beast when normally only a sneeze from those things would have slaughtered them. Not to mention they were dual Mana and Qi demonic magical beasts, and as smart as humans seeing as Arachnes had the upper half of a human and the power half of a giant spider. It was extremely tensioned filled for the both of them, and right now all the wanted to do was get their rewards, seem one of the Arachnes corpses and go get cleaned. "the total sum of the money gained from your missions are 945 thousand gold, the academy would be taking 95.5 thousand gold as it''s percentage for being the middle man. Now as for the sale of the single Arachne, you can either put it up auction, or preferably we would offer you 10 million gold for it! The materials from it would make special pills useful to those in earth gate and even armor and weapons. So it''s value would be much Greater, and thankfully the Arachne is mostly intact. I would suggest you auction it out Childe Spirit Wind, you will earn more from it that way." The attendant sitting behind the counter said to them as she gave Alex a respectful bow. However Alex felt weird, the moment she had called his title, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to have changed, like he was feared or more respected. He didn''t know how to really react to that. "I take it the Academy will take care of the Auction fight? How much would be your percentage then?" Alex asked as he looked at Devonte leaning on the Arachne they were taking home and watching everyone else in the hall like an executioner preparing to take heads off. "The percentage is a bit high at 25% but we can...¡­" "15%! No more no less or I''ll take it straight to the imperial faction, I''m sure they''ll buy it at a good enough price." Alex said to her with a time that left no room for argument. She nodded her head and gave Alex a bank card. "Would you like to be present for the Auction Childe Spirit Wind, we have a VIP package for special guests that I''m sure you might like." "There''s no need, I just want to get back to my tower. Please send someone to fetch me or better yet send the money over once you''re done with Auction. Until next time, have a good day." Alex gave her a nod and then went out with Devonte, while a grumpy Khan dragged the four meter tall and six meter wide Arachne behind them, shocking even more people about how a wolf like weasel not even a meter tall could drag a carcass more than ten times his size. In the minds of the many people watching, Alex was not simple, and it wasn''t just because of his reputation, but rather the power he seems to hold and have around him. It was at that moment that many people had to acknowledge the fact that a new major players had burst into the scene at the Academy, and he was unlike anything they had ever seen. 169 Blood Of Ancient Earth Ritual III : It Begins Alex wiped the sweat off his back as he worked, apart from him, Devonte, Louis, Hideki and Rahim, everyone else were busy attending classes, or in the case of the other Zhang clan members, trying to complete tougher missions in an attempt to compete with their young Master. Within the Span of a week, Alex had more money than they have made in six months, the Zhang clan weren''t poor, but it was hard to be able to keep track of the upkeep of all their descendants, especially since the clan itself had a hand in so many unknown and hidden projects. Either way they had gone of to missions, the girls, with the exception of Miranda who was busy making trade deals and agreement with other towers, had all gone to learn how to kick ass or discover other ways to help the tower grow. There weren''t much, being just about fifteen, but they had all gotten close enough that everyone wanted to achieve something great for their organization that until now Alex was no closer to naming. Alex ducked under the swing of massive plank, and then gave Hideki an shooter glare as the young man sheepishly smiled and moved the destroyed plank towards the cart at the entrance of the sub basement. The cart was tethered to Khan, who was still being punished for running away, safe to say he wouldn''t be running away from the battlefield any time soon. Alex bent down and continued working, pouring down blood mixed with sea salt on the ground, drawing a massive pentagram on the uneven soil beneath his naked feet. It was freaky, and quite scary especially when looked at from another angle, but it wasn''t as if Alex had any other choice, spirits we''re mystical, and yet they had this weird ability to measure their abilities with statistics. They had spent the time clearing the first sub-basement, it was huge, being about a hundred meters in length and about sixty in width. There were a bunch of useless and annoying graffiti on the walls, probably the work of the previous inhabitants of the tower, but Alex was having it painted over with a special paint. He planned to etch some arrays and wards on them to help the plants grow well. But apart from having the walls painted over, they had completely cleared the basement of any sort of debris and dirt, and made sure to fill the gardens land properly, even going as far as importing fertile earth from outside to mix in with the soil. They had just finished with the last of the debris, and Alex was already setting up for the blood ritual that would increase the grade and effectiveness of the soil. Right at the middle of the bloody pentagram that had been drawn using the blood of the Hydra and the Arachne, there was a core as big as a fist, this was a gift from Elder Zhang Wuxi and actually belonged to a demonic rabbit in the heaven''s gate realms of cultivation. The power in it was very contained, if not it was not too far fetched to say that the power coming off of it was enough to explode all of them, just for being near it. Rabbits grew fast, and quite so now that there was the existence of Qi and Mana, it took this particular monster a 100 years to reach the heaven gate realms, so it''s core is quite valuable, priced at 500 million gold, just as a starting bid in an auction, and here was Alex about to use it in an untested ritual. The core was the Nexus of the ritual, it would power the entire thing and make sure the soil is not just saturated, but elevated to the point it could give anything planted in it special properties. Now came the final part of the preparations, and that was the sacrifice of a pure soul. Alex turned to Rahim who walked towards him with a cage in his hands, in the middle of the cage was a fox with snow white fur. It was just born, yet Alex was about to condemn it to death, at least that was what he thought until he heard ¨¦bi¨¦''s voice. (Why are you acting so gloomy, it''s just a baby fox! All of you have such heavy looks on your faces, what''s going on?) "What do you mean what''s going on? Didn''t you say that you needed a pure soul and that you had sacrifice one for the entire ritual to work!" Alex had blasted out in annoyance, drawing looks of surprise from everyone else there, but they were already used to it by now as Alex, sometimes talked to himself or rather seems like he is talking to himself but is actually communicating with his spirit? It didn''t make too much sense to them, as long as Alex doesn''t go crazy and start spouting things like world domination or human sacrifice, they were good with him talking to himself. (Yeah that''s what I said, but I never said the sacrifice had to be killed! A life for a life, based on my calculations it''s not supposed to die.....I think) "You think ?????????????" Alex asked with a blank look on his face. (Basically the life would be transformed, it would no longer be what it was before, but will transform into something that would cater to the land, or it could just die, but the probability of it dying is just about 50¡­.no 60!....ummm I think it''s about 85% give or take a few Numbers.) Alex rolled his eyes and shook his head, ¨¦bi¨¦ was smart, but she could be such an airhead sometimes, it''s no wonder she got along the most with Khan, the two of them were cut from the same cloth. Alex too the cage and tried his best to ignore the mewling cries of the fox in it, it was just born about a day or two ago, so it''s eyes were still shut. The pentagram had a circle of dead plants, leaves, and seeds around it, this was a last minute addition by Devonte, apparently life and blood would react really strongly with each other, and this should strengthen the ritual if nature was used as an enclosing circle, sort of like a power or energy amplification device for the ritual. Alex placed the Cage inside the circle before taking a step out, his gaze was on the fox and then on the ritual diagram as a whole. Everything was ready, and now it was up to him to begin the next step, the chant and the infusion of spirit energy. Previously ¨¦bi¨¦ had warned him against having Khan out during the ritual as Khan relied on his spirit energy to gallivant about and cause problems, and now trace amounts of his spirit energy was also being absorbed by Devonte. There would have been. Question of if the spirit energy would have been enough, if Alex had not barged his way into the spirit commander realm, now he had more energy than he knew what to do with. The chant for the ritual could only by created and spoken by him. According to Nezha there was a strict hierarchy in the spirit world, just like earth had it''s spirit king, there were other worlds with their own spirit Kings and Mantles. The goal is to fight in a war to become the supreme spirit king of the Spirit world, and in so doing you became responsible for acknowledging and approving new rituals and creating change for them. Normally this was a duty that each spirit king would have to take care of in their world, if it''s too much work, the Spirit king can delegate a suitable subordinate spirit to create the chant, depending on what sort of ritual it is. Alex was Earth''s spirit king, from the moment he gained the mantle, no ritual of chants made on Earth would work well or even work at all without his approval. Nezha had told him that he was the Nexus of all spiritual activity and that he hadn''t fully come into his powers yet. At his strongest the spirit king would be able to fully cover his entire world with his spirit energy and observe the actions of each an every single spirit. The chant or rituals approved by a king always improve by a factor of at least 85%! The king''s were the connection of the Spirits between the mortal world and the universe itself, with all three living on and relying on him for leadership, direction, and protection. So it stands to reason that it was better for Alex to create the chant for the ritual. Alex had no idea where to start from, but Nezha had said to speak from his soul, but to use his anima as the voice. Connect with the fundamental forces of the universe and Understand what this ritual is supposed to do, and then speak your will out the words, for it is the words of the universe itself. It all sounded very eloquent, but if Alex was honest, it all sounded like total bullshit to him, but either way...here goes nothing. 170 Blood Of Ancient Earth Ritual IV : Alex bent down and placed his hands on the circle of leaves and plants, or as Devonte had called it, the circle of life. The moment he placed his hands on it, he could feel his spirit energy to haywire, previously it was like a calm ocean within his mind, but right now it became akin to a raging storm. His white hair began to float upwards as Sparks of blue and white lightning began dancing through the individual strands of his hair, somehow wind began to pick up around them as the circle of life seemed to undergo a kind of change. The seeds grew, the grasses, and leaves got greener, and the plants and fruits got even more fresh. And even with all that change and the still increasing gales of wind that was swirling around, Alex had his eyes closed as he suddenly found himself in a different state of mind. Unlike the previous times when he had gotten enlightenment and advanced in his abilities, this was different and much more deeper than the norm. Alex felt himself leave his body, the others couldn''t see it, but he could see himself still standing there, his hands placed on the circle that right now, looked like a massive golden ring of life. Alex looked down at his hand and body and saw that he was made up of completely intersected lines of blue and green energy, though he didn''t have any legs as he was still connected to his body, like some sort of vapor coming out of it. Alex could see the world in two different ways, first he could hold see everything just as normal, but the second way was almost blinding. He could see energy, the fundamental elements of the universe and how they all worked together to create life. He could see death, he could see life, he could also see the past and then see the present. It was a feeling unlike anything he had ever felt before or experienced, and with it came a bout of knowledge, this form that he had suddenly taken, was known as an Astral form. The pure conscious projection of a person''s Anima out of their body, this was a skill available only to Divination, Apparition and Mind sight discipline spirits. And even then no one does it better than the Divination school, in this form, Alex was privy to the secrets of the universe, he could understand it, listen to it''s heartbeat and connect with it. Though it was not something he could do for long as spending too much time here comprehending the secrets of the universe would kill him, and there would be nothing left of him, just a shell of a body. With his white hair still floating in the air, Alex''s deep blue eyes slowly turned a milky white, it was as if his eyes had rolled up into the back of his head, showing only the white of his eyes that at that point was covered with stretches of red veins that seemed alive and we''re wiggling about like worms. His shirt hair suddenly grew longer, so much so until it was entirely covering his body and spread out all around him. His words were soft, but deep, and with each syllable, more and more power was released into this world. "The essence of life in the confines of veins, the sacrifice of life for the concept of gains! Blood of power blood of fate, blood of bloods, and the ancient spirits of earth. Harken to my voice, bend to my will, listen to the sounds of supplication and desire. One life for another, great fertility to be gained, harken my call and change to my will. (BLOOD OF ANCIENT EARTH!)" *rumble!!* *Rumble!!* Alex suddenly returned back into his body, and the moment he did so, he was so beset with a mental fatigue that it took all of his strength to remain kneeling. He could feel endless droves of spirit energy being drained out of his body and into the ritual circle. The golden life circle shrunk as it grew brighter and swallowed the tiny white fox, seemingly disintegrating the innocent creature. The light spread to the blood pentagram and then lit it up with a blazing dark red flame that seemed to puked along with the rumbling of the earth. The core right at the middle flashed brightly, before exploding with so much power, Alex and everyone else was forced to cough out blood as they all developed internal injuries. And Alex more so than the others as he was closer to it, and his blood had become a part of the ritual. The energy of the core was thankfully contained within the pentagram, which now had golden light intermingled with it''s red flames. The soft cries of the fox could be heard, and even if Alex didn''t want to admit it, it was quite heart wrenching. The energy from the core slowly sank down into the pentagram, increasing the intensity of it''s flames and brightness, as it sunk down deeply into the earth. Right in front of Alex and the others, the earth beneath their feet turned from a dull brown, to a deep reddish black. It spread out like a ripple, completely transforming the earth beneath their feet into something that could only be called a treasured land, or a piece of divine land. The smell of the earth was so life and deep, it left Alex with the urge to just lay down on it and sleep, or take his shoes off and let his feet sink into the soft loamy soil, enjoying the feeling of earth and dirt escaping in-between his toes. It was a unique feeling, one that was quite soothing if he had to be honest, it was something akin to staring at the sunset, or listening to a calm ocean while you watch it stretch into the horizon. It was peaceful. *Mewwl! Mewwwl!* Alex opened his eyes wide with shock and surprise, he looked at the middle of the of the basement where the core was previously located and watched a patch of earth moving, almost as if something in it was trying to push it''s way out. Alex moved forward, only to trip over his own hair and smack his face into the soft soil, eating dirt in the process, much to the amusement of Louis and the others. Alex ignored them, citing their immaturity as he heck his now ridiculously long hair in his hand like a wedding dress. He got to the center and they laid down, pulling apart the patch of earth until he was holding the fox right back in his hands, except this time it was pretty much different than before. White fur had given way to white scales with a lining of red at the edge, a single tail had given way to two, it''s underbelly was completely red and etched onto it as a blazing golden tattoo was the pentagram and right in the middle, a piece of the core that was used for the ritual. But beyond that, Alex could feel a bone with the fox just like he could with Devonte and Khan, looks like some things went wrong with the ritual. (Well this is a weird turn it events, but not too bad when you think about the implications.) Alex heard Nezha speaking, before ¨¦bi¨¦ joined in. (Hmmm do you know exactly what just happened, I have a theory, but I''m not exactly sure." She offered as she seemed as confused as Alex, as usual Xeron remained silent. (The ritual would have transformed the fox into an earth essence life form, it wouldn''t be alive, just existing solely for the care of this match of land and the things grown on it. However Alex went and coughed blood all-over the pentagram, changing a few things and helping the fix not just retain it''s body and life, but also giving it a never before seen evolution and bonding it as a third spirit. But as if that''s not enough, the fox and this patch of Treasure land are one and the same. So basically you could say the earth is it''s body and it''s body is the earth, and since it''s bonded to you, anywhere you go and it follows, so too would it''s patch of land. It would take care of the land, but it''s still and infant so it would take some time for it to grow up and fulfill it''s duties. It would grow stronger if you nourish the land. To be honest this is an ingenious ritual even though it''s quite the half assed work. As long as you supply the land with blood for high level creatures, along with cores and precious treasures, the fox and the land will grow stronger. Enough that growing a divine plant one day should be quite possibly, but now I think it''s time you named him.) Alex blinked his eyes, and then looked down at the fox in front of him, he was so innocent and young. Untouched by the dangers and ugliness of this world, Alex wanted to keep it that way. To protect him and make sure he doesn''t experience the darkness it holds, or the Darkness that he had almost condemned it to. "You''re name is Geb." SPIRIT NAME: Geb ? SPIRIT RACE: Two Tailed Blood Dragon Fox/ Earth Demon Fox ? SPIRIT RANK: Embryo(Stage 2) ? SPIRIT SCHOOL: (Manifestation)(Mind Sight) ? SPIRIT SKILLS: (Earth Form: Level 1)(Blood Bite: Level 1)(Illusionist: Level 1)(Earth Mastery: Level 1) 171 Gebs Garden Taking care of Geb was very much like a full time job for Alex, it has been three days since the ancient earth blood ritual was complete, and the first sub basement was so full of life Alex reckoned even a hurt seed of any plant would grow here. Either way Geb had finally opened his eyes, he was still pretty much a baby, so Alex had to take care of him and feed, except of course the girls in the tower also wanted to pitch in. But the fox did not allow anyone other Alex to touch him, even blind it knew exactly who his master was. Either way today was the day Alex was going to Plant the Indian Nightshade, but before that, he had to activate an array that he had bought for quite a hefty sum of money. He could have pretty much made the arrays by himself, but Alex wasn''t so sure about his capabilities with arrays yet, he would like to study some more, but until then this (Wind Chill) array would help set the temperature for the first sub basement, and made it an optimal environment for not just the Indian Nightshade, but also other plants that needed a cold environment to survive. After the ritual, Louis and Hideki had placed stone tiles at specific locations in the basement, this was so movement wouldn''t be to hard and Alex could do things like place a giant ladder right in the middle of the room, just so that he could hang the array above on the ceiling, right in the middle. But apart from that the stone tiles had divided the basement into six parts, the plans was to have a different plant being grown in each of those parts, though the selection for what the other plants could be has not been made yet. Such an undertaking needed a little bit more research and an understanding of the herbs market. Quite honestly the money was more in the Mortal gate area of cultivation, even for the equivalent of knights and mages. There were more people within this particular stage of cultivation, which means the demands for resources were also quite high. But then again materials for the earth gate realms were also in high demand, and they were also quite expensive. But because most of those materials and incredibly hard to grow, there''s only a few in the market every time, so he idea of selling in bulk wouldn''t work, Alex knew he would probably take a loss in sales if he does that. But he had a plan none the less, he just needed to find the perfect plant to serve as a flagship product for his earth gate herbs, very much like how the Indian Nightshade would be leading the way for the mortal gate. Alex took a deep breath as he placed the circular clay plate against the ceiling, and let a small stream of his Qi rush out of his hands. The plate glowed and disintegrated as a massive icy blue array formation came to life above the him, spreading wide until it was about ten meters in diameter, and then very much like an air conditioner, it began to release cold air. Alex came down and moved the ladder away, Geb was hot on his heels, doing what any Cub would do, seeking attention. But Alex had work to do, so he bent down and placed a bottle in Geb''s mouth. Alex turned, determined to ignore the fox as sucking sounds filled the basement. Nothing placates a child more than food, or in the case of a baby; Milk. Alex picked a portion that was closer to the middle and the effects of the (Wind Chill) array, he rolled up his sleeves, and the ends of his trousers and stepped into the patch of rich vibrant soil. Honestly Alex could sometimes feel as if he could still smell the blood used, that he could taste it, but it was all in his mind. Basically it was an after effect of creating a chant and being the one to carry out this first ever ritual. It would fade eventually, but it made Alex extremely uncomfortable, and he would rather not deal with it. But back to the matter at hand, there was no particular way that the Indian Nightshade was planted, apart from the requirements from climate and the richness of the soil, all you had to do was thrown the seeds over the area you wanted to plant. The Indian Nightshade had seeds that were pollen like in nature, though they don''t survive for long when they''re not in the earth, except when placed in a spatial ring and stuck in suspended animation. Either way, because of their pollen like nature, the wind was usually responsible for planting them Within the natural habitats. But without a direct connection to earth, the seeds die just after fifteen minutes. Either way there was wind to worry about here, only cold air. Alex held the pollen like seeds in his hands and blew on them, letting them spread All-over the patch he had chosen. If the earth was rich enough, the first shoots of the Indian Nightshade would show up in about five days...¡­but that was if the earth was normal. The Indian Nightshade had a month long growth and maturity period, of course the older it is, the more powerful, vibrant and full of energy it would be. They were in no rush for money, at least not until the money earned from the auction comes. So Alex was going to let the Indian Nightshade keep maturing until they were really needed, and with a longer maturity time, he could hike up the price, and that should give him enough time to grow more produce and sell them alongside the Indian Nightshade. Alex then decided to plant within another patch, the Indian Nightshade was a well sought after commodity, too much of it couldn''t be bad. He wasn''t sure how many pieces of the plant he would be getting from each patch once they''re matured enough, but he''ll find out soon enough and then guage it with supply and demand. He didn''t know if the ritual was really going to perform miracle like Nezha and ¨¦bi¨¦ had said, but should their Indian Nightshade be the best, Alex knew they could take control of the market and determine the supply, regardless of the demand. Alex rubbed Geb on his head and picked him up as he made his way out of the basement. The first floor of the tower looked really shabby, but Alex was planning a renovation soon enough, after all the first floor was going to be their reception area. They didn''t really know, but Alex was hoping to turn the first floor and all it''s ten rooms into a mini Mart or rather a mini mall. The Indian Nightshade would start it off, he would improve the options available by looking to see if he the others had any extra Talents they could bring to the table. Alex was just going to take care of the plant issue within this week, before throwing himself into his studies, a month or two just selling the Indians Nightshade should give him enough time to see what the Academy has to teach. Alex made his way back to the seventh floor and into the office he had been given, there was something he had been putting off for quite a while now, and he felt it was about time he faced it head on. On his birthday, he''s father had given a gift, and a letter, but Alex had neither opened the box containing the gifts, and neither has he opened the letter either. It was not as if he was scared of opening the letter or anything, but for some reason he has just been avoiding it. Nezha once told Alex that the spirit King was sensitive to the change of the universe, that the things he sometimes sees, feels, tastes, or even actions he suddenly finds himself taking might be in one way or another a premonition of things and events to come. Alex didn''t believe Nezha at the time, because quite frankly did he seem like someone who could see the future, or had a supernatural problem, sure he was awesome, but this was just beyond what a mortal can achieve. But he knew there spirits capable of divining the future, he hopes the mantle and a blank mask is able to get one of those divination spirits. They''ll be an awesome addition, being able to tell the future would be cool...or rather the most probable scenario of the future. Either way Alex finally decided to see what exactly this box of gifts and this letter within it had to tell him, after all these were gifts from his father, it would not be wise if he had put it off for too long, because Alex knew one thing about his father...and that was the fact that all he did, was out of love for his son. 172 His Fathers Letter [Alex...it has been quite a while since we''ve been together, I miss you everyday and I''m sorry I''m not strong enough to overturn the heavens and the earth in an attempt to be stronger and keep you safe. However from what I have seen and heard, even in the midst of adversity, you have not lost your spark, you might no longer be as innocent as you once was, but you''re still my son! Kind, strong, faithful, and with a very strong will. You will achieve great things Alexander, I know so. Enclosed Within this letter are three pieces of information, after I had left you I had gone round the world searching for clues about spirit Kings, so as to help you get an edge over your enemies and grown stronger. Two of those information are maps, one of them would lead to two hidden legendary locations, the Yamahaghara of the Shinto gods, and Ile-Ife! An ancient city of gods where our ancestors were directly descended from. Bit locations are no more than ruins at the moment, but you can and might be able to find something there. Though to be honest no one has been able to successfully find these cities after such a long time, but I believe that you will be able to. The final information is not a map, but rather an intercepted secret letter that was discovered almost sixty years ago. In the letter it was said that a being called the holy Spirit bad possessed a couple of people in the Vatican city, but beyond that it was also mentioned that an angel had also descended. You told me that the policing ad protection of spirits fell to your hands, so if they''re not safe it''s up to you to find them, plus I believe they would be able to raise your abilities greatly. I''ll still keep on looking for clues about spirits and gods around the world, your connection to Nezha has let me know that there''s more to our secret history than I thought. The only thing I can tell you about that for now, is the fact that we''re descended from gods. Apart from the information I''ve also delivered Adamantium and Celestial Ionite! Along with a few pieces wind shells, and the legendary golden silkworm threads. I expect you to re-forge your broken swords and make them better, and then use the silk to make clothes that won''t burn off Every time you''re set on fire. Grow strong my son, and keep the faith...I''ll be back for you soon, and for your sake I''ll be back for your mother. One day we can be a family again, and we''ll both try to make up for the years you couldn''t get what you deserved. I love you my boy, stay safe.] "You too Babe." Alex silently whispered as he folded the letter and opened the box that held the ores and the silk. When it comes to the mixing of multiple base materials during forging, it is considered completely stupid, and something that''s not supposed to be done, however Alex had Spirit energy, and at this point there was no material under the earth that Alex would be unable to combine and forge. Now he had Adamantium, the strongest meteorite ore, and then he had sky steel, the most resilient and conductive to both Qi and Mana. And then there''s Ionite, and not just Ionite, celestial Ionite that''s rumored to have been mined from the remains of mount Olympus. Ionite was not really an ore but a very versatile compound, capable of existing in various forms. It''s main effect however was the capability to nullify any and all sort of energy, with it in hand Alex could probably create an edge for his swords that once it cuts someone, would nullify and eliminate their ability to gather and utilize energy, or he could make throwing weapons that he could control through out the course of the battle field¡­that seems like a better idea. Or he could just use the Ionite along with the threads from the golden silkworm, and maybe manufactured sky steel threads and make a coat that would not just be resistant to his abilities keeping it under control, but have enough Defense to nullify attacks from energy. Alex was itching to begin forging, but he held back. He wanted to make weapons, armor/clothes that would grow with him, just like his spear. And in order to do that, he didn''t just need the best materials, he needed the best forge, and he needed the help of his spirits, which means he would like need Nezha and ¨¦bi¨¦ to come up with other rituals that would help increasing the power and abilities of whatever he forges. And the goal was to at least make them all spirit weapons with a consciousness, very much like his (Nameless) spear...¡­looks like he would have to attend one of those auctions, but preferably it has to be the next one in a week. Today was the auction for the Arachne corpse, and he had already sent what was left of the second to the academy administration office. It''s value dropped because it had been drained of blood, but neither Alex nor anyone else living in his tower wanted to have equipment forged from the Arachne, so it was pretty much useless to them, and could only be used to fetch money. But since he couldn''t go to the auction, perhaps it would be better if he took a stroll around the academy, he would report for classes tomorrow, he would split the day between his study of arrays, and then finally drag himself to the basic mage class. After all, he now had Mana, so it would be best to go discover his Mana element, which Alex was almost definitely sure was wind.....he had already checked, but there was something else that the element detector he used couldn''t identify, so he needed a more powerful one. And at the very least the detector the academy used should be more than enough to take care of that. Khan and Devonte were acting as body guards to Louis and Hideki, not that they needed it, but it made Louis feel important. Alex hardly ever was able to keep up with Louis and the way that he thought, but he didn''t mind. He wouldn''t be able to leave with Geb though, the fox was still young and wouldn''t be able to survive for long if it''s away from the land it''s connected and bonded to. Thankfully the gods of luck were on his side and Geb had fallen asleep, guess the wonders of warm milk has never changed, the fox was out like a light. Alex gently picked him up, ignoring how the fox snuggle into his embrace and yawned in it''s sleep, it didn''t take him to long to return Geb to the basement and make his way outside the tower. It was almost sunset, which means the others would be back soon from their respective errands, and after that it would be a whole bunch of reports, and plans upon plans being made and remade. Sure Alex was happy that he took a break from fighting, but honestly he thinks maybe he might actually prefer that. His head hurts, but he knew he was the only one who could do it. For one Anya just didn''t have the skills or finesse required to do something like this, Xiao Mei was more learned, but the girl was lazy and found things like this a bore, if she needed to do something, just tell her, plans weren''t her strong suit. Louis could do it, but Louis seemed to have a phobia for the words lead, leader and leadership, Miranda was the previous leader but she did a bad job, so while she was efficient, it only ever showed when she''s serving rather than leading. Hideki and the other members of the Beggar''s sect we''re definitely not of the leadership breed, not to mention they had all just joined them, so it wouldn''t exactly be wise if anyone of them were just suddenly in charge. Alex might have been the one who asked Louis to scout them, but hat didn''t mean he trusted them fully got and care of everything in the tower, leaving him with no other choice but to be the one in charge of making sure everyone else survived and lived and grew in the academy. But with each new day he''s realizing it goes beyond surviving, apparently decision, choices and deals made here, have real world consequences for the families and powers students represent. So quite frankly no one else could do this, if not for anything but for accountability, should shit really go wrong, he had sufficient power backing him to put things in place. Alex was scrolling through an area known as the Academy Market, when he noticed a man shakily walk into an alley, seemingly drunk. But given that he was covered with blood, Alex doubted he was drunk. No one else seemed to see him, which was weird, but even more so was the five year old girl following behind him with blood all-over her pristine white dress, and a kitchen knife stuck in her chest. Alex was already intrigued, but when they went through a wall, effectively going into the rock wall of the canyon Alex couldn''t help but speak out. "What the hell was that!" 173 Darkness Falls I : Spirits Alex closed his eyes and released his extremely strong perception, completely changing the way he perceived the world, it was not as if he had Achieved x-ray vision, but he was able to see beyond walls and clothes, though was not an information he would be letting anyone else know. There were some walls he couldn''t see through, these had wards and arrays on them serving as protection, but what Alex was looking for was not hidden from his eyes, or rather his perception. (You do know those are spirits right?) Nezha''s voice came from within the depths of his mind. "I do but what kind of spirits are they?" Alex asked as he tracked them, following the spirits as they went through building after buildings, moving in the direction of the academy grounds. (Based on the fact that the girl is chasing after the man, I would say she''s a vengeful spirit, and the man is a revenant ghost. He probably died with a lot of regrets, but the girl on the other hand might be following him for one of three reasons. Either he''s responsible for her death, or he knows who or what is responsible for it, or he''s someone the vengeful spirit knew back when she was alive, so she''s formed a sort of attachment to him after death. Either way, you have to take care of them fast, because the longer they''re walking all-over this place the more dangerous it will become for everything else. And it''s not just them coming in contact with the living, but the their deathly aura would attract more ghostly beings to this Academy, and as it stands, not a single one of them can defend themselves against an invasion of spirits with the ability to leave marks on your soul. So fix it! Fast!" The sense of urgency within Nezha''s voice was all the motivation Alex needed to make sure he got this done, he really didn''t know much about this spirits business, but that girl did not look like a harmless five year old, and what ever the case may be, he had to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. With no other choice Alex kept following them, he couldn''t exactly barge into the towers of other people and tell them he was chasing ghosts, unless he had no choice, there was no way in hell he was going to be making a fool out of himself. Eventually they left the academy market, and we''re moving through a district that had the more popular and powerful organizations, their prestige was shown for the single fact that they lived closer to the academy than any other tower, with the closer you are to it, showing just how prestigious and powerful your tower is. Alex wanted to keep himself inconspicuous, after he really wasn''t focused on the people around him, but rather to the spirits moving through wall and last people. By this point in time it was already way past sunset and the bright glow of the full moon seemed to mix in with the brightly lit main Street of the academy. Alex followed the spirits, keeping his focus and trying no to seem to out of place, until finally Alex found himself moving past the gates of the Academy itself. The guards let him pass, as at that moment there were students coming and going out, the Spirits went north east, moving out past teaching halls and classrooms, until they finally came to a stop right in the middle of an extensively large battling platform, but they weren''t alone. There was a boy on the platform, he was practicing and didn''t seem to be any older than 6 or 7, he was showing a focus and determination Alex had never seen or expected to the see in the face of one so young. But all he could say was that the boy was now the primary focus of both spirits, as the bloodied male spirit seemed to just stare in melancholy at the boy, while the girl showed immense anger and began to make a move. Alex had no idea what to do, neither was he sure what was about to happen, but the girl placed her hands on the shoulders of the boy and almost immediately, the boy fell to the ground, clutching his chest as he was assaulted by indescribable pain. Alex rushed forwards, moving towards the spirit, but as he got close the noticed that the spirit was crying, and the male ghost was also on his knees, seemingly pleading. But as Alex got within four feet of the infant spirit, she turned and faced the incoming Alex, a rather ugly look on her face as she opened her mouth and roared, releasing a piercing shriek that sent the young man flying backwards until his back smashed against a statue of a phoenix. Alex had the resist the urge to cough up blood as his ears started ringing and his vision seemed a little bit blurry, he couldn''t focus, and the words Nezha and Xeron were yelling to him weren''t helping matters at all as he couldn''t hear a single thing. He shakily got to his feet, and then fell down again, the entire world spinning and shaking as he looked up to noticed the spirit coming close to him, but somehow dragging the six year old boy that she had suspended in the air and was dragging behind her. As for the middle aged revenant, he kept on following, still begging for whatever it is he wanted to get for. The spirit stood over him, her face twisted into such an evil and grotesque snarl that Alex couldn''t help but feel a shiver go up and down his spine. There was nothing innocent or cute about this five year old girl standing in front of him, the only thing that mattered to her was death, suffering and blood, and she seemed all too willing to get it. And as for those who would dare to stand in her way, Alex was pretty sure he was about to find out what happens to them. But it still didn''t make any sense to him, how could she be so powerful, how could just a scream from her, almost tear apart the mind of a spirit king in the spirit commander realm. It was unexplainable, but Alex would leave to. Find out the answers to that story some other day. Khan and Devonte suddenly showed up in front of Alex, glowing a bright greenish good and blackish red, their appearance was enough to deter the spirit as she quickly turned around and vanished into the night nothing but the sounds of night creatures chirping good night to. Each other, or croaking a hearty morning. But all those sounds didn''t lean much to Alex as slowly but surely his vision went dark, and before the lights faded, all he could see was they eyes of the six year old, staring right back at him, and he recognized the look held within those deep green orbs, he was afraid, very afraid. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e SOMETWHERE IN THE ORCON FOREST SOMETIME EARLIER OR LATER Kill them and make it painful, but as if that wasn''t enough his employers wanted him to hang the bodies in front of their tower in a grotesque manner. He has been in this line of work for the better part of 200 years. He was bringer and carrier of death, but never in all his 3756 kills has he ever had to display the corpses of his target like it was some sort of circus! Above anything Molock believed it wasn''t a good thing to disrespect the dead, you take their lives and afford them the honor they deserve, after all a life was an extremely precious thing. But even more so in this moment, the targets he had were just children barely out of diapers, he has lived for so long, but nothing ever gave him satisfaction than watching the future live life. And now here he was about to take it away, to snuff it out before it had a proper chance to shine. This wasn''t really him, but this was all he needed to keep himself set for life, a proper retirement from the assassination line of work. He could open a store that sold pet beasts, he could finally get married and have a few kids running about, it was just the perfect life. And he could do it, all he had to do was kill three kids, three students of the academy. It was probably going to get him a lot of enemies, but he''s lasted this long in this business because it''s almost impossible to catch him. But he wasn''t scared of the academy, neither was he scared of the power behind those kids. He had a future to fight for, if that means taking away the future of a trio of innocent children then he''ll do so, even if these kids were members of the younger generation of the Zhang clan. It didn''t matter, because tonight screams and blood would fill the forest. 174 Darkness Falls II : Misunderstanding Alex woke up still on the platform to a bunch of loud yelling, Devonte and Khan where in front of him growling and preparing to fight against a group of people in front of him, and opposite him were a group of people, two of which he recognized. One of them was of course Louis''s elder brother, and the other was the princess as she held the unconscious boy to her chest and tried to resuscitate him, it didn''t look as if the boy was just simply passed out. Alex got back to his feet, his head still aching a bit only to feel a rush of wind as a fist was thrown at his face. *Bang!* Khan appeared in front of his face and took the hit, his canine body boasted backwards and smashed onto the platform before being thrown off it, leaving behind an obvious trail of blood. Alex looked at the person who had just thrown the punch, a rather robust man with the blazing red hair reminiscent of the imperial family and carrying a massive Warhammer on his back. Alex did not care who he was, or if there was any sort of misunderstanding in that moment, he was angry and he was coming for blood. (Wind God Martial Series: Fist: Storm Judgement) It was safe to say he didn''t see it coming, and the fact that the guy could move fast enough that not even Devonte who was very much faster than Alex could not react, showed that they guy was probably in the earth gate realm of cultivation. But at this point pretty much no one care how powerful or weak their enemies were, there was tension everywhere, and Alex just had a bottom line he would never let anyone cross, not even Anya and his sister for all the love he had for them, had been spared when they had laid hands on Khan previously. Alex had on more than one occasion likened the way he felt about Khan to how a parent would feel about their children. Khan was not a pet, or a simple companion, he was pretty much the brother Alex never had and like a mischievous son. Sure at 15 Alex didn''t really understand much about parenting, but...if it was anything like the way he felt for Khan, then he could understand why his mother''s hair had turned white when he was missing, or why his father had been so adamant about him living a simple life. Right now he felt like setting the world on fire. The fist of super powered wind smashed into the chest of red haired man, breaking bones on contact and blasting him backwards over the heads of his comrades as his body smacked and bounced on and on again on the platform, leaving and even more ugly trail of blood than Khan. This wouldn''t kill him, but at the very least it more than sent the message Alex was trying to convey, but it wasn''t as if he was done yet. "I know that you''re angry, but please can we talk? I need to understand what happened here, what happened to my son." Alex blanched and the flames immediately died out and he was left with a rather shocked look on his face. "You have a son!.....how come no one knows that?" Alex asked as he turned to the left to see Khan limping back to his side. The flames that had died down threatened to flare up again, and this time there was a hint of black within it. Victoria had extensive connections within the academy, she knew exactly what had happened with Alex when they had first landed in the Orcon Forest, and the legend attributed to the powerful flames he wielded. Something that had quite frankly now made him a person of interest to the academy, just for their interest alone she reckoned black Ash was probably a power without equal, and she''d rather not have it turned against her even if she knew she could kill Alex before he could even move a finger. "Calm down! This was all a misunderstanding. Forgive my cousin and other members of my organization for being so easy and foolish. The thing is when we found you and him unconscious, they all jumped to the conclusion that you had tried doing something to him, and his special constitution had defended him from attack please can you tell me what happened?" Victoria asked, but instead Alex ignored her and went closer. Her eyes watched him like a hawk as he took a closer look at the boy, he seemed younger, probably 4 or 5 rather than the six he thought. He didn''t say anything as he placed his hands on the boys head and felt the flow of spirit energy within him. But this was dark, evil, corrupted. Very much the kind of spirit energy you would attribute to ghosts and their ilk, it was entrenched deep, Alex knew he could pull it, or at least a little bit of it, but he needed help, or rather he needed an anchor, something familiar so that he doesn''t get swallowed by the negativity within the energy. "Devonte come help me, need to extract negative spirit energy from this kid." Devonte didn''t ask questions and quickly complied with what his master asked. Khan on the other hand kept his eyes on the red haired as he slowly limped toward them, no one but Khan paid him any attention. And while that might not mean much, Alex and Devonte knew his peaceful life was all but over. Khan was vindictive, which was Understandable, the Kamaitachi was an evil spirit, not to mention Khan was now part demon. So it stands to reason pay back would be something he very much likes to dish out to people who had upset him, and from the look of things, Red was screwed. Alex placed his hands on the boy''s forehead, and Devonte held onto his shoulder. Victoria was close, so close he could smell her, and what his nose told him was surprising, he looked up to her since she still had a bit of height on him and was surprised. There was no make up, no perfume, just her, and it was intoxicating. With Anya, Alex had always felt a sort of solidarity, yet a wildness. She was earth and fire in one, Victoria was like water and wind. She was deep and vast and he couldn''t really see through her. Though in the future this would probably be up for debate, but it was in that moment seeing her without any adornments, real with worry in her eyes. No tricks, no emotional manipulation, no politics just this scared woman worried for someone. It was in this moment Alex developed what he would very much like to tell others was a crush on the princess, but for a person like Alex....crushes were not his thing. He quickly shifted his gaze from her eyes, gritting his teeth as he spoke to her and began to pull out the spirit energy into the only other place he knew he could put it...himself. "Your son doesn''t have any special constitution, or if he does it''s not what you think it is. He''s being haunted by spirits of the dead!" sure as he expected they didn''t believe him. "What nonsense are you talking about you miserable good digger! This is not a fairy tale!" one of the men amongst her entourage of followers spoke up, however Devonte had an answer for him. "How stupid can you be? You live in a world where it''s possible to live for thousands of years, travel to the different worlds, remove your soul from your body and out a piece of it into an equipment, raise the dead, if only for a little while and create fire and earth out of nothing. And you say my master speaks fairy tales, watch how you speak human for you words are a slight to my Ki....." "Devonte!" Alex called out to him, stopping the fairy from saying something that would probably put even more eyes on them. He was a king without a kingdom or rather a king who''s entire kingdom is supposed to be the planet he''s standing on. Alex didn''t feel the need to start answering queries about what it truly meant to be a spirit king, no one knew just how powerful he could be, or how extensive his reputation and resources could be once he''s fully mattered his abilities. He would be unstoppable, so it''s better no one knows that yet. "We don''t have to explain anything to ignorant people, they''re entitled to their own small minded opinions. What I won''t tolerate is you loosing focus! We have to save his life, we can educate fools later! Now focus! We don''t have much time, I can feel is soul, and energy separating and his anima dissipating out of his body, he''s dying. So don''t get distracted, now...¡­stab me in the back!" 175 Darkness Falls III : Curse [one of the greatest advantage of a spirit king is knowledge intrinsic to the universe itself. Basically it would get to a point where a spirit king is a bastion of knowledge and Wisdom, they know all and see all, such that even the gods themselves would come seek knowledge from them. History has likened many spirit Kings as gods, but gods there are not. They are beings connected to the very foundations of existence, holding together the heavens and earth, defenders and protectors of the countless worlds and life that''s spread across the cosmos. And so when it is needed and required, the universe would not hide away it''s knowledge, which is why Spirit Kings are so feared and respected, they posses the wisdom and Knowledge of the universe.] CLASS DESCRIPTION FROM A TABLETOP BOARD GAME \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Alex knew just exactly what he needed to do to save this boy''s life, but he was knew he had to be careful. One wrong move and he would be causing irreparable damage to the young boy''s soul and spirit. His very sense of being would be ruined and even if he lives he would be no better than a vegetable. Alex didn''t really understand why the vengeful spirit and the revenant were hanging around this boy, based on the whole constitution shit they just told him, it was quite obvious this was not the first time the spirit have came close to the boy, and not the first time the vengeful spirit lashed out at people coming close to him, giving off the impression he had a powerful physique that he had to train to master. What they understood was that the physique activated at intervals, though mostly on a full moon night. But when that happens, it lashes out at any human or living being close to him. And subsequently after that he would fall unconscious for a few days with a fever and symptoms synonymous with a severe drain of one''s Qi or Mana. Alex knew better though, the child was poisoned. Qi and Mana were the energies the human body was now engineered to utilize and absorb, however there would be a few amongst the many who would have the privilege of being born with the ability to utilize and purer and higher form of energy, which In this case is spirit energy. But Spirit energy was like taking pure crude oil that''s not been refined and pouring it into the engine of a car. Basically this was asking for death as the entire operating system of the car would break down, if not outright explode in the process. This was the situation this boy was currently in right now, for whatever reason, he''s a target of a vengeful spirit, and since there''s no direct way for the spirit to attack him for some reason, it has taken to coming in contacted with him, and leaving behind residues of it''s corrupted spirit energy. They were all pretty surprised when Alex had asked Devonte to stab him in the back (literally) and even more surprised by the fact that; Devonte did not even hesitate. Alex knew that Devonte wasn''t blindly following him, but none the less the young fairy was loyal to his master to the core. It was what set him and Khan apart from the rest of his comrades, with humans, there was always a possibility that Alex could get betrayed, but Devonte and Khan were bonded to him to the very core. Devonte trusted every word and command that came from Alex, and he knew and understood no order was without reason. And that was true, Alex needed to focus a bit on the pain from Devonte''s dagger being stabbed into his back. Thankfully Devonte was a professional and no organs were pierced in the process. With blood trickling down his back, Alex moaned softly in pain and discomfort as he retrieved a significant amount of the corrupted spirit energy. Alex pulled back from the boy, and in full view of Everyone fell to the ground heaving in pain as he began to vomit blood that had been blackened and poisoned by the corrupted spirit energy. Dark veins seemed to spread across his face as he spent a good ten minutes vomiting and expelling the excess dark spirit energy from his body in the only way he knew how. And when he was done and he sat back, completely drained with a knife still in his back, he was met with the sparkling blue eyes of the young boy. "Are you okay?" the boy asked looking all innocent and childlike, it was hard for Alex to. Imagine that this was the kid that he saw training some time ago. "yeah...(hah!) I''m...(Hah!)okay!....just need to.....(Hah!) Catch my breath." Damn being a spirit king was so stressful, he felt as if his head had been choked full of Information, he didn''t even need Nezha to tell him how to deal with the symptoms, he just knew how to deal with what was wrong with the kid. An intrinsic knowledge, but where the hell did it come from anyways. Either way he had some things he had to say to Victoria before he left, he nodded to Devonte, and in one smooth movement, the fairy pulled out the dagger from Alex''s back, prompting another his of pain from the young man. Alex''s blood that touched the ground, began to hiss and rapidly evaporate the moment it came in contact with air. Alex didn''t Understand why that happened, but it''s either because it was a defense mechanism to prevent his blood from being taken(he had no idea what such an explanation came into his mind), or his blood still had traces of the corrupted spirit energy and it would probably take a few days for that to clear up. "Listen to me Victoria, he''s not out of danger yet. The vengeful spirit that has been after him will be back, and quite frankly no body in the entire Academy would be able to see it when it comes back for him, except of course me, Devonte and Khan. So you need to figure out a way to deal with that spirit once and for all, it''s been draining his anima, basically the total combination of his soul, energy and spirit, His sense of being. I don''t know how long this has been going on, but the fact that he''s still alive speaks volumes of his will and tenacity. But he''s not out of the woods, I''ve taken as much of the corrupted spirit energy in him as I can, but it''s still in him, so this whole shit show has been going on for quite a while. I need a few more sessions with him, preferably I''ll have to keep him close to protect him from the spirit, but honestly that''s not my problem, your dogs are annoying! But even if I help him fully dispel the curse on him, because that''s exactly what this is, a curse! I still don''t know why spirits are after him, not that such information is relevant to me, I just want to know why a deceased five year old girl with a knife stuck in her chest and a bloodied middle aged man keep hanging around him, and also why I almost lost my life for something that doesn''t concern me. But if I had ignored those spirits he would probably be dead, so you have to tell what''s up with that. Who''s the kid, and how are you going to deal with that idiot that laid hands on Khan because I really want to kill him." Alex was filed with a whole slew of dark emotions, he felt Devonte place a hand on his shoulder from behind. Alex sighed as he got up and turned to the fairy. "I know Devonte, taking this curse into my body has thrown my emotions and personality out of alignment. I should be fine in a few days." Alex silently cursed though, the cure itself was a lot more potent than he had expected. He was resistant to it, in fact it was currently being purified and turned into spirit energy for his use with the worst part of it already expunged. But still what was left was still powerful enough to mess with his head. And this wasn''t because the spirit was too powerful, this was an accumulation of hatred. Every time that spirit touched the boy it left a piece of that hatred behind, and every piece was merely a fraction of what the spirit truly felt. Which begs the question, what great evil could have been commute against a girl so young that she would be filled with enough hard to overpower a spirit king in the spirit commander realm. She was just a vengeful spirit, one of the weakest amongst spirits in the Apparition discipline. But she was strong, by virtue of her hatred. Victoria didn''t answer the questions Alex had asked her, instead she looked at him and asked questions of her own. "You say you need him close to you to fully heal him, and protect if not possibly get rid of the spirit that''s been haunting him didn''t you?" "Yes I did say that." Alex replied and he picked his jacket from the ground. "Forgive me for being so presumptuous, but can you please host us both in your tower for a few days. I promise to explain everything and reward you handsomely if you can help us with this problem." "Errrm sure I guess?" 176 Darkness Falls IV : Tragic The idea of Victoria staying at his tower didn''t really sit well with her subordinates, Louis''s elder brother had a look on his face that said he would rather eat shit than see such a thing happen, but it was not as if he had any choice, and neither did Alex really. Victoria was quite adamant about this, and not just that she was also his Fianc¨¦ so asking for things like this from Alex was not something he could say no to. But this was also for the sake of the child, and Anya was all too happy to help, the headstrong woman had a soft spot for children. Victoria had barely been settle into a room when Anya had dragged the little bit with her to go play, leaving Alex and Victoria alone in the room. Obviously they had a look at to talk about, Alex wasn''t really shaken by the fact that she has a son, but he knew they had to be more to that story. The princess having a child can''t exactly be information that would have been kept under wraps, so he was pretty much caught off guard from finding out like this. Never the less, Victor was more than willing to tell him everything he needed to know, she just very much wanted to avoid prying eyes. She pulled out a metal ball the size of a strawberry and threw it into the air. Immediately a thin satin like curtain seemed to spread from the ball to cover every square inch of the room. The curtain was in constant flux, and even though it seemed a little fragile with how thin and transparent it was, Alex was sure it was more than capable of fulfilling it''s reason for existing. "I''m only going to speak once, so please do pay attention to me. Trevor is my son, but I didn''t give birth to him, I guess you can say he''s adopted. When I first came to the Academy almost twenty plus years ago, I met a young married man who worked as a caretaker in my tower. He was nice, full of life, and did everything he could in life for his wife. But at the time they were unable to have children and this was something that really out a strain on their marriage. It was very hard for the both of them, as neither had anything wrong with them biologically. Fast forward to 10 years ago, his wife was finally able to give birth, they had a daughter. The little girl was so full of life and joy, and she had so much talent for the martial way of Qi. She was really special and her father loved her very much, and then his wife got pregnant again. But it was in the midst of her pregnancy that a very terrible secret came out, her daughter was born out of infidelity, a child born to an elder in the academy. Even worse was when it turned out that said elder was the best friend of our tower''s caretaker. Trevor''s Father got a divorce and lived with his son in our tower, his wife ashamed of what she had done had left to go live with the elder who impregnated her at first. She had nowhere else to go, it even in the midst of that all, it was obvious she still loved her husband. She visited the tower every chance she got to see her son and brought her daughter Tina along to come see the only man she considered her father, though he was now a lot more different. He couldn''t look at Tina the same way after everything he had learnt, he tried to overlook it as it was not the child''s fault, but the betrayal was too deep. And the young girl also noticed it. Eventually she fell sick, apparently her unique constitution had developed a QI disease very similar to Leukemia, and she needed a transplant to survive. What she needed was a cultivation root transplant from a direct male relative. Her father was not willing to make that sacrifice, in the first place he had only slept with her mother out of lust and not because he loved her. The only option left was Trevor, and honestly his father was also not willing to sacrifice the future of his child for the daughter of the woman and man who betrayed him. But as they say, might makes right. On one of my routine travels for training in the Albion empire, the elder had Trevor''s father brutally murdered, and Trevor kidnapped to take place in a ritual that would transfer his cultivation root; his entire martial talent to his ailing sister. That ritual was taking place on that platform where you found him, should never have let him go there in the first place, there''s too much of his family''s blood on it. His mother was driven mad with grief at the death of her husband, she armed with only a simple kitchen knife went against the elder, determined to save bother her son and daughter from his clutches. It didn''t turn out as she had planned and an accident occurred.....she accidentally killed her own daughter, causing the ritual to reverse and her son ending up as the one to receive his sister''s cultivation talent. It was so painful for her she was driven made with grief, while the elder had been hiding within the depths of the academy ever since, scared of me and what I''ll do once I catch him. I''ve been taking care of him and his mother since then, he''s not really adopted either, but I had to use such a method when the elder had tried using the fact that he was together with Trevor''s mother and was once friends with his father to take custody of him and his mom. The Academy was able to keep the entire story under wraps, and no one other than the people involved know anything about it, so as long as this is kept a secret, the elder is still pretty much untouchable. Normally I wouldn''t care, but the power the academy wields is quite extensive, enough to rival that of both empires. They do have the best assassins in the world after all, so all I can do is watch and wait for an opportunity to deliver justice for my friend. It''s a complicated and heartbreaking story, but his mother had done something wrong out of her loneliness and her need for a child. I can''t say I can relate, but this three years where I had to look after Trevor has at least shown me what being a mother feels like, so I can understand why she would go to any lengths to achieve it, I just wish things would have been different." Alex blinked as he took a seat on a wooden chair, for some reason he felt exhausted. This story was quite tragic to say the least, it was a case of the sins of the father being visited upon the children or in this case the sins of the mother. But yet the person suffering is not the insane mother or the adulterous elder, but the innocent boy who was just in the middle of all these drama. Alex had an inkling suspicion that the reason the little girl was going after Trevor was an extreme case of sibling jealousy. Which is why her father is also in the equation, trying to make up for the times he was unable to show her love when she was alive due to his pain from her mother''s betrayal. The girl felt neglected and unloved, young as she was she only knew and recognized one father. Yet he no longer loved her and would only ever see her brother as his true child. And then she died in the process of her mother trying to save said brother, so in the end she blamed him. She felt that it was his fault that she had to deal with all of this pain, his fault why her father no longer loved her, and his fault why her own mother killed her. The jealousy of a child can be pretty powerful, and given how unreasonable children can be at times, they could hold on to a grudge for a very long time. And after life, in death, those negative feelings would be increased exponentially. They would become hate, and they would be driven by vengeance and an almost insatiable hunger to go after the people responsible for the pain they felt during their lives, and the people they felt were responsible for their deaths. They would become vengeful spirits, and they would not stop, or does down until they got what they came for. Alex gave a sigh, and opened his mouth to speak, but in that moment the door to the room was pushed open and Anya barged in, tears all-over her face. "Alex...¡­you have to see this." 177 Darkness Falls VI : Wraiths Of Vengeance Alex knelt down in front of the entrance of the tower shaken, the sight in front of him was one he never expected he would see and it had chilled him to the core. But beyond that it was not the just the chill that got to him, it was the sudden heavy feeling in his chest, the way the air seemed to have become heavy and it seemed as if he would pass out the very next second. Alex had to wonder if this was what hell on Earth felt like, if this was former and anguish and horror all wrapped in one. He''s seen it, been told about it, but this was the first time he''s had to truly feel it. He may not have spent as much time with them as most would expect but this was still his subordinates, even worse this was his family. And here they were in front of him, dead and their bodies made a mockery off in the most grotesque of display. Alex wanted to cry, he absolutely wanted to just break down and cry, they were his responsibility, his friends and his family. It was up to him to keep them safe, he failed. In front of Alex an eight foot pole was stabbed into the ground, and hanging on it were the heavily mutilated bodies of Zhang Ming Su, Zhang Feigu and Zhang Xuelan. They had been in the Orcon forest training and completing some missions, yet here they were; dead. This was a message to Alex, the fact that there was a banner hanging off the pole like a flag with barely dried words written on it was more than enough proof, that this was no random killing. After their bodies were stabbed through, and left here to for, this was a harrowing experience for Alex, death had never been this personal before. It was in that moment a gust of wind blew, signaling the arrival of elder Zhang Wuxi, who surprisingly enough had Alex''s uncle in tow with him. They were just as shocked, but their arrival caused a draft that unfurled the banner and left it exposed to Alex''s piercing gaze. The words on it were written in blood, their own blood and it had not even dried off yet. This was not just a challenge, it was a warning for Alex. "Bury Your Head In The Sand!" Nothing else needed to be said, this was war, and it was especially bad when the opponent knew who Alex was, but Alex had no idea just who the person after could be. But there was one way to deal with this problem, one way to at least find out who was responsible for the death of these three and hunt him or her down for answers, and for revenge. They wanted Alex to hurry his head in the sand, impossible! Even if Alex could not be considered a Dragon, he was very much a Lion. And Lions never tower! Not that it was an extravagant power or anything, but this was the universe''s way of recognizing that you were a royal, a leader and a king. There were very few people capable of using that on Earth, heck as a whole there are only six of them. And now Alex, someone that until a few months ago was completely inconsequential now had the same ability. It was baffling and quite frankly it was quite scary, give Alex enough time to grow and even her father would be no match for him. After giving his orders Alex ignored everyone else and pulled out his spear, then he smashed the pole, and stretched out his hands to hold the broken part, the blood of the now deceased Zhang clan members staining his hands. Yet he was able to hold all three bodies aloft, as he fought to show any other expression other than grief on his face. He removed their bodies from the pole and arrange the three of them in a wheel like manner with their heads touching each other and their bodies facing three different directions. He threw the pole away as he picked up his spear and began to draw on the cobbled street. He had infused the spear with spirit energy and every movement he made dug deep furrows into the street itself, as slowly but sure a circle came to life with occultist symbols and an incomplete pentagram missing it''s center. The lines weren''t joined in the middle, but instead met a smaller circle that was drawn around their bodies. It didn''t take Alex anything more than ten minutes to be done with it, and by that time, Louis and Devonte had already returned. No one knew what Alex was up to, but even then none of the could stop him. By this point they already had quite a few people watching, there were even elders from the academy but none of them could interfere. This was a personal matter of the Zhang clan and their tower, if this had happened on the academy grounds itself, then they would have be inclined to investigate and give the Zhang clan a proper answer, but for now, this was all on Alex. And quite frankly the young man was grateful, he really wouldn''t be able to stand and interruptions as he was right now. Taking the salt and water from Devonte, Alex mixed them both together, using his spirit energy to stir the big barrel of salt water, before making sure that enough of his energy had saturated the liquid. Then he poured it onto the ground, letting the salt water fill in the grooves he had drawn on the ground, it took a few seconds for everything to be completely filled, Alex dropped the cask in his hand and then bent down to place a finger in the salt water filled grooves on the street. A tiny wisp of his spirit energy rushed into it, causing the entire circle and the pentagram to light up in a bright flash. The salt water rapidly crystalized, forming an exquisite symbol on the ground or rather it crystalized into the ritual circle Alex had just drawn out. He stretched out his hands to Louis, and very much like a few days ago, a baby cat was given to him. It looked no different and less innocent than Geb when he was first given to Alex to be used for a ritual. But this time Alex didn''t hesitate. He took off his clothes and shoes, leaving his upper body bare and his feet touching the earth and feeling the energy of the earth itself as it seeped up from underground and burrowed into Alex''s flesh and bones. Giving him the energy required for this ritual, it would have been a whole lot better if Alex had a Ley-Line to work with, but those were rare, and highly coveted by mages. So there''s practically no undiscovered Ley-Line on Earth. Either way Alex stepped forward and raised the cat over his head, and then much time the shock of everyone, pulled it''s head off it''s body, it''s blood showering over Alex and the symbol beneath his feet. Alex threw the drained body of the cat away, as the pentagram, circles and symbols drawn began to glow a full red. It was as if the blood had spread over the salt Crystals and turned something that previously seemed to pure, into something extremely ominous and terrifying. It shook most of the people there, but Alex did not look like he had any intention of stopping. The blood on his body began to wiggle, slowly forming symbols, and that''s when Alex began to chant. "Spirits of the fallen need my call, beyond life and death, last the veil of spirit and the confines of mortality I summon thee! Spirits of the unjustly departed need my call, your walk on this Earth not yet done, of smoke and bone, salt and earth, I summon thee! Souls of the departed of my flesh and bone, need my call, the commands of my will. Hunt the living to placate the dead, hunt thy killer to placate thy souls. Souls of the forgotten my family you be, Xuelan Of the Zhangs, Feigu Of The Zhangs, Ming Su Of the Zhangs. Listen to the voice of your king and rise this night for the hunt! " (Resurrection Ritual: Primal Wraiths Of Vengeance) *Boom!* And so the earth shook and lightning danced across the skies in anger, in fury, but what exactly it was angry about no one really knew. The winds picked up and the chills in the heart of many intensified as they became subject to a miracle...no, not a miracle. They watched as the grief and anger of a spirit king, gave birth to horrors the likes of which has never been seen. 178 Darkness Falls VII : Hunt! The blood that was over Alex''s body Bryant to rapidly gather and coalesce on his right hand, before turning into a red band of weird symbols and scripts around his wrist. Alex felt a guy at his heart and his mind as his spirit energy, Qi and the little bit of Mana he has was drained out of his body. His body swayed for a bit as the glowing circle began to die down, leaving behind a still crystalized symbol, but this time what was left behind was a deep blood red crystal. As for the bodies, they looked unblemished, hell they looked cleaner without even a hint of blood or a wound on them. And then right then and there an ominous black wind seemed to come to life above their bodies, however it wasn''t coming from outside but rather from within, the wind looked like a cross between a mist and thick black smoke, but still swirled in a manner you would liken to a dust devil. And then it gather until there were three human figures standing in front of Alex, yet they were made of smoke and wind, their piercing red eyes sent chills to the many that was them. These creatures weren''t normal, they were the Manifestation of the things that many have considered common stories and jokes. Ghosts! Spirits! Concepts that they might have to her upon but have never been able to fully control. Alex swiped his right palm over the rough scales on the body of his spear, cutting himself as (Nameless) glowed red and absorbed the blood left on it''s frame. Then Alex us d the blood to rub a meter area over the crystalized ritual circle. The Wraiths, which at this point everyone could notice where shaped like the dead bodies on the ground, step exactly over the area Alex had marked with his blood. Almost as if he had made them a door to pass through as the entire ritual circle had become a containment cell for them. What Alex had just done wasn''t exactly normal, he had invoked and called back their spirits and anima, and then using their negative feelings as base had given them a new form. They were a lot more dangerous than the spirit of Vengeance, and since they were brought back using the blood of a cat as catalyst, Alex knew they would share some traits with felines. But come to think of it, the kitten he was given was a bit larger than the norm, or was it full grown. Nevertheless Alex could feel his connection to them, just like Devonte and Khan they were Spirits bonded to him, though it was just temporary. As soon as they were done he would send them on their way to the next life. "Don''t rest, don''t falter, until you find your killer or killers, now go! I''m right behind you!" "Uwaaaiiiiiaaaiaiaiaiiaiaiaaaaaiiaiiiiiaaiia! Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!* Just as Alex finished giving his orders, the wraiths all went down and their shadowy figure transformed into that of Lions. They were still made of shadows and black wind like smoke, but they were huge, massive! Standing as tall as five feet, with for lions was very ridiculous. Their wailing and roaring sent intense shivers down the spine of everyone here, and then they turned around and leapt into the air, most probably tracking the person responsible for their deaths. Alex turned and looked at the cask of salt water, he quickly picked it up and sprayed it over the main entrance of the tower, and then gave it to Victoria. "Make sure every window, and entrance into the tower is sprinkled with what''s left in the cask. Use it sparingly, there''s no much of it left. If your lucky, the spell circle would trap his sister and father, and you should be able to see their physical forms. Wait until I get back should that happens, but no matter what make sure Trevor doesn''t leave the tower, also it would be safer if you brought his mother here. Miranda move their bodies inside, as long as the Wraiths exists the bodies won''t for. But you have to make sure sunlight doesn''t touch them, or the ritual would go wrong before their killer is found. Just move them to the basement, there''s a curse on their bodies, anyone with any sort of evil intention would die upon touching them, so in case someone wants to steal them to hide evidence, they''ll be in for a nasty surprise." "But where are you going?" Xiao Mei asked, with all of the instructions Alex was giving, it was obvious he was leaving. "Me? I think you mean us. This is personal for the both of us, uncle can stay here and facilitate the transfer of the sky steel with elder Zhang Wuxi to help him, after all that''s why he''s here. As for the rest of us with the exclusion of Miranda...¡­we''re going to hunt down the motherfucker who did this, and make sure to make an example out of him." Xiao Mei was speechless, but then again she wasn''t going to refute her brother on this. The Zhang''s had one fatal flaw/trait that they''re quite known for. And that''s their intense ability to turn their grief and pain into motivation and even worse single minded determination. They wouldn''t stop, they wouldn''t rest, and they won''t sleep until they''ve achieved what they wanted, and absolutely nothing or no one would stand in their way. As Alex was speaking, Anaya had quickly went into the tower and came back out decked out in her battle gear, then she handed a black and white coat to Alex, who proceeded to wear it, leaving his body bare. The remaining members of the tower, all got ready as they gathered around Alex, and just as they did so, there was a loud roar going up into the sky accompanied by a high pitched wail that shook everyone to their core. Alex looked in that direction and smiled, looks like the Wraiths found a lead to their killer, Alex seemingly vanished a simple caress of the wind as proof that he was once standing there. Khan and Devonte followed, keeping a slower pace so that the others would be able to catch up, nobody said anything, there was only one conviction in their mind, and that was the fact that by the time the night is over, they will be bathing in the blood of their enemies. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Molock wanted to be away from this place as soon as possible, but there was a desert storm afoot so the airship was not yet ready to take off. It was fucking annoying, he had enough money to maybe get himself a new one, but that would raise too many alarms. He wanted to get out of here as discreetly as possible, his dealings with the academy and it''s students would end after today. Honestly he had never seen people so black of heart and wicked as those who live within the walls of this internal place, yet for generations his sword had been swung at their commands. He shifted a bit as he took a sip from the glass in his hands, the warmth and burn as the dry gin slid down his throat. It almost hard for a cultivator of any discipline to get drunk from simple gin, which was why there were already four empty bottles, but yet Molock''s eyes and gaze were clear and as sharp as ever. He looked at his hands, it was pretty aged and from time to time it would shake and shiver, his time was done. He couldn''t even hold a sword properly anymore, he wouldn''t be a match for any other cultivator at the same stage as him, but against those three kids it didn''t matter, killing them was child''s play, no pun intended. But he couldn''t help but to honor them, they accepted their deaths with an unyielding spirit, each of them fighting to the last. This was the spirit of the Zhangs! There was no other family like them on this Earth, righteous to a fault and fearless in the face of death. Yet he had done great dishonor to the bodies of those children. He had done many things he regrets in his more than two hundred years of life, but none that hit so hard as this. Maybe it''s because this was a little bit more recent, but nevertheless the final words of the only female in the group rang out in his eyes as his mind replayed the scene over and over again, just before he took her heart out of her chest with a swift stab of his sword. "He''s not going to show you any mercy! You will beg for your life, and you will burn!" Such conviction, such assurance. It he found the entire thing laughable, because he knew exactly who she was talking about, and quite frankly that young Master of the Zhang clan was not his match. The boy needs to grow a bit more, looks like he would be disappointing the expectations of that girl, how... "Uwaaaiiiiiaaaiaiaiaiiaiaiaaaaaiiaiiiiiaaiia! Rooooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!* "What the hell are those things!" 179 Darkness Falls VIII : The Hunt Begins Molock did not understand what was going on, and he was even more baffled the moment the three shadowy lions stood up and took human form. This was completely unlike anything he had ever seen of experienced before, and quite frankly he had no idea what to do. But that wasn''t all as the creatures slowly raised their hands and pointed it at him. In that moment he didn''t need an explanation for him to know truly what the fuck was going on here, their humanoid forms, and the fact that there were all shadowy and ghostly told Molock everything he needed to know. But he has lived in this world for a very long time, he would not allow someone to rattle his nerves with cheap petty tricks regardless of how nervous he might be. In fact all this served to do was make him extremely angry, there were no such things as ghosts! Even the ones seen and used in techniques are born from Qi and Mana, no such entity exists in this world. But Whether or not they were ghosts, they sure hit hard. The first of them, with figure similar to the female he killed surged forwards towards him, throwing along a fist that Molock raised an arm to defend. He even felt the need to laugh while he did so, with speed that slow, and with a form so unstable he could not begin to imagine how pitiful a damage these things could muster, audit they were trying to scare him, they were taking woefully at it. *Bang!* The fist made of black shadow seemed to sink into his hands, bringing with it an ominous chill that left his chest feeling extremely tight. Molock had no idea where he was but, but he was thrown backwards, over the bar counter and into the cabinet that held rows and rows of liquor. And impact like this didn''t hurt him, it only succeeded in making him extremely angry as he got back up to his feet and pulled his sword out. However the question still remained, how did this thing hit him, and how was it possible he felt no resistance when it touched him, not even a gust of wind! Almost as if it was..... Molock shook his head to eliminate his lousy thoughts and jumped over the counter ad brought his sword slicing down on the head of the female shaped ghost. However he was in for a surprise when his sword just sliced through it like smoke, without causing any sort of damage. His shock lasted long enough for him to receive a rather nasty claw strike from the ghost that left bloody lines on his cheeks, before the other two pounced on him, their forms; that of massive lions with a vendetta. The female shaped ghost had jumped, transforming into a lioness as she went through the hole in the world that his body had smashed through. Molock had no intention of laying on the ground as he let out a tell of annoyance, surging his abundant and well tempered Qi out of his body, creating a force field of silvery lights that pushed the ghosts backwards. But it did more than just pushed the ghosts backwards, it completely blasted the entire pub apart, injuring quite a lot of the patrons who had not yet made their way out of it when the right had started. The surge of his Qi seemed to have been enough to completely eradicate the ghosts, because immediately he had released the shockwave their black shadowy bodies had been blasted into clouds of smoke. This proved that at the very least Qi was effective against them, asserting and proving his conviction about them not being ghosts, but a technique. However he wouldn''t deny the fact that such a technique was formidable, the only shortcoming being it''s lack of resilience as he had only surged his Qi out of his body rather than use it in a technique. He picked himself out of the rubble if the pub, and looked around. He only had a few minutes if not seconds to get out of here before whoever sent this after him would show up. Honestly he felt as it the people responsible for this fa?ade were his employers, they were nobles after all, and Molock felt that only they would be extremely shameless enough to send a kind of ghost after him to close up loose ends, after having him undertake such a dishonorable assassination. He turned around to run, when all of a sudden a green haired youth appeared in front of him and slashed dual daggers at his chest. Even though he did not recognize the kind of Qi he was using it, The boy was just within the first realm in the earth gate, at the very least he should be able to deal with the child. He swung his sword forwards, clashing it with the young boy, only to move his head backwards as a pair of chakrams attempted to cut open his neck. He turned around only to have a fist carrying the full unforgiving power of the wind smash into his chest and blast him through another pub until his back smacked against the canyon wall behind him. (Wind God Martial Series: Fist: Storm Judgement) Molock felt as if every single bone in his body was about to break, yet they were not broken, maybe just a little bruised. Looking at the person who had hit him, and the power behind that strike, and even more so the cultivation base of the person responsible made no sense. He was just in the true essence realm, and the difference between the both of them was not just realms, but an entire gate! He quickly got to his feet and watched in shock as black smoke gathered around the young man that just attacked him and coalesced into the forms of three ghost like creatures he had just destroyed, and seeing them standing all together, along with the extra people who had come here for his death, Molock couldn''t help remembering again! What the girl had said to him when he had killed her. "He''s not going to show you any mercy! You will beg for your life, and you will burn!" Well he wasn''t on his knees yet, neither was he on fire so at the very least she was right about one thing and wrong about the others. Because from where he was standing, Molock could see, he could feel and sense...¡­That the youth known as Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Al¨¦ had no intentions of showing him any kind of mercy. As for whether the kid could make him bow and beg for mercy, or even make him burn...¡­that remains to be seen, but for now, it''s time to take these kids to school, and show them why for over a hundred years, he was known as the silver reaper. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e THE SPIRIT WORLD THE NEXUS VOID (THE SPACE IN-BETWEEN REALITIES) PANGEA VILLAGE ELDERS COUNCIL. "Sun Wukong, Nezha is from your pantheon have you been able to communicate with him yet? We would like to know how Earth''s spirit king is doing?" The person who had spoken was a woman, with skin as golden brown as bronze and glowing in a manner that spoke volumes of the divinity held within her Nubian form. This woman was a spirit and not just a spirit, a spirit goddess. The person who she had been talking to was a man that for all intents and purposes looked like a more humanoid monkey, but he was calm, too calm. If people familiar with his legends could see him now, there was no hesitation that would be shocked by how reserved he seemed. This was the great sage equal to the heavens, the Lord of peach mountain, and he looked no different than a kind old uncle. Maybe because his signature fiery golden hair had been replaced with the silvery white of age. "Nezha has been trying his best to guide the boy without exposing too much of what he has to do, or what this world holds in store for him. The last report I got from Nezha says he''s growing, advancing at a really fast pace. The boy is already in the spirit commander realm, even though he only has three mask spirits, as opposed to the full twenty one he''s supposed to have in the end, he has a bond with a Kamaitachi that''s evolved into a demon, and surprise, surprise, the missing fairy prince!" The moment he finished saying that, there was a lot of clamor within the council room. There were only seven people here, seven people representing seven different pantheon of gods, but when they exclaimed in shock it was akin to the voice of thousands. "Oya you have to relax, your descendant is, for all intents and purposes a freak of nature, he would get here in time and strong enough to face off against the other spirit Kings. Besides we don''t have to be too frantic, the spirit board is still in the process of being set up, the Village of PANGEA is set up in the west, and we have the sea to our backs. It''s a good position for development, so let''s try and get some things up an running before he gets here." Sun Wukong said as he looked at the woman who had first spoken to him. "And how long do you think it would take for him to get here?" another woman dressed in bright gold and yellow, with a countenance akin to that of a blazing sun asked the aged monkey king. "According to Nezha, and he says this is the maximum estimate he could give as he''s pretty sure Alex will find his way here a lot earlier. But in under five years, Alex should have advance to the spirit king rank, and should have at least completed five masks, fully with all of it''s spirits. Besides with the lost fairy prince bonded to him, With a little help from us Nezha believes we would be able to get the Fae to serve under his banner. So Amaterasu, what do you think?" the monkey asked the woman. "If what you say is true, then earth now has a +5% chance to win this war against the other Spirit Kings. Bringing our overall chance to...¡­6% we still have a long way to go. But never the less, earth will be ready." 180 Darkness Falls IX : Molock To say Alex came prepared for a fight would be a gross understatement of his determined he felt right now. There was so much rage and anger boiling Within his bones that all that matters to him was ripping this old man apart without giving a talk about who or what gets in his way. "Why?" Alex asked as he scrutinized the man in front of him. "Why? Sorry kid, if you''re looking for a reason to justify the fire and brimstone you came here to rain down on me, you wouldn''t find it. For me it was just business, plain and simple. Sure it was a bit messy and not one of my best works, but still it''s enough to get the message across. If you want revenge, I''ll entertain you. But if you want to know who''s responsible, then it''s going to cost you quite a bit." Their opponent wasn''t young to say the least, he was quite aged, and heck he even looked older than Alex''s grandfather. But even with his somewhat elderly disposition, it wouldn''t stop anyone of them from taking his head off, but therein lays the problem; he was way out of their league. He released a pressure that spoke volume of how strong he was the soul Dantian realm. A realm above the soul refining realm, and one that had significant enough power to wipe out every one of them with a thought, Alex knew he couldn''t hold back for this fight. He might have been a bit brash, but it was too late to back out now. "It''s either you tell me who paid you, and I promise to make your death swift and painless, or I kill you and still wrong out the information from your cold dead corpse. Either way, it doesn''t matter what you do or say, you''re going to die." Alex said to him as his fire mask slowly spread across his face, however the mask''s for scheme seemed different, with blackish red being the major theme, even the shape of the mask had changed to accommodate the power of the spirit Alex had called out to play, errrr excuse me, to kill?! But Molock was not intimidate by this group of children, because in the end strictly speaking these were just kids in front of him, and as it stands he was about to greatly toy with them and their perception of the world. Molock rushed forward, his sword slicing in front of him; it was almost as if what he was cutting wasn''t the air but rather the soul itself. Which was the greatest talent of those within the earth gate, their cultivation became based on the soul, so their attacks always targeted the soul even when it seemed extremely physical. His target was Devonte, but thankfully even though not many people exactly what sort of cultivation Devonte had, the fairy cultivated Qi and spirit energy just like Alex. So he was pretty much prepared as he slashed his dagger upwards, a green beam of energy raised up as root shot out of the sky and attempted to skewer Molock. There was a loud whoosh as the sky seemed to get darkened; Molock and everyone else looked up to see that a massive cloud of black ash had completely blanketed their head. This was stage tow as the moment Molock looked up; Xiao Mei appeared in front of him and flicked an elegant long sword towards his neck. He deflected it, but it was in that moment there was a sharp flash at his side as Hideki showed up six meters behind Molock his katana outstretched. Blood spurted out of Molock''s side as a cut so deep his ribs were exposed could be seen on his side. He was shocked, but every member of this tower was banking on his rapid surprise to deliver as much damage as possible. Ibrahim was next as what Molock experienced next was the sound of his eldest daughter calling after him; he was shocked and shaken as he knew his daughter had been missing for over thirty years leaving behind her infant son. A sharp pain on his thigh brought him out of the illusion as he noticed a rather large and multicolored scorpion retrieving its stinger from his thigh. He felt dizzy, and then a massive tower shield with a giant cross emblazoned on it slammed into his face, releasing a surge of light that scalded his eyeballs. He closed his eyes, the poison from the scorpion getting stronger as he felt the urged to throw; the feeling of heat forced him to open his eyes as a young woman fell from the sky her fist on fire as she smashed it into his head. He wasn''t thrown backwards; she had slammed her fist into the side of his head, burning off all of the hair and skin on that side of his body. His body was turned sideways like a wheel as his head smashed into the ground creating a crater, rattling even more his already injured brain and aggravating internal Injuries formed within his body. Molock was old, even if he was in the soul Dantian realm. One very obvious problem was the fact that his true combat ability was a lot weaker than what he had shown. To a team of cohesive and very talented fighters as this, they could toy with him from morning till night, and then from night till the morning without getting even a single speck of dirt on their body. And even worse was the fact that none of them were underestimating him, they knew how strong he was, and they were coming after him with the intent to kill. They had all given him a hit and left him worse for wear, Molock got to his feet and looked up to the sky to see the cloud of black ash surging downwards and rushing towards him in a spiral. It was like watching a typhoon of death and horror coming for him, and he barely had time to react as the hurricane of black ash swallowed his form. Alex had a blank look on his face; his gaze was resolute as the storm of hurricane of black ash ravaged the area where Molock had been standing. This was the first time every member of the tower had fought together, with the exception of Khan who had just been watching; even the wraiths had played their part. And obviously they were all very dangerous, especially when they all had murder in their mind. The hurricane disappeared and what was left of Molock was exposed to the sun, he was still very much alive, however most of his body had already been ravaged by the black ash and with every second that passed the poison was still spreading. Alex walked towards him, the fire mask in his face slowly fading away as he came closer. The way he walked left Molock feeling chills, he really was on his knees, however he had his pride. He wouldn''t beg for his life, he didn''t even think he would be surviving this poison of fire that was rapidly spreading, though she was almost right, the pain was so much he wanted to beg. Death could not come any faster for him. "You do not deserve the privilege of an honorable death, tell me old man; who the fuck hired you to kill members of my family. If you do so I might consider not looking whatever family you have left in this world and subjecting them to the same hell you just went through." His eyes, those piercing black eyes weren''t lying; he really was going to do it. And considering the resources of the wudang sect and Zhang clan he knew it wouldn''t be hard at all for Alex to keep his words. Maybe he was still under and illusion or the poison in his body was still affecting him, all Molock knew was that those eyes told no lie; Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Ale was a man of his words. Molock took a deep breath; he had taken this job as final score to get his family set for life, after this he wouldn''t be killing anymore. And due to the nature of the job, the pay had been quite substantial, just as he knew the consequences would also be very great, after all there was no way he would have gone up against the Zhang clan and wudang sect without getting burned. "Please no matter what you do, keep my family out of this, they''re innocent. This kill wasn''t so simple for me, I don''t kill children, and even if I did, I would not have put their bodies up like that in such a grotesque display. It was just part of the instructions I was given. The person who had put out the contract on their heads is or rather are actually two people, a young woman who goes by the name Lu Ming and is part of the imperial clan, and a young man called Walter Albion who''s also a member of the empire of Albion''s royal family. But even they didn''t have enough information to tell me where to find those children, not unless I went all over the forest looking for them, or waited for them in public to kill them, which would have pretty much left me exposed. This was an inside job, somebody from your tower fed Lu Ming and Walter information! There''s a traitor in your camp!" 181 Spiri Alex was silent as the old man''s body turned to ash and faded with the wind, he was dead. But yet justice has still not been served, in fact the enemies he has to deal with were not ones he could just march up to and behead, and even worse was the fact that there was a traitor amongst his own people. Alex turned around to look at them all, it was hard not to be distrustful, but who exactly betrayed him. But then again this might have been this assassin''s way to cause a little bit of trouble for Alex; the worst mistake he could ever make was to let what the man had said get into his head. Right now all that should truly matter to him right now was to find a way to make Walter and Lu Ming pay for what they''ve done. Perhaps he hadn''t been to serious about helping the princess get the throne, he might have planned to just coast by and do the bare minimum that would certify he and his family remained safe against whatever was to come from this battle for the throne. But now that his family has been pulled in and made to a price, he was going to fight back even harder. He turned to the three wraiths, he wanted to have them go on to rest after they were done with their vengeance, but this assassin was not the person who truly killed them, he was only the tool that was used to carry out the act, and until vengeance and justice was carried out, they would never rest in peace. In that regard he had to do something about their bodies. The moment their bodies are exposed to the sun, the ritual would fail and their souls will be destroyed. So in order to avoid that, he would have to keep their bodies somewhere secret, before he takes them back to Zhang clan for their burial, and even worse was the fact that should their bodies be destroyed, then they would remain as wraiths forever, and that was not a fate Alex wanted for them. "I''ll give you guys the vengeance you deserve, I promise you. Louis, figure out who this dead assassin is, and bill him or any other member of his family that''s alive for the damages. The rest of us should just go on with our lives for now, in a week, we''ll start making our moves. Since our enemies want to play dirty, then it''s only fair we accommodate them. But let me make something clear, I trust each and every single one of you, but if what this assassin said is true and one of you is a traitor, then believe me when I tell you that even death won''t save you from me. But no one should dwell on that, we''re a family, let''s just remain that way." There was one more thing that Alex needed Louis to take care of, so far he has been thinking hard about what sort of name to give their organization. He didn''t want it to be generic and overly extravagant, but he also didn''t want it to be simple. This would be the first real authority Alex would have, and he wanted it to mean something, to have more value than any other organization and have a deeper meaning than most. He turned to look at this rabble of a team he had gathered around him, Alex wasn''t stupid; one of them might be a traitor, but he knew he would be able to find a way to deal with it. But when he looked at them, he wondered what it was that kept them together and so in sync. Frankly speaking none of them had simple stories; they had all come from somewhat difficult backgrounds. Yet here they stood, together as one and ready to face whatever the world had to throw at them. Alex mused, what was it, that grit, that bond, that strength of self that has been cultivated over hardships and near death experiences. Through loss and pain, and all sorts of heart ache, yet still capable of pushing forward, of going beyond and above what was expected of them every single time they''re tested. What was it, the word was right there, right at the tip of his tongue, and then suddenly he had the answer. Or rather it would be easier to say that the ever silent Xeron had the answer that he was searching for; it was as simple and as deep as he wanted it to be. The answer to why they were so strong, why they could keep on pushing regardless of what they had to face or go through, the answer was¡­. [SPIRIT] \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e SEVEN WEEKS LATER Alex had all eyes on him as he walked through the school grounds, for the past two weeks the fame and prowess of the leader of the newly crowned spirit organization had been the talk of the academy. And even more so was the fact that Walter of the noble family of Albion and Lu Ming of the imperial family had fled the academy with the excuse of going to get married, leaving all of their family''s business and assets in the hands of their followers. However they had left important businesses in the path of a bunch of hungry lions, and while many wanted a piece of the pie these two were in charge of; none of them had the guts to go against the spirit organization and their spooky leader. There were already rumors that Alex could speak to the dead and that he feasted on souls of young children. It had been the source of many laughs between Alex and the rest of the organization''s members. But they all reckoned that it was a good thing, Alex having a fearsome reputation would cause a couple of people to think twice before making any sort moves. Besides, it wasn''t as if they were all rumors, Alex could talk to the dead after all. He just wasn''t sure about the eating soul''s part; he''s never tried to anyway. But the rumors were given even more of credibility when Alex had been missing from the public eye for seven whole weeks, and in that time the spirit organization''s tower had gone through lots of changes. For one they now offered the best and highest grade alchemical plants and herbs for practitioners within the first gate of their respective discipline. But as if that wasn''t enough, they were also selling weapons capable of channeling both mana and Qi. And there was the option to have a blacksmith of theirs who many suspect is actually Alex to create custom equipments. It was such a shocking achievement that blacksmiths, Qi engineers, and artificers from all over the world had come to learn the secrets behind such a success in melding and creating a weapons capable of utilizing and channeling Qi and Mana. Unfortunately most of the visitors were chased away by Alex''s demon dog as Khan had come to be known. Their growth had been meteoric, especially since they were on good terms with the ninth princess''s quarter of the imperial organization, and also the beggar''s sect organization. Alex had too many things going for him, and a reputation so illustrious most males in the academy were incredibly jealous of him, But Alex didn''t care; he had spent the past seven weeks building up a foundation for his organization, and with that out of the way he could now put all of his focus into learning, which was why he was here today. Three months after coming to the academy, he was finally ready to start learning, but beyond that it wasn''t just about learning, he needed allies, he needed followers, enough power that even the emperor himself would have to give him respect whenever he spoke. And this school was the gathering place of the future. The world of the present didn''t matter; it was something Alex has had to painfully learn when Walter and Lu Ming ran away before he could rain fire and brimstone on top of their heads. With their exit, he now had no idea who was the traitor, but after these seven weeks he was sure of one thing. There was no traitor in his camp, not even Miranda who should have the biggest motive gave off any sort of suspicious vibes in the seven weeks Alex had secretly spent observing everyone. So there was a possibility that Molock was just fucking with his head, but even if that were so, Walter and Lu Ming were not here to clear Alex''s doubts. But never the less it was time to start phase three according to what Victoria had planned. Step one was Alex building a reputation, step two was taken care of Lu Ming and Walter, which funny enough those idiots did themselves. And now they had come to the third phase...¡­.Take the Earth Alliance Defense Academy and make it theirs! 182 The Ark Wars 1 Life became pretty much a simple routine for Alex, he narrowed his studies to Arrays and the theory behind wards as he pretty much did not understand anything about mana yet. He had no idea why he was dragging his feet to actually study magic, but he reckoned it was because he already had a lot on his plate. But never the less for some reason studying arrays were not too hard for him, it took him just around three week as to fully master and memorize intermediate arrays and inscriptions. Alex had kept to himself mostly, it wasn''t exactly what he needed to do to move forward the next phase of their plan, but he was wholly focused on studying. To many his work ethic was admirable, but to everyone else in his tower, this was just a way for Alex to deal with the pain and disappointment he felt about the death the three Zhang clan members that were a part of his tower. But even more was the fact that they were family, no matter how thin the bloodline was, or how distant the relationship was, they were his family. And he was unable to keep them safe, it made him doubt himself, he would eventually be given the helm of running the Zhang clan, after his uncle was incapable of having children, and his mother due to her somewhat illustrious reputation was no one''s first choice. The very idea that such a massive responsibility would be placed on his shoulder scared him, he was afraid he would fail even more people than he already has, and that quite frankly has been holding him back. But no one could say anything to Alex; this was something that he had to take care of on his own. A hurdle he had to overcome all on his own, as hard as was for them to see this; they knew Alex had to forgive himself. Alex moved his way through the crow of students as he made his way towards the administrative building, he was called there today, and he had no idea why. The academy had already proven that there weren''t a lot of things they cared about, so Alex could not begin to imagine what they wanted from him. If it was a shipment of sky steel then they did not need to have him come all the way here, that would just betray their sincerity to trade as they had summoned him instead of having him go to them. But Alex didn''t feel the need to think too much into it, whatever it is that the academy needed from him, he was going to make sure there would at least be some gain for his tower in it. It wasn''t as if he had become more shrewd or anything, but Alex pretty much now lived by the code of putting his people first, he really wouldn''t want to put any of them in harm''s way again, so he tried making sure there was enough provision for everybody. But that was actually the norm here, most elders were all a part of one organization or the other, there were only very few elders that were completely under the employ of the academy. But Alex suspected the Academy had some hidden aces, after all; even though the academy had pretty much let its students run roughshod all over the place, it still had enough power and control to bring them to heel. There was reason why the academy was so feared, and even if he didn''t know what that reason was yet, it was still enough to have Alex be really careful ion his dealings with them. He opened a door to a conference and stepped in; there was a massive hand carved table in a half moon form with five seats in all. Four of the seats were occupied, with the one in the middle being empty. Alex pretty much ignored everybody else and shifted his gaze to the empty seat as he fell into thought; there was a legend amongst the students that the academy doesn''t actually have a dean. It was headed by four clans, two belonging to the original human who had established the school, and the other two belonging to the assassination organization the school was affiliated under. Rumors were that the best student who is able to inherit the legacy of the first dean would be able to become the sole leader of the academy and control all of its forces. Problem was that nobody knew what that legacy was, where it was, and how to even go about obtaining it, so it was pretty much just a fancy story to give the new students entertainment and add a much needed mystique to the academy. "Student Zhang Xiao...." "Just call me Alex, that''s what everyone else does." He interrupted as he took the only set in front of him, facing the half moon table. "Well then student Alex, we apologize for summoning you on such short notice, but there was a certain matter at hand that we need your help with. We would like you to hear us out, as there would be sufficient rewards in it for you and your tower." The person who had spoken was a woman, but given she had on this weird spiral mask, Alex couldn''t tell what she looked like. But seeing as she was the one who had spoken first, he suspected she was either the spokesperson, or had more power in play than the other three. "It''s alright then, but there are probably hundreds of students better than me in the academy, not to mention more powerful. Why would you need me? And what would you even need me for?" Alex asked "Well that''s simple, it''s because this task needs your particular area of expertise, and even more so your reputation and some of the resources you have access to. There''s really no one else for the job young man." Alex cocked his head to the side; he was thinking deeply, something was definitely up. By sheer chance the woman speaking had decided to look at Alex''s feet and taken a huge notice of his shadow; it was weird. Stretching upwards his shadow seemed to have split into three distinct forms, almost as if there were beings living in it. The woman had lived for a very long time, and she had seen similar things as people using shadows to travel or hiding within it, or even having access to a shadow dimension. But having actual ghosts, live in your own shadow was totally something new. Alex was proving to the world that many ancient myths that they had believed to have been just stories were actually true, but apart from that it was the secret of this planet that was drawing them ever so closer to this boy, that somehow, in some way, he truly had the secret to godhood. "You''ve given your sales pitch, but I can''t say that I''m interested, and at the same time I can''t say that I''m not. So please just tell me what it is that you require from me." Alex asked, already tired with the roundabout manner this woman was using to speak, obviously she wanted Alex to ask for it was they needed him for. He didn''t have time to waste, so all he could do was indulge her so that he could get this over with as quickly as possible. "I''m pretty sure you''ve heard of the Ark wars." Alex paused and raised an eyebrow, he moved his head to the side again as the shadows also seemed to sway and dance with his movement, of course Alex knew what the Ark wars were, hell there was no one on earth who didn''t know about that bloody battlefield that''s open once every ten years. It''s the place where legacies are found, heroes and villains are born, and where warriors from other planes come to test their mettle against the best of earth. But it was also where a lot of people go to die! "The ark wars is literally a personal war between every plane and power in the cosmos. Many believe that the other planes of existence actually exist in other dimensions and what not, but that''s far from the truth. There''s only one universe and countless powerful planets in it, traveling through them just seems like you''re traveling to other dimensions. Either way, dimensions, realms, particle worlds etc also exist, and while most of them are created and propagated by the universe itself, many are also created by man. However the Ark wars are no simple battle for planetary supremacy, it''s a battle for one of the most elusive power, if not completely out of the reach of man, and that''s godhood. The stories and what you might have watched from young about the ark is true. But you probably done have all the facts, but I will tell you the most important ones. The ark is indeed Noah''s ark of biblical legends, but it''s not holding animals or birds, it holds the remains and legacies of beings that at one point only ever existed on earth. And it''s this legacy that the entire universe wants to fight for, the legacies of gods!" 183 The Ark Wars 2 Alex was surprised by this story, growing up; The ark wars have always been some of the greatest events of earth, but not too many people knew what it was about or what it was for. All they couldn''t Understand from the world wide televised event was that it was a war between anyone that can make their way to the Ark Dimension. Unfortunately in all of the previous wars, no had ever been successful in getting the ark Dimension to open. But then again the common people didn''t have all of the details, and his father was never one to have colorful conversations about the wonders of the cultivation world. But since this bunch of people were offering him the information, who was he to reject, there was no knowledge that was worthless. "The Ark of Noah had first appeared many years ago during the great flood, there are many earth Legends about that flood, but the fact remains that such a treasure, capable of carrying the vast numbers of living beings across the earth existed. But contrary to what many believe, the great flood had not just happened on Earth, it was a cataclysmic event that spread across the cosmos and numerous planets. Earth was weak, but somehow they had survived, along with the numerous animals and even plant life, though many others still died and went extinct. That drew the attention of a lot of people from other planes, and then as I''m sure you''ve already found out, the great war between the gods of earth and the Invaders from other planes. Somehow, actual gods lost the war, and the Invaders won. However a God''s life is tied to an object of divinity, it could either be a statue, or their weapons, or a writing speaking of their great deeds. These objects of divinity hold the inheritance of gods, the total sum of their true power and the true secret to godhood. The Ark war is a fight for all of these inheritances, and we would like to align with you, the Zhang clan, and the ninth Princess to partake in this competition. The way the war holds is to find a token from a major Dimension and then use it to open a pathway from your Dimension to the ark world where you and your armies will fight against others for a chance at ultimate power. The Dimension token for earth is already in the hands of the Albion empire, the only way for us to get a token is by being in total control and command of a Dimension, and then the token will come to you or it''s own free will. We know the emperor of the empire of heaven had given you a major Dimension to conquer, we know you''ve not done so, but we would like to ask you to get that done, before the three month preparation period elapse. The more cards and allies we have, the greater chances we have of winning. Alex shrugged his shoulders, he didn''t think for one they were desperate about this alliance, obviously they already a token and could prepare, but right now he had to go conquer the Dimension that was given to him, and get a token from it Within the next three months. To Alex this was an elaborate plot, the moment he and the others leave, they''ll pounce on his tower and try to take control of his resources, or maybe they were sincere and would instead try to protect it. He wasn''t sure, and quite frankly he couldn''t trust them, but he didn''t have much of a choice left. While this wasn''t factored into their plans, Alex and Victoria already had plans to have a closer relationship with the Academy and they had a significant amount of clout in the cultivation world. Especially when you consider the fact that assassinations were things they''re well known for, so it was basically an attempt to tame a poisonous snake so that it doesn''t turn it''s fangs in their direction. Alex would have to put some back ups in place, but the Academy was right, conquering that Dimension is important. Even more so was the fact that he has an army waiting there for him, not to mention he would be away from the eyes of others, and the severity of the conflict in that Dimension would help him get stronger. He would also be able to use this chance to master Mana and magic, figure out what his Mana element was and master some spells. He didn''t have or need techniques with his spirit energy, it was basically an unrefined power source that thrived on strengthening, bending, breaking and rewriting the rules of reality. If was the supreme energy source, but all it was good for was to be an augment. Either way, he has been studying hard for quite a while, it was about time he put a lot of things into practice. Plus he didn''t have too move too far, or rather it should be easier to say that the academy would not be too far from him. While Planetariums are extremely rare and expensive, plane keys are cheaper and much easier to make. Of course they''re an expendable resource, but even they were cheaper than Planetariums they were also bloody expensive. Having a bunch in hand means he can come and go from the Dimension he has to conquer and the tower, plus plane keys are always active for two hours and can open spatial tunnels between Dimensions for people and resources to move through and fro. Never the less it wouldn''t hurt to have a little back up at the side. Alex nodded his head as he looked up at the leaders of principals of the academy, whatever the fuck they are. They''ve pitched their ideas and since there would probably be a bit of correspondence between him and them in the future, he should be able to glean more information about the individuals in front of him. "I''ve heard what you have to say and I agree, we can form an alliance. But! In my absence you would have to help protect my assets and investments. If you fail in doing that, or go behind my back and try to take advantage of me, then I promise you I will make destroying this academy my life''s mission." Alex said to them as he got back up to his feet and turned to leave. "Of course! We would never go against our allies. You just play your path and we assure, we will clear every obstacles in your way hindering your climb to power." The way they spoke was oddly specific, not to mention quite weird, but then again an Assassination organization created a school and have trained some of the most talented human beings in the history of the cosmos. It was normal for people like that to be weird, but Alex wasn''t the person he once was. Even simple sentences with hidden nuances will set him off on a trail of suspicion and distrust, and honestly there was a bunch of hidden meanings in that sentence. However it wasn''t one that seemed to be a threat to him and his family, but it didn''t matter. Alex was going to be keeping one eye on them, and the other whoever or whatever decides to play games with him. Alex made his way out of the administration office, and was heading straight for the library. He had much to think about and put in place, but he would worry about that when his mother gets here. She was the only one he could trust to look after his tower while he and his friends go conquer a Dimension. This was like an expedition of war, there would be a lot of logistics required, a lot of resources needed, and a lot of planning. He had to be able to plan and create a chain of supply before he leaves, and maybe try to understand the rules behind other Dimensions a bit. Plus he was going to the library to take a test, he needed to know what sort of Mana element he has, and he had to find spells for it. This was not going to be just an expedition, but also a training exercise. Everyone in his tower needed to up their game a bit, the Ark wars was not the middle leagues, or the big leagues, this was the league above the league that was above the big leagues. An ultimate and bloody fight for power where even friend will turn on Friend and foes will become friends. It would be bloody, which was why after he was done with his aim in the library he would be calling Yun Fao and the triplets. This would be all hands on deck, and he would also have to take a quick trip to the Vatican before he leaves. According to the letter, maps and secret logs of information his father had given him on his birthday. He had a date with a holy spirit of some sort, and anything that has to do with spirit, has to do with him. After all¡­...He is the Spirit King. 184 Mana attributes Mistake! double upload! Alex was surprised by this story, growing up; The ark wars have always been some of the greatest events of earth, but not too many people knew what it was about or what it was for. All they couldn''t Understand from the world wide televised event was that it was a war between anyone that can make their way to the Ark Dimension. Unfortunately in all of the previous wars, no had ever been successful in getting the ark Dimension to open. But then again the common people didn''t have all of the details, and his father was never one to have colorful conversations about the wonders of the cultivation world. But since this bunch of people were offering him the information, who was he to reject, there was no knowledge that was worthless. "The Ark of Noah had first appeared many years ago during the great flood, there are many earth Legends about that flood, but the fact remains that such a treasure, capable of carrying the vast numbers of living beings across the earth existed. But contrary to what many believe, the great flood had not just happened on Earth, it was a cataclysmic event that spread across the cosmos and numerous planets. Earth was weak, but somehow they had survived, along with the numerous animals and even plant life, though many others still died and went extinct. That drew the attention of a lot of people from other planes, and then as I''m sure you''ve already found out, the great war between the gods of earth and the Invaders from other planes. Somehow, actual gods lost the war, and the Invaders won. However a God''s life is tied to an object of divinity, it could either be a statue, or their weapons, or a writing speaking of their great deeds. These objects of divinity hold the inheritance of gods, the total sum of their true power and the true secret to godhood. The Ark war is a fight for all of these inheritances, and we would like to align with you, the Zhang clan, and the ninth Princess to partake in this competition. The way the war holds is to find a token from a major Dimension and then use it to open a pathway from your Dimension to the ark world where you and your armies will fight against others for a chance at ultimate power. The Dimension token for earth is already in the hands of the Albion empire, the only way for us to get a token is by being in total control and command of a Dimension, and then the token will come to you or it''s own free will. We know the emperor of the empire of heaven had given you a major Dimension to conquer, we know you''ve not done so, but we would like to ask you to get that done, before the three month preparation period elapse. The more cards and allies we have, the greater chances we have of winning. Alex shrugged his shoulders, he didn''t think for one they were desperate about this alliance, obviously they already a token and could prepare, but right now he had to go conquer the Dimension that was given to him, and get a token from it Within the next three months. To Alex this was an elaborate plot, the moment he and the others leave, they''ll pounce on his tower and try to take control of his resources, or maybe they were sincere and would instead try to protect it. He wasn''t sure, and quite frankly he couldn''t trust them, but he didn''t have much of a choice left. While this wasn''t factored into their plans, Alex and Victoria already had plans to have a closer relationship with the Academy and they had a significant amount of clout in the cultivation world. Especially when you consider the fact that assassinations were things they''re well known for, so it was basically an attempt to tame a poisonous snake so that it doesn''t turn it''s fangs in their direction. Alex would have to put some back ups in place, but the Academy was right, conquering that Dimension is important. Even more so was the fact that he has an army waiting there for him, not to mention he would be away from the eyes of others, and the severity of the conflict in that Dimension would help him get stronger. He would also be able to use this chance to master Mana and magic, figure out what his Mana element was and master some spells. He didn''t have or need techniques with his spirit energy, it was basically an unrefined power source that thrived on strengthening, bending, breaking and rewriting the rules of reality. If was the supreme energy source, but all it was good for was to be an augment. Either way, he has been studying hard for quite a while, it was about time he put a lot of things into practice. Plus he didn''t have too move too far, or rather it should be easier to say that the academy would not be too far from him. While Planetariums are extremely rare and expensive, plane keys are cheaper and much easier to make. Of course they''re an expendable resource, but even they were cheaper than Planetariums they were also bloody expensive. Having a bunch in hand means he can come and go from the Dimension he has to conquer and the tower, plus plane keys are always active for two hours and can open spatial tunnels between Dimensions for people and resources to move through and fro. Never the less it wouldn''t hurt to have a little back up at the side. Alex nodded his head as he looked up at the leaders of principals of the academy, whatever the fuck they are. They''ve pitched their ideas and since there would probably be a bit of correspondence between him and them in the future, he should be able to glean more information about the individuals in front of him. "I''ve heard what you have to say and I agree, we can form an alliance. But! In my absence you would have to help protect my assets and investments. If you fail in doing that, or go behind my back and try to take advantage of me, then I promise you I will make destroying this academy my life''s mission." Alex said to them as he got back up to his feet and turned to leave. "Of course! We would never go against our allies. You just play your path and we assure, we will clear every obstacles in your way hindering your climb to power." The way they spoke was oddly specific, not to mention quite weird, but then again an Assassination organization created a school and have trained some of the most talented human beings in the history of the cosmos. It was normal for people like that to be weird, but Alex wasn''t the person he once was. Even simple sentences with hidden nuances will set him off on a trail of suspicion and distrust, and honestly there was a bunch of hidden meanings in that sentence. However it wasn''t one that seemed to be a threat to him and his family, but it didn''t matter. Alex was going to be keeping one eye on them, and the other whoever or whatever decides to play games with him. Alex made his way out of the administration office, and was heading straight for the library. He had much to think about and put in place, but he would worry about that when his mother gets here. She was the only one he could trust to look after his tower while he and his friends go conquer a Dimension. This was like an expedition of war, there would be a lot of logistics required, a lot of resources needed, and a lot of planning. He had to be able to plan and create a chain of supply before he leaves, and maybe try to understand the rules behind other Dimensions a bit. Plus he was going to the library to take a test, he needed to know what sort of Mana element he has, and he had to find spells for it. This was not going to be just an expedition, but also a training exercise. Everyone in his tower needed to up their game a bit, the Ark wars was not the middle leagues, or the big leagues, this was the league above the league that was above the big leagues. An ultimate and bloody fight for power where even friend will turn on Friend and foes will become friends. It would be bloody, which was why after he was done with his aim in the library he would be calling Yun Fao and the triplets. This would be all hands on deck, and he would also have to take a quick trip to the Vatican before he leaves. According to the letter, maps and secret logs of information his father had given him on his birthday. He had a date with a holy spirit of some sort, and anything that has to do with spirit, has to do with him. After all¡­...He is the Spirit King. Hhhh 185 Mana Attributes Alex took a deep breath as he stepped through the massive double doors of the Academy''s library. There was a sort of pressure felt by the sheer action of stepping through it''s threshold. Simple out this was he largest repository of knowledge on the entire earth, no one and no where else can boast the same amount of information as the academy, and quite frankly it was quite daunting. As for testing what his Mana element was, Alex knew exactly where to go. The library had many sections and each sections had divisions. But the two main sections were the sections for Qi and Mana, the entrance of the Mana section was to the east of the especially massive library, it took Alex all of five minutes to walk until he found the Mana section, and right in front of this section was a counter that had a single mounted crystal ball. Basically the crystal recorded what kind of Mana you had, and gave you a directory of books you can pick from. All the books were copies of copies of copies, however they are all accurate. The books could be borrowed from the library indefinitely, but you couldn''t borrow a book for anything longer than three months, and it would cost you. The section was not that inhabited, never the less everyone pretty much ignored Alex as he walked towards the crystal ball and placed his hands on it. At first there was no reaction all of a sudden there was a vibration stretching from the crystal ball all the way into his body. Alex wanted to resist,. It this was a part of the process so he was able to hold himself back and let it continue. The Crystal ball suddenly became smoky as it rose into the air, releasing a thick column of wind that formed into a small tornado above Alex''s head. But it wasn''t over yet, as the earth beneath his feet, pushed up out of the marble floors of the library, and formed into tiny metal balls that seemed to be floating around the tornado. The phenomenon grabbed the attention of a bunch of people as they stood there watching while Alex just raised an eyebrow in surprise at the light show that was currently taking place. Eventually tiny vines began to grow out of the tiny metal marbles that was floating above Alex''s head, seemingly wrapping around the tornado that Alex now noticed was crackling with blue, white and golden lightning. And then just as quickly as it had started, the phenomenon came to an end as a set of words appeared above his head in a smoky script. The answer to what Mana attribute or rather attributes he had was answered rather quickly, some answers were pretty much obvious, but in the end none of them were what Alex had expected. Name: Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Al¨¦ Age: 15 Discipline: Qi, Mana, ???? Mana Attributes: Wind Variation: Lightning/ Earth Variation: Metal/ Life Rank: Apprentice Mage So there was no danger as Alex could just stick to learning Wind and Earth element spells, though they wouldn''t be as strong as the variations in the end. Alex turned his focus back to the crystal ball, as a list of spells were given to him to chose from. Now normally a cultivation or rather in the case of Mana, a visualization manual would be given to help cultivate their Mana, but as he has learnt so far, Qi cultivation was quite adaptable, and the Wudang Heart Sutra could help him in training his Mana, it would just be much harder and difficult as the technique was tailored for Qi. It was hard picking the spells needed, but Alex it shouldn''t matter much which one he picked, the bottom line of the matter was that he had to master three basic spells and be as to use them at least 8 times each within the span of three minutes. By then he should be in the first circle and can properly learn first circle spells, for now he could only learn 0 circle spells. Alex chose his three spell books and was given a third book, which was a basic overview over mage cultivation. Alex wasn''t sure he needed it right now, but at the very least too much information and understanding can never be a bad thing. He quickly left the library, sure as hell that the fact he could also use Mana would spread across the entire academy like wild fire during a very hot season. He made his way back to the tower avoiding everyone until he was behind his desk and in his room. His desk was clustered with a lot of plans, blueprints, manifest, maps, information, sheets on wards and arrays, business deals and information about a lot of his competitors. He''s been really busy over this past month, and was actually burning himself out just to take his mind off a bunch of things. But Alex ignored all that as he opened the basic introduction to mage craft and began reading. All of the information that was there was something that Alex already knew, with the except a few things that helped him a bit. But still he was still able to properly Understand the basic theory behind mage craft. First of all, the importance of spells and how you had to be careful when choosing your first spell model. An apprentice mage must learn three basic spells, basically we''re talking 0 circle spells that could be considered as basic home spells. But those spells would serve as the foundation for the higher circle spells you would get to learn. If a fire mage learnt conjure fire, which is basically just summoning flames in your hand, you could Branch out to fireball at tier one, but if it''s candle flame, a more controlled version of the conjure fire, you could learn flame arrow an be well on your way to becoming a mage capable of shaping your element. At tier one you need four spells built upon the basic three you''ve chosen, some mages only have a single element, but they still have to go through the same process. Either way by learning only four, you get to decide your main spell as the basic spell with more blocks placed on it would find out the strongest. Of course before they make the advance to second circle, some mages hold back their advancement just so that they could completely build up on their basic spells, giving them more options. Alex understood all that, even though he had not chosen his three basic spells as carefully as possible, he wasn''t too worried. All. Roads lead to Rome, plus Mana was the least discipline that had his focus out of all the three he was proficient in. He was learning now because he needed enough Mana to inscribe and activate wards, which was important as he has been holding back on forging his swords because he wanted to make something powerful enough to handle his Mana, Qi and spirit energy. It would take (Nameless) a long time of growing, killing and surviving with Alex, before the spirit weapon becomes fully capable of utilizing all three energy sources. But for now, Alex already noticed a bit of a lag and resistance when he used (Nameless), in the end Alex was a swordsman, his achievements with the spear were amazing, but he still preferred his long swords. Either way back to the matter at hand, to learn spells of any sort, you have to be able to memorize their spell model, basically it''s wards that serve as the natural trigger for the spell. You imprint this spell models in your head, and then pour Mana into it from your heart, and then not would be activated out in the real world through you. It was basically the same principle with arrays and wards, making this quite easy for Alex to understand. As for memorization, he had that down to a T, he couldn''t stress enough the brain power of someone in the spirit commander realm, apart from his insane 20 kilometer perception, something that had increased in clarity and range Within this month, Alex never forgets what he''s seen, be it pictures or words. Learning spells this way would be much to easy. None the less he paid attention to the three 0 circle basic spell models on his desk, obviously it was time to work. The three that Alex had chosen were, (Earth Element Variation: 0 Circle Metal Spell: Magnetize) (Wind Element Variation: 0 Circle Lightning Spell: Spark) (Life Element: 0 Circle Life Spell: Conjure Thorns). Alex looked at them and said. "So! Who goes first?" 186 0 Circle Spell; One Model Three Casters [Magic; the distinct ability to make the unimaginable possible¡­...it doesn''t exist. So it pains me greatly to hear our fellow mages calling out art magic, we''re no magicians, we''re mages. Ours is an art that takes the materials of the universe and reshape it, we give it form, new life, new understanding and purpose. When others see the impossible, we see the science of Mana and the patience of Understanding the arcane brought on the fluent script of runes, spell models, wards, and the spoken words of incantation! This my friends! Is magecraft!] 9th CIRCLE MAGE; DRAGON LORD, PROTECTOR OF ALBION, ARCH-MAGE AMBROSE ELOYSIUS MERLIN! There hours that was how long it took Alex to understand the spell model of the first spell and was ready to cast it. Every spell has two ways of casting it, the first being the simplest for mages without much talent in visualization; and that''s to chant the spell by infusing their words with Mana, it would give the spell shape and alter nature to bring it to life. Using this method it would be extremely easy for many mages to learn magic, it made it more main stream. Eventually the learn to stop using chants the more familiar they are with it, as their Mana and mind would become familiar with the initiation, application and discharge of the spell. The other method was the one Alex had chosen and was the hardest, it made things a lot more easier for mages, rather than chanting for a few seconds and giving your opponent the chance to attack, you could imprint the spell model in your mind, and then send Mana into it, to activate it. The activation was near instant for some spells, and won''t take more than 3 to 15 seconds for the most complex of spells. The spell Alex had chosen was the life element spell conjure thorns. The spell model had been drawn in his mind with the help of his spirit energy, though honestly he had made mistakes four times. And it wasn''t until he had completed it that he realized he made a mistake, he was supposed to use his Mana to imprint the spell model in his mind, in particular a place called his mindscape, Aka his mantle hall. It had been three hours of surprise for Alex, he was standing in his mantle of as he had so aptly discovered, his mindscape, looking up at the basketball size spell model for the life element spell; conjure thorns. He looked in the direction of Nezha''s and Xeron''s Arch, but before he could open his mouth to ask, the spirit spoke out. Well getting to see Arch-Mage Merlin definitely won''t be easy, but seeing as he''s engaged to marry his student he might be able to Squeeze himself in. But that''s not something that could happen immediately, well the spell model was already in the mantle, so it was time to experiment. Alex pulled his mind out of the mantle and for the first time ever, sent the tiny wisp of Mana he had gushing into it, and straight into the dark brown form of the spell model. (Conjure Thorns) Alex was still in his office, it was a wide spaced room, so there was enough area to practice. The spell model appeared over his hand, this time just a size of a coin, then it expanded till it was the size of a plate, a lot more larger than was required for a basic 0 circle spell. A single vine of stretched out of his hand, and grew thorns on it''s sides. The vine itself was just seven inches long, so it was Practically useless as a spell for anything like offense or defense. You couldn''t even set a trap with it, but this was just to lay a foundation, so it wasn''t too bad of a start. Alex kept on feeding us spell the abysmal amount of Mana he had, until it ran out and the vine began the wilt, that was when he made his second mistake of the day, since he had used spirit energy to imprint the spell model, then just maybe he could use spirit energy to power it other than Mana, heck he might even be able to use Qi to power it since spirit energy was quite receptive and adaptive to both energy, the result however... *BOOOOOM!* Granted he used a little too much spirit energy, and maybe it was not a good idea to have mixed in that massive chunk of Qi, but the results were not bad per say. If you choose to ignore the fact that there was a meter thick and over right meters long tree, or thorn vine stretched out of his hand and stabbing into the ceiling. The body of the vine seemed to hover between being illusory, and being extremely gnarly and brittle on the other side like the body of an ancient tree. Qi and spirit energy combine to power a spell that''s supposed to be powered by Mana. "Damn! I''m good!" "Hello! Knock knock! Is this Alex? This is your ego speaking, I''m afraid I''ve gotten too big for your head to contain" "Shut up Khan!" Alex backed at the Kamaitachi that he hadn''t noticed had come into the room and was watching him, not too far behind was Devonte with a surprised look on his face. "That shouldn''t be possible master, we felt the change in your mindscape and we rushed over, but there''s..... why''s there a spell model in the mantle hall? And why?.... Oh! That''s a surprise, wow!" Alex watched at first as Devonte casted the same spell, using the same spell model, creating a vine that was just as big as Alex''s, though he''s was more illusory, showing he had used spirit energy. Khan swiftly followed behind, conjuring a black massive vine that was also illusory, but had an eerie feeling to it. Alex was gob smacked and left speechless with shock by the sudden turn of events, but it didn''t mean he was the only one as Both Devonte and Khan were also besides themselves with surprise. Though Khan''s vine was smaller, all three of them had successfully pierced the ceiling not the room, using a 0 circle spell, to cause damage a 2nd circle or 3rd circle spell would cause. It was unspeakable, and even worse was the fact three individuals were using the same spell model to simultaneously cast a spell, each drawing from their own energy pool, but seemingly sharing the same mindscape. "This is so weird..." Khan suddenly said as they stood side by side looking up at the destroyed ceiling. "Yep!" "You can say that again." Alex and Devonte answered at the same time. "Master I could have sworn that''s a 0 circle spell, but it was so damn powerful. I''ve tried studying magic before, but I never could learn how to use Mana, it was just so viscous, like syrup. But Qi was easy, like way too easy for me to pick up, and I''ve been able to integrate my spirit energy into it, however this is the first time I ever casted a spell, how is this possible?" Devonte asked, Alex might still be as clueless, but somethings were now obvious to him, so he had more answers than Devonte. "Qi and Mana are the two extremes of spirit energy, Qi is Yang and Mana is Yin, hard and soft. Frankly speaking, you can do not have a talent for one or the other, even if you''re a spirit and was horny capable of using Spirit energy. I''m just a freak of nature, but never the less, I had made a mistake when inscribing the spell model in my mindscape, which as it turns out, is that same as my mantle Hall. I used spirit energy instead of Mana, and since spirit energy is the progenitor of Mana and Qi, in theory it''s entirely possible that, Qi, and Mana skills can be executed using Spirit energy. I''ve managed to combine Qi and Spirit energy before, and have combined Qi and Mana attribute materials before when forging. So when using Spirit energy to inscribe instead of Mana, the spell model became capable of being cast by any energy source, and it''s because I used spirit energy that you or Khan can also cast the spell. We''re bonded, all of us! Even Nezha, Xeron and ¨¦bi¨¦ isn''t excluded from this connection, and the Nexus of that connection seems to be the mantle hall, or rather my mind scape. With that in play, I think we can even bring forth more power than any single one of us is capable of, which means, you guys can probably use the masks too, and take on the power of Xeron, Nezha and ¨¦bi¨¦. And from what we''ve seen, if I use spirit energy to inscribed every spell model, then..." "You all become capable of casting it! That''s insane!" all three of them turned to see Victoria, Anya and Louis behind them with varying degrees of shock on their faces, Alex didn''t know what to say, but Khan did, he always did. "Yo princess! Beautiful afternoon we have here ain''t it? Got any food for your dawg?" 187 Showdown In Sydney I : Heading Ou Studying the second spell model didn''t take too long, with the experience he had from the first one, it took Alex s hours to have the spell model for Wind Element: Lightning Variation: Spark. And just like the previous time, the spell was showing even more power than was required of it. The third spell Magnetize was easier to imprint in his mind, it took him no less than an hour to master it, and it was quite the achievement when they had all casted all three different spells at the same time. Devonte and Khan seemingly became closer to their master, because no matter how you looked at it, it now seemed as if they were sharing the same mind with him. It was completely unlike anything that any one of them has ever experienced, but nevertheless it was quite refreshing. After their mastery of the spells, Alex contemplated if he should maybe go get another 0 circle spell, these guys have proven that they could use such low level magic and turn it into something else, and he would very much like to see what other spells they could learn or if he could imprint a first circle spell. But even with all of his excitement he was still smart enough to know that, before you run, you have to walk, and before you walk, you have to crawl. Or something like that. But with the issue with magic properly taken care of, Alex reasoned it was about time he made his way to the Vatican. There are not many places on this Earth where worship of the old fallen gods were allowed. The Vatican on the other hand was the center of Power for the Christians and their God Yahweh and his Son Jesus Christ. A religion that was also quite spread Within the colonies of both the empire of heaven and the Albion empire, with the Albion empire even adopting it''s customs for some important ritual. In the clues his father had left, there was a thing called a holy spirit being kept locked in a cathedral and also having it''s power used as a Medium to perform miracles and stuff. Sure he wouldn''t be able to just March up and take it, but at the very least he felt that this was something he had to try, he needed to complete the masks, there were still 5 blank masks, with only two having spirits, and each mask needs to have three spirits that signify a state of life; Humanoid, Animal like, and Plant based. Whether or not they have consciousness it doesn''t matter, all that does is that he finds them first. For this trip he was only going with two people, but if you count in Devonte and Khan that made five. Minerva Crucifixio or Cross as everyone knew her was a knight; and a special element knight known as a holy knight, or in crucial political terms, a Paladin. Firstly he didn''t want to raise too much of an alarm with his leaving, he was going to investigate and potentially get another spirit for his mask, he''d rather keep that close for now, as a grump card not many people know of. But even if they''re heading to the Vatican, they had to make a stop in Sydney, capital of the kingdom of Australia. There was a special airship auction being carried out tomorrow, and Alex had gotten himself invited, which wasn''t bad considering many parts of that airship were crafted with his sky steel, and a weapons system that was a combination of Qi and Mana. The Qi engineer and Artificers who designed the Airship had sat outside his tower for three straight days asking for the secret to combine both Mana attributed materials and qi attributed materials together. They offered to give him the prototype of the Airship after they were done, and now they were about to auction it off. It was funny, Because Alex never thought he was the kind of person that could be so blatantly scammed. And so he was going there to see who had the guts to do such a thing, and also claim that airship cause quite frankly his tower was dire need of it. Plus it should be able to get him to Rome in one piece. "Are you sure we can''t leave with Anya or maybe Xiao Mei? There''s strength in numbers you know?" Louis suggested as they walked towards the Academy''s transportation terminal "We''re trying to keep a controlled low profile Louis, besides there''s no guaranty that we would be in any sort of fight, not with how much reputation we have. What we''re going to do is get the airship that was promised us, and then fly it to Rome and investigate a rumor. The three of us is just enough for that, don''t you think so Cross?" "I don''t know, nothing you expect can be what you experience as no plan ever survives the battlefield." She answered as she moved forward, purchasing a train ticked whilst leaving Louis, Devonte, Alex and Khan staring at her. "Is it just me or did she just reply with a Quote?" Khan asked, terribly surprised by the depth? Of wisdom Cross seemed to be showing. But considering she had a massive tower shield behind her, Khan wisely kept any other extra questions to himself, especially one''s about certain part of her body being flat as a washboard. Alex shook his head and moved forwards with a smile, everyone in his tower had one eccentric trait of the other. But it was that difference that was helping everyone really blend in well together, Alex was always worried that truly one of them was a traitor, and sometimes he acted accordingly by making plans with some of them and keeping it from the others, having different groups take care of different tasks. Like now; no one else knew they were going on a journey, even Louis didn''t know until Alex called him over and dragged him out of the tower. Louis was quite intelligent, but he had a mouth that really didn''t have a filter and that was worry some, there was Practically no difference between him and Khan in that regard. Nevertheless even with his distrust, Alex loved everyone and has made sure to make every time spent with them worth while, whether they were spies or not. He could suspect them, but they weren''t allowed to suspect each other. Of course there was no guarantee, but Alex tried his best to keep them together and it seems to have worked. He our based his own ticket and went to find his cabin. Trains were still rampant, especially in places like Australia where there endless stretches of desert. Not to mention the trains carried more people than airships, and we''re almost just as fast, plus they were quite comfy, so it made for a good method of transportation. "But Tower Master? I really would like to know what we''re going to do in Rome?" Cross asked him as she focused her gaze on him, her hands resting on her tower shield and the massive broad sword in it''s middle. Louis and Devonte turned to look at him, they had no idea they were going to Rome. "During my last birthday my dad left me a gift, it was a file of information about a bunch of rumors, sightings and modern legends of spirits, ghosts, bad omens, gods etc. Things like this fall under my sphere of influence as there''s a possibility any one of those rumors are actually spirits just like Devonte and Khan and can help make me stronger. There''s a rumor, though it''s not quite one as a lot of people believe it to be true, that ten years ago in a small cathedral at the edge of the Vatican city; an angel of God fell from the sky. He met a little boy who he then proceeded to leave behind a piece of his power with. This power is what everyone calls a Holy Spirit. I don''t know how true that story is, all I know is my Dad uncovered some extra information that the public has no idea about. Apparently the Angel didn''t fall, but was instead forcefully summoned from Heaven. If such a place exists or not, I''m not sure, but according to the file, this information is 60% accurate. They imprisoned the angel and have been using his abilities to create signs and wonders and healings, deceiving the people and lining their pockets with money. My search for Another powerful spirit aside, I''m in a position where I can''t let any spirits harm and hurt a human being. But just the same I can''t let anyone hurt and torture a spirit, in fact I fell tempted to burn entire cities to the ground if I find out innocent spirits Are being hurt like that. There should be a balance and a bottom line, Humans and Spirits are not Allowed to harm each other." Alex answered Cross as he leant back and closed his eyes to enjoy the ride as the train began moving. "But Tower Master why are you so interested in this?" Cross asked again, but this time it was Khan who gave her the answer. "Isn''t it obvious? He''s the Spirit king!" 188 Showdown In Sydney II : Arrival The train pulled up in Sydney a little under three hours and fifteen minutes. The ride wasn''t that bad, and Australia wasn''t as barren as he had thought of they had been led to believe. In some. Places he could see endless stretches of green patches, a sign of life as farmers and farm animals alike agent about taking care of crops. The simple people, it was deduced that at least 10% of the world''s population were incapable of any sort of cultivation, either mana or Qi, the remaining 90 percent made up all of the practitioners, but not all of them were talented enough to achieve high levels of cultivation. And so they would have simpler lives, they were stronger, smarter, and faster than most and even lived longer, but in the end all they''ll ever have was a simple and mundane life. Devonte And Khan remained hidden in the mantle hall, Alex wanted to keep most if not all of his cards hidden, and those two were some of his most important. So he, Louis and Cross went through the crowded streets of Sydney, heading to a hotel called the Nyx Arena. It was a rather known hotel in Sydney as it only offered services for cultivators, but never the less it was still able to reach a level of excellence not normally seen. While they were quite tempted to go sightseeing, Alex didn''t want to get distracted by anything, he was on the clock and every day wasted was a day he could use to get stronger. They arrived at the hotel after a 45 minute taxi ride and quickly checked into a three bedroom suite. Even if they weren''t well known yet, they still had a lot of money and that still counts for something. "So what do we do about the Airship master, are we going to confront them before the auction or after? Of we do it after we''re going to lose the Airship, and after they''ve sold it, short of killing them there''s not much we can do." Devonte said as he quickly reappeared the moment they were left alone. "Fairy boy is right you know, if we confront those liars after the auction is over, then we would have lost any chance of getting that airship. After all they would have sold it to the highest bidder by then, I think it''s better if we corner them this morning, they might have a few guards, but at this point short of an enemy being in the heaven''s gate, I don''t think there''s odds we can''t beat." Louis said to Alex as he looked his head into Alex''s room. Alex shook his head at that as it seems like Louis has adopted Khan''s nickname for Devonte, and based on the very upset look on his face, Devonte didn''t like it. Sometimes with everything they''ve had to go through, every life lost and taken, every deal, every lie, every scheme and plot, they forget;...that in the end they''re still just kids. "Are you sure Tower Master? Because at that point we won''t be dealing with just the company and individuals that lied to us, but also the person who wins the bid for the airship, and frankly speaking someone with enough money to win the bid can''t be anyone small." Cross said as she walked into the room, and for the first time she was without her tower shield, Louis could not take his eyes off her. "Well of course my dear Cross, the reason they''ll be coming to us is because we would be the one winning the bid for the Airship. They wouldn''t have much of a choice but to show and meet with me, the elusive and very wealthy buyer of an airship that''s the only one of it''s kind in the entire world." Alex answered with a smile, tilting his body so only half of it could be seen, he looked really sinister. "But Master! If we do that then we wouldn''t win, we''re rich now, but not that rich! We wouldn''t be able to win the bid. More than half our funds from the sale of the sky steel are now in assets spread across the Academy, not to mention we also have a fixed deposit account with money we''re not planning on using any time soon. We don''t have enough funds on hand to pay for that airship, it''s because it''s the only one of it''s kind that it''s going to cost a fortune, even for cultivators. Not to forget that said ship is said to be the most powerful ship ever built, I''m not surprised they scammed you of your sky steel and dual Qi and Mana Attributes ores and parts they had you forged. Right from time I knew the agreement of you getting to keep the prototype in return for a future collaboration was just bullshit, this is their life''s work. But then again such a dick move against someone everyone is now pretty much calling the Devil, would be nothing short of suicidal. But still...¡­your way doesn''t seem to be wise, we don''t have the money to pay for it." Louis explained as he kept his gaze on Alex who now had his hands folded. "Louis I said we would win the bid, whenever did I tell you that we were going to be paying for an Airship that belongs to us on paper and with verbal agreement. I know things aren''t as simple as they might seem, but right now all I need you to do is move around the hotel and tell me why the people from Aenz decided to pull out of our deal. It would give me a bigger picture and put more cards in my hand once I win the bid tomorrow and have to face them for payment. We''re not here to bid for an airship, we''re here to claim what we''re owed, I didn''t just forge parts for this airship, I modified it with the arrays that I''ve learnt along with a few spirit rituals, that''s not just made that ship the only one of it''s kind, but the only one that might be able to develop a spirit and come alive. I''m not generous that I would leave such a tool in the hands of liars. So go get me something I can work with, tomorrow we make a statement." \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e THE NEXT DAY The auction was taking place on a floating platform that was a part of the hotel, in fact there were quite a few of those Platforms, with walkways connecting each other and elevators connecting them to the main hotel five hundred plus meters below them. This was one of the greatest sights of the hotel and the reason why it was so respected, you could live amongst the clouds if you wanted to. The Platform that the auction was being carried out on was a little bit lower at 500 meters than the others, but it was quite large and had a domed arena on it that could sit upwards to 2000 thousand people, and it was built solely for auctions. At the side of the Arena there was a massive mist formation obscuring a giant form, it was had to estimate how wide and long it was due to the formation that kept it hidden, but everyone knew that this was the crowning jewel of Aenz automobile. This Airship was going to Change the game and there were rumors than even dignitaries from higher planes were here to bid on it. That spoke volumes of just how powerful a creation it was, and in this era it was very possible for tools to develop consciousness if they''re well made, well taken care of, and have lasted for quite a while. This Airship already had a 95% chance to develop a basic consciousness Within the next 8 years, and once that happens, it would be a very powerful battleship, one capable of turning the tires of any war. And the longer the ship lives, the stronger it will become. A trio of masked individuals walked into the auction Arena, they had gold cards that placed them right at the front of the entire auction, drawing attention to themselves. These people were short, they weren''t stocky enough to be dwarves, so they''re either kids or Halflings. But the thing is, Halflings were not exactly well liked in the planes where they from, so none will have enough power and money to come be a part of this auction, which left one other option....kids, or at least young people. Honestly they weren''t that short, height was not a determining factor, it was the way they acted, besides the people here have lived for a very long time And had more experience than they knew what to do with, they could smell youth even in their sleep. But in the end all that didn''t matter, if you had the money, and the power to protect what your money buys you, then you''re very welcome to this auction. And so with that said, the Auction began. 189 Showdown In Sydney III : Auction Begins After Alex and the others took their seats, they spent another half an hour waiting for the other buyers to arrive and for the auction to start. At that time they had spent it looking at the guests that had arrived, at least those who had their faces out in the open as just like the three of them, most of the buyers had on masks. Of the people that had arrived here, Alex recognized two people without being told who they were. The first being Red Dragon, the man who now had the privilege of being called his step father, but in the end even that was just in name. And the second person happened to be the second prince, or some people would say, the tenth prince seeing as he was the tenth and final child of the current Emperor. Either way, the Auction hadn''t started yet, so Louis used the extra time he had on hand to explain to Alex what had led to the Aenz automobile industry backing out of their signed deal. "The chief Qi engineers were actually prepared to honor their part of the deal, or at the very least that''s what I''ve found out, however the idea of backing out of the deal and putting the airship on auction was a move by the corporate sharks of the company. Since the engineers made the deal themselves, the leaders and investors declared it null and void. But the thing is the engineers can actually make such a deal, this was just a prototype after all, of course it''s the only one of it''s kind, but future collaboration between you and them would ensure that even better versions of the airship would be made. However the corporate sharks decided to burn those bridges by selling it, but basically I found out that this move was as a result of a conflict between some of the board members and the chief engineers. This was basically board room politics as they took all of the designs and research spent on the airship over the past two years and handed it over to someone else. The deals they have with us is still valid, but they never thought we would find out about the auction as it was only spread amongst a select few. If we do find out, we''ll find trouble with the engineers who made the deal with us, while the board members can have plausible deniability by saying they had no idea about the deal, putting all of the blame on the heads of the Qi engineers. If that can happen, they can use that method to make a new deal with us to make another airship using their designs and yours too, with the help you gave. It would be a win-win situation for them if they can get you on board, but if not¡­.. Have Fun, Alex certainly intended to do so, he was just here for the Airship and for the people who thought it wise to get and double cross him. Alex had a low tolerance for betrayal and lies, especially when he''s already had a prior agreement with you. The death of his clan mates, the secrets that his dad kept from him, and bunch of other stuff had all joined in giving him such a predisposition to the act of lying, that''s why he gets to never lie, even when it''s required. The best he could do was tell you half truths or misdirect you, but lie, was something he would never do. *Bang!* There was a loud bang as a screen seemed to ride up at the other end of the hall, and just as it did so, tiny tablet like screens rose out of the ground in front of their seats. This auction was pretty much virtual, the larger screen would show the highest bid for the items on sale, and the highest bid would win if another one doesn''t replace it. This would keep the auction civilized, and also keep the identities of the bidders a secret, they would only be able to bid by using the tablets in their hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this special automobile auction held by the Aenz automobile industry, my name is Ronald and I am your host. We would be putting on sale some of our limited airships, aircars, airbikes, airboards, and our first of it''s kind, and quite frankly the only airship capable of joint Mana and Qi controls. So stay tuned for the grand finale, we will be starting the auction with our limited edition Demon Stinger Airboards. There''s only six of it''s kind in the entire world, and today we would be auctioning off the only one left in stock at Aenz automobile. We will be opening our starting bid at 1000 gold, please ladies and gentlemen, the floor is yours." He had barely finished talking when the screen behind him out up with a bid of 10,000 gold. Alex raised an eyebrow at that, the price for the board had gone up by literally a thousand percent. Guess the people here were those that had the big bucks, besides the demon stinger Airboard was a collectors item, it just looked really cool seeing as the host did not even list out it''s specs, it''s obvious it wasn''t anything good. "The bid has stalled at 12 thousand gold, do I see any 13 thousand gold? Anyone? 12 thousand going once, going twice¡­Sold!" A single mission in the Orcon forest would raise enough money for Alex to but that Airboard, but it was useless to him since it really wasn''t that good a machine. Airboards, Aircars, and Airbikes weren''t completely just for transportation, hardly anyone trained demonic or magical beasts anymore to use as mounts. When there are machines that can move better, are more resilient, and if built well had more attacks and even had the possibility of growing and becoming a sentient artifact, not to mention the cost to maintain them as opposed to living being wasn''t that high. The Automobile industry was in boom because of the existence of this air vehicles, And a proper battle vehicle was the wet dream of many young cultivators. There are still some old fashioned cultivators who prefer living mounts or have had mounts that have lived with them for years. But still this was the rage, with a proper vehicle someone in the mortal gate can kill a person in the earth gate, assuming he or she is underestimated and they take advantage of every opportunity given to them. Bottom Line, Alex decided to get some as an addition to his airship. "The next time item on display are a pair of Airboard, Airbikes, and Aircar. Triple Thunder Gods: Zeus, Thor, and Sango! We''re auctioning them off as a set! The Airboard; Zeus! Named after the ancient Greek godking who was known for his ferocious anger and talent in battle has a minimum speed of 800km an hour and can go from ignition to top speed in 5.2 seconds! It has twin mini guns that fire concentrated bursts of lightning bolts with an intensity of no less than a billion joules! Amongst all the airboards in existence, he is the king! The Airbike; Thor is just as mad and bloodthirsty as his brother Zeus! Even more so considering Thor was also the God of war, like his father Odin! A 1000km and hour and going from ignition to top speed in 3 seconds. He''s capable of creating twenty meter concussive sound and thunder barriers that spreads from the Airbike itself to a radius of twenty meters in a second. It''s like thunder and lightening going off right in your face and lasts for at least 10 seconds, perfect for someone who likes to fight like a Calvary soldier. You could smash through enemies like a bowling ball through a room full of dominoes. It''s equipped with the same mini guns, though they''re much bigger, to the point I would call them sub-machine guns firing concentrated lightning beams with an intensity of 3 million Joules! We''re talking the power of tribulation lightning! Amongst Airbikes in current existence, he stands at the peak alongside three others who''s name are not consequential to the auction. But never the less I''ll call them out. The Raiga! The Hollow, and the Storm Fly. And as for our final entry in this set, the Sango is incomplete. Unfortunately we were never able to complete it as the parts it needed would be something similar to what our grand finale has. It would have been an Aircar capable of both Great feats of Qi and Mana as opposed to the others that run on a power core that would need to be changed regularly. However fear not! Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Al¨¦ of the Zhang clan and the Wudang sect, Childe Spirit Wind of the Heaven''s Empire and finance to the ninth princess Lu Victoria; is the only one capable of building parts that can utilize both Qi and Mana, a proper deal with him and you can complete the Sango. He might even be inclined to help as the Sango is based on a god of Legend from the dark continent, the place he grew up in. Sango was a ferocious warrior, he was so strong and feared that it was said just be opening his mouth he could spit out thunder and fire. He never lost a fight and was even husband to a goddess of winds and storms! Truly worthy of appreciation. Even uncompleted, the Sango has a top speed of Mach 3, enough to rival most Airship and capable of breaking the sound barrier. It takes it 3.73 seconds to get to top speed, and has the same concussive thunder field of the Thor, and has a Quad Omni directional battling guns that fire rapid burst of Black lightning! And a small cannon that fires a combined plasma bolt born from black lightning and black flames! No one in the earth gate can withstand it''s power and it might leave a heaven gate severely injured if it''s completed. And with that said the starting bid would be 300 thousand gold, you can....." (1 million gold!) Every one was shocked by the increase, and no one more than Cross and Louis, because it was Alex who had made the bid. 190 Showdown In Sydney IV : 500 Million Alex ignored the looks from Cross and Louis as he placed his focus on the screen, he was pretty much annoyed by the fact that the Aenz automobile industry would throw his name out like that. But nevertheless he still wanted the triple Thunder Gods set. First of all he didn''t have personal Automobiles like those and he felt like it was about time he gained one of those. And yes the host was right, he did get attracted the moment the name Sango was called. "1 million gold going once, going twice!" (1.2 million gold!) Alex felt annoyed, he had raised the price so high because he didn''t want to drag the bid with anyone else, but now here he was dragging the bid with someone! But none the less the price wasn''t out of his expectations and he could still do something about it. He raised the tablet in his hand and increased the bid to 1.5 million. They were shocked, it made him seem desperate and quite frankly 1.5 million gold was a lot of money, and the bid for the Airship hadn''t started yet, so no one was that willing to spend so much on a set of Automobiles that wasn''t even complete. "1.5 million going once, 1.5 million going twice! Sold!" Alex heaved a sigh of relief, though he was quite annoyed by how he had spent so much money in such a short period of time, however he felt it was money well spent, plus the chance to play around in an Aircar and modify it. After that Alex just relaxed and let the whole auction play out, there were 12 items auctioned off before finally they got to the highlight of the day. "Ladies and gentlemen we have gotten to the hour you''ve all been waiting for! Please allow me to tell you more about this great Queen and beauty we''re about to unveil to the world, a queen that any one of you would be taking home tonight! We here at the Aenz automobile industries call her, The Divine Empress Morgana! She''s not just an airship, but a dual discipline battleship with an engine designed by two of the best Craftsmen of their generation, Grandmaster Qi engineer Curveta? Listik, and Grandmaster Artificer Jeremiah Honest! But apart from that, said engine was carefully forged and crafted by Childe Spirit Wind of the heaven''s empire, Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng! The engine is a dual core Mana and Qi power reactor, with a mini reactor for a kind of energy we''ve yet to identify but speculate is actually the fabled Spirit energy. The mini reactor absorbs spirit energy and disperses it into the dual core reactors, powering the ship. The mini reactor is actually the main engine for the airship as the dual core reactors serve as secondary power source and also power up arrays and wards that create formations for defense and attack. This ship travels fast, enough to actually tear a hole through space and travel to other Dimensions. However that''s not been tested as the ship would need to get stronger and have a planetarium installed to be capable of such feats. Not to mention the dozens of smaller guns that''s mounted on the port and starboard side, and Omni direction plasma turrets that fires a high concentration of corrosive yin energy. This is a machine built for war, but none the less its also built for comfort. It can comfortably house 50 crew members, and can ferry about 500 tons worth of material without a single loss in speed, anymore than that and it would be that much slower. It''s 250 meters long from stern to bow and 160 meters high, and 50 meters wide from Port side to starboard. She can also house smaller war vehicles, which brings us to the finale. She already has an inbuilt prototype Planetarium! All you need to do is make sure the proper coordinates to other Dimensions and planes are properly inputted into it, and you will have a ship capable of great destruction and traveling through the very fabric of space and time. The starting bid for this ship is 20 million gold!" (30 million gold!) (40 million gold!) (70 million gold!) Alex was shocked by how wild everyone became with this auction, this Airship would change transportation And Aerial warfare for cultivators. Many wanted the ship as a collector''s item, but many others saw the potential of the ship, if they were successful in reverse engineering the ship''s systems, then it would be no small feat to have an entire Armada of the same type of ship with Dimension traveling capabilities! The conquering of Dimensions and particle world''s would be a whole lot more easier. (150 million gold!) "Please everyone, I would like to ask that you give me, Red Dragon some face as this ship is something that''s very important to the imperial family and our Wudang sect." that voice really pissed Alex off, he just had say their Wudang sect, this guy really had no shame, never the less, Red Dragon getting up had more than halved the amount of people still willing to bid, but still it went on. (200 million gold!) The original cost for building the Divine Empress Morgana was about 60 million gold! Now it was three times it''s price for building, and it was still rising. 60 million was no small amount of money, it was freaking expensive so much so that the amount even gave Alex pause, but everyone else here were raising the price like it was nothing. But it was Understandable, many of the people here, be they representatives or just here for themselves, have amassed their wealth over at least a hundred years. Cultivation was an expensive venture, but Cultivators were like dragons, they very much like to board treasure and wealth, and Alex was no different. However the spirit tower''s entire net worth was just about 30 million, they''ve done well for themselves in two months and sure enough their net worth will increase in the coming months, but this auction won''t wait for them, besides it would take a while to even have up to 200 million gold. (360 million gold!) Alex felt his heart get stuck in his throat when the most handsome man alive, the second prince decided to up the ante! A lot of people if not everyone had shut up by then, even Red Dragon had sat back down with an upset look on his face. He was using the imperial family''s name, but here was someone from the imperial family bidding against him, that shit must sting and it gave Alex great pleasure to see him upset. The host was calling for 360 million when Alex made his move again. (500 million gold!) The entire hall went silent, that was a lot of money even for a sect, it''s not as if they couldn''t cough it out if they wanted to, but Alex was sure no one was representing a sect or an empire here. This auction was kept quiet so that it wouldn''t get to his ears until after it''s been concluded and paid for. He wouldn''t be able to do much if the ship now belonged to someone else, so instead of extending an invitation for the sects and schools, what they did was extend the invitation to a few select individuals. "Young friend hiding behind a mask, please give me the second prince of the empire of heaven some face and let me have this airship, I assure you I will not forget you magnanimity and be sure to reward you properly." Alex raised an eyebrow behind his mask, the he shrugged his shoulders, guess it was about time for the showdown to begin. "So it''s the tenth prince, please forgive me for being so bold. It I can''t do that. I''m trying to save all of your lives and stop you all from committing a grave injustice. I believe everyone here is an upright member of the Wulin and we all try our best to hold on to our Honor, however not only is that ship a death trap, but it already belongs to someone else and the Aenz group are just trying to steal and sell it behind his back!" Alex sure had a lot to say, but nobody here gave a shit about injustice and honor, this was a weapon that in the hands of their enemy could be turned on anyone of them. And many of them did not want it falling into the hands of the royal family, so even they didn''t give one shit about what Alex was saying, they let him continue as they all wanted to see how this would end. "How dare you! Who do you think you are to slander the Aenz group like this. Please friend if you don''t want to be thrown off the premises, please stop giving false reports!" the host shouted out in self indignation and righteousness, Alex smiled because it was akin to a rabbit walking into a trap. Since the trap has been sprung, then itsy about time the hunter came hunting. 191 Showdown In Sydney V : Choose! Alex shrugged his shoulders again, he seemed to be doing that a. Lot more regularly, so there''s a possibility that''s it turning out to be a habit. But it didn''t seem all that bad him, he felt that it made him go and somewhat nonchalant to the people in front of him. But never the less he had a job to do. "First of all I have it from a very reliable source that the engineers and Artificers had agreed to give the prototype airship to Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng as a gift for his help, on the agreement that he would help them with future versions of the airship and prolonged partnership with the Aenz Automobile industry , so why then are you kept now auctioning it off, and in such a secretive manner, do you want to back out of the agreement. In the Wulin we believe that a man or an organization should be true to their word, how can you back out of it in such a manner, do you think that Childe Spirit Wind is a fool, or do you think that the fact that he''s supported as a spouse for the ninth princess of the empire of heaven is nothing more than a farce that you can overlook. You''re even selling it to his own brother in-law! Is this a joke, are you trying to cause problems within the household of the Imperial family! You people want there to be war? Why?" Everyone here knew without a doubt that Alex, though masked was just here to cause problems, but even if everything he was spouting might be total bullshit, the Imperial family cared enough about their face that if his accusations went outside of this place, it would inevitably spell room for the Aenz automobile industry. The second prince was cornered, face was important to a cultivator, but even more so to a royal, he had no choice but to stand up for a brother in-law that he honestly hated with all of his guts. "Please do explain, even though I''m not in agreement with this masked stranger, are his accusations true? Explain yourself and I would like for you to bring the engineers and Qi Artificers responsible for building of the airship here, I think it would be wise if we also hear this story from their own mouth." The second prince said as he sat back down with a pensive look, though it was quite obvious he was also scheming. The host had no choice, he was already driven into a corner, and he had no choice but to rain heaps, upon heaps of curses on Alex, and that was when it clicked, hit him so hard like a ton of bricks. That might not be Alex sitting there, but by now the whole world pretty much knew of his weird power with masks, apart from the Emperor''s banquet a few months ago, there were footages of him fighting during his time in the academy, masks were no synonymous with his image and reputation, so much so that people have taken to calling him The Devil. It didn''t take long before the Qi engineer and the Artificer that made the deal with Alex walked in, they were flanked by a couple of well dressed men and women, these were probably the board of directors, previously they had been satisfied with just watching how the auctioning went, but Alex had stirred a hornet''s nest, and quite a lot of people here were all too willing to kick at it even more, the second prince was no exception. "Ladies and gentlemen my name is Curveta? Listik and this is Jeremiah Honest, we''re the chief developers for the Divine Empress Morgana. We''ve heard what our masked friend has to say, and he''s absolutely right, we did make an agreement with Childe Spirit Wind that the airship would be given to him once it was completed. With his help, a work of fiver years was completed in just two weeks, it was the least we could do, but since the agreement was made without the consent of our investors and partners it was considered null and void as they chose to auction the ship off instead and offer some monetary compensation to Childe Spirit Wind to fix any soured relationship!" Alex was angry, no he was livid and fucking pissed off, and it was so strong that his shadow began to roil and shake. Alex would have kept up with this pretense until he was satisfied, but he''s going through puberty right now, his temper wasn''t good at all, not one bit. So when the three wraiths blasted out of his body wailing bloody murder into the air, Quickly followed by Devonte and Khan everyone was pretty much shocked. In the first place Alex was never one for pretense anyways, a lot of people didn''t move, they just sat back and watched, sure they felt a little threatened, but many of them were able to see through Alex''s cultivation base at a glance, they felt like he wasn''t a threat. The white mask on his face faded away, this was one of the blank masks in the mantle, but it was powerless so he could just she for a disguise. Louis and Cross maintained their identities, as Alex walked down the steps until he was standing in front of the board of directors. He moved around them a bit, an air of power and command emanating from his body, there was an aura of royalty so thick and so strong it shocked everyone that was watching. The Wraiths were circling above his head, and frankly speaking the Aenz group were terrified. "First of all let me make something clear, the mini reactor is indeed capable of absorbing and dispersing spirit energy from the air before delivering it through a professor that coverts the energy into Qi and Mana. However spirit energy can not be guided like Qi or Mana , mad as such only someone capable of using the energy extensively, not just in skills and techniques, but to actually control the flow of the spirit energy can fly that airship. You might have been able to fly it here, but I''m sure all you''ve done so far is run simulations, attempt to go at top speed, use it''s weapons at full power, or many of it''s other facilities and you will blow yourself and half of Sydney sky high. There''s a reason why that Airship is a prototype and why I was happy to accept it when it was offered to me, I''m the only one in all of existence that can fly it. And even worse is the consciousness you''re all so hyped about. It''s born from my spirit energy, it still forming, but the moment it''s completely awake it will come find me, and considering it''s body is the ship itself it would bring that ship running to me. Or I could just be really pissed and blow the damn thing sky high and laugh with a bottle of wine in my hand while I watch the fiery blaze fall to the earth. And then I''ll dance on your Graves and then take a piss over all of your corpses!" *bo-booom!* Thunder crackled in the background, adding more severity to his words, Alex sat down on the podium where the entire auction had been carried out and brought out (Nameless) the entire body of the silver spear gleamed in a cold manner as he rested his head on it. He looked up at the rest of the people who had come for the auction, then he smiled as he said to them. "The Divine Empress Morgana would not be belonging to any one of you today, frankly speaking if I don''t get what I came for I''ll destroy it before I leave. But beyond that blood will be spilt here today, I am Childe Spirit Wind, not some snot nosed brat that could be led by the nose by a bunch of corporate hacks. So people of the Aenz automobile industry, choose who amongst you that will die today." Alex wasn''t scared about the repercussions, this story will spread and they would know he was defending his honor. By this point it was already common knowledge that Childe Spirit Wind was not the kind of person you messed with, he would send his ghosts to haunt you, and unfortunately for these guys, they did just mess with him. 192 Showdown In Sydney VI : Keep Being Good! Alex was akin to the boogie man in the eyes of a lot of people, and at the moment he had a personal fight with a well known Automobile industry. Normally it would have been better if they had talked things out, but it was obvious Alex wanted to spill someone''s blood, and because he was the one who had been offended, nobody could really get up to defend the Aenz company. Besides the Airship was not perfect, contrary to what the company had told them, there were too many flaws with the airship and no one else but Alex could actually fly it. "Alexander! Stay your spear and calm your heart, I''m sure the Aenz automobile industry would be willing to pay compensation to the Wudang sect for slighting you, but we shouldn''t burn all our bridges and give them a chance to do so." Alex raised his head up to look at Red dragon, the way he looked at the man who was leagues stronger than he was, was like Red Dragon was nothing but dirt in his eyes. Alex didn''t feel the need to reply to him, but Red dragon was playing politics and trying to reap where he did not sow. If the Aenz company decided to compensate Alex and just as Red Dragon said, compensate the Wudang sect by extension, he would be putting food on the plate of his enemies. It would be the Wudang sect that would be compensated, not the Zhang clan, and that was not something he wanted. Red Dragon was sky, with the way he had spoken it made it seem as if without a doubt the Aenz group were in the wrong. So he was standing up for his step-son, making it seem as if an offense against Alex was an Offense against the Wudang sect. Well normally that preconception wouldn''t be wrong, but the Wudang sect was not under the control of the Zhang clan as it has been for years since it''s inception. The Imperial Lu family mostly controlled everything, with the Zhang family have split control, causing a stalemate. No matter how prettily he dressed his words, Red dragon was an enemy and Alex would not let him be edit from his hands. "This is my personal matter Red Dragon, not one that my family and our sect has to get involved in. Of course should the Aenz group prove too difficult for me to handle, it wouldn''t be too late to visit upon them the wrath of the Zhang clan, and if it''s necessary, the entire power of the Wudang sect itself! And if that doesn''t work, then the full force of the empire of heaven! But I''m pretty sure these people would not let it come to that, so quickly give me my airship and the things I have bought, and show me which one of you has to die today, my thirst for blood had been aroused!" Alex didn''t really have any plans to kill anyone, he was trying to make them afraid and it was working. He had no intention of being nice or merciful, people would walk all-over his head if he did that. But sometimes killing was unnecessary, and just your words were enough to win even the toughest of fights. "Childe Spirit Wind, please we ask for your mercy and forbearance. We see the error of our ways and realize we should never have done this in the first place, we''ll see to it that the appropriate parties are punished. We would also compensate everyone here for wasting their time, with special limited edition Aircars from our stock for next year''s exhibit. Childe we will wholeheartedly hand over the airship to you, also you can have the Automobile sets you won the auction for freely and without charge. We''ll tender a formal and very public apology to you and also add in an extra 20 million gold to show our sincerity. Please if there''s anything else that would calm your anger please tell us?" They were kissing his ass alright, and quite a few people didn''t like it. The second prince for one felt the need to rip Alex to shreds, and Red Dragon wanted to do more than that and put Alex''s body in a giant meat grinder. Alex has experienced meteoric rise after meteoric rise ever since he stepped into cultivation scene a year and the half ago. His name wasn''t that well known yet, but it wouldn''t be too much of a stretch to say he was know all-over the world, and every prominent organization, sect, school or hidden power had a profile on him. He truly was the Golden child of heaven, and the terrifying devil of hell. Alex posed a threat to both the second prince and Red Dragon, what was even worse was the fact that he wasn''t actively trying to screw them over, but everything he does seems to make him shine brighter, and the brighter he shone, the darker their futures and ambitions became. Alex was hope for the Zhang clan, and the Zhang clan was the only clan closet to old world nobility before the Lu clan came and took over. But Alex didn''t know they had this thoughts and even if he did, he wasn''t sure he would care that much. Regardless of how much power they had, they couldn''t kill him, and even if they sent someone with enough power to kill him, there would be people waiting in the shadows to show them the meaning of real pain. Alex knew the shadow guards were still around watching over his every move and would come out to save him should he ever face insurmountable odds, but considering how he always had a trick to pull and survive, Alex doubted there would ever be a need for them to act. "Do as you have said and don''t go back on your words! You have one hour to deliver, anything more than that and I''ll hunt each and every single on of you down and flay you in front of your family and loved ones." With that said Alex left, the Wraiths circling high above everyone dived down and disappeared into his shadow, Similarly Devonte and Khan turned into streaks of light that vanished into his body. Louis and Cross still Kaiser, stood up and followed him outside, and as he left, everyone there felt as if some sort of invisible pressure was lifted off their shoulders. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Alex didn''t have to wait long before they showed up, he gave them an hour, but they had everything ready in under twenty five minutes. Alex had no idea why Louis and Cross wanted to keep their identities hidden as they still had on their masks, but nevertheless all three of them were now standing in front of the airship hidden behind the formation. Alex looked at the two people mainly responsible for making it, watching as they deactivated the formation and a majestic sight was unfolded in front of Alex. Her frame was a dark midnight blue, from her landing gears all the way to the main body of the Airship she looked amazing. For one, she didn''t look like a ship, instead she looked like a clam, a clam shelled like an arrow Head with it''s two bottom parts spread out a bit to give the shape of wings. The rear had a massive exhaust, which should be making responsible for the boost in speed, but there were a couple of smaller exhaust points under the ship and it''s wings for maneuverability. Windshield that was tinted, golden highlights, that was gradient and showed the name of the ship when you moved from left to right. It showed The Divine Empress and then Morgana depending on where your head was turned at the moment. And she was huge, massive, it was like looking at a flying fortress. Alex watched as the workers of the Aenz group began moving the three thunder gods Automobile sets into the ship, he was almost impatient to get into it. "You know you''ve gotten a lot more sinister and wiser since we met...¡­I hardly recognize you anymore." Louis said to him as they kept watching, Alex turned to him and asked. "Is that a bad thing?" the way Louis had phrased it, had Alex thinking that maybe he had done something wrong. Honestly he didn''t even notice he had changed, and he didn''t Understand how of in what way. "Not necessarily young Master, you used to be quite innocent and young and good, maybe a little bit na?ve and not wise to the way the Wulin worked. You didn''t talk much but you were sunny, you could make people gravitate towards you and feel safe. Now you''re cold, you hardly laugh anymore, you kill easily and you''re too rational. It doesn''t matter how this turned out, I knew you were prepared to slaughter everyone in the Aenz group. But even with all of these changes, the new you isn''t so bad. You''re focused, smarter, wiser, stronger, even kinder than before, and people still feel the need to gravitate towards you. Only you don''t give off the same safe feeling anymore, like as long they''re with you, they''ll be protected. Instead you make us feel powerful, like there''s nothing in this world we can''t face or destroy...¡­you make us¡­..me! Want to die for you. That''s a lot of responsibility Young Master, so I hope you don''t lose yourself. Because in the end you should never forget the one thing that separates you from your enemies even if fate and life wants to snuff it out." "And what might that be Louis?" Alex asked confused but at the same time shaken. "Goodness! Never forget that you are a good person! Nothing else matters, not revenge, not power! It''s because you''re good that I and everyone else are willing to die for you. Keep being good!" 193 Vatican City I : Morgana And The City [I honestly think religion is a waste of time, it makes us stupid, foolish, fanatic and incapable of seeing clearly. We can''t judge objectively and correctly because we hold so strongly to our beliefs. However! I''ll be too much of a hypocrite if I say religion is fully bad! Growth, prosperity, change, advancement of the human race had come about because of religion, because of belief. Our attempt to understand and reach the gods have led to our growth and evolution. It has made us what we are today and what we will be tomorrow. Religion is good, it''s inherently good even though sometimes it makes you want to pull your hair out and scream! It has given direction, it has given purpose, it has given faith! And it has given love. Just as I think it''s a waste of time, I also think I''m strong today because I believe in someone or something bigger than myself and the world I live in. So maybe he doesn''t exist and I''m kidding myself in believing a God exists! However nothing changes that this life that doesn''t make sense, seems more sensible when I blame everything that goes wrong on God and The Devil ???????????? but it also makes sense when I say thank you for all of the good things in my life. And thank you so much for the Angel I know (I believe) watches over me] ANONE "Before you anything young Master Alex, please tell me you''ve flown and Airship before? Because I don''t think we both would want a repeat of what happened last time." Louis asked, as he took his place on the co-pilot seat, whilst Devonte and Cross sat behind them, Khan was busy chasing the Wraiths all through the massive ship. Before this, normal Airship were built in the same manner as sailing ship''s, which is to say that you had to be standing to fly them, and they had wheels like Aircars or just normal cars. Morgana was different, truly the first of her kind, her controls were actually two handles with comfortable grips that floated in the air. There were formations glowing on the handles themselves, enabling Alex to fly the airship with a lot more ease that just using wheels. Though there was a bit of resistance, like the handles themselves had a gravitational field of their own. Either way it was all a new experience for Alex, but as opposed to Louis who had no idea what he was doing the first time they all went for a joyride, Alex had actually read a few flight manuals in his spare time. But it wouldn''t hurt to tease Louis a little. "So you''re saying my sailing is going to suck, and we''re going to end up in a city that''s about to be invaded by demons?" Louis had his eyes and mouth open, and then he closed them and then opened them again trying to figure out what to say to Alex. "All of that except for the demon invasion.....did I just jinx us? Damn!" Alex took a deep breath as his spirit energy sunk into the handles, his seat felt warm, and the controls of the ship out up brightly as the ship itself began to hum. Alex could feel every square inch of this baby, her primary engines lit up, diverting power to the numerous mini exhaust Chambers lining the ship. It slowly picked itself off the ground as a few dozen people watched below. Then the main exhaust Chambers began to light up with a fiery orange glow and low pitched whine started picking up, until it was a soothing droning hum. And then the ship lurched forward, over the edge of the floating platform, and then just dropped to the ground. "arghhhhhhh! What are you doing! What are you doing!" Louis''s terrified voice could be heard, even through the soundproof ship. It was such a surprising turn of events that the people watching had no words to say, but Alex got the ship under control before they smashed into the ground and went up in a ball of flames. The beautiful ship shot up into the sky, her midnight blue form flashing last with a hint of gold as she rapidly became a dot in the distance, the sun hanging over head every made her seem like a precious gem that had developed wings and learnt how to fly, and fly it did, all the way up, until it was lost in the deepness of the horizon. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e "So the ship doesn''t have a cloaking formation, looks like the one they had previously used was just temporary, now we''re parking it in few view of everyone to admire and maybe scavenge, awesome." Louis spoke out sarcastically as he moved away from the Morgana. "The Vatican city is a sovereign theocracy, everyone here is pretty religious and quite frankly no one in their right minds would come over and steal in broad daylight. Plus the Wraiths are on the ship! Master Alex said they''ll keep it safe." Cross explained as they walked into an open plaza. Devonte was keeping his eyes open, and so was Alex as he took in the sights of the city and everything in it. They needed a clue, his dad had said that there was a cathedral as the edge of the city, but he''s not noticed it yet, besides he didn''t really know much about the city. In front of them was an obelisk, it looked a little out of place in the city, but it was quite a sight and seemed to be quite the tourist attraction. At first glance it seemed normal, but Alex felt weird vibes from it, but he just couldn''t place his finger on it. "I don''t know if this is important Tower Master, but there used to be a necropolis near by. Last I heard a church was built on top of it, lots of people were buried there, plus the worship of pagan gods was also carried out until it was excavated a few centuries ago." Cross explained as they came to a stop. The living might not know much, but the dead could. Alex hadn''t gotten to the point where y could properly talk to the spirits of the dead that had not moved in to the next life, or to a spirit world, but it was as a good a place to start. Besides, wasn''t a cathedral a church, this might be the place they were actually looking for. "Alright Cross, lead the way. Louis scout the city, see if there''s anything more you can find. Khan go with him, Devonte you''re with me. Stay safe and stay discreet." After Alex gave his orders, they all separated as he and Cross made their way for the Cathedral that was built on the grounds of a former Necropolis. The Vatican city was a holy Land for Christians, though religion has been mostly left alone, it was still rampant with even some cultivators believing in it. The Albion empire was a devout Christian empire, the empire of heaven was aligned to Buddhism, but not everyone was all too willing to be religious, it was a choice. But religious or not, it didn''t matter much to Alex, the goal was to find out what this holy spirit was, and maybe find the source, to know it it''s true that an angel had descended and was being held captive. Religion was a weird subject, the kingdoms of the middle East were not under any empires but they were Muslims, and last Alex heard they were quite capable Warriors. But religion didn''t decided whether a person was strong or weak, but it had a lot of say, especially since Alex knew that Legendary religious figures might actually be Spirits right now. "This place was a circus built by the Roman Emperor Caligula for his mother''s gardens and completed by Nero. A lot of Christians lost their lives here, including the blessed Saint Peter. Of course the Roman empire didn''t last long, it was the Albion Empire using native hands to improve and expand. Very much like Macao, the Vatican city is a sovereign state, they govern themselves away from the control of their respective empires, but unlike Macau that''s a place of entertainment, the Vatican city is a place of worship. So please be careful Tower Master, wrong words might set off people with small minds." Cross explained to him as they ended up in front of a church. "It''s Alright Minerva, I understand what you''re trying to say. I''ll keep my temper under control and watch what I say, but we....." In that moment a man with flowing white beard, sunken bloodshot eyes and prominent cheekbones as a result of starvation, a thin frame, rage for clothes and holes in his hand, walked through Cross and stood in front of Alex. Obviously this man was very much dead, he was Spirit, or a ghost. But even with that he seemed very alert and aware of where he was and what he was doing. "You''re the new Spirit King aren''t you? Good! I sense that your heart is pure and bright, there''s great love in it. I am an Apostle of the Lord, the world today call me Saint Peter, but you can call me Simon Peter. I have been waiting for you Alexander, Son of Benjamin. I have a task and prophecy for you; will you lend me your ears an your heart, the darkness draws near." 194 Vatican City II : Golem Alex wasn''t surprised, of rather he was surprised, but this was Within his expectations. He just didn''t think he would have to deal with Saint Peter...not that he knew who he was or anything, but the dude sounded pretty important. Cross was looking at him weirdly, cater all he had made a somewhat unmanly sound when the very dead saint walked through her body. He wanted to reassure her, but the spirit in front of him demanded his full attention, he seemed to have a lot to say. "For your task, you''re required to save and rescue the arch-angel that greedy humans have kept captive here for over twenty years. This angel was sent here on a task, however he was captured by the humans he was sent to help, and kept behind to be used as an experiment and a cure all for diseases. It''s his divine blood and glory that''s being drained, you are to save him. Angels are considered spirits, holy spirits! And you defend all spirits do you not? It would be preferable if you rescue him at the earliest convenience and keep him safe until he has regained all of his glory. His time on Earth has left his glory murky and tainted, he must rediscover the path of righteousness before the gates of heaven would be open unto him once again. I believe it wouldn''t take too long, he''s the most important angel under the command of the father. There''s no time to waste, the obelisk is the focal point of a formation that''s used to keep him bound in a crypt below that church, right over where my mortal flesh is buried. You would not be able to free him unless you either deactivate the formation or even easier destroy the obelisk. There''s no finesse required for this, smash through them and complete the task the Lord has given to you, his blessings and favor would go with you. And as for the prophecy, should you survive, then it will be yours. May God''s goodness and mercy follow you, all the days of your life." And then he was gone, which was weird, but considering he appeared in very much the same manner, Alex couldn''t complain about it. But never the less there was a task to be carried out. Now normally he would not just carry out such a task, it was as strange as strange could get. Some ancient dear spirit would just show up in front of you with a task from God, what were the odds of that happening.....zero! Yet here he was, right in the middle of such a situation, turns out he''s actually a magnet for the weird and unexplainable. "Cross come on, we''re going back to the obelisk, and you might want to put your mask on, we''re about to do something criminal." (Get Louis and hurry back to square with the obelisk, make sure he''s wearing a mask and you''re nothing but wind in the eye of everyone else.) (Nameless) appeared in Alex''s hand, vibrating in intensity as Alex slowly bent his knees and faced the Obelisk. By this point he had already drawn attention to himself, and Cross was fidgeting around as a lot of eyes were now settling on the masked couple, but Alex didn''t care, he made his move Swiftly. (Wind God Martial Series: Weapon: Zephyr''s Ascension!) *Booom!* Lightning and thunder blasted out loudly as the pavement beneath his feet was smashed to pieces and his body nothing more than a hour rushed towards the obelisk. But he didn''t even get close enough as six feet from the Obelisk, a barrier appeared, intercepting Alex''s spear Strike. But even that wasn''t enough as the barrier sustained numerous cracks in the very moment. It was shocking, some of the people in square ones about that barrier, they knew it would be hard for even someone in the heaven gate to out a dent on it. But it wasn''t as if Alex was stronger, he just had spirit energy that was able to cause resonance and dissonance with any kind of energy in existence, Alex took five steps back, stomping his feet into the ground to bring his momentum to a halt as he turned around and noticed a couple of city guards coming up behind them. He needed a little more time to break through the barrier, so those guards had to be kept back. "Devonte! Cross! Keep those guards off me, buy me some time, but don''t kill anybody!" "Yes Master!" "Yes Tower Master!" Devonte rushed forwards, his daggers appearing in his hands as massive roots dug their ways out of the ground and towards the guards, Cross followed close behind her tower shield in her hand as she leaped into the air and brought the shield smashing into the ground, creating a shockwave that brought the guards to a halt, giving Devonte''s roots just enough to smash into their formation. And then it devolved from there, as they started fighting the guards, while Alex swung his spear at the barrier, increasing the cracks on it by the second. Funny thing about this entire situation was the fact that all of the onlookers hadn''t moved on, they just stood there watching on at the show in front of them. Safe to say it left Alex pretty pissed, did they think he was joking, weren''t they supposed to be running every which way screaming bloody murder, why the heck we''re they so calm. In his annoyance, Alex gave a harder swing than usual and smashed through the barrier, he was about to proceed to smash the Obelisk, when it suddenly grew hands and smacked him away. "Master!" *Crash!* Alex smashed through one of the windows on a villa directly opposite the north end of the Obelisk, he mowed through a few furniture before finally going through a couple of walls, ending up smashing into a bathroom and on a toilet seat. He was pretty pissed by now, especially since an Obelisk growing arms wasn''t something the oh so blessed Saint Peter had remembered to fucking mention! Alex picked himself up and walked outside, and just in time too as the Obelisk completely changed its shape into a massive stone giants with glowing energy wings, Alex spat to the side as he whispered softly. "It''s a fucking golem! Fucking saints and their Incomplete information!" Alex jumped out of the building he had been thrown through, he ignored the blood dripping from the side of his head as (nameless) shook from where it had fallen after Alex was but by the golem. The spear flew into his hands as he pulled it back and threw it straight at the back of the golem, just before it could sink into the golems back, a black cyclone rushed into the square and slammed into the chest of the golem, pushing it back as Alex''s spear found purchase in it''s back. A massive thorn vine made of energy surged out of the ground, stabbing through the leg of the twenty foot tall golem, pinning it in place as Louis''s golden form flashed past the body of the golem, light spilling from it''s side as Alex drew closer with his fist clenched. But the golem was not content to just stand there and be their punching bag, it clapped both hands together, creating a massive blast of energy that not only three them back, but also demolished quite a few villas around. It was in that moment that the people watching knew that shit had hit the fan. They had previously expected the golem to end things quickly and in a low key manner, the fact that the obelisk was a golem was an open secret, but it wasn''t something that was publicized. If you came to the city and stayed there beyond three days, the topic would come up eventually and you would know, but right now, this group of masked assailants were actually making the golem spend some effort, it would be best to give them some space before Innocents get caught up in the cross fire. Either way Alex, Louis, Devonte and Khan were not in a pretty shape, the energy blast was painful and none felt it more than Khan. The energy was of the holy attribute, it was pure and untainted, even if it wasn''t at it''s peak. Somehow this golem was being powered by the survey of the angel and it was still the focal point of the formation being used to keep him bound. With the energy of Angel, Khan that was part demon and overall a spirit that was just bad news, would find himself incredibly weak to it. Holy energy dealt with anything negative, and Khan was all kinds of negative. Cross was the only one still standing, her tower shield had protected her, in fact it had spread to both sides, looking like the wings of white and the cross in the middle that was a broad sword was held in her other hand. The tower shield was two meters tall and equally as wide, how she was able to carry such a large shield shouldn''t be that much of a surprise since she was Knight, more specifically a Paladin. But Alex forged that shield, he knew how heavy it''s transformed form was, especially with that massive broad sword in hand, but the weight aside, it was the crazed grin on her face that gave the males of the group pause. "mwahahahahahaha! Yes! Is that all you got! Come on! I''ll bathe in your blood you Infernal creature of stone and light! I am Minerva Crucifixio! And I sentence you to dieeeeeeeeeeee! Hahahaha Hahahaha!" Khan turned his furry head in Alex''s direction and called out through the telepathic bond. (Master she''s gone crazy!) Alex blinked his eyes, as Louis came besides him and watched just as he was as Cross attacked the Golem, then Louis opened his mouth and said. "She''s no paladin young Master, she''s a fucking Berserker!" 195 Vatican City III : Defeating A Golem Cross charged at golem, her tower shield blazing good as a massive projection of a cross smashed into the golem, pushing it back. Every step the earth giant took, made the very ground beneath their feet rumble, it was an impressive feat of strength, but Alex and the other knees that it wasn''t enough to bring this monster down, they had to go all in. The fire mask showed up on his face as he rushed forwards, the spear older in the back of the golem returning back to his hand as he drew close enough to it. Roots rose up out of the ground, slowly wrapping around the body of the golem as keeping it in place as Cross leaped and hacked at it''s face with her massive broad sword, before following it up with smash from her tower shield the forced the head of the golem to snap back. Alex and Khan drew closer, Khan turned himself into wind and attempted to. Drill into the body of the golem, but he was blasted back by an unknown energy as Alex moved forwards with his arms outstretched and pointed at the golem. He drew upon his spirit, Qi and Mana as he casted his first spell in battle whilst giving an order to his follows. "All of you keep your weapons away! Or anything metal on your body!" it was a shocking order, but it was one that they were rather not adverse to following as they kept their weapons back and gave the Golem a little bit more distance for Alex to come and touch it. ( Earth Element Variation: Metal: Magnetize) A greyish silver spell circle appeared on the back of the golem, glowing brightly and seemingly vibrating. The golden wings of energy on the back of the golem flapped and smacked Alex away, smashing him into the ground just as the effects of the spell took place. Within the entire square and encompassing much of the surrounding villas and streets, anything made of metal began to slowly vibrate. Alex and the other''s quickly gathered themselves, as Alex quickly used his flames to etch a defensive formation around them. They turned their attention to the golem that was flapping it''s energy wings, slowly gaining speed and altitudes as it attempted to fly up and free it self from the massive roots Devonte had used in binding it, but neither Alex, Khan or Devonte were having. (Life Element: Summon Thorn) Three massive meter wide and almost fifteen foot long thorn vines shot out of the ground and into the body of the golem, securely holding it in place and forcing it to release a roar of indignation as more holes were liked into it''s body, and the lights within it were shining out in an exquisite light show. And then a spoon flew into it''s eyes and remained stuck there. Alex and the others tried and made sure that they were able to help people who were caught under the effect of the spell and dragged towards the obelisk golem. Luckily for them the radius wasn''t too big, and things like Automobiles weren''t in use this close to the Obelisk, and it was easier to get rid of other metallic things as long as you''re not too stubborn to let it go. Now instead of a massive ferocious golem, what they could all see, was heap of rock and metal, still might spilled out from cracks almost as if the golem was planning an ultimate move. "Master what ever move it''s planning, we can''t let it release it!" Devonte shouted as they all ran towards the golem. "I know!" Alex replied Ashe leaped into the air,(Nameless) turning a fiery red as Alex used the body of the Golem as a stepping stone, running till he got to the top of it''s head, before jumping up. (Wind God Martial Series: Movement: Wind Stride Of The Seven Heavens) Alex''s form cluttered into the air, moving around the head of the golem like a dragon fly, leaving behind cloudy afterimages. He went higher, reach a height of about 60 meters above the Golem, before angling himself downwards, his gifts blaze as his spear suddenly took on the illusory form of a blazing red dragon. But that wasn''t enough for Alex as the flames changed from a bright orange to a light green and the subsequently reddish black! He shot down from the sky like a meteor, heading straight for the head of the golem, as the lights coming from it''s body seemed to grow in intensity. Alex fell, down swiftly, his movements seen clearly by many who had chosen to give a wide berth to the fight, he was like a dark angel, falling from the heavens, fire and blackness and red, sin and despair; but power without compare. The golem raised it''s head where it''s one eye was exposed under the covers of numerous metal objects, just in time for Alex''s strike to reach home. (Dragon Fall) *BOOOOM!* The earth shook and vibrated as an explosion so powerful rocked the square. The villas around survived it, but all of their windows, glasses and mirrors, even those not in direct contact but close enough to feel the sound of the explosion shattered. A shockwave spread out in wide radius, carrying with it smoke and embers of flames, entwined within the embrace of black ash. It was death in it''s most painful and truest form, and it obscured the sights of everyone watching from a distance. The wind seemed to shift, and the black Ash rapidly reversed, and everyone watched with baited breaths and shocked expressions as the flames and smoke and ashes were absorbed back into Alex''s body. His like shirtless form was seen standing over a heap of molten metal and rock. Magma looked around his feet, and his orange hair and tattooed body painted a sharp contrast with the light of the setting sun. Couple that with the mask on his face and many would say he looked heroic, but a majority would know and say, that they were looking...at a villain. Alex watched as a stream of bright golden light flew out of the rubble and up into the sky, moving specifically in the direction where he had met the saint Peter, whatever the case may be, he reckoned that was a piece of the angel that would set him free. But there was still something left behind, and that was the eye of the golem. He bent down and picked it up, however the didn''t seem to be a good idea as the moment he did so, his mind went blank. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e He noticed himself flying, the clouds felt so good as they hugged his wings, the wind itself his companion as it carried him ahead on it''s swiftness and kindest of currents. It was freedom and it was power, he saw himself soaring over the Nile, it was fun poking fun at Sobek and watching as Ra''s chariot flew over head. And then there was the desert in all it''s beauty, endless stretches of golden grains and heat, it used to be filled with such great life and water. And then there was the pyramid vast monuments built to his glory and worship, the Sphinx was always in a mood for a little word game, and Bastet still loved chasing after his shadow, this was the life of a god, his life. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Alex pulled back as he fell backwards, his breaths heavy and his body drenched in sweat, the golem''s eye was gone! But his body felt weird and he was terribly shaken by the turn of events. He had no idea why, but there was this feeling of loss, and emptiness, he couldn''t help but shakily get back up to his feet and ask. "Nezha! What the hell was that?" However Nezha was silent, of rather it seemed as if he was not willing to talk, or he was building his courage. Eventually Alex heard him sigh as he finally answered. (That was the Eye of Horus; he''s....was a god) Louis and the others quickly reached Alex and dragged him along as they made their way towards the cathedral being led by Cross. But he was just being pulled along as he couldn''t even pay attention to his surrounding, instead listening to what Nezha had to say. (During the great war he was one of the last Gods to fall, but while most of the gods had chosen to become godly spirits, giving up our immortal bodies for spirit ones, Horus chose to stay back and buy us time. The fact that I''m here today as a spirit of this mantle is due to him. There''s no reincarnation for a god, he died, and all that was left of him is this eyeball. Apart from stories about him, an eye is all that''s left of the great Horus.) From the way it sounded, it seemed as if Nezha and Horus were close friends, but Alex had lost the eye! It was just in his hands and then when he came to it was gone. But Nezha''s next sentence sent Alex for a loop. (He would be proud that it''s now yours. You wear it well) all Alex could say to that was¡­. "What?" 196 Vatican City IV : An Angel And The Eye Of Horus He wore it well? Alex turned to his eyes to the left where his gaze met a cluster of shattered glass on the ground. What was staring back at him weren''t the normal sky blue he had gotten used to after his previous advancement, instead what stared back at him were two pupil superimposing over each other. The normal blue as the base, and gold so deep Alex felt as if his very eyes had been inlaid with gold. It was certainly off putting if he had to be honest, his eyes were burning and his head also felt heavy. But he was able to focus himself as they walked towards the church. In the process of trying to focus however, his vision suddenly changed and sharpened. He could see clearly, so clear that he could seen the pores on his own skin, see the waves of energy and the flow of the wind. He could see kinetic energy being formed as they moved, he can hold see heat, light, color, he could see Qi, he could see Mana, he could see spirit energy, he could see stars, and cracks and the world''s beyond those cracks. It was all so overwhelming and painful that Alex couldn''t help falling to his knees and crying out in pain, his body shook with a severe intensity as blood began to bless out of his eyes, and reddish black veins spread from his eyeballs, to his face. It was such a shocking and terrifying change that it caught everyone else off guard with fear, none of them knew what was happening, and from the looks of things, the veins on his face were spreading rapidly and seemed like they would kill him soon if they didn''t do anything. By this point they had already gotten to the front of the church, and it was in that moment the church seemed to explore with light as the windows blew out, and a desiccated burnt out corpse was blasted outside from Within the church itself. Alex was shocked, but even in his pained state, his instincts as a spirit king was still extremely strong. But calling it instinct would be a little far fetched as the best way to describe it would be an intrinsic universal knowledge. He turned to Louis and Cross and screamed at them. "Both of you close your eyes! No matter what you hear, or feel, do not open it! Or you''re both going to die! Do it now!" they didn''t ask any questions into after they had already closed their eyes, which went to show just how much faith they had in Alex''s judgement. "What''s wrong! Why do we have to close our eyes?" Cross asked as she already had her tower shield in hand and was about to jump in front of Alex and the others as their defense. "There''s nothing wrong, it''s just that the Angel is coming out, and mere mortals can''t look upon a holy being, his glory would burn you from inside out." Just as soon as he finished speaking he heard footsteps and the sound of a door falling to the ground and a further here feet showed up in his vision. His hair was matter and stuck to his hair in uneven clumps, they were basically dirty dreads hanging from his hair, but even then Alex could still see the purity in them. The angel walked towards him, his legs dragging on the ground beneath him as weakness was etched all over his face. The angel walked until he was standing in front of Alex, his face looked divine, even in distress Alex knew there was none on this Earth or in all of creation that could compare to a face like this, not even the second price who was known as the most handsome of all men could compare to the eloquence and beauty held in the guise of this angel. The Angel raised his hands and placed them in Alex''s face, Devonte and Khan wanted to act, but they knew that even weakened, they were not a match for this angel. Which begs the question of how it was possible that he had been kept captive all these years and in such dire conditions, never the less they were smart enough to know that a single move from them would mean instant disintegration so they kept put. Besides it didn''t look as if the Nagel had any such of I''ll will to Alex, so they just watched as the hands of the Angel glowed brightly, and the eyes of Alex that had grown garish and terrible veins were healed and returned to normal. Well they weren''t normal per say, regardless of what many would say, he still has the eyes of a god stuck in his own, it would no longer seek to poison him to death anymore as that was what had been happening. A poison so powerful that not even with how changed his body had become could he have survived it. Because for all of his strength, Alex was still a mortal, and he didn''t know it, but it was this same poison that had fell the god Horus. And it was so potent that it remained on his eyes even after hundreds of thousands if not millions of years have passed. The history of the gods were extremely obscure, but their stories were still good long after they were gone. " you have been given the eyes of a god, it is not the father''s eyes, but it is one worthy of divinity. It is now your eyes and it is in your blood and it would remain that was for all of your life, and so and so forth it would become a part of your bloodline until even your children and their children after them would inherit this eyes of divinity and godhood. Take it as thanks for saving me, but beyond that it does not belong in the hands of the Invaders who seek the father''s sacred garden and have befouled his people with energies not of this world. I grow weary of this foul air Alex son of Ben, I have been sapped of my glory and my heart holds great rage and thoughts of evil within it. How could it not, my time on this world that should have been home has left me stained with sin, so much so that the pearly gates of heaven are now locked to me and I can''t go back. I can not become like my brother Lucifer before me and take sin back to heaven. But I can atone and regain my glory, please where''s is it?" Alex knew exactly what this angel was Asking for and he didn''t hesitate to act as a blank mask appeared in his hands. The hands of the angel shook a bit as his fingers traced over the mask, there was listless smile on his face as he looked up at Alex. "I remember when the mantle was first created, struck with the wrath of the father after he discovered the disobedience of the Man Adam. But it was also a gift to his creation, for he knew Eden would not be are if man didn''t go out into the world and grow, to build so much until the valley of creation, that blessed garden has been fully covered and protected from the eyes of the cosmos. It is there all gods were born, and it is there new gods can be made. This is why the earth had fallen, it is what these Invaders came here to find and in the process spoiled the natural order of things. Be careful Alexander Son Of Benjamin, only you can find it, only you can find Eden. But it is not meant to be found, never! You job is to protect and stand guard, do not let them get their hands on it. As long as Eden remains strong, as long as it remains untouched, then the revelations will not come to pass and apocalypse will not call on the people of earth. But it has already been foretold, the antic-Christ will come, so too will the beast, so too will the daughter of Babylon, and so too will the four riders of the apocalypse. You have best be prepared and gather your army around you for the war that''s to come. And I will be there with you, as is my place, as it was fore told, leading the host of heavens to show the Divine might of God''s judgement. For it is my duty as Arch-angel of the hosts of heavens, a general, as Michael!" 197 Vatican City V : Holy Angelic Spirit Mask A beam of golden white light fell from the heavens, by this point everyone had opened their eyes and had taken a few steps backwards, courtesy of Devonte pulling the backwards. They had heard much of what was said to Alex by the angel, Louis knew what came next, but this was the first time Cross was seeing the birth of a mask spirit. Energy cascaded in droves, seemingly hanging around the vicinity, it was so thick and viscous that they could actually touch and feel with their own hands! It was a phenomenon that has never been seen or experienced before, and whether or not such a thing might happen again, was up for question, but this, this was extremely unique; and Louis, Cross and Devonte knew this was an opportunity they couldn''t miss. Even with the threat of being accosted by the people responsible for the capture of the angel, they still sat down cross legged and cultivated, drawing upon this energy to advance their abilities. Alex was still kneeling down, the mask had flown above his head and the body of the arch-angel Michael began to glow as it broke down into numerous notes of light that slowly streamed into the mask. Intricate golden lines began to creep on the surface of the mask, it blazed with power and an authority not many if any at all had ever seen of experienced. It was to be simple put; holy! Alex felt rejuvenated, but this experience wasn''t limited to just the area where Alex and his friends were standing, it began to spread across the entire city itself, bringing forth a phenomenon that left many people shocked. The city began to heal, the buildings that had been smashed apart in the fight slowly began to fever back to normal, almost as if time itself was being wound backwards. People who were unlucky enough to get injured during the fight or even died slowly came back to life and had their injuries fully healed. The obelisk that was responsible for keeping the angel bound was back to its normal position, standing upright and strong as it has done for hundreds of years, the sun shine brighter as life began to grow in abundance within the city. Vines began to grow out of cracks on walls, blooming with exotic flowers that no one had ever seen. It was as if the entire city itself was being turned into a garden, trees grew in abundance, they bore fruits both known and unknown. The air was clearer and crisper, everyone felt a vigor in their bones and body that for all of their life. The old suddenly had the strength of the young, and the young felt like they were ten times as stronger than before. The women more beautiful and the men more handsome and the person responsible for this was right at the epicenter of it all. Alex felt a crack on his shoulder blades, his bones began to move, causing such an intense pain that he almost couldn''t breathe. His vision turned white and he couldn''t help but curl up into himself, screaming out his lungs as the very biology if his body itself was undergoing changes. There were loud cracking sounds so jarring and shaking that Louis and Cross couldn''t help but open their eyes in shock as they watched Alex''s exposed back. The more they looked at it, the more it seemed to them as if something in his body was trying to fight it''s way out of his body. His skin was stretched and pushed back, pulled from left to right. It looked like hands were pushing outwards from within his body, and with each push Alex yelled out even loudest until his voice was just completely hoarse. And it was in that moment in spray of blood and flesh, bones poked out of his back, stretching wide as feathers began to grow from them, and when all was said and done, bloodied wings spanning five meters from wing tip to wing tip was snugly fitted on his back and a part of his body. Alex naturally fell unconscious in that moment as he found himself within his mantle hall. Another gate had sprung up, the arch being a pure white, like with planting and precious gems with an emblazoned figure of two angels blowing trumpets and their wings touching each other shown. Three gates, four spirits. At full completion, with just this three gates alone, he should have nine spirits to call upon. But never the less the power of arch angel Michael, the power of the heavens spread out across the entire mantle, and Alex felt stronger, so full of power he felt as if he would burst. SPIRIT MASKS (7) 1. FIRE GOD SPIRIT MASK: 2 FIRE SPIRIT CONTRACTED 2. BLOOD DRAGON SPIRIT MASK: 1 BLOOD SPIRIT CONTRACTED 3. HOLY ANGELIC SPIRIT MASK: 1 HOLY SPIRIT CONTRACTED 4. ?????? 5. ?????? 6. ?????? 7. ?????? Alex heaved, taking a deep breath as he looked at the screen in front of him, he got the feeling that there was still much he didn''t know about this analytical display of his current abilities or the abilities of his spirits. But also got the feeling that as he grew stronger more would be exposed, but one thing he did know was that it wasn''t something that was meant for earth. The mantle rumbled a bit before it settled down, and right in the middle of it all, a tree sprouted, with it''s roots stretched and connected to all three gates. "You don''t have to be so surprised every time something happens like this, just taken it in stride. There''s a lot you don''t know about spirits, and a lot you don''t know about spirit Kings either. But one thing that''s for sure, is the fact that you have a destiny, and this destiny has now been revealed to you. You have a god of fire, a beast not poison and flames, a dragon of blood, now an Angel of war. But you also have a druid fairy, and a demon Kamaitachi. This is just the beginning, as many more will find their way to you as you would find your way to them. They will be your generals, your closest confidantes, you sword, your spear, your shield, your armor, and your home. Your battles in this universe are inconsequential to what lies beyond the veil of worlds. Eden must be protected, but the people you now know want it and brought about the end of the age of the gods are just children when compared to the matter threat. Yes we fell to them, but we''ve now known and understood why the spirit King is so important. You''re not just the protector of earth and the most garden of Eden, you''re the protector of this universe and are meant to be the conqueror of many more. There''s much to be said, and now is not the time for all of these to be told. Originally I wanted waiting until you were stronger, but Angels have a strong dislike for deception, and since there''s a literal archangel of war now a sort of us, I''d rather not do anything that would cause unrest. Your friends need you, go take care of them, and when you come back, everything that you need to know about who you are and what you have to do, will be revealed." Nezha said as his voice sounded solemn, yet firm and serious. But just before Alex left the mantle, it seemed as if Michael had something of his own to say. "Do not hold back in your pursuit for power boy, but do not lose yourself or your faith, or your heart. My power can not be used for anything other Justice, purity and the saving of lives. I see the darkness in you, I see how it grows, and I understand that you have much to learn, but keep it at bay. And please set those three souls free, I feel their need to serve, but they''re not supposed to be here, the longer they stay, the more they''ll lose what makes them souls in the first place, they''ll just be¡­.chaos." So many things were said and not enough time to digest them all, but nonetheless since they said his friends needed him, he will go to them. He was young, and responsibility had forced him to grow too fast. But the angel was right, everything he fights for, everything he hopes for, would mean nothing if he loses the person he is to the pressure of the world he lived in. His darkness news his own, and he didn''t think it was ever going away, but! Hewould embrace it, just as he would embrace his light, and find the balance he needs to carry out the task ahead. Because that''s what a spirit king is supposed to do, he''s supposed to keep...¡­ the balance! And no force on Earth would stop Alex from doing so, not because Destiny required it from him, but rather because above all else; he chose to do so. 198 Vatican City VI : Escape Alex opened his eyes to see Louis kicking a man in the face, before going down with a twist and smashing his elbow into the guts of two others that followed behind him. Alex did not have to contemplate too hard as the tricks the men were wearing was more than enough proof to show that they were priests. There were in a narrow alley, and Devonte was carrying Alex on his back, he had no idea where they were, but he reckoned they were probably running back towards the Morgana. Alex felt his back twitch and turned around to see that he still hand wings, but they were tender and every Movement he made, caused them to hurt, like a lot, safe to say he had to keep any ideas of flight out of his mind for the time being. A beam of light flew past from an alley on the right, slamming into Louis and sending him through a wall. A priest came out of it, his today with a glowing cross held up high, unfortunately for him, the rest were a little farther back than Louis who was ahead to clear the path, so he was obviously completely unprepared for Minerva''s Superman punch. His tiny bald head was rocked and even Alex had to since in pain from how heavy the punch was. The priest was completely knocked out as Cross turned and ducked under another blast of light, which unfortunately smashed into Louis again after he had gotten up. Her tower shield was in her hands once again as she smashed the edge upwards, said edge being the hilt of her sword that was planted into the ship did itself. She smashed it into the jaw of another priest, but instead of it being and upper cut, she took him over her head and smashed him into the ground. There were loud cracks as ribs were broken and the priest rolled over clutching at his stomach. Contrary to many stories that spoke of the church as having fearsome fighters, reality was a different story entirely. The strong had no need to serve a god who''s existence they couldn''t prove, sure things like miracles and signs and wonders have been performed by the clergy of the church, but even with Mana and Qi the dead could be brought back to life, not without repercussions of course, but they even showed more wonders than any single member of the church. The clergy was only feared the influence it had over men of strength, but even that influence was limited and only mattered within the empire of Albion, or at least mostly there anyway. Louis came out of the hole in the wall, his chest smoking and a very annoyed look on his face. Bottoms line was that the clergy of the Vatican city were peace loving conniving men, they weren''t strong enough to face even Khan in a straight out battle. With most of them majorly in the mid levels of the mortal gate, or just first circle mages. They were weak and couldn''t stop them, except for the weapons they had, which in this case turned out to be the crosses they carried around. Never the less it was time to go, and go they went. The crosses were gathered in a heap on the ground in front of them, while Minerva leaped up into the air and brought her tower shield smashing into the ground, creating a shockwave that pushed them all backwards. The continued on, and Alex watched as his team dispatched every obstacle that was in their way until finally the Morgana was right in front of them, except there were more enemies to face, and this time Alex knew he had to act. There were three giant mechanical men standing in front of them, obviously these were also golems, but they were made with a more advanced method than the other that Alex had fought. Their bodies were streamline and sleek, almost as if they were all made from silver. There was a massive silver cross on their chest, and their face only had a cross on it that looked like a mirror, but Alex doubted that it was that simple. "Devonte, put me down." Alex said softly to the fairy, but Devonte didn''t seem all too willing to do so. "Are you sure master? Can you even stand much less fight?" Khan asked as he took a stance besides Devonte. "I don''t need to stand to fight Khan." Alex said to him with an exhausted smile on his face. Every time he''s previously gained a new spirit, except for when Xeron became part of the fire mask, every new mask left him weak and exhausted. And this was due to the fact that every new mask spirit left and imprint, a change in his biology to fit their abilities. ¨¦bi¨¦ gave him the ability to heal from any injury with his blood, heck he could even regrow lost limbs. Nezha have him a mastery of fire that he could even use without the fire mask. Xeron gave him immunity to poisons, and now the Arch angel had left him with wings. Besides Alex really didn''t need to run around to fight, but he would like to do fight on his own two feet. "Since you don''t need to stand to fight, then please remain where you are master. You can fight on my back, you''re not even supposed to be awake, we can both feel that your body and energy is will undergoing changes to acclimate itself to the angel. So if you have to fight, then do it there, but you don''t need to fight. These things are not a threat, I will no dispose of them, please don''t move too much." Devonte was all so prim and proper in all of his ways, even in the way he spoke, there was a grace to it unlike any other. And this time he was willing to go all out to make sure his master was fine. Devonte crouched down and dug his heels into the ground, and then right before Alex''s eyes, his entire body seemed to shift and break as he turned into a massive wolf. His fur was a luscious purple and he seemed to have a mane of deep green and blue. He surged forwards, every step he took flowers and grasses grew beneath his paws. And then right in front of him the earth began to shake as massive roots surged out of the ground, the wrapped around the three giant metal golems, squeezing the life out of them. It didn''t do so much as leave a dent on them, however the one thing it did do was keep them bound, buying Devonte and the rest enough time to come up to the air ship. There was a team of a dozen priests waiting in front of the ramp of the Airship. Louis was already pissed off as his rapier glowed, but this time not with light, but with a darkness so black Alex couldn''t look at it for long. His figure flashed in their midst, evading the shots from their crosses as he relieved them of their limbs and head. So far they had tried to avoid killing anyone, but these guys were like pests, annoying ones. they were everywhere and Louis has had his fill. The rest ran past him into the ship, they moved as fast as they could through it''s halls, cabin area, cafeteria, before coming up into the cockpit. That was when Devonte finally put Alex down, but not in the pilot''s seat, but in co-pilot seat. Louis came in a few moments later covered in blood as Devonte took the pilot''s seat. "Well what are we waiting for, let''s get the fuck out of here, and shoot those golems! I hate this place!" Khan screamed in anger, which was expected. He was a Demon in a city that was filled to the brim with holiness, it didn''t seat well with his stomach. The Airship quickly started under Devonte''s gentle touch and surged into the sky, becoming nothing more than mere specks in seconds. As for the golems that Khan wanted destroyed, the roots holding them down wilted and they also took to the sky in pursuit of the Airship, their crosses blazing with the fury of the creators. And as the Divine Empress Morgana vanished into the horizon, the spirit of saint Peter stood watch on the roof of a building with a smile on his face. His body began to fade into motes of light that stretched up into the sky, but before it completely vanished he left a word behind. "May God go with you." 199 Secrets Of The Universe Alex felt queasy, like any wrong move and every content in his stomach would come flying out, and from the looks of things, it doesn''t look like he would be conquering that feeling anytime soon. Devonte flew the Morgana until they were well. Above the clouds, then he swiftly turned the Airship and faced it towards the golems that were flying towards them. And then Devonte unceremoniously opened fire on the three massive metal men, reducing them to slag in seconds. The entire cabin was suddenly silent as they all watched on in surprise. "I mean I know this airship was supposed to be extremely powerful, but considering those things were able to keep up with us, at such a high speed, don''t you think they should have been like a little more...¡­I don''t know; sturdy?" Khan said as we watched what remained if the golems rain onto the earth below. "Nothing is perfect little brother, you should know that by now." Devonte said as he spoke to Khan. He turned the Airship around and blasted forwards as Khan yelled at him. "I''m not your little brother! I was his spirit first! That makes me older and you a kiddie! Tell him master!" Khan turned to Alex with a very poor attempt at looking cute and trying to get Alex on his side. "Ignore him master the child probably needs to take a nap. Anyways we''ve successfully escaped, do we head back to academy now, or is there somewhere else we need to be?" Devonte asked as they sliced through air currents and clouds like knife through butter. Alex looked on she''d, seemingly at peace within the clouds as he moved his aching wings a bit. "no, we have one last stop to make before we head back to Academy. We shouldn''t meet too much resistance there we''re only going after a hidden or somewhat lost tomb." Alex said as he tried to seat up, but had to take help from Louis who was still covered in blood. "And where would that be master?" Devonte asked with a smile as he turned to face the ocean of clouds in front of him. Alex took a deep breath before he answered, this was the second clue his father had left behind for him that had at least a 75% chance of being authentic and not just some baseless rumors. "Ireland, we''re going to the duchy of Ireland!" \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Alex found himself back in the mantle, Khan and Devonte were with him this time. The tree that seemed to serve as a focal point that connected all of his masks, was still standing and it was still growing. A little to the side was the five Vein Element Treasure, Alex had not found a use for it yet, but he would be getting to it soon enough, especially as time drew close for him to reforge west Wind and East cloud. But right now, the only thing that had brought him here was answers, it was about time he knew just what kind of world he lived in, and what he had to deal with. Within the mantle none of the weaknesses he felt in his body showed up, maybe it was because it wasn''t his body that was here, but rather his spirit, or to be more precise his anima. The true sum of his consciousness and the amalgamation of his mind, body and soul. Spirits and all of their crap was Complicated, hopefully after today a while lot of things will get uncomplicated. "In the beginning god made the heaven and the earth.... That''s how the story goes young king, but many religions have a different take and the father had had many names. Some call him Allah, other''s Pangu, some say he is RA, some believe to be Olodumare. Regardless of who they say he is, or what names they''ve given him, he has remained who he is. This universe was born a very long time ago, until the first planet was born. This was earth, the prized jewel, all of his godly power and divinity went into creating this masterpiece of life, and in turn it could also give birth to beings of the divine, the gods! But then he made more and more worlds, and many more after that. And he got better every time, some worlds had magic, others had cultivation, very few had Spirit and have since been wiped out. Contrary to what you''ve been told, your colonizers are not from a different plane of existence. They''re from other planets deep into the universe, all the way to the edges where energy of all sorts energy is abundant and flows inwards. It flows to earth, and becomes spirit that is in turn sent out into the universe to become Qi and Mana. The universe is like a heart or a lung, taking in energy from the void and cosmos and refining it so that it denizens will grow stronger. But even for all the power they have, they were not gods. Which is why they came for earth and for the garden of Eden. And it was my brother Lucifer that led many of them here in his rebellion against the father. The gods at the time mostly lived their legends, they had their own story to tell, their own Pantheons to build. Disjointed and without unity, the hosts of heavens were left to right the first divine war. We won and my brother Lucifer was locked in the nine circles of hell where he remains to this day. As for the helpers he brought, many died, but many more escaped. Taking their time and plotting, scheming until when they were ready to come back and take the garden for themselves. For seeing such a disaster, the father created the first Spirit King, the first man known as Adam. And his first wife the demoness known as Lilith! Who after a falling out over her submission to her husband was cast to hell where she became the wife of Satan the Devil, who was formerly my brother Lucifer Morningstar. She whispered much of the weakness and frailty of man, of how gullible and seemingly content they were. And so sending his essence into the earth, he corrupted the minds of Eve and Adam and caused them to disobey the orders of the father. Yes the father was angry, and pushing them out of Eden might seem too much, but the foresight of the father is not one you can compare to. Because it was in that moment he realized he was not alone, this universe was not alone. He was the almighty, but there were many more like him, having universes of their own and seeking to grow by conquering others. Nature, fate, Destiny, and the father himself came together along with the collective powers of the other high gods to create a world. It stood in-between all of the universes, a nexus point of power, and the place where champions from each universe would build, grow, conquer, fight and kill for the right to make their universe Supreme and safe from the invasion of others. There have been many spirit Kings before you, after Adam there was Methuselah, Noah, King David, Samson, Siegfried, King Arthur, Ragnar Lothbrok, Achilles, Krishna, This idiot fire God Nezha, Hanuman, Cleopatra, the moon goddess Selene, the wife of the storm God Susanoo Kushinada. Joan d arc, the thunder god and your ancestor Sango! And so many who''s names have been forgotten to history. They have fought, and while they''ve not be able to claim total victory, they''ve always been able to keep the earth safe. The garden of Eden has been hidden, only you have the power to find it, but it''s importance doesn''t scale but enough as the date of the entire universe now lies in your hands. You must get stronger quickly and crush the enemies you have, because three years hence the Spirit king war will start once again, and you and all that serve you would be taken to the In-Between, to the Nexus world where you would fight for the fate of all humanity and the trillions of other races attached to it. So I advice you to take care of your issues, so you don''t get stuck fighting a war on two sides. But remember, hard as it may be, you have to remain true to yourself and let your heart remain balanced. Or you will fail, before you even get the chance to complete any of the tasks that would be given to you. The remaining details, like the systems, and the dimensions and spirit races would be discussed when you''re ready and strong enough. This is enough for now, I implore you to study while you rest, knowledge is extremely valuable." And then he went silent, leaving Alex with quite a lot to think about. 200 The Veil I : Finn McCool Alex had a good sleep, if he had to be honest this was the best sleep he has had in a very long time. He was stronger, and even he still had a lot to do he couldn''t help feeling that there was nothing in this world that he couldn''t achieve. He shook his head as he went into the bathroom attached to the captains quarters. They''ve been hovering over the Giants causeway in Ireland for the better part of six hours, but that was because it was late and Alex didn''t feel the need to land the airship. He just asked everyone to go to sleep and let the ship hover all by itself, he was basically trying to see how long the ship would remain there, but it looks like it''s ability to take in and refine energy was a lot better than he expected. He moved his way out and stepped toward the cafeteria, it wasn''t that big, but this was still a ship capable of housing fifty people. Alex met the others there, Louis''s as just preparing break fast as Alex came and took a seat besides Devonte. They all looked at him, seemingly worried for a few seconds before he nodded his head to tell them that he was doing okay. Not long after Louis came their way with toast and bacon, it was a simple meal, but it seemed like a feast to Alex. No matter what anybody had to say, in all honesty Alex enjoyed his meal, which was to be expected considering he had cleared three plates all on his own and was on his fourth. He was busy eating when Devonte deemed it ready for him to ask his master some questions. There was no time like the present and they''ve all allowed him to rest long enough, it was better they knew what they were here and deal with it quickly before their enemies caught up with them. "Master please forgive me for asking, but I would really like to know why we''re here. What is it in Ireland that was have to look for?" Devonte asked as Alex paused his eating to raise his head, seeing that all of them were looking at him didn''t shake him, he just smiled and continued his meal. "We''re looking for someone called Finn McCool, or rather I should say we''re looking for his spirit, or his body. There''s a legend that tomorrow or rather today, on all hallowed Eve or Halloween for those who would prefer, the spirits of his hounds, born from a human that was transformed into a hound; Bran and Sce¨®lang, would be waiting on the edges of the giants causeway. They seem to be waiting for the Awakening of their master, who is said would be woken when Ireland is facing it''s greatest threat, or when some sort of mystical horn is blown. According to the letters my dad left, the sightings of the hounds have been confirmed, or rather suspected to be true as a sort of energy and the howling of dogs would be heard by midnight today. "If that''s the case are you sure we''re in the right place master, we''re above the Giant''s Causeway and it''s practically deserted, and it''s almost 7pm in the evening." Louis said as he looked out a window besides the table Alex was sitting on. "The Giant''s Causeway is right in the middle of nowhere, I might be Halloween, but what makes you think there''ll be people willing to come out on a night like this to chase rumors, even worse when said rumors are ghosts....there would probably be someone who believes and will show up, but there''s not that many of them around. My advice is that you guys should get some rest, especially you Louis as you would be flying the airship and keeping pace with us should I find Bran and Sce¨®lang and have them lead me to Finn." "I Understand Master, I''ll do my best. "Louis said with a voice full of conviction, but Khan couldn''t help but sneer at him and berate him in a sarcastic time. "Look at him all loyal and stuff, why would he need ant rest, he''s getting he easier job by just sitting around and flying the airship! I can do that with my eyes closed!" The Kamaitachi boasted, causing Devonte to look at him and ask. "Can you?" "Well I¡­..I¡­.I haven''t tried it before, so I''m not sure whether I can or not! Besides what''s your problem, I''m not talking to you!" Khan yelled and stormed out in a buff, leaving everyone in silence for a few seconds before they burst out laughing at his antics. He really was no different from an annoying human teenager. Alex gave Louis, Devonte and Cross a nod before going to the cargo area and finding and obscure corner to hide himself. And it was there he opened a journal he had bought but hadn''t been able to start writing anything in it, guess this was just as good a time to start while they waited for midnight, today''s bound to be quite interesting. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e It was cold, the breeze from the sea chilled Alex to his bones, but even if he tried to be conspicuous, the fact that he had wings on his back was all to obvious to everyone else who was there. The thing is they all thought that maybe it was a costume for Halloween, but quite a few of the onlookers couldn''t help but admit that the wings themselves looked a little too real. Alex chose to ignore their looks as Cross came and took her place besides him, Devonte and Khan were mingling amongst the crowds, hoping to see if they could catch sight of those hounds. But Khan wasn''t visible to them as he moved around in his wind form, Devonte on the other hand was acting weirdly as he had all of his body fully covered with a good over his vibrant green hair. There was at least fifty people gathered on the Giant''s Causeway. It was an interlocking of rocks that was naturally formed and was said to have been made by Finn, other stories day a giant made it, but whatever the case might be, this was the palace where they say his hounds could be seen. But there was a man and a woman standing out from this group of people, they seem to be guides of some sort. "I''m pretty sure everyone here knows the story of Finn McCool, the Giant''s Causeway and all of his adventures as the leader of the Fianna. One of Ireland''s most legendary armies. Anyways legends say that a Finn McCool, or as he was known then Fionn Mac Cumhail didn''t did and that he lays asleep with his army in a hidden cave, waiting for the day of Ireland''s greatest threat, to rise up and protect this divine land of his birth. Over the years, on this particular day; Samhain, All hallows Eve, Halloween! The night when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is thin, the spirits of his hounds have been sighted. And it is believed that if you''re able to get in contact with them, they would lead you to where Finn McCool still lays asleep. So everyone I wish you the best of luck, and if you do see Bran and Sce¨®lang the hounds of Finn McCool please don''t hesitate to share your Discovery, thank you and enjoy your night." Alex rolled his eyes at the speech, but then again the woman who had just finished speaking was quite resourceful. She and her colleagues to a legend and a myth and made money out of it by acting as guides to tourists. Even if there''s isn''t a sighting of Bran and Sce¨®lang, the Causeway was a beautiful place to have a picnic, and lucky for them all the moon was out in all it''s splendor today, and the sea behind them shimmered with beauty unlike anything Alex has ever seen. But tonight really was weird, there was power in the air and he could feel it. His Mana and Qi felt suppressed, but his Spirit energy seemed to be at an all time high, he could almost feel it bubbling out of him, and it made him see, hear and feel clearer, everything that was in the world was exposed to him and he could feel the spirits that were all-over Ireland and the very thin veil between this world and something more..... something else. A veil that Alex knew he could actually break through if he so chose. "Master! I found the doggies!" Khan''s voice rang out besides his ear bringing Alex out of his revelry and indulgence of power and awareness. He frowned a bit, but either soon after before looking in the direction Khan''s voice came from, and all he asked was. "Where?" 201 The Veil II : Following The Hounds Alex moved along with Cross, joining up with Devonte and following after Khan. The hounds were easily found, their bodies somewhat smoky and greyish, but what was oh so obvious was the fact that they had very piercing human blue eyes. Just as they noticed Alex and his friends looking at them. The hounds were silent, which came as a surprise to Alex, he at least expected them to talk, but all they did was turn around and start walking towards the sea. At first Alex thought they would be king the miraculous and walking on water, but instead a sort of smoky path came into being in front of them, Alex shrugged his shoulders and followed, dragging Cross along who admittedly couldn''t see what Alex, Devonte and Khan could. Ghost dogs walking on the sea was spooky enough, but the thing they didn''t notice was that the very moment the noticed Bran and Sce¨®lang, their presence seemed to have vanished. And normally that would have been to their advantage, if not for the fact that they were noticed by none other than the guide who had led the tourists here. And the moment that happened, and inkling suspicion was already planted in her mind, there was no way she wouldn''t think that their disappearance wasn''t connected to the hounds Bran and Sce¨®lang. But even if she had a suspicion, there was nothing she could do as they had already vanished from her sight. As for Alex and the rest, The seemed to have vanished from the very face of the earth itself as even Louis couldn''t find them. And he was left very stumped and very confused. For Alex and co though, the moment they steps into the smoky path in front of them, the sea it self seemed to have disappeared and they suddenly found themselves walking on a meadow. The person who this change affected the most was actually Cross, but never the less she pushed through with them as they went forward. She held on to Alex as she noticed that the world was all too different, the meadow itself didn''t seem to be real as it seemed like it wanted to fade out of focus, and then back into it. There were series sounds to be heard, the feeling of the dead stretching forth their hands to take the essence of the living. There were ghosts flitting about, Wraiths and spirits of the dark sort. But yet they didn''t come close as they kept a respectable distance from Alex, if it was before they wouldn''t care, but now he was significantly stronger, string enough that he could end most spirits with just a gaze. The meadow seemed endless, but eventually they came to a stop as they noticed a camp, and a little ways ahead there was a cave. The camp was lively, Alex could see real flesh and blood men and women, moving around and carrying out their daily routines, this was exactly what an army would look like if they were preparing for war. This army seemed to be numbered at about. Thousand men and women, as far as armies go, they were a lot. "From here on out, only the spirit king is allowed to move ahead! The rest of you can just wait." There was no way in hell anyone of them would agree to a suggestion like that, no matter how legendary of a hero this Finn McCool might be, and how strong an army his Fianna might seem, the rest of them couldn''t deny the fact that they were having weird feelings about this entire thing, and leaving Alex on his own was the very last thing they would want to do. But Alex showed them his hands as he said to them. "Don''t worry, you guys stay here and stay sharp, I''ll be safe." It was not enough to reassure them, but he was their leader, and everyone here was willing to trust him. Also no one wanted to be the person to disobey, what they had was a weird feeling, and they hadn''t talked to each other to know they all had the same off putting feelings, if they did, they would have tried harder to stop Alex from going on ahead into the cave. Alex moved forwards following after the hounds as they walked into the cave, at first glance it was extremely huge and Alex almost couldn''t see the end of it. It seemed more like a cavern than a cave, but it was dark and even with his extremely sharp eyes, Alex couldn''t see the boundaries of the cave. But apart twenty meters forward, there was a small two meter in diameter pond of sparkling clear water, and there was a man Lying down dead beside the pool. Alex gave a cursory look at Bran and Sce¨®lang and then moved forwards. Apart from. The small pond, the dead man, and the hounds, Alex couldn''t see anything else.. for one he knew that he was in the cave when he first walked in, but the deeper he went, the more difficult it became and he was so sure whether he was in a cave or somewhere else, he doubts he was in an illusion, there was no spirit, not unless it was stronger than him, that could put him in an illusion, and that''s because so far he''s not seen such a spirit. Alex kept on walking into finally he was by the side of the man, and the pond. There was a fish with extremely vibrant colors in the pond, it glowed extremely brightly and seemed to have an aura of sorts that dragged Alex ever closer to it. He also noticed that it was an Aura the dead man shared, and so he shifted his focus. Apart from the lack of breathing, and the extremely pale skin and blue lips, it just seemed as if he was sleeping rather than dead. He was handsome, blond hair, a full beard, sharp eyebrows and a well defined angled jawline. A pretty boy or in this case a pretty man as he looked to be somewhere around his kid thirties to early forties. This was the kind of man girls of all age and sizes would not hesitate to drop their panties for because of how masculine and attractive he was. But in the end he was nothing compared to the second prince, and even more nothing compared to Michael. So Alex didn''t dwell too long on the handsomeness of a dead man as he focused on something else. Apart from the sure of that salmon that he could feel coming from the man, he could also feel spirit energy within, him, but it seemed to be locked, or frozen in time, unable to go forward or backwards, it as just still. Then Alex turned to Hounds and asked them. "Well what am I supposed to do here now, he''s already dead and seems to be in a sort of suspended animation to keep him alive, I have no experience with time and I can''t bring him back from the dead. So what would you have me do; Bran? Sce¨®lang?" The hounds were silent as they looked at each other for a bit, before turning to look at Alex, then they bowed their heads in a sort of Melancholic way and then looked up at him before speaking up with a sigh. It was at this moment that Alex felt that something was wrong, but he couldn''t exactly tell what it was. "We have no idea who you are spirit king, but you seem to have a good heart. Please forgive us, but everything we do, we do for our master and based on his orders. We will try our best to complete any lingering sentiments and tasks you have left in this world, now please...die!" "Yes! As my brother have said! Please die so that our master can live!" And then in a display of speed that would match the Morgana, both hounds surged forwards and took a massive chunk out of Alex''s neck, ripping open his throat in the process as his blood and energy spewed out of his body in rivulets and bathed the very still, and very dead form of Fionn Mac Cumhail. Alex had his eyes opened wide as he got up, he was frantically trying to staunch the blood flow from his neck, but the blood was going everywhere. It got into the pond, and a healthy amount fell over the dead body of Finn McCool, and eventually Alex found himself on his knees, a pool of his own blood rapidly spreading around him, and most of it slowly trickling into the pond and onto the salmon. And then as he closed his eyes to fall into the Embrace not death, the eyes of Finn McCool also sprung open. 202 The Veil III : Villainous Hero The cave seemed to trembled with power as Fionn Mac Cumhail once again walked the earth, or rather not the earth, but amongst the living. He was known as one of the greatest heroes to have ever lived, but when such reputation id placed in contrast to the rapidly cooling corpse of the teenager on the ground, many would doubt if it was not history twisting legends. "It is quite unfortunate that such a young spirit king had to die, but this is required. Bran! Scoelang! Time here is much slower than the real world, which means there''s still time to carry out the body transference ritual. Even though his life has bought me a little bit of time, it''s still not enough as only the temporal anomaly of this particle world is all that''s keeping my body from dying. But just as you have both promised, we will try our best to make sure that we see all of his hopes and dreams fulfilled. Now drag him outside, we need the light of the full moon to work." He was extremely regal in the way that he spoke and moved, he was a true leader of men, and he held himself as such. He walked out of the cave and right into an already ensuing brawl, Devonte was currently skewering dozens of his, men with his roots while Khan wreaked havoc every which way. Louis and Cross looked extremely surprised, but given that Devonte''s and Khan''s connection to their master was absolute, it was easy to conclude something had happened to Alex. "Enough!" Finn''s voice was extremely powerful as it reverberated through the seemingly endless meadow. His men, though injured and in the case of some, should be very much dead, all got to their knees, even with pain etched on their faces to give him the respect they felt he deserved. Seeing such act seemed to have pissed Devonte out as he spat to the side and gave Finn a look that admittedly would kill him¡­. assuming looks could kill that is. "my friends! My comrades! My soldiers! My brothers! My family! I have returned!" "YARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Devonte''s frown got a lot deeper, there was just too much charismas than was normal coming off Finn. It wasn''t as if he was jealous, but Devonte was extremely familiar with spiritual skills that induced emotions, in fact; no other energy source could control illusions or mental techniques as well as spirit energy. And Devonte knew a buff when he saw one, even if it was coming off from a guy who was so handsome Devonte could only call him a foul face snake. "there is much you don''t understand, and I apologize for what you''re about to hear, but the truth of the matter is; your friend has passed and has gone on to be in the embrace of the gods. He gave his life just so that I could live, so that my sacred duty as protector and defender of Ireland will continue. You should all be proud, he died a hero, one that you can be proud off." If there was anything they felt right now, pride was the furthest from it. Louis and Cross just couldn''t bring themselves to believe anything coming from the mouth of this bastard, truthfully speaking, Alex has faced greater odds than this boorish handsome man who looked as if one sharp gust of wind would throw his body away. Devonte and Khan on the other hand were a lot more solemn than Louis and cross expected, it was easy to tell from their expression that whatever this man just said was true, Alex really was dead. And as if to properly confirm the story, the two hounds Bran and Scoeland walked out of the cave, dragging Alex''s bloodied corpse with them. Louis made to rush forwards, but a simple breath from Finn created a shockwave that blasted him backwards, forcing the young French noble to take five steps backwards whilst clutching his chest in pain. There was a tightness in his stomach and in his heart, he might not be too conversant with spirit energy, but he has sparred enough time s with Alex to know what a spiritual attack felt like, "I feel and understand your pain, but he has not fully served his purpose. Now that he has given me his life, it is about time he gave me his body too. There is no greater honor in all of earth than to be the vessel of a supreme spirit king. The wonders, respect and riches of the world would be all ours for the taking! So young friends, why don''t you join me in this endeavor? I would give you glory the likes of which you''ve never had." Eloquent, handsome and charismatic, if they weren''t so close to Alex, whatever spirit voodoo that was in his mouth was enough to have even turned the head strong khan to his side, but everyone who followed Alex were considered outcasts in one way or the other, they weren''t like others, and because of that they were all fiercely loyal to each other. There was no amount of words this guy could spit that could make them betray Alex, even dead or alive. However, it doesn''t look taking his deal was required; "did anyone ever tell you Finn McCool that you talk a lot of shit!" As soon as those annoyed words spilled out of his lips, powerful roots shot out of the ground; skewering the hounds Bran and Scoeland leaving them suspended ten feet in the air as their blood rained down all over his body. Alex wasn''t dead, though considering there was such a garish looking wound on his neck, for all intents and purposed he should be dead, but that didn''t seem to be the case. Right under the surprised gazes of everyone, the wounds on his neck began to heal at a rapid pace as his pristine silver white wings got soaked in the blood of a pair of traitorous dogs, it didn''t take too long for them to die either, much to the surprise of everyone here as their earlier fight with Cross and co had more than showed that while they could get severely injured, death should be impossible. But now here they were with two very dead hounds, and a very pissed off looking Alex. Rather than coming down towards Finn who quickly turned and move back into his army, protecting himself as they all quickly fell into formation to cover their leader. Cross, Devonte and Khan quickly took their place behind Alex as they watched the army warily, "your time to pass from this world came, but you refused to stick with the natural order and transferred your body into the body of another. But the ritual was not really foolproof was it, the body you took could not hold together the anima of an all-powerful spirit king so you found a temporal time zone, or rather a particle world with such an anomaly, it slowed the decay and death of your body as you slept for significant amount of years while your dog''s laid traps. It didn''t matter how long, eventually any spirit king worth their salt would find them, and they would be lead here like sheep to the slaughter, because frankly speaking how could Fionn Mac Cumhail, great hero of Ireland be anything other than good and straightforward, a well laid trap, but one that tested your patience, I have to commend you on that though. I wouldn''t have lasted as long as you did, however you made a couple of mistakes, but chief amongst that is underestimating me. I don''t know about previous spirit kings, but if you want to kill me, you would have to split my body into thousands to itty bitty tiny pieces, but even then as long as my blood exists, even a single drop, there''s a possibility I would return. So just having your hounds rip my throat out wouldn''t work, all it did was just piss me off. So I''ll make this simple for you, kill yourself and let nature carry out its course. I''d rather not kill a thousand men and women just to get to you. Because seeing how cowardly you are, I doubt you have the balls to face me in a straight up fight, after all you did just try to kill me without an honorable battle. You have 30 seconds, after that, I''m killing everything and everyone in front of me." 203 The Veil IV : Fallen Hero 30 seconds was just not enough time for someone to make such a decision, it was obvious to everyone here that all Alex aimed for was to kill everyone. But Finn was not just a hero or spirit king, he was also a politician that had lived a lot longer than Alex. When it came to things like this, he reckoned he would always be able to get the upper hand. Besides Alex was just a child, what kind of fight could he possibly put up. "I admire your fire and tenacity boy; it reminds me so much of myself; back when I was nothing more than an ignorant sniveling pup." Finn said to Alex as he walked out of his army, taking such massive and majestic strides it was as if he was going for a fight but a victory speech. "I guess that explains a lot about you, seeing as you were nothing more than a dog as a child. Never the less you''re very smart, or stupid I''m not so sure, you must really care about your army." Alex said to him as he got up from the ground and a mask appeared on his face. Finn scrunched up his eyebrow as quite similar to Alex a mask appeared on his face, the only problem was half way through completing it appearance, the mask suddenly shattered and the shocked face of Finn McCool was left exposed to the world. Alex held (Nameless) in a tight grip as bright orange flames covered its frame as he spoke to Finn, loud enough that the rest of his soldiers could hear. "do you not know the rules Fionn Mac Cumhail? there can only be one spirit king in this universe, not the planet, but this universe! The fact that I''m here can only mean one thing, and that''s the fact that you''ve lost the privilege to be a spirit king, you''re just an almost dead man that can use spirit energy, nothing more. There are no spirits that would heed your commands anymore, not after the rather painful death of your loyal hounds. If I had to be honest I would say you never deserved them from the start, such loyalty is wasted on you. But it''s good that you''re finding this out now, sometimes people can be so blind to the facts they end up hurting themselves. So I''ll be nice and tell you just how fucked you are before you die, or better yet, I''ll show you!" *BANG! * Alex had vanished from his position, leaving behind a trail of flames as he slashed his spear at Finn''s chest, however the previous spirit King had pulled out a spear of his own and defended against Alex''s assault. There was a shockwave released from the impact of their spears against each other, pushing a lot of people backwards for a few steps before they were able to properly regain their footing and shift their attention back to the fight. Finn gritted his teeth in an obvious rage induced mode and said to Alex. "If you think I''ll go down without a fight then you''re sorely mistaken! I will not be bested by a child, whether I''m the spirit king or not. You''re just a child, I would like to see just how much strength you have to defeat me." Finn was still a head taller than Alex, but it was still enough for the young boy to smash his head forwards and hit the jaw of the legendary hero. Finn reeled backwards but smashed his right foot forwards as Alex defended against the hit with his spear and had to take a few steps backwards, giving Finn enough time to regain his footing and pierce his spear forwards towards Alex''s chest. Alex shifted to the side and swung his spear over his head with a single grip, creating more momentum as (nameless) whooshed through the air, its blade heading for Finn''s temple. Finn still had his spear extended so he ducked under the swing and suddenly surged forwards, his body leaving behind purple afterimages. He smashed his shoulders into Alex''s body, throwing him backwards and driving the wind out of him for just a second, but he didn''t stop there as he chased after the still airborne Alex in an attempt to run him through. Alex stabbed (Nameless) into the ground, creating furrows as he brought his momentum to a halt and twisted his body to the side, as Finn''s spear went past him with barely an inch of separation. But never the less, the move still brought Finn close enough for Alex to make a move. All of a sudden wind and lightning gathered around his right fish as he punched it forwards, and since he was still using his fire mask, wisps of flames could be seen dancing with lightning and wing around his right fist. (Wind God Martial Series: Fist: Storm Judgement) *BOOM!* Finn''s body blasted backwards digging meter deep furrows into the ground as he was blasted through his army and their camp. Still that wasn''t enough for Alex as he surged forwards, very much intent on finishing this fight as soon as possible. But he wasn''t the only one aiming to finish the fight as all of a sudden, two massive hounds, or rather their heads made out of purple spirit energy surged out from under the rubble of tents Finn was under and attacked Alex. The reversal was swift, so Alex hadn''t seen it coming, the dogs smashed and bit into him, leaving bloody wounds on his body. Looks like Finn wasn''t as helpless and skill less as he thought. The flames on (Nameless) blazed even higher and hotter in that moment as Alex swung the spear through the images, leaving garish blackened marks on their form as they vanished into nothing. Then Alex swung his spear downwards, the image of a ferocious green dragon suddenly showing up on it. (Dragon Fall) Finn already knew something was off about the dragon, so he raised his spear above his head and began spinning it rapidly to create a dome above his head and the heads of his army. The dragon made of green flames fell from the sky, guided by Alex''s spear, but halfway through, the neon green flames suddenly changed, and what followed after was an all-encompassing blackish red. The regal and powerful green dragon had transformed in a black dragon of death and destruction and not even the defense Finn had put up could save him and his soldiers from this. *BOOM! * The barrier didn''t even last a second before it was swallowed and destroyed, the flames of black ash surged into the camp and into the ranks of his armies, burning and poisoning them from the inside out. Hundreds of his soldiers were caught in the blaze, their bodies burning from inside out as they became nothing more than blackened statues of ash. Finn was right at the epicenter of the strike, though he fared a bit better than his comrades, he was still not spared the horrors of Xeron''s black ash. He watched as people he had trained with, trained, raised and loved all burned, dying a fiery death before even getting a chance to live the life full of glory he had promised them. And it was all the fault of this fucking child! But maybe not, he knew the truth, he knew whose fault this really was; and it was his! He did this, he killed his family. In his quest to run from death he had pulled them along, stuck them in a life of stagnation. They couldn''t go forwards, and they couldn''t go backwards. He let them suffer and guard his stolen body as age had already eaten away at his original, but now look at them, they were gone. Without the Fionna, Fionn Mac Cumhail aka Finn McCool was nothing, he was no one. The storm of flames came to a stop, and all that was left behind was death, only few of Finn''s army was left standing, and even they won''t survive for long. The black ash was already airborne and they were breathing it in, it would spread from the inside out, and theirs''s would be much slower and painful. But eventually, even the temporal zone wouldn''t stop them from dying, and it would happen soon. Alex stopped in front of a kneeling Finn, half his body had already been eaten away by the black ash, and it was spreading rapidly in the form of garish black veins. This was a spirit king? It was disappointing, but Alex had the feeling that everything he''s just experienced with Finn was lesson. Michael had repeatedly told him not to lose himself to his darkness; Finn was a prime example of what would happen when a spirit king loses himself, the results definitely aren''t pretty. "Ahhh! You really did a number on me boy, but I guess I deserve it. You must go and slay giants just like I did¡­. just don''t...fall¡­. for...power¡­. she''s¡­. a¡­. fickle¡­. fick¡­. miss¡­." by this point the black ash had completely covered his entire body, he was dead. And as if the universe was agreement, a gust of wind blew through the camp, carrying everyone that had turned to ash statues, Finn included, and breaking their bodies down. All that was left was a sky filled with black ash that kept on flying into the horizon, those still alive will follow soon after. Alex sighed, this was what it meant to be a spirit king, sometimes the ghost you face aren''t really ghost. His work here was done, the only thing left however was to find out why that salmon can sing? 204 The Veil V : Sofia; The Wisdom Of Kings When it was obvious they had no other enemies to face, cross walked forward and gave Alex a big hug. And so too did Devonte and Khan, it was intense for them, the idea that Alex might have been dead had shaken them to their core, but never the less they were relieved, neither one of them wanted to be the one to tell him mother, or even worse Anya that they had let him walk into a cave alone and he was killed by a man with a hero complex. Alex understood what they were feeling, but there was still work to be done, chief amongst that was the fact that the fish was still singing. Obviously he was the only one who could hear it, so he gave them all a nod and asked them to wait for him, but they refused. The last time they had let him walk into that cave, he had come out with throat ripped out and practically dead, if only for a few minutes. They weren''t going to let that happen again. As soon as he entered the cave, he made a beeline for the pond that held the salmon, his blood was still all over the place, and though much of it had fallen into the pond, there wasn''t even a single hint of red in the pristine blue pool, just a salmon happily swimming about, until suddenly it stopped and then floated out of the pond encased in water. Alex, Devonte, and Cross were surprised by the turn of events, Khan on the other hand had different plans. "Master what do you reckon we should do, the only option available to roast it, but we can have an exquisite fish pepper soup ready in a few minutes if we maybe raid their camp for utensils and ingredients. Just look at the body of this fish, I''m pretty sure it would be very delicious." Khan said with his eyes sparkling and drool escaping from the side of his mouth. "And that''s where you''re wrong young demon; beautiful as I looked I do not taste great, the price to pay for wisdom and knowledge is steep, just ask the all father Odin, he had to give up an eye, and what of Solomon? His lust for women knew no bounds as a result of his divine wisdom. There was no secret that could be hidden from him, not unless it is buried in the heart and minds of a woman. My dear child, I am very bitter!" This conversation was extremely weird to say the least, Alex and the others just watched as Khan had a banter with the salmon that sounded like an aged woman. It was akin to a parent talking to a child, and the rest of them all seemed to have been forgotten in the process. But the conversation also had to come to an end eventually. "How are you sure you''re bitter, do you taste yourself. I think you''re just trying to come up with excuses so that I won''t eat you!" Khan argued as he walked around the salmon, probably looking for an opening to attack. Alex felt that at least he should warn Khan, before the bloody Kamaitachi go on and does something he shouldn''t, but as always, before Alex had the chance to speak, Khan had dipped his entire head into the pond. Everyone was shocked, chief amongst them was the salmon as she sighed and said out loud in a tone heavily steeped with pity. "You poor fool, at least know you would be a lot wiser than most." Alex cocked his head to the side in confusion, but got his answer when Khan pulled his head out with his eyes terribly red. Then he started hacking and coughing and even going as far as licking the ground to get rid of the horrible taste in his mouth, not too long after he started crying too. So much so that they all couldn''t help feeling sorry for him, even if Cross was currently taking a video, Louis would certainly appreciate the gesture. "What the hell is that?" Alex asked the salmon, and she was all too willing to answer. "This is the (Pisinia ths Sofias) or in simple terms, the pool of wisdom. My name is Sofia, and I am the salmon of Wisdom. I have waited long for a new king to serve, seeing as the last king I served lost his way, would you be willing to take me into your service? All I need a bucket of water to live in, and I promise to be useful to the best of my abilities." That was unexpected, but something didn''t make sense to Alex, and while he wasn''t averse to the idea of having some sort of spirit of wisdom to serve him, especially one that has served so many spirit kings and normal kings before him. But still... "Aren''t you a spirit bound to Finn, but even more so, if you''ve served many spirit kings before Finn, then how come you''re here. From what I know, whether you''re a mask spirit, or a bound spirit, your time alive ends once your master is killed, how come you''re here and even lived long enough to serve multiple kings?" Alex asked as he warily observed the salmon, ignoring Khan''s antics in the background. "The answer to that if quite simple young king, I''ve never been bound to a mask or to a king. The pools are all they need to have the full sum of my abilities, some even choose to eat me, like Finn once did, they only kept me around because my wisdom along with theirs could even pierce the veil of time and divine the future or possible futures." For a fish, this salmon was too powerful, it was beyond ridiculous to think that just drinking a fish''s bath water would give a person wisdom. Wisdom was abstract, it wasn''t tangible and wasn''t something knowledge can give. No matter how intelligent you may be, wisdom was not an attribute attained by intelligence. It was a trait like honesty, greed, selfishness etc. that someone can just find themselves having. It could be gained from life long experience and from the understanding of the world and the knowledge it holds. But to be able to bestow wisdom¡­ that''s just insane. But here they all stood watching a talking fish tell them that it was possible. "Master she tells you the truth, and honestly speaking I believe she would be a welcome addition to our ranks. A spirit king is not all about battles, he has to lead and build and create just as much as he has to fight, destroy and undo. She can be not just a strategist, but can also help you manage your assets." Khan said as he sat back on his haunches, fully dealt with his stupid foray into the bitter waters of wisdom, but¡­ "....." "....." Alex looked at Khan who looked back at them with a calm look on his face, Cross and Devonte had their jaws hanging halfway to the ground at the sight in front of them. The way he spoke, the clarity of his words, the sheer.... WISDOM! in it was so startling it was as if they were looking at an entirely different person. Alex shuddered as he pulled out a blank mask and offered it to the salmon. "I''m sorry my king but you might be making a mistake, I have no combat capabilities, all I have and all I am is wisdom. It is abstract and can''t really be fully relied on in times of distress, the most I can be iss a voice of clarity, without adding any real power to you. Are you sure you would have me become a mantle spirit." Well would you look at that, wisdom was humble. But Alex had a feeling, he wasn''t looking at a fish that could bestow wisdom, he was looking at the physical representation of that notion. He had no idea why it had to be a salmon though, but this was wisdom and he would be nothing but stupid if he let such an opportunity go away. After all Khan had said that a spirit king was more than just a fighter, he was leader, and every good leader needed wisdom to lead. It wouldn''t be bad if he had the literal representation of it with him, he would surpass every king in history, "Sofia, it would be my extreme honor if you can become one of my mantle spirits, after all¡­. what''s a king without wisdom?" 205 Funeral SPIRIT MASKS (7) 1. FIRE GOD SPIRIT MASK: 2 FIRE SPIRIT CONTRACTED 2. BLOOD DRAGON SPIRIT MASK: 1 BLOOD SPIRIT CONTRACTED 3. HOLY ANGELIC SPIRIT MASK: 1 HOLY SPIRIT CONTRACTED 4. WISDOM SPIRIT MASK: 1 WISDOM SPIRIT CONTRACTED 5.?????? 6.?????? 7.?????? Alex woke up to the dull droning sound of the airship''s engine, it was somewhat soothing to him and beyond comfortable to say the least. The morgana seems to have become a safe space for Alex, and he appreciated it, there weren''t much of that available for him to be honest. His peak at the Wudang sect didn''t really like home to him, he was only there so that it would seem like he was in the eyes of their enemies. If he lived in the clan grounds with the rest of the Zhang clan, there would be all sorts of suspicion cast on his mom and grandfather, spirit wind peak was just a fancy prison, and he was just a fancy hostage. The tower at the academy felt like a responsibility rather than a home, or rather he would say it was an investment, a business deal that he had to take care of. It wasn''t home to him, so he knew eventually he would have to leave that behind and into the capable hands of someone else. Home was still out there somewhere, and he would keep looking for it until he found it. He picked himself up and left his cabin room, the airship was really huge, but its distinct lack of people made it really¡­quiet. So far they''ve tried their best piloting the ship with just the four of them, khan can''t be counted as anything other than a trouble maker. The airship was meant to accommodate at least fifty crew members, they barely met the 10% mark. He made his way to the cockpit where Louis was happily flying the airship, whistling a jaunty French tune as Khan looked on in annoyance. Cross had one of her legs hanging over the armrest of one of the seats while she looked at the dashboard in abject boredom, Devonte just kept on throwing his green dagger, up and down, making sure it made beautiful and skillful revolutions before landing back in his palm. "Good Morning guys! How was your night?" Alex asked as he took a seat behind the bored Cross and right besides Devonte, with Khan laying on the ground. "Its past noon master, and our night or at the very least mine! Sucked! Louis has been flying this hunk of junk in circles, its making me want to puke! Put you''re your human on a leash master!" as usual Kahn had a colorful way of painting his words, and it was also nice to see that the pool of wisdom hadn''t made him so wise that he stopped being stupid, basically; he was still himself. Alex shook his head in amusement, this was home, this was family. Sure it wasn''t everyone who was here, but he could feel the love all the same, but it was about time he gave them a destination. Luckily for them, they were done with hunting spirits, his father had only been able to get information on the angel Michael and the legendary hero Finn McCool. And he was done with them, which meant it was time to shift his focus to the ark wars, well before that anyway there was still a bunch of stuff to be done. "Well first of all, we''ll go home to the Wudang sect, Cross I know you are part of the beggars'' sect, but just bear with it for a day or two. After were done there, we will go back to the academy, gather everyone and few materials, and then well head on to the capital in Beijing, straight to palace of the emperor. After that¡­well we???ll leave that up to fate to decide. But none the less are you guys ready for this?" Alex asked as he looked on at the deep and clear white expanse of clouds in front of him. "why are you asking questions you already know the answer to; even if you decide we''re raiding the underworld tonight! We''re still going to have to follow you in. but never the less I shall set a course for the Wudang sect, its ben a while since we''ve been home, and Yun Fao is waiting." \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e The flames from the funeral pyre stretched high into the air in an eloquent fashion, the green wind fire licked at the corpses, slowly turning them to ash as it burnt in a slow and calming manner. The cemetery for the Zhang clan was filled to the brim with members of the Zhang clan, and quite a significant amount of the Wudang sect disciples that were on good terms with the sect. Alex was right at the forefront, along with the families of the fallen, the wraiths of Zhang Feigu, Zhang Ming Su and Zhang Xuelan danced around the flames. Alex could feel their reluctance to leave, but Michael was right, keeping them bound here to such an existence was not fair. If there was a next life, then it would be better for them to get on with it, there was nothing left for them here, as for revenge, Alex would do everything in his power to bring the culprits to justice. This was mainly the reason why he came back, to finally put them to rest and personally apologize to their parents for being incapable of looking after their children. There was a solemn look on his face as the wind blew his white robes, his mother was beside him with his grandfather and sister having a silent conversation with the parents of the departed clan members. Yun Fao, Louis, the triplets Sabine, Sabina and Sabrina were close by with Anya and Cross who was still here, the others had to remain at the academy to look over the tower, as a way to honor the family and in a more political move than most, Victoria was here as representative of the royal family, besides she was engaged to Alex so she had to be here, plus this was kind of a peace offering. The two people responsible for this deaths were both her cousins, she was offering herself up in a platter as a show of sincerity and an apology. But the bottom line was no one really knew what she was thinking or feeling, even if she was making it seem as if she felt guilty, but no one felt guiltier than Alex. He had chosen to let himself be dragged into this political game for Victoria''s sake, and now he had paid a price. He didn''t want to think who else could get hurt as collateral damage in this war. "You have to say something." His mother said to him in a whisper, Alex looked at her and shook his head, he really didn''t want to do this, but it looks like she was not having it. "I''m not asking! You''re the young master of the Zhang clan, and right now your clan is mourning and going through a tragedy. You need to reassure them, stand with them and comfort them, plus this is the first time you''re seeing all of them, you have to prove to them that you''re worthy and strong enough to lead them in the future, now speak!" with that said she took a few steps back and turned Alex to face the entire clan. It seems they were all expecting him to say something as he immediately noticed the hundreds of eyes on him. For a moment he felt like all those eyes held judgment and he wanted nothing more than to run away, but even if that was the case, he had to carry it. "I owe you all an explanation! I won''t beat around the bush or paint my words carefully; this was my fault¡­it''s still my fault. You people are my family but you don''t know me, I didn''t grow with them or any of you guys, but I came back and took responsibility for a lot of things I wasn''t ready for, chief amongst them were the lives of Zhang Feigu, Zhang Ming Su and Zhang Xuelan. And as we can see I failed miserably, I spent months feeling sorry for myself and not being able to forgive myself for not protecting them well enough. But I''ve realized I don''t have time to feel sorry for myself, I have killed their murderer, and believe me when I tell you that his death was anything other blissful, I made sure he begged for it. But it''s not over, the real people responsible are still out there, and no power on earth will stop me from finding them and destroying them after I''m done, then all of you are welcome to come mete out your punishment for my failings, and I will take all of it! Even if you want to hurt me now, I''ll take it all! But until then! Men and women of the Zhang clan! Brothers and sisters! My family! Dry your tears and sharpen your blades! Because from this moment on! We''re at war! And if anyone gets in our way of justice, in the way of our future; then¡­. KILL!!!!!" 206 Debrief There was a solemn atmosphere within the Zhang clan, normally Alex would have been so besotted with how beautiful the place looked, how vibrant and how full of life it felt. This was the kind of place Alex would have happily called home, but tonight every member of the clan was gathered around an artificial lake, drinking. It didn''t matter if you were an elder or a junior, everyone had come together in their grief. This was not just some clan, this truly was a family, and Alex was sitting right in the midst of them all, he was introduced to cousins, or in this case second cousins since his uncle was incapable of having children, or something like that since he didn''t really know the full story, never the less, it was time he debriefed his grandfather, and the few important elders of the clan. "Alright Feng''er tell me everything, and leave nothing out. You have made some decisions on behalf of the clan that would affect us, especially our standing with the sect, but you''ve also gotten us greater gains with the sky steel you found, and the custom orders for dual attributed weapons you''ve made. The method for the forging of such weapons is actually quite sought after, and it has made the Zhang clan even more important to the Wudang sect, you have tilted the scales of balance in our favor. And for that, well done!" The pride in his grandfather''s voice was palpable, and it left Alex feeling very warm inside. While he hadn''t thought too much about the full merits and demerits of most of his actions and how it would affect the clan, he had always strived to perform his absolute best in everything that he did. If he was just talented, that would be one thing, but what set Alex apart from the hundreds of other talents if not thousands; was that he was a hard worker. But yeah, he was still a favored son of heaven. "I can''t talk too much about my abilities grandfather, but what I can say about that is; I''m in more danger than you realize. If the world should truly find out what my talent and abilities truly entail. It would not only cause a war so great that it would rival the divine war, it would also spell the end and doom of the Zhang clan and the Wudang sect." Alex didn''t want to seem so dark, but anything other than the truth wouldn''t be fair to his grandfather and this group of granduncles and grand aunties. "We are family, and I can see that you have a filial son first brother, but he should not underestimate the bond of the Zhang clan. There''s no odds in this life that we would not be able to face together!" a man who had his glossy black hair with streaks of white pulled back in a ponytail said to Alex''s grandfather. This man was known as the first elder, the younger brother of Alex''s grandfather. Never the less, if we have any plans on bringing both empires down, we have to accelerate the time frame and get it done fast. But before that our most pressing matters would probably be the ark war. I say this with at least 65% guarantee, but there''s a possibility I would be able to gain the inheritance of the gods without having to fight for it, and I would be able to bestow said inheritance on people of my choosing." The moment Alex had said that, multiple eyes grew wide and his grandfather waved his hands. The moment he did so, Alex felt his vision turned white for a second before they changed locations. Alex looked up noticing the cold, the storm and the snow, it was so intense he could feel the frost rapidly spreading allover his body. Seconds later three others joined them, it was the first elder, and the second and seventh elders, both women. From the looks of it, it seems only this four people knew Alex''s grandfather would bring him here. "where are we?" Alex asked as he held his arms to his body, desperately trying to keep the cold away. His grandfather waved his arms again, and the cold vanished, leaving Alex no other choice but to stare at the vast expanse of white around him. "This is Everest, but go on with what you were saying, where we are doesn''t matter." The seventh elder said to his as her full grey hair flapped with the wind. "The reason why no one has been able to get the inheritance so far, is because it has to be bestowed, and not by the gods who left it behind after their death, but by the guardian meant to inherit the mandate of keeping the earth safe, and that person is me. For now, all I have are speculations and directions from a very wise fish, don''t ask me what that means; but the crux of the matter is, I can make it so that a significant amount of out clan members can obtain the ancient powers of the fallen gods. It wouldn''t be as strong as the gods seeing as they''re just mortal, but it would be enough to give every major power in the universe pause, the Wudang sect would be the most powerful force in the universe," Alex explained to them with a straight face. "I take it that you would need something to make this work in you favor, so what would that be?" the second elder asked, her bright purple eyes glinting like precious stones set ablaze. "I need allies, lots of them, people will to trust in me and make proper deals to thwart and eliminate our enemies during the ark wars, seeing as the entire universe would be our opponents. And finally, I''ll need expendable resources, and by that I mean people that would die just so we can get ahead, and I need a lot of them!" \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Cross watched the Zhang clan with a look of wistfulness on her face, admittedly she wished the family she had was as close to each other as they were. But there was nothing of the sort, in her family; politics and stabbing someone in the back was everyone''s favorite pass time. She looked won at the letter in her hand, and couldn''t help but shudder as she ripped it to shreds and let the wind carry it along, but even then the words kept ringing in her ears. "you have done enough Minerva, it is time to come home, good job!" It wasn''t too difficult to say that she now had her heart stuck in her throat, but there wasn''t anything she could do about it. She really had to leave soon, and honestly, that was not something she wanted to happen. She couldn''t help feeling that somehow she had found a place for herself here, and if she leaves, there goes her chance at happiness. But she had to leave, by this point even she knew that she couldn''t be trusted. "You know if you think too hard, your head will hurt." A deep but somewhat brash voice said from behind her, heavy as her heart was, she couldn''t help the smile that came over her face. She''s only known this young man for two days, but she couldn''t help the giddy feeling her stomach had every time he was close to her. There was just something about Yun Fao and his manly but simple character that drew her to him. Plus, he was younger, so it was kind of fun in its own way. "You sound like your worried about me?" she asked him with a mocking smirk on her face. "I am worried about you; I don''t have to sound like it because it''s true." He answered back resolutely. "But we''ve only known each other for two days, is that enough time to be worried about me? You should be careful lover boy I''m not who you think I am." If Alex and the others were here to see Cross having an actual conversation, it would drive them mad with shock, but Yun Fao too? They''ll lose their minds. "So? Is it supposed to matter how long we''ve known each other for me to be worried about you?" Yun Fao asked her, but she couldn''t give him an answer. His sincerity completely caught her off guard, and his next words almost drove her mad. "Well, if we can leave that aside, I''ll ask you a very important question, though I''m not sure now''s a good time given the current state of things, but regardless¡­. can you have lunch with me tomorrow!" and all she could do was look on shocked as for the first time ever, someone asked her out on a date, and even worse it was at a funeral. 207 The Rights Of Conquest And Command There were too many things to be done, and too little time to do it, but never the less, Alex was focused on the task ahead, at this point he didn''t have much of a choice but to do so as there were lots of people counting on him, failure was not an option. He was leaving the Wudang sect a lot stronger than he came in, sometimes it was not how hard you hit that determined just how powerful you were, but by the caliber of people you had supporting you. They had to make one final stop at the forbidden city, Alex had to receive the imperial edict given to him by the emperor that certified that he had been given the rights of conquest for a recently discovered dimension, he still had a thousand soldiers garrisoned there, they would now be a part of his own personal army, and it was up to him to lead them and take full control of the dimension, and this was something that needed to happen. Nobody really knew how it worked, but invitation to the ark war was only sent out to people considered leaders or to put it simply, it is sent to established powers belonging to a particular planet or dimension. Normally any other planet other than earth only received a single invitation, but for some reason, earth always received multiple invitations, it was an obvious bias for the planet of its origin, and it became obvious that the ark wars was a way for the humans on earth to gain the power to take revenge on the powers than invaded and ended their golden age. Which was why the other powers that do get their single invitations always try their hardest to make sure they brought the fighters from the earth down, and more often than not, earth becomes incapable of putting up a fight. And the reason for that is quite simple, these other powers have a longer and deeper history in the usage of Qi and Mana, so much so that even children could match up to full grown men. But there was hope for the warriors of this generation, it was said there has never been more talent on earth than ever before, and Alex and Victoria were leading the charge. Unlike when they were heading to the Wudang sect, the Morgana was filled to the brim, or rather it wasn''t filled to the brim, but just had enough people to make for a lively atmosphere. Yun Fao seemed really in love with the airship and Anya seemed to have made it a point to tell everyone that this marvel of Qi and Mana belonged to her husband. It was all an attempt on their path to try and not dwell too much on the funeral, though Victoria had received her fair share of ugly looks from the triplets, it was n nothing she took into account. In all honest Alex wanted to avoid having to meet the emperor, but this wasn''t something he could avoid, because coming into his house and not even coming to say hello, for a son in law of the emperor that would be beyond rude, but thankfully the emperor wasn''t even around to begin with, so Victoria was happy to just lead Alex to the administrative pavilion to claim his prize. It was on their way there that she finally decided to speak. "I''ve located Ming and Walter, they''re being protected by their families and honestly you would not even be able to get close to them, it cost me a lot just to discover their locations. They honestly didn''t expect such a violent reaction from you, and while those two are part of a royal family and an imperial clan, the Zhang clan and Wudang sect was not something they had expected their children to mess with. Normally it shouldn''t matter as the academy was practically no man''s land for all of the world''s power, but the subsequent display, and your extremely violent outburst and even more violent takeover of all their assets has left their families feeling worried. If we don''t take the Wudang sect into question, the Zhang clan has a very close relationship with both the imperial Lu clan and the royal Albion family. And this was before we got engaged, at the moment I hear that both families are entreating both my father and grandmother, the high queen of Albion to mediate. It''s been kept really quiet, but they were hoping to arrange a sit down with you or rather not with you but with your grandfather as they feel and know you would be too hot-blooded to coerce or strong arm into a settlement." "are they that afraid of me?" Alex chuckled as he asked with a very bright smile that gave Victoria pause for a moment. "They''re not really afraid of you, but rather of your potential and your connections. Plus, it seems you have no idea how famous you are right now, you''ve been going around causing problems as it is, from your crashing of a secret auction, stealing away an angel held in captivity, to the time you fought demons in Macau, your battle during my father''s banquet, and the very annoying fact you''re the only person in the entire world who can forge both mana and qi attributed weapons. With the amount of popularity, you have, you can start a sect of your own or...." Alex raised an eyebrow as she stopped speaking and paused. "Or what?" he asked her with a curious look. "Or start a rebellion." She whispered to him as she moved forward, covering dozens of meters in a few seconds. Alex didn''t know how to react to that, was it that easy to become famous, all these things that she had mentioned he didn''t think they were that important to have built him such a respectable reputation or fame as she says. And for all intents and purposes he was right in that thought, there were too many factors coming into play, chief amongst them being his pedigree. No one was talking about his father, and if they did it even made him seem more divine. To those who didn''t know, he was just the son of a painter and the daughter of the most powerful man on earth, to those who did know, he was the son of the divine painter. A man who''s painting could stir the pleasures and wrath of the heavens, reveal secrets and teach ancient and unique martial arts, his painting could open gateways and create dimensions from nothing or at least open gateways to ones not yet discovered. And then add in being the son in law of the emperor, and that the person he was getting married to was equally as famous as he was. At this moment he had they eyes of many on him, and he didn''t know it. Many loved him, and equally many hated him, and many more wanted to be just like him, and this was just the beginning of his story, Alex still had many more years of glory to bask in. He shook his head and hurriedly caught up with Victoria as they finally arrived at their destination, being the princess afforded her a lot of respect, and the empire''s minister of internal affairs was quickly called over to grovel and gush at the feet of the ninth princess. Alex found it amusing, and while Victoria kept a stoic face and seemed unfazed, for some reason Alex could tell that she felt¡­embarrassed by the entire display; and no matter what, she kept making sure to avoid his eyes. It honestly left Alex feeling very confused, but that was quickly dealt with as the minister handed a golden scroll to Alex. This was the right of conquest, and then he was given another scroll, however this one was blood red and written with golden letters, this was the right of command. "Prince Zhang Feng, the golden scroll is the right of conquest for the recently discovered dimension 2341555, it has not been conquered yet, so no official name has been given, but I hear that the soldiers call it the blood lands. And then the red scroll gives you command over the 777th regiment of one thousand soldiers at the peak of the mortal gate, one hundred commanders within the earth gate and ten generals at the peak of the earth gate, all together that makes for one thousand, one hundred and ten men and women. I wish you the best of luck on your conquest young prince. Also! Your highness, your mother requests both your presence at her quarters, I shall now take my leave your most respected princess." Alex blinked and then turned to Victoria with a mischievous smile on his face, then he said. "Well Your most respected Princess, should we go meet my mother in-law?" what he got for his troubles was hard smack at the back of his head as a red faced Victoria walked out, it wasn''t wise to provoke her, but it was so worth it; and the minister with no idea how to flatter just made it easy for him. Well Alex hoped once they get married everyday would be like this, it wouldn''t be too bad having a wife that gets embarrassed when people suck up to her, life was definitely going to be more interesting in the future. 208 Empress Of The Empire Of Heaven To get to her mother, they were led through a significant amount of security checks, that quite honestly was very frustrating. But through all that, Alex was able to notice that all of the guards were not native to the empire of heaven, but were actually Albians, soldiers from the empire of heaven. It spoke volumes of just how much trust her mother seemed to have in the court of the empire of heaven after she married in, and that trust seemingly amounted to zero if she had to be this stringent with her security measures and being incapable of trusting no one other than soldiers from her own household. If not for the fact that it might get his head chopped off, Alex would probably wonder how it was possible that the emperor was Victoria''s father. "My mom has been officially married to my father for the better part of twenty years, however they''ve been together for much more longer than that. Either way she''s had to endure assassination over 635 times, and most of the times, it was my father''s rivals from the Lu clans that were aiming for her life. But in all of those times, my father had sent assassins after my mother 63 times, once every year since the year I was born. They laugh and smile about it like it''s some lovers quarrel, but both me and my mother knows, that eventually, there''ll be an assassin that can get close enough to her. So don''t be too stressed by the security measures, this is the least my sister and I can do for our mother to make she''s safe from my father. She''s the empress of the heaven empire, though its looked down upon that she has guards from her patriarchal home keeping her safe it''s a necessary evil. We''ve asked her more times than one to leave the forbidden city, but she says she the empress and as such she has to keep true to her people, the ones that now belong to her by virtue of her marriage and the birth of her daughters. There''s only so much we can do to keep ourselves safe from my father, he''s not just evil to people outside of this walls¡­. he''s a monster." Her words faded into a soft whisper as Rezar followed after her, for a very long time he had thought that perhaps the reason she wanted the throne was just politics between herself and her siblings. He never knew it went deeper than that, to an instinctual fear of her father and an aim to keep her mom and sister safe. He already knew the emperor was a bastard amongst bastards, but this proves he was much worse. Alex couldn''t imagine what could make a man be not just a monster to his people, but to his family too. So many stories would be told of tyrants who had fallen, but what about the people who are literally at ground zero of their madness, their families. The scary part of this all was that Alex couldn''t think of anyway other than what she was doing, to go up against the emperor, losing her soul in the process is something that needs to happen. This wasn''t like all those stories were to take down a tyrant a band of well-intended revolutionaries would gather together to try and bring him down. Alex knew this would get bloody pretty fast, betrayal, backstabbing, cheating and lies would be implemented, lives would have to be taken to be able to get at her father, whether innocent or guilty, her hands and by extension his would also be stained with blood to make sure the Emperor doesn''t just lose his position, but find a place in a tomb, deader than dead. There would be no peaceful sunrise over the horizon once this was over with, there would only be blood, sweat and tears. And the people still standing will just be no less monsters than the one they just took down, forever stained by the darkness. Massive double doors swung open as Alex and Victoria walked in to a rather lively banquet. The empress was busy hugging Khan who was happily taking advantage of his proximity to her to rest his head on her well-endowed chest, Anya was having a contest with a woman who looked like an older version of Victoria, while the rest of them ate reservedly, except for Xiao Mei who was actually braiding the Empresses hair. Alex was so shocked by the sight in front of him, he froze like a deer in headlights, Devonte looked like he needed to use the toilet, same with Yun Fao, whilst Louis remained ever the regal playboy flashing soft smiles to the maids currently serving them and deriving pleasure from their barely suppressed giggles. The triplets were hunched together with Cross slowly whispering about god knows what, and occasionally turning to look at Yun Fao who was fully red in the face and would want nothing more than to dig himself a nice cozy hole to hide. The atmosphere here was just so¡­. bright! so much so that Alex wasn''t sure they were in the right place to begin with, he had no choice but to turn to Victoria and ask. "Where are we?" \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e To say it had been a fun night would be nothing short of an understatement, it was during the time spent with the empress that Alex finally realized why her children were so adamant about protecting their mother, and why the people of the empire of heaven seemed to hold her in such high regard. She was the epitome of goodness, and kindness, and she had such a calming motherly aura that made you just want to lay on her lap and tell her all your secrets and troubles. But Alex wasn''t so illusion by how good she seemed, one thing Victoria had said was the fact that most of everything she learnt, even how to fight had been from her mother. You could not be the empress and married to a monster like the Emperor of heaven based on the merit of goodness alone. To have been able to survive thus far, she had to have ferocity akin to ancient lions, and a cunning that would the most slippery of snakes to shame. She could scheme with the best of them and even leave them in the dust, which was why when she offered to escort him back to the Morgana, walking one on one with him for a chat, Alex got noticeably nervous. But how could he not, this was practically his mother in-law! Political marriage or not, if she doesn''t like him then that would make his future very, very bleak, especially since he was in the process of plotting her husband''s murder and would probably need her help. "I like you Feng''er, or would you prefer I call you Alex?" she asked him with a voice so crisp that even though this wasn''t the first time he was hearing it, it made him want to fall back and stare at the stars in bliss. "You can call me Xiao Feng your Majesty, only my mother and grandfather call me that way." Not that he had to mention only his grandfather and mom called him that way, but he was so nervous he was given information that wasn''t required. "Well then that''s good, at least it shows me you''ve accepted me as your mother. I like the fact that you''re not disillusioned by what you''ve seen tonight or heard, you know I''m a very dangerous woman, and you know I won''t hesitate to rip out your heart and those of your family if you fuck with my child! She''s putting a lot of her hopes on you, though she wouldn''t tell me why you''re so important, but you''ve become the central focus of all her plans, so for your sake¡­don''t screw it up." Alex felt like he swallowed a stone, this woman was fucking scary and the rapid change in the tone of their conversation had made the young man break out in a cold sweat. She didn''t think he was as important to Victoria as her mom had said, but as it stands the empress had no need to lie¡­right. "You should loosen up a bit kid, all I''m asking is that you try your best. I''m not trying to make light of the fact that what were up against is a man that many would consider an untouchable god, even more so when you consider the power and force that stands behind him. Normally I shouldn''t even harbor thoughts of fighting against my own husband, you see regardless of what many say he''s my husband and I love him very much. But I don''t love him more than I love my children, and I would never let him put them and the peace of this world in jeopardy. So Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng Matthews Ale! You better make sure that when you''re finally going after the emperor you hit him hard enough and for all our sakes¡­. you best not miss!" "Don''t worry¡­. I won''t!" 209 I Love You There was nothing left to be taken care of so they all returned to the academy to make final preparations. Alex didn''t have much information about the dimension he was supposed to go conquer, he had no idea what was the current state of the war there between his army and between the locals of the dimension, and because of that he was unable to determine what sort of supplies to take along. But he had a few plane keys and the blueprints for making one, while it was not as permanent as a planetarium, it was the only available option for him as the planetarium on the Morgana only had one location on it, and that was earth. He would be able to register a new location once he gets to the dimension, but even then, the Morgana wasn''t strong enough yet to make trips across dimensions, he had to at least improve on its flaws and wait for its consciousness to awaken that way a high degree of accuracy could be achieved when travel between dimensions was required. As for the tower, it has become an important resource for the Wudang clan, so his uncle was coming to take over all of its operations. Miranda wanted to stay back, even if she was now bound to Alex and had to follow him, she was not like Yun Fao and Louis who were under extreme oaths to put their lives on the line for him should the situation call for it. But beyond that, none of the students of the beggar''s sect would be coming along, Hideki, Cross, Sarah and Rahim would be staying behind as the beggar''s sect had decided to stay out and not participate in this year''s ark wars, and they had given the order to all of their students to abstain from any sort of participation. For Yun Fao who had hit it off with Sarah during the burial, this was the most unlikely of situations, but never the less this was how it''s supposed to be. They would remain in the tower and continue their studies, meanwhile Alex, Anya, Xiao Mei, Louis, Yun Fao, Sabine, Sabina and Sabrina would be going. But it wasn''t just them, Victoria and Louis''s elder brother Leroy. Apparently the emperor had given the order that any of his children that has the b rightest performance during this ark war, would become the crowned royal and next in line for the throne. But he also required that they start from a lesser position than most, so for those of them willing to go after the throne, they were all given major dimensions to conquer or asked to help certain individuals to conquer dimensions of their own. Which was what was happening with Victoria now, the emperor even decreed that they were only allowed to bring a single aid, and nothing else. She basically had to rely on the foresight, fortitude and resources of her ally to win this, and in this case, it was her betrothed Alex. Sky Steel, Luminalium for Aesthetic purposes, two petals from the five vein element treasure, Stellar mythril, and Spirit crystal (the same one he had found in the infernal prison dimension) and finally special array/warding ink that his father had left, along with the Stellar mythril, and finally Deep Wind Emerald. Both sky steel and stellar mythril were neutral materials, depending on the forging method, the end product would be either qi or mana attributed. But going with his own method, Alex knew both would end up dual attributed. As it stood, he wasn''t going to combine both materials, while east wind and west cloud were a pair, Alex wanted uniqueness and originality between both swords. Stellar Mythril will serve as the base for west wind, while the sky steel will serve as the base for east cloud. He would combine Luminalium with the ink to make the best wards, and give the swords a colorful edge or groove. The spirit crystal makes it possible and a lot easier for spirit energy to run through both blades, and it would rapidly help them evolve. Besides for them to become dual attributed, and that also came from the combination with the deep wind emerald, which was a qi attributed material, and the spirit crystal was a mana material capable of refining spirit energy in trace amounts. These final two would help solidify the combination, so while Sky steel and Stellar Mythril would be the base for both swords, everything else would be the same to establish a sense of connectivity between both swords. And as for the designs of the swords, Alex had something different in mind than the norm. Both would be single edge blades that are rectangular rather than ending in a point like traditional long swords. Their blunt edges would be capable of combining together to then create a single double edge long sword with the combined powers and abilities of both swords, and this would serve a more destructive style of combat as Alex would cleave his way through a battlefield like a berserker as opposed to his normal methodical and swift style of combat. After forging the swords, Alex would have loved to forge himself some armor, but he would wait until he got to the dimension and see exactly what he has to deal with. Beyond that he also had to find a way to begin proper alteration, modification and improvements on the vehicles he had taken from the Aenz automobile industries, with a bit more focus on the Morgana. "Alex? If you''re not to busy can we talk?" Anya asked as she walked into the office. There were papers and rough sketches of designs allover Alex''s table, along with some of the materials he had to use for the forging. "Anya? I''m not busy¡­well I was about to go forge, but I can make the time. Are you oaky?" Alex asked as he got up and went to her side. As he drew closer he realized one starling factor, and that was the fact that he was now as tall as she was, honestly he didn''t notice until this very moment. "Do you think when were done with this Ark War we can go back home? Its been a long time since we''ve been there, and I really miss my mom¡­and everyone else." There was a solemn look on her face as she asked, which honestly wasn''t something she needed to do, but she wanted him to go with her. "Of course Anya, it''s been almost if not more two years since we left home, you probably miss everyone there. But why are you asking, you know I won''t stop you if you want to go back home." Alex said completely missing the point, but Anya was not the kind of girl to hide her feelings, whether they be positive or negative, she was always true to herself and the people she cared about., "I know, you wouldn''t dare, not unless you want to die. But the thing is¡­I want you to go with me, our engagement was done in such an annoying and disgraceful manner its left me feeling really guilty. I know you and I are not people who really give a shit about traditions, but I always imagined I would get married the way those young girls in the capital do. You''ll come home, ask for my hand, pay the dowry and then have the traditional marriage with lots of dancing and masquerades, and then the white wedding with me in a wedding dress with rings and all of those things combined, I know it sounds stupid, but¡­." Alex was shocked to say the least, this was a side of Anya he never knew existed, no matter how and how long he had known her. "If that''s what you want, then let''s do it that way. I have to marry Victoria in three years or less when I''m 18, but we never said that I was going to wait until that time for me to marry you. The longest duration of an Ark war is eight months, as soon as its done, let''s go back home and do all the things you want, there''ll be a big party and your mom, your brothers and your little sister and your crazy ass father would be there to celebrate with us. Anything you want." Alex said to her as he pulled her close into an embrace. "You Promise?" she asked as she placed her head on his shoulder. "Who do you think you''re talking to, I''m Childe Spirit wind, the spirit king of this universe, there''s nothing I can''t do, and there''s no mountain, valley, river, ocean or world I wouldn''t move for you to be happy." "I hold you to your Promise MR. I CAN DO ANYTHING, I love you Alex." She whispered to him, and he hugged her tighter with a more pronounced smile on his face. "I Love you too Anya, always and forever, till the skies fall and the sea boils over in flames and ash rains from the sky and everything becomes nothing, I love till the world ends!" 210 Forging West Wind And East Cloud 1 [the true art of forging is a lie, every material made and every method used is unique and would only work best for the smith implementing it. But regardless of the art or the method, the true pinnacle of smiting is to one day eventually, forge a soul. But such a peak has not been reached yet, not unless by the great gods of the forge, chief amongst them being Hephaestus the god of fire¡­. I know this because I have face him in battle he is or rather was a man whose ferocity was unmatched, and even greater than his ferocity was his intellect and ingenuity. With every swing of his hammer, Hephaestus could forge the most intricate of machines, weapons, armor and he would give them life! Give them power to rival the gods themselves and the invaders they face. If it wasn''t for the help of those entities¡­. the alliance would have fallen to this beings, to these gods who had decided to hide themselves away in this tiny blue planet in the middle of the universe. But even though countless amount of years has passed, till this day I still see the look on his face, the grin, the peace and the concentration of a man who was capable of giving life to even something as mundane as paper. I realize that even if we wore¡­. we''re nothing compared to the gods, for they have mastered the true art of forging, the art of making life.] It was time to forge, his earlier moment with Anya had for all intents and purposes filled with him with a fervor and zeal unlike any other. There was a lot to be said about how extravagant and crazy a woman in love could be, but a man could be much worse, of course he''s actions would be a lot more subdued, but there''s no denying he would be able to do a bunch of great things at that moment in time, and that was exactly how pumped up Alex was feeling right now. He was going to be forging both swords at the same time, so he was using an immortal forge that could multitask rather than focus on one single forge. This was a lot better, no matter how capable man was, no matter how powerful, they still couldn''t compare to the efficiency of the machines they made, but giving life to a forge was still something the smith had to be responsible for. The stellar Mythril and sky steel quickly found their ways into the respective port, Alex injected his spirit energy into the forge to start it up, then he quickly activated his windfire, drawing the billowing green flames from the power of the fire mask without even having to activate the fire mask. Alex had obviously become a lot stronger and more in sync with his spirits, as it stood his body could probably withstand being possessed by Nezha for as long as ten minutes. Keeping his attention on both ores, Alex moved them to the side as the Dark wind emerald and the spirit crystal found its way into the port and quickly underwent refinement. Now came the extremely difficult part. During his first forging attempt, the spirit crystal had been made into a hilt for the weapons, so while it was a part of the whole, it wasn''t integrated fully into the blade. Alex had since rectified that flaw for both Louis and Yun Fao''s forged weapons. This time he would still be making the hilt from the spirit crystal, then he would coat it with a very careful combination of Stellar mythril and Sky steel. It should make for a very durable hilt and complement the power of the blade, but before that he had to make sure he gets all of the ores to properly meld together. The dark wind emerald was the least valuable material in this combination, but it wasn''t a common material either. Stellar Mythril and sky steel cost a fortune, but Dark wind emerald cost a quarter of a fortune, give or take a few thousand gold. Either way it was a wind attribute material., and it would be the catalyst to make sure both swords were aligned to the wind element. Honestly while Alex hadn''t been too keen on having the wind element in the beginning, he had come to understand the value of it and the true power it held. It was freedom and it was rage, and it was responsibility as it was life. Unlike water, or earth, the wind was everywhere, air was the most constant element of life, not darkness and not light. Alex let out a deep breath as the ores all melded together, with spirit energy as their bonding agent, they became one, transforming in to something new. The sky steel ore was a deeper blue with green veins, while the Stellar Mythril was so black Alex felt as if it was sucking all of the light from the world, however its veins had changed into a sparkling gold. Alex could feel the power from those ores in ways he had never felt from another piece of ore, he was pouring all of his energies into the process as he moved them to the hammering plate. A pair of glimmering golden hammers were picked off the resting place as Alex was situated in between two metal plates with clamps over the ores, the moved forwards and backwards as Alex''s hammers began to fall, following a specific rhythm and tempo that belonged to Alex lone. *ting! Bang! Bang! Ting! Ting! Ting! Bang! * They rhythm didn''t slow down as Alex kept on hitting at the ores, hour after hour he worked away, pouring all of his energies, be it spirit, mana or qi straight into the ores, shaping them and breathing life into them. No matter how good a spear user he was, Alex had still not discovered Spear intent. But the first day he decided to train with a sword, under the supervision of his father and uncle, he had discovered and developed sword intent. The sword was a part of him in a way other weapons couldn''t compare, and as he banged away he poured out his love, his experience, his blood, his sweat and his tears. He was in a very difficult yet strange state of mind. Stories have been told about smiths who got enlightenment when forging, and that they would be in a serene state of concentration. Alex was experiencing something similar, but he was not serene or calm, his emotions were akin to a turbulent storm over an ocean. And they poured into the swords until they had transformed from red hot ores to dull black and blue shaped blades that held a significant amount of power. Alex stopped, his eyes terribly red as he pulled out a dagger and slashed both his palms, and then held his bleeding hands over both blades, using his blood to quench them. The blades absorbed the blood and released sizzling sounds, as a plethora of shapes began to form over them. Eventually they all coalesced and formed a weird hexagonal symbol, that if Alex looked at little closer, would notice was actually a combination of the different masks he had. Alex blinked his eyes and moved on to the next part, he pulled out the Five vein element treasure from the mantle and unceremoniously picked out two petals. A black one that was cold to the touch, and silvery blue that sizzled with electricity. He placed the blue petal on the sword with the sky steel base, the was East Cloud, and the moment it did so, the sword lit up in a blaze of sizzling lightning as an exquisite and zig zagged symbol danced and was formed on where the blunt edge of the blade would be. Lightning was born from wind and was a variation of the element, an aspect of it. The black fell on West Wind and spiral like snowflakes dotted the back of the blade too. Ice was born from wind and water, but this wasn''t ice, but something similar, something that made it. This was cold wind, the wind responsible for the deep freeze of winter, this was Frost Wind. Alex released a breath and his fogged out breath could be seen in front of him, he shook his head and stepped back as he sent what was left of the five Vein element treasure back into the mantle. There was still work to be done as right now, all these blades looked like were ugly chunks of metal that had beautiful designs on it and were already powerful. But for now he needed to take a break, sharpening the blade, creating the hilt and inscribing the wards and arrays would come next, but for now, West Wind and East Cloud had returned into the world! 211 Forging West Wind And East Cloud 2 What he focused on next were the hilts for both swords, since they''re meant to be one handed longswords both hilts should be at least seven inches long, but Alex was going to make it possible for both swords to be combined together into a bigger blade, and as such he felt a little extra inch wouldn''t be too bad. So instead of a seven-inch hilt, which honestly was a little ambitious for a one handed sword, he made it a nine-inch hilt. That way even if both swords were combined, he still had enough space to maneuver both hands up and down the hilt of the blade. Plus, the extra space would make it all too easy for him to swing the combined longsword with an ease akin to a mace. It would be like a berserker swinging a great sword every which way. Either way, while the blades slowly underwent fundamental changes, Alex carved and shaped a massive chunk of Spirit crystal, and the proceeded to combine both Stellar Mythril and Sky Steel together, and then he meticulously coated the spirit crystal hilt with it. He had etched symbols of dragons, snarling wolves, winged fairies, roaring lions and majestic eagles on both hilts. The hilts themselves were rectangular and were just about two fingers wide, they were similar to the katanas of the old shogunate of japan, but the blades themselves weren''t curved and the hilts seemed fully metallic. On their pommel however was the yin-yang symbol of the Wudang sect and Zhang clan. But beyond that, Alex had already combined the Luminalium and the special warding ink his father had gotten form him. In all honesty, the ink or the Luminalium wasn''t needed as Alex had mastered arrays and wards enough that he would be able to use his energy to etch them, however Luminalium made the wards and arrays glow, and it had a 5% amplification effect for using of skills or spells, now coupled with the ink that Alex suspected had an amplification percentage of about 40%, he would be looking at a 45% increase in power and its distribution , and that''s if he didn''t take into account the amplification sure to occur from using spirit energy to combine them. He used the ink to do something many people before him had failed to do, he had taken a lot of time to study this, and he was sure he was ready. His ability to combine qi attributed and mana attributed materials had made it possible for him consider other possibilities, and when he saw the incredibly sloppy work on the tower back at the academy, his conviction was further strengthened. And now he was ready to put a few things to test. He had developed basic versions of what his choosing to call Origin Runes. By studying the runes that make up wards, and the inscriptions that make up arrays, Alex was able to fully reconstruct an entirely new runic script from the ground up. And he would be using the first he created, though in all honesty this could not be considered basic. (Link) The etching of the origin rune was swift and quickly done, however just to draw it on a single hilt, took a quarter of all his reserves out of his body and left him feeling mentally drained. It didn''t matter if it was his qi, mana or spirit energy, they were pulled out of him so swiftly and suddenly Alex felt as if someone had taken a scooper and cooped out a portion of his brain and insides. He took a few minutes to rest and the etched it on the second hilt. After that he had to rest for almost an hour before he began the meticulous job of connecting both hilts to the blades. He didn''t even have to do anything as the hilts suddenly joined with the blades, they literally became one as Alex was unable to tell where the hilts ended and where the blades began. The hilts quickly took on the color scheme of their blades, a dark blue for east cloud and a matte black for west wind. The chill in the room seemed to increase as his breath was fogged and his white hair rose up in the air static electricity dancing through it, which was expected, the sword embodied the lightning element of wind for east cloud and the frost element of wind for west wind. But Alex wasn''t done yet, what followed was him etching a few more Origin runes, but this time it was just to give them their names, as apart from the Link Rune and the Runes for their names, Alex had not fully figured out the language for the Origin Runes. As soon as he finished etching those runes, he took both blades with him to another corner of the immortal forge. There was a rapidly spinning conveyor belt, or rather there were two of them. One would be responsible for polishing the blade, and the other would be responsible for sharpening it. And with hesitation Alex got down to work, screeches filled the forge room as sparks flew every which way. A normal person would have to protect their eyes, but considering he had eyes that couldn''t be considered normal, Alex had no problem as he happily polished his blades and grinded at their edges, smoothing the out as he made on edge sharp and the other blunt. The blades themselves were three fingers wide, going by a fully grown man''s measurement. About the normal size of a standard longsword, making it a bit wider than the standard katana. Alex got lost in the process, and for the better part of an hour and half he created an edge so sharp that looking at it literally made his eyes bleed, which was saying something because he knew those swords were bonded to him for life. So it was hard to imagined what someone who the swords didn''t belong to would feel like, he had to make a scabbard that would fully seal their power. But before that, a little test run was in order. Alex ran his qi into both swords, there was a swirl of wind around him as tiny shards of ice and wisps of lightning sparked to life around his body. He added his mana into the mix and the swirl of wind became turbulent, the shards were now crystalized snowflakes the size of a donut and the lightning was a meter long and two fingers thick. And at the moment there were dozens of them dancing around his body like blue snakes intertwined together. Luckily for Alex, he still had a bit of common sense left, so he was able to refrain from adding his spirit energy into the mix, that would have been stupid, like way beyond stupid. It wasn''t something he could do in such an enclosed space, then he activated the link rune, and just like he hoped, the swords combined together, becoming a palm wide broad sword with one edge blue and the other black. And right then the origin runes for their names changed, and Alex was not looking as west wind or East cloud anymore, he was looking at (Zephyr). And then he did the most stupid thing ever, he let his excitement get the best of him as he could feel that link rune did not just connect both blades together, it connected them to every weapon in the vicinity giving them limited control over it, which is to say in a fight Alex could turn an opponent''s own weapon against him. But beyond that, it also connected him to the blade itself, mind and sword as one, and along with that link came an overwhelming connection to the wind. And in that moment, Alex jumped multiple levels to find himself in first level of the true element realm, completely rushing through the true essence realm. And once he got into the true element realm, he could feel every element he was born with. The spirit element, the trace amount of wood element, the spirit element, and even the lightning and metal of his mana. The feeling was intoxicating, like he was pumped full of the most adrenaline inducing drugs in existence and then in his euphoria Alex decided to do the stupid thing and swing his new sword. *BoooooooooooooM! * The wall in front of him was blasted open, the forge was turned to rubble and pieces of metal scattered every which way, but this was the full extent of the damage as rapid cracks spread out through the whole of spirit tower, and the purple slash of frost, lightning and wind kept on destroying everything in its path as it went to the other side of the canyon and destroyed three more towers before slicing a massive hole into the canyon wall bringing down a massive amount of rubble down on a lot of people and buildings. It wouldn''t kill them, not unless someone took that casual slash head-on, but the amount of destruction it had cause had probably put four organizations out of a home including the spirit tower. Alex watched with eyes open wide as everyone within the spirit tower rushed out and the entire tower collapsed to the ground in a very dramatic fashion. They all watched as the dust settled and a completely dust covered Alex was standing there with a rather shocked look on his face. But as if that wasn''t enough, thunder clouds quickly gathered above his head and struck down, heading for the sword in his hand. All Alex could do was lament at his misfortune, he really didn''t think he would cause this much problem, but what could he expect...he had made the first immortal weapon ever made by a native of earth, even the heavens got angry at that. 212 Onward And Upward The power of tribulation lightning was not something that could be joked with or faced without absolute concentration, but in the case of blinking eyes as a hail of lighting the size of pythons struck his form and that of his swords. But he could feel was a little bit of a tingling feeling as his white hair seemed to come alive and stand on end. And then much to the shock of everyone else who was watching, all of the lightning were absorbed into those platinum white locks of his, prompting them to grow longer before all the signs of the lightning disappeared. This was completely unlike anything they''ve ever seen, and even more so for the people who just had their towers destroyed as this seemed to cement the fact or rather confirm the name that was secretly being circulated around about Alex. The looks on their face proved it., this guy was a monster. Of course he was not the only monstrous talent in the world, but by this point it seemed calling Alex a monstrous talent was am understatement. "I don''t know about you, but I really believe it now; the young master of the Zhang clan is a devil!" And many people agreed with the observation of the person who just spoke, as for Alex, he quickly called out his mantle, its walking stick form floating in the air in front of him. Unlike the last time he had seen it like this, the walking stick was now a plethora of colors to showcase the different masks and the powers the held. There was a pressure released the moment it appeared, but it was quickly masked as the mantle changed its form into a sort of harness/belt that held two sheathes for the new swords, and a small pouch on his back that would hold (Nameless). Never the less he had achieved everything he needed, and he was ready to move on to the next stage. He shook his head as he waded into the rubble and pulled up an annoyed looking Geb, ignoring the sheer amount of fertile earth that clung to the fur of the fox, it would not be too hard for them to clean up the tower or rather rebuild it, from here Alex could see that the basements were okay, as they held the farm and every other important resource was stored there. Once the people from the Zhang clan came over, it wouldn''t take them too long to have another tower built on the rubbles of the old one. Not to mention maybe this was for the best, the previous residents had messed the tower up, especially with their attempt at making a dual attribute array and ward to serve as a defense mechanism. The attempt itself was a failure and it left much of the tower pretty much unstable, so now that everything has been brought down, it would not be too bad an idea to start over again. \u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c\u003c||\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e They didn''t need to be on air to use the plane key, but it would be better to leave in a location that won''t be too accessible to their enemies. If the plane key was used on the ground, it would be that much easier for someone to track the location of their dimension and mount a sneak attack. But if its high up in the air where the elements are stronger and the energies of the earth were thicker, it would cause interference with any sort of tracker, so it would be hard to accurately pinpoint their location if not completely impossible. "Well what are we waiting for? Can we get a move on!" Anya said as she threw a swift slap to Alex''s back that almost knocked him overboard. Victoria concealed a smile, Anya was never one for soft approach, she already got tired with the whole enjoying the scenery. She absolutely had no finesse, but that was the beauty of h the kind of person she was. Alex shrugged his shoulders and raised the Plane Key, a circular disk filled with arrays and a purple gem the size of a grown man''s fist. Alex raised it up and pointed it ahead as quickly injected his spirit energy into it. It took a lot of qi to activate a plane key, in fact you would need reserves in the mid realms of the earth gate to be able to even activate it for a second. But Alex had the shortcut that was spirit energy, it didn''t cost him too much to activate it as a circular tear with a radius of a thousand meters showed in front t of them. The tear opened up into a tunnel of multicolored rainbow lights, this would lead them to a special beacon in the dimension, ensuring their trip was safe and they don''t maybe end up in the capital city of their enemies of three thousand feet Inside of a volcano. As soon as the tunnel showed up, the purple gem seemed to have lost its luster and looked incredibly weak. It only had on return trip left, but that wasn''t a problem. The moment they traveled through to the other side the planetarium on the Airship would register the new location. It would be easy for the Morgana to travel through and fro from earth to the dimension, granted she had enough energy and the structural integrity to handle unstable tunnel it would create. It would take the Morgana at least a dozen travels through the tunnel, before it would be able to build a stable dimension tunnel of its own. But be that as it may, it was time they move forwards. It flew into the tunnel as the eyes of everyone, was filled with a cocktail of colors and wonder, till now not many people have discovered the secret of the dimensional tunnels. But like it has been for many others before then, this tunnel, was the bridge to a new adventure, and they absolutely couldn''t wait for it to start. 213 District Of Night I : Changes The first thing they all noticed was that the air was colder, the chill was not the kind that you would experience from a cold weather or from a cold drink. This was ominous, dark, powerful, filled with death and at the same time filled with spirit, so much spirit. It didn''t make sense to Alex, but at the moment he was about to receive more than enough proof that he was no ion some ordinary or common dimension, there was more to this dimension than the norm. [New User Detected¡­. Integrating New User into Universal Spirit Network¡­. User Integrated] [Spirit King Mantle Detected, Activating Spirit King System¡­Buffering¡­. Synchronizing with Mantle¡­. Synchronizing with Earth Frequency¡­Launching Spirit King System¡­. Welcome Spirit King Alexander of Earth to The Spirit District Nix! The World of Midnight Hours and Blood Moons] ¡¤ Name: Alexander ¡¤ Class: Spirit King ¡¤ Rank: Spirit Commander ¡¤ Mantle Spirits: 5 ¡¤ Bonded Spirits: 3 ¡¤ Discipline: Manifestation, Apparition, Mind Sight, Divination ¡¤ Villages (1), Towns (3), Cities (0), Kingdoms (0), Districts (0) ¡¤ Skills: [Eye of Horus lvl1] [Holy lvl1] [Fire lvl1] [Blood lvl1] [Wind lvl3] [Wisdom lvl1] ¡¤ Spirit Coins: 0 ¡¤ Followers: N/A "Alex what is this?" Victoria asked, as Alex turned to see that both she and Anya were looking at screens of their own, but he had no idea how to answer that because even he didn''t know what was happening. He shifted his gaze to look around the world they now found themselves in. Two blood red moons hung in the sky like the massive eyeballs of an angry god, there was a valley to the north which was connected to an expansive mountain range that had vast stretches of forest with extremely tall trees dotting the landscape. At the mouth of the valley was a thick ten-meter-tall wooden gate that was flying the flag of the empire of heaven. The valley was actually the mouth of the mouth range that seemed to spread from east to west far into the horizon. That was probably the camp where his army was waiting, turning his head to the south, all he saw was a vast landscape. It was desolate and was about a dozen kilometers long, before ending at another forest. To the west the landscape stretched until the shimmering waters of an ocean could be seen, and that was at least 48 kilometers away. But beyond that Alex noticed and also felt the landscape beneath them, it was a battlefield. Alex turned to Victoria and dragged her and Anya down below, back into the ship. They came into the cockpit where the others were waiting and received the shock of their life. And it came from both Devonte, Geb and Khan. Devonte was now seven inches tall with big luminescent golden green butterfly wings, and a tiny horn on his head. Louis was having the time of his life laughing at him. And finally Khan; the demon weasel wolf thing was now a man, or rather a ten-year-old boy with wolf ears on top of his head, blood red eyes, sharp fangs, a tail and a face so handsome he was currently being hugged by Xiao Mei, and as usual he had a rather perverted grin on his face as she hugged him. And given he was naked in this new human form of his, his rather tiny tool was at attention, though Alex had to admit it was bigger than what a ten-year-old should have. "Master I feel weird." Geb complained, his childish voice all too obvious to show that he was still just a child. Alex knelt down in front of him and hugged the Fox tightly before saying to him. "Don''t worry okay, this is just a temporary change, once we go back home you''ll be back to normal. Don''t be scared, I''ll keep you safe okay? Now stay put while I go get some answers." Alex said to him, about to head into the mantle when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "You don''t have to go into the Mantle Alex, I''m here now and I''ll tell you everything you need to know." Alex''s eyes widened to epic proportions as he turned around and exclaimed in shock at the teenager standing behind him, who mind you: hair was also on fire. "Nezha!" The fact that he was standing there was shocking enough, his hair was on fire and so were his eyes, he was holding on to a spear, and underneath his feet were a pair of wheels that kept him afloat. He looked every bit like someone from the empire of heaven, with his average height, narrow eyes and black hair (even if it''s on fire). "I don''t want to be out for long, if there''s another spirit king here it would not bode well for you if they discover my energy. For now, let me explain the system to all of you, and also why your spirits have undergone such a change. Alex this is no ordinary dimension, for all intents and purposes this is the place between universes, the spirit world. But the spirit world is not a planet in every sense of the world, rather it''s a compilation of planets that are connected to each other through what we call Port Paths. They''re all connected to a central disk world, where the inherent base of every spirit king is located. What you have to do is conquer these smaller worlds, also known as districts, and they will become a part of your base, increasing the size of the spirit world until it is fully complete. The more districts you conquer and add to your base, the stronger you become, and you will be able to properly developed anyway you want. There''s many more thing to be learnt, but I''ll just give an overview. This is a special district, its split between two factions of spirits, the vampires and werewolves and they''re beings that thrive in the dark. They''re powerful in their own rights but have been at opposing sides for a very long time. Alex you have to conquer this district as doing so would give you access to your first real army. I have to go now, once were in a secure location, I''ll be back to tell you about everything else, but in the main time, get to your camp." And then he was gone, just as suddenly as he had appeared, and all Alex could do was watch with his mouth wide open in shock. 214 District Of Night II : An Unwelcome Welcome The morgana came to a stop in front of the wooden gates to what was obviously an army camp, Alex and the others went down, while Louis remained on the airship. There was a distance of ten meters between them and the gates, and the flags above the gates seemed to flap in the throes of a nonexistent wind. "Halt! Who goes there? Identify yourself!" a rather strict voice sounded out from beyond the gate, Alex blinked his eyes and looked up, and it was just in time to notice a couple dozen bows and guns being pointed in their directions. Normally guns shouldn''t be a staple in a soldier''s arsenal of weapon, but the way these particular guns were forged, Alex doubted they were anything but simple. "I''m Alexander Zhang Xiao Feng with the right of conquest and command, I''m here to take over¡­open the gates!" Alex yelled out to them. However, it seemed his announcement had shocked the guards a bit, obviously none of them were expecting him, but that was understandable, even Alex knew that if he was in their shoes he would be caught off guard. He was kept silent until there a man leaped over the gate and landed in front of them in what Alex assumed to be a show of power. His cultivation base was right at the peak of the earth gate, so he was probably one of the ten generals. Though honestly if Alex had to admit it, this guy was not dressed for the part. All he had on was a silk bathrobe and a bedroom slipper with purple frills on it. And he smelled weird, like desire and passion. Alex narrowed his eyes, even though he may still be a virgin he wasn''t exactly clueless about the relations between a man and a woman, but never the less Alex didn''t feel like calling him out. The general just walked forwards and snatched the rights out of his hands, he read through the both of them briefly before he threw them right back into Alex''s face. Khan growled and Yun Fao''s sabre was already making ringing noises as it slowly slid out of its scabbard, Victoria moved forward to speak, but Alex held his hand out with an amused smile on his face as he looked at the general that towered over him. "I don''t understand what the Emperor is thinking sending a snot nosed brat barely grown from sucking his mother''s milk here. Listen boy! I don''t know who you are, or the significant amount of ass your family had to kiss to get the emperor to award this to you, but this camp is one of the imperial army, you would accord yourself properly and make sure not to get in our way! You can call me General Lu Jin, a member of the main branch of the Imperial Lu Family, so please contain yourself or the report I''ll deliver to the emperor would not be one you would like." Alex would handle this, but he wanted to see just how far this act of insubordination ran, plus this idiot did not seem to recognize the princess which was understandable seeing as she was dressed quite simply and had no adornment that would have signified her as the princess of the empire, she even had her hair tied up in a braid. If he had to make an assumption, it seemed these guys have not really been up with the current happenings on earth for the past few years. But never the less it still didn''t give him the right to be so lax with his duties and so disrespectful to someone who''s supposed to be his superior. And if he''s acting like this, Alex knew there would probably be others with the same character, and honestly after a betrayal had cost him the lives of family members, he would rather not leave any stone unturned. "I understand what you''ve said General Jin, please well try to stay out of your way as much as possible, but please if you can call an assembly I have an official decree from the emperor for the army camp, so if you could get everyone gathered that would be nice." Alex said to him with a demure smile. "If it''s a decree from the emperor then it would be best if you hand it to me, after all we share the same bloodline and it would only be proper if I was the one who read the decree, wouldn''t you say boy?" General Jin said as he moved closer, increasing the stature of his body in an attempt to look intimidating, "I''m sorry I can''t do that, carrying anything less than the orders of the would be treason, and unless you really have no regard for the emperor and have treasonous intent, then you would not stand in the way of me carrying out my duty to my empire. Now please I implore you not to overstep your bounds, you might be stronger but I''m here to be your superior, I''ll stay out of your way, but don''t assume you can push me around." Alex said to Jin as he squared up to the six foot six tall buffed out general. "Hah! You must feel so good about yourself boy! Who the fuck do you think you''re talking too! Do you¡­." "In the name of the crown and my authority as the ninth princess of the empire of heaven! Get your filthy hands off my Fianc¨¦!" Alex wanted to smack his face in annoyance, he would have been able to handle the humiliation for a little while longer till he rooted out all of the generals that seemed to not be taking their duties seriously. But she already exposed herself, and now they''ll compose themselves and it would be hard to pick the snakes out from the others. But since the cat was already out of the bag, then¡­. "Since it seems I can''t play with you any longer, it seemed you''re the perfect scapegoat to be used in making an example out of everyone here, so tell me which of your limbs you''re more attached to, because I''m about to relive you of it!" Alex said to him with a very sinister grin on his face. 215 Night District III : The Left Arm They were already getting an audience, the gates had opened and quite a few soldiers had stepped out, but after Victoria''s impromptu announcement, no one seemed ready or willing to make a move. Jin had dug his grave, and quite frankly he would have to carry that cross all by himself. Not that Alex minded that, but the world was a place that responded to power, and not just power, it responded to a determination and drive to wield it when necessary, there was no escape for Jin as Alex knew teaching this guy a lesson was the only way to get the others in line. "Your highness I apologize! Please forgive me my mistakes I had no idea who you were, or who your fianc¨¦e is. This was a mistake; it would never happen again." Of course it won''t happen again, Alex was going to make sure of it. "Do not apologize and do not look at her! You''re dealing with me now, and so I''ll ask you again; which of your limbs are you most attached to?" Alex asked as he took a step closer to Jin; who turned his gaze in Victoria''s direction hoping that she would help him, but all she gave was a blank look, Jin knew at that moment that even she wanted to make an example of him, regardless of if they shared the same bloodline. "I''m most attached to me left arm." Jin replied, keeping a straight face in an attempt to look noble. And seeing how he spoke out loud, he was probably trying to make a martyr of himself, with the other soldiers watching, no matter what Alex did, he would be no more than a tyrant and an overbearing outsider to them all, his command of the army won''t be as smooth as he''d want it to be. But Alex didn''t care, and he honestly didn''t mind being seen as an overbearing outsider, it would take time for him to foster a good relationship with the army, and such relationships are built based on the victories of the battlefield. They''ll fall in line eventually. Alex took a step forward as the fire mask seemed to bleed out of his skin and cover his face. The moment he did that, an intense pressure was felt, the temperature increased as the fire mask took a familiar black and red hue and the shadow or better yet the illusory form of Xeron showed in full force behind Alex, 25 meters tall and 35 meters long, an ancient salamander almost at the power of a dragon. It stands to reason that no one expected Alex to be able to bring forth this sort of power, he seemed so young, but beyond that he really didn''t have the look of someone capable of doing much. Well the people who followed him here knew better than most that Alex was full of surprises, this was not surprising, it was just expected. Unfortunately for Jin; Alex never did anything halfway. Black veins with a reddish hue began to spread all over the body of Jin. The man screamed in pain as he pulled away and turned towards the gate of the camp. His comrades all felt a chill crawl up their spine as steam began to hiss and escape from his body. Blood spilled out of his nose and ears, every single drop boiling with heat as the blackness and poison of black ash spread from his neck down to the chest, stomach, and below his waist in rapid succession. He took a step towards the camp, arms outstretched I n pain as he cried out for help, but no one seemed too willing to help him. And that was because in all honesty they had no idea how to do so. Not to mention the sight in front of them was so jarring and nerve wracking all they could do was stand there and watch as Jin went through the worst sort of pain imaginable. Soon enough the blackness and spread of the black ash had spread all over his head and down to his feet. He managed to take one last step, before his entire body, now completely burned and poisoned by the black ash feel apart to the ground, looking nothing more than lumps of blazing charcoal, Alex moved towards the pile that used to be Jin and then used his feet to sift through the rubble, then he kicked out, sending an object out of the piled and over the heads of the soldiers gathered outside to smash into the wooden gate. Though it didn''t break, the gate shook with enough force that it shocked everyone including Alex himself about how much power he could muster from just keeping an object. "That''s what''s left of your insubordinate friend, if anyone else have a complaint about that, then you can bring it up to my face. But if you don''t, then you all better sit the fuck up, because if anyone of you is less than the stellar soldiers of the empire of heaven, everybody will pay a price." Threatening people might seem somewhat extreme, but Alex needed to make a statement, and it was as colorful and as elegant as it could get. And they looked at him like he was a monster, Sure Jin was an asshole, but this seemed like a very terrible way to die, none the less if they thought he was a monster than that''s fine, it serves his purpose. But the thing is¡­. Alex didn''t think they were wrong. 216 Night District IV : Chao Xu And Chao Xing Beyond the wooden gates of the camp, was a camp that looked like it had seen better days. Their tents were a dirty reddish brown, the streets reeked of blood and death, and every soldier had something out of place or the other. Some might have been missing a helmet, others a spear, and some just didn''t have any armor on. But beyond all that, Alex was able to notice one very startling factor; the soldiers here were no more than 300 if not less. And this was a far cry from the one thousand one hundred and ten he was expecting. Eventually Alex and the others were led to a massive tent where two individuals were waiting. The tent was blood red in color and seemed to be obviously a command tent, but beyond that it was the only tent in the entire camp that seemed to be in fairly good shape. The people waiting was a man and a woman, from the look of things they were twins. "We welcome the ninth princess Lu Victoria Albion and the prince consort Alexander to grey valley camp, we greatly apologize for Jin''s insubordination. We have all been cut off from earth and proper information for a few years, so we have no idea what has been going on. Please forgive us, also join us in the tent, I believe there''s much that you both need to be caught up to speed with," the fact that they were twins wasn''t that bad, but why did they have to say the same thing at the same time. It reminded Alex so much why the triplets spooked him so much. They accepted the in vitiation and followed the twins into the tent, there was a massive round table where their meetings and strategies were held, but looking at it now, it''s obvious the furniture has seen better days. Alex took a seat, along with Victoria and Anya, the twins, took their seats before they proceeded to introduce themselves. "Our names are Chao Xu and Chao Xing, we were amongst the ten generals that were once given charge over this camp and asked to carry out the colonization effort of this dimension, however as you can see your highness Lord Alexander, we have not made the best of it." This time it was the male who decided to speak, but Victoria cut him off as she said, "You shouldn''t defer to me, Alex is a childe of the empire, and my husband to be. He''s practically ranked higher than me in every aspect, give your report to him and don''t look at me when you speak, is that understood?" She asked as she drummed her well-made nails on the table, creating a cacophony of rhythmic sounds that made even Alex nervous. "We Understand your highness!" they both replied, Alex decided to take charge and ask the questions he needed answered, "Where are the rest of the generals and the army, based on the report there should have been at least a thousand of you people, but the camp looks practically abandoned and a slum." We have been here for years, but we''ve been unable to achieve anything. Beyond the plains to the north, the Fiefs of vampires makes up the vampire kingdom. They have no king, only covens of bloodsucking beings that are too fast, and too strong. Even though we can''t use our energies, our cultivation base still remains, with all of the physical enhancements that come with it, but it means nothing., the weakest of them is around the mid-realms of the mortal gate, according to rumors the strongest should be at the peak of the heaven''s gate if not more. We''ve been raided by both the vampires to the north, and the werewolves in the forest mountains south of here. They''ve used some of us for food, others as slave, some got so scared for their life they decided to defect and join either one of the camps for a chance to live. And every message sent back to the empire was never responded to, our supply of plane keys was destroyed within the first week alone. What you see Lord Alex, is all that''s left of the 777th regiment." They were thrown way in over their heads, this was the place in between universes, and the only energy that was allowed here was spirit energy. The rules here were very much different than the norm, and if they were to survive, they needed to adapt. But how could they, there was no one to teach them, plus none of them were spirit kings or as crazily talented as Alex who could easily pick on it. But beyond that they were practically sitting ducks, they had an army, but it was practically a useless one as none of them would be able to fight. 300 men were enough, but they were handicapped, honestly Alex didn''t expect this, but it was very obvious that the odds were stacked against him. But this was the spirit world, while everyone seemed to have gotten weaker, he has gotten stronger and was still getting stronger. He was sure it wouldn''t be too hard for him to come up with a method to help everybody, not to mention all of his spirits could now manifest themselves physically, so there might still be hope. And speaking of spirits, just as he finished talking, the temperature went up a bit, and Nezha showed up, sitting on one of the chair and looking as ever divine and godly as before. Chao Xu and Chao Xing had their weapons out in seconds ready to strike, but a gesture from Victoria calmed them down, and then Nezha turned to Alex. "It''s time you know how to survive here, and how to help your army grow stronger and increase its size, since we need to talk either way, let''s talk!" 217 Night District V : The System From what Alex could see, but was obvious Nezha had a lot to say, but that was understandable. There was a lot Alex didn''t know about the spirit world, and it was about time he started getting some answers. He kept his gaze on the god spirit as Nezha seemed to want to keep everyone in suspense as he remained silent for a while, then he started speaking. "first of all, like I''ve told you many times before, the spirit world operates on a very different set of rules, and the area of space is occupying is called the Nexus. This is literally the center of all creation, of all universes and anti-universes. With the way the people from the earth universe were jumping around, discovering new dimensions, I feared it was only a matter of time before they stumbled onto the spirit world and it seems I was right. So far we''re extremely lucky that the vampires and werewolves didn''t discover the use of the plane keys, if they knew of such a function, earth would be under the threat of invasion. Of course it would be much easier fighting them on earth since you all will have access to your energy, but whether you win or lose, lives would still be lost. The spirit world is filled with the Origin Energy, but it is popularly known as spirit. I am made up of that energy, and on earth only few, very few are born with the capabilities to control such energy. And for a human without such capabilities to survive here, you would need to bond with a spirit." Nezha paused to make sure everyone was paying attention to him, then he nodded and continued. "The spirt world is something that''s known as a system world or a system universe. But this is the Nexus, the place between universes, so it can''t be considered a system universe. Either way, there are universes that rely on the laws of cosmic computing and calculation to increase their strength and keep track of everything their lives. Their growths are properly planned out, and they are more in control of their future, fate and destiny than universes that don''t have a system to govern them. However, they lack the instinct, drive, and awareness universes without systems have. To get your army ready for battle, you have to get each and every single one of them bonded to an embryonic spirit in much the same way you did with Khan. Of course the spirit would be too young to help them fight, but the biggest advantage would be the access to spirit energy. It would make it possible for them to use their skills and techniques as spirit energy is compatible with all skills and moves. But the two races have very great advantages. Werewolves and vampires are the best scouts amongst all of the spirits, not even ghost like spirits can compare. Werewolves are also the best shock troops, speed. Agility, strength, vitality and a bloodthirst unmatched by no one other than the vampires, berserkers and orcs. The vampires have the same thing, but they''re more refined. Their rituals, blood magic, and penchant for inventions have made them one of the most civilized and technologically advanced spirit race. They''re the best assassins, but even when allowed to let loose on a battlefield, they''re like a storm of blood and death blasting through a desert of bodies. Either way, just like these two have said, the werewolves have packs that are mostly nomadic, but many of them have roots, choosing to build villages, towns, cities and even kingdoms. As opposed to the vampires who don''t have a king but rather a council, werewolves have a king that seats above the rest. Either way, the packs are led by an alpha, and it is a rule of law that should you defeat an alpha, regardless of your race, the entire pack becomes boned to you, and will follow you until someone else challenges and defeats you. The vampires are a little more complicated, it''s the same method, but to beat the coven leader you will be having a contest of soul and mind. If you lose, your mind and soul would be extinguished and you would become a thrall, a mindless vampire that thinks about nothing more than to feed and kill for the pleasure of it. And it''s a universal rule that no matter what, you shouldn''t let a thrall live. So your plan should be trying to get the werewolf packs in line, one by one until you get to the king. You''re a spirit king, I believe you can get his allegiance. With the werewolf kingdom at your side, you should be able to face the vampires on equal footing and bring them to heel, one coven at a time if you so wish until you get to the council. This should prepare you enough for the ark wars, which is weird as this would be the first time the spirit world would be participating in it. As for the system, it is open to all of you now, which means you can get stronger. There are things called levels, and the more you kill spirits, you will absorb them and increase in level until you achieve different spirit ranks and grown strong enough to bone more spirits and draw strength from them. Alex on the other hand does not have the leveling option, your strength comes from the people and the spirits that serve you, so if they get stronger, so too will you. Also the system gives out missions to spirit kings, if you complete them, you would gain spirit coins, which you can use in the system shop. The system shop is a cosmic hub, you can purchase anything from any universe as long as you have enough spirit coins, and spirit coins are the currency for the spirit world. You can also gain a percentage of spirit coins when your subordinates complete tasks and quests from the system. In the spirit world that''s the only way for a spirit king to get stronger¡­.by making sure his people get stronger. Unfortunately, this camp does not have any system shop hub, which means it''s not even considered a village, or even a settlement. You have to clean this place up and move from there, the tasks completed should be able to get you the system shop hub, and enough coins to build a spirit summoning platform for the bonding ceremony. But apart from that, all you have to do is just go out there, and be a king!" 218 Night District VI : Plans Nezha didn''t hang around for too long before he returned back to the mantle, but none the less everyone had the basic gist of what they were currently facing, as it stood all of their techniques and skills were useless, not unless they all got bonded to a spirit and grew together. But just as Nezha had said, the system really gave out quests, and this was one of the main ways for a spirit king to get stronger. [Spirit King Quest (Night District 1): clean up your camp and make proper arrangements for it to resembled a proper settlement or village. / time limit: five days/ reward: 20 spirit coins, one random defensive building blueprint] There was a time limit, but there did not seem to be any penalties for not fulfilling the mission, but Alex didn''t think it was that simple, should he be unable to fulfill this quest, there was a possibility that the consequences would be too hard to handle, plus Nezha had explained that Quests for spirit kings were mostly chain quests and that it was rare for there to be single quests. Which means completing this quest would lead to another and another until he had fully completed it. Never the less, Alex had just three months to get this dimension under his control, he better gets started on it. Honestly speaking the camp was just situated in a valley, after a little more discussion with the twin generals, Alex got to understand that they were in the south facing the north that was occupied by the vampires, while the werewolves were further south and south-east. The ocean he had seen was to the west, and it led to what was basically the edge of the world, and if you fall off, that''s the end. The lands to the east kept on stretching forth until they too came to an abrupt end, which fully explained some of the things Nezha had said. Fully conquering the night district would add it to earth home base, or however that works. This would be his own personal territory as long as he could get it under control. And he had every intention of doing that, but right now he had to tackle the problem in front of him. The north gate was the only entrance into the camp as the they were backed up against really steep cliffs from the south. Which was practically the only advantage they had, the werewolves couldn''t attack them from behind, not unless they were ready for a full scale raid and prepared to destroy the camp. With that established, Alex sent Khan to the north to go scout out the lands of the vampires. The Kamaitachi was given three days, and honestly this would be the longest and farthest both he and Alex would have been away from each other, so as expected there were a few tear filled hugs. Alex was understandably worried, but if there was something Khan was good for, it was hiding and not being found. Alex needed a plan of attack, sure Nezha''s advice had said to focus on the werewolves first, but who could guarantee that the vampires wouldn''t take an interests in him. So in the interest of covering his ass, he needed to know the movements of both the vampires and the werewolves and act accordingly. No plan ever survives the battlefield, and he had to make contingencies, upon contingencies, as advised by Sophia. "Are you sure you want me to be in charge of city planning? Based on what Nezha said this wouldn''t even be your real home base, but it would be quite important. Are you sure I''m the right person for the job?" Alex shifted his gaze to the fish floating in a ball of water above his head. "A spirit of wisdom that''s humble; I''ve not seen spirits of wisdom before, but you''re way too modest. I trust your judgement, there can be no wisdom without knowledge, and I reckon you have a boatload of that to spare. Your input and full participation would be welcome. Frankly speaking whether this would be my home base or not, it''s still a camp that belongs to me, and it has to be in top condition, I will not accept anything other than the best, so give it your best Sophia." Alex said to her as he made his way back to the tent, leaving the salmon to take charge and direct the effort of the soldiers. "what do we do now?" Anya asked immediately Alex walked into the tent, they were worried, all of them. They might have been putting up a tough front for the army''s sake, but the crux of the matter was that they were just as powerless as he was, it was not what they expected to happen when they all decided to follow him here. "we''ll wait for Khan and Devonte to come back from their scouting missions, we really have no idea what we''re dealing with here, so it would be better if we have more information. On the other hand, we can digest what Nezha has to teach us and plan accordingly, but ultimately it seems the only thing we can do is wait for those two to get back. That and also making sure the camp is habitable because it is filthy and absolutely irritating. But beyond that, Louis I need you to take a census of the soldiers that are within the camp and see if there are others outside of it. I want to know what I''m working with, Yun Fao I need you to work with him on this, the triplets can help you if the need arises. The information you compile should be comprehensive; you''ll need to divide the soldiers into two divisions. A special forces and rapid response team. The special forces would be trained to carry out covert missions, and the response team would be responsible for open warfare. Keep your eyes open for insubordination, if there''s anyone not willing to get in line, then don''t hesitate to execute that person, we have no time to have loose ends. I need a cohesive force by the end of the week, and let??s just hope against all odds, that luck is on our side." 219 Night District VII : Scouting Repor No content 220 Night District VIII : Quest Complete! No content 221 Werewolves I : It Has Begun No content 222 Werewolves II : A Short Challenge No content 223 Werewolves III : Sleep Well No content 224 Werewolves IV : Baron Derta No content 225 Werewolves V : Grace No content 226 Werewolves VI : A Repea No content 227 Werewolves VII : New Alpha On The Block No content 228 Spirit Summoning Platform No content 229 Spirit King Store No content 230 First Contact- Vampires I : Arrival No content 231 First Contact- Vampires II : Amon and A Dhamphir No content 232 First Contact-Vampires III : Gram No content