《Across the Realms》 1 Prologue 1/3 : Ethereal Grotto ??? If one looked from a spacial view of the mountain range, one would see a myriad of colours; an overwhelming majesty of richness and grandeur. This mountain range sprawled into the distance, further than the eye could see; if one managed to circumnavigate the entirety of the mountain range, they would notice that an ethereal fog enclosed it. No matter how many times one attempted to navigate through this fog, they would find themselves where they started. A plethora of legendary flora proliferated this mountain range, greedily sucking in the vibrant essence of the land. Magnificent beasts long thought extinct gallivanted through the wildlife. The beauty of this mountain range only increased the further one ventured towards the centre, alongside an ever-increasing density of essence. This essence is within all living beings. The more essence one has, the higher their vitality. At the centre of this mountain range lays a large cave, around the periphery of the cavern spiralling cliffs, shot off into the sky, a river of the most transparent blue ran across the centre of the cavern; with river creatures of sparkling beauty playing merrily within. Beautiful pink blossom-like trees grew within this valley gathering the essence of heaven and earth within the mountain range. The grass and other flora glowed with ethereal colours, giving them an almost dream-like quality. Beautiful structures, made from wood, with curved roofs and glowing-lanterns placed upon them, surrounded the valley. Larger palatial like structures were situated upon the cliff walls. Happy frolicking children and beasts played within the valley, the auras they emanated was enough to make even elders of cultivation sects in the mortal world tremble. Elders meditated around the cavern, monitoring the children, while they meditated on the laws of the universe. On a balcony of the highest and most grand of the pagoda-like structures, stood a married couple. The wind gently buffeted the dreamy silk-like white clothes, that intermittently shined with an indefinite spectrum of colours, of the couple. The man stood tall and proud, with handsome features that would shame most men of the world. The man''s wife beside him would not lose out in beauty, if not even eclipsing him. She had a visage that would make even a Buddha think about his life-choices. "My wife, although we have lived for many a millennium, and you have birthed our three beautiful daughters C who we love so very dearly C you and I have always wanted a son," The man softly whispered. "I do, my dear husband," She turned to look at her man, her watery eyes showing her self-reproach. "Jasmine", he gently stroked her emerald hair, "Do not be like this, it is my fault. We as cultivators are aware of the difficulties that it brings towards procreation, the fact that we even managed to have our beautiful daughters, at our cultivation realms, is a gift from heaven. If I hadn''t cultivated so adamantly to become the patriarch of the Ethereal Grotto, we might have had a son by now." He chastised himself. The couple gently dipped their heads and gazed across the grotto, "The ancestors have informed me of a chance to implore the Astral God in helping us birth a boy." Said the man, with a smile. Jasmine shuddered next to him; she turned towards the man in shock her eyes depicting her disbelief, "Cestra, is this true!?" "Haha, it is Jasmine! You, of all people, should know how your grandfather and the other ancestors all dote on you. The Smaragdus ancestor has always looked at you in a good light, since you comprehended her life-cultivation technique, and became her only disciple," The man joyfully chortled. "You and your games Cestra, always invoking a solemn air when there''s good news. You''d expect me to realise this after having married you for many a millennium," She playfully chastised herself. "I remember Master once told me that she helped the Astral God in some way, although she never told me how - she must be using this past favour to help us!" "That I am," A mellifluous voice that made one feel refreshed suddenly appeared out of the void. The couple immediately bowed. "Greetings ancestor, greetings Master." "Oh, please stop it, Jasmine. Stop playing around with me." The newly arrived ancestor chortled. Jasmine let out a laugh and dived into her master''s embrace. Smaragdus Jasmine''s master, stood a head taller than Cestra. As a result, Jasmine always looked dwarfed compared to her master, even though Jasmine herself was tall for a female. Smaragdus was in fact, an Emerald True Dragon beast, she stood with glowing emerald hair that emanated life aura. Flora would subconsciously grow around her and would almost bow in obeisance. The higher the cultivation realm of a beast the more chance they have to morph into human form, the bloodline density also plays a factor in determining what realm of cultivation a creature must be in to change into human form. A beast with a higher bloodline density will find it more challenging to morph into human form. Therefore they must be at a higher cultivation level to counter-act their bloodline. Consequently, one can infer from this that Smaragdus cultivation level is exceedingly high. Jasmine''s master wore a veil over her face; one would not even have to see the look to know that she is a beauty, her eye''s stared dotingly at Jasmine. "Master, are you using this favour to help us?" "Of course, I am, what wouldn''t I do for my beloved disciple. I may as well clarify how He, the Astral God, owes me a favour. When I finally formed my Life-Cultivation technique, the aura it released managed to surprise the Astral God even though He spends his time living out in the void, millions of kilometres away from here," Smaragdus paused here, letting this information sink in. "He immediately appeared in front of me and asked if He could look at it." What she didn''t add was that the Astral God was in fact not a person, but a personification of the laws of the astral universe. "Without waiting for an answer, He graced my head with his hand and glimpsed at the technique within my soul, as compensation He gave me a strand of His essence for me to invoke whenever I need His help." She said to Jasmine. Jasmine stared at her master with reverence, she gave her husband a glance her face clearing saying ''Look how awesome my master is''. "Why don''t you act this way in front of our children, Jasmine?" Cestra asked jokingly. "I must appear to have the grandeur of a mother! Only with Master can I act this way," "Smaragdus Ancestor, Jasmine and I humbly thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this graciousness. I will forever remember this," Cestra said. "Good, you never even had to say it. I know your character well Little Cestra. I was one of the people pushing for you to become the Patriarch," Smaragdus gave Cestra an approving glance. "Come with me." Said Smaragdus Space warped around the trio and they travelled through space-time towards the Ancestral Hall, situated within the core zone of the of the grotto. The entire space-time transfer happened so fast a mortal wouldn''t have even perceived the change before they found themselves in a new area. Within the core zone, there was an overflowing amount of pure essence, in here one could improve their cultivation two times as fast with half the effort. The Ancestral Hall was in fact not situated in the same space-time as the Ethereal Grotto, but rather in another closed-realm, formed by the first ancestors of the Ethereal Grotto. The Ancestral Hall consisted of the Ancestors, Elders and disciple''s cultivation rooms, as well as auditoriums for lecturing on the Grand Way by the Ancestors. Ethereal Grotto has always thrived on information, passing down knowledge from one generation to another, and through this, an even sturdier foundation for future generations is formed. The trio moved towards Smaragdus cultivation room to start the ritual, to communicate with the Astral God. Along the way, they walked past several core disciples who enthusiastically greeted the trio. "Was that Ancestor Smaragdus!? She never goes out of her cultivation room," "What do you know? She only goes out when it involves her disciple, overwise she is as cold as ice," "Umm guys, are you forgetting the patriarch? The greatest contemporary genius to ever come out of our Ethereal Grotto. Let''s stop jabbering, we only have limited time to use the Ancestral Realm. We spent a lot of points to cultivate here." The trio just smiled at each other when they heard the disciples speaking about them. "Master, did they just call you an iceberg?" Jasmine snickered. "You silly child." Smaragdus shook her head in mock annoyance. Smaragdus'' cultivation room as one can expect, was all emerald in colour much like her hair. Smaragdus adopted this colour when her newly formed cultivation technique invoked a hair-colour change, this is also the reason for Jasmine''s hair colour. The room consisted of a formation that centred around a cultivation mat, allowing for a higher speed of essence intake. This was not the only benefit, as the rug cleared one''s mind and soul allowing for one to ponder upon the arcane laws of the Grand Way to more significant effect. "Come sit." Once the couple had sat down, Jasmine''s Master informed them on what she was going to do, "I am going to invoke the essence that the Astral God has given me, I will then inform Him of the situation, and hopefully, He will start to communicate with both of you. He will communicate via the soul, as He can''t interfere with the physical plane. So, do not be surprised. Otherwise, if He were able to influence the physical plane, I would have used this favour many millennia ago to deal with other situations." The couple both nodded their heads in affirmation. Smaragdus proceeded to move her essence throughout her meridians, to withstand the pressure that would occur because of the activation of the Astral God''s essence. An immense aura, like the feeling of the universe, descended upon the Ancestral realm, immediately waking up the ancestors and disciples alike C informing them that a Higher Being has descended. A being that has reached the pinnacle in the usage of it''s chosen Primordial Way. "Seniors, juniors, everyone. I have communicated with the Astral God. He will grace us with his presence in a matter of moments. If you would like to be baptised by his laws, please gather around my auditorium." Smaragdus solemn voice resounded throughout the Ancestral Realm. The trio moved towards Smaragdus'' personal auditorium that has never had the privilege to be used. The auditorium''s circumference can lengthen to fit however many people necessary. Ancestors and great beings of the Ethereal Grotto, who generally sit in meditation for multiple millennia at a time who would never move, even if the sky is falling, all started to stir and shudder in excitement and anticipation. To be able to experience a baptism of laws from the Astral God, was a momentous occasion. It was a lucky chance among lucky chances; many individuals and ancestors have managed to get where they are today through one fortunate encounter, but all those blessed experiences could not compare to this occasion. Gigantic beings, beautiful beings, beings emanating the primordial laws of the Way all proceeded to make their way towards the auditorium. The disciples all moved with the utmost haste too. All these beings invoked the commencement of an extensive transmission array to bring every member of the Ethereal Grotto towards the auditorium so that no one would be left out of this lucky chance. One of the reasons the Ethereal Grotto Sect can stand as one of the four holy lands in the cultivation world is because of a close camaraderie, forged through blood and tears, between the brethren of the Sect. The community of the Ethereal Grotto gathered around the stage of the ever-expanding Smaragdus Auditorium. A palpable solemn excitement was able to be felt in the air. All the ancestors and their direct disciples were seated around the very front of the stage, with the other people of the Ethereal Grotto sitting in rings around the stage in lines of descending seniority. The past patriarchs of the sect, now all Grand Elders, gathered at the very front of the stage waiting for Smaragdus to inform them of the situation. Thousands of pairs of eyes stared intently at the trio on stage. "Greetings Patriarch." All the disciples bowed. Looking at the patriarch with reverence in their eyes. "I am not the leading character in today''s event, but I wish for all of you to wholeheartedly make use of this chance. I know many of you have never meditated for extended periods of time before, but do not worry. The baptism of laws will provide sustenance for all of you so that even though many of you have not reached a high enough cultivation to sustain yourselves with only essence, you will still be able to single-mindedly meditate on the laws. Experiencing your own Nirvana." Lectured Patriarch Cestra. While Cestra was lecturing the disciples of the situation, Smaragdus was informing the ancestors of the event. "So, what you are saying junior Smaragdus is that Little Cestra and Little Jasmine will implore the Astral God to help with the birth of their male child?" an old hunched-back man, leaning on a seemingly ordinary stick, asked with glimmering eyes. "Yes, Pinnacle Elder." Smaragdus bowed in confirmation to the elder, with the utmost respect. Even Smaragdus a being who has lived for hundreds of thousands of years has only ever seen the Pinnacle Elder a few times in her life. Pinnacle elder was, in fact, showing respect to Smaragdus, as when in comparison to his age and cultivation, she was just a little dragon. "Haha! Good, good, good!" all the ancestors looked at the Pinnacle Elder in surprise, as they''ve never seen him get this excited. "Maybe with this occasion a birth of a Chosen Child of Heaven unlike any other, may occur," chortled the Pinnacle Elder. "As we are all here to receive this baptism, there will be no one defending the perimeter of the Grotto. Therefore, some measures must be put in place. Enforcement elders activate the Ethereal Cataclysm Array." Commanded the Pinnacle Elder. Within the centre of the river running through the grotto, a broad scintillating light beam soared towards the heavens, the beam arced out and spread in a half circle covering the entirety of the cavern. Following that an ethereal fog traversed the luminescent circle, wrapping it in its entirety, the grotto itself disappeared replaced with an inconspicuous mountain. From this moment onwards, the already reclusive Holy Land - Ethereal Grotto Sect - receded entirely from the world. ??? 2 Prologue 2/3 : Astral Blood Essence With the Ethereal Cataclysm Array activated, the Ethereal Grotto Sect vanished from the face of the world. Within the Ancestral Hall Realm throngs of sect members, young and old, sat down in a lotus stance preparing to meditate on the primordial waves. Cestra and Jasmine, the married couple, lit an incense stick as a sign of ritual and did obeisance to heaven and earth in the form of ceremonial bows towards the four cardinal directions. The married couple held their hands together and nodded towards Smaragdus to invoke the ritual. At this very moment, a spacial rift formed between Heaven and Earth. A vast arcane aura gently seeped through the fissure and permeated the environment, sublime multitudinous rainbow coloured lights streamed out in vistas from the rift indicating a being amalgamated with the primordial laws was travelling through space-time. Every soul within the Realm no matter they be the Pinnacle Elder or the youngest infant all gazed in utter fixation towards the incorporeal spectral being, that gently floated out of the rift upon a celestial cloud. The being subconsciously emanated an aura of a Ruler, a ruler that commanded utter obedience upon his subjects. At the same time this incorporeal form stepped out from the void, an immeasurable suppression of primordial laws soared out in waves intoxicating the soul in a baptism of comprehension. All members of the Ethereal Grotto, apart from the Pinnacle Elder, Smaragdus and the married couple, subconsciously fell into a meditative trance. The members were engrossed comprehending the Primordial Way, and without a doubt, this will be a great boon towards their future achievements. Smaragdus and the couple managed to stay conscious because the Astral God permitted them to do so. While the Pinnacle Elder turned his cultivation base to remain alert. "Greetings Astral God." The four sect members bowed in respect towards the Astral God. "For what reason have you called?" A cold yet approving voice echoed throughout their souls. Smaragdus stepped forward, hands cupped in respect, "Dear Lord, I ask you to help my disciple and her husband birth a male child." The ethereal being''s eyes flashed as he inspected the couple, "Talented. Exceptional. Little Dragon, you managed to find a disciple who could cultivate your technique. Something even I struggled with." Smaragdus'' eyes flashed with joy, "You praise is too high, my lord," "Very well, I shall help. I am in need of a new Imperator for the realm. One to lead this realm in the inter-planar wars. Fortunately, there is more than enough time for the child to prosper and mature." The Astral God coldly replied. The Pinnacle Elders body shook at the mention of the words ''inter-planar wars'', and he gazed at the incorporeal form with disbelief. The Astral God paid him no heed. "Little Children, your child will concurrently be your own and my descendent at the same time," The Astral God lucidly looked at the couple, but if one looked deep into its eyes, one would see a spark of happiness C something that it hasn''t felt for aeons. "I will place a few drops of my Astral blood essence within your bodies, and when you two are joint-in-union, my Astral blood essence will amalgamate with your Qi, and thus enter the female''s womb. Creating the purest and most arcane a foetus," "Within the child''s blood will run yours and mine; divine and mortal," The Astral God wilfully explained, as if it was the most trivial thing. This time it wasn''t only the Pinnacle Elder that shuddered in disbelief, all four of them stared at the primordial God. "This is the most I can do for you and the unborn child. Any more and I would anger the all-encompassing Primordial Way. Sowing more negative karma than positive. I may have reached the pinnacle of the Astral Way, but that is only one of the many branches of the Primordial Way." Said the Astral God in a determined tone. The ethereal being languidly smiled, this smile caused the essence of the realm to jump in joy and converge around the god, shrouding him in a corona of light akin to a sun. At the same time a mischievous light shone in the God''s eyes, "And We will start now." A wall of Astral Qi[1] gently secluded the wide-eyed couple from the ancestors. Giving the couple privacy for what was about to come. "My dear children, I shall now pass my Astral blood essence to you - prepare." Commanded the Astral God. The dream-like couple sat face to face with a lotus stance and revolved the Qi within their bodies. At the same time, they did this, the ethereal being produced two drops of Astral blood essence. The couple instantly noticed that the blood vitality of the Astral God weakened considerably. "Do not worry, my blood essence can regenerate it will just take some time." The Astral God gently chided. These two blood drops seemed to encompass the whole world with spiralling nebulas, and radiant celestial bodies that shimmered with esoteric laws of the universe. Gentle streams of the purest Astral Qi gently flowed between the heavenly bodies and natural formations within the blood drops. A single drop of blood would cause even the most pinnacle beings of the multi-verses to go red-eyed with envy. Even other Primordial Gods. This is a drop of blood from one of the arcane Primordial Universe Gods, the personification of the Astral Laws of the Universe! Just a fraction of a drop would invoke a nirvanic rebirth, changing one''s destiny forever; one''s new body would incorporate a phenomenal cultivation talent, a heavenly bodily constitution and access to a portion of Astral Qi! The two blood drops moved separately towards Jasmine and Cestra and entered through their foreheads. "You will receive a significant baptism of laws, much more than the people outside, but nothing other than that. All the benefits will be produced by your unborn child", the Astral God informed the couple. "The Astral Laws of the Primordial Way will be at his beck-and-call, as he matures, even the most esoteric of laws will submit to him." The couple''s happiness was palpable through the aura they released. Even if they had to forgo all the benefits for their son they would do it instantly; their child''s pride is their pride. The couple felt an uncontrollable heat start forming within their bodies, their eyes snapped open from their meditative stances, intractable lust within their sights. "Alright, time to gaze at the vast sky," the ethereal being closed the Qi wall closing off the couple from the world, not a sound or sight making its way through, "I did create this sky, I know it too well maybe I could peek at how the couple is doing? Well, that''s not very regal and god-like of me. It''s so incredibly tiring acting stoic and cold. Indeed, I can''t look, that''s unbecoming of a mighty being like me. And why do they keep calling me He!?" The Astral God inwardly grumbled to itself. During the deity''s shameless monologue, it never took its spiritual sense off the couple. 3 Prologue 3/3 : Motherly Love From within the Astral Qi barrier, situated at Smaragdus'' auditorium. A golden storm of whirling essence gathered above the couple, at the same time arcane music rang out from the heavens, Elysian projections of beasts danced through the sky rising to the firmament above. The silhouettes of the couple danced the dance of life, within the barrier, faint mist tendrils wrapping around them. The Astral Blood Essence was invoking a zealous sacred lust between the yin and yang. The silhouettes were moving ever more fervidly to the rising arcane melodies. Eventually, their bodies shuddering to the crescendo of the seraphic hymns. The faint tendrils of mist evolved into a golden-magma coloured phosphorescent corona of light around the lovers. The corona of light moved towards Jasmine''s dantian, and from it, the yin and yang energies of the two rushed out from within her to form a cocoon above the couple. This cocoon had a transparent membrane, with lines of essence moving along pathways C like veins - around the circumference of the envelope, it scintillated with a gold-magma colour. Two conspicuous specks of light slowly rolled towards the centre of the cocoon, those specks of lights depicted nebulas and various celestial bodies of the universe within them. Already at the centre of the enclosure were the energies of yin and yang released by Jasmine and Cestra, waiting for the specks of astral light to combine with them. "The formation of the foetus is nearly complete." Inwardly thought the Astral God. A hole formed from within the Astral Qi wall placed by the Astral God and the now unconscious couple gently floated out from within. At the same time, the couple left the barrier, the Astral Blood and the yin and yang essence of the couple met, resulting in a tempest of light as bright as a burning supernova emanated from the cocoon. The energy in the envelope continued to spiral around in a uniform motion, while the drops of blood and essence amalgamated in a mythical fashion. The Pinnacle Elder and the ethereal being gazed at the transparent cocoon ardently, making sure to capture the formation of life within. Gradually, the small amalgamation of energy started to form a skeletal structure. The quaint skeleton was crystalline in nature, completely lacking any impurities. "How could this be? This foetus''s skeleton is already at the level of Crystallisation. This physical constitution takes many millennia for a cultivator to reach," Pinnacle Elder whispered in surprise. "You shouldn''t expect any less from a descendant of mine." The Astral god replied while stroking its proverbial beard. Once the crystalline skeleton was formed, the gold-magma coloured light from the membrane of the cocoon rushed inwards and enclosed the skeletal structure. Flesh, muscle and tendons started to grow around the skeleton, during the process the golden-coloured essence formed runes which engraved themselves within the tissue. The most arcane of runes congregated around the Five Viscera and Six Bowels; ensuring the safety and protection of the most central organs of the body. At this point, the Astral Bloodline went into effect; affecting the meridian system of the body. The meridian system is the most essential cultivation instrument after the dantian, the meridians control the flow of Qi in the body. The dantian, just below the naval, absorbs essence from within the air towards itself, and then through a practised cultivation method transforms the received essence into Qi. Cultivators can use Qi to strengthen their body, increase their vitality and most importantly to use martial arts! When using martial arts, the Qi is projected out of the body in either a form of assault when attacking or as a form of defence. Qi can also be manipulated to propel itself forward a considerable distance by a cultivator, whether it be Fire Qi or Sword Qi or any Qi under the Primordial Way. The Astral Bloodline transformed the meridians into a set of extremities matching the Astral God itself, thus allowing the unborn child to manipulate Astral Qi C something unusable by the trillions of lives within this plane. After the completion of the meridian system, natural sparkling skin grew around the unborn child''s frame, a surface at the pinnacle of perfection. "Damn, it''s not even born yet, and I already know it''s going to be a lady-killer. I''m going to have to discipline this punk," Grumbled the Pinnacle Elder. "Well, of course, he is modelled after me." Replied the Astral God. "Aren''t you just a personification of the laws of the plane?" The Pinnacle Elder started inquisitively at the being. "That''s beside the point," barked the Astral God, blushing embarrassingly after losing its imperious demeanour, "the parents have good genes." "I can cultivate, but the conditions are not right yet for me to conjure a body. His meridian system is what I use with my incorporeal form, the only part of me that is corporeal is my meridian system. Through my meridians, he will be able to use my Astral Qi. No matter what cultivation technique he uses, it will be usable by my Astral Qi." Stated the Astral God. The Pinnacle Elder nodded in understanding. Bright luminescent gold hair started to form on the child''s head, eventually growing so long as to wrap around him like a mother''s embrace. The hair glowed with Primordial Laws; if a mortal were to stumble upon a thread of his hair, the laws on it would be enough to foster a decently sized clan. The Primordial Laws are esoteric laws intrinsic to everything, even the Astral God was created by the Primordial Laws. The Astral God holds hegemony over the Way of Astral, which is a sub-domain of the Primordial Way. There are many sub-domains to the Primordial Way such as Way of Fire; Way of Water; Way of the Sword; Way of Life; Way of Space; and many more. The Primordial Way has placed shackles upon the sub-domain Gods - who since their genesis have been masters of their Way -; as a result, these sub-domain Gods have restrictions placed upon their spiritual and corporeal being. Their restricted spirituality prevents them from being able to sense the entirety of their plane. Thus many of the events are not noticed by the sub-domain God. More often than not, they know very little unless it is significant disturbance or occurrence. Sub-domain Gods are also restricted by their bodies; the Primordial Laws have prevented the sub-domain Gods from forming a corporeal body. As a result, they can only move around in an incorporeal form until certain conditions present themselves that allow them to develop a physical body. The Astral God waved his Qi over the unconscious couple to wake them. Cestra and Jasmine nodded to the being in thanks and then stared at their unborn child, eyes glimmering with unconditional love. "Very well, my time here has come to an end. As a consequence of this unconventional birth, some actions are required to make sure he is born adequately. Little girl, I will help you enter the cocoon. I want you to embrace your child and make him feel your heartbeat and presence. That way, he will understand who his mother is," The Astral God turned towards Jasmine. "You will need to stay with him for nine months, at the end of that period he will start to stir, and the membrane will break. From then on, your child will be born." At the end of his speech, the Astral God vanished through his rift. "Let''s see how far you will go little one" ??? Jasmine and Cestra turned to each other in happiness, "Go, my love, our son needs you. He isn''t even born yet, and he''s already giving us trouble." Laughed Cestra. Jasmine made her way towards the Cocoon, now that the Astral Qi wall had disappeared nothing was blocking her. "But it''s the best kind of trouble," She gently whispered to herself. The cocoon welcomed her presence and pulled her in. She gently looked at her son, with awe and incredulity. "Such surreal hair and this perfect skin, and that absolutely adorable face. My child even if you were scarred beyond recognition, I would love you the same." The faint golden mist returned to the cocoon and enclosed the hugging mother and child. Their hearts beating in unison. 4 Blossoming Talents ??? Deep within a blossoming orchard, an elegant figure inspected the pink flowers falling around him. If one were to stumble upon this figure, they would stare in awe at this picturesque scene. The petals of the falling blossoms reflected off his vibrant magenta coloured eyes, that seemed to hold galaxies within, while his soft facial features scrunched in fascination. A gentle aura of primordial laws escaped from his pores, causing the surrounding fauna to spring with a natural fervour and lean towards the curious young child; just asking to be touched by his beautiful hands. At this moment a group of young children and beasts enclosed an area around him, battle-intent in their eyes. The creatures, young themselves, ranged from a beautiful white tiger, a burning Phoenix raising conflagrations around itself to a golden-haired monkey with a comically long red staff. Lastly, there were three human children within the group; two girls and a boy. One thing they all had in common with the blonde-haired child was their age. "Astrallis, we''ve found you!" Giggled an adorable girl with two pink ponytails and a matching pink robe, her quaint little toes sticking out beneath the hem of her gown. The long golden-haired child turned towards the girl, happiness shining in his eyes with a rising battle intent. "That you have, little Azalea," he flashed a smile that could overturn the most sacred of nunneries. Azalea quickly went red in the face shooting an embarrassed look at her friends behind her, shuffling her feet, she shouted in indignation "I''m not little! I''m only a few days younger than you." "We promised you Astrallis that we''d try to defeat you before the Awakening Ceremony. Today is our last chance," Said the small white tiger, Baihu. Astrallis looked towards his friends, gradually moving his body into a fighting stance; right foot forward and arms bent in defence. With a devilish grin, his harmonious aura completely vanished making way for its imperial counterpart, "Let''s fight brothers and sisters." The white tiger and Azalea charged towards Astrallis, Qi forming around their bodies. Astrallis did not take the initiative seeing as the white tiger and Azalea charged first, he sent a punch out to meet theirs. Pink flowers soaring into the air from Azalea''s movements, blending into her pink opaque Qi. The attacks of three directly hit each other. An amalgamation of white and pink Qi spread out into the air, slowly dissipating back into the environment. Baihu and Azalea were forced several meters, while Astrallis stood firm. "How is this possible? Astrallis, you are only at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm. While both Azalea and I have broken through to the Qi Gathering Realm. By using our Qi, we should be able to overpower you." Shouted Baihu incredulously. Astrallis just smiled faintly in response. What Astrallis didn''t tell Baihu, was that his time during the Body Tempering Stage was different than his friends. During Astrallis'' unorthodox birth, many arcane runes of the Primordial Way were imprinted within his Five Viscera and Six Bowels and because of these runes the difficulty of advancing a stage increased manifold for Astrallis. This caused not a small headache for Astrallis'' parents as well as his Master the Pinnacle Elder. The Pinnacle Elder enthralled by Astrallis'' natural talent scooped him up to be his disciple before his parents could even say a word, not that the parents would say anything about it. It''s the dream of all disciples of the Ethereal Grotto Sect to be a disciple to the eminent Pinnacle Elder. The Body Tempering Realm is made up of eleven stages, and further split into two-sub realms; the five Five Viscera Stage and the Six Bowel stage. Each stage tempers an organ within the body making it fit for cultivation and long-lasting health prosperity. Once one reaches the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, their body is immune to mortal disease and sicknesses. The organs of the body are tempered with natural treasures of nature, pills C created by alchemy - and martial arts. The first five stages of Body Tempering Realm cultivate the Five Viscera which are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidney; this is known as the beginning stages of the Body Tempering Realm. By tempering these five organs, the Yin energy within the body is gently restricted, thus preventing it from disturbing and over-powering the Yang energy in the body. The latter stages of the Body Tempering Realm are split into six phases, with each step cultivating an organ of the Six Bowels. The Six Bowel organs are the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, gallbladder, urinary bladder and lastly the pericardium which encloses the heart and the roots of the great vessels. The Six Bowels control the Yang energy in the body, and through this, the Six Bowels are able to mediate the overbearing Yang energy and create a connection to the Five Viscera. Once the final organ of the Six Bowels is tempered, a connection is invoked between the Five Viscera and Six Bowels forming a harmonious relationship between the docile Yin and overbearing Yang, thus allowing access to a cultivators Qi which marks the start of the Qi Gathering Realm. Because of the arcane Primordial Runes amalgamating with the Five Viscera and Six Bowels, it created a pre-requisite in which Astrallis must complete before moving up a stage in Body Tempering. The heavens are fair, as a consequence of Astrallis'' unique body it is more difficult for him to move up in Realms in comparison to his friends, but when he does manage to advance in realm his increase in Qi and power will be unlike any other. Astrallis must first comprehend the Primordial runes within each of his Five Viscera and Six Bowels to advance to a new stage within Body Tempering. So far, he has understood the entirety of the runes within his Five Viscera, and all of the Six Bowels except for the pericardium which connects to his meridians; thus, proving the most difficult to comprehend as it also involves his Astral Qi. Every stage in the Body Tempering Realm that is fully grasped by Astrallis invokes a reaction in the Primordial runes, the runes completely assimilate within his body, becoming one with him and strengthening his vitality, creating a hidden power that Astrallis can access to reinforce his body when fighting. Even now, Astrallis only has slight access to this power. Once Astrallis manages to comprehend the runes within his pericardium, he will gain access to his Astral Qi and thus start his true journey of cultivation. One must also understand that Astrallis'' age is just shy of five-years-old, many cultivators do not even begin to comprehend the Primordial Way till many realms after the Body Tempering Stage. While Astrallis is already comprehending the Primordial Way during his Body Tempering Stage, just to advance and gain access to his Qi! Astrallis and his friends also originate from the Ethereal Grotto Sect, one of the four Holy Lands of the Augustin World within the Astral Plane. They have access to numerous peak martial arts and arcane medicines produced by the Sect, allowing for them to garner the firmest of cultivation bases, all children of the Ethereal Grotto Sect receive a cognition-enhancing pill at birth which increases in cognitive ability of the children. The children of the Ethereal Grotto Sect have the cognitive ability of many adults of the mortal world, but one must also understand that they only have the cognitive ability of adults, not the maturity. They still hold the pure innocence of children. "Maybe through this sparring session, I might be able to comprehend the final barrier in my pericardium and break through the eleventh stage of Body Tempering and burst straight into the Qi Gathering Realm." Inwardly thought Astrallis with anticipation. ??? 5 Mischievous Light & Mt. Evanescence ??? Astrallis pivoted off his left foot and sent a spinning round-house kick in the direction of the adorable duo, just as Astrallis'' foot was about to reach Baihu a long red rod reached him first and mitigated the force of Astrallis'' kick. Baihu used the weakening velocity of the kick and dodged towards Astrallis'' flank. Astrallis rapidly vaulted towards a trunk of a nearby blossom tree and rebounded off the tree shattering the wood in the process. Using the exploded trees remains as cover, Astrallis astutely faded into the cloud of wooden shrapnel evading the flanking Baihu. "I''ve got you now Astrallis!" A clarion cry of a Phoenix echoed throughout the orchard. A bright conflagration followed the disappearing Astrallis burning the remains of timber. "Wait! Azui stop!" Screamed Azalea as her face went pale. The entire party stopped in their tracks, cold-sweat forming on their backs thinking of their dear friend getting hurt. "Why would you do that Azui, you know he can''t form Qi to defend himself yet! All he has is his mortal body," Azalea screamed in rage. "Ah ah ah, I got carried away, he''s so strong. I''m sorry!" Azui, the Phoenix, said weakly eyes glistening with tears. "Don''t worry little Azalea, he can''t hurt me like that." A soft voice whispered in her ears. Azalea quickly spun around her large pink eyes staring panic-stricken at the opposite party''s magenta coloured eyes, she then threw herself forward into Astrallis, a mischievous light flashed through her pink eyes going unnoticed by Astrallis. Surprised by her actions, Astrallis stiffened, but then lent forward to embrace her, but as Azalea''s hand was about to reach Astrallis'' back her dainty hand flashed with opaque pink Qi rooting Astrallis in place. "Now everyone!" Shouted Azalea. Before Astrallis could even figure out he''d been deceived by her, he was covered in a pile of bodies. A large pile of juvenile beasts and children wriggled on the ground, all signs of Astrallis'' imperial air withdrew replaced with a bright smile showing his pearl white teeth. "We told you Astrallis. Today was the day we''d defeat you," Imperiously declared a hairy yellow figure in a joking tone. "That you did Wukong," Laughed the now dirty white-robed Astrallis turning towards Azalea humour in his eyes. "I''m sorry Big Brother Astrallis, we thought we''d be able to defeat you now that we had broken through to the Qi Gathering Realm," Weakly said Azalea. "When I realised that you were still so powerful, I knew I had to do something else," She continued, as she shifted her head downwards to look at the ground, not daring to make eye-contact with Astrallis. "So now you call me Big Brother," Astrallis gently chided. "Do not worry, you won that''s all that mattered. As long as the way you won was not morally ambiguous, a win is a win. Also, I know you meant no harm Aza''er." Astra gently rubbed her hair, her pony-tails flowing in the wind. "En". Azalea immediately lifted her head, with a broad smile on her face, her eye''s clearly indicating her relief. Astrallis became breathless gazing at her standing between the rows of orchards, surrounded by falling pink blossoms, harmoniously fitting in with the artistry of the blossom trees. "Come now, look at your face Astra''er, you''re just as beautiful as Azalea," A sweet yet mature voice, with a hint of youth in it, spread around the surroundings. "I''m not a girl Big Sister Amelia! I am a masculine man just like my father." Indignantly replied Astrallis, striking a manly pose, towards a beautiful young girl closely resembling his mother. This young girl, Amelia Ether, was, in fact, Astralis'' third older sister. At the age of fourteen, she was a budding beauty sure to cause the downfall of cities in the future, not that she wasn''t already creating young male disciples of the sect to fall head over heels for her. All members of Ethereal Grotto Sect, if born within the grotto receive the surname Ether. Astralis himself shared the surname Ether as the son of the current patriarch, the Rising Sword Cestra Ether and his wife, Vita Fairy Jasmine Ether. "He is sure to make many males question their sexual identities in the future - much to Astralis'' dismay if he ever found out; not that he actually understands this currently." Inwardly thought Amelia. "I''m just playing with you Aza''er. Come now everyone, I have come with Senior-Brother Ira, to inform you that my father, the Patriarch, has called for all of you to prepare for the Awakening Ceremony later this week," Amelia declared. "With the closure of the Ethereal Cataclysm Array last week, the Sect has reintroduced itself into the world. Allowing for all disciples under the age of seven to leave the sect and travel to Mt. Evanescent, to compete against the other Holy Lands of Augustin at the Awakening Ceremony." Declared a muscular young man with a straight appearance, as he stared meaningfully at Astrallis. "My great-grandpa told my grandpa who told my father who told my brother who told me, that the Awakening Ceremony is a crucial part of a Holy Land''s disciple''s life!" The shrill voice of Wukong spread to everyone''s ears. "If said disciple performs markedly during the Awakening Ceremony some of the past ancestors, who left their inheritances at the mountain, may receive that disciple as a Soul-Disciple and pass their martial arts to them!" The golden ape continued. Some shuffled in excitement listening to Wukong''s monologue, while the others scrunched their faces in exasperation after hearing to the first part of Wukong''s words. But one commonality shared by all the youths was the rising battle intent, an intent formed by chance to compete against contemporaries from the three other Holy Lands. Once a cultivator reaches a high enough realm without any further chances of improvement, they will start to search for a disciple. If that cultivator hasn''t reached the Realm of Immortality in the legends; they will hunt even more fervently for a disciple, lest their legacy be left forever alone never to be passed down to adequate hands. Although these cultivators may leave their legacies behind in their sects, there is an extremely high chance that no one in their past faction will manage to ever cultivate the legacy. Therefore, to prevent this from happening many seniors leave their legacies within Mt. Evanescent in hopes of finding predestined friends. Mt. Evanescent is a natural formation formed between Heaven and Earth, each plane holds a natural structure created during the Primordial Era. There have been no beings strong enough to besiege these natural formations yet. Therefore all inheritances placed within are safe from those with nefarious attentions. One is counted as a Soul-Disciple when they receive an inheritance from an imminent deceased senior. There have also been rumours of Immortal Seniors who have reached a high enough realm to leave a strand of their essences within Mt. Evanescence, waiting quietly for the predestined friends. It is not frowned upon to receive multiple masters throughout one''s lifetime, a cultivator''s life is long and tedious; there can be all manner of events that may transpire, one cannot stay static and conservative in their thoughts lest they are left behind by their contemporaries. Therefore, it is to the advantage of a cultivator to have more avenues open in which to study from. "Everyone, please go to your parents and masters to prepare for the Awakening Ceremony to the best of your ability." Senior-Brother Ira ushered everyone to leave. Once everyone left, Astralis was left with his sister Amelia. Astralis'' fists were clenched together, a fire in his eyes, "Big Sister, I''m going to go to Master and see if there is any way he can help me comprehend the runes in my pericardium." Without waiting for a reply, Astralis rushed towards the Ancestral Hall Secret Realm. Amelia watched the elegant small back disappear over the horizon, anticipation in her eyes. ??? 6 Birth of Creation & Harbinger of Death ??? At the top of a floating celestial island lay a quaint wooden hut covered in bright green ivy. The cabin was inside of a small cave, with massive waterfalls cascading down into a pond in front of the shelter. Long lines of light vistas shone through openings of the cave, making a small adorable figure''s bright blonde hair all the more prevalent and lustrous. This hut was the Pinnacle Elder''s, Astrallis'' master, humble abode. The long line of vistas was, in fact, the concentrated essence of the stars, gathered by an array placed by the Pinnacle Elder; this array was made specifically for Astrallis. Astrallis'' master used the most recherch of natural treasures, to gather the purest Astral Qi from the heavens. The gathering and formation of Qi are no longer important for the Pinnacle Elder''s realm; the Pinnacle Elder must now rely on comprehensions of the Primordial Way for further advancement. "Astra''er, in the future you''ll be able to absorb essence from the Stars, Nebulas or anything relating to the Astral." The Pinnacle Elder dotingly looked at one of the only joys he had left in life. Looking towards the sparking magenta coloured eyes of the child seated at the centre of the array the Pinnacle Elder continued to expound. "Currently you are not able to absorb this Qi, but I''m hoping that you''ll be able to garner some insights into the esoteric laws of the Astral Qi, and break through the final barrier C the pericardium". Astrallis nodded in response, not yet understanding the significant sacrifices the Pinnacle Elder has made for him; many of the treasures used for the array came from the Pinnacle Elder''s stash and using a little-underhanded bureaucracy he also managed to garner some riches from the Sect''s treasury. Once Astrallis travels around the thousands of empires in the Augustin world, he will understand how fortunate he is, and engrave the kindness of his elders within his heart forever. "Can you increase the intensity, Grandpa Doehring?" Asked Astrallis respectfully, but with a hint of eagerness. Pinnacle Elder smiled and waved his hand in response to Astrallis'' question, Pinnacle Elder insisted on being called Grandpa by Astrallis. Doehring has never had any descendants, because of this, Astrallis means the world to him. Responding to the wave of Doehring''s hand, the dark silver characters on the hexagonally shaped array began to rise and fall in intensity C much like a heartbeat C while smaller interlocking hexagonal shapes at the centre of the display started to spin systematically. The array instantly created disturbances in the surrounding atmosphere of the Ancestral Hall Secret Realm. Ethereal fairy-like creatures began to dance around the floating celestial island. ??? Many younger disciples, who are allowed into the Secret Realm for a certain amount of time, looked towards the nymphs dancing around the floating island with reverence in their eyes. "The Pinnacle Elder must have invoked an arcane runic array formation to create some disturbance." "As expected of the great master, one of, if not the strongest being on our planet." "My master told me that there hadn''t been any movement on that island for multiple centuries, it all changed when Astrallis Ether became his disciple," Stated another disciple. "Apart from the heaven-sent talent of junior-brother Astrallis, the baptism of Primordial Laws that the entirety of the Ethereal Grotto received as a result of his unorthodox birth is a kindness hard pressed to reciprocate," "During the time he was in the astral cocoon, with the Vita Fairy, formed by the Astral God we all experienced a nine-month-long baptism of laws. With this baptism, the strength of the sect has moved up manifold, everyone either formed new comprehensions or broke through to a greater realm. We are not the weakest of the four Holy Grounds anymore," Stated a scholarly looking disciple. "But, it is understandable why we were the weakest previously. In the first place, the population of our sect is less than half of the other Holy Grounds, due to being the most reclusive of the four. We simply do not need to expand our territory further, as the mountain range has all the resources we need. But, there are important benefits of our small demographic - we all have strong familial bonds. There has never once been a case of deserters or people with wicked thoughts within the grotto. A sect with a large population simply can''t have this." The scholarly looking disciple further expounded with pride. "That is the way." The other disciples agreed in unison. ??? Back in the floating island, the stream of astral vistas increased in intensity, at the same time the esoteric value of the essence surged manifold. Although many of the principles present in the laws are beyond the reach of Astrallis, just a glimpse of insight into the Way of Astral is all it will take for him to break through into the Qi-Gathering Realm. The Pinnacle Elder had no idea what benefits Astrallis would receive when breaking through into the Qi-Gathering Realm, all he knew is that it would significantly impact Astrallis'' future achievements. Inside Astrallis'' soul-space[1], an infinitely-small naked replica of himself sat, suspended-in-animation amidst the desolate void, pondering on the Astral Qi. Gradually a disturbance formed behind the golden-angelical figure. Two separate clusters of essence gingerly formed, one a blinding white the other a burning red. These two different Dark Nebulae expanded their intake of essence, seemingly competing against each other, sucking in all the light around them. Each using a different method in which to absorb essence, but both at the same speed. In unison both clusters of essence invoked a raging tempest amalgamating into a ball of intense zealous energy; one small and pure white, the other large and red but lacking a solid hold of the firmament. One White Dwarf Celestial Star. One Red Giant Celestial Star. A cosmic explosion of energy occurred between the centre of the two Celestial Stars. Two scintillating beams of energy struck each other head-on, one elegant and refined the other tempestuous and colossal. One red and another white. The two stars fought for hundreds of thousands of years; gradually the red beam began to fade intermittently; the white beam''s impetus was forever staying stable in the celestial heaven. Over the aeons, the stars had slowly formed sentience and further control over their power. The white beam of light forced the red beam back till there was nothing left to stop it. The White Dwarf Star sent a last final resonance towards the Red Giant, "Quality will always trump over quantity; you may have had the largest amount of energy, but I''ve always had the most power." Realising it''s follies the Red Giant used its last dying dregs of energy to form multiple blackholes around itself, an innate feature of a giant star. But how would the White Dwarf Star allow this to happen? The White Dwarf Star blazed with ever-growing white light and tore through the Red Giant, extinguishing its last vestiges of sentience, but not before it sent off a final resonance, "If I''m dying then we''ll go together". The White Dwarf Star was gradually pulled towards the black hole as the suction power was too intense. As a last resort, the White Dwarf Star sent out its most potent attack, a terrifying beam of the pure essence with traces of Astral Qi inside, shot towards the blackhole sundering the black hole in half. The black hole, not wishing to be destroyed, instinctively attached itself to the White Dwarf Star and surrendered itself to it. The White Dwarf Star, tragically dim, accepted the subservient blackhole and amalgamated with it. The remnants of the black hole formed a celestial ring around the White Dwarf Star; this ring had nine miniature black holes absorbing the essence around the White Dwarf Star at a speed manifold to that of the previous unamalgamated White Dwarf Star. This new White Dwarf Star broke through from its tribulation and formed a monstrously sizeable humanoid figure. The only distinctive feature of this figure was the bright, surreal golden-hair, the rest of the humanoids figure was shrouded in a misty haze. While all of this was going on, Astrallis looked on, comprehending the profundities and the esoteric values of this incorporeal of creation and harbinger of death. The indistinctive incorporeal form appeared in front of Astrallis. A jarring juxtaposition in size ever present. Its forefinger reached out and gently touched the front of Astrallis'' forehead. At that moment, the experiences of this colossal battle of life and death coalesced into a small pure white small star around Astrallis, with a celestial ring enclosing it, and miniature black holes forming around it. The incorporeal figure looked on; it''s golden hair brightening in approval. The incandescent white star moved to the front of Astrallis, just below his navel, and entered him. ??? 7 March of a Sovereign ??? Inside the floating island, Grandpa Doehring scanned Astrallis intently with his spiritual sense waiting for any irregularities. At this moment, the Pinnacle Elder sensed a slight fluctuation of Qi below Astrallis'' navel. For the first time in centuries, the Pinnacle Elder felt a terrible sense of nervousness forming, lighting a communication talisman he called for Astrallis'' family. ??? Inside Astrallis'' soul-space, tumultuous changes were occurring. A spiralling golden coloured tempest formed above the matching golden-haired child; the incorporeal figure stepped forward into the gale. It gradually corroded the spiritual form, its form amalgamating with the raging essence tornado with, as a result of the ethereal figures amalgamation, archaic Primordial Runes began to appear along the perimeter of the storm. The tornado''s spiral moved towards the direction of Astrallis'' heart and gradually embedded itself within the pericardium layered above the heart. A scene of harmonious fusion occurred at the molecular level within Astrallis'' body, the runic formations perfectly fusing within his molecules. "Good job my descendant, at such a young age you managed to comprehend the final runes within your body, your future achievements are limitless." An imperial voice spread throughout the void within Astrallis'' soul-space. "Although you cannot respond to me currently, I am what your seniors call the ''Astral God'', I left some of my spiritual sense within the last primordial runes in your body. Although I knew you''d manage to comprehend the runic formations, I never thought you''d do so with such haste." "I shall leave you with an opportunity, but before that let''s wait for you to pass through to the Qi-Gathering Realm." The Astral God informed slowly. ??? Outside, in reality, an adorable young child with long surreal golden hair, dressed in a long white robe with gold trimmings, was seated at the centre of a hexagonal essence gathering array. Around the hexagonal formation were several people, all waiting in nervous anticipation for Astrallis'' breakthrough. "Father, I''ve never seen you have such an expression on your face before," Snickered Amelia standing next to Astrallis'' father, Cestra. "Husband, placate your concerns. My master is here, with her comprehension in the Way of Life no harm will come to our child," A celestial looking woman, with the aura of an angel, gently comforted her love. "Haha, what can you expect it''s his only son!" Laughed a boisterous Grandpa Doehring, attempting to hide his anxiety, which was at the same level as Cestra''s. Suddenly, the essence of the air became excited and began moving with an unprecedented speed towards the centre of the essence gathering array. Golden Astral Qi coalesced below Astrallis'' navel, beginning the formation of Astrallis'' dantian. As the intake of Astral Qi increased, the runic infused molecules began to release archaic patterns on Astrallis'' jade-like skin, flashing vibrantly in a paroxysm of colour. Within Astrallis'' newly formed dantian lay a vast void, at the centre was a Dwarf White Star of Astral Qi. This White Star was the culmination of Astrallis'' comprehension of the primordial runes within his body, the comprehension of the pericardium was the final push needed for Astrallis'' formation of his dantian. Within his dantian a rainbow of colourful Qi began to permeate the void; a plethora of apparitions started to dance around his dantian; god beasts, nymphs and so many more. These apparitions were the manifestations of the laws contained within the Way of Astral that Astrallis had managed to comprehend; Astrallis had only touched the surface of the Way of Astral and apparitions were already forming C a clear sign of one favoured by the Astral. The essence around the floating mountain started to become even more disturbed, rampaging towards the grotto, at this point many members of the sect began to notice this phenomenon. Ancestors broke off their meditation and started to surround the celestial mountain, in the air, in curiosity, with disciples standing on the ground gazing upwards. "Everyone, my disciple Astrallis Ether is in the midst of breaking through, please do not disturb him." An old yet authoritative voice echoed throughout the mysterious realm. "Oh, my! So, it''s junior-brother Astrallis breaking through, he''s not yet even five years old, and he''s already caused two large disturbances within the sect, and one of one those times he wasn''t even born yet!" Shouted out a scholarly-looking Senior Disciple. "Yes. Senior-Brother Gu is the wisest." All the disciples around him nodded their heads as if this is only natural. The increased rampaging essence began to pour into Astrallis'' dantian with destructive speed, the apparitions within his dantian began to fade intermittently, while the firmament started to crack as the speed of the essence became uncontrollable for the dantian. In reality, Astrallis face became pale-white, blood leaking from his lips. "No!" Jasmine, Astrallis'' mother, began to race forward but before she managed to enter the array, a force stopped her in her tracks. "Wait. I understand your concern, but you will cause more damage than done already if you stop Astrallis, you must let your son pass his own tribulations," Stately said the Pinnacle Elder, his aura receding back into his body. "Jasmine, we must believe in our son. He has already caused so many miracles, I''m sure he can repeat it this time as well," Comfortingly said Cestra grasping Jasmine''s hand. "En." At this time within Astallis'' dantian, chaos reigned supreme. "How can I stop this or mitigate the damages." Astrallis thought inwardly, racking his brains for an idea. The Astral God just looked on, from Astrallis'' soul-space. For one to prosper and reach the peak of cultivation they cannot always rely on other people, today is the first time Astrallis is solely relying on himself. Experiencing this at a young age is a significant boon for his future maturity. At this time Astrallis had a ridiculous thought, "Who said I have to mitigate the damage, why cannot I take this essence rampaging around dantian for my own?". Astrallis began to think of the White Star''s life that he just witnessed. "That White Star stressed quality of quantity, purity over chaos, a balance of Yin and Yang. Within the final moments of the fight, when the Red Giant exploded sending a black hole towards the White Star, the White Star instead of destroying the spacial anomaly amalgamated with it instead. And from that, it used the newly generated blackhole to absorb the chaotic essence of the Red Giant and purified it and took it for its own." An explosion of comprehension sounded off in his mind, Astrallis'' eyes-flashed with a certain light. Within his Dantian, a miniature replica of himself formed and began a fusion with the White Star. With Astrallis'' newly comprehended laws of the Way of Astral, the fusion happened without a hitch. A flamboyant corona of white light formed around the miniature Astrallis. Essence began to form around the Five Viscera and Six Bowels of his body, eleven blackholes emerged from those eleven points and began absorbing the chaotic essence in his dantian. "It works!" Astrallis shouted inwardly in glee. The blackholes inundated the surrounding area and using the same method as the Dwarf White Celestial Star, began to refine the large quantity of essence into pure Qi. Quality always beats quantity. In the grotto, the paroxysm of unusual runic formations on Astrallis'' skin only increased. Gradually he started to levitate in the air, moving upwards. "Everyone move back, I need to open up a hole in the cave for Astrallis." Barked the Pinnacle Elder. The Pinnacle Elder waved his hand a flat precise circle above the climbing Astrallis opened up, allowing a pathway for him to levitate into the sky. The party quickly followed Astrallis into the air, flying underneath him in case of an emergency. "Look! Junior-Brother Astrallis is levitating in the sky! What''re those colourful runes on his skin?" The scholarly- looking Senior C Brother Gu shouted incredulously, ultimately losing his scholarly demeanour. Before he managed to receive a reply. An imperial aura burst out into the surroundings, invoking feelings of worship and subservience. The entire Secret Realm was dead-silent, thousands of sect members staring incredulously at the imperial aura that Astrallis was emitting. A few weaker disciples even began kowtowing towards him. An aura of an imperial deity escaped from within Astrallis'' dantian. His long blonde hair flailing in the wind, that boyish face of perfection, those piercing magenta coloured eyes as well as an imperial aura. Astrallis was just like a young deity, commanding subservience. Using the newly promoted Qi-Gathering Realm Qi as stairs he descended to the floor, not a pin drop could be heard, the regal golden Astral Qi creating a stairway fit for a Celestial Sovereign. Just as quickly as it appeared, Astrallis withdrew the imperial aura back into his body. His piercing eyes glazed over returning to his adorable and innocent visage. Turning to look towards the sky, Astrallis shouted out in an excited voice, "Mom, Dad, Grandpa Doehring, sisters. Look I just broke through to the Qi-Gathering Realm." Arms in the air jumping around without a care in a world, just like a child his age should. Everyone on the scene found it impossible to compare the current Astrallis to the young deity of earlier. The only person who took no notice of the difference was Astrallis mother, Jasmine. "You silly child! Why would you do something so dangerous?", Jasmine appeared in front of her son pulling him into her embrace, tears in her eyes. "Do not do that again! My heart can''t take it." Astrallis looked at the ground sheepishly. Only now did he notice the crowd of people looking at him with incredulous eyes. Turning towards everyone, he gave a deep bow. "I''m sorry Ancestors, Senior and Junior brothers and sisters for disturbing all of you during your cultivation." Many people in the crowd gave an approving nod while thinking inwardly, "Such an impressive child, he holds such an imperial aura within that little body, while still remaining humble." "Everyone, please go back to your cultivations; Astra''er needs to consolidate his insights and realm." The Pinnacle Elder''s voice echoed throughout the Secret Realm. Without waiting for a response, Astrallis and his family disappeared only a slight spacial disturbance to show where they had once been. ??? Back in Grandpa Doehring''s humble abode, Astrallis'' family surrounded him all giving him in-depth looks. They had just heard what Astrallis had just experienced. If there is anyone you can trust with full certainty within the Ethereal Grotto Sect, it is without a doubt your family. While the rest of the family was overjoyed with Astrallis'' achievement, Grandpa Doehring had a stern face thinking inwardly, "It seems he really has been chosen by the Astral God, to be the future Imperator of the Plane." "Alright; Mom, Dad, Grandpa, sisters. The Astral God''s spiritual sense is still waiting within my soul space, he has something to show me." Stated Astrallis with gravitas. Without being able to hear a reply, Astrallis'' consciousness was sucked into his soul-space. "Were you going to keep me waiting?" A stern voice chastised. "Definitely not Esteemed Astral God. I didn''t want my family to worry, so I informed them of my experiences quickly." Astrallis hastily replied. Although the Astral God may seem irritated, the Astral God was quite amused watching his little creation create disturbances large and small. Especially the faces of the sect members, the Astral God was inwardly drunk on their expressions. "Enough. I have something to show you, let''s see if you are able to garner any comprehensions from this," With an elegant wave of the Astral God''s arm, a rising sun began to creep over the periphery of the void from the east. Bright streams of orange flame began to spread out into the void, lighting up the darkness. "Watch closely now." A Cosmic Inferninum Seraphim began to rise at the same time as the sun, initially invisible due to being in conjunction with the sun, it''s excellent wingspan spreading out indefinitely into the distance. A heliacal setting. Astrallis stared intently at the wings of the rising seraph, as it rose with the sun nearing the apogee of its arc. Astrallis gradually fell into comprehension, his mind glazing over. Multiple images of the Cosmic Inferninum Seraphim''s flight path, as well as movement, flashed through Astrallis'' consciousness. A constant repetition of new flight paths appeared within his soul-space; each time Astrallis garnered more esoteric laws from the action of the Seraphim. Gradually a pair of faint Astral Qi wings with a wingspan of four meters spread out from behind Astrallis'' back. A name appeared within his consciousness, ''Heliacal Rising from the East''. 8 Devilish Mother ??? A group of thirty-odd children and elders gathered around a smooth tear-drop shaped ship, with a cone-shaped front; at the back of the ship essence thrusters had been placed in a nine by nine formation, these thrusters were formed by the finest propulsion runic formations that the Ethereal Grotto Sect could provide. The airship itself was around five hundred metres in length, with a hundred-metre diameter; this ship was in fact much smaller than the average boat that is used within the Augustin world. Unlike warships, this ship was designed for speed and manoeuvrability, if moving at full velocity it could run at a heaven-defying million kilometres a day. Alas, this rate of movement is not long lasting as the essence gathering array formations around the thrusters would not be able to keep up the required essence absorption to allow the thrusters to continue. An ethereal mist enclosed the tear-drop shaped ship, giving it a mythical feeling. If any member of the Augustin world saw this ship, they would go pale in fright. Even emperors of million-year-old Dynasties would come rushing with recherch gifts to curry favour with the passengers of the ship; more specifically the Ethereal Grotto Sect members. Legends of the Ethereal Grotto Sect members are spread far and wide within the Augustin World, unlike the other three Holy Lands that are much more open to worldly matters C the three Holy Lands have many branch sects within the thousands of dynasties in the world C the Ethereal Grotto is much more reclusive. Many emperors would often go their entire lives not catching a glimpse of the elegant Ethereal Grotto, but within their historical annals, there are stories of the elegance of its members and their frightful combat strength. Although the number of members within the Ethereal Grotto are incomparably small compared to the other three Holy Lands, their individual combat strength is overwhelming. "Alright children, during this month-long trip to Mt. Evanescent, I want you to whole-heartedly train in your martial arts and practice cultivation. I want you all to be in your optimum conditions and spread the elegance of our sect far-and-wide. I have just received information from our informants out in the secular world, that the other three Holy Lands have allowed geniuses from their subsidiary empires to take part," Patriarch Cestra solemnly informed the young disciples, all under the age of seven. "There will be many more people eying the proceedings at Mt. Evanescent than I first anticipated, old ancestors of the various dynasties will also be joining the myriad people spectating. They are not to be looked down upon or disrespected. Although they are not part of any Holy Land, their dynasties and sects are still not to be underestimated," "As is tradition, your parents and/or masters will travel with you to Mt. Evanescent as both protection and support." Patriarch Cestra''s gazed landed on his pride-and-joy, his son, Astrallis. "I hope all of you will give us genuine surprises. That is enough talk for now, please embark the Elysian." ??? Within a celestial looking realm, with beautiful flora and fauna, a child C tall for his age C with long golden surreal hair was performing a set of martial arts in an ethereal like manner. This child was naturally Astrallis, each room within the Elysian has been made into its own small realm by the artificers of the Ethereal Grotto Sect. Astrallis punched out, sending his golden Qi bursting out in a wave-like manner in front of himself, he then pivoted on his left-foot and threw a flying kick to his right. He fleeted around the realm, like an angelic seraph. "Not enough," A cold voice barked out, surprisingly from the celestial-looking Jasmine - Astrallis'' mother. "Come, attack me." Her cold-eyes piercing Astrallis'', making him flinch. "My son is not a coward, I haven''t raised a wimp, have I?" Jasmine mocked. Infuriated, Astrallis lashed out with both hands towards Jasmine''s chest which she easily deflected with her right hand, which she followed through with and knocked Astrallis on to the ground, rolling many metres. As soon as Astraillis stumbled to his feet a swift kick to his chest sending him in the direction of a lake, skipping along, like a stone on liquid, he landed on the shore of the other side of the body of water. Blood leaking from his lips, he looked with rage-filled eyes towards his mother; all memories of the altruistic gentle mother vanishing. "Astrallis! You must always be aware of your surroundings. Even if you get knocked down, you must be thinking two steps ahead. You cannot fight with a rage-filled mind, only the clear-headed will win," Sternly said, Jasmine. "Now, show me your strongest attack. I will only use Qi from the first stage of the Qi-Gathering Realm". Astrallis gently placated his rising anger, and slowed down his erratic breathing, bringing his hands together and performing a set of hand movements, a long golden light began to coalesce in front of him. A meter-long golden sword made of Qi manifested in front of himself, ethereal in nature and with no real definition, he gently gripped the hilt raising it in front of himself. At the same time, he gripped the sword, incorporeal wings began to spread out from his back, indistinct golden feathers proliferated the four-metre wingspan. Within an imperial aura permeating his being, with a flap of wings, he shot into the sky. "Helical Rising from the East!" With a shout Astrallis charged towards his mother, Qi sword bared. Looking towards her son, a slight smile spread across Jasmine''s face, raising her hand she formed a white Qi barrier, the Way of Life laws developed the wall, reinforcing it further. As soon as the barrier was fully developed, Astrallis'' sword struck the wall. Multiple cracks spread throughout the barrier, forcing Astrallis to step back several steps, but it ultimately held firm, eventually reforming. Finally, a smile spread across Jasmine''s face, "Impressive. You managed to force me back while nearly destroying my barrier. Even though the Qi used was in the same realm as you, I permeated it with some slight insights from the Way of Life, the Way which I cultivate in. The power of your strike was close to the Foundational Realm." What fascinated her even more, were the incorporeal golden wings behind Astrallis'' back. Although she was interested in them, every person had their own secrets, and she was sure Astrallis would inform her about the wings if she so asked. "That must have been the opportunity that the Astral God gave him when he was called back into his soul-space. He has managed to already comprehend it to such a state, utilising its velocity and forming it into a powerful sword strike." Inwardly thought Jasmine, nodding her head, her smile almost taking over her face. "Good. Now go cultivate. You are only at the first stage of the Qi-Gathering Realm, multiple steps away from the Foundational Realm." Nodding his head, Astrallis took his personal Astral Qi Gathering Array out from his spacial ring[1], Grandpa Doehring created this portable array for Astrallis so that he can gather more copious amounts of essence from the stars. One positive of Astrallis dantian is that the purity of the essence is negligible, as within Astrallis'' dantian the white mini-replica of himself, will purify the vast essence intake and form it into Qi using the blackholes. Therefore, the portable array can gather as much Astral essence as possible from the surroundings, regardless of the purity. Of course, this portable array is not as capable as the one within Grandpa Doehring''s residence, but this compact array is efficient for the current realm of Astrallis. Activating the array, Astrallis sank into meditation, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth and forming it into Qi. Each time the essence would fill up his dantian, the black holes would absorb it and then release it back into his dantian, into the much smaller quantity Qi. This process would continue repetitively till his entire dantian, was full of Qi. When the dantian cannot be filled with anymore Qi, the Qi-Gathering cultivator will break through into the next stage. ??? Looking towards the elegant figure seated within the centre of the array, golden qi floating around him, Jasmine turned to the man now beside her. "You can decimate thousands of cultivators, but you can''t even raise a hand to your child. Leaving it to be poor me to do it," Gently chided Jasmine to her husband, Cestra. "Well umm How can I hit something so perfect? You know I''ve never been able to hit any of our children," Stuttered Cestra. "En, I know. That''s why I''m here. I may be gentle and amiable to everyone around me, but only I am allowed to be hit our son," Said Jasmine with a commanding tone. "Yes, yes, my love." Cestra nodded his head meekly, he may be the all inspiring Rising Sword, Patriarch of the Ethereal Grotto sect, but he definitely wasn''t the one wearing the pants in this relationship. ??? This process of sparring and cultivation occurred throughout the month of travel towards Mt. Evanescent. During these tedious days of torture, Astrallis advanced to the third stage of the Qi-Gathering realm under the pressure of assault from his mother. The same situation, although not as painful, occurred to every child within the Elysian. On the thirtieth day of travel, a sky-high mountain piercing into the heavens appeared within the sights of the children standing on the deck of the Elysian. 9 Rising Battle-Inten ??? The children stared in awe at the paroxysm of activity before them. A sky-piercing mountain of epic proportions lay before them, the pressure the mountain was emanating created spacial fissures tearing the sky asunder. After the layer of erratic space, celestial clouds formed at the top of the primordial era built mountain; no matter how fastidiously one studied the mountain they would never be able to correctly calculate the height as the memory of what they have just seen would vanish, hence the name Mt. Evanescence. Thousands upon thousands of airships proliferated the air-space around the lower part of the mountain, some kilometres large some even smaller than the Elysian. The one commonality between all of them was the juxtaposition of size between the ships and Mt. Evanescence. An incalculable number of portable immortal palaces, tents and merchant markets sat upon the plains for thousands of kilometres around Mt. Evanescence; millions of people moved throughout the plains, geniuses of the empires, ancestors, commoners and just people who have come to broaden their horizons. At the base of a mountain sat a reserved monastery, this monastery has been manned by monks since time immemorial commanding pious rituals of reverence towards the spirits within the mountain and the Primordial Way. This monastery is not to be overlooked; their strength would even make a Holy Land think twice about offending them. All the children gazed bewildered upon this scene, all of them have not seen such a large gathering of people let alone leave the sect. So, to experience such a view when leaving the faction for the first time was an attack of monumental proportions on the senses. "Children, we''ve brought you to see this scene to understand the epic proportions of the Augustin World. You may have also noticed how the more gaudy and magnificent of airships and palatial structures are centred closest towards the front of Mt. Evanescence; this is because people with high status and power control these creations," Patriarch Cestra lectured the youth around him. "Only with strength can one forged a life-well-lived within the Augustin World as well as the entire realm, this is a dog eat dog world and only with the right strength can one be safe. Personal power is what matters most, as there will be moments you cannot rely on your background to succeed. That is why you must strive for the greatest strength possible so that you can forge your destiny." Patriarch Cestra solemnly informed the dazed children. Azalea, the pink pony-tailed adorable friend, moved her hand towards Astrillas'' hand firmly grasping it. Although not yet understanding the societal norms between man and woman, she understood that she cared deeply for Astrillas, and whenever he was within her presence she''d feel a sense of safety and comfort, even if that sense of security was unjustified. Although Astrillas may be a leader of his generation and hold unmatched power, he was still young, and his realm was weak. It would take a mid C staged Foundational Realm cultivator, a simple smack to completely obliterate him. "Alright, the children have seen enough. Let''s move towards our destination," Cestra gently said to a three-metre golden-haired ape-man. "Your son is the only one with a stern look on his face," Boisterously laughed the ape-man. "He is my son what do you expect," smiled Cestra. "Although really, he''s just hiding it. Inside I know his heart''s palpitations are just as large as the other kids, if not even more," "Although, I do see Bergen, that your child Wukong is gripping his staff even more severely than usual," Cestra pointedly informed. "That''s correct. I can feel Wukong''s battle-intent rising. That is why my grandfather said, he is like the age-old deity Wukong, hence why we gave him the name; one staff for joint-union of the mind, one staff sweep to a pure the heavens," Bergen, the Wukong''s father proudly stated. "I feel that Azui, Astrallis, Baihu, Azalea and Wukong, these five children will perform excellently at this times Awakening Ceremony," A beautiful red-haired woman, with fire in her hair, wilfully stated. This woman was Azui''s mother, Azuielle - Astrallis'' little female phoenix friend. Unlike the other Holy Lands, who are either solely human or solely beast; the Ethereal Grotto Sect holds no such prejudices, and all races are welcome within the sect. Of the beast races within the Sect, the phoenix, tiger and ape bloodlines are the most dominant and hold millions of years of history in the Sect. This does not mean that the phoenix, tiger and ape bloodline are the strongest as there may be many an occasion where a dragon elder can fight equally with a phoenix. The most extended and most prosperous of human bloodlines are from Astrilla''s father Cestra''s side of the family, and lastly pink-haired Azalea''s family bloodline. Astrillas'' mother, Jasmine, is in fact not from this realm "I do too Junior-Sister Azuielle. Cestra, are you going to do something about your womanising son," A pink - haired man, with an equally pink-haired woman in his arms, pointedly said to Cestra. "Come off it, brother Nox. Your Rosea bloodline is known for their possessive nature." The whole parental group joked. Cestra, Azuielle, Bergen, Nox, Jormangund C Baihu, the little white tiger''s father; have all been life-and-death brothers and sisters since birth, and now their children are following that tradition. "Let''s go." ??? Inside the sprawling markets of the plains beneath Mt. Evanescence. An elder from a small sect was walking with his disciples. "Look! Those three large ships are from the three of the four Holy Lands!" He informed his disciples. "Wow! They are so large, they must be many kilometres in size." Said a fat looking disciple with a red-face. "They are indeed, but what is impressive; is that there are various artificially constructed realms inside them, each disciple of the Holy Lands have their own realm to practice and cultivate in. The essence just within those little realms in the airships are at a purity well beyond what our little sect will ever reach," The elder continued to speak. "Elder, I don''t understand. Aren''t there four holy lands, where is the last holy land?" The red-faced fatty enquired. Pleased with the chance to further speak the elder continued, "There are four Holy Lands: The Elemental Infinitum Sect; The Divine Bestia Sect; The Ethereal Grotto Sect; and lastly The Quintessential Umbra Organisation often referred to as QUO. The three airships you see there belong to the Elemental Infinitum Sect, The Divine Bestia Sect and QUO, the sect not present is the Ethereal Grotto Sect. The Grotto is known for their reclusive and elusive nature; while the other sects have their specific schools of Way in which they cultivate, the Grotto has an unlimited amount of schools; they do not restrict themselves. Regardless of what type of cultivator wherever they by elemental, weapon, or life cultivator, you will find them all in the Grotto, humans and beast also live in union within the Grotto." "I''ve been told by the sect master that the people in the Ethereal Grotto Sect are the archetype of a perfect being," A dreamy-eyed girl said beside them. "Amazing," Stuttered the fatty. At this moment a commotion spread throughout the plains, "Look! An ethereal fog has just formed beside the three ships of the Holy Land!" "It''s them, it''s the legendary Ethereal Grotto Sect." Gradually the celestial fog dispersed, and a silver-mirror coloured teardrop shaped airship materialised, light refracting off the walls of the ship, it radiated with incandescent light. The five-hundred-metre ship looked dwarfed compared to the other three holy land ships, but they did not lose out in beauty, even topping the other vessels. The sleek design was only possible on a ship of Elysian''s size; something unattainable by multi-kilometre mega-ships. All cultivators have advanced senses so they could see the materialised Elysian ship, and if they couldn''t, there were enough Vision-Arrays[1] all over the plains to show the boat. ??? Inside the Elysian. "Children, I have just been informed by the Quintessential Umbra Organisation; that there will be a Tea Party between the Holy Lands later today. You''ll be able to spar and compare yourself to your Holy Land contemporaries." Cestra told the children. A cheer arose from the children, their battle-intent reaching the heavens. This would be the first time they would experience the outside world and hopefully create a name for themselves. ??? 10 The Holy Lands Mee ??? An incandescent light shone out from a large mega-airship, black in colour with light blue on the edges; the ship itself was around ten kilometres long, with a diameter close to two kilometres C this ship was the mega-ship from the Quintessential Umbra Organisation (QUO). The light beam stopped at the centre of the four Holy Land airships, it began to condense in a celestial lake, the lake covered the entire area, and sitting upon the lake were multiple pavilions C each connected to each other by bridges that just skimmed the water''s surface. The pool was a colour of the most transparent blue, with a plethora of shimmering sea-life making merry within. At the centre of the pavilions was a sizeable wooden arena, with at least one bridge from each tent converging on to it, the stage itself was glossy in nature. A clear sign of runic formations. Without these runic formations, there would be no way for a lake to mythically levitate kilometres up in the sky. "Your Senior-Brother Yan, the oldest and strongest of your age group, will be the designated leader of your group. He will take you to meet the other Holy Lands; from what I''ve seen the geniuses from the Empires within Augustin have joined in too," Informed Cestra. "While you go and meet your contemporaries, we will go ''welcome'' the other Holy Lands." Cestra gave his compatriots a wink, eliciting a smile from all of them. ??? Senior-Brother Yan was a handsome young man, close to the age of eighteen, once he passes the age of eighteen his age he would move up to a higher age group. Realising this Senior-Brother Yan''s dark eyes, took a solemn air to them, this was the last chance he''d have to shine within this age group C he''d make the best of it he could. He''d missed out on comparing notes with his contemporaries for the past five years as a result of the Cataclysm Array activating, but he was anything but displeased by it, the boon he received from the baptism of primordial laws was a chance only stumbled upon, not searched for. Senior-Brother Yan was at the large success stage of the World Coalescing-Realm, in this realm, one can fly freely throughout the air; at this point, most battles between cultivators is done in the air. To reach the peak of the World Coalescing-Realm near the age of eighteen was a commendable achievement, even though within a Holy Land, it wasn''t the top. Many of Senior-Brother Yan''s contemporaries would be at the peak of the World Creation Realm, but this is all within good reason. During the primordial baptism, Senior-Brother Yan was introduced to laws and comprehensions he wouldn''t even be close to touching for another hundred years, but he wasn''t able to cultivate during this baptism. As a result, his battle power is well above the World Coalescing Realm, even breaking into the peak of the World Creation Realm. Yan spent most of his time these past five years comprehending the laws rather than cultivation, hence why he is one step behind. To advance through the World Realms, one needs to wander the world and broaden their experiences while communicating with their chosen Primordial Way.[1] Although the key-players of the Awakening Ceremony, at Mt. Evanescence, were the children between the ages of five and seven, this doesn''t mean Senior Brothers and Sisters wouldn''t join them on this trip. All Holy Land disciples used the Awakening Ceremony as an excuse to compete against their contemporaries from the other Holy Lands and compare notes. Senior-Brother Yan turned towards his junior sect members, and more specifically to the five youngest disciples. "Although you will not be competing in this sparring-session, you''ll be flying the flags of our sect during your ascendance of Mt. Evanescence. Every single one of your movements will be captured on vision-arrays and spread throughout the plains and the world. I have the utmost confidence in you, and especially our five-youngest members to perform miracles. If you can receive an inheritance from an ancestor, it could lead you to be one of the most eminent members of the cultivation community in the future," Stately said Senior-Brother Yan with a fire burning in his eyes. "I for one received a spear-inheritance from an ancestor with a realm I can''t even fathom. As a result, Patriarch Cestra accepted me as a disciple when he saw me flourish in the practice of the inheritance. This is just an example of how your destiny could be changed during your ascendance of Mt. Evanescence." Said Senior-Brother Yan, proudly motivating his junior sect members. At this moment, a silver walk-way with ethereal green lights cascading from it travelled towards the Celestial Lake from the Elysian. "Let''s go." The beautiful and inspiring young Ethereal Sect Members began to move along the incorporeal pathways towards the floating celestial lake, beasts and humans walking along in harmony from the East cardinal direction. At the same time, three other groups of young people move along their own pathways towards the celestial lake. From the West cardinal direction, a group of only humans, with robes coloured the same as the elements they practice moved along a multi-coloured pathway shining with the different aspects of heaven and earth. This group was from the Elemental Infinitum Sect. From the South cardinal direction, a group of only beasts, in all their scale, furred and feathered brilliance moved along their pathway sending frightening killing-intent towards the Elemental Infinitum Sect, this group was the Divine Bestia Sect. The Elemental Infinitum Sect didn''t hesitate to reciprocate the ''kindness'' towards the Divine Bestia Sect. From the North Cardinal Direction, a group of fae, with a few humans, moved along their elegant pathway. This fae group consisted of fairies, elves, demi-humans, dwarves, seraph and many other diverse types of fae. This division was the Quintessential Umbra Organisation. The four parties converged on a large pavilion; at that moment all the other Holy Lands looked towards the Ethereal Grotto Sect. All the Holy Lands were interested in the reason for the Ethereal Grotto Sects absolute reclusion from the world for the past five years; the youth leaders of the other Holy Lands noticed that they were a small-realm above Senior-Brother Yan and smiled in disdain. Apart from the youth-leader of the QUO, a beautiful female elf with long white hair, unlike humans and beasts are more sensitive to the primordial laws; she stared at Senior-Brother Yan in amazement. "How could he reach that level of laws at such a young age." She inwardly thought in astonishment, but at that moment that astonishment turned into disbelief as she noticed that every single member of the Ethereal Grotto sect had reached an absurd level in the Way of Laws. "Even though they are a few small-realms beneath the rest of the Holy Lands, their battle power will definitely not fall short maybe even surpassing ours." Realising this, Aylox''er Silvanus the elf youth leader of the QUO took the initiative to move towards the Ethereal Grotto Sect and welcoming them; one can''t reach her position with just strength, an astute mind is needed as well. "Welcome Brother Yan, and members of the Grotto, it has been five years since we saw you last, and the realms in which you have reached amazes me," Aylox''er Silvanus flattered Senior-Brother Yan. "What type of chance did the Grotto stumble upon, to go into seclusion for five years?" She inwardly thought. Before Yan could respond, a snort of disdain echoed throughout the surroundings, an average-looking man with multi-coloured hair from the Elemental Infinitum Sect, "Why are you so benevolent to trash like that, Fairy Silvanus?" Shooting a look of repulsion towards the multi-coloured haired man, "Nezul, just because you can''t fathom their power, doesn''t mean you must speak derisively of my decisions?" Aylox''er replied with disdain. Shocked into silence, Nezul didn''t reply but instead looked at the Grotto members once again. Gradually he started to notice an odd-repressive power of laws emanating from them, he specialised in the elemental rules, so it''s only natural that he would see eventually. His face turned an odd colour. "It seems you''ve noticed." Aylox''er pointedly said. Although the Grotto did not receive killing-intent towards them from the Elemental Infinitum Sect and the Divine Beastia sect, there were looks of disdain sent towards them. Unlike the Grotto which whole-heartedly believed in the diversity of creatures, these two other sects believed in a monogamous living; only humans or only beasts. They disdained the Grotto for mixing this principle that they so proudly held. Yan and the other Grotto members just looked onto the events in front of them with enjoyment; they expected such a reaction from the other Holy Lands. "Thank you for your words of compliment, Fairy Silvanus. Let''s end these superfluous words, we all know what we want to do. I''d like my junior sect members to broaden their horizons during our spars," Senior-brother Yan indicated behind himself. "They''ve been trapped within the sect for five years, I''m sure they can barely contain their battle-intent, just like me." A devilish smile formed on Yan''s face. A great battle intent formed around him, while a suppression of laws landed on the youth leaders; Nezul and a large three-meter-long golden lion from the Divine Bestia Sect. "You dare suppress me, Leon, a descendant of the Lion-Deity," Roared the lion, a brilliant red Qi proliferated his skin. "Us beasts may not be proficient in the Way of Laws, but you will never surpass our supreme physiques which we cultivate." "Alright boys, before we start let''s get our junior brothers and sisters to safety. Brother Yan, do you think it''ll be alright if my organisation sits with you in your pavilion?" Seductively said Aylox''er, lightly gracing Yan''s muscular arm. "That''ll be excellent." Entirely taking advantage of the situation, Yan took her hand and lightly kissed it. Fairy Silvanus also taking it in her stride, moved along with him towards their pavilion. While this was going on a tall-child with magenta coloured eyes stared astutely at the actions of his Senior-Brother Yan, a profound light flashing across his beautiful eyes it was if he just learnt something new. ??? 11 Tears of Blood ??? Moving towards the now joint Ethereal Grotto Sect''s and Quintessential Umbra Organisation''s pavilion Senior-Brother Yan moved Astrallis'' and his group of five. Curios Fairy Silvanus followed. "Astrallis, your father, my master, told me to take care of you during this Tea Party," Yan said endearingly. Even without his master''s command, he would have done the same. Following Senior-Brother Yan''s eyesight, Fairy Silvanus was stunned. In front of her stood a child so beautiful, even she C who was known as one of the top beauties of the Augustin world- felt inferior. Long golden hair, shining with an ethereal lustre and willow magenta eyes, one could only dream how surreal this child would look when it''s older, inwardly thought Fairy Silvanus. "Brother Yan, who is this tall junior sister?" Aylox''er asked with a hint of respect. Who wouldn''t want to ingratiate themselves with such a goddess? "Ahem." Brother Yan tripped over his feet, while Astrallis'' friends bowled over in raucous laughter. After a few moments, Brother Yan managed to stand up again, albeit weakly he turned towards the now confused face of the beautiful elven girl. "Ah Fairy Silvanus that is junior-brother Astrallis, Patriarch Cestra''s and Vita Fairy''s only son," Senior-Brother Yan whispered to Aylox''er. Fairy Silvanus face gradually became a pale white, while cold-sweat formed on her back. "Ah, I''m sorry Young Master Astrallis, your looks are beyond anything I have ever seen." Aylox''er bowed deeply, feeling that she nearly dug herself a grave with a future powerhouse and the son of her idol the Vita Fairy. "Fairy Silvanus, it''s alright. This situation happens a lot." Astrallis respectfully replied although anyone who was emotionally close to Astrallis could see his face take on an expression not usually shown. "I meant no disregard; I respect your mother, the Vita Fairy, with all my heart. My mother was grievously wounded when she was younger, without your mother''s timely aid C as well as her breathtaking comprehension of the Way of Life C my mother would have succumbed to her injuries. Your mother''s graciousness towards myself and the Quintessential Umbra Organisation is something only reciprocated with great difficulty," Said Fairy Silvanus with a look of utmost respect in her eyes. Although this was the first time Astrallis had heard of this, his face gradually relaxed. "Big Sister Aylox''er, if I may, can I sit next to you?" "Of course, you may, little brother Astrallis." Fairy Silvanus heart-jumped at the opportunity, also sighing in relief that she managed to change Astrallis'' impression of her. "Azui, Baihu, Wukong and Azalea come sit with us," "This is your Awakening Ceremony and your ascent of Mt. Evanescence. Come sit at the centre, the rest of your senior brothers and sisters have already had their chance, they''ve come along to spar and support your challenge of the mountain." Senior-Brother kindly informed the children. Fairy Silvanus called her children of the QUO who were also ascending the mountain seeking inheritances; a line-up gingerly approached the table; consisting of elves, dwarves, demi-humans and fairies. Altogether there are around thirteen children, more than doubling the five children from the Grotto. In no time the children of both the Holy Lands were engaged in excited discourse over the coming sparring matches. Silvanus and Yan looked over the children pleased with their immediate acceptance of each other. "Looks like those two are about to start They are always at each other''s necks." Fairy Silvanus'' voice echoed across the pavilion. On the beautiful wooden stage, stood a tall multi-coloured man, this man was Nezel the leader of the Elemental Infinitum Sect, across him prowled the sturdy lion, Leon. "You beast, so what if you have a bloodline of a self-proclaimed pseudo-Deity? That is all eclipsed in front of my Pentaelem Technique," "You vermin! How dare you slander the Lion-God!" Enraged Leon began to grow in size, while his fur turned obsidian black, and his mane changed between bright streaks of red and violet. Leon charged through the sky towards the now floating Nezel, a sense of danger flashed through Nezel''s eyes, using the Way of Wind he flew towards the edge of the arena faster than Astrallis'' eyes could see. Nezel, afraid of flying off the arena, thus losing; sent a raging fireball towards Leon, "I''ve already reached the Third Concept of the Way of Fire, how can your physique handle it?" Leon, with a smirk, directly flew through the raging inferno. He came out the other side with only a few red hairs, "Nezel you''re not the only one who has made an advancement since we last sparred," "Hmph, we''ll see how your body handle''s a sabre." Pulling out a long sword, flashing with the colours of the elements, Nezel charged towards Leon. An explosion occurred at the point of contact between the two youths. This explosion was not a result of the two youths collusion. All the youths became inundated and turned towards Mt. Evanescence. An explosion of energy coalesced into a scintillating beam of light, above Mt. Evanescence, soaring towards the heavens. The celestial clouds above the mountain spread apart, creating a hole for one to see the peak of Mt. Evanescence, the mountain reached the stratosphere. The summit of Mt. Evanescence was seen for the first time in recorded history. The millions of people around the plains, the cultivators in the ships and the elders of the Holy Lands all stared incredulously at the furore that was the explosion. Beautiful apparitions began to form around the beam of light, god-beasts, seraphim, angels and all forms of incorporeal creatures built around a celestial object, in pious worship. A beautiful sabre reaching from the peak of Mt. Evanescence to the stratosphere, gradually formed, all manner of apparitions bowing in subservience. The sabre hilt was a surreal golden colour, with a marking of a grey-willow tree, with red-leaves, sprawling around the handle. A long silver blade joined the golden-hilt, with faint markings of red-lines proliferating the edge, red-lines themselves seemed as if they were the interlocking branches of the willow-tree engraved on the hilt. Gradually those lines began to shine intermittently with an incandescent red, to the point they started adopting a vein like quality. An immeasurable blood aura began to emanate around this heaven-reaching sabre, turning the pure white celestial clouds into a churning carmine cloudy hell. A unique aura sundered the void, causing a mass warping of space-time resulting in the sky cracking throughout the plane. Centered in the Elder''s pavilion above the celestial floating lake, the Holy Land elders felt as if they were insignificant children in front of this blood aura, an aura full of killing intent. "Quick, get all the children to safety." Shouted Cestra. The parents and masters of the children complied with the utmost haste, and sped towards the children and enclosing the children with their sturdy Qi. Eventually, there was not a single soul left on the Elders pavilion, except for a single celestial looking-female, with emerald hair. She stood there unmoving, going unnoticed by all around her as they frantically tried to defend the children. Tears of blood gently flowed down her beautiful visage. "Mother, is that you?" 12 The Ascendance Commences ??? From the peak of Mt. Evanescence, a sky-reaching ethereal tree began to form, it''s trunk and branches were grey in colour, with red-leaves proliferating the tree''s limbs. The spectral creatures enclosing the peak of the mountain began to perch along the twisting branches; they gently amalgamated with the tree itself invoking a paroxysm of excitement from the towering tree. The leaves began to shine with incandescent light, while all the life-essence of the land around Mt. Evanescence was syphoned towards the arcane sabre. The arcane sabre itself had amalgamated with the trunk of the tree, leaving a vermillion coloured tattoo in the shape of a sabre upon the bark; the symbol itself ever-growing with a thickening vermillion light. Every being around Mt. Evanescence felt their blood start to flow in a disorderly manner, the Qi and blood essence slowly started to leave their bodies; pandemonium gradually began to spread across the plains. There was only one person physically unaffected by the sabre tree but compared to everyone else the waves within her heart surpassed their physical traumas. A violent war of emotions raged within her heart. Patriarch Cestra realising that his wife Jasmine was not standing next to him, as she usually has done for the past millennia, sent out his spiritual sense and finally found her standing forlornly upon the Elders platform, he felt his heart shake as if struck by an earthquake. His beautiful wife, his angelic wife, his benevolent future, stood there; tears of crimson flowing down her face, her eyes glazed over. An aura of absolute slaughter emanated from her being, an atmosphere of an Asura, one she has only shown once before. The aura was similar to the blood-tree above Mt. Evanescence. "Jasmine!" Cestra sent a message of desperation through his soul to hers. Jasmine''s body shuddered, and her aura was instantly withdrawn back into her body. She turned to her husband, her eyes stained with blood, and gave him a strained smile. "Jasmine, we''ll speak after this. Remember, I am always here for you. Your problems may be impossible for the Ethereal Grotto Sect to solve at this point, but I promise you, we will try. If we can''t, we always have our son and daughters." Cestra gently comforted his beloved wife. While Cestra and Jasmine were conversing a hologram of a monk multiple-kilometres in length appeared in the sky above the monastery situated in front of Mt. Evanescence. The bald monk was dressed in a long orange robe, with Sanskrit stitched on the hems of his robes. "Amitabha, oh, great senior, have mercy upon our souls; I ask you to placate your anger. We mean you no harm, we only ask you to allow us to send the juniors of our world into your dwellings to experience their own nirvana." The monk''s projection said strongly. As if hearing the monk''s pleading words, the vermillion sabre in the tree stopped absorbing the essence of the land as well as the cultivator''s blood essence. The sky-piercing tree gradually faded out of existence, the celestial clouds at the peak of Mt. Evanescence began to form once again; the appearance of the summit fading from every single being around the mountain A feeling of Evanescence was left in the minds of all entities. Upon the floating celestial lake, the Holy Land members looked incredulously upon Mt. Evanescence, all of them were physically affected in some way or another by the towering tree. The projection of the monk in the sky turned towards the direction of the plains, "Amitabha. My dear brothers and sisters of the Way, we must begin the Awakening Ceremony earlier than predicted. An eminent ancestor has already taken a liking to a disciple somewhere on this plain." "Every child between the ages of five and seven, please converge in front of the Monastery of the Way, the duration of one''s stay within Mt. Evanescence can be between two to three years. Please prepare adequately. Amitabh." With those words, the projection of the monk disappeared. ??? "Children, although I''ve explained the process to you before I deem it necessary to explain it to you once again. During your ascension of the stairs towards the peak of Mt. Evanescence, you will have to deal with an increase in pressure. The increase in pressure will be relative to your bone-age," "After a certain number of steps, one will reach a new stage, at each stage, one must comprehend a wonder provided by Mt. Evanescence. Once you manage to comprehend a wonder, you can move on to the next step and attempt the climb once again to reach a new wonder," Expounded Cestra. "The further you ascend the stairs the greater the chance of a passed-ancestor noticing you. Now for you five, many passed-ancestors would jump at the chance to make you their Soul-Disciple, I want you to pick an inheritance that suits you. Remember the higher you ascend, the stronger the inheritance. One may even feel a ''calling'', a calling is when one resonates harmoniously with an inheritance that a connection is subconsciously formed between you and the past-ancestor," "Who knows, maybe one of you will manage to spark the interest of an Immortal being who has left a strand of their spiritual sense in the mountain," Cestra said to rile up the children. Looking at the burning eyes of the children before him Cestra nodded his head, inwardly pleased with himself, managing to elicit a smile from Jasmine. "Come, let''s go to the monastery." At the base of the monastery stood thousands of young children with their guardians, all of them were from prominent empires with millions of years of history; any single one of these empires would strike fear into the hearts of commoners. But here these children had nothing to brag about when compared to the forty odd children in front of them; the offspring of the Holy Lands. Astrallis and his group moved joyfully to their new found friends of the Quintessential Umbra Organisation, the two designated leaders of the congregation were two beautiful opposite sexed elf twins. "Hello, Netruvean and Netravean. I hope we will be able to work together during our ascension of the Evanescence Steps," Astrallis flashed a smile that could shame heaven and earth. "Of course Brother Astrallis." The two elves blushed while looking at his smile. Netravean looked towards her brother Netruvean a hint of annoyance flashed across her eyes, "Why are you blushing idiot, he''s a male just like you." She thought inwardly. But that didn''t stop her adorable face from striking an even more significant smile, but it quickly receded when she felt a piercing killing-intent lock on to her. Turning abruptly she found herself face-to-face with a pink-haired girl with large fuchsia coloured eyes, the girl sharply held out her hand in greeting, "Hello, I don''t think we managed to talk earlier. I am Azalea Rosea, Princess of the Rosea Family of the Ethereal Grotto Sect and Astrallis'' childhood friend." Sweetly stated Azalea a sense of ownership in her eyes. Grabbing Azalea''s hand tightly, "Hello Azalea Rosea, I am Netruvean Silvanus, Junior Saintess of the Quintessential Umbra Organisation. Unbeknownst to everyone around them a battle of Qi was happening between the two hands of the beautiful but terrifying girls. At this moment, a spark of rivalry over the ownership of Astrallis commenced. ??? A line-up of nine monks, who practice the Way of Buddhism, stood before Mt. Evanescence preparing a sacrifice for the ancestors within the sky-piercing monolith. After lighting a ceremonial incense stick, the monks bowed towards the four cardinal directions as a sign of respect to heaven and earth. "Oh, dear merciful Spirit of the Mountain, we beseech you as your humble servants to allow sacred passage for the young hopefuls of the Augustin World." The chants of the monks echoed throughout the monastery in unison. In response to the monk''s chants the essence around Mt. Evanescence began to shudder with excitement forming a spiralling spacial-tear, and from within the disrupted space an archaic stairway materialised and amalgamated with the face of Mt. Evanescence. The stairway itself went through the spacial disruptions around the mountain and even further bursting through the celestial clouds enclosing the peak. The lowest steps of the stairway were the longest, allowing for at least ten thousand people to stand on it, the size of the levels decreased the further one ascended the mountain. At the end of every 108-steps, a natural wonder stood; this carried on till the celestial clouds, after that no one could fathom the trial within. An inanimate voice resonated out from within Mt. Evanescence, "Trial challengers, within awaits your destiny. Every 108-steps the pressure exerted upon you will increase manifold. At the end of every 108-steps will be a natural wonder formed during the Primordial Era, comprehend the profundities within and move along to the next stage," "Goodluck. May the odds be ever in your favour." 13 Hand-in-Hand ??? "Children, that is the voice of Mt. Evanescence; the mountain itself has gained sentience over the countless years of its existence, from its incarnation it has managed the safety of the participants of the trial. So, you do not need to worry about your safety and go all out. The timeframe of accepting an inheritance may span between one to three years, even four years; although the last time someone managed to stay within Mt. Evanescence for four years was countless millennia ago." Patriarch Cestra informed the children via their souls, as he stood upon the elder platform overlooking the stairway. At this time the myriad of elders was all transferring last words of encouragement towards their pupils; all these children were below the age of seven, so the idea of being excluded from all they know for up to four years was daunting. The elders thought that they would have an adequate amount of time to brief the children about their ascension, but with the unforeseen sabre and sky-reaching tree appearing the situation has drastically changed. As a result of this unforeseen incident, the monastery decided to invoke the descent of the pathway earlier than anticipated, to prevent any restrictions on the number of people allowed to ascend. Gradually the restriction placed upon the gateway to the stairway was released, the full glory of the magnificent rainbow coloured stairway came to light; an archaic aura emanating from it stunning one to the core. Everyone, no matter they be the elders or the cultivators upon the plains, stared in amazement at the stairway in all its glory. The vision-arrays showing the grandeur and monstrous size of it entirely. The children all started to rush towards the opening in a frenzy of excitement, but as the foremost child reached the first step an overwhelming pressure descended on him causing him to directly crash towards the floor; his bones creaking. His body slowly evaporating into a faint light; the child eventually formed in a supine position at the front of the gate - his body in perfect condition, the only sign of the past events was his unconscious soul. The elders that had seen this situation occur countless times gently shook their heads at the impetuous nature of the children, while the face of the elder of this child became red with embarrassment. The level at which a disciple may reach often correlates to the teachings of their elders, as a result of his disciple''s failure he felt as if he had lost all face. "All trial participants, you will be removed from the stairway as soon as one falls unconscious. You will be unable to attempt an ascension again." The cold voice of the mountain''s spirit echoed throughout the minds of the child-participants. The children all immediately stopped in their tracks, the realisation that this isn''t a game dawned upon them. If one is to fail they will fail in front of the entire Augustin cultivation world, a shame they would never be able to let down. Even though the participants are children their cognitive abilities are stronger than most adult mortals, it was a simple matter for them to fathom the repercussions if they were to fail. This time the children reinforced their bodies in Qi and cautiously moved towards the first step, but the immense pressure barred their path restricting them from moving another step, although this time as they were prepared no one was eliminated. This result proceeded to occur continuously as more and more people failed to move towards the second step; even the Holy Lands hadn''t managed to move up towards the second step, the only Holy Land that hadn''t attempted it yet were the Ethereal Grotto. The elders were not able to give any pointers to the children, as the spirit of the mountain would notice the soul-disturbance and immediately remove the child and the child''s party. Gradually the other participants noticed the immobile Ethereal Grotto. A square-faced child from the Elemental Infinitum had enough of his failures and attempted to vent his anger out on the Grotto, "Wimps of the Grotto, are you too scared to even attempt?" This outburst immediately attracted the attention of the elders and the participants, the rest of the Elemental Infinitum Sect and the Divine Bestia Sect followed suit and began to disparage the Grotto continuously. Astrallis who had stood still during the outburst of anger had instead been astutely observing the stairway itself wholly ignoring the eyes of disdain around him. Astrallis group of friends did the same wholeheartedly believing whatever he was doing was for their own benefit. Astrallis was currently deciphering the numerals imprinted on the stairway itself, the first time he observed the numerals he began to notice a pattern between each corresponding digit. A vision began to appear in Astrallis'' soul, it depicted a young man fighting his way through life but continuously losing, but as soon as that young man found people who he could rely on no matter what he began to win his battles; through the support of his friends nothing could stop them. Eventually, that young man and his friends became the rulers of a world. The vision ended with the young man and his friends holding hands while gazing at a sunset. A flash of enlightenment, not going unnoticed by his friends, passed through Astrallis'' magenta coloured eyes. "Hold hands." Astrallis and his friends began moving forward, hand-in-hand, towards the stairway. The Ethereal Grotto''s movement immediately captured the attention of everyone, be it the participants, elders or cultivators on the plains. It was almost a comical site, Baihu''s tail was in the hand of Wukong, while Azui was perched upon Baihu''s back. Azalea naturally forced her hand into Astrallis''. The smallest party out of them all in juxtaposition to the massive monolith before them. "We need to mix our Qi together and proliferate it all over our bodies. Only through joint-union can we get through this easily. The bonds between us as friends is what will allow us to pass through this stage." Qi began to propagate around their bodies, in a mix of colours: golden, pink, white, orange and blue. The spectators stared incredulously at the actions of the Grotto, but that didn''t stop them from observing even more adamantly. The group stepped on the first step, and their speed didn''t slow down at all as they stepped on the second, then the third, then the fourth, all way till the peak of the first stage. Everyone stared in silence at the ascended quintet; not a sound could be heard upon the plains. "But how!?" A high pitched squeal broke the silence "Because he''s my son," A prideful laugh interrupted the dazed spectators. "You wouldn''t expect any less from an Ether." Patriarch Cestra''s voice resonated throughout the plains. At his cultivation level, it was not difficult to pick up the red fatties voice, and even less challenging to infuse his voice with Qi to propel it around the plains. The other Holy Lands soon realised the method and hand-in-hand proceeded to move up the steps, but the speed at which they moved was manifold less than the Grotto. "I see, this stage takes into account the bonds between members of a party, our Grotto has the closest familial relations out of all the Holy Lands resulting in a faster ascension speed," Jasmine informed everyone around her. She turned and willfully looked towards the peak of the mountain, enshrouded with celestial clouds. "Are you watching?" ??? The quintet at the summit of the first stage was currently enclosed in an incorporeal mist preventing any of the commotion outside to disturb their comprehension of the natural wonder before them. At this moment Astrallis felt a pair of eyes staring at him, he looked sharply towards the cloud-enshrouded peak. A figure that would cause even Buddha to drool sat upon a large grey tree. Gently touching the carmine leaves of the tree, a coquettish laugh spread throughout the peak of Mt. Evanescence. "He managed to sense my vision on him, what a good grandson. He even has my lustrous golden-hair. My daughter, how did you manage to birth such a child?" Laughter filled with glee continued to echo throughout the summit. 14 To Reach the Apex ??? While the quintet was wholly absorbed in their comprehension, the other parties traversed the stairway, some with high difficulty others with rapid speed. Out of the other Holy Lands, the QUO were the second fastest with the Elemental Infinitum Sect as well as the Divine Bestia sect close at their heels. Some of the stronger empires were not far behind. "The spirit of the mountain will prevent any and all offensive actions between parties during the ascent of the stairway." Netruvean, the female-elf of the twins, informed her group from the QUO. Not wasting any time the rest of the participants sank into comprehension. Astrallis was currently in the midst of a scene filled with endless knowledge and pain. A Plethora of different children, some even younger than himself, were being put through various torturous experiences; all with one goal in mind, to garner a firmer body and foundation. The injection of natural treasures into the marrow, the forging of the human body within a furnace, the freezing of the soul within ice; a myriad of different techniques, all synonymous with the word agony, attempting to manufacture a perfect vessel for which to cultivate. Astrallis felt his blood run cold watching the scenes and at the same time, profound enlightenment occurred within his being. "I understand what Grandpa Doehring means now, ''There is a sky beyond a sky, and a person beyond a person''. The amount of suffering that they have gone through compared to me is incomparable. Many of them are younger than me, but the auras they emanated even pressured me. I may hold the meridian system of the Astral God, but it won''t be directly beneficial for me until I reach much later in my cultivation, as it focuses on the Primordial Laws," "I have intimately amalgamated with the runes the Astral God placed within me, although apart from the reinforcement of the Five Viscera and Six Bowels, the effects on my body are still an enigma." Sinking his spiritual sense into his dantian, he began to observe the ethereal white figure within. Once one enters the Spirit-Gathering Realm after the Foundational Realm, one will attempt to gather the spirit energy in the air absorbing it into their soul-space. Once enough soul energy has been formed the cultivator will try to converge their soul energy into a Soul-Being, which is a perfect spiritual replicant of themselves. If a cultivator succeeds in establishing a Soul-Being, they will break through to the Soul-Convergence Realm, at this stage one strengthens their newly formed spiritual replicant by converging soul energy into it. The most significant benefit of the Soul-Convergence Realm is that it allows one to project spiritual sense out of their body. Spiritual sense allows one to sense your surroundings with perfect clarity. One can hide from another''s spiritual sense if they are at a higher realm of cultivation or their Primordial Law comprehension is superior. "I seem to be an oddity, but one cannot limit my body to conventional means since I am a descendant of the enigmatic Astral God. I managed to use spiritual sense to observe my body when I was at the peak of Body-Tempering, and I even formed a Soul-Being when I broke through to the Qi-Gathering Realm; although mine is different from what I''ve read in the scriptures. I''m currently not able to project it out of my body, but the reason isn''t that of a physical limitation, I just haven''t figured out a way." Astrallis stared at the figure, a perfect replica of himself, with eleven systematic black-holes orbiting around it. The largest of the two formations were in the shape of a hexagon, with six black-holes at each point of the vertices, the second formation was in the form of a pentagon which was placed in the centre of the hexagon. "Currently, all I know about my indecipherable spiritual replicant and the black-hole array is that it allows me to absorb the vast amount of essence and refine it into an extremely pure Qi. When one refines their Qi to such an extent it slows done their speed of cultivation, I do not have that problem. But it seems this array also allows the intake of spirit energy..." Said Astrallis solemnly. "I should be excited to have such a body, but it''s disconcerting to have it all but none of it at the same time. I will have to sit down and figure it all out once I leave the mountain. Although I do feel that my body leans towards the path of spiritual manifestation." Even after all these stately thoughts flashed through Astrallis mind, a slight smile spread across his lips. Those that saw him stopped in their tracks, a cold sweat forming on their backs as they stared at that beautiful smile tinged with a hint of devilishness. If Astrallis saw their expressions now, he wouldn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Astrallis face soon became dignified when he thought about the children, of similar ages, who were going to such extremes to create the perfect body. Bodies that even pressured himself. "I need to find a body-cultivation technique, maybe one even more obscure than the ones I''ve just seen, a technique that will suit me. Son of the Vita Fairy and the Rising Spear." ??? Standing up slowly, Astrallis observed his four deeply engrossed friends. Nodding in appreciation, he began to watch the murals of the next stage. The same result occurred as last time, but this time the ideas displayed in the vision were diametrically opposite to the past. Looking towards his friends meaningfully Astrallis moved out from the Qi barrier, beginning the next stage. "Look someone is moving on to the next stage." "It''s only been six days. Generally it takes about two weeks for the first person to leave the first stage." A monk with large ears and a long white beard said, while his eyes squeezed shut in amusement. "Hoho, and it even seems to be the child that that Great Being took a liking too. The Great Being''s emotions haven''t shifted for the past millennia; I wouldn''t have known it was because of this young child if she hadn''t informed me to keep him safe." Cold-sweat formed on his back when his mind recalled the cosmic killing intent that was trained upon him. "From what I''ve garnered so far after observing this golden-haired child is that he holds his family and friends close to him so one can infer that this stage focuses on the individual. Otherwise he wouldn''t be walking on his own." ??? A pure golden Qi enclosed Astrallis'' body as he steadily advanced upwards. This scene repeated itself for the next month as Astrallis headed the pack, pondering upon the natural wonders and enlarging the mind. During this time Astrallis'' aura became much more reserved as he realised he had only been a frog in a well, the universe is vast, and he is just from one of the realms within the universe; there are sure to be more heaven-warping geniuses out there, many much older than him. He had also made some new insights towards a few cultivation realms above him, but many of the ideas that would have helped a cultivator with a normal-physique do not apply to his special physique. At the peak of the mountaintop, a seductive figure gently tapped her finger on the bark of the tree she sat upon, "This is too easy for him." "Little Spirit, I want you to increase the pressure on him." A voice filled with schadenfreude echoed throughout the mountaintop. "Oh, why would you want that M''Lady?" An indistinct rocky form appeared in front of the seductive figure. "Hmph, he won''t be allowed to call me his Grandmother if he can''t even take a little bit of pain." She said dismissively. "Yes, M''Lady." A daunting pressure soon enveloped the stairway much to the dismay of the participants, but to their surprise, they weren''t affected by it. "Thank the heavens it was not placed on us, quite a few people have already been eliminated on their ascent with even fewer being sent off because an ancestor took a liking to them." "Well, we can''t all be like the ones at the front who actually turn down ancestors." Said a thin girl forlornly. "Don''t be like that, we may still have a chance. Even though we are multiple stages behind the Heaven-Chosen, we can still be picked." A bright-faced boy replied motivating. The group of children, all with new found motivation, pressed on upwards. But this happy atmosphere was not prevalent in the Ethereal Grotto Sects pavilion; they had all just been informed that a Great Being had taken a liking to Astrallis and had ordered the Spirit of the Mountain to increase the pressure placed on him manifold. It should have been a moment to rejoice, but the fact that the demand had risen substantially for Astrallis worried them. The only one who wasn''t worried but was instead smiling from ear-to-ear was Jasmine, "So, you did notice." She thought inwardly. "My dear wife, why are you smiling during a time like this?" Cestra stared incredulously at his wife. "It is not enough to reach the apex without persevering through tribulations. Also, there is no need to worry about his well-being, well, at least no need to worry about his life." Jasmine laughed, while a slight aura of an Asura began leaking out of her; almost as if she was excited about the prospect of blood. ??? 15 Harmonisation ??? Astrallis, unaware of the discussions about him, was suddenly inundated by the unexpected increase in pressure. His body hit the ground violently, blood seeping out from his mouth. His friends and the other participants looked at him in disbelief, even they felt the pressure standing multiple steps behind him. All of them knew the final stage before the clouds were the most treacherous and harmful of them all, but none expected a pressure so intense. "There is no way for us to move in that pressure, how can Big Brother Astrallis handle it?" Said Azalea with worry as she stared at the collapsed boy. The rest of the children stared incredulously with an ever-increasing sense of unease growing within. "Astrallis come back! We have all already been chosen by our favoured seniors, many of us have even felt a special calling, we can''t go any further. Our bodies can''t handle the strain," His friends shouted pleadingly. "Brother Astrallis come back, this is as far as we can go," Netravean shouted anxiously. Even the squared-face child from Elemental Infinitum Sect attempted to convince Astrallis. Astrallis staggeringly stood up, the skin of his body cracking. "I will not concede." He unsteadily moved forward his blood creating a carmine trail of beauty, a sign of his will, a mark of his commitment. Every step he took the flow of the blood increased. Eventually, trails of blood flowed down his cheeks, symbolic of his feelings, "Who do you take me for?" Astrallis roared to the heavens, he instantly began charging up the seemingly endless stairway. His blood flailing in the wind. Sickening sounds of bones cracking echoed throughout the mountain. Shocking all those young and old watching. No matter who they were, no matter what faction, no matter if they disliked Astrallis; they all watched him. Their wills shaking with every step of his. Astrallis remembered the lonesome back of his mother when he''d wake up at night and move to her when she was most unprepared. The tears that marred her beautiful face, the sad whispers of inhuman agony. "Do you think I was unable to notice my mother''s hidden grief? How can I help her if I can''t even pass this tribulation? If I succeed, I may find something to help her!" Astrallis pressed onwards muscles tearing, even his firm will, something he was most proud of, began to crumble. "Soul-Being absorb!" The essence around the endlessly high-peak began to tremble with excitement while speeding towards Astrallis, his soul-replicant within the black-hole array absorbing and refining Qi endlessly for Astrallis. "Those children went through inhuman suffering, how can I not suffer for a loved one," "I. Will. Not. Surrender!" His Qi filled body sped ahead, the pressure already well above the Foundational Realm. Ripping his robe off for greater movement the hideous condition of his body was prevalent to all, leaving every single person witnessing his injuries out of breath. Such damages would make even the most willed of senior cultivators crumble, let alone a five-year-old child. Astrallis vertebra was noticeably protruding from his back. White edges, like a serrated blade, jutting out between the rose-coloured flesh. His golden hair creating a malicious allure which contrasted to his cardinal form. Even the increasing Asura aura of Jasmine began receding at this point. "Why!? It wasn''t supposed to be like this. This can''t be the will of a child. No one would do this to themselves, unless unless he''s doing it for a loved one," Jasmine''s face became pale when she recalled a scene, of a few months ago, when she lost control of her emotions and Astrallis found her. Alas, there was nothing she could do. She held no power to control the situation. Gradually Astrallis body began to weaken in momentum, his physique crumbling. "How could I fail now?" Astrallis near-crumbling body came to a stop, a pool of blood forming around him. All of a sudden within Astrallis'' dantian his soul-replicant flashed, Qi at the utmost purity, which he hasn''t had access to before, began moving in arcane fashion around the black-hole array; explicitly flowing around the eleven points. The Five Viscera and Six Bowels. Gradually a line of Sanskrit manifested at the centre of the array, the Sanskrit immediately sunk into the mind of the Soul-Being, transferring it to Astrallis. Golden Sanskrit began to appear on Astrallis'' eyes, revolving endlessly around his irises. "Shakyamuni Manifestation of the Three!" An incandescent Golden Astral Qi began to assimilate around Astrallis'' form, a tranquil atmosphere formed around him. At this moment within all the monasteries throughout the multiple realms of the universe, all monks stood stationary their eyes subconsciously looking in the direction of the secluded Astral Realm. Astrallis'' form began to rise unwaveringly, and with the rising of his body the monastery at the base of the mountain began to tremble; the monks rushed out in unison their eyes transfixed upon Astrallis. "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. The mind is everything. What you think you become. Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." A youthful voice of enlightenment spread through their minds. Astrallis'' form enlightened in nature began to move forward. His mind clear as the perfect crystal, his body in harmony with his mind; his voice telling the souls of the virtuous throughout the universe. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought," With every step, the pressure increased beyond the degree a Soul-Convergence cultivator could withstand, but Astrallis pressed forwards, in unity with the three principles, one with the virtuous of the universe. "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment," With every sentence of Astrallis'' chant the minds of those in the monasteries, across the universe, palpitated. "Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it," Astrallis'' dantian and soul-space became stable and even sturdier. "The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart," His will became unbreakable. "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared," Astrallis'' Sanskrit began to spread throughout the surface of his body, brilliant golden characters visibly moving upon his cardinal form. "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection," His skin gradually reformed, his splintered bones mended, and his torn muscles healed. "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." As the final chant came out of Astrallis'' mouth, he stepped upon the last step before the celestial clouds. The multitude of monks throughout the universe no matter what Realm they lived in or what Realm of cultivation they may have reached, all broke free from enlightenment. A thought ran through the minds of the Buddha leaders, "A descendant of Shakyamuni has been born. Mental, verbal and body in harmony." Astrallis unconscious body fell into the celestial clouds marking the end of his profound enlightenment, a once in a lifetime opportunity. A pair of ivory arms gently caught his falling body, lovingly pulling his body close to her chest, Astrallis'' grandmother stared at his open face. "I wonder what those old monks will think when I make an Asura out of their Buddha." Mellifluous laughter that would bring shame to angels and devils alike spread throughout the mist. ??? 16 Grandmother and Grandson ??? Silence reigned supreme throughout the plains; every entity stunned by his unbreakable will. But the storms within the monks was incomparable to those of the rest. All monks around the universe, no matter where they be, bowed in the direction of Mt. Evanescence, "Amitabha, our Holy Child has arisen." The heaven-impacting proclamation shook the very fabrics of the monasteries, but these words were only uttered within their minds. For they knew, their Holy Child has not yet matured, if this information were to be released the future of the child would not be bright. Plans once dormant began to see signs of motion. Astrallis'' collapse into the celestial clouds seemingly marked the end of the trail, many other participants began to shimmer with light and teleport either to their new inheritances or back to the base of the mountain. "It would seem the Spirit of the Mountain feels there is nothing left to achieve; everyone has reached their final destination. Time to settle down, for some reason after this episode I feel that we may be waiting longer than last time; much longer." Patriarch Cestra informed everyone within the Monastery. The elders from all factions around him all nodded in acquiescence, all understanding that the children who ascended where geniuses hard to come by in millions of years. Every child from the Holy Land went multiple stages further than the last batch of children, many even receiving inheritances from immortals. "I hope mother finds a way to make use of his unique Yin; our blood-art is only usable by females. Otherwise, I would have already taught it to him. If he does, my daughters and I will have a joyful time training him," Jasmine thought with a slight smile, her aura having vanished after watching Astrallis do so much for her, "I can''t let him down." ??? At the summit of the mountain, Astrallis'' naked body gently floated in the air as a carmine Qi gently floated around his body correctly inspecting it. "What a treasure trove of a body: Astral meridians; Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole Array and even this arcane Soul-Being. It seems he is the Holy Child of the Buddha sects. Although his heaven-warping talent will only become prevalent in the latter stages of the cultivation, as all geniuses do, his rate of improvement will be astounding," Astrallis'' Grandmother inspected his unconscious body with the utmost care. "Wait," even after finding out the treasured body of Astrallis nothing made her voice break, only till now, "He has so much Yin energy, why is this?" The seductive figure tenderly moved her hand around his perfect skin, as she was doing this her spiritual sense in unison with her Qi explored his Five Viscera and Six Bowels. "I see, it seems He was aware that a grandson of mine would be born and placed runes within Astrallis that would allow him to absorb more Yin energy than normal. It seems I owe that old fogey a favour," She laughed with joy. "Although it''s not much Yin energy it''s enough to allow the blood-art to manifest into something just right for him. That is one of the unique aspects of the art; it bends to the needs of the user. The problem of the art is the requirement for excessive Yin energy. If the men had this, we wouldn''t have had to" Her voice trailed off. "Leave it, Astrallis is here. Our future." She pulled his body towards her and held him in her embrace, and for the first time in hundreds of millions of years, she cried. Her tears gently fell upon Astrallis'' body. Gradually his eyes began to languidly open, the first thing he saw was a face so beautiful the world would bow around it, but currently, that face had opaque tears upon it. Astrallis not knowing what overcame him, just that he felt a closeness like none-other to her, moved his arms around her. He pulled her close, and then after an indefinite time fell asleep again. "Beautiful child, with such a benevolent heart. He is the Buddha''s chosen. I''m sure even with all the training I will put him through, his heart will remain pure and benevolent. Hopefully, I can create a decisiveness to killing; such a combination will create the perfect cultivator; and a perfect grandson for me." ??? Astrallis lazily opened his eyes; he realised his body was wrapped in a cotton-like substance. Soon he realised he was sleeping on a cloud, "It seems it was like cotton," his voice echoing around him, "Why Why is my voice is so harmonious with the environment? The essence around me is even jumping to the fluctuations of my voice." "You sleepyhead you''re finally awake, well, the reason your voice is like that is that you have achieved the three principles of the Way of Buddha. Something only achievable by a select few sages of that path." A mellifluous voice appeared next to his ear. Astrallis turned slowly towards the voice, with his new achievement of the three principles it would take much more than a surprise to shake his will. A tall seductive figure of six foot five inches stood before him; her beauty would cause angels and demons to swear subservience. Her skin was ivory in colour, the clothing she wore - well, the lack of apparel more like it - gently enclosed her exceptionally well endowed female areas. The garment itself was the same colour as her ivory skin; the clothes spiralled around her body in arcane patterns. Her blonde hair, precisely the same in nature and tone as Astrallis'', perfectly blended with her picturesque skin. Her blood-red eyes stared dotingly towards Astrallis. Astrallis gazed at her in awe; he sensed a feeling of unparalleled familiarity between her. He deeply bowed towards the devilish female, "Astrallis Ether, son of Cestra Ether and Jasmine Ether of the Ethereal Grotto Sect, greets honourable senior." A mellifluous laugh reverberated around them before Astrallis could even respond he found himself flying through the air hitting a cloud behind him. "Call me senior one more time, and you will experience more of that my dear grandson." Astrallis body shook, and incredulously gazed towards the female, he had no reason to refute her as he felt a blazing blood-relation between them. His mind and soul were trembling before he could even realise tears began appearing in his eyes and he shot forward into her arms. His body shuddered as he cried into her arms, her eyes staring lovingly at her Grandson. No matter what, Astrallis still only had the maturity of a five-year-old child, he may have broken through to a new realm in regards to his will, but many more hardships are needed for his intention to become like an unbreakable buddha. His agonising ascendance of the mountain placed an extreme pressure upon his being, emotionally and physically, and to find out that what awaited him was something so much superior to an inheritance tore the last remaining barrier Astrallis had. His joyful cries echoed around him. Astrallis thought about all the times he saw his friends play with their grandparents and the feeling of loneliness that would overcome him during those times. The current Astrallis was unaware of the situation of his grandparents, as his parents had disclosed the information from him. But, Astrallis always had a feeling they were talking about the paternal bloodline, it was almost as if talking about the maternal bloodline was taboo. He now found his Grandmother from his maternal bloodline, how could he not be joyful? "Everything is fine now my darling. I never expected you to try so hard, but you were in an intense state of enlightenment, I didn''t want to disturb you. I''m sure once you see the results you''ll be pleased beyond anything." His Grandmother gently patted his head. "Come with me Astra''er, let''s have a walk around our little realm." Only now did Astrallis begin to observe the paradise around him, his little cloud was just a bed for him to use, the room it was placed in was eastern-looking in nature - it spread out towards a stylish balcony. They walked hand-in-hand to the gallery, a breathtaking sight appeared before them. A crystal clear teal lake with a plethora of fauna and flora surrounded the pagoda in which they stood, at the centre of the lake Astrallis saw something that finally made his will shake. A tree stood at the centre of the picturesque lake, the tree''s grey trunk languidly moved in the breeze while the red leaves proliferated the grey limbs of the tree. At the centre of the chest, a carmine tattoo of a sabre glowed with low light. "That tree you see there is my Sanguinary Felicity Tree of my Felicity Blood-Art." Astrallis looked back towards the tree, and then again at his grandmother, while at the same time he thought back to the incident before the trial began. He naturally inferred something from these sights. "Grandmother, you''re so strong." Apparently pleased with her grandson''s flattering she continued to explain, "That display was just a fraction of my strength, my full strength is something that this newly formed Astral Realm cannot handle." "Although the laws are extremely prevalent and the natural treasures abundant, to make it into the Astral God''s secluded realm is beyond difficult. Your mother and I only managed to make it in through luck." "Do not look at me with a face like that; your mother is indeed not a native of the Astral Realm. We come from the Blade Sovereign Realm. One of the strongest realms of the universe, but that''s enough of that. This information is not helpful to the current you." She stopped for a second and gazed towards the Sanguinary Felicity Tree. "Asta''er, I want you to go towards that tree and touch the sabre tattoo." She casually commanded him. Astrallis, not thinking anything of it, moved towards the tree. Her body shuddered more and more with every step he took. Before this day, there had been no male who was even able to get remotely close to a Sanguinary Felicity Tree. As she was thinking this, he had already touched the sabre tattoo upon the tree. A disembodied voice soon resounded throughout his mind, "Astrallis Ether, grandson of Anemone Felicity. Do you wish to embark on a voyage of felicity, experience the euphoria of ichor?" Before Astrallis could respond to the voice, he found himself next to his grandmother. She looked at him with excitement. "Not now, there are some things we need to talk about first. Also, I want you to start practising with a bladed weapon. Let''s see if you have some affinity with it; your mother and I are both geniuses of the sabre - I have high hopes for you to wield one weapon." ??? 17 Dharma ??? "First I will place an array of blades before you, considering your talent, many of them will resonate with you. When a resonation occurs, the blade will vibrate and move towards you," Grandmother Anemone informed Astrallis. "After that, I will impart to you my greatest blade techniques, but before all of this, you will explore the secrets of your body. Only by understanding yourself, through yourself can you achieve perfect harmony," Although she said this rather willfully, the amount of love in those words was indescribable. "Asta''er, come sit on my lap." When Astrallis sat on his grandma''s lap he seemed to melt into the cosiness, ''Why is grandma''s chest so large and soft?'' Astrallis thought inwardly. Grandma Anemone just smiled as if she knew what he was thinking. "Place your hands on mine." As he placed his hands on hers, he began to feel exceptional clarity and subconsciously sank into his dantian. He started to observe his soul-replicant and noticed a whisper of soul-essence within, he moved towards it and touched it. A soft-voice whispered into his ear, "The formation enclosing your Soul-Being is called the Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole Array, this is a naturally forming primordial array that I found when travelling the universe, there are only two of them in existence. I was not able to use it, and after an indefinite amount of time of analysing it, I realised the only time it can synthesise with a being is at birth. It allows one to refine essence into Pure Qi but also holds great capabilities towards the Way of Buddha. Although I use Astral Qi, Buddha Qi holds many similar properties to it. Both encompass everything, and stretch on indefinitely; both are within everything and everyone. Remember you have my Astral meridians within you that is all the information I will give you. It is up to you to find yourself." ''Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole Array, according to what the Astral God said, it''s something created between heaven-and-earth, and now it''s in my body. All I''ve been using it for so far is to refine pure Astral Qi, but now that I have been enlightened on the Way of Buddha, I should be able to do the same.'' Astrallis began to ponder on this new found information provided by the Astral God. ''There are two Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole Arrays, I wonder who has the second. The way the Astral God spoke, made it seem he only ever owned one of them.'' ''I seem to have always had Buddha Qi within my Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole Array, I just never knew how to use it. But the array seemed to have felt my desire to succeed during the ascent of the stairway, and in conjunction with the harmony I have for the Way of Buddha it provided a cultivation technique, the Shakyamuni Manifestations. But I, being unaware of the fact that I had Buddha Qi subconsciously used Astral Qi, and as a result of their similarities, I was able to use it as a replacement. Astral Qi being something that pertains to the soul allowed my mind to link with my body, my natural aptitude for the Way of Buddha made things even easier. This all allowed me to connect my three principles; the mind, verbal and body. When I connect these three, my comprehension increases and my cognitive ability increases manifold.'' As Astrallis began to ruminate over the information and his body, he began to realise there was no need to be apprehensive of the strength within his body. It was his, all he had to do was understand it. ''Astral Qi allows one to strengthen the soul, and I''m sure the Astral God has left some soul-techniques to use for both the attack and defence of my Soul-Being; I just need to reach a high enough level to use them. I''ve used Astral Qi in a rather rudimentary fashion while sparring against my? mother, but I always felt that the damage it did, in reality, was not what it should be. Now I understand that it was never meant to be used to damage the physical but rather the spiritual, from the Soul-Convergence Realm upwards my Astral Qi will be imperative in fighting. No one in my sect was ever able to help me with Astral Qi, so they probably felt it was normal.'' With this new realisation, he got to work. The black-holes in his dantian changed from gold in colour to teal. Essence began to form around Astrallis'' body and enter his dantian, and into his Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole array, from there it was refined into a teal Qi. This teal coloured Qi was Buddha Qi. The teal Qi began to enclose his body, much to his Grandmother''s delight. Many animals around the lake began to dance happily around the duo, while the flora beneath them started to brighten in colour; many new sprouts of flowers started to grow around them. He was inwardly surprised by the Buddha Qi around him, he felt as if he was one with the nature around him. He felt the emotions and nature of the animals, at the same time he realised how Buddha Qi could break down the very corporeal matter of an entity. As he observed the animals around him he began to notice flashing teal runes within in them, ''Karmic Seeds'', Astrallis had no idea where that term came from, he just thought it was natural. With his Buddha Qi, he was able to control the karmic seeds within the beings and realised if he willed it he could break them. Astrallis immediately stopped his actions, afraid of damaging the creatures. He turned towards his grandmother and was almost blinded. An uncountable amount of karmic seeds were within her, because of these seeds there was an ever-increasing corona of teal around her. She, realising what Astrallis was doing, began to release her aura, the corona of light started growing in intensity. Eventually, the entire realm was shaking as a result, with her corona eclipsing everything. As soon as she did it, she withdrew it back into her body. She gave a doting toothy-grin to her grandson, "I see you have noticed what practitioners of the Way of Buddha call ''Kharmic Seeds''. They are within everything, I also saw a look of fright on your face; it seems you came to the conclusion you could break down those karmic seeds as well. The higher one''s understanding of the Primordial Way the more karmic seeds will form within their bodies, by destroying their karmic seeds you will weaken them. Of course, they can regenerate these seeds after a bit of cultivation, but this is only if you do not have the intent to kill. A Buddhist is a scary being, at the same time one has nothing to fear around a Buddhist as they hold no nefarious intentions," "A Way of Buddha practitioner can also use the nature around them to heal themselves if the circumstances are so needed. But in the process, the nature around you will weaken. Buddhists generally tend not to do this as they are pacifists by choice. Of course, this healing is nowhere near what a Way of Life cultivator can achieve, but it is efficient enough," "Come little one, there is so much more you must test." She gently placed her finger on his head, and he went back to pondering in his dantian. Within his dantian, Astrallis floated there ruminating over himself for days on end, his grandmother''s touch keeping him in a permanent sense of enlightenment. After a week of sitting on his grandmother''s lap, Astrallis came to a sudden realisation, ''I have both Astral Qi and Buddha Qi, incorporeal and corporeal. The Astral God also said the Shakyamuni Carnate Black-hole Array is beyond anything I could imagine, so mixing the corporeal with the incorporeal may even work'' He immediately put his hypothesis into action; a gold and teal Qi began to form around his body. His Grandmother gave an approving nod seeing this. One by one he refined both Astral Qi and Buddha Qi from the array, he moved the set of Qi towards the centre of the display. He gently combined the two Qis and from within an emerald colour began to radiate, an overwhelming majestic aura began to spread from within. But, just as fast as it came, it receded. ''Failure.'' ''There needs to be a nucleus for this amalgamation to occur, and an auxiliary to keep the power. There are eleven black-holes which formed from my Five Viscera and Six Bowels; an odd number. I''ll move one of those black-holes towards the centre of the array to be the focal point for these two Qis. I''ll set the first black-hole to only refine Astral Qi and second black-hole to only refine Buddha Qi, and so on and so forth.'' Once Astrallis had set up the array to his required specifications he began to absorb essence through the black-holes into his Soul-Being and from out the specified black-holes, Astral Qi and Buddhi Qi came. The two Qis moved towards the centre of the array and were absorbed by the central black-hole; an amalgamation of Qi that would define Astrallis'' future began. Observing from outside, Grandmother Anemone began to notice a subtle change in the two Qis he was emanating. The colours of the Qi; one gold and one teal began to gently meld into each other. A slight emerald sheen began to appear. A fantastical aura above all else began to appear around Astrallis, much to the delight of his Grandmother. With the appearance of the ever growing emerald aura, the atmosphere of a ruler began to emanate from him but at the same time a character of benevolence as well. One would feel the fear of standing before the ambience of an absolute monarch but at the same time feel everything will be alright due to his benevolence. At this point, there was only one colour enclosing Astrallis; a brilliant emerald colour. Soaring in a flame-like manner towards the heavens; he subconsciously stood up, flaming emerald wings began to appear on his back with a wingspan of four metres. With a flap of his wings, he flew into the sky leaving an emerald path of flame-like Qi. His wings made out of Qi seemed to manifest into reality, unquestionably corporeal in nature. Eventually, Grandmother Anemone couldn''t control herself, and hysterical laughter began to resound throughout the mysterious realm, it was so intense it broke through the mysterious domain right through to the summit of Mt. Evanescence. All the people on the plains and in the pavillions felt a shiver run down their spines when they heard the maniacal laughter resonate from the summit of the mountain; at the same time, a faint incorporeal pair of emerald wings manifested over the enormous mountain. Illusions of stars and nebulas began to form in the sky, at the sight of these divine manifestations the laughter reached an all new height. A cosmic grey tree with red leaves formed under the large emerald wings, gently supporting them. It was as if the tree was saying to the wings, "I will forever support you in anything you do." With that, the two manifestations receded back into the summit of Mt. Evanescence. ''My dear sweetheart, that spectral image of your wings in the sky was a sign of something being categorised by the heavens. Everytime something new comes into existence, never before seen, the heavens catalogue it. You have done something at the age of five, that I only managed to do after hundreds of millions of years. And the excitement I feel now is incomparable to when I achieved it.'' Grandmother Anemone internally mocked herself. Astrallis landed on the ground, the two emerald wings receded back into his body forming two large emerald tattoos on his back. The symbols were emerald in colour with gorgeous feathers covering them. "Put on some clothes, silly. Looks like I need to give you some new clothes that can handle your new Qi. What will you call it?" She asked Astrallis as she pulled the future monarch in for a cuddle "Dharma Qi. It was an amalgamation of Astral Qi and Buddha Qi. They both share similarities in that they encompass everything, they go on indefinitely, and they are within everything and everyone. What one missed the other one had. The one could damage the corporeal but not the incorporeal while the other was the opposite; through the right methods they gladly accepted each other and formed Dharma Qi," Astrallis informed his Grandma. "Clever, I like it. The Buddhists have always believed that there was a similar quality held within everything. They called it Dharma. What a fitting name, Dharma Qi. Attacks both the spiritual and the physical," Grandmother Anemone nodded her in appreciation. "I will now be able to advance my cultivation through the Shakyamuni Manifestations, it is first and foremost a cultivation technique. One designed to fit Buddha Qi but unintentionally did so for Astral Qi too, Dharma Qi can use it as a result of this," Astrallis told his grandmother. "Good, I don''t need to search for a suitable cultivation technique for you. Now, the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art is the last thing left for you to practice, but this will come when I feel your body has reached an adequate level." His Grandmother said as she placed her head on his and started admiring their hair together, with this the two narcissists took a much-needed break. ??? 18 Bataar & The Dharmic Nodachi ??? "Although I did say I would like for you to use a sabre, it is often known as a female weapon throughout the universe because of its agility and elegance. It is fairly obvious from looking at your frame now that you will be a tall man one day, and a single-handed sabre may be impractical as it will not bring out the full strength of both your arms and upper torso. Try leaning towards a double-handed blade, as it is most fit for a man." Grandma Anemone revealed. Grandma Anemone placed an array of various blades before Astrallis with a wave of her hand. A beautiful display of craftsmanship appeared before his inquisitive face. "Aesthetic weaponry for our aesthetic bloodline," Grandma Anemone said narcissistically, ''Maybe, too aesthetic.'' She thought inwardly looking at Astrallis. "You should have noticed by now that the blades of the weapons are an opaque crystal, this is because they are made out of Primal Instinct Ore, this material is recherch in the universe, I wouldn''t be surprised if the amount within your sect can only be counted on one-hand. Once a cultivator chooses the blade and the blade the cultivator, the blade will amalgamate with the cultivator''s emotional and instinctive attributes; forming the purest and most efficient blade for the cultivator. That is the reason why Primal Instinct Ore is searched for far and wide." Grandma Anemone said solemnly. "Hey! But who am I kidding, I''ve got tons of this stuff. After all, I can''t help being a Supreme Being." She sighed in mock exasperation, Astrallis looked towards his grandmother and nodded his head as if this was only natural. Little did he know, even a Supreme Being wouldn''t have nearly as much as her. Astrallis sat in a lotus position with the blades circled him. He noticed a blade placed in an ivory sheath, with bright-green luminescent Sanskrit embedded on it, appeared conspicuous between the opaque coloured edges. He felt an odd connection to it just from placing his eyes on it. A white bone hilt protruded out from the sheath, wide enough for more than two hands to be put on it, there was an engraving of an emerald lion upon the hilt. "Grandma, how come this blade has a sheath on it?" "Oh.. that. This blade is something even I can''t identify, I found it at the core of an old Buddhist temple in a forbidden zone. It took a group of people and me a thousand years to get through the formations surrounding the blade; all for nought, I mean for them, they are all dead now." She said with regret "And for the reason why it is in a sheath? Well, I can''t get it off. It seems to be waiting for its fateful one. Now that you''ve reminded me, it does feel quite similar to..." She turned towards Astrallis, her eyes lighting up with a passion. "I want you to release your Qi, and from there pick the blade you feel the greatest connection too." An emerald Qi began to generate around his body, it then moved from his body and spread throughout the blades. An immediate cacophony of blade songs started to sound out in the air. Swords, sabres, katanas, and daggers all began to fly around Astrallis in an outbreak of excitement. Grandmother Anemone nodded her head, expecting such a result. "Roar!" An awe-inspiring shout of a beast ran throughout the air. The ivory sheathed blade flew to the front of Astrallis, an aura of a king of beasts permeated the air, in fear the other weapons began trembling. As a sign of respect, the weapons inserted themselves into the ground before the ivory blade. A blade cry rang out in the ears of Astrallis, the bone hilt gradually removed itself from the sheath. A blade, seventy centimetres long slowly presented itself before the young child; the bridge of the edge was the same bone as the hilt, but beneath the bridge of the blade was a clear crystal that ran throughout the length of the blade. One would be able to see across the lake when looking through the gem of the blade. An odd squeal occurred behind Astrallis, but he was so engrossed in the blade he didn''t even notice. "Primal Instinct Steel? In arcane canons it has been said that the material is formed when a practitioner of the selfless path of the Way of Buddha breaks through to a pinnacle realm, hence the clarity of the ore - lacking all desires." Grandma Anemone stared incredulously at the blade. Astrallis subconsciously held out his hand and graced the hilt with his Dharma Qi, in response to the Dharma Qi the clear crystal on the blade began shining with an incandescent emerald colour. Astrallis stood up and grabbed the bone hilt of the nodachi, and inserted his Dharma Qi inside the blade. The blade began to shimmer with an emerald flame, a spectral form coalesced in front of the sword. A forty metre tall emerald lion with a magnificent white horn on the centre of its forehead materialised, another heaven-shaking roar echoed throughout the heavens. It''s piercing golden eyes looked towards Astrallis, suddenly it faces turned to an odd colour, "You are a child" The majestic lion shrank to a forearm-sized kitten, despair in its eyes, "I''ve waited trillions of years to present myself majestically! For what? My new Master doesn''t even have enough Qi to keep me materialised for a second." The now emerald kitten stared at the exhausted Astrallis. Softness in its eyes, "Child, for you to be able to achieve Dharma Qi is something my old master Shakyamuni never managed to achieve." The kitten paused for a second, a shocking revelation within its eyes. "You!? Are you a descendant of the Astral God? If it weren''t for the benevolence of the Astral God, my old master Shakyamuni would never have reached the heights he did. This must be fate." Before the kitten managed to reach Astrallis, it felt a life-threatening gaze on its back, it slowly turned around and saw a tall female with heavenly-beauty gazing at him. A soft whisper reached its pointed ears, "Ah, it''s so cute." ??? A one and a half meter tall figure could be seen traversing across rocks upon the surface of a lake, the character moved around in elegant stances, the movements themselves spoke volumes of the amount of practice put in. The figure''s golden hair danced playfully in the wind, a visage so perfect even devils would cry. Signs of immaturity were still clearly visible, but it was only a matter of time till he becomes a handsome man, one with bewitching features. ''Grandmother told me that within one year when I turn eight, I will be able to commence training the Sanguine Felicity Blood-Art. This body-art takes joy in the blood of its enemies, through their blood and other things I can increase my blood vitality. Increased vitality correlates to an increase in the physical capabilities of the body, such as speed, endurance and strength.'' Astrallis mused between swings of his nodachi. Bataar, the weapon-spirit of Astrallis new sword, called it a nodachi. A nodachi is similar to katana, but has a longer blade, allowing for a more extended reach as well as better usage in battle. ''When Bataar found out grandmother was going to train me in a body-art similar to a battle-hardened Asura he was ecstatic. You''d think the Dharma Protector of Sage Shakyamuni''s Monastery would be against fighting. I can still remember his tone, "How do you think my old master Shakyamuni managed to reach where he was? Fighting of course, but that doesn''t mean he killed mindlessly". I haven''t met many monks, so this was somewhat interesting for me. It''s reaffirmed my will to walk the path of an Asura.'' "I''m magnificent." An enraged roar spread across the lake. "No, you''re cute." A teasing mellifluous voice soon followed. Astrallis looked up from his training and smiled towards this scene, he''d seen the same thing happen day in and day out. Grandmother Anemone chasing after the kitten version of Bataar, if his Grandmother really wanted to catch Bataar, she would have done so already, but she preferred to play around instead. Although Astrallis would often see them fooling around, he also knew that they would engage in intensive discussion about the most optimal way in which to train him, every day. Both Grandmother Anemone and Bataar were hundreds of millions of years old, Bataar even reaching into the trillions, so their pools of knowledge were vast and plentiful. Over the past two years, they had trained Astrallis in a myriad of ways; sparring, pressure training, comprehension training, different types of blade practice and many other bizarre methods. Throughout these two years, his cultivation has only intensified, the cultivation area designed by his grandmother is leagues better than anything currently available in the Astral Realm. Using the untapped potential of the naturally formed Mt. Evanescence she combined it with the Sanguinary Felicity Tree, creating the perfect cultivation ground with vast amounts of the high-tiered essence; there is also the added effect of helping the cultivation of the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art. But, Astrallis has not begun his training in the body-art, so the results are still a mystery. "Astrallis is currently heading towards the peak of the Foundational Realm, and he is sure to break through to the Spirit-Gathering Realm close to his eighth birthday. Due to Astrallis'' already having a Soul-Being, he may pass through Spirit-Gathering Realm as well as the Spirit-Convergence Realm with ease and never before seen speed," A kitten with emerald fur pondered out loud. "There is no worry Bataar, we will just intensify his training of the Body-Art during the spirit-realm stages. This way, he will stay within those realms long enough, and no problems will occur," Grandmother Anemone placated Bataar. "Okay, I understand your thoughts Anemone. If we don''t slow down his speed he could very well break through to the Sky-Realm within a week after just stepping into the Spirit-Gathering Realm; there may be no problems whatsoever, but it''s best for us to play safe. Also at the same time, his Soul-Being can be reinforced to an even higher degree. His Shakyamuni Manifestation is a superb technique for the cultivation of essence, as it links the three principles. At the same time, because he has Astral Qi, the Shakyamuni Manifestation has the unintended effect of strengthening his soul replicant. Truly, some people are heaven''s favoured," Bataar the emerald kitten replied. "It may be the case that some are heaven''s favourites, but at the same time heaven has chosen a path that is anything but peaceful for them." A smile crept onto her face as she was watching Astrallis blade-work, "It seems he is near to breaking through to the third layer of my nine-layered Felicity Blade-Art. He is close to the comprehension of blade-intent; he''s even more of a genius than my daughter and me." "Well, if he couldn''t beat a sea-plant in swordsmanship then what would he be?" Bataar joked to the women next to him. Before he could even react, he was sent flying across the lake. The emerald kitten with a white horn on its forehead, lifted himself off the ground, and while he dusted off his tail, he looked towards Grandmother Anemone and said, "It''s only natural, how could someone I chose as my Master be weak? Well, that and he is the only person in existence who has ever created and used Dharma Qi. ??? 19 Figh ??? ''It seems the usage of Dharma Qi throughout these two years has influenced his physical body; he''s already standing at the height of a meter and a half. It seems the three years of time is not needed anymore; he''s already reached the required level within two years.'' Grandmother Anemone internally weighed the pros and cons as she inspected the body of Astrallis. ''The flying technique of his ''Helical Rising from the East'' sure is something, considering he comprehended it himself it will show twice the power than a normal technique; the movement is also so elegant, just like our bloodline.'' She twirled around, while vainly inspecting her beautiful, seductive body. The difference between a self-created technique and an ordinarily learned technique is the difference in power. A self-created method is fine-tuned for the creator''s body; it allows for the user to bring out their full potential, while a learned technique, no matter what will never bring out the full power the body is capable of. The fact that Astrallis had already comprehended a technique was impressive, but it wasn''t any heaven-warping achievement as many geniuses at his age do the same. The quality and refinement of the method were what impressed her, and that it allowed the usage of Dharma Qi enthralled her even more. There is no designated rank to a self-created technique, as they are the best suitable techniques for the individual, comprehended during a moment of enlightenment. "Asta''er for you to create a flying technique that allows you to move at such intensity at such an age is an impressive feat; most genius children your age only comprehend a weapon technique or a movement technique at best," Bataar the lion-kitten commented while watching him. "Your Dharmic Nodachi is made out of Primal Instinct Steel. This ore was fabricated between heaven-and-earth when my old Master Shakyamuni reached the Realm of Selflessness in the Way of Buddha. When a weapon is created using this material, it allows for the blade to do exactly as the user pleases; the primal instincts of the person are transferred to the blade. While the rest of the blade, which is made out of my horn is even more precious. I am a Primordial Emerald Dharmic Lion; it''s a self-appointed name, I''m the only one of my kind in the vast universe - or at least that I know of. The horn was the most crucial part of my body, my Buddha Qi was transmitted through there, it could also be seen as the core of my being. The usage of my horn has created a blade that is sturdier than any other material; it also allows for the transference of Qi into the blade with the utmost simplicity," Bataar said proudly. "You have an absolute pinnacle blade, something that will follow you throughout your life. Of course, you are not even close to bringing out even a percentage point of its power. One day when you are older, I expect great things from the blade. Also, Astra''er your Grandmother wants to see you, meet her at the Sanguinary Felicity Tree." The lion-kitten then jumped onto the top of Astrallis'' head and went to sleep. Astrallis elegantly walked towards the direction of his grandmother''s abode, over the past two years he had grown to respect his grandmother more than anyone else. The depths of her power and knowledge were unfathomable, and behind that happy-go-lucky exterior was a calculating and cunning devil. But, one thing he knew for sure was that she''d go beyond even her powers to make sure her loved ones succeeded. Whenever Astrallis walked through nature he would subconsciously emanate the presence of a Buddha, a result of his Buddha Qi, the flora would brighten at his step, and the fauna would follow. As long as it wasn''t a Demonic Beast, Astrallis had nothing to fear when walking through nature. A Demonic Beast is a beast that kills for the sake of it, more often than not the hate directed towards beasts, in general, is a result of the hatred towards Demonic Beasts. Once a beast had fallen and become a Demonic Beast the power of the beast increases, but the cognitive ability of the beast is reduced as a result. Cultivators often compare Demonic Beasts with an inversely proportional scale, the more they move up the level, the stronger they become, but as a consequence, their cognition decreases. Soon he found himself in front of the Sanguinary Felicity Tree, just as magnificent as the last time he saw it. Astrallis felt a pair of arms pull him close, while a soft whisper entered his ears, "How''s my beautiful grandson doing?" "Stop it, Grandma, you know how much I dislike being compared to a woman," He replied while veins formed on his face. "Alright, alright. Placate your anger my little monarch. I''ve called you here today to sort that very problem out as well as explain the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art to you. The next couple of years will be unlike anything you''ve experienced; I want you to be aware of this fact," Grandmother Anemone''s cautioned with a hint of mirth. "But, before that. I have a surprise for you, I know you''ve wanted to test your Dharma Qi on something, but obviously, you do not wantonly kill innocent creatures, so there has been nothing to test it on." In front of Astrallis, a wild-boar manifested; the wild boar had blood red eyes and emanated an aura of a killer. "This is what you would call a Demonic Beast, a creature that has fallen to bloodlust. The only good Demonic Beast is a dead Demonic Beast. This wild-boar is at the beginning of the Spirit-Convergence Realm, should be easy enough for you to kill considering it doesn''t even know any techniques as its bloodline is quite weak therefore it has no transferred memories." Anemone looked towards the fighting-intent in Astrallis'' eyes, gently smiling. Astrallis moved his right hand to the back of his body and pulled his Dharmic Steel Blade from out its ivory sheath. At the same time, he removed his robe, revealing his emerald tattoos on his back; his lean but almost feminine physique bare for all to see. A crystal blade, seventy centimetres in length, gradually began to emit an emerald coloured Qi slowly. Moving his right foot forward, and his left foot back, Astrallis bared his nodachi in a fighting stance. The boar enraged by the provocation charged towards Astrallis, it''s five-meter long frame leaving after-images in its wake. Astrallis reciprocated the charge with his own, emerald after-images following firmly behind him. As the two were about to hit each other, Astrallis dodged to the flank of the boar, and while sliding along the ground he slashed out across the boar''s side, leaving a bleeding slit as a result. Astrallis stopped his slide and turned to look at the results of his handiwork, even though the cut''s depth was only around a centimetre the wild-boar let out considerable wails. The flesh around the cut was withering away at rapid speed, Astrallis began to observe the wound itself. ''I see, the Karmic Seeds are withering away at rapid speed around the cut. But that''s not all, with the amalgamation of Buddha Qi and Astral Qi, both the corporeal and the incorporeal will be affected. Its soul is in turmoil, but also taking into account that it has lost most of its soul from being a fallen Demonic Beast the soul-withering aspect of Dharma Qi is its worst nightmare.'' "Grandmother, it seems my Dharma Qi comes as a great boon when fighting Demonic Beasts. It corrodes both the spiritual and physical, destroying what little soul they have left." Astrallis said with a pleased expression. "Dharma Qi is truly the highest tier of Qi one can reach, an amalgamation of Qi is something only a few individuals in the universe can do. Those individuals are already at the peak of their particular paths and have started to branch out to other paths. But even saying that to have something that attacks both the spiritual and physical is something nearly unheard of, the only substances I know that can do the same are some heretical poisons. For your Qi to have the same effect is astounding." Grandmother Anemone said while she dipped her head in thought. "Now, that we''ve deduced what your Qi can do. It''s time for you to understand how weak your body is." A devilish voice crept into Astrallis'' ears. Astrallis suddenly felt the Qi within his body disappear, he looked towards his grandmother, surprise within his eyes. But the gaze he received held no love within, only coldness and most of all schadenfreude. "Fight, child." For the first time since the Body-Tempering Realm, Astrallis had to fight without his Qi. Over the past two years, he had become used to the utility that Qi brought him, especially in regards to attack and defence. Now, to be stripped of something that had become an instrumental part of himself invoked a deep fear inside of him, as well as a daunting realisation of his inadequacies. The wild-boar having wholly lost itself in anger managed to force itself onto its feet and charge towards Astrallis. Astrallis swung the sword from over his shoulder in an arc towards the head of the wild boar. ??? 20 Polished Jade ??? Astrallis swung the sword from over his shoulder in an arc towards the head of the oncoming wild-boar. As the blade and the wild-boar made contact, Astrallis felt his body give way, losing his footing, he flew back rebounding off the ground. He gingerly stood up covered in dust, wiping the blood from his mouth he looked towards the boar, and to his dismay, he found that, apart from a slight cut where the nodachi made contact, the boar was perfectly fine. ''I am so weak. Even with my abysmal body strength, my skill with the blade is sub-par. If I had formed blade-intent already, I would be able to significantly damage the hide of this wild-boar, without the need to use Qi.'' Astrallis thought. If anyone else heard this, they wouldn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Astrallis still managed to damage an early stage Soul-Convergence Realm Demonic Beast, which generally can fight a realm above itself, with only his current body. Astrallis'' physical body''s strength is incomparable to the power which he can display when using his peak Foundational Realm cultivation base, but for an uncultivated body, it was a result which grandmother Anemone was quite pleased with. Without his Qi, he is left with his Astral Body. The Astral God forged a crystalline skeleton for him during his creation, this skeleton is reinforced beyond comparison. The crystalline frame allows for a more natural flow of Qi throughout the body. Therefore Astrallis is able to enclose his body with Qi at unparalleled speed. His Astral Meridians work in conjunction with his crystalline skeletal form, further improving the rate of the Qi flow. Astrallis suddenly had an insane conjecture, ''When I understand my Dharma Qi more, maybe I''ll be able to change my Astral Body into a Dharma body. Astral Qi shares similarities to Buddha Qi, so there may be a chance'', he looked towards the Demonic Beast, ''I''ll leave these thoughts aside, for now, I need to deal with this.'' Astrallis repetitively charged towards the wild-boar, each time he was thrown back. ''This can''t go on, I need to aim for its tendons in its legs''. He stood there, sword drawn at the ready, waiting for the Demonic Beast to charge him. Completely unaware of the change in Astrallis. The beast charged towards him, as the creature came within striking distance of him, Astrallis dodged to the side while at the same time hitting across the tendons of the beasts'' right leg. This time a result quite to Astrallis'' liking occurred, the beast fell onto its right side and slid across the ground. It stood up but it was noticeably weaker on the front right side of its body, a cut ran across the tendons on its right leg, a seemingly intermittent tremble of the leg informing Astrallis that his gamble proved correct. Astrallis charged at the beast again, performing the same move but on the opposite leg this time. The Demonic wild-boar with its low intelligence just never thought to change its attacking style, always engaging in the exact same manner. Eventually, all the tendons of the front two legs were utterly cut through, reducing the animal to a state of immobility. Astrallis bare-chested and bloodied from the fight walked up slowly towards the Demonic Beast, raising his blade towards its neck, "You are the first creature that I will kill, but you definitely won''t be the last." With that monologue, the now red-eyed Astrallis repeatedly struck down upon the beast''s neck, he gradually cut his way through its throat while it struggled on the spot. Blood and flesh continuously landed on Astrallis, but that only made him cut even more violently. Eventually, Astrallis started laughing in self-mockery, "I can''t even kill a Demonic Beast without my Qi, even with a pinnacle weapon of the universe. How pathetic." His emotionally pained voice rang throughout the clearing of the Sanguinary Felicity Tree, Grandmother Anemone and Bataar just looked on. The wailing of the demonic beast was finally cut short. Astrallis placed the sword back into the ivory sheath on his back, he made his way towards his Grandmother Anemone. Once he reached his grandmother, he knelt down on the floor and bowed towards her, "I''m sorry for failing you, grandmother and not living up to your expectations." His tears of self-reproach never stopped falling upon the floor, his voice and tears were only met with cold silence. "Only polished jade can be admired from all sides and put on display. Your three principles are in union, but the union is misaligned, the answer is ahead of you." Astrallis looked up towards his speaking grandmother, but all he saw was a towering grey tree. "Astrallis Ether, grandson of Anemone Felicity. Do you wish to embark on a voyage of felicity, experience the euphoria of ichor?" A disembodied voice rang throughout his mind, lighting a fire in his soul. He subconsciously raised his hand and touched the red-sabre tattoo on the tree. Space began to spin around him, and before Astrallis could stop himself, he walked through the carmine void before him. His body disappeared from the Astral Realm. ??? "Oh, come off it, you sea-plant. You were almost keeling over in laughter while your poor grandson was pouring his heart out to you." Bataar stared daggers at Anemone. "How could I not be happy? He managed to kill a Soul-Convergence Realm Demonic Beast, without even cultivating a body-technique, he did that through his mortal body alone!" Delighted laughter soon followed Grandmother Anemone''s impassioned speech. But her face soon became more soft and solemn, "I really didn''t know that he wanted to impress me so much, how does he not realise how proud I am of him?", her voice trailed off softly. "I only spoke in such a manner so that he would never become complacent, the sooner he realises that there is always more room for improvement, the faster he will ascend to immortality." "I understand, I just can''t stand seeing little Astrallis be like that," Bataar replied. "It''s one of the most difficult things I''ve done in my life." A soft feminine sigh spread throughout the area. "Anyway, Bataar do you want to go watch something fun? I''ll also be able to go see some old friends as well." ??? Astrallis soon found himself transferring through a space tunnel, all shades of red enclosed the warping tube. He walked on for an indefinite amount of time, and during this period Astrallis gathered his thoughts. ''The incident with the boar was my first taste of failure, or at least not completing something with relative ease.'' Astrallis pondered, the more he thought about it, the broader his horizons became, "I see, although I must be confident that doesn''t mean I should always expect to come out on top. Although a goal of pursuing the peak of my power is sufficient, I mustn''t only have my sights on the end goal and forget the path between; arrogance is not the Way of the Buddha. A carefree, but strong, attitude will suit my will much better." ''The Astral God was one who would roam the universe, and through that carefree attitude, He made great gains upon his Way of Astral; and from what I learned from Bataar, Shakyamuni was enlightened by the Astral God and created the Way of Buddha.'' ''I have used both their teachings and forged Dharma Qi, a perfect fusion of the two forms. Corporeal and incorporeal. But an innate part of my nature was also added to it.'' ''A nature that was most likely installed into me by the Astral God at birth. Grandmother has told me that I have the aura of a future monarch upon me.'' ''This monarchical aura allowed me to create Dharma Qi.'' With this new-found enlightenment, Astrallis felt a current weight lift off his shoulders, an easy going smile spread across his face. He subconsciously began to revolve his now unsealed cultivation base, the Qi within his dantian began to enclose itself around his Soul-Being. His dantian stopped absorbing world-energy and started consuming soul-energy, this is the mark of a cultivator advancing from the Foundational Realm into the Soul-Gathering Realm. A cultivator in this realm will absorb soul-energy and coalesce it into a Soul-Being, thus allowing them to break into the Soul-Convergence Realm. But, Astrallis already formed a Soul-Being when he stepped into the Qi-Gathering Realm, so the soul-energy he absorbed went straight into empowering his soul-replicant. The Soul-Gathering Realm and the Soul-Convergence Realm are known as the Two Soul-Realms. An indiscernible aura emanated from Astrallis, one could only gather that he was in the Two-Soul Realms, but not the exact stage itself. The aura gently withdrew back into his body. At this time, an opening in the spacial tunnel formed, Astrallis followed the path and alighted from the spacial shaft. ??? 21 Return of the Religion-Master ??? In a mysterious realm, minted with the scent of blood, an annual ceremony was about to begin, if this ceremony were to be discovered it would send shockwaves throughout the universe, a dome-like structure floated in the air at the centre of the realm. The dome-like structure was made entirely out of glass, and along the glass, projections of the outside world were placed upon, allowing for the inhabitants outside to watch the world around them. A gaggle of more than a hundred giggling women mingled about making merry with each other, all the girls were drinking exceptional wine like water; they all had one thing in common, that was the asura-like aura they emanated. All the women had empire-toppling beauty, although compared to Astrallis'' family most of these girls were a level lower in looks. "So, you''re saying Senior-Sister Jasmine''s son managed to reach the summit of their Primordial Mountain?" A girl with white hair exclaimed excitedly towards a black-haired girl next to her. "Yes, you know how us girls like to gossip. She informed us within a week of him doing it, who wouldn''t want to show-off such a startling son," The black-haired girl replied. "She already had three talented daughters, now she has such a son? How did she even manage to birth a son, you know how difficult it is for us Maidens of Felicity to birth males," "I wasn''t actually able to find out how, but she also said that it came at a great cost. But, it makes sense for her children to have such magnificent talent. They are the offspring of Religion Master Felicity. I wish Senior-Sister Jasmine were here, it''s been years since I''ve last seen her in person, we generally only have one chance to see each other every five years, and that is during our Felicity-Inheritance Festival," The black-haired girl shook her head in disappointment. "Even though it is the quinquennial Felicity-Inheritance Festival, there are more girls here than usual," Another blonde-haired maiden said next to them. The white-haired girl turned to her and said, "Well, that is a given. I''ve heard that innumerable geniuses, throughout the universe, have been born within the last decade. It seems there will be a heaven-shaking event in our universe in the future. Even though we are in seclusion, we are still one of the top organisations in existence, it makes sense for a plethora of talents to be born of our Blood Felicity Religion." At the centre of the large hall, a table of around twenty women with unfathomable auras sat laughing gaily. These twenty women were the elders of the Religion. "Sister Bai, I heard Religion Master will be returning soon, within the next thousand years or so?" A blue-haired woman with scales on the centre of her forehead asked an elf next to her. "That is the case Sister Starvis. Religion Master went to the Astral God''s realm, and using favour she healed herself in the Primeval Blood Pool at the summit of the realms Primordial Mountain." Sister Bai, a white-haired elf woman, responded. "That''s great news, she injured herself heavily to create multiple teleportation arrays, for all us sisters of the Religion, to allow us to escape to all corners of the universe. At the same time, she formed this secret realm for the Religion, for both merry-making and to quinquennially run the Felicity-Inheritance Festival," Sister Starvis replied in relief. "The fact that she could do all of that, and only receive injuries is a testament to her deep powers," A sister added. "Quiet down." A deep, but still feminine, voice rang throughout the hall. All the females within the hall became quiet and turned towards the speak of the deep voice. A well-built demi-human, of feline-origins, stood at the forefront of the hall, "Sisters, young and old, today we gather for our quinquennial Felicity-Inheritance Festival, but unlike the past Festivals, this one has seen an overwhelming number of geniuses compared to last. At the last Festival, we had twelve girls take part, with Junior-Sister Amelia taking first place." At the mention of her name, a girl close to the age of seventeen bowed towards everyone. If Astrallis were here, he''d be surprised to find that this girl was his sister Amelia Ether; he''d been even more gobsmacked by the aura of Asura that she emitted, which was so much stronger than the other girls her age. The gentle and kind-loving sister of his past was nowhere to be seen. "Today, I am glad to announce that we will have twenty sisters take part. These twenty girls will be split up into teams of four according to their respective denominations; the team leaders will be child Bai, child Melania, child Nekora and lastly our Saintess of the Ichor." "We expect great things from all of you during this trial. This mysterious realm has been specially designed by Religion Master to invoke the growth of your Sanguinary Felicity Tree. All the participants in today''s trial have had an embryonic form of the Sanguinary Felicity Tree imprinted within their souls; it will immediately begin to sprout upon your arrival in the secret realm. Currently there will be no such effect for you in this hall, as it has been designed specifically for spectators in mind." Back at the elder''s table, the elders were an in-depth discussion about the Saintess of the Ichor. "I''m sure Religion Master will be ecstatic when she finds out that we found a carrier of God''s blood." "Child Enyo is a gift towards the revitalisation of our Blood Felicity Religion, with her heavenly bloodline, I''m sure she will lead the religion to new heights in the future. She''ll definitely find a pool of archaic blood within the trial." "Meow, I must say sea-plant, this Enyo girl seems to be a good match for our Astrallis?" A voice spread throughout the ears of the elders. "Ow! Okay, I concede. You''re not a sea-plant." The Elders around the table all jumped up, auras raging, after hearing a deep male voice, "Who''s there?" A dignified and regal voice soon spread throughout the hall, "Placate your worries, my dear Sisters." Soon a beautiful blonde-haired woman, with a height of six feet five, appeared above all of them. She stayed there suspended-in-animation, the mystical runes on her ivory bodysuit moved around in an arcane fashion, her piercing red eyes penetrating the minds of all in the hall. "Religion-Master!" A startled cry came from the great feline demi-human. Soon everyone in the hall bowed in unison while saying, "The Blood Felicity Religion greets Religion Master." Silence pervaded the space around the hall, everyone felt cold sweat form on their backs at the same time they trembled in excitement. Spiritual sense soon inspected the bodies of all the females in the hall, the Religion Master did this as a sign of respect towards the Religion Members, as she could have done this quickly without them knowing. "Excellent, what superb improvement, as well as a large array of members under the age of thirty with such shocking talents." She turned towards her sisters, the elders. "Sisters, it has been many millennia since we last saw each other. I hope you all have coped well. Colour me impressed, you''ve created such a magnificent team of fresh-blood." The tall feline demi-human moved towards the Religion Master, "Religion Master, we''ve attempted to do all we could to at least make up a part of the sacrifice you made for our Religion all those years ago." "Enough of that Vice-Religion Master, I''m all healed now. So, tell me. Who is this Enyo?" Grandmother Anemone moved on to what she really was interested in. "Yeah, who''s this Enyo who sounds like a match for Astrallis?" An emerald kitten, with a white horn, jumped onto the table. Bataar soon realised that he''d made a wrong decision, over a hundred pairs of blood-red eyes turned to look at him, a growing desire eating away at their insanity, two words soon exited the mouths of all females present, "So, cute." ??? Over an hour ago, Astrallis landed in a cavern full of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites; these earthly protrusions came in a myriad of colours, giving the cavern a feeling of paradise while at the same time emitting an intense heat. But Astrallis, at the moment of landing, felt a sudden change overcome his being, he immediately moved towards the centre of the aesthetic cave. At the centre of the cave lay a large pond filled with blue and red blood, the stalagmites on the ground boiled the blood to an insane temperature. Astrallis stared at his body in fear and awe as it entered the blood pond, against his will. ??? 22 Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art & Enyo ??? As soon as Astrallis entered the blood pond, an absurd pain began to permeate his body. The blood seemingly began to inspect his body. As if finding something pleasing, the blood started to split itself in half, the first half became orange coloured blood while the second half became blue coloured blood. Each half of the blood was tear-drop shaped. "Yin Yang symbol," Astrallis shouted in shock. The liquid moved him towards the centre of the Yin Yang symbol when he reached the core of the pond a brilliant ethereal tree tattoo appeared upon his chest. The base of the tree was at his navel, and red leaves spiralled around his neck. Astrallis himself was unaware of this change to his body, as he had activated the Three Manifestations Cultivation Technique and entered into his soul-space, to try and counteract the agonising pain of the blood boiling him. Within his soul-space, Astrallis was shocked to find a small tree growing in the heart of his Soul-Being. ''This This is the Sanguinary Felicity Tree, according to grandmother, one can only form a Sanguinary Felicity Tree within themselves if one has been accepted by the technique. That means I must have been accepted to cultivate this body-art when I first touched grandma''s tree.'' ''Grandmother also said that my extra Yin energy was placed inside me by the Astral God. He seemed to know that I was a descendant of Grandmother''s, and only with the right amount of Yin energy would I gain access to her Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, an amount a male normally wouldn''t have.'' Soon Astrallis felt a pain like never before, he inspected his body with his spiritual-sense and was shocked to see that his skin was peeling off. ''Why? Why is this happening? Grandmother told me that the initial awakening of the Sanguinary Felicity Tree is not a painful experience, but rather a feeling of ultimate euphoria.'' Roots from the Sanguinary Felicity Tree, now forming in his heart, in reality, began to manifest around his body, forcefully stabbing themselves into his flesh. An inhuman scream echoed throughout the beautiful cavern. Astrallis activated his ''Heliacal Rising from the East'' and emerald wings of an angel, with a wingspan of four-meters, formed behind his back. Before he could beat his wings, even more, roots protruded from his body and stabbed through his wings, the origins pinning themselves to the walls in the cavern. Soon maniacal laughter, filled with agony, spread throughout the surroundings, "I thought forming corporeal wings was a boon to me, but now they have caused me to be trapped in this hell." A figure with emerald wings, with only red bleeding flesh on its body, hung from the centre of the cave, thrashing around uncontrollably; just causing more pain for it. Grey roots with veins of red in them, began to enclose the body of Astrallis. Every time Astrallis attempted to use Dharma Qi to heal his body the roots would twist and tear off the new skin and flesh. Succumbing to his fate, and realising all resistance was futile. He began to practice his Shakyamuni Manifestations, soon a feeling of calm came over his being; although the agonising pain did not abate one bit, the power of his will increased manifold. With the increase of will, his mind, that was on the verge of breaking from the pain, reaffirmed itself and he began to assess itself. He inspected himself with his spiritual-sense and finally noticed that the roots that had penetrated his body formed from his heart, and within the centre of his heart was a small Sanguinary Felicity Tree. Surprisingly his tree was different than his grandmothers, apart from the trunk of his tree, which was an obsidian black, the limbs were thorny, while instead of leaves like his grandmother''s, there were blood-red roses on the limbs. Soon the roots lowered his enclosed body into the blood pool. The Yin and Yang blood surged into Astrallis'' inundated body, moving directly towards his navel, every meridian and pathway the blood ran through was destroyed; an intolerable pain spread throughout his body, starting at the navel. His tissues and flesh melted inside the burning Yin Yang blood, leaving him with only his skeleton, brain, Astral Meridians, Five Viscera and Six Bowels. The excess Yin energy within his Five Viscera was absorbed and transferred into the blood pool, as compensation the Yang blood in the pool began to cover Astralis'' crystalline skeletal structure. His crystal skeleton began to grow in size, the frame fit for a five-foot person morphed into a six-foot frame. The bones became more robust and sturdier. The roots coming out of his heart began to greedily absorb the Yang energy in the blood-pool, then the roots proceeded to wrap themselves around Astralis'' skeletal frame. The roots amalgamated into flesh and tissue around his body, then layered themselves upon his skeleton, layer after layer the roots re-formed into his frame, creating a perfect structure for him to cultivate the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art. Throughout this ordeal, Astrallis himself had become numb to the pain because of the rotation of the Shakyamuni Manifestations, if it wasn''t for this technique he inevitably would have already lost his mind. To see your body melt before your very eyes are enough to make even the most clear-headed person insane. He inspected his body with the mindset of a spectator, in an objective manner he said, ''It seems all my excess Yin has been depleted, there is finally balance between my Yin and Yang. My skeleton has grown in size, and the new flesh forming is full of muscle culture and strength. Although I''m more interested in these two long bones protruding from my back, there is a joint between the bones, it seems they are able to fold.'' ''My body''s new tissue and flesh are leagues superior to my past self. When the body-art is first activated, the body will grow substantially, regardless of the age of the person, for one is only able to fully cultivate the art if their body has matured earlier. Although, she did tell me that only females could cultivate this art, so I''m sure to have some unusual results compared to females.'' ''Also, fuck this pain.'' A change on more than just the physical level was occurring within Astrallis; his emotions were transforming too. ??? Carefree laughter echoed throughout the hall of the dome-like structure in the sky, "The bloodline of both the War Immortal and the Blood God, little Enyo, the more I look at you, the more perfect you are. Your disposition, too, is excellent!" The Religion Master Anemone inspected the devastatingly beautiful girl in front of her, "To be able to activate the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art before you''ve even entered the secret realm, I''m sure my grandson will be happy to have someone who can compete against him in this generation." Although the Saintess of Ichor, Enyo, generally had a fiery temper, being praised by her idol she couldn''t help revealing an embarrassed smile that would make even gods melt. Enyo had idolised the religion master after hearing about all her achievements, especially in battle. Enyo remembered how her Senior-Sisters once said while drunk, how the Religion Master single-handedly fended off multiple sect-masters of other top sects, and even fatally wounding a few. Her battle-intent soared to heavens when she found out about that. Enyo stood around five-foot-seven inches, with blazing red hair, and a budding figure soon to cause the downfall of empires, "Thank you, Religion Master. You praise is too high," "Nonsense, little Enyo, to reach the Sky-Realm at the age of eight is a monstrous achievement, even my heaven-defying grandson can''t compare to you in that regard," "It''s all because of my War Immortal bloodline, it had allowed me to advance my cultivation with haste, without fear of repercussions," Enyo replied quickly afraid of the Religion Master misunderstanding. "Stop with the excuses, you may even be the future Religion Master, a humble attitude won''t get you anywhere." Anemone patted the red-haired girl on the back. Enyo dipped her head to the ground in embarrassment, her eyes shining with pride and happiness, while the elders laughed uproariously. "Alright, it''s time for you, children, to go into the trial." With that, the child-participants were teleported to the starting point of the trial. "Now, I want to see my beautiful granddaughters." "Meow, Sea-plant, how do you even know that they are beautiful, you''ve never even seen them." Bataar chimed in from the side. Alas, it was the last chime he did for a while. 23 Transformation ??? At this moment the teleportation array lit up, and twenty figures materialised before the gateway of the temple. Some of the figures were small while others tall, some were human, elf or even demi-human, but they all had one thing in common; they were all females. The girls looked around themselves and began to inspect their surroundings with their spiritual-sense if they could. These girls were between the ages of seven and ten, so many of them were in the Spiritual-Convergence Realm, hence why they could project spiritual-sense outside of their body. "The Felicity Temple," A feline demi-human said while looking at the temple ahead of her. "It looks quite malevolent," A white-haired elf girl moved to stand in the same place as her. A chuckle filled with battle-intent soon spread throughout the area, "Don''t you mean exciting?" The elf girl turned towards the voice, a devastatingly beautiful girl with fiery red-hair appeared in front of her. "Enyo, we can''t all be like you who is excited at the prospect of death," The elf girl frowned in reply. "Don''t be silly Senior-Sister Bai, I don''t like death, I like the prospect of nearly dying! It''s so exhilarating!" Enyo cheered with a broad smile on her picturesque face. "Junior-Sisters, don''t listen to little sister Enyo. She has the blood of the War Immortal in her, anything remotely related to fighting and death excites her," A mellifluous chuckle sounded the entrance of a bald-headed human. "Senior-Sister Han," she greeted the human, "let''s get to the preliminary ponds; not all of us have activated the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, yet," The elf girl ushered. "Alright, don''t be hasty. We will. I''ll just explain everything to everyone first. Even though you have heard it before, I think it''s best if I go over it one more time," Senior-Sister Han raised her voice so that everyone could hear. "Everyone here, apart from Junior-Sister Enyo, has yet to activate the first level of the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art. When we enter the first hall of the temple, there will be blood pools in which we can activate our body-art, though, after that, we will move into the Crystal Caverns. The Crystal Cavern holds the pool of Yin and Yang, there may or may not be a beast which we must kill before we can use the Yin and Yang pool. There our Sanguinary Felicity Tree will take on its own unique form," Senior-Sister Han paused to make sure everyone was listening. "After the Crystal Cavern, we will move along the passageways killing Demonic Beasts and using their blood to improve our physique and level of the body-art. These beasts have been specifically chosen and bred by the Religion Master for the sole purpose of improving our bodies. Of course, we must kill the beasts before we gain access to these benefits." "Along the way, you may branch off and look for your own lucky chances, just remember that if you are in trouble signal for other people to come help you, and if by chance you get fatally injured you will be teleported back to the Spectating Dome for healing." "And lastly, if any oddities occur do make sure to signal for the rest of your sisters." With those words, Senior-Sister Han moved towards the gateway of the temple, all the sisters fell in line behind, ready to change their destiny. "I''ve been looking forward towards my transformation since I became aware of it. According to my master, it is a euphoric experience like none other, and the initial activation of the technique when it first tastes blood is felicity," A small human girl jumped around excitedly, she then turned towards Enyo. "Enyo, what did your activation feel like?" She asked sweetly. Enyo just smiled in response, and with that, the group entered into the hall of the temple; marking the commencement of their baptism. Ahead of the girls were four large ponds, large enough to fit five individuals in each. Without any communication, the twenty girls split up into their assigned groups, and each group moved to a selected blood pond. Their bodies began to tremble with excitement as they moved ever closer, an instinctive reaction for any female who has had the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art imprinted in their souls. Soon moans and squeals of delight spread throughout the hall, roots began circulating from the girl''s hearts and gently wrapping around their bodies, increasing the feeling of ecstasy they were experiencing. Beautiful and seductive tattoos began to permeate their bodies; all representative of their future personalities. If Astrallis were to see this scene, he wouldn''t know whether to laugh or cry. The dissimilarity between his activation of the body-art and the girls'' was the difference between heaven and hell. Gradually the bodies of the girls began to grow and become more mature, if they looked like young children before, they now looked like budding teenage beauties. The Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art gave only benefits upon its activation, absolutely nothing detrimental would occur. The body maturing at such a pace allows a cultivator to become more in tune with their weapon as they do not have continually change their movements over their growth period. A more mature body provides for more considerable growth of the cognitive ability of a cultivator, and more significant comprehension of the Primordial Way. Essentially, the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art creates a headstart for any cultivator that can cultivate it. Enyo who at first looked like a tall eleven-year-old, as a result of her Blood God bloodline activating the Body-Art early and not completing the transformation, now completed her transformation turning into a fourteen-year-old looking beauty. Her body began to grow in all the right places, a seductive hourglass curve, open for all to see. In the Spectator''s Dome, all the Elders and Senior-Sisters watch the girls writhe around in pleasure. "This reminds me of my first time, what a day it was," Elder Bai commented. "The Saintess of the Ichor''s body is truly heaven-defying, she is able to cultivate any blood-related body-art without any resources whatsoever, as long as she has the technique. Of course with natural treasures, she can improve at an unfathomable speed." The Vice-Religion Master lamented. At this moment within the Spectator Hall a space-gate formed, attracting the attention of everyone in the hall, a celestial fairy with emerald hair exited the space gate. Her facial features were exceedingly similar to that of the Religion Masters, and the aura of blood around her was so thick even some of the women next to her felt a shiver run down their spines. This woman was naturally Jasmine Ether, Astrallis'' mother. "Darling Daughter, don''t be angry! Everything is fine." The Religion Master Anemone manifested in front of Jasmine. Jasmine stared into the eyes of Anemone. "Mother, I''m thrilled to see you but at the same time, I just want you out of my sight!" Jasmine said with a voice as cold as ice. "How could you do this to him? Do you know the pain he went through? Did you even know if it would work?" Jasmine shouted out a flurry of questions. "What thing?" Anemone attempted to dodge the question. "He''s my only son! You had the gall to go and test something on him. How could I not feel his pain!" "Jasmine, my child, would it abate your anger if I told you that He planned this from Astrallis'' birth." Said Anemone pleadingly. Jasmine''s aura was immediately withdrawn and replaced with a benevolent atmosphere of a healer, "Well, if He planned it then that excess Yin was put to good use. But remember mother, if you do anything like that again..." "Yes, yes, I won''t. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." The Religion-Master pulled Jasmine along to two beautiful women. These two women had dark-blue hair, and beautiful features very similar to Jasmine. They charged forward and strongly hugged Jasmine, "Mother! Why are you here? Aren''t you waiting for Astra''er to finish his inheritance?" "Xen''er, Zen''er, some things have changed, and I''ve needed to come and observe the trial," Jasmine said pointedly towards her mother Anemone. "What a great naming sense, Jasmine, I really need to meet your husband. He sounds like a dragon amongst men." Grandmother Anemone said, flattering her darling daughter. Before Jasmine could reply she was forced to the floor by a body flying into her. "Mother! I''ve missed you, I haven''t seen you in two years!" The youngest of Astrallis'' three sisters, Amelia Ether, screamed as she fell on top of Jasmine. Grandmother Anemone looked on with a smile, ''The family is all almost united. ??? Back at the pavilion in front of Mt. Evanescence, Cestra Ether sighed, ''Why am I feeling alone all of a sudden? It''s as if someone has forgotten me.'' ??? 24 First Encounter ??? In the first hall of the temple, the girls were beginning to unravel from their euphoric experience. A tremendous change had occurred within these few hours, the destiny of all the girls had changed when they received this nirvanic experience. Twenty unrivalled bodies of seduction, something innate to all Blood Felicity Religion''s members, stood in all their glory on the shore of the blood ponds. The girls stood there admiring their new naked bodies in front of mirrors they had materialised, all ecstatic at their new-found beauty. Enyo stood there, admiring herself in the mirror, ''I am beautiful, I could very well place myself at the pinnacle of beauty alongside the Religion-Master. Well, with my two God bloodlines, it would be a sin if I looked otherwise.'' She thought. At her current height of six foot, as well as her incredibly well-endowed body, one could very well mistake her for a mature young lady. But, only by looking at her face would one understand that she is vastly younger than she looks. ''My body looks like I''m fifteen, but my face looks like I''m twelve, while my actual age is eight. It seems my Blood God bloodline has had the unintended side-effect of speeding up the maturing process.'' She shook her head at the humour of the situation. She inwardly inspected her body with her spiritual sense and nodded her head in delight, when she noticed the roots that covered her skeletal structure, as well as the reinforcement of her flesh. "Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art: First Layer - Roots of Felicity. Complete." She whispered. With a wave of her hand, a nine-meter-long spear formed in her hand, the spear was blood-red in colour, with scintillating flame, matching her hair, burning around it. "War Immortal''s Mantle," Enyo shouted a command. At her command an ethereal golden light-armour formed around her, fitting seamlessly to her beautiful toned body, the armour shone with incandescent light. "This is what I''m excited about." She shouted valiantly. With a simple thrust, using only her body strength, she exerted a force of over thousand kilograms, space tearing along the path of the spear as a result of the power behind it. An overwhelming pressure landed on the girls around her, they all turned to look at Enyo. Enyo stood there like a valiant war asura, her beautiful tall body emanated an immense blood aura, while her raging spear stood firmly piercing towards the heavens. Enyo''s battle-intent rose towards the sky. At that moment many of the girls realised that Enyo truly lived up to her name as Saintess of the Ichor, she was in a league of her own. Her powerful image forever etched into their hearts. "Let''s go." Her commanding voice spread throughout the hall. Not a single word was said in response; the girls silence indicating their acquiescence to Enyo as the rightful owner of a titled name, The Saintess of Ichor. When a woman achieves merit of significant standing or has prodigious talent, the Religion will bestow a titled name upon her. Before this display of her strength, many sisters within the Religion doubted her prowess, but now they gladly accepted the fact. Qi coalesced around the girls forming beautiful robes; they then moved onwards. ??? "This Enyo girl sure is something, the bloodline of two Gods. Her talent must be unparalleled." Jasmine remarked. "In the past decade, each top Sect has birthed a remarkable genius, although not all of them can compare to Enyo, many of them are well above the talent of the past generations." Grandmother Anemone replied. "But, there can only be one leader of the universe against the calamity. One Imperator." Grandmother Anemone whispered. ??? The girls, lead by Enyo, made their way through the exit of the hall and into the next phase of the trial. "As Senior-Sister Han mentioned, we will be making our way through the Crystal Caverns during this phase of the trial. The Crystal Cavern is an incredibly wide cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites of different colours and sizes, at the centre of the Crystal Cavern is the Yin Yang Blood Pond. Our Sanguinary Felicity Tree''s will be able to form their characteristics once we submerge within the pond. Currently, only our bodies are strengthened by the Body-Art. We are not able to manifest the tree outside of ourselves; the Yin Yang Blood Pond is instrumental for us to achieve this." Enyo reminded the girls in an imperial tone. Soon movement could be seen ahead of the group; multiple three-metre long crystal scorpions came charging towards the group, they emanated the aura of peak Spirit-Convergence Demonic Beast. "Blood God''s Spear!" With a shout Enyo charged at the scorpions, her spear materialising in her hands amidst the charge. Using only her physical strength, Enyo thrust her spear forwards, the veins in her arms protruding in the process, the spear pierced directly through the creature, shattering its crystalline skeleton, instantly killing it. She then swung her spear and broadsided another scorpion sending it crashing into a wall, its body shattering. The scorpions noticing the quick endings of their comrades hastily retreated. Enyo without bothering to look behind herself moved forward, the group following. Over the next two days as the girls walked towards the centre of the Crystal Cavern they ran into various crystal beasts, some which met a quick end and other''s where the girls fought difficult battles. There was even a point where Enyo killed two crystal demonic beasts at the peak of the Sky-Realm while using her early stage Sky-Realm cultivation base in conjunction with her physical body strength; the prowess of the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art was prevalent for all to see. ??? "Things have been too easy for Junior-Sister Enyo; even many peak Sky-Realm beasts won''t stand a chance against her, maybe not even a World-Wandering Realm beast will be able to match her. "Did you notice? The golden armour and blood spear that she uses are all formed from her God bloodlines. The golden armour is called ''War Immortal''s Mantle'', it is formed when she activates the War Immortal bloodline, while her Blood God''s bloodline allows her to form any shape out of her blood." "Obviously a spear is more fitting for a future War Immortal such as herself." The discussion ran rampant about Enyo throughout the spectating Dome. "Grandma, what would it take to make Enyo show her true capabilities?" Amelia asked as she sat next to Anemone. Amelia''s question aroused the curiosity of everyone within the hall. "Someone of her kind." The Religion Master replied with a sly smile on her lips. Her response left the hall silent, all pondering on the Religion Master''s words. ??? "I feel that the beasts have become noticeably stronger over the past few hours, we must be close to the Yin Yang Blood Pond." Senior-Sister Han informed Enyo. "I think so too; I feel the energy gathering just ahead of us. Weapons at the ready! From what intel we received, a mid-staged World-Wandering Realm Demonic Crystal Dragon lives around the Yin Yang Blood Pond." Enyo confirmed. With confirmation from their leader, the group of girls began to squirm in excitement, as well as nervousness for the upcoming battle. Enyo had a stern expression; a World-Wandering Realm Demonic Crystal Dragon was no joke even to her. The sisters spectating in the Dome had also ceased their merrymaking in preparation to watch the oncoming battle, although they were vastly superior in strength compared to their little junior-sisters, it was still enjoyable to see what the future generations would be capable of. Especially during such a time when prominent geniuses were born in mass, such as their new Saintess of the Ichor. Soon a brilliant pond of blue and red appeared in their sights, but their eyes were drawn to something next to the pond. What caught their attention was the thirty meters long Crystal Dragon that lay upon the shore of the pond. "Who did this?" One of the youngest girls in the group whimpered. Enyo piercingly glared at the decapitated Crystal Dragon. "It looks like it has been dead for a long time, but in actuality, it has only been dead for, at most two days, it also seems that its blood was completely sucked from its body." Enyo solemnly said. The girls cautiously moved towards the corpse of the dragon, Enyo inspected the wounds of the dragon and said, "It seems as if the dragon was played with until its death, whatever found it enjoyed inflicting pain." "There are multiple cuts all along its body, and it eventually ended with one strike to its neck." "What is that?" Senior-Sister Han pointed towards a dark form situated at the top of a rocky cave overlooking the Yin Yang Blood Pond. "Everyone back!" Enyo shouted. The girls instantly responded and moved back around fifty paces away from the corpse of the dragon. In the process, they stared apprehensively at the gradually stirring form above the Yin Yang Blood Pond. With a beat of the figure''s wings, it shot forward, leaving a flaming path of emerald in its wake, and landed in front of the dragon corpse. A tall humanoid creature, its body, shrouded in ethereal mist, spread its obsidian feathered wings reaching a wingspan of six meters. The ethereal mist hovering around the creature slowly disappeared from the feet upwards, a breathtaking sight appeared in front of the girls. A young teenager over six-feet tall, wearing only black trousers, stood before them. His aesthetic beauty was reaching the pinnacle. Defined abdominal muscles which rippled with strength moved in a union to the rest of his well-proportioned, muscular body. His long black hair gently moved within the draft caused by his six-meter wings. His beautiful ivory skin depicting the naturally formed seductive tattoos over his body, many red roses with black thorny stems ran up the left side of his body, alongside his neck, and ended with a few loose petals along his strong jaw-line. His young but absurdly handsome face displayed an expression of amusement, while his deep magenta coloured eyes flashed with a hint of playfulness. A deep husky chuckle spread throughout the cavern, "What do we have here?" ??? 25 Descendants of God ??? The bewitching seraph chuckled, his thorny rose tattoos seemingly rustled around his left flank joining his laughter. The girls stood there stunned by the absolutely fanciable male before them, even Enyo was dumb-struck, a fire burning in her eyes. "Who are you?" Enyo shouted stepping forwards, spear at the ready. "So, you are members of the Blood Felicity Religion?" Said the seraph wholly ignoring Enyo''s question, his eyes flashing with a golden light. "Yes, we are." Many of the girls said subconsciously, their eyes glazing over. "Begone!" Enyo''s voice laced with spiritual-sense echoed throughout the cavern, bringing the girls out of their trance. "Oh, that''s no fun. It seems you noticed." The seraph made a playful face of discontent. "You better watch yourself," Enyo said sternly, her voice infused with killing intent. The seraph placed his left hand under his chin, his face contorting in confusion. "Yes, you are right. That was unbecoming of me. I ask for your forgiveness," The seraph said, an aura of benevolence emanated from him but was quickly withdrawn and changed into the seductive bloodlust he was first emitting. Enyo''s pupils reduced in size when she noticed the odd change in the seductive seraph before her. ''It seems his mind is not stable, we must be careful. The most beautiful things are always the deadliest.'' Countless thoughts flashed through Enyo''s mind. To Enyo''s bewilderment, her blood started to churn with battle-intent, "What''s going on? Why is my God Blood burning with excitement?" At that moment she felt an immense battle-intent trained on her. "Why is my blood boiling when I look at you, red-headed beauty?" The seraphs deep voice entered Enyo''s ears. "My name is Enyo Felicity, child of both the War Immortal and Blood God," Enyo said proudly waiting for the seraphs reaction. "That makes sense, my blood wouldn''t churn in excitement to fight just anyone." The seraph replied as if it was only natural to fight a descendant of a God. Such a reaction left Enyo speechless but at the same time interested in the handsome creature before her, "What''s your name seraphim?" A playful smile slid across the teenage-looking face, "Defeat me, and I''ll tell you my name." ??? Complete silence pervaded the Spectators'' Dome, all the women gazed in stunned silence at the winged youth. "How is there a male inside the secret realm?" Elder Bai''s confused voice woke everyone up from their silence. "More importantly, how is there someone so seductively handsome in the universe?" A flirtatious smile spread across a youthful sister. At the Ether''s table, a stifling stillness permeated the air. "Mother, is it normal to be attracted to a sibling?" Amelia whispered in a concerned voice. "Generally, I would say it isn''t normal, but even I" Jasmine''s helpless voice trailed off in defeat. Raucous laughter echoed throughout the hall. "I didn''t expect for this to happen, he looks way too brilliant. How is he even eight years old?" Anemone managed to squeeze her surprised voice in the midst of her own debilitating laughter. "Although he doesn''t look too mentally stable at the moment." Her eyes flashed with excitement. Everyone stared at the Religion-Master, incredulity present on their faces. Realising that she said too much, Anemone restrained herself and sat down, her expression nonchalant as usual. Putting on the air of an educator, "Although what you are about to see may not be all that powerful compared to your strengths, it will still broaden your horizons." Anemone voiced her opinion. The sisters of the Blood-Felicity Religion all turned to look at the vision-arrays showing the two youths facing off against each other. ??? "Darling, are you sure you want to come at me alone? How about all of you attack together?" The seraphic Astrallis enquired playfully. "Just me alone will be enough. I feel a strong vitality radiating off of you, how about we fight with our physical bodies?" Enyo replied straightforwardly. "Sure, it''s just that, I can''t help but use my wings." With that Astrallis flashed towards a clearing in front of the Yin Yang Blood Pond, his wings gracefully beating the air in his flight. Enyo soon followed, her spear and body armour withdrew, replaced with a red leather one-piece suit. "Sisters, please make space. I feel that this fight won''t be over quick." "Enyo Felicity, I take it that you cultivate the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art?" Astrallis enquired. "How do you know the name of the art? Its something one only finds out when they swear their allegiance to the Blood Felicity Religion, through Heaven''s Promise; lest their souls are exterminated by heaven for breaking it." Enyo replied a flash of killing intent passing through her eyes. Astrallis magenta eyes flashed intensely as he turned to look in the direction of the Spectators'' Dome. Suddenly the aura around Astrallis changed, his eyes becoming blood-red, an atmosphere of an asura began to emanate from his being. An ethereal black tree, with roses proliferating its thorny limbs, precisely the same as his tattoos, formed behind his back. His aesthetic muscular body contorting with vitality, his tyrannical prowess ever-rising as a result of the Sanguinary Felicity Tree behind himself. Enyo''s face clearly displayed her disbelief at the scene. "Surprised? Don''t be. There was never any worry about my allegiance to the Blood Felicity Religion." Astrallis said. "Let''s fight, enough talking." Enyo reciprocated his aggression with the manifestation of her own ethereal Sanguinary Felicity Tree, entirely similar to Astrallis'' grandmother''s Sanguinary Felicity Tree; grey bark with red leaves. An overwhelming blood vitality, superior even to Astrallis, spread out from Enyo''s body. With a shout, the two charged at each other, after-images left in their wake. Astrallis'' speed was noticeably faster as a result of his wings, but the vitality that Enyo emanated overwhelmed his. With a loud thunderclap, the two sent a barrage of hits towards each other, shockwaves forming around their fists. The two danced a beautiful routine of destruction around the cavern, devastation following their every movement. Enyo forced Astrallis into the sky, with a set of quick, powerful kicks. He covered himself with his obsidian wings and dived towards her, in a spiral. "Blood of Genesis." With a shout a shield of Enyo''s own blood formed in front her to defend against the diving Astrallis. The seraphic Astrallis barreled into the blood-shield destroying it completely, but at the same time, his momentum was drastically slowed, allowing Enyo to dodge out the way. Her chest heaving, Enyo slowly said to Astrallis, "If you can use your wings to attack, then I can use my bloodlines." He smiled in response and spun his left wing to cut her, Enyo moved both her arms up in defence and managed to repel his onslaught, but a deep slash was still left across her arms. Astrallis immediately attacked again, spinning gracefully with his wings, cutting Enyo around her body. A thick pool of blood formed beneath her, causing Astrallis to attack with even more eagerness. His body becoming a blur of speed for the spectating girls in the cavern. Astrallis finally stopped when he saw Enyo standing there with a sly smile spreading across her face. With a revolution of her Blood God bloodline the wounds slowly healed, inciting a bitter chuckle from Astrallis. "I feel when it comes to physical capabilities, I''m going to find it a bit tough," Astrallis laughed languidly. "It can only count as your misfortune to run into me, a cultivator with two god bloodlines," Enyo smiled in schadenfreude. "But then again, your physical capabilities are the best I''ve seen," she said with a more serious demeanour, "my strength trumps yours, but in regards to speed and movement I feel that I am vastly inferior to you." "I''ve come to the same conclusion; your regeneration is incredible. I will only be able to match your regeneration when my Sanguinary Felicity Tree is able to physically manifest itself outside my body, and that is without you manifesting yours," complemented Astrallis. "Well, how about you tell me your name now?" Enyo asked, an expectant expression on her face. "Hold on, beauty. We still haven''t used our Qi," "But, I can feel that you are only within the Two Spirit-Realms, while I am in the Sky-Realm. It''ll be an unfair fight," replied Enyo. "That is where you are wrong, in regards to bodily-cultivation you are superior to me, but in regards to essence cultivation I have confidence," Astrallis dismissed her warning. "You sure are one to talk, even though I haven''t used my last god bloodline," Enyo walked till she was face-to-face with Astrallis, "I don''t see how you will be able to withstand my onslaught." "You''re not the only descendant of a god here." ??? 26 Astrallis vs Enyo ??? "You''re not the only descendant of a god here." A golden Qi enclosed Astrallis'' body in a blink of an eye, his eyes reflecting the same colour as the Qi. Enyo felt prodigious pressure encapsulate her Soul-Being, she immediately took control of her soul-replicant and inspected her soul-space. She was bewildered to see a fracture occur in her soul-space, and a golden stairway cascaded down from the fissure. An incandescent white figure, with long flailing golden hair, marched down the stairway, a regal air prevalent in its movements. Its penetrative golden eyes stared at Enyo''s spiritual-replicant. This figure was naturally Astrallis in his Astral Qi manifestation. "How did you manage to enter my soul-space?" Enyo asked in incredulity. "Among the current generations, I doubt there is anyone who could match my soul-prowess. Although, I do have to admit there is little one can do in regards to the soul at our low realm of cultivation." Astrallis informed Enyo. "Why are you so confident? Even I, a descendant of the Blood God and War Immortal, do not say I am unparalleled in the cultivation of the human body." Enyo asked curiously. Astrallis eyes locked with Enyo''s, "Because I am the sole descendant of the Astral God, an inheritor of his meridians and blood. With the Astral Meridians, I can use his Astral Qi, the Qi which reigns supreme within the spiritual world." "The Astral God, known as the Vagabond?" Enyo''s eyes flashed with excitement. "That''s right. Currently, I do not have any soul-attack techniques, so I''ll use my rudimentary control of Astral Qi to force pressure onto your Soul-Being. If you can withstand it, we''ll go all out in reality." "Prepare." A golden Qi began to surround Enyo, she started to feel an expansive pressure on her Soul-Being as well as around her soul-space. With the brightening of Astrallis'' eyes, the pressure increased once again, causing Enyo''s soul replicant to dim intermittently. "War Immortal''s Mantle." With a shout, a golden-armour formed on Enyo''s spiritual body. The pressure upon her increased once again, a palpable torrent of Astral Qi descended, forcing the now-armoured Enyo to crouch. This situation repeated itself for another few minutes before Astrallis withdrew his Astral Qi. "It''s as expected, I can''t beat you without any soul-techniques. Suppression alone is not enough to inundate your soul." Astrallis said dismissively, amusement in his eyes. "Honestly, I''m rather afraid to face you once you do learn some offensive soul-techniques." Enyo flashed a tired smile. ??? "Who is this boy? He is even able to practice the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, a female only body-art, at the same time he managed to gain access to the body-art," the talkative Elder Bai gossiped around her friends. "The body-art has obviously had some drastic changes to his physical body, including his appearance, he has adopted the seductive features of our Blood Felicity Religion; although, I must say, his features are more than just bewitching," a fae woman responded. "We''ve never had a problem with males before, they simply couldn''t cultivate our supreme art, now look at the situation. All the younger girls within the Spectator''s Dome as well as in the trial are bewitched by this obsidian winged seraphim," Elder Bai continued. "It seems their battle of the souls is over." ??? During the battle of the souls, the girls in the cavern never removed their eyes from the duo. Although to the pair the struggle may have seemed to have waged on for minutes, in reality only a few seconds had passed. "I think that display was enough for me to learn your name," Enyo said, an expectation in her eyes. The seraphic Astrallis gave a low chuckle, "Indeed, you are more than a worthy opponent. Draw your weapon." An ivory sheath appeared in Astrallis'' hand, the sheath had luminescent Sanskrit engraved on it, his hand clutched the hilt gracefully and proceeded to draw the blade from its scabbard. An emerald Qi began to cascade in droplets off his obsidian wings, the Qi gradually began to encapsulate his body, turning his eyes colour of the same shade. His wings began to beat the air, elegantly lifting himself up till he was near the roof of the cavern. At that moment the meter long blade in his hands came to life, a lion''s roar echoed out from the nodachi in Astrallis'' hand seemingly setting it aflame with emerald fire. An aura of a monarch that seemed to overshadow the heavens began to emanate from the seraph in the sky, in response to Astrallis'' imperial aura the cavern started to tremble causing fissures to form within the cavern. A large hole formed in the roof of the cavern, "Children, go fight outside. You''ll cause damage to your sisters on the ground," a dignified voice echoed throughout the secret realm. Astrallis soared into the sky, his six-metre wingspan bared for all to see. Using her Sky-Realm capabilities, Enyo gracefully glided after the imposing seraph. Her carnate battle-intent of the War Immortal ever-rising, her impressive manner no less than Astrallis. One entity of flaming emerald, another body a paroxysm of vitality. Astrallis and Enyo their eyes locked, a sign of an oncoming soul-stirring battle. "My name is Astrallis Ether." With those words the emerald Qi around him began to soar into the sky, his wings beating as he charged towards Enyo. "Blood God Spear Materialise." A nine-meter long carmine spear formed in Enyo''s hand which she struck out with against the oncoming nodachi. A pale-gold Qi followed behind the spear strike. The two weapons struck each other causing shockwaves to proliferate around the point of contact. Astrallis immediately darted to the left flank of Enyo and struck Enyo''s War Immortal armour before she could counteract. Her body flew back with tremendous speed leaving spacial tears in her flight path, he immediately took after her. "Rolling Blossoms in Autumn''s Bloom." With a shout, Astrallis began to continuously spin around his wings and nodachi slashing Enyo''s armour. Enyo reciprocated with her own spear art, "War Immortal''s Pivot." She spun around on her left foot, sending her spear out it struck precisely at the weak point of the spiralling Astrallis, causing him to halt his assault. She followed up with multiple strikes of her spear, jarring Astrallis arms as he parried. They backed a considerable distance away from each other, both having the same idea they activated their Sanguinary Felicity Tree. Overbearing blood vitality radiated from their bodies, their physical strength each rose to around ten thousand kilograms of force. Strikes that would eviscerate even World-Wandering Realm cultivators flashed throughout the sky. ??? In the sky, Grandmother Anemone and the others observed the fight, "Astra''er has managed to perform the first layer of the Felicity Blade Art to an adequate degree, even incorporating his wings." "While little Enyo has managed to repeatedly use the unbreakable defensive technique of that battle freak." An odd look soon passed over the Religion-Master''s face, "I haven''t explained the effects of the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art to Astra''er, he''s probably annoyed at me." ??? "This old woman, she hasn''t even told me how to use this body-art. My usage of physical strength is wholly inferior to spear-girl in front of me," Astrallis grumbled while continuing his attacks, "I''ve also felt my personality change, and continue to do so since I began practising this art." Astrallis stopped his attacks and floated in the air staring at Enyo. "Enyo Felicity, what is the name of your Qi?" Astrallis asked. "This pale-golden Qi," said Enyo, waving her qi enclosed hand about, "It''s War Immortal Qi." "I practice the Way Of Spear, Way of Blood and the Way of Battle. One spear sweep to sunder the heavens, one body to hold the sky, and one mind to face all. All of these are perfect for me, someone who aspires to be like the War Immortal," Enyo said passionately. "It is indeed a fitting combination." Astrallis flashed a smile. "What is your emerald Qi, I haven''t found anything special about it apart from its colour?" Enyo asked curiosity evident on her face. "It''s because I haven''t used any of its properties to attack," a playful smile on his face, "I practice the Way of Blade, Way of Astral and the Way of Buddha. I have" "Wait!" Enyo shouted with a shocked expression, "You practice the Way of Buddha? How? You look, and emanate an aura, so unlike a Buddha." ??? In the sky, Astrallis'' family roared with laughter. "Even though these children look like teenagers, you can''t stop their eight-year-old hearts from speaking." Jasmine chuckled. "If you look at Astrallis he looks like a perfect archetype of what a male Blood Felicity Religion member would look like." Amelia chuckled, gently biting her lip. "Zen, I think we need to prepare for multiple sisters-in-laws in the future," Xen said to her twin sister. "For some reason, I don''t think you''ll have to worry. I''ve seen Astrallis make a face at a picture of a man with multiple women around him when he was reading the Universe Encyclopedia." Grandmother Anemone informed the family. "Oh, this is going to cause headaches for me one day, there are going to be multiple young mistresses running to my doorstep asking for his hand-in-marriage, but all of them will be denied," Grandmother Anemone whined. "He''s my son, I get to choose what happens to him!" Jasmine stared daggers at her mother. "And he''s my only grandson!" The three sisters looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. 27 Buddha & Devil ??? "Wait!" Enyo shouted with a shocked expression, "You practice the Way of Buddha? How? You look and emanate an aura so unlike a Buddha." Her eyes roamed Astrallis'' body, "Your appearance is a seductive devil or a handsome fallen angel, not a bald benevolent monk." "Blame my grandmother, she''s the one who made me practice the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, an art only usable by females; it''s only because of the special circumstances I was able to cultivate it. Now just like the females, I''ve acquired the seductive look of a devil." Astrallis shivered, his mind replaying the moments of when he looked like a girl. He was inwardly relieved that Enyo never saw his past form. Enyo nodded, choosing to ignore the unique circumstances as everyone had their secrets. "Before my transformation, I assumed the role of a Way of Buddha practitioner rather well. I was pure and innocent, always abiding by my elders, afraid to hurt any entity that wasn''t tainted by nefarious thoughts." "Now," with a wave of his hand, the aura of his emerald Qi began to rise, "I realise I was naive to conform to such principles." An aura of a devil monarch began to surge around him. "I can be so much more, but at the same time..." An aura of benevolence began to amalgamate with the regal devilish air around him. "I can be like two sides of the same coin." "I can be like a Devil Buddha, have you ever heard of such a being?" Astrallis began to laugh to the heavens, his rose tattoos burning with a red light. "Enyo, think about it. Have you felt your personality change ever since you began cultivating the art?" Astrallis questioned the fiery girl, without waiting for a response he continued, "Have you felt a hint of a devil inside you?" "Do not be aghast. I''m sure you would have realised it. Eventually, you are not just a cultivator of three Ways, but four; the Way of Devil." Enyo''s aura became violent during Astrallis'' speech but as soon as the fluctuation occurred it receded. An ambience of resolve emanated from her being. ??? A solemn air covered the Ether Family. "It seems he figured it out rather swiftly. Accepting it even quicker," Grandmother Anemone spoke with a stern voice, "I was hoping to explain these things to him. I was concerned about how he would take it; he''s unlike us. Before his transformation, he was innocent and naive, only caring about impressing me, he wouldn''t even harm an ant. A perfect child for the Way of Buddha, the very reason the Buddha Sects chose him." "We were born for the Way of Devil and the Way of Blood; we are just able to hide it," Jasmine confirmed. "This was all per the Astral God''s wishes. He didn''t just help you and your husband on a whim; it was all for a reason. He wished to create something new." "A Buddha and a Devil; both combining..." Grandmother Anemone''s voice trailed off. "I''m also impressed by little Enyo, she''s already submitted to it and moved on." Jasmine''s voice rippled, something flashing in her eyes when she looked from Enyo to Astrallis. ??? "Enyo, bring out all your cards. For I will be doing the same," Astrallis devilish voice began to rise with an imperial ambience. "Bataar fuse!" He commanded. Bataar, the lion-kitten materialised next to Astrallis, "Boy, do you want to do this?" Bataar said dismissively. "She can handle it," Astrallis responded. Bataar fused into the Dharmic Nodachi, a smile on his face. "Dharma Qi combust!" Dharma Qi began to rotate at an inane speed through his Astral Meridians; his tattoos turned luminescent green in response. His eyes, now a piercing green, trained upon his nodachi, watching as Dharma Qi fused with the blade, an emerald fire encapsulating the sword as a result. Sensing the change in Astrallis, Enyo began to take action too. "War Immortal Qi combust!" A golden-throne formed behind her, an ethereal figure emitting the aura of an emperor sat upon it. Her fiery hair turned to a pale-gold, her eyes quickly following suit. "Bloodline Spear Fusion!" Enyo''s eyes became stern. The pale-golden Qi began to fuse with the nine-meter long blood spear in her hands. Golden runic formations started to run along the shaft of the spear, while the head of the spear completely changed into a golden colour. Battle-intent continued to escalate from Enyo, a unique feature of the War Immortal bloodline. The longer she fought, the higher her battle intent became, at the same time the higher her battle intent, the more her power increased. The aura of a devil monarch with the serenity of a Buddha, against the atmosphere of an emperor with the furore of a war god. A battle of two future sovereigns. With a beat of his wings the devilish Astrallis charged at Enyo, at speed above the capabilities of a World-Wandering Realm cultivator, nodachi pointed ahead. A sonic boom resounded across the area, his speed reaching over a hundred meters per second, he struck the defending Enyo. An explosion of emerald and golden energy occurred at the point of contact, eliciting excited cries from their weapons. Enyo struck her spear towards Astrallis'' chest, just as it was about to reach his body, he parried the blow by holding his sword vertically and forcing the spear thrust underneath him. Running along precariously on the bridge of the spear shaft, Astrallis sent a spinning kick against her neck, just as the potentially fatal kick was about to reach her throat a golden helmet and neck guard formed around her. The kick sent Enyo crashing into the ground. She slowly stood up, only slightly injured, managing to displace the damage through her ''War Immortal''s Mantle''. Her battle-intent ever-rising. With a jump, Enyo reached Astrallis in a split second. "Myriad Spear." Her spear struck out continuously, striking out so many times it gave the illusion of multiple spears attacking Astrallis. Astrallis parried the spear strikes as he was slowly forced back by the increasing power of Enyo. ''Karma Eyes activate'', Astrallis began to observe the karma seeds within Enyo''s body. Her body was alight with teal coloured seeds; even a quaint teal corona was beginning to form around her. ''Oh, her karmic seeds are increasing. It seems it''s not just her physical strength that increases the higher her battle-intent becomes, her comprehension as well. It''s a manifold increase in power.'' Astrallis kept on deflecting the spear strikes, but at the same time, he allowed for small amounts of Dharma Qi to sneak into her hands. Gradually the karmic seeds in her hands began to disintegrate causing her strikes to become slower and less accurate. Although the amount of lost karmic seeds was not enough to impede her attack, it was enough to make Enyo retreat, forcing her to reevaluate her plan of attack. Alas, Astrallis never gave her a chance. He directly chased her with his overwhelming speed and began to strike heavily against her defending spear. "Imperium Assault of the Jaded-Lion." With a loud shout, Astrallis lifted his nodachi into the air, a heavenly lion''s roar followed, space tore as a result of the nodachi. Astrallis one-meter long blade struck down with his most potent attack, forcing the spear out from Enyo''s hands instantly disintegrating it, while the nodachi flew off into the space tear. Astrallis directly lashed out against the golden figure before him, causing the beautiful female in the armour to vibrate and cough blood. He immediately sent a flurry of punches, each time disintegrating a karmic seed within her. Due to the Dharma Qi inside her mind, Enyo''s clarity began to disappear, replacing it with battle-intent, she started to instinctively block the blows of Astralis; unintentionally preventing him from destroying more of her karmic seeds. While these attacks in the physical realm were going on, Astrallis was invading her soul-space with his Dharma Qi pressuring her soul-being, forcing the Enyo, in reality, to react slower. The Dharma Qi in her soul-space was imprisoning her soul-being, emerald bars began to coalesce around her soul-replicant, causing the near unconscious Enyo to fall completely. The figure on the throne noticed the unconscious Enyo, and began to emit an unfathomable power and a bloodlust so thick it was palpable. "Defence of the Throne." With a shout, the ethereal figure on the throne commanded the throne to charge towards Astrallis. The throne became corporeal long enough to smash Astrallis a thousand yards away from her. "No!" Grandmother Anemone formed in front of the ethereal figure destroying it before it could continue its fatal attack. The Religion-Master suddenly emitted a towering killing-intent and vanished from the secret realm. Astrallis completely undefended rolled along the ground, tearing a scar in the sediment. He languidly rolled to his side, his left wing twisted at an odd angle and his right-wing wholly torn off, his ability to fly gone entirely. He tried to stand only to realise he had a stump for a right leg. An aura, unlike anything an eight-year-old should possess tore out from Enyo''s body, sundering the skies and space. A golden light began to shoot out from her eyes turning the ground into magma around her, the light continued through the air and destroyed a summit of a mountain a kilometre away. The power of the light gradually dimmed and began to burn a few meters in front of her, but this was still beyond anything Astrallis could handle. Astrallis watched the unconscious girl turn to look at him, heaven-piercing killing-intent trained upon him. She began to amble towards him. Jasmine flashed to Astrallis side, the elders in tow. "Do not stop me; this is my fight," Astrallis said, completely ignoring the people around him. Grabbing his torn off wing, Astrallis used it as a stilt to push himself onto his remaining leg. "Shakyamuni Manifestation of the Three," Astrallis shouted activating his Shakyamuni Manifestation cultivation technique. His body, voice and soul harmonised. Astrallis began to move towards the oncoming Enyo while chanting. "Our thoughts shape us; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." His voice reached her soul, while at the same time he removed the Dharma Qi jail from her soul-being. "The mind is everything. What you think you become." Her soul-being intermittently flashed with light. "Fight back to reality, do not be overtaken by power." A shred of consciousness began to form in her eyes. "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." Astrallis reached her on his makeshift crutch; he gently said, "You''re not allowed to lose control." "I didn''t mean too," Enyo said, tears cascading down her face as she looked at the wounded Astrallis. "It''s okay" At that moment a flash of golden light took over Enyo''s consciousness, her eyes burst out with energy shooting towards Astrallis. But as the energy beam was about to reach Astrallis, a tear in space formed and from within an emerald blade made out of bone came out and directly deflected the energy beam. The one-meter-long blade carried on and struck Enyo''s chest, lodging itself there. The heavily wounded girl fell over, while Astrallis languidly stared at her. He stood over her, and with his last bit of energy he pulled the blade out from her chest and placed it in its sheath. He then collapsed next to her. Benevolent energy full of life enclosed the unconscious duo. ??? 28 Aftermath ??? In the following days, a piece of news that shook the universe to the very core was revealed. The War Immortal was injured! A heaven shaking battle occurred in the central region of the Universe, between a veiled woman and the War Immortal. After severely injuring the War Immortal, the woman, who emitted bloodlust that covered the entire realm, left immediately. Such news caused every faction, regardless of their size, to jump with fright, at the same time some old ancestors began to think of a certain secluded all female religion. ??? "Mother, you managed to injure the War Immortal?" Jasmine asked bewilderment in her eyes. "Only because he let me," said grandmother Anemone, her face scrunched in discontentment. "He knew he was in the wrong, Enyo is his first descendant, and when she became unconscious, he became panicky and did anything to protect her. It''s hilarious how the reputable War Immortal, his mental fortitude supposedly impervious to all conditions, crumbled at the scene of Enyo getting hurt." "Even if that is the case, it seems there is much more to Enyo''s body than we first thought. The power she released while unconscious was realms above her current power," Jasmine replied a severe look on her face. "But, imagine how brilliant it would be if I had grandchildren with her bloodline too?" Jasmine''s aura suddenly became cunning, a manipulative smile on her face. "We, really, are both daughter and mother." Grandmother Anemone laughed maniacally. Eventually, the two conniving women left the room they were in, moving towards the blood-ponds at the centre of the Religion''s cultivation area. The two entered a glamourous cavern with elegant statues, the statues were alive with exquisite runes forged by the most excellent craftsmen. The sculptures all lead towards a luminescent cerulean lake, they absorbed the essence of heaven and earth and infused it into the liquid. The lake brightened and dimmed according to the hearts, of the two people, beating in unison at the centre of the lake. Two figures floated around at the centre of the hall, one subconsciously leaning onto the aesthetically broad chest of the other. Their long entangled beautiful hair, obsidian and orange, forced the two to wrap around each other. They wore light semi-transparent gowns which were enough to cover the places they needed to cover. "They''ve been in the same position for the past two weeks, Enyo just won''t let go of him," Grandmother Anemone said with a smirk. "It seems like I don''t even need to do anything, with her personality I don''t think he''ll be able to get away." Jasmine laughed. "They are all healed, it''s time we wake them up," Jasmine said moving forward to the sleeping duo. With a wave of her hand, a benevolent white Qi lifted the duo out of the cerulean water, during their flight across the lake the couple began to awaken. Embarrassment spread across Enyo''s face as she stared at the impressive body beneath her, but a defiant looked flashed across it as she held on to him even tighter. She remembered the words her mother, the Blood God, said to her, "There will only be one moment in your life when you meet a man that makes your heart flutter from the very first meeting if you don''t act fast you may never be able to act at all." At the time Enyo couldn''t understand the meaning of those words, even now she still didn''t understand the things between man and a woman, but she knew that when she looked at Astrallis, she wanted to possess him. Astrallis gradually opened his magenta coloured eyes and gazed at the now red-faced Enyo. "Carry on laying there, your chest is comfortable." A deep husky voice woke up the day-dreaming girl. Enyo jumped up in fright, although she didn''t know what he meant she was sure it wasn''t anything good. ''I can''t let him see me like this, I need to compose myself; such as my mother and the Religion-Master,'' Enyo commanded herself. Before they could say another word, two similar looking women appeared in front of them. "You silly children, almost killing yourselves during that fight." Jasmine''s stern voice frightened the children. "Mother!" Without caring about being reprimanded Astrallis jumped into his mother''s embrace, wholly surprising her. Astrallis, now only a few inches shorter than his mother, held on to her tightly. She looked down at her son''s face and noticed his eyes were red. "I''ve missed you mother, it has been more than two years since I''ve last seen you," Astrallis whispered. Only then did Jasmine remember that her son, who looked fourteen, was still not even eight years of age. The stern talking she was going to give him evaporated on the spot, she allowed her son to hold her for a few more minutes. After that Astrallis spoke to his mother for the rest of the day, telling her of his experiences over the past two years. Even though she already learnt all of this from her mother, Jasmine still sat there enjoying her son talk so spiritedly. "Mother, I think we having something to discuss the body-art," Astrallis finally said the thing his mom was most dreading. At the same time, Astrallis said this, his grandmother appeared by his mother''s side. "Looks like it''s about time. Enyo is currently comprehending the insights she gained during your sparring match. It''s about time we explain your body-art, as well as think of some solutions," said Anemone as she sat down beside them. "Let''s start from the beginning, my self-made body-art, which is also the supreme art of the Blood Felicity Religion, Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art requires certain types of character traits to cultivate it." "One needs to be innately vicious as well as have a love for blood and chaos. Most of us have possessive tendencies, too, if we don''t get our way things can go wrong." Grandmother Anemone chuckled a little from embarrassment. "And, well, honey" Jasmine''s face turned an odd colour, "You simply do not have any of those character traits. You strive to be the best you can be, but at the same time, you limit yourself because of your personality. Honestly, before your personality started changing as a result of practising the body-art, you were fit to become a supreme altruistic buddha. Every few aeons a child is born with the ideal conditions of becoming the perfect Buddha, you were the one born with it in the contemporary era." "Our Felicity bloodline is known for its viciousness, bloodlust and unfettered nature. In all honesty Astrallis, you are the first male to ever be born with a pure Felicity bloodline, there has only ever been females born with such a bloodline. We have a subsidiary monarchy named the Felicity Empire, that is where all the members of the Felicity Bloodline, which do not match the requirements to cultivate the body-art, congregate. Be they male or female." "Even with the Felicity Bloodline, it is hard for one to be innately vicious and hold a love for bloodlust. So, at birth, one is first tested for the purity of their bloodline as well as for these innate qualities. If they do not possess them, they will go live and cultivate in the Felicity Empire, and if they do have the requirements, the children are sent to the Holy Land of the Religion." Jasmine allowed a few moments for this to sink in as she observed her child''s stunned face. "Astrallis, you actually have thousands of relatives. Hundreds of aunts and uncles, and even more cousins." Jasmine informed Astrallis while trying to keep a straight face. "But how?" "Because I have a harem, of men." Grandmother Anemone declared with pride. Listening to his grandmother''s words, Astrallis was even more confused than finding out that his family owned a subsidiary empire. He turned to look at his mother an odd look in his eyes. "You must be wondering how I''ve managed to have so many children, yes?" Grandmother Anemone laughed. "It''s quite simple, I do the deed with one of my husbands, and then we plant the egg and the sperm inside an array that allows for auxiliary birth, then the child is born from there." And finally, Astrallis was so confused he felt his vision blur, "I don''t understand, what is the deed? And what does an egg have to do with this?" Both mother and daughter collapsed, woefully realising they had forgotten to teach Astrallis about life. "Mother, imagine if you only had one husband like me. We wouldn''t be in a situation explaining your deeds to my innocent son, and your only grandson with pure Felicity bloodline." Grandmother Anemone just turned her head in the opposite direction, humming her favourite song. "Okay What does this all have to do with me?" Astrallis finally gave up asking questions about the deed after being ignored. Both females turned to look at him as if they finally heard him speak. "Well, honey, you were born with a pure Felicity bloodline, but because you were also born with the innate characteristics of a buddha the characteristics of the felicity bloodline were ''imprisoned'' per se." "The Astral God didn''t just simply chose your father and me to birth you. He most likely realised that the combination of our union would create a perfect buddha child, but he also knew about my bloodline. So, to allow you to cultivate our Religion''s supreme art - which only females can cultivate - he placed excess Yin in you, which you already know," Jasmine stated. She continued, "The Astral God wanted to create a being unlike any other, and the perfect conditions presented themselves to him. If he never added the extra Yin for you to allow you to cultivate the body-art, your Felicity bloodline characteristics would be forever sealed. But now that you are practising the body-art the sealed characteristics will slowly present themselves." "Even though all of this has happened, I don''t really see the problem. I''ll just have to get used to my new emotions and characteristics?" Asked the confused Astrallis. The woman in front of him carried on speaking, subconsciously ignoring the utterly confused child. "And lastly this brings us to the part which is the most interesting, and most likely the intended result of the Astral God. The Felicity Bloodline is part human and part devil." "Devil? How?" Astrallis asked not understanding. "When I was in my youth, I and my sworn-sisters stumbled upon a pool of blood. A pool of heretical devil blood, we have no idea where the blood came from, all we know is that the entity which the blood came from was a supreme being. Even stronger than the current me," Grandmother Anemone''s said with solemnity. "We fused with the blood of the devil, metamorphosing the blood into our own. Becoming more than just human. Everyone within the Blood Felicity Religion is either a descendant of mine or of my sworn-sisters." With a wave of her hand black Qi began to permeate her body, an ambience of an imperial devil surrounded her. "And, the bloodline which that heretic devil held was no common bloodline. Although very little is in fact known of devils, there were some memories left in the blood. The contents of those memories are irrelevant to the current you, Astrallis, all you need to know is that you have a bloodline of imperium, an Imperial Devil Bloodline." "My Sanguinary Felicity Tree Body-Art is also derived from the Imperial Devil Bloodline; at the time, I used my innate talent in the Way of Blood, and fused it with my new Way of Devil. There are a few more details, but they are also useless to the current you." Astrallis sat there trying to absorb this new information. ''I have the innate characteristics of a Buddha and now, a Devil? According to grandmother, a devil is possessive, regal and innately vicious. I have all of these characteristics, but none at the same time. If I''m not able to merge these characteristics together, what will I be? Will I have multiple personalities?'' At this point, Astrallis''s face became pale, as he thought of possibilities. The mother and daughter pair just looked on, aware of the impasse that Astrallis currently faced. While they watched on they also felt a sense of helplessness, he was going through mental strains someone of his age shouldn''t. One can also rejuvenate from physical pain, but emotional distress can be everlasting. ''I currently do not have access to Devil Qi, but once I reach a higher level in the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, I will gain access to it. Before then, I need to conjure a way to cultivate all of them.'' ''My Shakyamuni Manifestations has already ascended to a higher-tier of cultivation techniques, allowing the amalgamation of Buddha Qi and Astral Qi to form Dharma Qi. When I finally unseal the ability to use Devil Qi, I must try and find similarities between the three Qi''s and from there try and amalgamate them all into my Shakyamuni Manifestations.'' ''They do all hold at least one similarity; that is the unfettered and unchained nature of the Qi''s.'' Soon a determined look appeared on Astrallis'' handsome visage. "I think I''ve found a way, but only the future will tell. But in regards to my characteristics, they could be forever changing." Carefree laughter, with a hint of insanity, rang throughout the cavern. ''And it''s already changing his personality.'' ??? "My Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art consists of nine levels, each level increases your vitality and brings changes to your physical body. Once you reach a high enough comprehension of the art, you can transform your body to have similarities to the devils; of course, you should only use this during battles as it isn''t permanent," Grandmother Anemone said, walking around with a stick in her hand lecturing Astrallis. "The technique has been imprinted on your soul, so there is no need to learn them. Although, you will only know the name of the level that is one above your current level. There is no way to pass on the technique, one can not even scavenge your soul to gain it. I am aware at all times of every person that uses the technique, and I can remove it from their souls if the situation arises." "Your current level of the body-art, which is the first level, is called Root Formation. It is the level where the roots of your Sanguinary Felicity Tree are activated and amalgamate with your body, forming a being of a higher tier. Each level of the body-art gives one the bodily strength equivalent of seven realms, for example; the first level gives one the strength of a World-Wandering Realm cultivator, while the second level would give one the strength of a full-completion Minting Realm cultivator. Each level vastly increases your vitality and physical strength, and because one practices the body-art at a young age, it brings great changes to the body." Grandmother Anemone followed on, she then turned to look at Astrallis. "And for you, it brought great changes. I just want to eat you up," Grandmother Anemone said jokingly. "Stop it, Grandma! Although I must be honest, my current appearance is a vast improvement over my past feminine look," Astrallis said happily. "Vast improvement is an understatement. I wouldn''t be surprised if you grow up to the best-looking man in the Universe, but this would be fitting, as our Religion is known for our exceptional looks and superior bewitching capabilities." Jasmine said walking into the cavern, her body moving seductively, her emerald hair waving behind her. "Darling daughter, I see you are reverting to your old self. Having disclosed your nature for so long while in the Astral Realm, I was wondering when you were going to go back into your primal nature," said the pleased Grandmother Anemone. "Mo Mother, what are you wearing?" Astrallis asked his mother in awe. "Oh, this? This is what I usually wore before I went to the Astral Realm." Jasmine replied with a cheeky smile on her face, pointing at the short-dress she was wearing. Astrallis started bewilderedly towards his mother. Jasmine wore a black short-dress that only covered half her thighs, a large V was cut down over her chest allowing for a generous amount of cleavage to shine through, while nothing was covering her back. It all managed to stay on her body without falling off, leaving Astrallis absolutely stunned at the scene. Astrallis felt his vision blur, "All my life has been a lie." ??? 29 Proud ??? Currently, Astrallis was facing the most daunting moment of his life. He stood nervously in front of over twenty women, all scrutinising him with heavy gazes. The pressure he felt was indescribable, all of these women held a barely containable bloodlust. A deathly silence hung in the air, almost palpable to the poor boy. The majority of these women could fly freely throughout the universe, the pinnacle of strength. So, to be stared at by such gazes left Astrallis almost subconsciously trembling in fear. "I think," a beautiful pink haired woman thought aloud, "considering his handsome features, and beautifully aesthetic body, we should outline these aspects." "Indeed, Sister Skylar, that sounds good. We need to make sure that it adheres to the conservative nature of our Religion. There needs to be enough skin, to show how the males of our Religion look, while at the same time keep enough hidden to make people beg for more." Another scantily clad demi-human agreed. At this moment, Astrallis made a break for it and sprinted out of the cavern, leaving a raucous of laughter in his wake. "Alright let''s get to it, we can give it to him later." ??? High in the air of the Blood Felicity Religion''s sacred realm a human with beautiful obsidian feathered wings flew. The aesthetic muscle culture of the young man reached a divine level, but currently, a pondering look was on his face. This young man was naturally Astrallis. "Over the past two years of cultivation and practice within the Blood Felicity sacred realm, I''ve managed to reach the peak of the Sky-Realm. Although according to grandmother my speed of cultivation isn''t the fastest of my age group, it''s more than adequate as most of my strength doesn''t rely on my cultivation base, but rather my Dharma Qi, swordplay and body." Astrallis looked behind himself and saw an orange figure soaring towards him, multiple shockwaves rippling off of her as she broke through the sound barrier. Her orange hair flailing behind her, an orange streak of excitement. "Brother Astrallis! The first person to the place wins!" Her mischievous voice soon reached his ears as she shot past him. A bewitching smile appeared on Astrallis visage as he sped after her, his wings beating intensely. Soon the duo began speeding through canyons, two streaks of orange and emerald, twisting around each other in scintillating light beams. With a wave of her hand, a flash of orange blasted towards Astrallis with the pressure of a divine spear. Astralls counteracted with his emerald discharge, emanating an aura of a heaven-piercing sword. The two coruscating intents crashed into each other resulting in a massive explosion which covered the duo, but as soon as it enclosed them, they burst through it shooting onwards to their destination; leaving pathways within the eruption of energy. "Beauty, your spear-intent is improving," Astrallis deep voice transferred into her mind. "Same could be said for your blade-intent, scoundrel," said Enyo as she moved in front of the human-seraphim. "Don''t be like that, you know I can''t control my emotions right now," Astrallis whined with fake sorrow, placing his hand over his heart. Enyo laughed in response, but a tinge of sadness could be seen in her eyes. Over the past two years, the competitive nature of the two had transformed into an intimate friendship. Astrallis'' family had taken her in as if she was their own, eating and practising together. She and Astrallis would have discussions on the Primordial Way late into the night, and sometimes they wouldn''t even know the sun had come up. They had both comprehend blade-intent and spear-intent together and sparred nearly every day. They knew each others fighting styles to the tee. But, at the same time she, and Astrallis'' family, also knew the mental strain that he had gone through. To have two innate sets of diametrically opposite personality traits had caused Astrallis to have an ever-changing personality, often leaving him with a forlorn aura. An aura of someone who can''t find themselves, an atmosphere of an individual traversing a never-ending and forever changing path. Enyo knew that behind the mask of his happy smile there was a confused soul. Soon the duo came upon a picturesque lake with a plethora of beautiful flora and fauna enclosing it. This was the place which Astrallis and Enyo would spend their free time together, but it was never unproductive. Making sure not to disturb the environment the couple landed gracefully within a clearing adjacent to the lake. "Looks like it''s a tie," Enyo said moving towards Astrallis, a cheeky grin on her face, "Well, if you tried I would have lost. You''ve always been superior to me in speed, but even with all those muscles you can''t top my physical strength." "How am I supposed to compare to the only daughter of the Blood God? Your body can cultivate any body-art regardless of the requirements, and it even adopts the necessary characteristics to train them," Astrallis defended. "Don''t think I haven''t caught you looking at my muscles and body," he teased. "How could I not? You look like a work of heavenly art! Also, the clothes you wear are so provocative," Enyo said as if it was only natural. "My clothes are not provocative; they are just revealing. I quite like the clothes that the elders designed for me," said Astrallis while he took off his shirt, revealing his perfect physique. "Hmph, narcissist," Enyo said in disdain, while still sneaking a few looks at his body. The duo spent the day filled with laughs and practice. "I''m going to have to leave soon," Astrallis quietly said. Enyo stood next to him in silence, fully understanding what he meant. She decisively turned and hugged him firmly. Although Astrallis was surprised, he reciprocated with his own. "Astrallis, ever since you joined the Religion every day has been filled with blissful enjoyment for me," Enyo said speaking into his chest. "Even though my mother and father have blessed me with a heavenly body and talent, and I am deeply grateful. At the same time, they have not been able to be in my life much, creating a void in my heart; your family helped fill that void," she said her voice becoming softer. "And," her voice became a whisper, "You were the one that melded that void." "Don''t speak, just let me have this moment," Enyo commanded. In response to her words, Astrallis gripped her tighter and rested his chin on her head. The couple stood there for a few minutes their hearts beating in unison. Enyo finally looked up at the handsome male holding her. With speed so fast Astrallis couldn''t react she gave a quick kiss on his cheek and sped off into the distance. Astrallis gently touched his cheek, "Am I, really, faster than her?" ??? "So, Sea-Plant, I was thinking. Considering you have such a large harem already, can I form my own?" Bataar, the lion-kitty, beseeched Grandmother Anemone. "Do you even have reproductive organs?" Grandmother Anemone eyes flashed while she inspected the feline beside her. "I do have reproductive organs, I''ve just followed the Way of Buddha for the entirety of my life; therefore, I never used them. But, now that I''ve ascended into a Dharma being, I should be able to use them." The lion-kitty''s eyes began to turn lascivious. Grandmother Anemone''s and Bataar''s laughter and voices echoed throughout the cavern for the rest of the day. "It''s time I called for Astra''er and the rest; he needs to go back now. The only reason my daughter and I went to the Astral Realm, was for me to heal myself within what the natives call Mt. Evanescence," said the Religion-Master. "Natural Primordial Formations are heaven''s wonders," Bataar agreed. "I''m going to miss talking to someone around my age, Bataar," Anemone looked towards Bataar, reminiscence in her eyes. "Around your age? I''m a few trillion years older than you, my girl." Bataar imperiously replied. "I''ve allowed you to call me Sea-Plant, do not overstep your boundaries." Killing intent flared in her eyes. Bataar quickly jumped onto her shoulder and rubbed his lustrous fur on her face, "No, no. It was just a joke, no need for anger. I just wanted to make you look young." ??? "Sisters of the Blood Felicity Religion, I will be sending Astrallis back towards his home realm, he obviously needs many more years of tempering by himself. He can''t forever be stuck here in the sacred realm, never experiencing winds and storms," the Religion-Master''s voice echoed throughout the expansive hall. Before her stood over a thousand sisters, who were currently residing in the sacred realm. "I know you have all taken a liking to our first male member, and my grandson. He will be flying our flag high during meetings with the Heaven''s Chosen of his generation, along with the Saintess of Ichor." Anemone''s voice ended. With that Astrallis individually said his goodbyes to the seductive sisters of the religion, further reinforcing their favouritism of him. Enyo moved towards Astrallis until she was standing right before him, "Brother Astrallis, it may be a long time until our next meeting, but us cultivators have long-lifespans and perfect memories. I''ll always be thinking of you as if it was the day I last saw you," she said. "I''ll be going to my father''s empire and the Blood Felicity Religions sacred realm, throughout the next few years. I''m sure we''ll see each other. I know you will be at the meetings between the Heaven''s Chosen, trouble will forever follow you with your new personality." "Enyo, don''t be like this. You are now part of our, and my, family. It''s not like I''m disappearing forever, we both need to go out and have solo-tempering. It''s how we will advance through the World Realms." Astrallis comforted her, as he pulled her in for a hug. After a few more moments, Astrallis turned around and decisively walked towards the space-gate formed by his grandmother. If one were facing Astrallis, they would be able to see the look of longing in his eyes. A resolved atmosphere soon radiated from Enyo. "Astrallis, I wonder who will be stronger the next time we meet!" Enyo shouted proudly. With that Astrallis stepped through the gate, a smile on his face. ??? 30 Blossoms ??? There was a palpable excitement around Mt. Evanescent, all the various factions and itinerant cultivators bustled around the plains. A never before seen event had occurred, multiple people had lasted the four-year duration. A record that had barely been broken over the past few million years. There were smiles on all the faces of the faction members, including the four Holy Lands. At all moments of the day, young cultivators would be teleported to the front of Mt. Evanescence thus completing their stay. The young practitioners would immediately be swarmed by elders of their factions and whisked away with them ensuring no harm would come to them, while in the process being barraged with questions. "My Divine Bestia sect has lucked out this time! More than a couple of children managed to acquire an immortal''s legacy." A rough looking lion laughed gleefully. "Elder Leonal, that is impressive. But my Elemental Infinitum Sect has done the same. This generation sure is loaded with talents," an elder with multi-coloured hair replied. "That is correct, what a time for them to be alive. With all the competition they will improve at multiple times the rate at which we did," Leonal said wistfully. The children of these two sects would be confused at this situation, elders of both their sects who supposedly had a long time rivalry against each other were talking cheerfully. What the children didn''t know was there was no real animosity between the two sects, apart from a few altercations over the years, the two factions had just decided on a man versus beast front to motivate their disciples to cultivate harder. Once the disciples reached a high enough realm the truth would be revealed to them; as this was only beneficial, this new information was never spread downwards. "With these new legacies our sects will be pushed to another level; hopefully we will be able to ascend out of our small realm and into the larger universe at some stage," an elf from Quintessential Umbra Organisation said with hope. The elf then turned towards Astrallis'' father, "Patriarch Cestra, you must be the happiest out of all of us. Every member of your Grotto has yet to return, so why the glum face?" "He hasn''t seen his wife in over two years; he''s missing her," Azuielle, the mother of Azui, replied with a laugh instead. Soon a raucous of happy laughter floated around the pavilions. "We are cultivators, it is usual for us to not see our partners of the Way for multiple years on end, but alas it seems Cestra just loves her too much," Leonal, the Divine Bestia sect elder said. "I wouldn''t love any other man." A voice entered the minds of all the elders in the pavilions, making them jump. Soon a space-gate formed in front of them, and utterly devastating beauty with a nature to seduce entered their vision. She had long emerald hair, and jade-like skin, her body was large and small in all the right places. The dress she wore didn''t leave much to the imagination. The elders all stared at her in astonishment, one thought in their minds, ''This is Jasmine Ether!?'' Azuielle soon jumped into Jasmine''s arms, and said with happiness in her voice, "Sister Jasmine, I see you''ve reverted to your old self!" "En. I went back to my home for a couple of years, and I felt myself revert to my old nature," Jasmine answered. The happiest of everyone was obviously Cestra Ether; his eyes were so full you could see into his mind. He quickly sucked up the saliva dripping down his mouth. "Wife, you''re back!" He shouted in joy, his sentence containing more than one meaning. ??? At the summit of Mt. Evanescence, Astrallis was receiving a stern talking-to by his grandmother. "Okay, that''s about all. Make sure to remember these tips when exploring the world by yourself, with these you shouldn''t find yourself in any trouble that you can''t get out," Anemone said, hugging her grandson. "You''ll also have that idiot feline with you; he''ll be able to explain many things to you. Alright, there''s someone that wants to talk to you." His grandmother finished talking. Astrallis soon found himself in a pure white world, the only thing within was a tall blossom tree, cascading blossoms of various shades of pink floated around it. There was a figure dressed in a long pink robe standing in front of the tree, the character turned and stared happily at Astrallis. The figure ran to him, gorgeous pink hair flailing behind her. "Brother Astrallis!" The girl called out as she held him. He gazed wide-eyed at the pure girl of heavenly beauty, her head buried against his chest. He willfully touched her bright pink hair, moving it around his hand. "Little Azalea how? Where are we?" Astrallis asked incredulously. "I asked my master to contact you, but it was intercepted by your grandmother and accepted for you on her behalf," she replied. "Master?" "En. My master is an immortal, she''s known by the alias Eternal Blossom Immortal. Because of her loving nature, she is known around the universe; there is barely anyone that is antagonistic towards her. She has placed a strand of her spiritual essence within every natural primordial formation, in every single realm of the universe, to find a disciple; of course, with permission by the god who oversees the realm," said Azalea gleefully. Astrallis stared at her, processing this newfound information, and asked, "What were her requirements for discipleship?" "There was only one requirement; her disciple must have an innate Eternal Blossom Body. According to my master, this is a body that the universe only sees every few aeons, my master has been searching for a disciple with the same body as her for an indefinite amount of time," Azalea respectfully said when mentioning her master. "You have this Eternal Blossom Body?" Asked Astrallis anticipation in his voice. "Of course, dummy. How else did I become her disciple?" Asked Azalea rhetorically, while playfully rolling her eyes. Astrallis'' smile was from ear-to-ear while he listened to Azalea''s lucky chance as well as her experiences over the over the past for years. "Enough of me! I want to know about you, I know you were exceedingly beautiful a few years ago, but how come you are so insanely handsome? You look like a man now!" Azalea finally couldn''t hold it in and shouted. He had been waiting for this and laughed away before he went ahead and explained his encounters over the years. "So, that''s how you became so exotic looking," said Azalea as she rubbed her hands all over his tattoos. "I''m a pure blossom, while you''re a seductive rose," Azalea giggled in delight, "and to think you are the young master of the Blood Felicity Religion." "When my master taught me about the universe, she told me they were the strongest all-female faction. But it doesn''t look like they are all female now," she said, unable to hide the mirth in her eyes. All of a sudden Azalea''s body jolted. "If you''re the only male in an all female faction," Azalea''s eyes become piercing when she stared at Astrallis. "And with the body and elegant regal bearing your possess." An uncontrollable aura started to spread around her. "Are you okay? They are not molesting you, right?" She voiced her concerns. One could almost see the whites of Astrallis'' eyes. He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, listening to the naive concerns of Azalea. "Of course not. I''m the only pure-blooded grandson of the Religion-Master, I''m also the young master of the strongest family within the religion. Would anyone even dare do anything to me?" Astrallis said in an attempt to appease her worries. What he didn''t say was that he was more worried about the hungry eyes of his family members, and a particular fiery girl. "Phew, that''s good. I heard from my master that the Religion has a seductive nature, and nearly every member of the religion has a harem of men. The Religion-Master supposedly even motivates this possessive nature. I don''t even know how my master is sworn-sisters with her, their personalities are so different," Azalea said in relief, her hands on her chest. "Opposites attract." Astrallis shrugged his shoulders. ''No one better take him. He''s mine.'' Azalea thought. ??? Back at the summit of Mt. Evanescence two women of pinnacle beauty stood next to each other, laughing gaily while watching the interaction of the duo. "It seems she doesn''t understand your nature all that well yet, Bloei," Anemone laughed in delight. "She''s too innocent and pure, she even thought that there were women who wanted to molest your grandson," said Bloei, the Eternal Blossom Immortal, with a smile but with a tinge of exasperation. Anemone''s eyes became a bit stern, "She''s not wrong in that aspect, you know the nature of the women in the religion. It''s hard for them to not act on something so handsome, the only reason they haven''t attempted is that he''s too young." Anemone''s reply caused both women to almost fall over in a howling fit. "Bloei, I''m incredibly happy that you managed to find a disciple. Heaven knows how long and hard you''ve searched," Anemone said. "En. I also love her naive and innocent personality, but I''ll have to change it a bit. Make it a bit more calculative," nodded Bloei while speaking. "If only all the people of the universe who befriended you realised that there was such a calculative brain in there, I don''t know what they''d think." Anemone shook her head in mock exasperation. ??? "Azalea, how come it feels as if your body is not here?" Astrallis asked something which he suspected he already knew the answer too. Azalea''s eyes dimmed a bit with his question. "It''s because I''m not here, well at least my body isn''t. I''ve been cultivating in my master''s residence within the Central Realm, for the past four years; it''s amazing here Astrallis. Apart from the pinnacle cultivation utility here, which I''m sure the Blood Felicity Religion has, too, the competition between the Heaven''s Chosen of the apex sects here is forever fierce! One simply grows stronger by being in this environment," Azalea''s eyes became more excited as she spoke. "You must come here sometime Astrallis, to experience the thrill of multiple Heaven''s Chosen fighting. It just makes your blood boil." She finished speaking, pure innocence in her tone. ??? 31 The Mystery of Felicity ??? "Astrallis do you have a Com-Array?" Azalea asked. "No, what''s that?" With a wave of her arm, a sleek object appeared in her hand from her spacial ring. The item was pink in colour, with a reflective screen in the middle. With a push of a button at the bottom of the object, the screen on it came to life. There were little runes systematically placed on the screen, with a pink sword in the background. Azalea pushed one of the runes with her hands, and an array just like a Vision-Array appeared but much smaller. "This is a Com-Array, or better known as the acronym - CA. It allows one to send ''videos'' and messages to other people who have a Com-Array. The Com-Array connects to the Cosmic-Data-Array, the Cosmic-Data-Array or CDA for short, is a massive array that covers the main areas of each realm. One can send information from one''s Com-Array into the CDA, and from there one can ''upload'' the information on to a Runes Page. A Runes Page is a place where information and ''video'' can be uploaded and viewed by everyone who has access to the CDA. A ''video'' is just what people of the universe call a vision formed from a Vision-Array." Azalea informed Astrallis. "Wait! Really? With this, we can watch fights between cultivators and find information?" Astrallis eyes started burning with excitement. "Yes! It''s also superb for organising events. Have you not seen one of these before?" She asked. "Well, I have. All the women at the Religion had one, but I just thought they were looking at their reflections on them. Well, they would always hold me and put the CA in front of my face, not sure what that was about though." Astrallis nodded his head in confusion. "Silly, they were probably taking pictures of you and putting it on their CulviPage; the CulviPage allows one to put pictures and information of themselves on the page. You can also follow another person''s page." Said Azalea as she navigated to her page. "See, this is my page. It has pictures of my master and me, as well as information about ourselves," She declared proudly. "Oh, I see. That''s cool. What are all those zeros on your page?" He asked inquisitively. "Those are all my followers. I''m quite famous around the universe considering I''m the Eternal Blossom Immortal''s first disciple. I have nearly a trillion followers. Although it''s only been a year or so since I got my CulviPage." She smiled while saying. ??? "Wait a minute. Is your grandson the ''Mystery of Felicity''?" Bloei suddenly asked Anemone. "Yes, he is," Anemone smiled in amusement. "He has a CulviPage, and he doesn''t even know. Also, his figure is always blurred out in every photo on there, because the page has his sect affiliation on it, everyone thinks he''s a female." Bloei continued. "It cannot be helped, all the sisters of the religion want to take photos with him. But I only allowed it if his figure is blurred. Because all the sisters combined have a great following, he''s quickly garnered a following himself, even if all they see is a blurred figure." "A casual five trillion," she smiled, "It''s well off the both of us, but in time he will catch up, especially when he reveals himself, all the girls of the universe will follow his CulviPage." Anemone and Bloei had a good chuckle. "Because the Astral Realm is secluded, there is no CDA setup there, so they cannot gain access to the mainframe. Otherwise, it would have been popular by now." ??? All of a sudden a sleek silver CA, with red engravings along the sides, appeared in front of Astrallis. The voice of his grandmother entered his mind, "This is your CA. I didn''t want to give you one during these past four years as I wanted you to train wholeheartedly, and now that you''ve proven you won''t be distracted by mundane things, I shall give you one." "You currently have a CulviPage marked as ''The Mystery of Felicity''. You have a substantial following yourself, although pitiful compared to me, your gorgeous grandmother. You decide if you want to reveal yourself or not." Grandmother Anemone imperiously said. "Cool! Your grandmother has given you a CA, just place a drop of blood on it and it''ll be yours. Only you can use it," Azalea said with excitement. He did as she said, and a page of mini-runes formed on his screen. He began to navigate it the same way he saw Azalea do it. "Oh, it seems as if I have my CulviPage," Astrallis said in confusion. He tapped it on, and his page appeared before him, "The Mystery of Felicity? That''s odd I already have over five trillion followers." "How did I not think of this? Who else would the Mystery of Felicity be but you?" Azalea squealed "Oh, that''s neat. I already have an account, but I have no photos of my own. I''ve only been tagged in photos; over one thousand of them. So, this what the sisters of the Religion were doing with me." "My figure is all blurred. Best to keep it that way, for now, I''m going to be adventuring. Don''t want anyone to know who I am yet." Astrallis left his CulviPage and searched the top pages. "That''s a pity if I managed to have the first photo with you I''m sure the CDA would go crazy!" Azalea lamented. Astrallis just smiled in response. "Oh, the top Heaven''s Chosen list? Ages five to ten; ages eleven to fifteen; ages sixteen to twenty. Twenty-one and open. I''m in the open category as I haven''t specified my age." He said in realisation. "Yep, you can see the top Heaven''s Chosen through that list," Azalea said confirming his thoughts. For the next couple of hours, Azalea and Astrallis looked through the lists, laughing and enjoying each others company. "Isn''t there a Heaven''s Chosen within the Blood Felicity Religion called the Saintess of Ichor?" Azalea asked casually. "There is indeed; she''s named Enyo. We''re intimate friends, I''m sure you guys will get along well," Astrallis said his voice was gaining vigour the more he spoke about Enyo. "Oh, let''s search her Culvipage." "She has fifteen trillion followers! She''s the child of both the Blood God and the War Immortal, and she''s a heavenly beauty, incredibly seductive too. How does she even have a body like that at the age of ten? Oh, right. My master told me that it''s the body-art you all practice that makes your looks mature faster," Azalea said silently comparing herself to her. ''My background doesn''t fall-short now that I''m the sole disciple of the Eternal Blossom Immortal, my looks also don''t; well, apart from the assets, not much I can do about that now, I need to grow older first. Her body is special as she holds both the bloodline of a god and an immortal, but I have the Eternal Blossom body; we should be equal in that regard, too.'' Azalea was quite happy with her conclusion. ''I mean, maybe we''ll like each other. There''s no problem sharing Astrallis. Wait! Does Astrallis like having multiple wives?'' Azalea started to slip down a rabbit-hole. Azalea was now close to the age of ten, and she has been introduced to the lifestyle of the Central Realm; with her perfect memory and cognitive ability, she was well-aware of the relationships between that of a man and a woman, and same sexes too. "Oh, there''s a picture of her and her father which she just posted a few minutes ago. How do I add friends? I haven''t added you or Enyo." Astrallis asked. "I almost forgot." Soon Astrallis had added Azalea as a friend and invited Enyo. "Now that we''ve unlocked your friend request you''ll have billions of friends requests coming your way, the people sending friend requests with the most followers will be at the top of your list!" Azalea said delightedly. At this moment a sensation was caused throughout the CDA, ''The Mystery of Felicity'' started accepting friends. Even big shots such as the Religion Master and the Eternal Blossom Immortal were some of the first to send friend requests; this immediately made the old ancestors think it was someone of their prestige, so they sent invitations themselves. Soon the traction caused by these ancestors adding ''The Mystery of Felicity'' made all the Heaven''s Chosen add him, which in turn made the commoners and people of other lower classed sects invite him as a friend. Astrallis shot up the rankings. ??? "Look what we''ve caused Bloei," Anemone and Bloei both woefully shook their heads. Astrallis and Azalea soon appeared in front of the powerhouses. The sudden interruption caused the youth to jump up in surprise. The children quickly reformed their bearings and greeted the two ladies. "Oh, my. He''s even more handsome in person. I see what you mean about it being a problem to hold back the girls of the Religion." Bloei jested towards her friend. Anemone smiled in response. "Alright, it''s about time we leave Mt. Evanescence. Bloei and I will follow you two towards the Ethereal Grotto Sect; there you can meet your families. Astrallis you will spend a month there with your family before going on a solo-experience, adventuring around the Astral Realm." Anemone said. "Azalea, you''ll have a bit more time with your family. I will explain the situation to them; it''ll be quite a few years from now when you see them again." Bloei added. "Let''s go." ??? 32 Wandering the World ??? The Ether family, and friends were currently in the midst of happy reunion within the Patriarch Room of the Elysian airship. Cestra Ether stared in awe at his son before him; he was so bewildered he didn''t even notice the woman who looked remarkably similar to his wife next to him. Grandmother Anemone chuckled to herself, quite pleased with Cestra''s reaction. The chuckle brought Cestra out of his daze; his body immediately went stiff when he noticed Anemone. How could his wife not tell him about his mother-in-law over the past thousand years? He immediately bowed deeply towards her, "Cestra Ether greets mother-in-law!" Grandmother Anemone gave a nod of approval, and said, "Jasmine, you sure did pick a great husband. His looks are superb, his disposition seems delightful, and he''s even managed to reach such a level in the secluded Astral Realm." "Of course, I''m only going to have one husband in my life; I needed to make sure he was the best for me." Jasmine gave a light giggle, her breasts jiggling in the process. Cestra was almost drooling, causing the mother and daughter pair to laugh with even more glee. "It seems he likes this side of you more, my lovely daughter," Anemone said with mirth. "I think they all do, Mother." Jasmine replied. Grandmother Anemone quickly looked around; all the men, including the women, were all staring at Jasmine, and her new look. ''Good, good. Stare at the beauty of the Religion,'' Anemone thought arrogantly. ''Wait, what are the women looking at?'' Anemone turned towards what they were gazing at, ''Oh, I don''t think so.'' An overwhelming pressure landed on the women, and a voice was transmitted into their heads, "Do not even dare to have any ideas about my grandson. He''s only nine." The women all quickly looked away, sweat forming on their backs. The men were woefully unaware of the catastrophe that nearly occurred. "Brother Astrallis, how did you get wings?" Azui, the phoenix asked her friend. Spreading his obsidian wings out in all their glory, he said, "I comprehended a movement technique called Helical Rising from the East. My body went through a transformation when I was in my grandmother''s Religion, and it seems my comprehension of the technique had reached such a level that it became something innate within me; forming these wings," Azuielle, Azui''s mother, also moved towards Astrallis staring at his wings, "Odd. These wings look very similar to the wings of an archaic Anthrazit Phoenix, which I''ve seen inside some ancient canons," "All I know is that I comprehended the wings when I saw a vision of a cosmic creature with wings just like these fly over a supernova, the Astral God called them sera... Before he was able to say anything, a golden monkey flew into him. They both rolled multiple times finally coming to rest next to the shore of the lake, where the pavilion they were seated at rested. "Wukong, I know you were excited to see me, but you didn''t have to do that," Astrallis said not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "I didn''t, a force controlled me and pushed me into you," Wukong said in confusion. Astrallis immediately stared at his grandmother, who was conspicuously whistling with her head facing the sky. He decided to ignore it, as she apparently had reasons for what she did. "Oh yes, Wukong how did your inheritance go?" Wukong, now much taller than last, puffed his chest out in pride, "I managed to become a spiritual-disciple to Immortal Golden Ape," "Spiritual-disciple?" Astrallis asked confused. "I didn''t become a soul-disciple as he obviously isn''t dead. Therefore he took me as a spiritual-disciple until I can reach a certain comprehension of his technique I cannot become a full-disciple. He also said that once I achieve a satisfactory level of comprehension, he will send me to his abode, ''Cave Behind the Falls'' and learn with my other senior-brothers and sisters." Astrallis then asked both Baihu and Azui their experiences; they also had similar situations to Wukong. This left Astrallis amazed, as all his friends managed to acquire an immortal inheritance, and a chance to join the pinnacle sects of the universe. At the same time this made him realise that it wasn''t just the geniuses within the pinnacle sects or ones who have immortal masters that he must be wary of, there were also people who stumbled across lucky chances. One''s birth does not define the height which they can reach. Azui gave Astrallis a long look, "Astrallis, you are completely different, and I don''t just mean physically; your temperament and personality seem to have changed." Azui''s words left him stumped. "How did you realise this Azui?" He asked. "Call it a girls intuition. Also, how come you are wearing such revealing clothing? I can see all your muscles." ??? A month soon passed, throughout this period Astralis enjoyed his time with his father, whom he hadn''t seen in over four years. Cestra was floored listening to Astrallis'' experiences, and deservedly a little envious. Astrallis also made time for his master, the Pinnacle Elder; Grandpa Doehring had already come to terms with the fact that he does not have the capabilities to tutor Astrallis on the Primordial Way, and eventually, he acquiesced his mastership to the expertise of Grandma Anemone. This didn''t mean that he took a backseat towards Astrallis studies, as he already saw Astrallis as his grandson, he just became an observing family member. During this moment of relaxation and bliss, Astrallis'' inner-self became exceedingly calm, and he entered the World-Wandering realm. In the World-Wandering Realm, he will roam the world pondering upon the Primordial Way, formulating esoteric insights. Once these comprehensions reach an adequate level, they will manifest into seeds, which will germinate when he enters the World-Coalescing Realm and create an embryonic form of a world within his dantian. The World-Creation Realm is a stage in which a cultivator''s inner-world is formed through the assimilation of their Soul-Being and the embryonic world. World-Wandering, World-Coalescing, and World-Creation make up the Great Realm known as the World-Realm which is the precursor to the Minting Realm. ??? The time had come for Astrallis to roam the thousands of empires in the Astral Realm. "Astrallis, once you step through this teleportation array, you will be sent to a random place within the Astral Realm. We will not give you any means to survival, it is up to yourself," Grandmother Anemone said, her face solemn. "I can see the mirth in your eyes, grandma. You''re obviously enjoying this," Astrallis rolled his eyes. "I can''t keep anything hidden from my grandson." She smiled. Astrallis gave a quick bow to his family and friends around him and entered the teleportation array. "He sure is decisive, he didn''t even give us a proper goodbye." Cestra chuckled. ??? A figure with obsidian wings was currently flying over jungle-terrain, its long black hair flailing behind him. This seraph-like figure was Astrallis Ether, the young master of the Ethereal Grotto Sect and the Felicity Blood Religion. It had been just over a week since he was teleported into this primordial-like jungle; every day was filled with battling beasts and enlightenment on the Way. "I''ve noticed that the rate at which I''m improving is markedly higher when I''m living between life and death," Astrallis said towards the lion-kitty floating beside him. "Indeed, comprehension works that way. The body is pushed to the limit, and in doing so it works substantially more, allowing for easier enlightenment. Of course, this improvement doesn''t correlate into cultivation realm improvement, but rather an advancement of one''s battle power as well as one''s being," Bataar, the lion-kitty, nodded. "You''ve been emitting your blood-aura over the past week, it''s time for you to emit your Buddha Qi. That way you can become in tune with the world around you," Bataar commanded The only reason Grandmother Anemone acquiesced to Astrallis'' solo-adventure was that of the presence of Bataar. With the knowledge and guidance of the primordial beast, Astrallis'' conflicting personalities would not go too out of hand. Bataar and Anemone''s goal during this solo-experience was for Astrallis to come to terms with his characteristics, and hopefully forge a path to combine, or at least contain his multiple personalities. A teal Qi began to permeate Astrallis'' body, a benevolent and calming atmosphere surrounded him. The rampaging sounds in the forest behind him all suddenly stopped. "It seems the beasts behind you have all stopped, most likely confused by your sudden change." Bataar laughed. Astrallis gave a serene smile in response as he flew towards a clearing in front of a rustic hut; the hut was sizable enough to fit one individual. He stared at his little abode with happiness; he quite enjoyed his current lifestyle and the novelty of it. He sat down on the clearing in front of the hut, his hands on his knees, lotus stance at the ready. He activated his cultivation base, three Qis, emerald, gold and teal, started to rotate slowly and elegantly around his body. The Qi would intermittently move forward in short bursts, before slowing down again, this carried on for many sunsets. ??? 33 Seven Dawns Imperial City ??? Within a clearing, a figure of immortal beauty sat in a lotus stance; multiple gigantic beast bodies lay around him. Lines of blood were pulled from the beasts bodies and gently floated in the air before they entered the handsome youth''s body. The thorny rose tattoos on the left flank of the man shone intermittently to the volume of the blood entering him, his heartbeats becoming stronger over time. Beautiful red roses had grown throughout the clearing, and centred around the youth, almost prostrating themselves to the immoral enchanter before them. The youth''s tanned skin rippled with aesthetic muscle culture, his muscles containing the power to sunder mountains. He wore tight black leather pants that barely did enough to hide his skin, the definition of his legs exposing itself. Wiggling his toes in his formal black shoes, Astrallis stood up with a smile on his face. "It took me four months to reach the small completion stage for the first level of the Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, although I can''t compare to Enyo in regards to physical cultivation, I''m pleased with my results," Astrallis said, as he placed the beast corpses inside his spacial ring. "Indeed, your results are adequate, you have reached minor-grade World-Wandering Realm as well," Bataar said as he materialised on Astrallis'' shoulder. "Good thing you''ve learnt how to retract your wings, it would''ve been a bit too difficult to explain that once we go into cities." Bataar chuckled The tattoos of wings on Astrallis'' back suddenly came to life, and obsidian six-meter wings spread out from behind him. The shirtless youth soared into the sky and pulled his sword from the sheath on his back. He began striking out elegantly, sending waves of emerald blade-intent out around him. Once one reaches an adequate comprehension of their chosen weapon, they will be able to agglomerate their Qi into their weapon and release it in an attack. There are seven levels to blade-intent, many immortals never manage to break through the seventh level. Currently, Astrallis had only touched the fringes of the first level, which was an achievement in itself, many sects from the Blade Realm would instantly make him a core-disciple of their sect. Astrallis continued his sword-play regime for the rest of the day. He had noticed the level of his Felicity Blade Art correlated with his comprehension of blade-intent; therefore he would hit two birds with one stone and only practice his blade art. Throughout the training session Bataar would closely inspect Astrallis, and whenever his bloodlust would start expanding Bataar would command him to practice his Way of Buddha, all to counteract the Way of Devil taking over. This practice regime had carried on for the past four months, with Astrallis attempting to balance the Way of Buddha and the Way of Devil. Currently, the Way of Buddha was favoured in this balance, but all of this could change once Astrallis'' level in the Sanguinary Felicity Body Art increases ''He''s lucky that Dharma Qi does not need a benevolent mind to use it. Dharma Qi has just taken the unfettered nature of both Astral Qi and Buddha Qi to form; at the same time, Devil Qi also has this nature. He may be able to succeed in creating the most balanced mind, the amalgamation of Devil and Buddha.'' Bataar thought as he watched Astrallis practice. ??? "Alright, let''s head to the capital city," Astrallis said anticipation is his eyes, as he looked the map he just retrieved from a cultivator''s body who met his untimely fate within the jungle. His wings beating the air around him, he flew towards the city, leaving an emerald glow in his wake. After two weeks of intermittent flight he eventually made his way out of the jungle and onto open plains. "According to the map, the Seven Dawns Imperial City is just past this plain," Astrallis murmured. "Let''s get there fast! I haven''t been able to feast upon any luxurious food since leaving the Religion; one can only last so long on that garbage from the jungle," Bataar complained from Astrallis'' shoulder. With a deep laugh, Astrallis rushed across the plains, a speed much faster than the average World-Wandering Realm cultivator. Along the way, the duo finally began to see signs of life, with airships both private and merchant flying both towards and away from the city; along with a few travellers, like Astrallis, who did not possess any vehicles of motion. "Astrallis, you may want to put on some other clothing; your looks are just too imposing, we don''t want any girls following you around," Bataar said while chuckling. "Seems I must, although I''m not against attracting trouble. Just not of that kind," Astrallis inwardly shivered, memories of his time in the Religion appeared in his mind. "It seems my ladies were aware such a situation would arise, they''ve left me a fitting robe and mask," he said as he took out items of clothing from his spacial ring, which he quickly donned. The robe was black with golden trimmings; barbed roses made up the etchings around the clothing; an exquisite artisanship, only the elite would be able to wear such clothing. Astrallis mask matched the mask in colour, as well as having flirtatious roses on the left side of the mask. Donning these new clothes Astrallis bearing attributed a hint of mystery. "Good, you''re now like a mysterious imperial prince. A perfect target for those elusive creatures called ''Young Masters''," solemnly said Bataar. "Indeed, I''ve heard all about those ''Young Masters'' from my sisters. If you kill or even offend, one of them, hordes of their family members will be unleashed; I''d rather not get myself into that situation, it sounds tedious." Astrallis replied sternly. The two then exchanged glances and burst into raucous laughter, and sped towards Seven Dawns Imperial City. "I think you should get yourself one of those fatties; all imminent figures have had a sworn-brother that is a fatty." Bataar''s voice followed in the wind. Later that day there were sightings, on the plains, of a masked man chasing after a palm-sized green cat. ??? At sunset the Seven Dawns Imperial City came into sight, akin to a sleeping dragon. Even with Astrallis excellent vision, he couldn''t see the end of the city; it sprawled on indefinitely into the horizon. Astrallis stared in amazement at the scene. Millions of people and vessels were going to and throw from the city; the paroxysm of excitement left the inexperienced boy stunned. Luckily he was wearing a mask, or passers-by would have accused him of being a country-bumpkin. He moved towards one of the multiple lines used to enter the city. "I never thought lining up would be so exciting; there is a novelty to it all," Astrallis said in a mental message to Bataar. "Hmph, they should all be bowing before you, not making you line up," Bataar, not known for his patience, grovelled. Astrallis had converged his aura, so apart from his noble clothing, one wouldn''t think his cultivation was anything noteworthy; even if one did notice Astrallis standing there as long as they were below him in cultivation, he would soon be a distant memory to them. A group of youths stood before him, all wearing matching uniforms animatedly discussing the happenings of the city. "Did you hear? The once in a millennia Sevens Dawn Grand Auction is in a couple of weeks time; the Royal Court and the two great sects will most likely be emptying their treasures of currency in order to buy the best the auction has to offer," a girl at the head of the group asked. "Indeed, of course, we have. It''s been the talk of the city for the past decade. Apart from the Young Masters and Mistresses of the sects, there will also be the Royal Princes and Princesses; such an event leaves one just tingling in excitement," An average looking man replied. "Within the past couple of decades numerous geniuses, unlike ever before, have been born. But that''s not the most exciting part; I wouldn''t be surprised if some old ancestors join the auction; at their age, there is little that can excite them, so I''m sure they''ll join the festivities." The girl said excitedly. Astrallis'' interest was peaked listening to the conversation of the group. "Bataar looks like we arrived just in time; good thing grandmother gave me a bunch of wealth," Astrallis chuckled. "Indeed. Your grandmother didn''t want you to have problems with money. It''s not like in those idiotic cultivation novels, that are so popular within the universe, where the protagonist always lacks funds and has to come up with numerous ways to get it," Bataar said in disdain. "Your grandmother and mother, want you to get every chance you can get. Even though you are the Young Master of the Religion and a Holy Land, more often than not some rare items slip through the cracks, and one can only find them at events such as this auction," Bataar informed Astrallis. "I''m looking forward to it." A sly smile spread underneath the mask. All of a sudden a commotion occurred in the line. ??? 34 Princess Eversnow ??? Astrallis, and the many people around him, all turned towards the commotion in the crowd. A group of elegant youths were trailing behind a tall veiled woman, a benevolent aura subconsciously emanated from her. She smiled and said a few words to a few people in the line that she passed. "Princess Eversnow!" A shocked cry woke up the crowd, as everyone turned fervently to look at the white-robed woman. Many of the men immediately emitted gazes of longing and appreciation; this quickly caught the attention of Astrallis. "It seems these men are not just admiring this woman for her beauty, for their eyes are not that of lust, but also her deeds or personality," Astrallis mentally said to Bataar. Bataar''s eyes flashed with the light of comprehension, "No wonder! She has the Seven-Life Snow Lily innate constitution." "The Seven-Life Snow Lily innate constitution is a rather rare heavenly gift, although it is not to the extent of your little friend Azalea''s Eternal Blossom Body, it is still enough to the make the peak factions of the Central Realm vie for her like rabid beasts," the fluffy cat continued. "Oh. Interesting No wonder she emits such a benevolent but wintry aura." Astrallis nodded. ''These innate bodies are appearing manifold more than when I was young, is it a heaven-sent opportunity or is it something more'' Bataar inwardly contemplated. The crowd animatedly discussed Princess Eversnow as she walked along the line. "Even though she is a Princess she doesn''t look down on commoners, nor does she make use of her noble status to jump the line, what an excellent disposition." A voice said beside Astrallis. Astrallis and Bataar both shuddered in fright, wholly unprepared. Their eyes quickly looked in disbelief towards the rotund figure beside them, the same thought simultaneously went through their minds, "How did he get near us? We didn''t even notice him!" A fatty taller than Astrallis stood beside the duo, he was dressed in a gaudy robe with a plethora of spacial rings on his fingers. Astrallis even saw some symbols rotating in the fatties eyes for a fleeting moment. "Brother, you looked like a man of many wonders, what do you think of Princess Eversnow?" The fatty asked as he turned to look "Indeed. She is a woman hard to come by within this Realm," Astrallis replied, having returned to his aloof nature. "Oh, why do you think that?" The fatty''s small eyes became large as he stared inquisitively at the masked figure, with a cat on his shoulder, in front of him. "Hoho, I feel my answer isn''t necessary as you already know it," Astrallis stared mysteriously at the man next to him. The fatty stuck his hand, a sly smile spread across his face, "The names Juju Binks," Astrallis shook Juju''s hand, a smile of his own spread under the mask, "Astrallis, it''s a pleasure to meet you Brother Juju." The observing Bataar had his eyes roll back into his head, as he said in disbelief, "He actually found a fucking fatty." ??? Princess Eversnow moved gracefully, her aura calming people around her, the looks of infatuation was something she was quite used to so she paid no attention to it. She was the daughter of both the Emperor and the Empress. As a result, she had been in the limelight since her birth, this was only exemplified when she started to show her astounding talent; such scenes were second nature to her now. A handsome man walked beside, his eyes also showing infatuation as he looked at her. "Princess, congratulations on entering the World-Creation Realm, at the age of sixteen. With such talent, you could be compared to the talents of the Holy Lands, maybe even better," the handsome man flattered her, although there was much truth in his words. "Thank you for your words, Duan Yan. I stumbled across some luck in my expedition." Princess Eversnow''s mellifluous voice replied, although if one looked carefully, a hint of annoyance was prevalent in her brows. Duan Yan was from Duan Clan, one of the three top clans of the Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom, although he was not the pinnacle genius of his clan''s generation, he was one of the most prominent. He was crossing the plains, close to the Imperial City, when he noticed the Princess and her retainers, so he took the chance to introduce himself and travel the remainder of the way with her. Princess Eversnow was happy with the company, but after awhile she began to become displeased as she noticed he had ulterior motives. She was quite pleased to reach the Seven Dawn Imperial City and part ways from Duan Yan, and head to the Imperial Palace. All of a sudden Princess Eversnow felt a gaze on her that was unlike the others. She stopped and turned to look at the gaze, what met her gaze was a pair of beautiful magenta coloured-eyes that seemed to hold galaxies within them; only after a second did she bring herself back to reality. Instead of the infatuated looks she received from the people around her, the man''s eyes were calculative and aloof; she felt as if she was being assessed. As if all her mysteries were laid before her. A stunned looked spread across her face, luckily it was covered by her veil. But an old woman, who had been silently walking behind her this entire time, noticed the change. Both the Princess and the old woman realised that they couldn''t see the cultivation base of this masked man in the line, but they could tell one thing; he was younger than the princess. This was the reason for their stupefaction. One''s life-vitality always emanates from one''s being. Therefore, one can not hide how old they are unless a secret technique is used to mask one''s life-vitality. Astrallis felt it was unnecessary to hide his life-vitality, or one could say that the pride in his bones wouldn''t allow him to do so. Princess Eversnow immediately changed direction and moved towards the mysterious man, this sudden change instantly caught the crowds attention. She arrived before the man magenta eyed man, all those next to him bowed deeply to the Princess greeting her. The only one who didn''t move was the man, he just nonchalantly stared at the beauty in front of him. ??? Whispers began to spread around the crowd. "Whose that man, how dare he not bow to the Princess?" "Country-bumpkin, he must be stunned by her beauty," "I don''t think so, his clothing is sublime. I haven''t even seen such material and artisanship within the Imperial City; well maybe there is such clothing in the inner-sanctum, I''ve never been there. ??? Before the Princess managed to greet the man before her, a loud shout spread around the surroundings. "How dare you not bow before the Princess?" Duan Yan''s figure moved towards the man, his first struck out before him, his Qi emanated around him declaring his cultivation of minor-grade World-Coalescing Realm. "No! Duan Yan!" Princess Eversnow''s shouted in anger, but alas it was too late to stop Duan Yan. As Duan Yan''s strike came in the range of the man, the masked man''s hand shot forward and gripped the oncoming fist. Duan Yan was stopped dead in his tracks. Shocked cries spread through the crowd, while a look of relief spread across the Princess'' face, a light flickered in her eyes - she wanted to know the identity of the masked figure. "What bodily strength! He didn''t even use any Qi to prevent that strike." The old lady behind the Princess muttered. Although the crowd was not sure how the man stopped Duan Yan''s strike that didn''t stop them from crying out in disbelief. They could all see that this man had the aura of a youth around him, he seemed to be even younger than Duan Yan, but he still managed to stop his fist. One also needs to keep in mind that the Duan family was the head family of the Lotus Creek Sect, their disciples were known kingdom over as being mighty figures. Although Duan Yan isn''t the peak of what the sect has to offer for his age group, his might is still known within the Imperial City. But such a figure''s strike was stopped by a simple usage of physical strength, by someone even younger than himself, such a feat left everyone astounded. Before the Princess was able to say anything, a crunching sound rang out, quickly followed by a mournful scream from Duan Yan. The black-robed man, with roses upon the left flank of the robe, applied pressure to Duan Yan''s hand breaking all of the bones in his hand, and at the same time severing the tendons. "You dare strike me with this little bit of strength? What happens if I was just a commoner? Wouldn''t I be lying on the floor dead?" The youth''s deep husky voice penetrated the minds and souls of all around, a soothing feeling spread throughout their being; a few spectators even went into a daze after listening to the voice. The old granny behind the Princess shuddered, as she thought, "He interlaced soul-energy within his voice. How did he do it?" ??? 35 What’s the Duan Clan?” ??? All Duan Yan could do was whimper when he stared at his now disabled hand, although it could be healed through medicine, it would still take a few months thus slowing down his cultivation and practice speed. Duan Yan''s eyes became red with hatred as he stared at the masked figure before him, at the same time fear formed within him. Duan Yan began to coalesce his Qi around himself, his World-Coalescing Realm cultivation base stirring up the surroundings, placing pressure on the spectators. When his eyes met the masked man before him, his soul quaked; before those magenta eyes, he felt so small and weak. "Astrallis, it seems he can''t even take a single glance from your eyes. The pure soul power of your Astral God blood makes you emit soul energy subconsciously, do you think his mind would break if you attacked with soul energy?" Bataar snickered into Astrallis'' ears. "It''s only because his will is weak, that I''m able to influence him," Astrallis said in disdain. Astrallis stared at the crazed figure before him. "It''s your lucky day; it''s unbecoming of me to spill any more blood before Princess Eversnow," Astrallis coldly said to Duan Yan. Astrallis let go of Duan Yan''s wrist, but not before he sent Duan Yan flying with a punch, his body rolling across the ground. "How dare you!?" Shouted a middle-aged man from Duan Yan''s entourage, as he managed to snap out of his inundated state. The pressure of a Minting Stage cultivation base descended on Astrallis, causing Astrallis'' bones to creak. "Oh, this idiot has the protection of a Minting Stage cultivator," Astrallis thought as he stared at the middle-aged man. Astrallis stared nonchalantly at the man, his gait never weakening, in fact, it only became straighter. The World-Creation Realm is the final realm within the World Stage, in this realm, the comprehensions of the cultivator culminate into a world inside their dantians C a world formed by understandings, it holds all the laws of the cultivator. The Minting Stage after that is divided into four realms; each realm helps forge the inner-world of the cultivator making it stronger and firmer, allowing for more power and higher comprehension. Currently, Astrallis was only in the World Wandering Realm, which is the first realm of the World Stage. World Coalescing Realm comes after the World Wandering Realm, which is followed by the final domain of the World Stage which is the World Creation Realm. Astrallis has the archaic blood of the Astral God, the tremendous soul energy that has flowed through his blood since his birth has tempered his will and soul hence why the middle-aged man''s aura had no effect on Astrallis'' soul-being. At the same time, Astrallis cultivates the heavenly Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art, a person who duo cultivates both essence and body cultivation is rare as a phoenix feather and unicorn horn. The number of factions in the universe that have a body cultivation technique, that doesn''t interfere with essence cultivation, can be counted on one hand; the Felicity Blood Religion is one such faction. A person who duo cultivates both body and essence goes against the heavens. It takes much more for them to break through to higher realms, at the same time their cultivation speed may not be as fast as a practitioner that only cultivates essence, but there are always pros and cons. A person who duo cultivates body and essence can generally fight a few grades above themselves; their battle-power defies the heavens. Astrallis was, even more, a freak of nature, his Sanguinary Felicity Body-Art had a mutation in its invocation, both from the unique Yin feature of the art as well as the Astral Blood within his body. This lead to his physical body having manifold more strength compared to a standard body cultivator. The most central feature that allows Astrallis to fight multiple grades above himself relates to the soul energy of his Astral Blood.[1] Astrallis'' will never faltered when the overbearing pressure of the middle-aged man descended. The man became embarrassed when he noticed that the masked figure was even younger than his Young Master. "Boy, do you know who you are messing with? He is Duan Yan one of the Young Masters of the Duan Clan," the middle-aged retainer tried to scare Astrallis, hoping for at least some reaction. There finally was a reaction from Astrallis, but not the one the retainer was hoping for. "What''s the Duan Clan?" Astrallis voice spread around the area, traces of mirth contained within. ??? The faces of the crowd all became odd. "Does this youth not know the immensity of heaven and earth? How does he not know the Duan Clan?" "A young calf is the most fearless." "Well, did you see the prowess of this young man? He must surely come from some large faction; he''s most likely putting on airs in front of this Duan Clan entourage." The spectators all discussed as they watched this odd confrontation. ??? Astrallis listened to the comments around him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He really didn''t know who this Duan Clan is; there are so many factions within the Astral Realm they could even be called innumerable. Although the Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom could be called a Tier One powerhouse, only below the four Holy Lands, Astrallis never bothered to learn about the empires around him. Cultivation and the advancement in the Way is his only goal, an almost single-minded devotion. A soothing giggle entered the ears of everyone, they all turned to the source of the noise and saw Princess Eversnow joyfully laughing. Her eyes bright with amusement as she stared at the masked man. "Mister, you really do not know the Duan Clan?" Princess Ever snow asked Astrallis. "I indeed do not Princess, and I wouldn''t have even known who you are if everyone wasn''t talking about you," Astrallis cheekily replied. His response made everyone begin to shuffle on the feet, a single thought when through their minds, "How can he talk so casually to the Princess?" Princess Eversnow''s eyes only became brighter when she heard the way Astrallis spoke to her; there was no flattering or infatuation in the voice, only one of mild teasing. As one of the top talents of the Empire as well as a Princess this type of speech is something she could only hear from a few people; most people were afraid of her background and didn''t dare to appear talk so casually with her. The old granny behind Eversnow smiled cheerfully when she noticed the happy response from Eversnow. The old lady also felt sad for her Young Mistress as she knew the one thing she lacked the most was a group of people that didn''t see her just for her status. Although she had a group of female friends, no man dared talk to her in such a way. This was a new experience for Princess Eversnow. "What is your name Mister?" Eversnow asked. "Astrallis, I see you have the Seven-Life Snow Lily innate constitution. No wonder you are such a benevolent lady," Astrallis told her, his words having deeper connotations that at face-value. The Princess and her old retainer had dumbstruck faces as they looked at Astrallis, the information about her innate constitution is classified information known only by a select few in the Seven Dawns Royal Court. They stumbled upon this information when a eunuch was reading some old canons and noticed the similarities of Eversnow to the descriptions in the text, after a few tests they concluded that she had the Seven-Life Snow Lily innate constitution. This information was immediately sealed, and she became the bright pearl in the eyes of the head honchos of the Royal Court. "Goodbye your Highness, I need to enter the city now," Astrallis gave a light bow of parting as he began to move away. "That fatty just vanished, he''s somewhat peculiar. Anyway, my words should have sparked some interest in the Princess; I''ll most likely be able to form a connection with her now, such a relationship will be crucial during my stay in the Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom." Astrallis inwardly ruminated as he began walking to the entrance of the city. "Wait, where do you think you''re going?" The retainer of the Duan Clan shouted as he moved towards Astrallis. The shout from the Duan Clan retainer woke up the stunned Princess, her features immediately became stern, and she shouted "What do you think you''re doing? This man is my friend; I''d like to see if your Duan Clan dares to touch him!" The Duan Clan retainer immediately stopped in his tracks; everyone almost fell over hearing the Princess''s words. The granny behind Eversnow gently shook her head and inwardly grumbled, "It seems everyone has noticed that even the Princess can be shameless at times, she''s always been mischievous. Her pranks are known throughout the royal court; but no one dislikes her, her benevolence is ever apparent to anyone who meets her." The Duan Clan retainer turned to the Princess, not daring to look at her in the eyes. "Your Highness he has grievously assaulted my Young Master, I can''t let him go without any repercussions. What about the face of our Duan Clan?" The man indignantly asked. "It''s alright Princess, I can deal with this, I did cause it myself anyway," Astrallis'' said as he turned to look at the retainer. ??? 36 Battle Prowess xxxxx Author Note: I will now use grades to describe battle-prowess. When one has special techniques, body-constitutions, weapons; it can increase their battle power by a few grades. So for example, if Azalea activated her Eternal Blossom body, she could have battle-power worth six grades. So, in other words, she could fight six grades above herself (a realm and a half). This would be called sixth-grade battle power (keep in mind this is just an example). She could still use techniques and weapons to increase the grade of her battle-power even more. xxxxxx ??? A troubled look crossed the Princess'' face, but the old lady behind her spoke before she could, "Princess, this is a man who won''t submit no matter what you do." Eversnow looked towards the masked figure, trying to dissolve the mysteries surrounding him, she finally nodded her head. "Alright, people from the Duan Clan do as you please. But keep within limits, the Duan Clan will only lose more face if you all gang up on a junior," Princess Eversnow said sternly. The Duan Clan retainer scrunched his face after he heard her words. The Princess had already given him face allowing him to proceed, but she still placed limits to what they could do. He pointed towards two youths, part of the Duan Clan entourage, who were minor-grade World-Coalescing Realm cultivators, "You two, go cripple that punk''s dantian," "Young Master was hurt because he underestimated him, don''t do the same." The retainer warned them. Two some-what handsome youths walked towards Astrallis; they emitted killing-intent in an attempt to pressure him. The spectators couldn''t help but shout shameless seeing their actions. Astrallis lightly smiled under his mask, as he felt their aura. It was impossible for such juvenile killing-intent to affect him. "I am an inheritor of an Imperial Devil bloodline, killing-intent is innate to such a bloodline. Only someone who has killed hundreds of thousands could affect me." Astrallis inwardly laughed. Many of the spectators went pale in fear after feeling the killing-intent the duo emitted, while some even knelt in the fall. All of a sudden a vast killing intent akin to a primordial Devil descended upon everyone around Astrallis, everyone below the Minting Realm crashed to the floor. They inner soul-beings began to shake as if they were about to be ripped asunder. "Pathetic," Astrallis voice seemed to originate from the abyss of hell. Astrallis stared at the two youths who approached him earlier in disdain, as they lay on the ground cowering. It was evident to Astrallis that these two only managed to reach their level through the advancement of pills and earthly treasures. If Astrallis directed his killing-intent at Princess Eversnow such an effect would not occur; although the killing-intent would affect her mind, it wouldn''t inundate her. She would still be able to fight. This all relates to having a solid foundation and a firm soul-being, such things can only be achieved through steady cultivation that isn''t rushed by medicines. Everyone looked at Astrallis in fear and astonishment; the old granny was not excluded. "How can a youth have such vast killing-intent, how many people has he killed? He must be even younger than Eversnow; surely he hasn''t killed so many people?" "Adding in that he saw Eversnow''s constitution in a single glance, this boy must have quite the background. I''ll need to seek the Emperor''s guidance on this matter." The granny quickly concluded. She must make the Princess form a relationship with this youth. "Old fool, get someone better to fight me. How about you? You''re at the Minting Path Realm, which is the first realm of the Minting Stage. Although you are a senior, it should be fine." Astrallis said provocatively. "It looks like you reached the Minting Stage through external means, your battle power must be around peak World-Creation. Wait a moment. If you''re following this Duan Yan around, he probably isn''t high up in the Duan Clan at all?" Astrallis asked inquisitively. The Duan Clan retainers face scrunched up, Astrallis hit a sore spot. With their cultivation realm and talent, they were only qualified to follow this debauch Young Master around. "That''s irrelevant; if you seek your death, I won''t stop you." The retainer shouted, as his aura of a pseudo-Minting Path Realm cultivator emanate from him. Although Astrallis was talking big, he still understood that he was fighting someone an entire stage above himself, he was only at the start of the World Stage while the retainer was a pseudo-Minting Stage powerhouse. "An essence and body cultivator can generally fight around three grades above them themselves. But, the soul energy in my bloodline as a result of my Astral Blood allows me to connect both my essence and body in perfect unison. With all three aspects of myself; my soul, essence and body working in harmony my strength will be immense. I don''t even know how high it will go myself." Astrallis mentally said to Bataar who was on his shoulder. "Don''t forget your Dharma Qi. The amalgamation of your Astral Qi and Buddha Qi has ascended it to a whole new level. Your Dharma Qi will help you also fight a few levels above yourself." Bataar chirped. "All-in-all, I feel that you could fight two realms above yourself. That''s eight grades. Even in the Central Realm, only the absolute top youths who are born in Eras of Geniuses can fight you." Bataar continued. Astrallis step forward, fighting spirit in his eyes, "And, that''s only fighting me. Matching is another story." "Come old-fool. I''ve been in the jungle fighting beasts with my body; I haven''t used my Qi for a while." Astrallis shouted as he darted towards the man. "Harmonious", Astrallis shouted as he ran towards the man. He began activating the soul energy in his blood, his essence and body started combining. A perfect harmonisation of his three powers occurred, as a result, the ground began to shake and crack as he ran. A menacing look appeared on the retainer''s face, noticing that Astrallis didn''t draw any weapons, he charged towards Astrallis, his fists at the ready. Their speeds reached over 200 meters per second as their fists collided, a massive shockwave proliferated from the centre blowing away a few spectators. ??? Everyone quickly moved back to a safer distance once they noticed the fight would become more dangerous, but at the same time, the crowd moved back. A few people with active auras stood sturdy like Mt.Tai. The power of the fight between the two didn''t affect them at all. Two of those that didn''t move were both the Princess and her old servant. ??? Astrallis and the retainer both took a few steps back after the initial confrontation. Disbelief was expressed on the retainers face, "You are only a minor-grade World-Wandering Realm cultivator?!" The retainer''s words struck the core of everyone spectating, no matter who they were. Astrallis'' concealing technique made it impossible for anyone to see his cultivation, lest they are an immortal. Astrallis, seeing the cat was out of the bag, released his aura entirely. His minor-grade World-Wandering Realm cultivation base emanated off of him. "His aura is only that of a minor-grade World-Wandering Realm practitioner, but it is incredibly firm and robust. Such energy makes it feel as if he is at the peak of Wolrd-Wandering." An old man sitting on the wall of the city mumbled to himself, as he rubbed his long white beard. "Enough, talking let''s fight," Astrallis shouted as he moved again. Astrallis sent a spinning kick towards the left flank of the man, the air made sounds of breakage as his foot tore through it. The man brought his arms up in defence just in time; the kick forced the man back multiple steps. When he looked up, he already saw Astrallis was upon him. The two traded hundreds of blows over the course of a minute, from land to sky, from city wall to street, the two battle over all terrain applicable to them. Only destruction was left in their wake, but the buildings magically fixed themselves. The two stood atop a large building, the wind flowing their robes in the air. Battle-intent radiated off of them in groves. "Ha, boy. You are only a lowly World-Wandering cultivator. To be able to trade so many blows with me you should be proud, or though I have no idea how you did it it ends soon." The retainer laughed overbearingly. A blue-fire began to surround the retainer. As a result, his fists began to explode with more power. The fire started burning the skin of Astrallis, the smell of charred flesh permeated the air. To the retainers surprise, Astrallis never stopped attacking and in fact only moved forwards. "Azure Hydra Barrage," the man shouted as began to spin repeatedly, the force of his incoming kick was multiple times larger than any of his strikes prior. "Boy, remember not to offend anyone in the underworld!" A grave look appeared across Astrallis face, even though this man barely had a Minting Path realm cultivation it was still almost three realms above himself, he had to take caution. Suddenly an ethereal black tree appeared above Astrallis. There was a devilish beauty to the tree; it had obsidian bark with carmine roses growing from the branches. An archaic air of a devil began to permeate the air. If one looked carefully, the roses resembled those etched upon Astrallis'' robe and mask. The branches of the tree shot towards the man and entwined themselves around his limbs slowing down his assault. Allowing for Astrallis to block the attack with minimal damage. The tree then flew into Astrallis body as he absorbed it. ??? "What was that technique? I''ve never seen anything like it," spectators animatedly discussed the fight. "It sure is profound; it managed to stop one of the Duan Clan''s famous techniques, the Azure Hydra Barrage. This retainer must have performed many good merits to be able to practice such a technique. But alas, even one of the Duan Clan''s techniques was defenceless before this youth''s ethereal tree." A fat middle-aged spectator lamented. ??? "The underworld? I''ve never been there before, but I felt my blood churn with excitement when you mentioned it," Astrallis husky voice entered the retainer''s ears. A terrifying blood-aura emanated from Astrallis as he slowly walked towards the dumbfounded retainer, the newly absorbed Sanguinary Felicity Tree boosted his strength by almost two grades. Before using it, Astrallis'' harmonisation of his three powers increased his power by four grades. Such a technique is something one can only stumble on, not learnt. There has never been a person who connected both their soul energy, essence and body before. There are only two entities in the universe with such intricate soul energy in their blood, who can perform such a feat, one being Astrallis and the other not even having a corporeal body. Apart from harmonisation, Astrallis had also proliferated his Dharma Qi throughout his body, thus strengthening it continuously. Every time he hit the retainer, Astrallis would absorb an iota of the retainer''s essence, therefore, keeping his abilities at a maximum. Such an amount wouldn''t be noticed by Astrallis'' opponent, only until much later in the fight. "This man doesn''t have a strong soul-being. Hence he won''t be able to resist my Dharma Qi''s the destruction of his Karmic Seeds if I use my Qi outside of my body the fight would over quickly. That''s not my goal though," Astrallis mumbled quietly to himself. A few old fogies fell over in astonishment when they heard Astrallis speak, a thought when through their minds, "Where did this freak come from? He''s fighting someone three realms (12 grades) above himself, and he still has time to ruminate, ah!" "Kid, I was holding back. But it looks like I need to bring out my full power to kill you," the retainer stoically said, as he pulled a blue rod out from his spacial ring. "You weren''t the only one who was holding back," Astrallis replied, as little spiky branches began to cover his arms and fists. Eventually, spiked obsidian black gauntlets, from his Sanguinary Felicity Tree in his heart, covered his arms and fists. "My harmonisation gave me fourth-grade battle power, my Dharma Qi also gave me fourth-grade battle power, and my Sanguinary Felicity Tree provided me with second-grade battle power. That is a full ten-grades of battle power. Exciting," Astrallis mentally ruminated as he stared at the rod-wielding retainer. "There''s no need to use any more of my trump cards; my fist techniques should be enough to deal with him." Astrallis thought as he charged at the man, his black robes flowing behind him. The man swung his rod at Astrallis, which Astrallis easily dodged, he then sent a strike to the retainer''s flank. The man winced in pain and shot backwards, tumbling across the roof the building. The man jumped off the roof and flew into the sky to escape Astrallis'' assault, Astrallis immediately flew into the sky in pursuit. A continuous barrage of exquisite footwork as well as fist techniques kept the man''s rod at bay. "I can''t do any damage to this youth; his gauntlets block all the damage from my rod. What are they? They resemble the tree that appeared above him earlier, is it a technique or an innate constitution?" The man asked questions in both curiosity and fear. If he lost this fight, there was only one option: death. Even if this youth let him off, the Duan Clan wouldn''t allow him to live. The man began to absorb his blood essence, drastically increasing his attack damage. Absorbing one''s blood essence is equivalent to destroying one''s life, although one''s battle-power will increase, their vitality will weaken. Thus their life-span will decrease. With the man absorbing his blood-essence the real power of a cultivator at the Minting Path Realm came to light. Astrallis began to feel pressure from the retainer. "He''s burning his blood essence; he must really be on his last ropes." The spectators all shook their heads when seeing this, at the same time the look which they gave the masked youth became even more fearful. A youth who could fight twelve grades above himself was beyond scary, although there were a few geniuses in the kingdom who had higher cultivations than this mysterious youth, none of them had such battle-prowess. If the spectators knew Astrallis'' age, who knows how they would react. Although Astrallis was pressured, he didn''t fall back in the assault, if anything the sense of danger increased his prowess. His movements became even more graceful and fast; his techniques became more powerful and firm. With each passing moment, his actions grew more refined. "Good, only during life-and-death moments can only thoroughly comprehend their actions," the observing Bataar praised Astrallis. Horrifying lacerations began to appear on the retainer''s skin as the spiked gauntlets tore him to shreds, pitiful yells rang throughout the air. Many spectators went pale witnessing the brutality of the masked-youth before him. All a sudden an even mightier devilish aura began to permeate Astrallis being, his eyes began to turn red; he released a heaven-warping killing-intent. The old fogies spectating the fight went pale in fright, even them, with long lifetimes and bountiful experience and never seen such killing-intent. They all could surmise that the youth before them hadn''t killed a human before, as there were many killing blows that the masked youth could have performed but didn''t. Therefore, there was only one answer; the killing-intent was part of his bloodline. Although the youth was tearing the man to shreds, it was apparent, to their trained eye, that he was still hesitant on whether to kill the man. What they didn''t know was that an inner-turmoil was occurring inside of Astrallis mind. His devilish bloodline was in the midst of fighting his innate Buddha personality. The man''s life-and-death relied on whichever one won. "Kill, kill, kill!" A voice, laced with excitement, chanted throughout Astrallis'' spiritual consciousness. His devil bloodline churned with enthusiasm, while the indifferent Astral Blood just watched the happenings. "No! There is no need for me to kill this man, one can always find a new path. People can be returned to the correct path." Astrallis shouted in protest. An incredibly large man, in a long blue robe, with a hydaa etched into the front, observed the fight. Once he noticed the inner struggles of youth, as he attempted to restrain himself from killing the man, the blue robed-man came to a decision. He instantly appeared in front of Astrallis. "Little-brother, it''s alright. I''ll take it from here." The large man said. The man struck out and knocked the retainer unconscious in one hit. The devil bloodline noticing that there was no chance of killing the man receded into his body, lying dormant for another time. Astrallis sighed in relief. He was fine with killing unintelligent beasts for food and sustenance to his techniques, but killing a human was something he was currently not prepared for. He wasn''t even classed as a teenager yet; such malicious actions were also against his innate Way of Buddha. "Controlling both the Way of Buddha and Way of Devil, these two opposite paths, is going to be difficult for Astrallis. But, I''m sure he can overcome it, and when he does his mentality will only improve." Bataar thought, as he casually sent the recordings of the fight to Grandmother Anemone. Astrallis turned to look at the man, with hydras on his robe, before him. The gaze he gave the man was evident. "Haha, little-brother, don''t worry. I''m the Vice-Patriarch of the Duan Clan, Duan Tian. I came to apologise for the rash actions of the young members of my clan. They have eyes, but they cannot see Mt. Tai. Luckily I was on my way back to the Imperial Capital and saw this fight, otherwise who knows how my clan members would have turned out," Duan Tian said in a friendly manner. "Here''s a little-token of compensation, I hope this amends the hostilities between us. Do come to the Duan Clan when you have time, we will make sure to make up to you properly." The man passed a spacial ring to Astrallis. He immediately vanished afterwards with the unconscious man. All the old fogies nodded their heads in understanding; it wasn''t worth offending such a genius and the background behind him. So, Duan Tian instead tried to amend the relationship and even make a friendship if possible. Astrallis inspected the spacial ring and was surprised at the contents, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. There were a plethora of rare wines within. "This Duan Tian must be a drunkard," Astrallis shook his head slowly, amusement in his eyes. Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Astrallis moved into the city. The guards didn''t even bother trying to get compensation from him, instead looked at him in reverence. Such a youth would be a character who could reign in the four-directions in the future; one should only make a good relationship with such a figure. "Brother Astrallis, wait!" Princess Eversnow ran after him. ??? 37 The Royal Siblings ??? "Brother Astrallis, wait!" Princess Eversnow snapped out of her revelry and ran after the prideful figure. Everyone took notice of Eversnow''s words and made sure to remember it. A youth with a heaven-defying battle power that could trump multiple grades, the mysterious and incomprehensible ''Astrallis''. While Astrallis was admiring the unique architecture of the Seven Dawns Imperial City, the Princess arrived behind him. "Your family has designed a beautiful city," Astrallis said as he admired the dome-shaped buildings around him. Princess Eversnow beamed a captivating smile, "Thank you; my ancestors would be quite happy if they heard such words from a person of your standing," "My standing?" Astrallis asked with a raised eyebrow. "Please," Eversnow flashed a sly smile, "A genius of your standard, with such a heaven-defying capability surely must come from a large backing. Maybe a peak Tier-1 Kingdom?" The thought that Astrallis maybe came from a Holy Land did appear in her mind, but she quickly retracted it. The Holy Lands were equivalent to a heavenly land. For Astrallis, who would most likely be a core-disciple, to appear before her was incomprehensible. There are a few hundred billion humans within the Astral Realm, while there are only around thirty thousand members of the three Holy Lands combined, it rationally doesn''t make sense for a Holy Land member to appear. "Peak Tier-1 Kingdom?" Astrallis narrowed his eyes in thought. "You could say something like that," his deep voice laughed. "My Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom is only a middle Tier-1 Kingdom. But we are also one of the key centres of trade within the Astral Realm, even more than some peak Tier-1 Kingdoms. The only reason my kingdom isn''t Tier-1 yet is that our power is not there yet," Eversnow proudly stated. "Well, once you mature your innate constitution it will allow you to reign in the four-directions," said Astrallis mysteriously. Eversnow became quiet as she stared at Astrallis, she wasn''t sure how to approach the subject. "I''m sure your kingdom has information on your physique, but not enough for it to be that useful. I can impart some knowledge to you in the coming weeks; I''m here for the Grand Auction anyway," Astrallis nonchalantly said. The Princess threw her little paws into the air with an excited cheer, the old lady behind her had a cheerful expression as well. "Your actions said one thing, while your eyes said another," Astrallis laughed looking at the actions of the beauty before him. "Thank you so much Astrallis. There is a gathering two nights from now of talents from the Evoco region, the Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom is within the Evoco Region," Eversnow said as she passed an invitation to Astrallis. "Hmm," Astrallis received the invite with a surprised look. "Don''t pull that face," Eversnow laughed. "The Grand Auction draws all the eminent figures of the Evoco Region to my family''s Kingdom. That includes all the kingdoms, dynasties and sects of the region. So, of course, the talent of these superpowers would take the chance to interact and compare notes," Eversnow said in a lecturing tone. Astrallis rolled his eyes watching the Princess'' act. "Considering that an Era of Geniuses is upon us, many of the talents showing are once in a million year geniuses for these organisations; I''m sure they will be worth your time," Eversnow through her hook-line-and-sinker. Although Astrallis'' curiosity was peaked, he feigned boredom. "It''s at my brother''s abode, will I see you there?" Eversnow asked in a tone that wouldn''t take no for an answer. "I first need to settle down, I''ll think after that," Astrallis said dismissively as he turned away. The Princess scrunched her eyes hearing his response, and said, "I''ve heard that there will be plenty of good wines there." Astrallis stopped dead in his tracks. "Alright, I''ll be there." ??? Astrallis currently sat inside a private room he rented within an unassuming inn. Bataar sat in front of him, drinking wine while they discussed their plans for the duration of their stay in the Seven Dawns Imperial City. "Even though you have a relationship with the Princess, and it should only get stronger once you help her with her physique, I feel it is best you form other bonds. That way you will be able to enter the Grand Auction without much difficulty, although it would be fairly easy for you to get a seating. What you want is seating in a private room," Bataar, the emerald kitty, informed. "Hmm, very well. I shall go to this gathering tonight; I should be able to form some connections there," Astrallis nodded sternly. Bataar rolled his eyes in disdain, "You''re only going for the alcohol." Astrallis'' neither denied or agreed with his claims, although you could see his face blush a little. "Oh, god. Now that you''ve taken your mask off, if you blush like that tonight all the women in the room will fall at your feet," Bataar joked. "I just won''t take off my mask," Astrallis replied. "That may not be the case; it''s not easy to form a relationship if you hide your face. Someone will only establish a relationship with someone who they can somewhat trust," Bataar said with a frown on his face. "Why are you frowning?" "I''m thinking back to that fatty we saw earlier, that ''Juju Binks," Bataar said slowly. "That''s obviously not his name. Did you see his eyes?" Astrallis asked. "I did, I''m currently not sure about that. But, I''m fairly certain about his bloodline. I don''t want to make any conclusion as of yet, let''s find him again first," Bataar looked deeply into Astrallis'' eyes. "Find him in this city? That''s like finding a needle in a haystack" Astrallis rolled his eyes. "I have a feeling you''ll see him again soon. He''s an oddity, and where else does an oddity go?" Astrallis eyes became bright, "An oddity goes where there are other oddities." ??? The Royal Court of the Seven Dawn Imperial Kingdom, at the centre of the city, consisted of grand structures built intermittently across sprawling mountain ranges and splendid lakes. Towards the centre of the mountain range, a white domed-palace lay situated on top of a beautiful mountain. There was a crystal clear lake, in front of the dome, with a plethora of pavillions floating atop the water. Of these pavilions, the most resplendent of them all was at the centre. Currently, four people were sitting on couches drinking various teas and alcohols. One of these people was, in fact, Princess Eversnow. Apart from Eversnow, there was one other woman amongst the four. She was elegant and beautiful, with a hint of maturity not yet apparent on Eversnow. If one looked carefully, they would see a scheming look flash across her eyes from time to time. This woman was Eversnow''s sister, Princess Evergreen. The two men were both elegant and refined, and both very handsome. They were in fact twins, one of them were known for their fixation to the Martial Way while other was known for their obsession with governance. This already sorted out who was going to ascend the throne, so no inherent conflict that came with the ascension to the throne was prevalent in the Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom. Unlike other kingdoms where the internecine struggle was frequent. The one fixated on governance, the Crown Prince Algard, listened to Eversnow''s tale with fascination. While Venzion, more widely known as the Martial Way Prince, also listened intently, but for different reasons than Algard. "Interesting! I need to get to know this youth. If we have discussions on the Way my comprehensions may be able to advance rapidly," Venzion almost shouted, a fervent look in his eyes. His reaction caused the siblings to smile in response; they wouldn''t expect any less from the one known as the Martial Way Prince. "Brother, all you ever look at is the martial prowess of a person. There''s so much more to a person," Evergreen rolled her eyes. "Martial prowess is at the root of all things," the straight-forward Venzion said forthrightly. "Okay, enough, enough. For him to know little-sister Eversnow''s Seven-Life Snow Lily innate constitution, his background must not be small. And if you look deeper into it, he wouldn''t have mentioned it if he didn''t want to form some kind of relationship with you," Algard said, while he extrapolated his ideas further. "Indeed, brother. I also came to the same conclusion. Eversnow do you know where he is currently?" Evergreen dotingly asked her little sister. "I gave him an invitation as well as a Royal Token so that we could communicate with him," Eversnow replied. "Good, you''re not just thinking with your fists anymore Eversnow. Starting to use that noggin of yours finally," Evergreen jumped on Eversnow as she started to tickle her. "Oh, guys. Remember, don''t expect this man to be respectful to you. He doesn''t care much about our status," Eversnow didn''t forget to inform them, in between giggles. "I wouldn''t expect any less from such a person. There is gold beneath their feet, they won''t bow for anyone," Algard nodded in understanding. A raging battle-intent began to emanate from Venzion causing the pavilion to shake. "Venzion!" The other siblings shouted as they jumped on top of him, attempting to stop him from going crazy. Only in the presence of each other would they act so carelessly and free, ignoring all royal formalities and proprieties. "Eversnow, call him for us. Let''s see if he''ll come. Oh, yes. You said he likes wine? Tell him I have a special batch that just came in," Algard said. ??? 38 Astrallis the Drunkard ??? Astrallis and Bataar were in the midst of a friendly game of chess, the outcome of the match would be evident within a few moves. Astrallis suddenly felt a commotion occur in his spacial ring. Thus he sent his consciousness in to look. He removed the Royal Token that Eversnow had given him earlier, it was currently vibrating with golden colours radiating off of it. "Oh, it seems that little girl wants to speak to you," Bataar said with a smile. "Indeed. It seems we must delay this game. She wants us to meet her at the Crown Princes'' residence. Her siblings want to meet me," Astrallis replied. "Seems like they realised your intentions," Bataar said. "We can go straight there, they''ve verified my token, no one will stop us," Astrallis said as he jumped out the window. Bataar followed and transformed into a ten-metre long emerald lion, with a blazing mane. Astrallis stood on his back. Bataar then shot off into the sky above the city and flew towards the centre. Uncountable spiritual senses shone upon the duo as they soared through the sky. Unsolicited spiritual sense is often seen as rude, but many people of the city couldn''t hold back their curiosity when they saw the majestic beast that was Bataar in the sky. Bataar arrogantly smiled when he noticed the people peeking at him, although his cultivation wasn''t what it used to be, he still had the aura of an immortal if he wanted to release it. Alas, the beast was too prideful, and he took joy in people watching him. Astrallis didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw the actions of Bataar. "I''m no less of a beautifully handsome creature to other female beasts as you are to female humans," Bataar said pridefully, "Okay, nearly the same level as you." Astrallis just smiled in response. "Oh, why are you flying? Surely grandmother told you not to help me so much?" Astrallis asked in confusion. "Ah," Bataar started choking in response. "I forgot, I got too carried away. It''s been a while since countless gazes have admired me." Bataar laughed shamelessly. "Whatever. At least we''ll get there within a few minutes, instead of a few hours. This city is incredibly large, but the architecture is one of a kind." Astrallis said as he gazed down at the city, like a ruler before his subjects. Sprawling mountain ranges soon came into view; multiple palatial structures lay built around the peaks. ??? Back inside the pavilion in the Crown Prince''s residence, the siblings peered at an array before them. On the array, one could see multiple golden dots moving around a topography of the Imperial City. "The speed at which he''s moving is incredibly fast," Algard scrunched his face in surprise. "He must either have an incredibly flying treasure, or an expert with him. This shows that our inference is right, he''s a youth with great backing," Evergreen nodded with a serious expression. "Haha! I didn''t think he''d like wine so much that he''d come rushing here to drink some," Venzion smacked his knee in glee. If Astrallis could hear Venzion know he wouldn''t know whether to laugh or cry. The Royal siblings now saw him as a drunkard because of Bataar''s actions. A few hidden hermits within the Royal Court noticed Bataar speeding through the sky; bangs ran throughout the air as he soared past the speed of sound. They all began to move thinking that this beast was attacking the Royal Court. They were all quickly sent a message informing them not to be alarmed. Although they all sat down, their attention was not on cultivating anymore but rather the beast, and to their surprise the youth standing on it. "Haha, Eversnow. Your friend is now being watched by all the ancestors within the court," Algard laughed in disbelief. "Indeed. He really is like what you said Eversnow. Gold must be beneath his feet," Evergreen said with a shine in her eyes. "Sorry, it seems our conversation won''t be so private anymore," Eversnow said sheepishly. All the ancestors chuckled listening to their golden girl, the future of their Seven Dawns Imperial City. "It was never going to be in the first place; he may give us some information about your constitution. Our Seniors would listen intently regardless," Algard comforted her. The siblings soon heard the sound of air splitting. They turned and saw waves of the lake following a gigantic beast as it shot towards them. Their mouths gaped when their eyes wandered onto the magnificent and stunning creature. Bataar imposingly appeared before them, the regal aura of someone who has been the spotlight for countless millennia emanated before them. "What beast is this?" Evergreen whispered. She heard no reply, she turned towards her siblings and saw their dazed faces. Confusion crossed her visage as she turned back to look at the beast, only then did she realise why her siblings were in a daze. A prideful and aesthetic figure stood atop the lion, his handsome features out of this world. His visage was beyond the realms of perfection; such masculine beauty left the two Princess'' stunned. The tattoos of the roses across the left side of his neck and face created an indescribable allure, while his eyes magenta coloured eyes were so beautiful that any creature would be sucked into a dream upon first glance. Silence rang throughout the chambers of the ancestors and powerhouses of the Royal Court. At their levels, beauty was something that most wouldn''t notice, but sometimes there were things so handsome or beautiful that one wouldn''t be able to not stop and stare. An embarrassed smile appeared on his youthful visage, which looked younger than Eversnow''s, as he looked at the stunned faces before him. "Roar," Bataar roared waking everyone up from their stupor, while he inwardly grumbled, "Damn you Astrallis, always taking my bloody limelight. Back when I wandered the Universe" Algard and Venzion, being males, managed to react faster and moved forwards to greet Astrallis. "Astrallis, thank you for coming. I''m the Crown Prince Algard. We didn''t expect for you to get here so quick," Algard said as he cupped his hands in greeting. "My apologies for imposing on you, your Highness," Astrallis reciprocated the greeting. "Haha! None whatsoever. It is the great fortune of my little sister that she was able to find you." The two brothers spoke to Astrallis as they made their way to the pavilion. Astrallis and the two twins sat down in their seats, unknown if intended or not but Astrallis found himself sitting next to Eversnow and Evergreen. Astrallis gave a sweet smile to Eversnow and Evergreen when he noticed their non-stop gazes. "Am I that pleasing to look at, your Highnesses?" Astrallius asked jokingly. "Yes." Both the girls replied. Astrallis almost fell out of his seat. The girls soon realised what they said, and their flashes flushed red with embarrassment. They swore to themselves that they would go for mental training after this, as they would go insane if they kept on staring at Astrallis. Realising the awkward atmosphere, Venzion placed wine with a beautiful fragrance on the table. "Brother Astrallis, it''s alright if I call you that?" "Yes, it is," Astrallis replied, liking the forthright nature of the Crown-Prince. "Good, good. You may call me Brother Venzion; I''m sure Algard would be fine with that too." The Martial Way Prince said enthusiastically. A few hours later. Over these past hours, the siblings and Astrallis had got to know each other well, laughing and enjoying each others company the entire time. "Haha. Brother Astrallis I thought you would be arrogant when I heard the words of little-sister Evernow. But, speaking to your for the past few hours that is clearly not the case," Evergreen said, an admiring look on her face. Astrallis gave an inquisitive look towards Eversnow. "Ummm, it''s just when you were fighting you were so imposing and arrogant. The aura you gave off was if there was no one above you," Eversnow fumbled for words as she replied. "Haha, little Astrallis is like that when he fights. Apart from learning that from his grandmother it''s also within his blood and being," the now kitty-formed Bataar laughed gaily. The siblings were intrigued by Bataars words, although they still found the juxtaposition of Bataar''s current size compared to his previous form jarring. "I''ve said too much; it''s alright. You''ll know about his grandmother in a few years," Bataar laughed, in only a few years the Astral Realm would be introduced to the Universe. Thus, finally connecting to the Cosmic-Data-Array and discovering about all the peak powers of the Universe. This only made the siblings get even more interested, but they stopped asking once they saw Bataar wouldn''t say anything more. "Well, we can confirm one thing at least. You really are a drunkard, you''ve drunk all my superior wine already," Algard said as he put his hand over his heart in mock pain. In fact, he was quite happy, how could win compare to forging a relationship with such a figure? Astrallis laughed his face flushed red with wine, he could quickly take away the effects of wine, but he didn''t care too. The enjoyment of alcohol was something Astrallis simply couldn''t put down. If Grandmother Anemone was here to see this she would certainly say how introducing Astrallis to alcohol was the worst decision of her life. This only made his handsome face all the more alluring for the girls. "Eversnow, are there going to be people at the party who want to challenge you?" Astrallis asked curiously. "There will be Although I''m not afraid of any of them, there are still a few talents who will give me a run for my money," Eversnow said with confidence. "Well, I may as well tell you some features of your constitution and how to utilise them. That way maybe those old fogies can stop listening to our conversations," Astrallis playfully said. The ancestors went red in the face realising that the youth had understood they were spying on him, at the same time they were bewildered that he managed to achieve it. "What strong soul power," a regal and imposing figure, sitting on a throne, uttered in astonishment. ??? 39 The Gathering ??? "This mountain range is impressive, it is akin to a monolithic sovereign protecting the four directions," Astrallis whimsically remarked as he gazed upon the range before him. Astrallis stared into his flagon, and the last drop of wine within it and sighed, "The Crown Prince informed me that his ancestors fought a pyrrhic victory to seize this land, the battle left them empty much like my flagon," "From what I can gather, this land also holds a colossal secret. For his ancestors wouldn''t take such significant losses just to seize a picturesque mountain range," Bataar, sitting on the railing of the balcony, openly ruminated. "The Crown-Prince was somewhat open about it, in a vague way. It was as if he subconsciously wasn''t afraid of the secret being let out," Astrallis frowned in confusion. "Astrallis, although you are exceedingly intelligent, even for a genius of your age. You still lack experience and maturity. Let''s think of the reason why all these genius youths are coming to the Imperial City because let''s be honest; a Grand Auction is not enough to convene all of them," Bataar said with a severe expression. Astrallis seeing Bataar''s face knew that Bataar was teaching him. Although Astrallis often played around with Bataar, he still holds great respect for him. Bataar was once a pinnacle being of the Universe, and if it weren''t by his own decision, he wouldn''t be in his current circumstances. "Now, these youths convening at the Crown Prince''s mansion most likely think they are here just to exchange pointers, but I can infer that it most probably isn''t the case. The Seven Dawns Royal Court has advertised the Grand Auction extensively, informing the entire Evoco Region and even beyond. It seems as if they want everyone to be here for a reason," Bataar said pointedly to Astrallis. "Why would that be the case?" "An old ruin or perhaps an arcane realm. A place beyond the control of even the Astral God, the creator of this realm. A place which the Grand Way controls," Bataar said, a smile finally forming on his face. "I see! So, they are most likely auctioning tokens to enter this arcane realm. Considering that all the top youths from around the region have come, it seems only people of a certain age can enter as well," Astrallis shouted, for the first time since entering the Imperial City, genuine excitement formed on his face. "Good. That''s my inference. Anyway, the gathering is tomorrow night. Have some fun, or cultivate. Up to you," Bataar said before he vanished into the Dharmic Sword on Astrallis back. "Up to me." Astrallis gently tapped his hand on the balcony''s railing. "How do I have fun?" ??? A day passed quickly while Astrallis wandered the Royal Court causing a female epidemic. Soon a rumour about a teenager with a godly appearance spread across the domain, causing a few arrogant male youths to become disdainful to this ''godly-figure''. How can he compare to them? The youth leaders of the Era of Geniuses. Looks can only get you so far; strength is the root of all. While this storm was spreading across the domain, the unsuspecting Astrallis was trying to have ''fun''. "Astrallis, did you wear your mask today?" "Why should I Bataar? Everyone is so friendly to me when I have my mask off," Astrallis unabashedly said. "Oh, come off it. Don''t act all na?ve to me, I know what''s in that head of yours," Bataar gave a pensive look towards the boy before him. "Alright. I feel confined within a mask," Astrallis said defeatedly. "Well, I expected this. It doesn''t matter anyway. You''ve been cultivating and practising your entire life. The only ''fun'' you''ve ever had is when the girls at the Religion whisked you off to learn how an individual of your status should act," Bataar said, although he was a bit ashamed of himself for not doing anything about it. "It''s alright; I at least know how to dine and dance properly. The sun is starting to set; the gathering is soon to begin. I''ll leave for the mansion," "You''ve wandered quite far; you''re going to be a bit late," "It''s alright, the solitary beauty of this mountain range gives me a feeling of serenity." ??? The sun had set by the time Astrallis came within sight of the Crown Prince''s abode. The faintly lit pavilions upon the lake gave the party a dreamy and cosy feel. Astrallis could see figures walking to and fro between the buildings, and to his surprise, a stage had been placed in the middle of the pavilions. The pavilions were circularly arranged around the stage. Slow mellifluous music spread throughout the area from a band performing on a pavilion adjacent to the stage. The music was set to a ? beat, while the first beat of the measure was strongly accented. Currently, there were a few elegant figures dancing upon the stage. Their movements were fluid and regal, emitting a sense of nobility. The men lead their partners around the stage. Each couple was trying to out dance the other. The dazzling dresses fluttered around the stage akin to blooming petals of a lotus, some brighter than others. While the men were akin to the stems, holding and providing support to the flourishing petal. "A waltz, I wouldn''t expect any less. There is no better affair when displaying one''s mobility and control than dance," Astrallis faintly chuckled. Astrallis moved across the lake, his feet gently touching the water, while he admired the decorative pavilions and the round aesthetic architecture unique to the Seven Dawns Imperial City. Within the most charming of pavilions, a group of youths from the pinnacle factions of the Evoco Region sat with the Seven Dawns, imperial siblings. These youths were the leaders of their factions, so their status allowed them to sit in this pavilion. Their entourages were allowed access to the surrounding pavilions. "Oh! Whose that?" A pretty girl, with blonde hair, sitting next to Eversnow asked when she saw Astrallis'' figure. The rest of the group surprised by her outburst turned to look at the arriving teen. "Crown Prince Algard, someone dares to enter your abode in such a fashion and arrive so late. Who is this person?" A handsome man, with triangular eyes, asked inquisitively. This man was the only son of the emperor of the Trinity Empire, who specialised in eye-techniques. Frowns crossed the visages of the Imperial siblings; such a display showed this person held their family with no regard. Soon those faces turned to happiness, especially Eversnow''s. Crown Prince Algard suddenly stood up; his actions immediately caught the attention of the surrounding people. Their eyes began to blaze with interests; it seemed the Crown Prince was not pleased. "Haha! Brother Astrallis, my siblings and I were wondering when you would come." Algard shouted with glee as he moved to welcome Astrallis. Algard''s actions immediately inundated the crowd. Who was this youth to get the Crown Prince to receive him? Even the peak empires didn''t demand a personal welcome; all Crown Princes had their pride. It would take an arm and a leg for one Prince to receive another. But before Algard managed to reach him, an elegant figure flashed in front of him. "Brother Astrallis! I thought you weren''t going to come in the end." Eversnow''s sweet voice entered everyone''s ears as she arrived before Astrallis. Eversnow''s actions frightened the men and women in the pavilion even more than the Crown Prince. They all knew that this daughter of the Emperor had ignored all the advances towards her tonight, and now she openly embraced a man. Who was this person? "I was admiring the beautiful scenery of your mountains; it was if serenity is innate to them, my heart feels pure after strolling through them," Astrallis replied with his deep husky voice. Shivers ran down the arms of the females, even a couple of men. "With Brother Astrallis'' experiences and vision, for you to say that about our grounds is a heartful complement," the Crown Prince replied genuinely. "I see you have set up a dance-floor. I''d love to have a go soon. But, before that. Introduce me to your friends here." Astrallis warmly said, as he turned to the pavilion where the two came received him from. The trio moved towards the pavilion, while Astrallis admired Eversnow''s dress. "The floral furnishings on your dress are beautiful, it matches your eyes brilliantly," Astrallis said to her. Eversnow smiled from ear-to-ear. "If only I could be compared to you. You can wear a loincloth, and you''d still be the best-looking thing in the room," Eversnow replied. "Everyone, this is Astrallis. Many of you have asked who the ''godly-figure'' is, and this is him," Venzion appeared next to them with a laugh, his face apparently looking forward to their reactions. Venzion''s words caused the women''s face''s perk up, and the same applied to those two men from before. "Hello, everyone. Pleased to make an acquaintance. I''m not too familiar with this region, so please excuse me if I do not know your status," Astrallis cordially greeted. Astrallis stood there awkwardly wondering if he''d done something wrong as there was no response from the group. Apart from his sect and the religion which he was comfortable around, this was the first time he''d gone to such an event and met so many new people. To say he wasn''t nervous was a lie. "Dummy. They''re not responding because they''re looking at your face," Eversnow said exasperatedly. All the ladies and those two men stared at Astrallis in amazement. "Ladies. Give up. Even I don''t have a chance." Eversnow said. Astrallis sat down on one of the couches that lined the perimeter of the pavilion, Eversnow sat next to him. A few youths stared at Astrallis in suspicion; they felt a faint suppression emanating from him. A battle-intent subconsciously formed within them. Astrallis began to rotate his buddha Qi around his body; a harmonious aura seeped out from his pores. The suffocating atmosphere of the pavilion quickly faded away. "Everyone, I''m sorry I came late. I ran afoul of time when wandering the mountains, I meant no disrespect to you all by coming late," Astrallis flashed a smile. Everyone began to feel pleased and secure within Astrallis presence, at the same time some youths became pensive. "This youth is powerful. He''s able to influence everyone''s moods and emotions so easily. Although with his visage, he looks innocent, there''s a calculative mind within," Hanzo, the Prince of the Trinity Empire inwardly thought. ??? 40 Art of Dance ??? "This youth is powerful. He''s able to influence everyone''s moods and emotions so easily. Although with his visage, he looks innocent, there''s a calculative mind within," Hanzo, Prince of the Trinity Empire, inwardly thought. "Friend Astrallis, if even the Crown Prince is not offended how can we be?" A smooth voice soon entered the ears of Astrallis. Astrallis turned to the voice, and Bataar''s words crossed his mind, "An oddity will be where other oddities are." A seven-foot fatty sat beside him. "Juju Binks, I expected to see you here," Astrallis nonchalantly replied. But inwardly he was startled, as he didn''t notice the presence of the tall Fatty. There were many others like Astrallis who was surprised. They all didn''t notice the Fatty. Even with the fatty''s thick skin being called what he said on a whim caused him to go red. "Brother Juju Binks... I can''t keep calling you that. What''s your real name?" "Oh, haha. You may call me Rex," the Fatty, now knighted Rex shamelessly replied. "You seem to have had quite the growth spurt since I last saw you," Astrallis asked with raised brows. "Yes. Although, I''m not entirely sure why," Rex said with evident worry. "You shouldn''t be worried; it seems to be only beneficial," Astrallis replied with a shine in his eyes. Astrallis'' words caused Rex visage to become serious for a moment as he looked intensely at the handsome youth next to him. "You can tell, can''t you?" Rex sent a mental message to Astrallis. "Partially. I can see the gains that your transformation has granted your body and bloodline. But, I still have no idea about your eyes," Astrallis replied. Astrallis'' words were an only part truth, as the one who knew about Rex''s constitution and bloodline was Bataar who had yet to inform Astrallis of its origin or speciality. "Anyway. Enough of this. We can talk about this after the party." Astrallis dismissed the bombardment of questions that was sure to follow. Astrallis was quite relieved. His primary goal for the gathering was to form a relationship with the mysterious fatty before him, and now that his bait was released it was sure to catch. After that Astrallis exchanged some pleasantries with the surrounding youths, the majority of the women congregated around him. Causing one too many red-eyed teenagers to stare venomously at Astrallis. Astrallis just ignored those gazes, people with such mindsets would not amount to much in the future. No matter their talent or background. ??? The Crown Prince noticing that the atmosphere was starting to become lively, indicated towards the band at the centre of the pavilions to increase the tempo of the music. The music began to change to that of a gliding waltz, ethereal and refined. "My dear guests, the dance floor is open to you all. I hope to be able to see some of your graceful movements soon." Algard, the Crown Prince, encouraged the party-goers. The gathered youths all became excited, they all originate from high backgrounds. Thus they were educated in the Four Arts to some extent. Which consist of the Art of Calligraphy, Art of Dance, Art of MInd and Art of Painting. The Art of Dance is not just for beauty and grace; it also allows one to see the realm in which one''s mobility has reached. If one''s Art of Dance had reached a certain level, apparitions and dream-like scenes would appear beneath their feet. In the Central Realm, the Art of Dance is even more relished than the Astral Realm, with gigantic dance competitions spreading across the land. There is a saying in the Central Realm, "If one cannot dance, they cannot walk the Way." "As the host, I will go first. Anyone care to join me?"The Crown Prince asked, a smile on his fair visage. A girl quicker than the rest flashed before the Crown Prince, she sent a cold look towards the rest of the women who attempted. She had cyan hair which seemed to scintillate with ice; a cold aura emanated from her. The other girls sighed in disappointment when they noticed her. "That''s Svensenia, the Princess of the Everglades Empire. It''s public knowledge that she''s been courting Crown Prince Algard for a couple of years already. Her Art of Dance is praised region over." "Indeed. We are going to see a brilliant scene." Algard smiled towards Svensenia as he took her hand, they walked across the lake towards the stage. Music changed that to that of a three count, the count of a Waltz. Looks of expectation appeared on the faces of everyone watching. The elegance of Waltz if performed efficiently was a spectacle to the eyes, at the same time the man would be taking the lead so the result of the dance would rely intensely on the man''s guidance and technique. Algard pulled his partner close to his body, their faces almost touching. Svensenia''s misty breath slowly spread across his face, "Svensenia, it seems you have advanced in your Ice Phoenix Codex." "Do not worry my Prince. It does not inundate my movements. "I would never expect it to." The Crown Prince took hold of his partner''s waist, while she placed her hand on his shoulder. While their other hands held to their side. Algard began to lead the duo across the stage, their movements slow but graceful. A flurry of techniques followed. ??? "Oh, surprising. Although Algard is not known for his martial prowess, his action is refined and elegant." Astrallis stared with interested at the duo. "If he keeps moving as he is his Art of Dance is sure to invoke a beautiful scene." Many spectators let out gasps of shock when they saw apparitions begin to appear around the dancing duo. A Sun dragon and Ice Phoenix were entwined together moving in unison above the pair. Brilliant colours radiated off of the beasts and fell onto the dancers. Their movements became faster and more frenetic. "Let''s see how much energy they can handle. When the light of the apparitions is shone upon Art of Dance practitioners, it increases the speed of their dancing. Eventually, it will reach the point where the increased speed will impede on their movements, and the light will vanish. But, the longer the light shines upon them, the more significant their comprehension of movement will be," Bataar said as he appeared on Astrallis'' shoulder. "Indeed. The further one goes in the dance the further they will comprehend. It''s unfortunate that one cannot forever dance to improve their comprehensions. Each time one dances one need to exceed one''s past dance, and only then will one''s understanding of movement increase." Astrallis replied in understanding. Gradually more apparitions began to appear in the sky, each time the speed of the duos dancing increased a new pair of beasts would appear. Finally, five pairs of phoenixes and dragons moved frantically above the couple. Gasps of appreciation and astonishment rang throughout the pavilion. "Impressive, for these two to reach this level, their comprehension of movement must be improving steadily." "The Crown Prince Algard and Princess Svensenia are also very cohesive. One is a dragon, and the other is a phoenix, since time immemorial these two beasts have been partners and friends. They have formed a balance like that of Yin and Yang." "Indeed. For one to improve in one''s Art of Dance one must form a symbiotic connection with their partner. For this to happen, they must be like Yin and Yang." The dancing duo finally came to a standstill, their breathing rapid and turbulent. But if one looked carefully, they would see that their breath was in unison. The Phoenixes and Dragons flew down and entered the duo. The spiritual apparitions then amalgamated with the soul-beings inside their consciousness and improved their comprehensions. "The Grand Way sure is remarkable. Through the Art of Dance, something divined by heaven, we can increase our abilities," Algard said woefully as he gazed into the eyes of his partner, "I accept." An endearing red appeared on Princess Svensenia''s cold face, her visage akin to a glacier gradually broke. "Haha! My brother, it seems the new Empress of Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom is before everyone." Venzion, the Martial Way Prince, loudly proclaimed to everyone. The looks everyone sent towards Svensenia became a hint more respectful. A future Empress, of a Tier-1 empire, was not a person one would want to slight. The now engaged couple moved back to the pavilion under the cacophony of congratulations. Princesses Eversnow and Evergreen went to meet their new sister, a cause for celebration. Astrallis smiled upon seeing this scene. His mind couldn''t help but wander and think of two figures, one with the lotus pink hair and the other with flaming orange. "It''s only been five months or so, and I''m already missing them. But, I''m sure what I have isn''t the same as the Crown Prince and Princess Svensenia. Those girls only see me as a friend anyway," Astrallis shook his head. Bataar gazed in amusement at Astrallis. "He still is only a child. I forget how old he is with the way he acts, and his calculations." A look of concern slowly spread across his feline face, "What age is he now? Close to eleven? I fear this tenderness that he holds may not last." "Who will win, the Buddha or Devil? Maybe a miracle of Yin and Yang may happen?" "This child''s entire life is a miracle, but why do I feel it will not be for long?" ??? 41 Breaking Through the Firmamen ??? Eventually, many couples started to show off their elegance on stage, while many managed to make apparitions appear, it was not to the extent in which the now-engaged couple achieved. Many martial techniques were used on the stage to increase the dancer''s performances; the longer one could withstand the increase in speed the further their comprehensions could advance. But there were a few who did reach the level of the Crown Prince. The Martial Way Prince, for example, managed to break into the sixth-stage Art of Dance and formed six apparitions. Unfortunately, he was not able to establish a connection of Yin and Yang with his partner, but it is to be expected. The partners would either have to have opposite personalities or constitutions. "Congratulations boy. To find a little girl, such as her, to be your Way Companion is luck in itself. I''ve known many cultivators who were never able to find a partner for their everlasting journey, and you went and found yourself before the age of twenty!" Bataar joked as he materialised next to the Crown Prince. "Senior, thank you for your kind words. If it weren''t for my father, I would have pursued Svensenia years ago." Algard hurried to send his greetings, slightly shivering when he thought of the first time he saw Bataar. An inquisitive look appeared on Svensenia''s face when she saw the reverential bearing of Algard when he faced the floating fluffy lion-kitty. She soon noticed a wickedly handsome teenager moving towards them. Even now she looked at this youth she couldn''t understand how something so perfect could exist. Svensenia couldn''t help but think of the phrase, "Perfection garners the envy of even Heaven." "Brother Astrallis! Will we be able to your suave bearing upon the stage?" Algard said half-jokingly. "Haha! You will definitely see him on stage in due time. Apart from cultivating back home, he''s been forced to study the Four Arts, and I must say even with my vast experience, his skill is still as rare as a phoenix feather and a unicorn horn." Bataar said proudly. "Well, looks like Bataar has already answered me. Apart from coming over here to give me congratulations, I was also going to ask Eversnow if she would like to dance," Astrallis said straightforwardly. "Oh? Would you like to dance with my sister? I would expect you to pick someone you would resonate with" Algard said in confusion. "I definitely can resonate with her," Astrallis flashed a wicked grin towards the bewildered Crown Prince. He then moved towards Eversnow, whose face was currently a mixture of excitement and anticipation. "Princess, may I have your hand in dance?" "Of course." Astrallis and Eversnow began to move slowly towards the stage; their actions immediately caught the attention of the surroundings. Eversnow''s beauty was known far-and-wide, many of the talents at the gathering had come to experience her grace. While the men stared in appreciation at Eversnow, the women were utterly enraptured by Astrallis, his steady gait akin to a divine spear holding up the heavens. The moonlight seemingly congregated around him, bowing down in obeisance. The light created a trail behind the duo, invoking a picturesque scene. ??? A few old eyes, spectating the gathering, dilated upon seeing this scene. A regal looking man with a golden crown on his head sat with a few old men around a table upon the highest mountain of the Royal Court. "Impressive. Just by walking he has already produced an ethereal scene, his skill in the Art of Dance is most impressive." The Emperor of the Seven Dawns Imperial Kingdom stated. "It''s not just that Son. It seems the connection he has with little Snow has also invoked the scene." A white-bearded man with a robust body replied. "Oh. Indeed, I see. They''ve formed a connection of Yin and Yang already? I wonder what it shall be. It usually takes the constitution of the partners. Forget personality; it''s almost impossible to have opposite personalities." The Emperor thought allowed to his father, who had handed the thrown down to him a few thousand years ago. ??? The coupled eventually made their way towards the centre of the stage, the other people who were dancing on the stage had the state of mind to realise they should leave. Astrallis turned towards Eversnow and pulled her into him. Their faces were so close they could feel each other''s breath. Astrallis moved his hand to her supple waist and held her back. She gracefully placed her hand on his shoulder, while they both charismatically put their arms in the air to the side. The gathered eyes promptly noticed the confident actions of the two; soon those eager eyes were full of disbelief. Two gorgeous flowers had materialised above the two, a lily and a rose. The lily was white and pure as snow, while the rose was a seductive carmine. ??? "A miraculous symbiotic relationship of Yin and Yang have formed a between them, just through the initial touch of the two," the Emperor whispered in astonishment. "Little Snow has the Seven-Life Snow Lily constitution, so it makes sense for her apparition to form a lily. It seems this boy has some connection to roses, except his rose seems almost malevolent." The Emperor''s father concluded. ??? Astrallis was moving slowly, but elegantly, his arms were guiding Eversnow masterfully. After every set of movements, he would move to another cardinal direction, allowing the duo to glide around the stage. With nearly every set of movements, a new pair of flowers would appear. The ethereal heavenly flora amplified the beauty of the couple and their actions. The moonlight was akin to falling misty rain. Astrallis suddenly lifted Eversnow into the air, causing her to spin gracefully. Her dress spread in the air around as if she was a flower blooming. He then moved underneath her and caught her with one arm; she slid around his body till she was on her feet once more. "Are you ready?" Astrallis whispered into her ears. The concentration in Eversnow''s eyes was all Astrallis needed. The gravitas of the music began to gain impetus. Their movements sped up relative to the rising crescendo of the orchestra. At this point, the already numb crowd noticed a ninth pair of flowers form. Waves of aura began to emanate from the two dancers, causing the lake to ripple. The rose tattoos across Astrallis face lit up, pulsing with waves of aura. The pair began to step into the sky, every pulse of energy allowed them to step further into the firmament. They pirouetted in a spiral upwards, with speeds far above what their realms could manage. Astrallis managed to guide Eversnow with, seemingly, relative ease. A glyph of a lily materialised on Eversnow''s face, pulsing in unison with Astrallis'' rose tattoos. The glyphs and tattoos emitted an ethereal copy of themselves and spun around the dancing duo, before amalgamating with the flower apparitions above. The heavenly flora began to increase in size and brightness as a result. Their movements carried on for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Eventually, the veins in Astrallis arms were becoming evidently more strained; they were already moving at speeds three times his norm. They only managed to handle the strain because of the union of the lilies and roses. The lilies and roses began to flash intermittently, nearly losing their lustre. Once the duo was not able to withstand the increased speed of the dance, the flowers would vanish. "This is the level I reached with Enyo, around a year and a half ago. I need to go further. If I want to advance in more comprehension, I''ll need to advance the strain that my physical body can withstand." Astrallis inwardly thought. A look of determination flashed in his eyes. With a shout that nearly set the sky asunder, Astrallis hair and eyes both turned red. An obsidian tree, with roses proliferating it, formed behind him and moved between the floating flower apparitions. The heavenly apparitions began to settle themselves on the limbs of the tree. The intermittent flashes of the flowers stopped, and a steady glow emanated from them. "Eversnow, use the technique I taught you," Astrallis commanded. Eversnow grunted confirmation, the pressure almost too much for her to handle. Seven snow-white lilies appeared above her; they formed a hexagonal shape with the most significant lily at the centre. The formation began to move in an arcing fashion, and a steady stream of misty water fell upon the duo. Their actions immediately became more energetic and lively. ??? "Excellent!" All the men and women sitting at the table with the Emperor stood up in excitement upon seeing the change in Eversnow. "That boy has actually taught little Snow how to utilise her Seven-Life Snow Lily constitution." An old woman said in excitement, if Astrallis were here he would identify this old lady as the person who stood behind Eversnow when he first met her. "Mischievious girl! Keeping us worried," the Emperor laughed happily. "That stream of water is in fact Life-Water. It''s a heavenly treasure that is almost impossible to find. I only know about it because I''ve seen it in an ancient archive. It seems little Snow can form it because of her physique. With Life-Water one is virtually unkillable, they can regenerate from even the most grave of wounds within a matter of moments." The father of the Emperor said in an appraising tone. The group of seniors at the table went silent upon hearing his words, the implications ever apparent to them. ??? Astrallis felt his entire body become rejuvenated when the Life-Water spread across his body; his movements became only more refined and energetic as a result. Of the two, Eversnow was, of course, the most relieved. Ever since she knew about her physique, she has tirelessly been trying to utilise it and to finally experience some of the active effects of her frame left her exhilarated. The two finally had a chance to laugh in elation. The Life-Water allowed the couple to materialise two more apparitions, increasing the amount to eleven. Astrallis turned his head to the firmament, his gaze piercing the stars wandering around the Elysian paradise. "Bataar, protect us. We are going to attempt it," Astrallis said. Bataar laughed in confirmation and materialised into his gigantic Dharmic Lion form. He hovered just off of the dancing duo, ready to bring them to safety. "Eversnow, release your Wings of Life," Astrallis said sternly. Anticipation appeared on Eversnow''s face once she realised his intentions. The cascading Life-Water formed misty wings behind her; the wings were four-meters in diameter. Her movements became firmer as a result. "You''ve always wanted to see my wings, right?" Astrallis gave a quick laugh. Astrallis robe, made of essence, dematerialised and entered his spacial robes. Leaving him with only his pants, and shoes on. His aesthetic beauty became apparent to everyone. Beautifully carved muscles ran around his body, such a formation of tissue was hard to come by even in thousands of years. The roses across his flank only further exemplified his masculinity. The eyes of the females around the lake, including the seniors, became burning. In their eyes, the already perfect looking boy became even more so. Two muscles began to move under the skin of his back and exited the skin finally taking the shape of wings. The wings were obsidian in colour, with long feathers proliferating them, and six-meters in diameter. Astrallis was akin to a seductive devil, while Eversnow was that of a pure angel. Stern looks appeared on the faces of many when they realised that Astrallis was not fully human. Eversnow materialised her wings through her Life-Water, while Astrallis'' wings came from out of his body. There was an obvious difference. Eversnow laughed in happiness upon seeing Astrallis wings, whatever race he is, was irrelevant for her. She was happy that she had just found a friend. The two shot off into the sky, their laughs echoing out across the lake. The eventually broke the speed of sound and began to tear through the firmament. ??? 42 With the Universe Watching, I Announce my Presence! ??? Space sundered as the duo soared into the sky, their wings propelling them at even higher speeds. Their spiralling frames spun at such a velocity that it became indiscernible to the youths below. The Sanguinary Felicity Tree was situated just behind the ascending duo, while the flower apparitions rotated around it akin to an escort. Even in the midst of their ferocious dance, the two friends maintained eye-contact, their eyes glimmering with excitement. They were akin to a soaring commit lighting up the world, their brilliance and charisma prevalent to all. Astrallis turned his attention to the atmosphere above them. "Eversnow, when a cultivator attempts to ascend to the Immortal cultivation realm, they will need to ascend through the Nine Heavens of the world''s atmosphere. Each layer of the Nine Heavens places more pressure on the ascender than the last, many Immortals fail their ascension as they can not break through all nine layers," Astrallis sent a mental message to Eversnow. Eversnow''s eyes flashed with excitement, although her kingdom was strong there had never been an immortal in their ranks. This information was only privy to the Holy Lands. "Although we obviously can''t ascend, if we are able to break through the first layer of the Nine Heavens, through the help of the Art of Dance, this will be an incredible boon to our cultivation path." He said seriously as he stared into Eversnow''s eyes. "Our qualities are similar, both a Rose and a Lily. Our connection of Yin and Yang is very coherent; although we''ve both realised that we do not match perfectly, it is still enough to break through the first layer." "Eversnow followed my lead; I will help us traverse this tribulation!" ??? Bataar having confirmed his suspicions immediately sent a communication talisman to Grandmother Anemone. He didn''t even have to wait a few seconds before she materialised in front of him, she was already laughing like a maniac. "Where''s my baby boy!" Anemone turned her attention towards Astrallis, her eyes lighting up seeing the number of apparitions around him. Although Bataar had already informed her of it, there was always the saying, "Seeing is believing". Anemone immediately pulled out her CA (Com-Array) and turned on the recording function. "Don''t look at me like that. What do you think I''ve been doing for the past five months while my favourite boy has been adventuring? Connecting the Astral Realm to the Cosmic-Data-Array. It''s not like that vagabond Astral God is going to do it." Anemone said in disdain when she saw Bataar''s look. Bataar rolled her eyes upon hearing her ''good'' dead. "Come on, we both know why you did it." "Haha. You got me! I just wanted to show off my grandson as quickly as possible. So, how about a live stream? Maybe I should blur his face out, yeah, that''ll do." Anemone''s face became so crazed even Bataar shivered. Anemone infused her CA with her qi, allowing for it to zoom in relative to the strength. Thus, there would be no problem for her to live-stream in picturesque quality. "Inhabitants of the Universe! Come watch my dear grandson perform an unprecedented event, with his dance partner. Have you ever seen a young man attempt the Nine Heavens at the World-Wandering Realm? @SeniorCultivators @RisingGeniuses @PinnacleSects #FelicityReligion #FelicityEmpire #GirlsGoneWild #FelicityStrong #MysteryOfFelicity Anemone quickly sent a message on to her CulviPage, at the same time informing all the peak powers of the universe. As a result all the followers of the pinnacle powers, and the authorities themselves noticed her message and it immediately picked up momentum akin to a universe-sized snowball being fired from a cannon. When a pinnacle Immortal messages, and one with the reputation such as Grandmother Anemone, one is sure to read it. The viewer count of the live-stream went up astronomically, rising into the trillions in a matter of moments. Anemone''s crazed laughter rang throughout the heavens, if laughter was able to break through the Nine Heavens hers was sure to do so. ??? Central Realm. Two girls of heavenly beauty sat upon a gorgeous pink lotus, their eyes piercing daggers into the screen before them. One of the girls had bright flaming orange hair, with a tall and fit body, emitting a heroic aura. While the other girl had pink pony-tails, a calculative but pleasant atmosphere emanated from her. They both turned to each other, the anger in their eyes prevalent, "Who is that white haired girl!?" ??? A youth with bright turquoise hair, and a sabre similar to shimmering water in his hands, sat on a rock at the peak of a waterfall. A suffocating atmosphere akin to sharp sabre was pressured upon his surroundings. Noticing his CA lighting up with a flurry of commotion, he looked at it. He soon noticed Anemone''s live-stream. "Oh, interesting. If he manages to break through the first layer, it will be an unprecedented achievement. Come, come, come the more geniuses, the merrier." There were hundreds of beasts laying shredded behind him, carmine pools of blood around them. ??? Similar scenes happened around the universe, as many emerging geniuses immediately glued to their CA screens ready to watch the ''Mystery Of Felicity'' attempt something never before seen in the history of the Universe. The chatrooms of the geniuses and pinnacle immortals immediately lit up with numerous messages being sent. "So, this is the Mystery of Felicity? The only male disciple of the Felicity Religion." "It seems Immortal Felicity has great confidence in her grandson. Seems a new hero will reveal himself to the universe." "Oh, wow. His body is so flirtatious, pity we can''t see his face." ??? "Eversnow, there is another name for the ascension," Astrallis whispered. "The March of a Sovereign!" Suddenly a heroic aura shot out from Astrallis, radiating confidence and masculinity. It was if he was a young deity reifying his place in the firmament. Eversnow was immediately entranced. "I''m ready Astrallis," Eversnow snapped out of her revelry as she informed him. "Alright." During their exchange the duo had never stopped rotating, their momentum only increasing, they had already reached a mind-boggling seventeen pairs of flower apparitions. With a wave of his hand, the Sanguinary Felicity Tree in front of them began to send out its limbs and grab the flower apparitions around them. As a result of the tree''s manipulation, the flowers formed the shape of a spear. "Merge!" With Astrallis'' command, the Sanguinary Felicity Tree began to wrap itself around the flower spear. The tree was akin to mangroves, solidifying the formation of the weapon. A beautiful ethereal spear, with scintillating pink and red, appeared in the sky above the Royal Court. There was an odd juxtaposition to the beauty with the vein-like obsidian tendrils covering the romantic colours. "Eversnow, land on the spear!" Eversnow viciously propelled herself towards the spear and placed herself where the pole and the spearhead met. Without Astrallis having to command her, she directed the flow of Life-Water so that it would land on Astrallis, at the same time she increased the intensity of the hexagonally rotating lilies, vast quantities of the mysterious substances followed. With Eversnow now standing on the spear, the pressure that once was placed on Eversnow was now directed to Astrallis. His body immediately quaked when the force, double in intensity, landed on him. ??? Inside @RisingGeniuses "What is he doing? Does he think he can handle double the pressure? What an idiot." "Bern, be quiet. Stop being jealous; some people are better than you." "Yeah, look at his body with those rose tattoos and that carmine hair! He''s like a Supreme Devil. Gorgeous." "Karen, just stop." "You know how the Felicity Religions body-art works, even though he looks like a teen he''s probably close to eleven." "Wait. If he''s eleven and already attempting this" The bustling chat suddenly became ominously quiet. ??? Astrallis spun around at multiple times the speed of sound, if any other World-Wandering cultivator were to experience, they would immediately be ripped to shreds. But through his otherworldly body and the laws of the Art of Dance, he was able to succeed in withstanding this onslaught. He turned his attention to the swirling paroxysm of colour above him. "I must succeed, and break through the first layer. The advantage will be unlike any other, the essence in the first layer will allow me to advance at miraculous speeds. Grandmother informed me that only the individual can enter the Nine Heavens. Otherwise, the peak powers of the universe would have already utilised the unique essence within." Astrallis thought inwardly as he spiralled around the miraculous spear. "Haha! Let''s go! Experience the power of I!" Astrallis shouted into the firmament as his body began to explode with overbearing power, exceedingly above his realm. "Rampage of Felicity!" He shouted inwardly. His battle-grade was instantly increased by four. Astrallis body immediately increased to the height of eight feet, while the rest of his body expanded relative to his height. The veins appeared upon the surface of his skin, prominently throbbing with vitality. The obsidian wings on his back transformed into the colour of the devil: carmine. Rampage of Felicity was the unique active ability of the Sanguinary Felicity body-art, it exponentially increased the physical capabilities of the body. One was able to maintain this state as long as their body would be able to withstand it, but if one were to overdraw on it, their body would slowly crumble. "Astral Blood Harmonisation!" The Astral bloodline inside his body began to churn, faint golden-light appeared around him, his mind and will became sharper while the fusion of both his essence and body reached perfection. Four points of battle-grade power were added to the innate three points of battle-grade power that is unique to all body-cultivators. Astrallis withdrew the Dharmic Sword from its sheath and infused his Dharma Qi into the sword, a scintillating emerald light began to emit from the blade. He pointed his sword at the atmosphere as if he was saying, "Even the heavens cannot withstrain me." A majestic sword-intent appeared on his blade, in harmony with his Dharma Qi. "I have close to twenty points of battle-grade power that places me in the realm of power that a Minting Lake cultivator would possess! I can do this, the Heavens only see me as a World-Wandering cultivator!" The demonic looking Astrallis shouted internally. Using the increasing momentum of the spiral, he shot towards the end of the spear at manifold the speed of sound. Raising his sword, he unleashed his most powerful strike ever. Space sundered, and gods and immortals gasped. The sword struck the back of the spear, at the same time the Sanguinary Felicity Tree now infused with the weapon sent out its limbs and gripped Astrallis. The spear then soared off into the sky piercing through the Elysian Paradise, the floating islands and mountains around them spectators to this exalted scene. With the universe watching, Astrallis announced his presence in a glorious manner. Astrallis stood upon the head of the spear, with Eversnow a step behind him. His austere vision pierced the layer above him. His gait was akin to a Divine Emperor. It was as if he could see himself as an Imperator. The Imperator of the Realm. ??? 43 Luck ??? Two months earlier. A celestial palace sitting upon a towering mountain gleamed within the vista of sunlight that shone upon it, it was akin to a beacon of light. Clouds gently hugged the sides of the mountain, while a passionate sun rose from behind it, thus creating an enchanting picture for anyone who gazed upon it. The mountain was situated at the centre of an expansive city. The architecture was varied, but each had a common trait, they gleamed with new-age infrastructure, buildings multiple kilometres in height and diameter were a common sight. Currently, within the celestial palace, a compelling character sat at the head of a table in an elevated position, within a luxuriously large hall. The figure, possessing a handsome yet hard face, sported a manicured beard. An imperial majesty emanated from him, such is the grandeur of a man in a commanding position. Around the table sat many esteemed characters, each able to reign in the four directions, but before this man, they each contained their pride. "We were woefully unprepared for the incursion of them a millennia ago. If it wasn''t for the fortunate luck of my wife, Felicity Immortal and Blossom Immortal, being in the vicinity, the climate of our realm may be very different," the man solemnly said to those around the table. "Even then, they still incurred damage, my wife was also pregnant at the time, and as a result, she had to be put into slumber with my child until very recently. The same applies to Felicity Immortal who went astray for the past millennia recuperating from her injuries. You all know of this, but I deem it necessary we start from the very beginning to formulate an efficient counter-measure" This conversation carried on from when the sun rose to it fell. The sound of high-heels rang through the hall, as a beautiful, yet young female walked through the main passage into the hall. A few men and women around the table lifted an eye-brow noticing the new-comer, not because of the young girls seemingly rude behaviour, but rather to the ways in which the Primordial Way Laws coalesced around her. The Way Laws acted as if they had seen their Empress, following all her commands and casual whims, at the same time they were astonished by the overwhelming vitality that emanated from her. The eminent characters all nodded their heads noticing the girls bearing. The girl, with fiery red-hair, looked towards the man at the head of the table, with a coquettish look. She walked up to him and held on to his arm. "Father, I''ve been invited out by the Blossom Immortals disciple for some drinks, may I please go? I''ve been cramped up here cultivating ever since I got back from the Religion, I''m already a substantial distance into your War Immortal Technique," The girl asked endearingly. "Very well my dear, you have been incredibly motivated since your return, even I am surprised at your progress. But just in case, let me place some protection on you" "Daddy, no! I''m in Atlas City! Everyone knows not to do anything lest they are incinerated on the spot. Anyway, mother is coming with me too." The man almost spluttered out his proverbial drink. "Your mother is going that should be fine." The War Immortal stuttered when mentioning the girl''s mother. A few chuckles spread around the table, these prestigious figured all knew how the majestic War Immortal was intimidated by his wife, the Blood God. "Even though I''ve been elected the leader of the Central Realm, my wife is still my fatal weakness." The War Immortal closed his eyes in mock laughter, as he thought. "Thanks, dad! See you!" Enyo turned around as quickly as she came, and rushed out the hall. She flew across to a queenly airship, maroon in colour, with exquisite craftsmanship around it. The Imperial crest of a man holding up the world was engraved on the sides of the ship. The ship flew across Atlas city, all people the ship flew past stopped and bowed in the direction of the vessel. For they knew, this beautiful maroon ship was the private property of Empress Blood. The physical incarnation of the carmine life-bringer, the God of Blood. In the time it takes to brew a cup of tea the ship moved an indefinite distance and touched down on a landing pad in the shape of a lotus. Two beautiful figures both dressed in pink dresses, that expanded out a few metres behind them, stood upon the landing pad. Both possessing pink hair and heavenly beauty, they laughed as they moved towards the two women in front of them. "Sister Enyo!" "Sister Azalea!" "Sister Blood!" "Sister Blossom!" The women moved to their respective partner relative to their age and jumped into each other''s embrace. The two sets of friends quickly separated without a word, as if they were familiar with these actions already. "Enyo, I''m so happy you''ve come. I was getting bored, it''s been a couple of weeks since we last saw each other, although we speak to each other daily on our communicators, it doesn''t beat meeting in real life," Azalea looked happily at Enyo. "I know right! I can''t handle it, mother and Senior Blossom have already lived for an incredibly long time, two weeks is equivalent to blinking their eyes. But we are only just past ten! It''s atrocious!" Enyo said in annoyance, injustice in her eyes. The two girls walked to natural paradise, a pavilion sat upon a crystal clear lake, a plethora of lotuses gently floated upon the surface of the pond, while beautiful koi fish swam within. ??? A distance away Blood and Blossom rolled in laughter listening to the two girls complain to each other. "It''s great to be young isn''t?" "Haha, yes! Remember when we use to go to the annual tournament, walking on stage with all those men looking at us with fire in their eyes!" "For you to form your physical body you had to be born akin to an infant, I still have a good chuckle when I remember your husband''s visage when you told him you were the Blood God." Lotus heavenly laughter echoed around them. "Those were the days." Blood said in reminiscence. "Except, this time it''s different." Lotus said, a solemn look appearing in her calculative eyes. "Indeed. The Era of Geniuses is upon us. According to Wushia the Great Diviner, there is only one reason why our universe would spawn so many talents at once, and that is in preparation for a great calamity." "My husband and I have had the same thought, but for Wushia to divine it it must be so." The two ladies sat down on in their own pavilion, the architecture and scenery precisely the same as the young girls. "I was going to inform the Celestial Court when I heard of this information, but Wushia denied me so. He''s actually going to do it himself." Lotus said with an odd look on her face. "For Wushia to actually leave his abode and appear in Astral City, the Capital City of the Central Realm, he must have even more delicate information that he is afraid of being disseminated." A rare look of solemnness in the Blood God''s eyes. "Wushia is still the most mysterious figure of the universe, his soul-power is inestimable, and his skills of divination unparalleled. He didn''t even appear in the Celestial Court a millennia ago when the first incursion happened." "If there is anyone who has a faint idea of who Wushia is, it would be sister Felicity. It''s a pity we haven''t met her in nearly a millennia. Well, we saw her when she fought my husband. I haven''t seen her that angry in a long time." Blood finished with a chuckle. "She''s made sure to communicate with us, repeatedly sending us pictures of her grandson." Sly smiles spread across the face of the immortal and god, thinking of that perfect boy. ??? "Azalea, I''m going to go mad soon. Multiple immortals and their descendants or disciples are dining with my father in hopes of meeting me." "Some of them do not know when to give up!" "Haha! Enyo, didn''t a few of them organise a tournament over who can be the sole courter of you?" "Yes They didn''t even ask me! It''s set to be in a couple of years." "I wonder what would happen if a certain someone was to enter Atlas City at the time, and heard this news." The two budding beauties turned to each other, sly smiles similar to their seniors spread across their faces. ??? In the void in an obscure part of the Universe, between manifold layers of space, an illusionary palace lay silent. The palace itself was ethereal in nature, seemingly there but not at the same time. It was an independent world of its own. The master of the palace governing the laws of the space around it. A hazy figure sat upon a rock, situated on a pond, at the centre of the palace. The scenery around the figure was similar to that of a Zen garden, scenic and peaceful. Instruments of all kinds lay floating around the figure, an archaic book lay before the shadowy figure. Ancient characters indecipherable to the contemporary universe were engraved upon the surface of the book. Only this figure before the book was able to understand it. "The Book of Changes, infinite, everchanging, cleromancy at its finest." The figure upon the rock slowly said. The voice undiscernible, neither male or female. "The universes'' Luck has steadily increased since the epoch of the Era of Geniuses, this Luck has been disseminated to each of the chosen children, these geniuses" "Some have been transferred Luck by their parents or masters, and some simply have more innate Luck than others." "With more Luck, one can achieve greater heights and possess more opportunities." "Luck can also be stolen." ??? 44 Elysian Soldiers With his sword pointed towards the atmosphere Astrallis shouted in defiance against the heavens, the soaring spear followed his guide. Shockwaves radiated off the spearhead as it moved, breaking through multiple sound barriers. The closer they drew towards the first-layer the more unstable their travel became. An incandescent line of fire followed the gigantic spear, the streak of the flame was akin to a firey wound across the atmosphere. As if feeling pain, the Heavenly Laws went into action. Ethereal chains, golden in colour, burst forth from the multi-coloured firmament above the couple. The chains instantly locked onto the spear and burst forth with energy, the sky of the world began to shine with multi-coloured rays of lights in response to the Heavenly Law''s actions. This sudden change startled the Augustin World and many of the other neighbouring planets of the Astral Realm. --- Inside @RisingGeniuses "Here it comes. Let us see what this boy of the Felicity Religion can pull off." "So arrogant to think he can dismantle the heavens, hopefully, he gets annihilated." "I hope he can make it, that would be great!" --- Four beautiful figures sat on lotuses watching the projection of Astrallis attempting the Nine Heavens ascension. Two of the figures were mature ladies, with bountiful busts, and slender, curvaceous figures. These two ladies looked towards the entranced girls before them. "Haha, it seems sister Anemone''s grandson, who she can''t stop talking about, is quite something," said one of the ladies with blood red hair, and piercing carmine eyes to match. "Sister Blood, I don''t know how we are going to live this one down," said Eternal Blossom immortal, mirth evident in her voice. "Anemone is never going to let us hear the end of this. He has captured both our precious darlings hearts," The Blood God, the mother of Enyo, said in exasperation. "It''s not just his talent, even his looks In all my years I haven''t seen a boy so perfect in appearance. If it weren''t for sister Anemone, I would have already eaten him up," the pink haired lady said, a flash of calculation appeared in her eyes. "Oh. For our pure sister Blossom to even have thoughts of such nature, he must be quite the devil." The Blood God said while she licked her lip. --- All of the sudden Astrallis felt a shiver run down his spine, but he was sure it wasn''t from the raging Heavens above him. "What''s wrong?" Eversnow asked when she saw the change Astrallis'' posture. "Ah, I''ve just a had bit of enlightenment," Astrallis spluttered, "this Nine Heavens ascension is nothing much." ''Well, at least compared to what I''ll face in the future.'' He shivered inwardly. The pure Eversnow nodded in agreement, none the wiser. At this moment the golden chains finally made contact with the spear. The point of the spear pierced straight through the chains, moving unhindered it carried on with his ascent. Golden grains of light was all that was left in the spears wake akin to fireworks. The initial contact only marked the first of many chains that would come, but the spear formed out of Astrallis'' and Eversnow''s Art of Dance, as well as abilities, was fortified beyond a level which those chains could compare with. The Heavenly Laws as if noticing the irrevocable momentum of the spear, began to form a multitude of figures varying in different sizes and colours. But, there was one commonality between the figures they were all wearing armour. "Elysian Soldiers." A stern look appeared on the face of Grandmother Anemone, as she watched from afar. "These apparitions take the shape of all those who have attempted to ascend to immortality through the Nine Heaven ascension, throughout the universe. Luckily, these apparitions only embody the killing-intent of those characters. Otherwise, there is no way that Astrallis and his little friend would be able to withstand the onslaught." "But, dealing with the killing-intent may be too much for them already, unless" Grandmother Aneome began to make rapid calculations. At this moment a terrifying killing-intent radiated from the Elysian Soldiers in the form a shockwave. The carmine shockwave, with a hint of azure, sped towards the duo. "Eversnow, aid me with your Life-Water." Astrallis barked. Eversnow performed a myriad of hand symbols as she commanded the Life-Water to form a shield around Astrallis. Once the shield was formed around Astrallis, he stepped in front of Eversnow to take the brunt of the approaching killing-intent. Astrallis roared as the shockwave hit him, he immediately took some steps back as the killing-intent continued to buffet him. Astrallis placed his sword in front of him and struck down with his Minting-Realm battle-power. An emerald ray, the width of the spear, shot out from Astrallis sword as he struck the killing-intent. Multiple ripples spread out from the point of contact, Astrallis carried on infusing Qi into his Dharmic Sword further propelling the ray of emerald Sword Qi. --- "Come on Astrallis, you can do this," Enyo, sitting next to Azalea, whispered. "There''s nothing that our brother Astrallis cannot do," Azalea said intending to show an aura of confidence, but whose voice betrayed her. Both mother and master looked at the two girls with pale visages, unbeknownst to the two young girls they were holding each other''s hands. Grave looks were on the faces of the older ladies. They understood the terrifying killing-intent that was embodied in those Elysian Soldiers, it was not something a youth who has barely lived for a decade could withstand. Even when they, after all the tribulations and killing they had gone through, went through their Immortal Ascension the killing intent from the Elysian soldiers almost prevented them from becoming Immortals. Although the first layer of the Nine Heavens ascension may seem to be the weakest in regards to battle-power if one didn''t have a will akin to a monolith or matured through years upon years of murder they would eventually succumb to it. The same grave looks appeared on the faces of all Immortals watching Astrallis attempting his ascension, the emotions that the Immortals were experiencing was a far cry from the naivety within the @RisingGeniuses chat. --- The killing-intent radiated off of the Elysian Soldiers suddenly intensified manifold sending a shockwave towards Astrallis that spread through the sky, turning the atmosphere a carmine red. Astrallis emerald Sword Qi instantly shattered and he was forced back into Eversnow. But, even during this, he kept his robust frame, which came from the Rampage of Felicity, covering Eversnow. The force of the shockwave rattled Astrallis, causing blood to leak from his mouth. "Astrallis!" Eversnow cried in worry. "It is fine, I just need to" As Astrallis replied the Life-Water shield suddenly shuddered, and the killing-intent began to corrode Eversnow''s creation. Eversnow quickly began to funnel more Life-Water into Astrallis shield, the Snow Lillies spun swiftly creating more Life-Water. But, even then, the new influx of Life-Water only slowed down the corrosion of the shield. Gradually small holes began to form in the buffer, and strands of killing-intent seeped into the armour. As the killing-intent touched Astrallis, an overwhelming presence hit him. A fearful look appeared on his face, and his body shuddered in response. "If only this little amount of killing-intent was able to frighten me what about the rest?" In the end, Astrallis was only a youth, he hadn''t experienced vast scenes of murder and killing. He had not been bathed in the blood of his enemies, a thing such as killing-intent was something one tempered their will in after countless life-and-death situations, and it is impossible for a child to have many of these experiences. As Astrallis was thinking this the holes in the buffer began to larger and denser killing-intent began to invade Astrallis, causing him to shake in terror. But even during his terror Astrallis still stood firm. He promised Eversnow that nothing would happen to her so he would keep his promise no matter what. Eversnow stared at the broad back of the man stood before him, a complicated look appeared across her face. Gradually the killing-intent began to invade his consciousness, causing his Spirit-Being to shudder. Astrallis'' eyes became red in agony. His will was reaching the point of collapse. At that moment a voice appeared in Astrallis'' head, a voice neither masculine or feminine, both ethereal and real. "Silly child, what have you got yourself into? Hmm, this is only some measly killing-intent. You''ll have to go through much more than this to reach the heights I want you to." In the midst of his terror, a stunned look crossed his face. Astrallis turned his head in the direction the voice was coming from, and somehow he could see through myriad layers of space and time. In the middle of those folds of space and time, a palace appeared in Astrallis'' vision. And within that palace was the silhouette of a figure sitting by a pond. The figure by the pond slowly lifted their right hand and extended its index finger in the direction of Astrallis forehead. "I haven''t given you any advice on how to use your spirit, I guess it''s time for some enlightenment." As the silhouette''s words ended, a small golden light shot out from its raised finger. 45 Mandate of Heaven ----- As the silhouette''s words ended, a small golden light shot out from its finger. The golden light pierced through the myriad layers of space and time, that separated it between Astrallis, and appeared before him, before entering his Soul-Being inside his consciousness. This mysterious figures'' interference went unnoticed by all the prestigious seniors watching, except for the one and only Immortal close by. "That presence just now" Grandmother Anemone looked in puzzlement towards Astrallis and the golden light that just entered. Gradually Anemone''s eyes became wide as she made a connection between that light and something else. Eventually, her incredulity turned into a crazy laugh, that somehow still managed to sound pleasant to the ear, "That old foggie really likes to play around." On the outside, one would not be able to notice any changes to Astrallis apart from the dazed look on his face. But, this was not the case within his consciousness. Astrallis, in the form of his Soul-Being, stared at the strange sight in front of him. Floating before Astrallis was an artefact in the shape of an obelisk. The object was perpetually changing; from corporeal to incorporeal, dream-like to tangible. The strange existence of the obelisk only added to Astrallis interest in it, as the beautiful eyes of his Soul-Being gazed at the item, a feeling of familiarity began to form within. He moved forward to touch it, but as he was about to reach it, he stopped himself. A look of confusion appeared on his face, "Why do I feel that if I touch it, I lose something?" "Indeed, you have not disappointed me. Being impetuous only makes one die faster. Only with a certain amount of confidence should one do something." A voice, exactly the same as the one he heard earlier spoke throughout his consciousness. Astrallis opened his mouth to speak, but he was immediately cut off by the existence. "It''s best not to have any designs on my name, for it will only bring you trouble if you were to know it." As these words rang out, an affable-looking old man materialised next to Astrallis. He had a long white beard, with matching eyebrows that dropped to his lips. No matter how much Astrallis observed him, the man only emanated the presence of a mortal, even to the extent that he hadn''t touched the road of cultivation. But this presence shocked Astrallis to the core, he had never felt this on anyone before. Not on his Grandmother, nor the Blossom Immortal, he still even if they tried to hide it could identify something about them that set them apart from a mortal. "Senior, may I ask you a question?" AStrallis decided to voice his confusion. Astrallis took the seniors silence as a complicit acceptance. "Why do I feel no presence of cultivation on you? No matter who I''ve met so far, I have been able to, even if they are Immortals." The old man languidly turned and looked at Astrallis, amusement in his eyes, as well as a look of doting. "One of the primary principles of the Universe is the principle of balance, this is one of the Heavenly Mandates. Without any evil, there can be no good, and without any good, there can be no evil. Without Yin, there can be no Yang, and without Yang, there can be no Yin." The old man''s voice was as light as a morning breeze, calming Astrallis'' mind. "One cannot gain something without losing something else." The man finished his words a profound look in his eyes. "But, I am able to give you some advice. What is before you can guide you through the storm that makes up your personality, but remembers it is only a guide. The principle of balance still holds." "The decision of whether the loss is worth the gain is up to you." "Also, do not fret about the outside world. Although it may seem that a few moments have passed inside your consciousness, no time has passed in reality." The man lightly tapped Astrallis on the shoulder. "You have all the time in the world." With that, the old man''s body vanished into a sprinkle of ambient light, his pleasant smile staying ingrained inside Astrallis'' mind. Astrallis, knowing that the old man held no malicious intentions, sat before the ever-changing obelisk. "The balance of Yin and Yang, no matter what one does balance will always form, but as a result of that balance, one will lose as well." A stern look had appeared Astrallis face as thought through the old man''s words, but his expression gradually eased up as he began to decipher them. "Regardless of whether one loses or gains something, a balance will still be performed. I will not lose myself. As a result, I could be the same, or I could be different, but I will always be Astrallis Ether; son, grandson and cultivator." Once Astrallis made a decision he would act upon it, his indomitable could never be erased. He placed his hand on the obelisk immediately invoking a reaction from the strange artefact. The item began to pulse creating a wave which spread out around it, and with each successive pulse the transformation of the obelisk sped up. As the waves went through Astrallis'' Soul-Being, the feeling of familiarity became stronger. Astrallis'' eyes became pensive when he noticed the indiscernible colours that made up the obelisk finally become discernable, at the same time words appeared in Astrallis'' mind, "The Mandate of Balance." Astrallis Soul-Being shuddered when those words appeared in his mind. Disbelief was clearly evident on his face. Heaven encompasses the myriad universes, these universes are governed by the Primordial Laws and the Mandates of Heaven. Primordial Laws are things that are tangible and controllable and even have Primordial Gods that are an incarnation of these laws, but the Mandates of Heaven are different. The Mandate of Heaven are supreme laws that cannot be changed, and only the Heavens control them; no cultivator, god or immortal can manipulate the supreme laws. But, the Heavens are fair. When each Mandate of Heaven was formed a correlating item was as well, and these items incorporated the nomological insights of the Mandate of Heaven within. "The Mandate of Balance! One of the supreme artefacts of the Heavens." 46 Entering the Immortal Layer "The Mandate of Balance! One of the Supreme Artefacts of Heaven." Astrallis placed his hand on the scintillating obelisk flashing in indiscernible colours. To his surprise, his hand went straight through it, a tingling sensation spread around his arm and up into his consciousness and then into his Soul-Being. The artefact suddenly fractured into countless particles which spread around Astrallis shrouding him in an ethereal lustre, innumerable nomological insights of the Mandate of Balance were contained within the lights. The lights began to integrate inside of Astrallis Soul-Being before moving into his body in the physical realm. Astrallis raised his eyebrows when he noticed how the Mandate of Heaven was able to influence time and space, for all time and space around Astrallis was currently in stasis. Immovable and rigid. The glittering lights began to appear on Astrallis form in the physical realm, while at the same time his physical features started to have changes. His body grew a few inches, while the lines on his face became harder and more piercing; signs of maturity spread around across his face. It was as if Astrallis had aged by a couple of years The old man stared at Astrallis, praise apparent in his eyes, "Boy, for the Mandate of Balance to accept you, it shows the light of providence and destiny shine upon you." "Alas, one must remember, to gain something one must lose something as well. You have obtained the Artifact, but you have lost life-span as a result." "Although, it seems even Heaven can be selfish. It allowed for your ownership of the Artefact, but in return, it only took a couple of years of your life," the old man chuckled in disbelief as his body vanished leaving behind a fading incorporeal form. The lights glittering on Astrallis body eventually began to agglomerate upon Astrallis forehead finally changing into a shining golden obelisk tattoo. The tattoo only added to the beauty of the art upon Astrallis body already; the noble air emanating from him became more refined. It was as if his very presence in the Universe had been accepted by the Heavens. Once the formation of the obelisk tattoo on Astrallis head was complete, the stationary space and time around him shattered, and the physical realm became active again. Although to Astrallis it felt as if he had been in the illusionary realm formed by that old man for an indefinite period, to Eversnow not even a moment had gone by. She was still staring at the broad and straight back of Astrallis, her eyes glistening with worry. Suddenly Astrallis began to move, his feet firmly moving forward across the spear. Astrallis placed his sword to his side, almost dragging it behind him. He cut a striking image for all to see. A man shooting into the sky, sword in hand, innumerable enemies ahead. It was a moment that bards would praise for countless years. The Elysian Soldiers seeing Astrallis advance towards them shot out waves of killing-intent towards him. As the first wave hit Astrallis, the golden tattoo on his head shone with a bright light and streaks of light shifted to his soul consciousness and formed a barrier. The barrier encompassed his Soul-Being in the glorious golden light. At this time the first wave of killing-intent entered his consciousness and shot towards his Soul-Being, the barrier as if provoked also began to retaliate by emanating its own waves of golden light as well. The two opposing waves of light crashed into each other inside Astrallis consciousness, the Golden light shot straight through the red tide exterminating it one movement. Noticing this, determination spread across Astrallis'' face, and his steady walk became a bounding sprint as he shot through the waves towards the soldiers. The spear entered the first row of Elysian Soldiers they moved towards Astrallis, multiple different weapons piercing towards him. With a grunt Astrallis swung his sword out in one movement, emerald sword-intent emanated from the sword and shot off towards the soldiers. The emerald light pierced through the entire first row of the Elysian Soldiers, their bodies instantly dissected and turned into disappearing light. Astrallis tall figure burst through the lights that once made up the bodies of the first wave and moved towards the second. A red wave many kilometres wide roared towards Astrallis tall figure, the impetus of the wave itself had no effect on Astrallis bodied which had been improved because of the activation of the Rampage of Felicity. The tattoo sensing the wave began to shine with even brighter light and formed a light shield in front of Astrallis. The shield emanated the power of the soul, and with the shield in front of himself, Astrallis smashed through the red-wave. Wherever Astrallis moved through in the wave, the killing-intent was eliminated by shield formed by the Mandate of Balance upon Astrallis'' forehead. The crashing currents within the wave smashed into Astrallis advancing form, creaking his bones and splintering his skin. Blood began to leak out from his ruptured skin. Feeling the pain, a victorious smile spread across Astrallis face, "Excellent, these are only superficial wounds. Let''s see what the rest of these Elysian Soldiers can do." Once Astrallis finally exited through the second-wave, the wave immediately disappeared. He readied himself for the second wave of soldiers, but to his surprise, only a single form appeared before him. The figure held a long double-handed greatsword even longer than the figures entire body. The man before Astrallis was covered in bright silver armour, the only thing visible to Astrallis was the entirely white eyes that were akin to death itself. "Only a single person This is different," Astrallis raised his sword towards the man, and with a shout, he charged towards him. The great-sword wielding man responded and dashed towards Astrallis; after-images were left in the wake of the two. Their speed akin to that of a Minting Path Realm cultivator, three realms above that of Astrallis'' World Wandering Realm cultivation base. With the sundering of space, the two swords made contact. Green and silver sword-intent exploded out from the point of contact around them lighting up the sky. The speed of the duo instantly stopped, great waves of power shot out from the two as their swords continuously ground against one another. Astrallis stared straight into the dead-eyes before him. The two stayed in the same position for a few moments as they powered against each other. Sword intent versus sword intent. Eventually, the dead-eyes before Astrallis begun to rotate and a feeling of death started to impose upon his consciousness. "Hmph," with a snort of disdain Astarllis thrust his obsidian wings towards the figure and pierced into the man''s flanks before he could respond. "I thought we were going to honour our pride as Swordsman. Looks like the dead of the Nine Layers Ascension truly have no consciousness." With a final thrust of his obsidian wings, Astrallis tore through the man''s body, to the surprise of Astrallis this time the man did not splinter into countless lights. The man''s body burst out with blood at the point of dissection, his entrails and body parts falling out in the process. At this time a voice entered Astrallis ears, "My head, cut off my head, it''s the only wayplease." Astrallis knowing it was the man before him who had spoken, he decided to comply. He swung his Emerald Sword across the man''s neck. The man''s head flew into the sky, Astrallis watched the helmet-clad head and caught it with his hands. He gazed into the dead eyes of the decapitated man, but this time the eyes showed life. As well as thankfulness. "Thank you lad, I''ve been stuck inside these layers and controlled by Heavens ever since I failed my ascension innumerable years ago. You have finally released me," The silver-armoured man''s voice entered Astrallis consciousness. Astrallis stood in the void, his black wings spread out behind him with a head in his hand. To everyone spectating this moment, he was akin to an angel banished from heaven, expelled because of his nature. And with those last words, the man''s body finally splintered into light and integrated with the Heavens. A pensive look appeared across Astrallis'' matured face as he gentled floated down onto the spear again flying beneath him. Eversnow jumped with excitement as she looked at the elegant figure before her that seemingly integrated with the Heavenly Laws akin to some elusive balance. A small portal opened up before the spear, and through the entrance, a dreamy area full of clouds appeared inside. The spear shot through the portal and disappeared before the eyes of the Universe. Grandmother Anemone looked on jubilation on her face, "Good! With this Astrallis will be able to acquire a hint of Immortal Qi, it will make his breakthrough into the Immortal much easier." 47 Clouded Realm As soon as Astrallis and Eversnow entered the clouded area through the portal, the spear which had helped them breakthrough to this realm disintegrated. The apparitions fractured into innumerable pieces of dust that entered the bodies of the duo, their bodies tingled in a sensation. When the euphoria of the pleasure hit a high, the two moaned in pleasure, while Eversnow''s back arched and shuddered. While in this sensational state the techniques that they activated to fight through the waves of Elsyian Solders deactivated, Astrallis went back to his original size while his wing disappeared. The exhaustion that should have followed from the activation of numerous techniques did not occur. Instead, the essence from the clouded realm flooded into their Qi passages revitalising them. Eversnow''s face became as red as a strawberry, she wanted to hide her face in embarrassment, but to her dismay, there was nowhere for her to go. Astrallis chose to ignore her actions as to not give her any more embarrassment, instead he looked inwardly with his spiritual sense. To his jubilation, the laws had integrated into his diamond-like bones and muscle structure. Activating no techniques and only using his World Wandering Realm cultivation base he shot forward with speed considerably faster than his original max speed before he participated in the Art of Dance. While moving, he performed a set of fist and kicking techniques, his hands and legs leaving afterimages in their wake. Astrallis clinched his fist in excitement, "Wonderful. My speed in both movement and attacks have increased by around 30% per cent. The Art of Dance is incredibly profound; it''s a pity the next time I''ll be able to activate it will be quite a fear years from now; I also need to find someone whos constitution is similar to mine." Once Astrallis had completed his thoughts, he turned to look at the cloudy area around him. Clouds both corporeal and ethereal in nature floated around him, myriad of colours shone throughout the clouds giving the feeling as if they had ascended to the realm of immortals. By this time Eversnow had collected herself and moved next to Astrallis, an inquisitive look on her face. Even though the high from the integration of the apparitions was over the two realised that their minds were still in a state of hypersensitivity; all their thoughts were more precise than they had ever been before. From as far as the eye could see multicoloured essence flowed towards them from around the clouded realm, the essence covered their bodies rejuvenating them and enhancing all their senses. "This is brilliant; what a surreal scene. My body is filled to the brim with energy," Eversnow sighed in amazement. "Indeed. Let''s move forward and see what we can find." Astrallis replied. The two began to move through the clouded area marvelling at the sights of the clouds and the flowing stream-like water that ran between the cloud formations. Astrallis and Eversnow eyed the different coloured clouds in concentration, Eversnow felt attraction to specific clouds. Astrallis soon remembered the words that grandmother Anemone had passed to him. "Each cloud corresponds to a certain element, and by digesting these clouds, we will be able to form a slither of Immortal Qi that relates to that element. At the same time, our comprehensions of the element will increase," Astrallis slowly informed the beautiful girl beside him. Hearing this a look of realisation appeared in her eyes, "It makes sense, I''ve been trying to think why I felt an attraction to the blue and white shades of clouds. They must be water, ice and life correspondingly." While Eversnow was talking about her findings, an odd look passed Astrallis'' handsome visage. ''Odd, I do not feel the same level of attraction to these clouds as Eversnow. Although the carmine clouds do draw me a little I have a feeling that they won''t have the same effect as usual; at least they won''t increase my comprehensions of the elements.'' Astrallis soon came to a stop, his face turning even odder. Eversnow carried on walking not noticing the oddities of the man beside her: "If I can absorb these I can improve by leaps and bounds. Life and Water should help my Lilies; Ice" Listening to Eversnow blacklines began to form on Astrallis'' face. At this point, Eversnow walked up to a blue cloud, and a placed her hand into it. The cloud immediately moved into her, almost as if it was happy to be absorbed. It began to cover her skin and permeate into her molecular level, and as a result of her current hypersensitive state, she was able to instantly gain new comprehensions for the Way of Water. Seeing what was happening to Eversnow, Astrallis did not know whether to laugh or cry. Turning around Eversnow finally noticed the oddities of the current Astrallis, for the first time since she met him his earthshattering face wasn''t composed. "Astrallis What''s wrong?" Eversnow asked slowly, only something that could overturn the heavens could cause such an expression on his face. "Ah Um," Astrallis began to choke on his words. "What is it?" "I I can''t sense any of the elements." Eversnow fell over. ------ After a few moments, Eversnow composed herself. "Are you being serious Astrallis?" "Yes, yes I am." "Do you mean that you cannot sense anything from these clouds? Or as in you cannot sense any elements at all?" Eversnow asked trying to clarify the situation. "Both." Astrallis bought his hand to his face, initiating what the netizens of the Cosmic-Data-Array would call a ''facepalm''. "Wait. How!? How have you managed to reach your current realm without realising you cannot sense the elements?" "I use to be able to sense the elements when I was younger, but when I was eight, I comprehended a higher level of Qi. A Qi which is known as Dharma Qi, and although I noticed something happening to me I just chose to ignore it," Astrallis slowly said. Eversnow''s eyes became wider listening to Astrallis'' words. "Although I didn''t dare admit it to myself, I always thought that in certain places my sensory abilities were improving, but in others faculties, I was regressing," Astrallis said as he pulled two chairs out of his space ring for Eversnow and himself to sit. "This," Eversnow stopped speaking not knowing what to say. After all, she was only a junior not yet even sixteen years of age, and even if Astrallis approached her seniors with this problem, they wouldn''t be able to help. Astrallis sighed as he sat, for the first time since he was eight he felt his state of mind become disturbed. But at this moment, the golden obelisk tattoo on his head shone with a bright light, and a calming sensation entered his mind and eventually spread around his whole body. His restless mind gradually calmed down, he slowly closed his eyes and became quiet. Eversnow noticing this decided it was best to not disturb him, she moved back to the clouds and began to slowly absorb the vapours that corresponded with her elements. A few moments became hours and hours became days. It was impossible to tell the time in this paradise-like world; where one would walk on clouds and drink floating streams. During this time Astrallis has been in deep introspective thought, continuously asking himself questions and searching his body with his spiritual sense. His body had also been subconsciously refining the essence with the realm and improving his cultivation base; he had already reached the peak of the World Wandering Realm. This was not the only thing to happen during this period. Eversnow had been perpetually refining the clouds and improving by leaps and bounds, she had even managed to form a slither of Immortal Qi in her dantian that would help her tremendously when she attempts to ascend to Immortality. The two had also noticed that the longer they stayed within this clouded realm the pressure they experienced increased correspondingly. ''Dharma, it encompasses everything and is within everything, but at the same time because it encompasses everything it has an innate arrogance, a pride which cannot be tarnished.'' ''I see, although Dharma Qi is miraculous and many levels about other forms of Qi, it also has its limitations. Except, these limitations affect the user. The pride of Dharma Qi has prevented me from learning other elements, and at the same time it has been influencing my mind to not think about them as well.'' ''My Dharma Qi is combined from both my Buddha Qi and Astral Qi, it can affect both the corporeal and incorporeal. I thought it was almost omnipotent, alas I didn''t realise from the very start it has been influencing me.'' Astrallis thought to himself. Astrallis slowly stood up as to not disturb Eversnow, ''At least I found this out know. Otherwise, the consequences could have been catastrophic.'' The longer Astrallis stood, the higher the pressure he experienced became. He had already tested how far he could move around the area a few days early, but the pressure was too much for him to bear. ''It''s a pity, this would have been a great chance. Well, at least I had some enlightenment.'' Astrallis gazed out across the clouded realm longing in his eyes, to have such a treasure before him and to not be able to use it was worse than never seeing it in the first place. Sensing his longing, the golden tattoo on his head shone with light and a small ethereal obelisk formed in front of him. The obelisk slowly floated there and began to rotate, and while turning, it started to suck in the different coloured clouds. After a few moments, the Artefact of the Mandate of Balance dematerialised. Astrallis almost shouted out with glee once he saw this, he looked into his consciousness and saw the obelisk slowly floating in front of his Soul-Being. He tried to touch the Artefact with his spiritual sense, but his sense immediately vanished upon reaching it. A meek voice appeared in his mind after his spiritual sense vanished, "These clouds are beneficial for me, they will allow me to gather some of my energy again. Do not worry, I will leave some clouds for you so that you can comprehend Immortal Qi at a later date" "Are you the spiritual being of the Artefact?" Astrallis asked quickly when he noticed that the voice was becoming weaker. Alas, there was no reply. 48 Eccentric Grandmother Astrallis stood still as he observed the obelisk inside his consciousness. The bright clouds floated around the Artefact. Eventually, the clouds covered the obelisk completely preventing Astrallis from observing it any longer. Astrallis placed his hand on his chin in thought, "Well, according to the words of the Artefact''s spiritual being I''ll be able to comprehend the clouds at a later stage. If I were able to place these clouds inside my space ring, I would have already done so" "I''ll first need to figure out how to circumnavigate the problem of the Dharma Qi if that is even possible" While Astraills was deep in thought, Eversnow was finishing up her cultivation. The clouds began to thin around her, and a shattering akin to glass breaking rang throughout her consciousness. The unique clouds had allowed her Soul-Being to advance to a new stage, allowing her rate of comprehension to increase manifold; she would be able to improve at twice the speed with half the effort, now. While Eversnow''s talent had been top notch, she was still a level lower than the geniuses of the Central Realm; with this fortunate chance, she could be likened to a flood dragon transforming into a True Dragon. Also adding her unique constitution, she''s bound to have a bright future. Eversnow stood up excitement as well as a few complex emotions were evident on her face. She turned to the man that had changed her destiny, ''It''s a pity, in the end, our constitutions do not match in that way At least I''ll be able to have a true friend.'' When Eversnow and Astrallis had been performing their Art of Dance they had both come to the same conclusion; they were not mean to be partners. Astrallis turned and stared into the eyes of Eversnow. "Astrallis, thank you. Without your help, I would never have been able to change my destiny to such an extent," "No need to thank me, your Seven-Dawn Lilies Array was beneficial to both of us. With your enlightenment I hope to see you in the Central Realm soon enough," Astrallis smiled, although he himself hadn''t arrived in the Central Realm, he was well aware that it was the stage where all the top geniuses of the universe congregate. "Central Realm?" Confusion written on Eversnow''s face. Astrallis just smiled mysteriously in response. He was sure with his connections getting an eminent sect or master for Eversnow was not a problem. ''Well, it''s not like I''d even have to ask for a favour from anyone. Any Sect or Immortal with a background in the Way of Water or Life would scramble for her now.'' Astrallis chuckled to himself. "It''s time for us to go, the pressure is mounting, and we cannot gain anything more from this." Eversnow had a complicated expression, as she thought Astrallis had missed his chance to gain some enlightenment on the Immortal Qi. But noticing that Astrallis didn''t seem to want to talk about, she kept quiet. The duo stopped their resistance against the pressure, the cloudy realm instantly took action and pulled them out. A port opened in front of the two which they then went through. After the two stepped out of the portal, they found themselves hovering far up in the sky, the land spreading out infinitely before them. "What now?" Eversnow asked. "Just wait." Astrallis smiled, but inwardly he was complaining about his grandmother making a scene, with her realm of power she was apparently already aware of their return. All of a sudden space a few meters in front of the duo shuddered, and various figures all came out of it. The first figure to come out was a tall heroic figure filled with seduction, her beauty unparalleled in the world. The women were a tight white jumpsuit, showing off her bountiful bust and robust behind. The woman''s beauty and proportions almost stunned Eversnow. After that various figures who Eversnow was able to recognise as her seniors and ancestors came, as well as a few other characters that were most likely on the same level. The one thing that caught Eversnow''s attention was the fact that all those figures who were at the peak of the Augustin world were standing respectfully behind the woman that could shame all others. They were also quiet as if they were worried that the slightest action could offend her. Eversnow turned her attention to Astrallis and saw that he had blacklines covered all over his face. "My dear baby grandson, you had me worried sick. You''ve been gone for almost two months!" The tall seductive woman said in mock worry, as she appeared in front of Astrallis and hugged him. "You must never do something like that again, okay!?" At this point, she had already squeezed Astrallis'' face together, his cheeks scrunching. The important characters behind her had not a change in their expression as if they were already used to grandmother Anemone''s actions. "Oh, my this is impossible! How have you got even better looking? As I told your mother, the more one matures, the better their appearance will become. If I weren''t your grandmother, I would have already made you mine." Astrallis whose face couldn''t become any blacker than it already was decided to say something to make her stop. "Grandmother, this is Eversnow she''s a Princess from the Seven Dawns Empire." Anemone turned to look at Eversnow and gave her a slow once over stopping on her chest and face, as she thought to herself, ''Hmm, good, good. She''s a beauty. Indeed, she''ll be good for my little man''s harem.'' "Oh yes, I know all about her. I''ve been imposing upon her senior''s hospitality over the past two months. They''ve been worried sick about her." "Little Jack, I think there is a need for some celebrations your little genius has managed to acquire some Immortal Qi. The only obstacle in her way now is time." Turning to an old man behind her Anemone informed him with a smile. ''Little Jack'' smiled happily in response, not at all offended being called ''Little Jack'' for if one compared their ages he really was a baby in Anemone''s eyes. "Anyway, I''ll be off with my grandson. He''ll be back for when your Secret Realm opens, I had no idea such a special place was here in the Astral Realm. Astrallis are you ready?" Anemone said to the group behind her. "Yes, I am. Eversnow work hard, the Central Realm is you are meant to be." Astrallis walked over and gave her a friendly hug. Light began to shine in the Seven Dawns Empire Ancestors'' eyes if a relationship was able to form between Eversnow and this powerful character''s grandson. They went giddy almost thinking about it. "Thanks for all you''ve done for me Astrallis." Eversnow''s beautiful face had a tinged of red to it being hugged unexpectedly by the most handsome man she had ever seen. And with that, Astrallis and grandmother Anemone disappeared. ''Little Jack'' walked over to Astrallis an appreciative smile on his face, "Young Eversnow I''ve always had high expectations for you, but something of this calibre was not in mind." Eversnow immediately bowed to the old man before her, "Ancestor, thank you for your kind words." "Haha, this is nothing." Ancestor Jack turned to look at his counterparts behind, glee evident in his eyes. He knew now that there was an ambiguous relationship between Eversnow and that mysterious youth no would dare offend the Seven Dawns Empire. They had all experienced the power of that woman when she arrived over two months ago, Ancestor Jack shuddered just remembering it. Millions of kilometres away Astrallis and Anemone appeared on a sleek and carmine airship, this ship was Anemone''s personal transport. The entire wealth of the Four Holy Lands could barely afford such a vessel. Astrallis stood behind Anemone, he stared at her tall and beautiful back waiting for her to speak. "What happened?" Her playful voice was now gone and only a stern voice emanating the aura of one who had ruled for countless years was left. Astrallis knew from the very start that it was impossible for him to hide everything from his grandmother. "I can''t sense any of the elements." Anemone became quiet for a few moments, "Go on." "When I was in the First Immortal Layer, I noticed that I felt no attraction to any of clouds, apart from a mild attraction to some carmine clouds, but when that was fading. It was as if something was preventing me from wanting to absorb them." Astrallis said slowly, a severe look in his eyes. Anemone sighed, "I always thought something like this may happen, you can''t gain something without losing another thing in return." 49 Upon the Waterfall Anemone sighed, "I always thought something like this might happen, you can''t gain something without losing another thing in return." Anemone turned around and gazed at Astrallis, her eyes shining brightly. Under Anemone''s scan of spiritual sense, Astrallis felt as if all his secrets were laid bare; he even lightly shivered at the thought, he at least knew that his grandmother was never against him, only wanting the best for him. This was also a difference in cultivation realm and comprehension; the difference in their power was too astronomical to compare. Only something at the level of the Mandate of Balance would be able to shroud Anemone''s ability, but even then, Anemone would still be able to make some idea of what it is. This time was no different. Anemone had a slight smile when she identified the Mandate of Balance Artefact inside his consciousness, but she decided to keep quiet about it. Everyone needed to have their secrets, and it was also the time that she started not to influence his life as much. ''Ay, I have been a bit selfish; also influencing him. He''s just too beautiful and outstanding.'' Anemone silently whispered to herself. Astrallis shivered a little; he was well aware of what that look on his grandmother''s face entailed. He had seen it all too often on the women of the Religion; he was akin to a small deer in front of a giant lion, ready to be eating up. So pure and tasteful. "I can give you some advice my darling. Concepts and things at the level of Dharma Qi have an innate pride and arrogance; they do not like to be used with other things of its kind. While you may not be aware of it, Dharma Qi could be suppressing other parts of your body." Anemone sternly lectured. "Anyway, enough of this. It''s up to you to figure this all out." Anemone and Astrallis slowly walked to the highest point on the ship and sat on the couches lining the sides. Servants immediately arrived and lay different types of rare drinks and delicacies. At this point, the sleek ship guided into a beautiful cove; charming flora jotted the area. With cute and graceful beasts hopping around. "Grandmother, you do find the best places wherever you go," Astrallis chuckled noticing the environment. "Of course, our bloodline is known for their grace and aesthetics, it''s only fitting we reside in such areas." Anemone said in a way as if it is only right. Astrallis chose to keep quiet, but still had a slight smile on his face as if he agreed with her words. One should always have pride in themselves and their families; as long as that pride only adds to yourself and does not retract. "Your mother and I had been planning on giving you some more time to temper yourself, but we didn''t expect for you to reach the First Layer of Heaven Ascension; it''s already been more than two months." "You are close to the age of twelve, and I would like for you to go to the Central Realm at some point in the next decade. Being in such an environment will be good for you." Anemone said as she picked up a glass of dark-red wine. "There will be a few things happening in the Central Realm that will change the Universe; you must be there to experience them." Astrallis kept quiet as he listened to his grandmother, only silently nodding to her words. "While you were gone for the past two months, I decided to experience Little Jack''s hometown; and to my surprise, they had a Secret Realm there. Even I''m jealous of you young''uns being able to enter such a place." Anemone chortled with a pout. "I can not enter places such as that Secret Realm; the Universe won''t allow it. I could force myself in, but I do not want to garner such negative karma. You''ll understand what I mean once you get stronger. This Secret Realm is a place is for the younger generations." At this point of Anemone''s speech, she stared sternly at Astrallis. "Even I could not say what will happen in there, but considering the Universe created such a place for people of your age, you should be able to handle it. Of course, most of you will die, but it should be fine." Astrallis almost choked on his wine listening to his grandmother, "You make it sound like I won''t die." "Oh you could, no doubt about that. But it''s time you had a go at things alone, completely alone." Anemone said as she drummed her fingers against the couch. "Although protection and vast resources are needed for one to reach a high altitude, these are only some of the faculties also needed for success. Self-tempering and perseverance are also important. "Anyway, this is enough talking. Go prepare yourself for the Secret Realm; I have a few friends I need to talk too." Anemone shooed Astrallis away. --- Astrallis stood on a rock at the top of a waterfall in the beautiful cove; the carmine ship floated off a few hundred meters away. With only tight leather shorts on, Astrallis'' magnificent aesthetic was open to all to see. Droplets of water slowly rolled down the perfectly defined muscles of his flank, eventually dropping down to his prominent V-line. His beautiful body was open to all to see, streamlined with perfect muscle structure and form. His tort calf muscles displayed themselves when he crouched down peering at the fish swimming around his rocks, the azure water allowing for one to see clearly. "Even Gods would be jealous of Young Master." A few bikini-clad female servants whispered to each other as they sunbathed on the shorefront of the river. "If only I could have one night with him, I''d be willing to lose half my lifespan." Another female servant, dressed in a bikini with goldfish imprinted on them, almost shouted as her nose began to bleed while staring at the ultimate form of the male body practising in the river. "Oh, please! Like Young Master would even look at you." "Quiet all of you, if even I can''t have him then none of you are allowed as well." A seductive voice chortled behind the group of spectating servants, causing their bodies to go numb with coldness. They all immediately knew who that voice belong too, they were at her beck and call for the past few thousand years; their master Anemone. "Relax all of you. It''s time to have some fun, I''ll cook up a barbeque for all of us while we watching Astrallis practice." Anemone lightly admonished them as she moved across the sandy shoreline to set up the grill. Only at this time did some of the male servant see what their master was wearing, almost causing a nosebleed. Luckily they had enough will to stop that, only the finest of cultivators could join an Immortals entourage, and to join the entourage at the level of the Felicity Immortal was another story altogether. Anemone wore a tight black bikini, that joined at a V around her large breasts; not leaving much to the eyes. She wore a light skirt around her waist, along with fashionable glasses and straw-hat. She was the epitome of a beautiful middle-age lady oozing sex appeal. The male servants quickly ran after her, all to welcome to help. It was well known that Immortal Felicity was quite promiscuous, after all these years her bloodline could fill an entire city. With her autonomous birthing formation, she had never once given birth naturally, apart from Astrallis'' mother Jasmine, with this birthing formation she had leagues of children being born whenever she couldn''t control herself. All the servants had one thought in mind, ''Maybe we''ll get lucky tonight and have a story to tell our future generations with pride.'' . Astrallis carried on his training, carrying out powerful strokes and stabs with flourishing movement. He was well aware of the barbeque close by, as his grandmothers cooking was quite renowned in the Immortal camp. Astrallis turned to the shorefront a slight smile on his face when he saw his grandmother coaching her servants on how to play volleyball. Although there was a smile on his face, it wasn''t in his eyes. Throughout this practice session, Astrallis had been thinking about how to overcome Dharma Qi; Dharma Qi may have an innate pride but so does Astrallis. One would have to overcome the other. "Everytime I use Dharma Qi I feel the blood in my body burn as if it is in anger. It is only subtle though, for as soon as it comes it vanishes. As if something is suppressing it." Astrallis thought to himself as he watched the excitement in front of him. "Astra, come get your food." Anemone happily said, proud to show off her cooking to her favourite grandson. He moved towards his grandmother a smile on his face, "Well whatever it may be, it''s nothing that I, Astrallis Felicity Ether cannot overcome." Once he got his food he walked with his grandmother to the top of the waterfall and sat down overlooking the beautiful valley watching the animals go about their lives. "Astrallis," "Yes, Grandmother?" "The Buddhist Sects have been searching for you for around five years, ever since you invoked the Shakaymuni Manifestations. You are essentially their ''Son of Heaven'', and after some discussion, we have agreed to allow some of the Buddhist juniors to come with you on this trip to the Secret Realm." Anemone replied, although her tone was that of annoyance rather than happiness. "Oh. Bataar told me that they would most likely be searching for me. Why the tone grandmother?" Taking a great bite out of her chicken breast, Grandmother Anemone answered Astrallis'' question, "Their intent is to create a connection between you and the Buddhist sects. Personally, I do not like this. The Buddhists are in polite terms sanctimonious twats." 50 Across the Realms Dropped --------- Maybe one day, I may decide to re-write the novel, with a new basis or at least a comprehensive starting point with many of the narrative errors cleared up; but, till then, this is goodbye. And, once again, thank you for the motivation you gave me. Even now, I see many emails come through with people commenting. Unfortunately, I still lack the courage to actually look at them. ----------------- On that disappointing note; here is a novel that I started towards the latter end of last year after I felt that I couldn''t write ATR anymore. I''m not sure if I''ll continue this one, because knowing myself and my current track record I''m quite proficient in ghosting you all. Novel: Leviathan (EXTREME PLACE HOLDER NAME) The shimmering vistas of the sun''s rays spread out along a green pasture, the long strands of grass creating a moving image of shadows almost beckoning the coming of the night. To the far east, a deep ravine lay ominously. If one understood the topography of this area, they would be able to identify that the lines of latitude native to the outside world are unable to conform to the pasture. Furthermore, conventional navigational techniques would be unable to provide any help in orienting oneself. One could wander aimlessly along the never-ending pasture and before nightfall one will find themselves in front of the ravine. The ravine itself emanated a bewitching quality drawing one to gaze upon it. One would soon see the rising stairs within the centre of the ravine, seemingly the centrepiece of the gorge. The stairs were flanked by beautifully carved columns. The flaking paint upon the architecture was a clear sign of their archaic age. At the peak of the stairs lay a spiralling void, the space around the vacuum was in a constant state of disarray, perpetually shattering and reforming, preventing anyone from seeing past the construction. The void was akin to a gateway, and for the many beings of the vast lands surrounding the green pasture, that''s what it was. The gathered crowd would often look back towards the plains as if they were waiting for something or someone. Before long a procession of people arrived, their figures skilfully moved through the long grass. The men in this group were tall and imposing, while the women were beautiful and elegant. They all had one common characteristic: intricate scales were positioned upon the centre of their foreheads, adding an exotic flavour to their appearance. This newly arrived group emitted a proud aura, but underneath that palpable pride lay a hidden mournfulness. The eyes of the gathered crowd darted around this newly arrived faction as if searching for someone. The procession moved in a regimental format protecting the people walking in the centre. This steady stream of new arrivals finally opened up and respectfully made way for the family walking in the centre. The family consisted of six people, a commanding middle-aged man and a woman with a perfect visage walk in the middle. This middle-aged man was the leader of one of the eight Sacred Grounds of the Eastern Continent, the Nimbus Valley, even though this man had the prestige and power to make even his contemporaries respect him, the spectating crowd did not have their eyes on him. Instead, the crowd had their eyes upon the teenagers and young adults walking next to him. These four, the children of the leading couple, had similarly outstanding features. Similar to everyone else here their faces showed trepidation upon gazing at the void, apart from one of the teenagers. This teenager possessed an emaciated figure and sickly white skin, his every moment seemed to invoke pain across his body. But his unforgiven visage seemingly incapable of releasing any sign of discomfort. His deep black eyes stared straight ahead at the void, no fluctuation present in his gaze. The entire spectating crowd turned their vision to the skeletal figure standing in his robe that was dark as Northernmost night. The wife of the leader of Nimbus Valley gently looked at her sickly son, sorrow and worry and many other emotions present in her gaze. She tenderly rubbed her hand against his face and said with a quiet voice, "Ra''er, this is not the only path left, your father and I have utilised all the resources at our disposal to gather information. I''m sure we will find something to cure you." Listening to her weak voice, it was evident to the people around her that even she didn''t believe her words. The emancipated figure emanated a feeling of death, while his dark black eyes and long-hair gave a potent contrast to his pale white skin; it was clear to all that the teenager did not have long to live. The boy turned his head to his mother a smile across his face, even at the end of the road he was able to keep a smile on his face. His expression elicited many respectful looks from the spectators around him. This was why they all came here. Over the short sixteen years of Nimbus Ra''s life, he had earned their respect; his heaven-stunning talent, respectful approach to people from all walks of life and his uninhibited spirit left people with only positive thoughts of him. "Mother, I do not have much time left, at most a month of life. It''s time for me to enter the forbidden land. Who knows maybe in there I will find a path to salvation," Nimbus Ra replied with a bright smile. His smile only managed to invoke tears from his mother. The pain she felt, and the pain which her family felt, were tearing their hearts out. Even with their great prestige and vast knowledge they had been unable to help their son, brother and sect member, over the past two years. Before contracting his diseased body, Nimbus Ra was the brightest star of the younger generation of the Eastern Continent. His achievements left even the oldest ancestors of the many Sacred Grounds spinning in their graves. But as like many bright stars, their incandescent light must come to an end. Unfortunately for Nimbus Ra, this end was much sooner than all expected. On an inauspicious night two years ago, he crumpled to the floor in agony. Over the past couple of years, his body had eating away at itself, his imposing figure and dominant muscles prevalent in all Nimbus Valley disciples degenerated leaving him with his current emancipated figure. The dragon bloodline that all members of the Nimbus Valley were proud of was leading to his death. After two years of analysing his blood and body, Ra had come to the conclusion that his blood was fighting off some type of entity in his body. His bloodline would rather have an internecine struggle than letting the other entity take joint control. "Brother, please listen to mother. Maybe there is another way. Once you enter the forbidden land, there is no return," a beautiful girl a few years younger than Ra pulled on her brother''s arm, hoping in futility to keep him here. Ra turned to look at his gorgeous sister with her watery eyes, and said with a slight smile, "Sevya, I hope that one day in the future you will be able to fly through the heavens stunning all those around you. I, unfortunately, most likely won''t be there to see it." Ra turned his head to look at the void and said with a chuckle, "Or maybe I will." No one said anything to refute his words, for how can anyone kick a man when he was already at death''s door. They were all aware of the legends of the Forbidden Gateway, a sage once said that this gateway appeared after a great war over a hundred thousand years ago. The sage commanded great respect across the Eastern Continent, so many believed his words or at least chose to believe his words when they were on their last legs. Many mighty, aged, figures who saw no hope for further breakthroughs to gain more longevity would enter the Forbidden Gateway looking for a path to salvation. Unfortunately, none of them had returned. Thus over the many years, this Forbbiden Gateway had become known as a graveyard, a graveyard for the courageous and talented figures. For the many people watching Nimbus Ra, even with his overwhelming talent, they also thought another number would be added to the graveyard. But, none of them said anything to prevent him from going, they were all aware that for him to decide to enter the Forbidden Gateway, he had exhausted all options, and lost all hope. The Sect Leader turned towards his son, pride obvious in his eyes. "Son, you have only made our Nimbus Valley, and your father proud. All your actions have been in the best interest of the Valley and our family. You have always held your head high in all your actions, and even now facing a deep unknown you stand here with a smile," roared with a husky laugh. "If I even had an ounce of your fearlessness I''m sure our Nimbus Valley Sacred Ground would be the lord of the Eastern Continent already." Nimbus Yui moved to his son and placed his hand on his shoulders. Although Nimbus Yui''s words were boastful, the many people that had gathered from allied Sacred Grounds chose to not say anything. A man was saying goodbye to his son for eternity, a little boasting was fine. Many young and talented figures had arrived with their elders to say their goodbyes to a young man that had been the leader in their race, since they could remember, along the pathway of cultivation in the Eastern Continent. Of course, there were people in the Sacred Grounds that are happy seeing such a character disappear, but most could only sigh. One-by-one people came up to Ra to wish him good luck and their goodbyes, before long the Jubilant Lotus Sacred Ground came together before the members of Nimbus Valley and Ra. The relationship between Jubilant Lotus and Nimbus Valley go back thousands of years, their bonds were strong, almost unbreakable. A beautiful girl with pink hair, and dressed in an exquisite dress that resembled lotuses, dove into Ra''s embrace. Nero Evelynn, Jubilant Lotus''s precious gem, and Ra''s life-long friend buried her head into Ra''s chest. Evelynn''s parents, sworn brothers and sisters with Ra''s parents looked on with melancholic looks. "It may have even been possible for these two to get married in the future, alas" Nimbus Yui quietly said to himself. Ra quietly said a few soothing words to Eveylnn, except he didn''t make any promises of a return. Ra walked to the middle of the clearing and turned towards his family, Sect and friends. He felt overwhelming gratitude for everyone who came to wish him farewell in his voyage. Nimbus Yui slowly began to chant in an ancient dragon tongue, a beautiful yet melancholic tune came from out his mouth. Gradually the other members of Nimbus Valley began to sing the same tune. For many, the song sounded like a funeral dirge, while for others it possessed the innate pride of a dragon; always resisting and pushing. Ra turned around and began to move towards the stairs as the dragon song was sung behind him, at this moment although he was walking to an inevitable death he only felt pride in his steps. His heart thumped in his chest, even though he felt both pride and disgust for his dragon bloodline it gave him a sense of belonging; it gave him dignity and camaraderie. The voices of the dragon warriors behind him only began to increase over time, gradually turning into a dragon''s roar filled with feeling. Ra slowly began to make his way up the stairs, admiring the artwork of the columns as he made his way up. There were depictions of mighty archaic beasts and legendary warriors all emanating a palpating power. He stopped all of a sudden and turned to one of the most dominating pillars and the scene he saw caused his bloodline to go into turmoil. A magnificent beast was seemingly swimming through a sea annihilating enemies in its path with powerful purple lightning. Ra had never seen such a creature in his life, nor any art, it resembled a dragon but also not a dragon, with prominent muscles and a thick scales it''s entire being embodied strength. The purple tattoos along its body were in the most perfect violet, its movements were natural and attune with the sea. The imperial dragon bloodline that ran through his veins began to almost hide within his body, too afraid to show itself in case the sea beast noticed it. All of a sudden the sea beast in the column turned and looked straight at Ra, causing the boy to be unable to move, as a fear like never before appeared in his heart. The fear of the void gateway felt inconsequential compared to the gaze of the sea beast. A moment of doubt flashed through Ra''s eyes when he noticed the beast''s face, it was almost as if the creature smiled. All of a sudden the scene playing itself out on the column stopped and became still as it once was before. With the freezing of the scene, the dragon bloodline that had caused him endless agony for two years suddenly stopped. Ra turned to look at the void, he felt a calling from deep in his heart. A calling commanding him to move through the gateway. So, he accepted. He slowly made his way up the stairs while the dragon roars behind him crescendoed; the dragons song roared across a large portion of the Eastern Continent as many of the dominant figures of Nimbus Valley shouted with all their might. Ra''s emaciated figure that once cut a melancholic sight not emanated a feeling rejuvenation and pride, his shadow leaving a beautiful view against the walls of the abyss. As Ra stepped through the spiralling gateway the void turned a wicked violet, the violet began to consume his figure till his straight back vanished before the eyes of the gathered. Along with Ra''s disappearance, the glorious dragon song ended. The dirge''s echoes rang through the valley and the continent, at the same time as the farewell song concluded the members of Nimbus Valley all over the continent bowed in the direction of the Forbidden Gateway. As Ra stepped through the gateway, an unforeseen force pulled upon his body. The energy enveloped his body, completely inhibiting all movements, no matter how much he struggled with what little strength he had left in his diseased body it was to no avail. Realising that struggling was futile, he stopped his rapid movements and let the violet light push him through the void tunnel. Understanding that the transportation was not going to be ending any time soon, he started to observe his environment to gather his bearings. The space around him was fracturing intermittently, and at the end of each fracture, he would be pushed further through the void. Ra peered through the space fractures and to his surprise he saw a vast desolate land with dilapidated buildings and the skeletal remains of gargantuan beasts jotting his view. The sky of this dead land was lit up with fierce lightning which fractured space creating an environment impossible to live in. With every movement, he saw different kinds of natural disasters, disasters which could surely destroy his entire Sacred Ground if it is so unfortunate to be in its path. Splintering earthquakes, erupting volcanoes and tsunamis of black sea annihilated the dregs of what was left of this cadaveric land. The scenes left Ra''s mind in disarray, destruction at such a mass scale and power was something he had never seen before in his life. He felt a bit of consolation that he was able to see such a scene before his death. Conversely, it made him saddened. Saddened that he would never be able to see all of what the world had to offer. Although he has never been able to make use of his Cloud Dragon bloodline, the feelings of wanting to float uninhibited around the world have always been within him. A sense innate to those who carry such a lineage. Ra shook his head denying such thoughts from further influencing himself, the image of the fearsome sea beast came into his head again, "Was that being really smiling at me? But it was a piece of art, how can it look at me?". He also experienced some familiarity when he first saw the archaic beast, but such a feeling was so absurd he immediately ignored the possibility. Before he was able to continue with his train of thought, the space tunnel began to shudder. The violet walls started to fracture with even more intensity, and he felt a great strain imposed upon his body. His bones began to creak with the pressure The young teenager turned his vision to his front and observed the ever-approaching scene before him. A great monolithic mountain with breathtakingly steep cliffs was situated within a roaring black sea. The waves of the sea grew to tremendous heights and rocked the cliff face, the sound of the collision only muffled out by the next wave. The black sea itself and the peculiarity of it placed overwhelming pressure on Ra. All of a sudden a sky-shattering violet lightning bolt struck down from the heavens, the branches of the strike shot out in all directions akin to a vine suffocating all life. The black world was illuminated in its entirety for the young teenager. The scene laid bare for him shocked him to his core. As the first tendril of lightning touched the sea, the electricity spread out across the ocean and lit up the land of despair below. Countless apparitions were howling towards the mountain. Their expressions showed the immense anger, hopelessness and hatred they felt. The phantoms were all in various forms; humans, beasts and other creatures and species, they all held one commonality, that of fear. Fear of their past, fear of the future, fear of the now. Cold sweat formed on Ra''s back, instantly drenching his robes. Over the past two years, he had experienced deep agony as his bloodline lead an internecine struggle within his body. Pain, in the physical sense, was something he could overcome, but the mental impact of the countless apparitions filling the sea to the brim left his mind reeling. As quickly as the world was lit up, it also ended. The violet lightning disappeared evaporating into nihility much like the sentience of the despairing wraiths in the sea. Ra turned his attention back towards the towering mountain, the focal point of the paroxysm of emotions of the spectres. With one final shudder, Ra shot out of the void transmission and crashed into the wall face of the cliff. Whether by luck or machination he found himself wedged into a small cave. Ra slowly got up and checked over his emaciated body, lacerations covered the entire left flank of his robes. He decided it was best to not look at the damage to his body, there was nothing he could do about it anyway. "I need to conserve energy, no point in healing minor injuries," Ra muttered to himself as he moved to look over the edge and into the abyss that made up the black ocean beneath him. Ra observed the cliff around himself, even though it would have been impossible for a pure mortal to see in the darkness that encompassed this world, it was nothing for someone like Ra who already had significant achievements in his cultivation. During his observation, the bewitching violet lightning tore through the sky a couple more times illuminating the wraiths below him. Seeing the scene beneath him, Ra was only able to mutter a very faint, "Fuck.". "Although the peak of the cliff is quite high up, it seems that small caves jot the wall face. It should be no problem to form some Void laws and create a platform to walk on to reach the next cave." Ra wasted no further time and called forth energy from the Void Crystal within his Dantian, but after trying for a few more seconds, he wasn''t able to retrieve any. He quickly focused in on his Dantian and was left in confusion, his entire Crystal lattice network lay dormant. There was not a single bit of energy left inside of him. "How can this be? I know I was running out of energy, but surely not this fast?" Ra then tried to absorb some world energy from the environment around him through his pores. Alas as soon as the energy attempted to enter him, his bloodline prevented it from entering. He tried a few more times in vain, knowing full well the answer, the same answer that had been provided to him for the past two years. Ra began to feel a bit of despair build up inside of him, but he quickly clamped down on the feeling and began to look around himself for any object he could use to scale the cliff face with. He was relieved to find two jagged pieces of stone near the end of the cave. If he were not in such an emotional state, he would have been aware that there had not been any such stones inside the cave when he first entered. The stones resembled two crudely designed obsidian daggers. He picked up the pieces of stone and walked to the edge of the cave, and looked out across from himself and noticed the black rain that fell across the dark world into the sea. Black like the tears which unwittingly lined his face. Tears of his regret, tears of anger, tears against his tortured fate. The path of cultivation is there for one to rise against his fate, to retaliate against the hand that life has dealt you. An individual could be born with more opportunities than another, but that individual will also miss the experiences of the less fortunate other. The many experiences one garners along their journey can create a strong mental fortitude, a fortitude which a sheltered person cannot compete against. Ra shouted as he jumped up from his perch and penetrated the wall face with his newly acquired jagged rocks. He slowly moved his right hand upwards and shoved the stone-dagger into the wall, after it was firmly perched in the wall he moved his left hand and did the same action. Through this method he slowly made his way up, muttering incomprehensibly to himself. The black rain plastered his back continuously, but even with no World Energy to fuel his body he still kept on moving. His emaciated muscles, bearing no energy, still kept on climbing. Ra continued climbing, he ignored his burning muscles and his lack of energy. Images of the faces of his loved ones and their hope for him flashed by one after the other in his mind. If he fell here, all those faces would be but a fleeting dream, a dream he would never be able to make reality again. Thus he kept on climbing. Climbing to change his fate and make use of the talents that life had graced him. A few hours into his ascent, the wraiths in the sea had directed their despair onto Ra. For most people, the negative emotions would have driven them insane in a matter of moments, but nothing of the sorts happened to Ra. If one were to see Ra''s eyes, they would understand why the storm of despairing emotions failed to influence him. His eyes were akin to an empty abyss, no emotions, no palpable sentience. His mind had closed in on itself, his energy depleted body moved out of sheer instinct. The further Ra ascended the cliff face with his methodical, and tiresome, process the more the last vestiges of energy inside his body began to diminish. Even the trance-like body movement that had allowed him to propel himself upwards without a care in the slightest started to fail him. In the end, the cliff was mind-bogglingly high, so much so that even Ra at his peak form would find it difficult to scale it. Eventually, Ra was incapable of continuing any further, and he just hung from his stone-daggers, his body moving to and throw from the wind. The spectres in the ocean began to scream in glee upon seeing the teenager hanging almost dead to the world. At this moment a violet lightning bolt struck down from the heavens, except this time the intensity of it eclipsed the ones from before it. The bolt shot into the ocean instantaneously annihilating hundreds of thousands of spectres, the lightning tendrils continued their paths of destruction incinerating many more wraiths. The apparitions immediately became silent, too afraid to even make a movement. A pair of bewitching violet eyes appeared in the sky where the lightning bolt entered from. The eyes were incomparable in size, they seemed to encompass the entire world. The eyes looked towards the spectres in the ocean, malevolence in its gaze, "Pathetic ghosts. You dare mock a child of my lineage!?" "If you were not beneficial to the boy, I would have already annihilated all of you for your actions," a voice rang throughout the world. The voice contained a powerful imperial might, a might that would be able to inundate any mortal who heard it. The entity in the sky then turned its attention back to the boy, although its gaze was still just as frightening a few layers of warmth were now present. "Silly boy. If you had just waited a few more moments in the cave, I would have been able to send you to the top easily. Unfortunately, this World Sense is just too old, it took a while for it to wake up." "Very well, considering you are so eager. Let''s give you a bit of a boost," the voice said almost gleefully if it possessed a mouth it would surely be smiling slyly. Lightning began to form under the eyes, only this time it was an incredibly vibrant shade of violet, it almost seemed as if it was filled with life. The lightning burst downwards, and instead of landing into the ocean like the many times before it, onto Ra. Ra arched his back inwards and let loose an insane cry. The cry managed to reverberate around the area mysteriously, even the thundering waves beneath became a backdrop the echoes of Ra''s roar. The purple lightning wound itself around the teenager and moving in and out of his pores and the seven orifices of his face. He looked like a creature born out of lightning, tendrils of electricity crept around the rock face where his daggers met the cliff lighting up his surroundings in a beautiful violet. Ra began to feel his body fill up with energy, the cells in his body began to vibrate with energy as the violet body moved throughout him. With a mighty thunder, Ra started to climb up the cliff with speed like never before, pieces of rock followed in his wake. His eyes flashed continuously with a bewitching magenta. The lightning figure shot up the cliff with nothing impede his progress. The spectres with their minimal sentience stared up at the teenage boy in silence. With a final roar, Ra shot over the edge of the cliff and tumbled along the top. He rolled over onto his back and looked up into the sky, his heaving chest indicating his lack of breath. A pair of purple eyes made from electricity and a gigantic statue of a sea beast were the last things he saw before he fainted. "Excellent! He did even better than I thought he would. The will of this child is something commendable. A will at this calibre shall enable him to make many achievements in Aspects in the future," the voice thundered in laughter above the black ocean. A gentle purple light formed around Ra and carried him softly through the entrance of the statue depicting an enormous sea beast. Within the sea beast statue was a large hexagonal hall, the walls were inlaid with beautiful crystals. The crystals were not just there for aesthetic reasons, they were also great treasures with many different uses. The shine of the gems lit up the hall in many different shades of colours to the extent that one may even call it psychedelic in nature. There were also a few gems that released melodious hymns, hymns of the purest form created by nature. At the centre of this hexagonal hall was a raised platform, on top of the platform was a pool large enough to fit a full-grown man inside. Nimbus Ra was currently floating unconsciously in the multi-coloured water, the energy from the gems embedded in the walls coalesced inside the pool imbuing it in the different shades of colour. Ra eyes gradually opened, feeling himself floating in liquid immediately made him think that he failed his ascent of the cliff. He slowly calmed down when he recalled himself reaching the top and seeing those piercing eyes made from lightning. Stabilising himself, he moved his weak body around so that he could see his surroundings. Ra was instantly attracted to the gems, a strange light shone in his eyes. "Haha, boy. I see you are like me, attracted to all things beautiful," an old raspy, yet warming, voice sounded behind Ra. Ra got a fright and spun around to look at the old man behind him, he hadn''t been able to sense anyone else around him earlier leaving him a bit frightened. The old man was dressed in a black robe with purple etchings, the etchings braided around the material akin to lightning bolts, he had a full set of pure white hair and a moustache that hung down past his face. The man hunched over his walking stick looking at Ra with great interest, his eyes sparkling as if he had found a gem. No matter how Ra looked at him, the old man resembled an archetype of a kind, and cheerful, old man. As both of them were sizing each other up, they each came to the same conclusion: "Powerful". One was in terms of immediate strength, and the other was in potential. Ra tried to stand up and greet the old man, but his weak legs gave out before he could stand up. "Hello senior, I''m afraid I can''t stand up, thank you for saving me," Ra said with an embarrassed smile on his face. "Oh, how do you know that I saved you, boy?" The old man said with interest. "Intuition, senior, I feel a sense of familiarity when I look at you," Ra replied a bit confused himself. Ra''s answer elicited a hearty chuckle from the old man, "I''d expect such a response, I am your bloodline''s primogenitor." The young teenager almost passed out again hearing the old man''s words, and the part that really made Ra''s mind tumble was that he believed his words. There is simply no other reason for why his bloodline was burning. "Senior, you founded Nexus Valley?" "Yes, yes, I did," the old man replied with some glee. A strange look soon appeared in the eyes of Ra, which didn''t go unnoticed by the man. "What''s with that look, boy?" Ra stumbled around with words, not sure of how to answer. The longer Ra kept silent, the more piercing the old man''s gaze became. "Ah, Senior, wasn''t the founder of Nexus Valley, a woman?" Ra said defeatedly. It was now the turn of the old man to almost fall flat on his feet and be unable to find words, "What do you mean, boy?" "Well, ah, the founder of Nexus Valley has always been prestigious progenitor Xanthine the True Dragon," Ra quickly informed the old man to stop any confusion. "Of course Xanthine would be there, but what about Levi the Leviathan?" The old man asked seriously. "Sorry Senior, I have never heard of Levi the Leviathan." Hearing Ra''s words, the old man deflated in on himself. His great pride was being squashed the more the teenager spoke. "Is there anything involving Leviathan in Nexus Valley these days?" The old man asked, his expression obviously expecting the worse. Ra noticing the old man''s expression decided to be a bit politer in answering this, "Unfortunately senior there is nothing involving a ''Leviathan'' in Nexus Valley, the most I can recall is that in some of the history books of our Sect we used to have some relation to a ''Leviathan''." The old man kept quiet for a few moments before he spoke again, "Boy, do you know what a Leviathan is?" "All I know senior is that a Leviathan is a great primordial sea beast that can compare to a True Dragon, there has even been some talk of it being able to surpass a True Dragon in some cases," Ra said lightly. Ra had no idea why he said the last part, but the teenager had a hunch that the old man would be happy with his answer. The old man nodded his head in confirmation to the first part of Ra''s answer, but a broad smile spread across his face when he heard the latter part. He moved to Ra and gave him a big pat on the back, "Well, boy, we have lots to discuss about yourself and the history of our Sect." The old man with his long moustache moved to Ra and gave him a big pat on the back, "Well, boy, we have lots to discuss yourself and the history of our Sect." Ra did not miss the word ''our'', and he began to realise that maybe his hunch was correct. "Boy, what''s your name?" "Nimbus Ra." "Ah, Nimbus I take it your other bloodline is that of a Cloud Dragon?" The old man said as he placed his hand on his chin. "Other?!" Ra asked in confusion. "Oh yes, you have two bloodlines that''s why your body almost killed itself," at this point, the old man lifted his hand to stop Ra from speaking, "Ra, everything will be explained to you in a few moments, there are just somethings I also need to clear up." "My name is Levi, no surname. Back in the day, I was known as Levi the Leviathan. I and little-sister Xanthine founded Nexus Valley. Unfortunately, it is incredibly difficult for the Leviathan bloodline to procreate, so I set up an inheritance in the sect for any who comes to possess my bloodline over the years. This would allow them to both uses whatever variant Dragon Bloodline and the Leviathan Bloodline together." Levi watched Ra''s expression and once he was sure the boy who comprehended all he had said he continued. "But it seems that my inheritance is not in the Nexus Valley anymore, any idea why that is Ra?" Ra like the old man, brought his hand up to his chin and began to rub it, seeing Ra''s actions lead to a smile on Levi''s face, ''This boy definitely holds my bloodline.'' "Senior Levi, over a hundred thousand years ago a great catastrophe happened within the Eastern Continent, my homeland, and the Nexus Valley suffered great damage," Ra stated as he was gathering his thoughts. Such information came as no surprise to Levi but nonetheless, he still raised an eyebrow. "There is, of course, no one left alive since those times, and even if there are a couple they have all ascended. The ancient history texts may have something about it, but because the subject is taboo, and I do not have enough status to access the taboo texts, I have no idea on the happenings," "All I know is that a powerful catastrophe happened," Ra sighed helplessly. "From you words, it''s most likely that my inheritance, which admittedly didn''t take up much space in the sect, was lost," Levi said slowly. Ra nodded in response. "First things first, you are not going to die anymore. But, there definitely will be complications, you cannot get out of your predicament without some cost," the old man said in a lecturely tone. -----