《God Slayer Chronicles》 -1 My Personal GSC Index, Cultivation, Characters and More! @@ GSC 1. Metal ¨C Orsulin 2. Metal ¨C Tungsten Qi River 1 ¨C 9 Qi Sea Qi CoreMixed, Good, Excellent, Perfect, Flawless and Inextinguishable. Coloured StarRed, Yellow, Blue, Violet, Golden, White. Star Palace1 ¨C 9 Dao Transformation Dao Establishment Dao Domain Yang Clan ¨C MC ¨C Yang Chi Mum ¨C Ru Yi Dad ¨C Yang Fu Grandad ¨C Yang Hao Patriarch ¨C Unnamed Cousin ¨C Yang Zi - Forgotten Valley. Azure Cloud Sect Dark Moon Sect (Subordinate of Broken Moon). Broken Moon Clan Royal Zi family@@ 1 Prologue "Let me ask you a question little one when you tried to assault my realm. When you tried to destroy what I have stood for, my way of life for over an entire era, what were your thoughts?" An old man, with jet black bat-like wings on his back and giant horns on his face, said, while holding a middle-aged man by his throat. "So many have tried to break into this realm and failed, yet you succeeded where they did not. Don''t get me wrong; I like your determination. It reminded me of myself when I was a youth. I was ruthless and would cut down any who arrived in my path. Eventually, I even cut down the previous High Lord of Demons and took his place." The red-skinned old man grinned, remembering his youth and how fun it had been, traveling from one place to the next. Embracing his dark side, and slaughtering himself a path from the lower realms, all the way towards the highest heavens. "Tell me, boy, is that what you came here to do? Slaughter me like a pig and take dominion over the Demonic Realms?" The old man''s voice rumbled low, spreading across thousands of miles. He had only whispered these words. Clawing at his throat the middle-aged man was trying to speak, but he couldn''t breathe. The grip around his throat suddenly loosened, as he fell to the floor landing on his back. He coughed up blood and gasped for air. Only to find the smoke of smoldering brimstone enters his lungs. "Speak boy quickly! You intrigue me enough to keep you alive, but I so easily get distracted. I would suggest you keep me entertained." Roaring laughter left his mouth, spreading across the fiery lava infested surface of the land. Then an echo came back, all the horrendous demonic lieutenants, captains and generals'' laughs were heard, flattering their mighty overlord. The middle-aged man stood up, chocking on the toxic air all the while. "All mighty Demon Lords, and of course the peerless High Demon Lord." The middle-aged man bowed, his voice firm and brave. The High Demon Lord noticed his demeanor, nodding in approval. A smile that said, ''This is how I should be treated'' popped up upon his face. "I have come before you today with great regret, and I can assure you that I only came here out of necessity, not ignorance." The High Demon Lord stroked his chin thinking, "Necessity he says? What possible reason could drag him down here into Hell''s Furnace itself?" "High Demon Lord Duman, is wise and knowledgeable so you must, of course, know what this is?" The middle-aged man pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was only the size of a small note, yet the paper held a certain allure to it. "Unfortunately, even though this Demon Lord is all powerful to an extent, I don''t know what every piece of paper in existence is." Every Demon in Hell''s Furnace roared with laughter. Indeed, what was the importance of some piece of paper? "How unfortunate. Well, let me ask you, Great Duman, have you heard the tale of the Heaven Defying Seal?" The middle-aged man chuckled. Demon Lord Duman didn''t speak he just shook his head. "Well, I''ll enlighten you. As the name suggests, it is indeed a Heaven Defying Seal, which enables someone to cheat the heavens. Would you like to hear a tale, Great Duman?" The middle-aged man humbly bowed. "Colour me intrigued." The Duman chuckled. "Long ago in an age past, there was no Demon Empire as there is today. There was no myriad of monsters that resided in the heavens, the great races hadn''t risen to prominence, and finally, the humans that multiply beyond control and monopolize the resources of the divine realms hadn''t even taken their first steps on the journey to greatness." "The primordial era," Duman whispered. The Primordial Era was the age when the universe was first born, where stars started to burn into existence and great civilizations began to rise. "Indeed, the primordial era. In that era, the God Race and their ilk came to spawn out of creation itself. There were many different types of Gods, The Wild Gods, The Bright Gods, The Ice Gods. It goes on and on. Originally these ''God'' races took all reality for themselves, warring amongst themselves for resources. That was until the appearance of the Abyssal Races, the Asuras, the Great Vampires, who can forget the Void Wolves, terrifying. The presence of the Abyssal Races caused the God Races to unite, becoming known as the Pantheon!" Many of the demons looked at the middle-aged man with delight. It isn''t often such knowledgeable people appear! Even Duman was intrigued by these stories; it had to be known that he was born in the lower realms, slaughtering his way to power. He didn''t accumulate much knowledge of the ancient times, and he didn''t have the pleasure of asking the last overlord of the Demonic Realms about his secrets before he cut him down. "The Pantheon was divided between the different races of God. The Wild Gods became known as The Chaos Gods and took the name of Wildborn. The Bright Gods became the Brightborn, and Ice Gods, of course, became Iceborn. Each lineage became known as a different house of the Pantheon." The middle-aged man''s voice was full of wonder. "When the houses of the Pantheon united they were unstoppable, devouring everything in their path. The Abyssal Races didn''t stand a chance against the united houses of the Pantheon; they were chased back into the Eternal Abyss from whence they came." Duman himself was practically on the edge of his seat, the middle-aged man''s story was galvanizing! "The heavens wept at the sight of this slaughter; the heavens will itself didn''t fight back, even when the Pantheon tried to harness it for their power! But it couldn''t watch the slaughter of the lesser races. So, when the heavens wept, and the tears fell upon the plane reality a new species was born." "This species was originally called the Holy Tear Race, but that was only at the beginning. They bred, multiplied slowly over a countless time. Living simple lives, as a farmer, monks, workers. There was something about them though; they''d never die. Even the God Race died of old age if they didn''t cultivate, but the Holy Tear Race¡­ they just kept on living." The demons were speechless, an entire race of beings who were ageless! "This drew ire of the God Race, jealous of these beings blessed by the heavens! They tracked down the Holy Tear Race and tried to take them away." The middle-aged man shook his head and scoffed. "What the God Race didn''t know is that the longer the Holy Tear Race lived, the stronger they became, and some of those fellows were older than any living member of the Pantheon. Their forces, obliterated, and that''s how the first schism of the Heavens started. The Holy Tear Race devised their cultivation methods and started to increase their strength exponentially! Even though the Heavenly Tear Race was peaceful by nature and abhorred violence, they faced the threat of extermination. Unlike the Abyssal Races, there wasn''t anywhere that they could retreat. They went to war." The middle-aged man let out a sigh. "The Heavenly Tear Race were few, only a few offspring every hundred-hundred millennia would be born. They number several thousand, up against the God Race''s millions, perhaps billions. Renaming themselves as the God-Slayer Race and organizing themselves as the Sha Clan. They slaughtered their way through the Pantheon, not suffering a single loss. They rallied the forces of the Abyssal Races, and even the lesser races, gifting them power." The middle-aged man said with a face of pride. "Finally, the God Race risked it all; they designed the Heaven Defying Seal. A seal that could curse each member of a bloodline. They used Infernal Energy to fuel this seal, worst of all it even cut off the God-Slayer race from Samsara and rebirth. The ancient one once said that the only way to release the seal is to return it from where it came; unfortunately,there''s only one member of the Sha Clan left in existence¡­" A tear started to fall down the man''s cheek. "Shit," Duman mumbled, as he shot out as fast as possible to grab the man, but it was too late. The piece of paper with the sealing symbol started to burn with bright white light, beginning to disintegrate in his hand. A smile lit up on the middle-aged man''s face, "I am Sha Ku. Last of my Clan. Finally, I can enter the road of reincarnation." Wushh! Duman grabbed onto the Sha Ku''s throat, lifting him in the air. With his other hand, he grabbed for the Heaven Defying Seal, but instead as soon as he touched it the bright flame that engulfed it spread to him. Duman screamed maniacally, as he felt the white flame burn down to his bones, "Stop this now! Now!" he roared in pain and agony. Sha Ku gave a smile, even though his eyes and ears started to ooze golden blood, "With this comes the end of this era. The Third Heavenly Schism shall take place as prophesized by the ancient one. See you in the next life." Sha Ku''s mouth leaked the golden blood as he slowly closed his gleeful eyes, knowing that in the next life he would regain his clan''s place in the cosmos. The God-Slayer Clan shall rise again! 2 1.1 Samsara Road Sha Ku opened his eyes, for the first time in endless years it felt as if they weren''t heavy, he was finally refreshed. He scoffed at the thought though, he knew why they weren''t weighted, looking around he realized where this place was ¨C Samsara Road. His form was currently ethereal and resembled that of when he was a young man. Currently, he was in an endless queue, thousands of miles long. One-by-one a myriad of ethereal figures lined up, humanoids, demons, there was even one or two dragons and phoenixes. Seeing the endless line, he was infuriated, as a member of the Sha Clan, he knew how the Samsara Road worked. The three judges of the Netherworld would preside and judge the dead, then a soul would take its path. There were three paths, the path of Neutrality. This is for those who are normal, living peaceful lives but would sometimes be bad people, after all, not everybody could be a Buddha¡­ The people who were reborn on the Path of Neutrality would have neither positive or negative karma; everything would be left to chance in their next lives, they could only rely on themselves. Then came the Good Fortune Path, those who are sent through the path of Good Fortune had usually been saints, or doctors before death, helping those in needs. There were also other ways to enter Good Fortune, people who sacrificed themselves for others were given a chance or somebody who saved lives just because could. People who stepped onto the Good Fortune Path would be blessed with great karma in their next life, becoming stars in the sky. Finally, was the Sinners Path, those who trod the path of ''Evil'' where sent down here. The mass murderers, the genocidal maniacs, the pedophiles, the rapists. Whatever trash the universe had to spit out, is sent down Sinners Path. The people of Sinners Path had two choices, enter their next life with unholy karma, leading to a lifetime of suffering or bathe in the Great Karmatic Flames, suffer torment for countless years. Then walk the path of Neutrality after their souls are cleansed. Most choose the unholy karma. Even thinking about all this Sha Ku was still infuriated, most beings were in a catatonic state when entering rebirth. They''d stand there like zombies unaware of anything moving along the line, and only regain consciousness when they were being judged. Unfortunately, though this was not the case for Sha Ku or anybody that practiced a Reincarnation Art, that allowed one to regain their memories after death. There were also humans who reached the Grand Immortal cultivation stage, as due to a pact they made with the three netherworld judges, they''d be allowed to keep their memories when rebirth occurred. Sha Ku still had no idea how the humans managed to convince the netherworld judges of this, even when the Pantheon was at its peak they didn''t dare try to oppose the netherworld judges! There''s a very plain and simple reason for this, every being that has ever died has passed through the netherworld, and every time somebody does pass through they have a tiny piece of their cultivation taken away. Imagine that, but throughout trillions of years, taking a trillion-quadrillion people''s cultivation, who would be willing to risk offending them? A fool, that''s who! Or somebody that''s willing to suffer hardship for his people. Sha Ku sighed, directly walking out of the queue. 3 1.2 Samsara Road Immediately two giant jackals stopped him in his path, holding giant spears of pure bright-gold towards him. Sha Ku smirked, "You two, take me to the judges now. Or face the heavens wrath." This caused the two jackals to look at each other, "Listen, human, you may have mastered a reincarnation art, but you''re going to have to wait in line like everybody else. Even Old Sage Shan had to wait in line, and he''s the one that set up the relationship between humans and the nether judges!" They both spoke in unison. Sha Ku gritted his teeth, first off, he''d always been deeply disturbed by anything with a hive mind, which these jackals have. Secondly, he was the last member of the Sha Clan, and therefore carried the pride of his entire race on his shoulders, how could he be compared to a petty human? "Listen to you up jumped mutts; I am no human. Now out of my way or I''ll be sure to tell the judges that you prevented them from knowing of the Third Schism!"Sha Ku said, as bold as brass. "Third Schism?!" They both said in unison, apparently shocked. Great apocalyptic events in the realm of the living is always a big deal to the Nether Judges; this is because they would receive far more souls to feed on than usual. So naturally, you don''t come between a beast and its prey. Even though they didn''t entirely believe him, they decided it would be best if they brought him straight to the judges. The three judges weren''t three evil-looking creatures, neither did they look as if they had any gravitas. The three were just ordinary men. One was skinny and old, the other was middle-aged, and fat and the final was a plump and hairy man. As Sha Ku approached the three looked at him with wide eyes, the skinny one spoke first. "Kids these days they have no respect!" he harrumphed. "Well, what can you do. I guess there is too much greed in the world." The fat one said while chomping down on a chicken leg. "What can we do, the universe created them. They weren''t handcrafted like us!" The hairy one used a brush to stroke his beard. Sha Ku raised an eyebrow, "Are you irony impaired on purpose, or is it a happy accident?" "Damn youth these days!" The old man struck down on the table the three were sharing. "What a pig!" The fat one snorted. "The boy certainly has some hair on his chest!" The hairy one said. Sha Ku''s face went sour, had an eternity of presiding over the dead made these old fellows dull, or were they purposely trying to aggravate him? "Listen, I don''t care what you think. Just do your jobs and reincarnate me." He said sharply, not caring for their attitude what-so-ever. The old one sighed, "I''m sorry Child. We''re just trying to cheer you up. Your destiny is imprinted in our minds after all. You''re the only Tear Drop we''ve ever encountered; I''m sorry for the loss of your people." The fat one frowned, "You carry the fate of not only your race but many others on your back Slayer, even your enemies. You shall choose their path. Remember, to have mercy." The hairy one chuckled, "It''s not only doom though, I see a child. He loves his father, he brings hope to the heavens that its children will spread." Sha Ku''s voice got caught in his throat. He couldn''t utter any words. These things that he''d heard, they were cold water rushing over his head. Indeed, these three men knew more than he did, its said that they had existed since before the first dawn of the universe. The words ''handcrafted'' resounded in his head. That was a question for another time though, seeing as they were sculpted by the person who also crafted the Netherworld. It was not his business he could only be thankful. "Do you have any requests?" The three said in unison, chuckling, knowing that it is both annoying and disturbing to Sha Ku. "Requests? I don''t know. Don''t put me in a realm with Martial Spirits. Its bravado personified." Sha Ku snorted. "Very well, off you go and good luck. We''ll be seeing you very soon." They said in unison once again, while Sha Ku shook his head. He slowly walked towards the Good Fortune Path, took a deep breath and jumped down the whirling vortex, which crackled with lightning, "Heavens I hope I''m not put anywhere near a hive mind." As the three judges watched the last of the Heaven''s Tears fall into a new life they couldn''t help but shake their heads. "Hopefully he will succeed." The old one said. "I''ve calculated the odds, even with karma on his side, the odds are more than twenty million to one." The fat one replied. "What if he managed to reform his Slayer Body?" The hairy one asked. "If he reforms his Heavenly Tear Body? It''s still over a hundred to one." The fat one looked gloomy. "I suggest we cheat." The old one said boldly. "Cheat?! We vowed never to interfere, just because of that, it doesn''t mean we can break our vows." The hair one said. "Whoever said interfere?" The old man chuckled. "Why not nudge him in the right direction?" The other two looked at him with understanding eyes, "Nudge him in the right direction, well that wouldn''t exactly be breaking our vows." The three lit up with smiles, as they looked at each other as thick as thieves. 4 2.1 Reborn Whaaa! Whaaa! "Madam, young master is wailing again. Why don''t I look after him?" A pretty young girl asked, holding her arms out to take the young baby boy from his mothers'' arms. "No. Be gone with you Snow; I don''t need your help he''s mine." The woman snorted, as she opened up her blouse to feed the child. Whaaa! The child screamed even louder than before, refusing to drink from his mother''s bosom. "Come on little Chi; please eat." The mother sobbed. "Give Chi''er to Snow my dear, don''t worry. You''re frail anyway; you shouldn''t be feeding him." A man approached, taking the crying Yang Chi away, handing him over to Snow, who took him in both arms, while bouncing them up and down. "Snow, go feed him in another room, I would speak with my wife." He commanded her. Bowing her head humbly, she left the room while holding Yang Chi tight. The middle-aged man was tall and strong, standing with broad shoulders and long dark hair, sporting a beautiful beard and mustache. His face was angular, high cheekbones and a dimple on his chin were his best features. He was the type of man ladies would swoon over. "My dear Ru Yi, please don''t cry. The skies of my heart darken with every tear that falls from your celestial lotus like eyes." The man sat next to the woman on a bed, as she leaned her head on his shoulder, crying into it. "Yang Fu, I finally bore us a child. He doesn''t even want to feed on me." Ru Yi wept, unable to control her tears. "My love, it no longer matters. You''ve finally given birth to a healthy boy. There is no need to worry. I promise you, that boy shall love you to the ends of the earth. You''re his mother after all." Yang Fu''s words almost caught in his throat, remembering his disappointment in the past. Long had he and Ru Yi been trying for a child. The first time was four years ago; unfortunately, the child was born blue, deformed and starved of air. Their beautiful baby girl had just been taken from them like that. They sent for healers from all over the county of Zi, yet none had been able to save her. There was a small grave in the family estate with the encryption Yang Xiao, or little sun, in memory what could have been. Unfortunately for both Ru Yi and Yang Fu, there wasn''t only one grave marked Yang Xiao, but three. Even the Patriarch of the Yang Clan, grandfather of Yang Fu felt his heart burden by this matter, entering seclusion as to wallow in his pain. Fortunately, this time was different though. Yang Fu and Ru Yi had both attended the same sect, and fallen in love there, both of them taking the same master. This master was heartbroken by Yang Fu and Ru Yi''s losses. He had taught them from their late teens, and he viewed them not only as his disciples but also his children! Therefore he, Yang Fu''s father ¨C Yang Huo, and a close friend of theirs set out to find a fruit called the Holy Protection Fruit after they had read about it in an old book. They vanished for four months, only Ru Yi and Yang Fu''s master ¨C Lao Zi returned, heavily injured. He would not speak of what happened, just returning with the fruit, then going into seclusion. Just like that Yang Fu had lost his father and father, he alone was the chief protector of the Yang Clan, an almost impossible task. Even for someone as talented as him. 5 2.2 Reborn Outside the room, Yang Chi was happily suckling on the milkmaid ¨C Snow. She was bobbing him up and down all happy as if she was his mother. "Aren''t you a cute little thing Chi''er, you''re going to be a lady killer, just like your father when you get older." Snow said in a high voice, looking into the child''s bright brown eyes. ''Damn woman, I feel ashamed to be suckling on your bosom.'' The thoughts of the child sounded like the old gruff voice of Sha Ku. When Sha Ku entered the vortex, transported to a warm room where he didn''t have to breathe, and three days ago he finally came to this world ¨C or in other words, he was born. Although he was in a week and simplistic body of a babe, he still had some sense about him. From what he had observed while he was inside the womb, that woman had a faint trace of a Deathly Yin bloodline. This would perhaps be a great boon in the divine realm, but seeing the downtrodden place around him, he knew that this was certainly a backwater for cultivators and in this backwater, a Deathly Yin bloodline would undoubtedly be a death sentence for most. Strangely though she seemed to be alive, there was only one explanation Sha Ku could think of, and that was Yang Fu. Yang Fu appeared to have a primitive yang bloodline, which could hypothetically counter the bloodline. Residing on this fact it was hard to imagine what nonsense allowed him to be conceived. The universe doesn''t merely allow a child with a Yin-Yang physique! Sha Ku could only internally sigh; perhaps this would be a good enough body up until he could regain a Heavenly Tear Body. This was also the reason Sha Ku refused to drink his mothers'' milk. It held the tiniest trace of Deathly Yin, currently if Yang Chi were to try and absorbed some of this energy the effects would be cataclysmic to his body. The powers of Yin and Yang were perfectly balanced at the moment, and if the balance of the scales went out even slightly, it would result in his utter demise. So instead he decided to upset his new mother and father suckling instead from the teat of this maid, he found it rather odd. In his previous life, he was naturally spawned from the universe; he''d never had parents. The only time he''d touch a breast was for other purposes¡­ Yang Chi tried to shake these thoughts out of his head, now wasn''t the time to think of such vulgar things. Currently, he had to focus on growing up healthy. But how would he ensure that? He was young, and even if he were born in a place with abundant resources it''d be hard to cultivate back to a stage where he could shake the very heavens, let alone re-forge his Heavenly Tear Body¡­ ''The optimum time for a human child to start cultivating was at the age of six¡­ ugh, six years. This is going to be a long wait; perhaps I could work on Dao insight, or form some sword Qi in the meantime?'' he thought to himself, while his eyes started to close as he drifted off to sleep slowly. The sobbing from the other room intensified at that moment; it was Ru Yi ¨C no, his mother¡­ His mother was crying. ''Maybe I could help my family?'' Were Yang Chi''s final thoughts as he drifted off to sleep. 6 2.3 Reborn. Yang Chi''s father was holding the boy, gently rocking him from side to side as he looked off into the horizon from the wooden balcony. "Yang Chi, I don''t know if I''ll be able to hold our clan together. Fathers disappeared, Master Lao is injured, and grandfathers suffered from Qi deviation. The Yang council have been scheming; some want me to become interim Patriarch of the Clan, while others wish for my cousin ¨C Yang Zi to take over." Yang Fu took a deep sigh, regretting the situation he was in. He didn''t even want to inherit the Yang Clan, it was his father that had competed with his uncle for the position. His uncle ended up a cripple, but his son Yang Zi wanted to realize his father''s dreams. Yet it seems it was only Yang Fu that realized that although the Yang Clan appeared strong, they were in fact incredibly week from external threats. The Yang Clan had always been close to the Azure Cloud Sect, but unfortunately, his cousin had joined a rival sect that when by the name of ¨C Dark Moon Sect. Although the Dark Moon Sect wasn''t a significant threat towards either the Azure Cloud Sect or the Yang Clan in their prime, they''re actually part of a more prominent organization called ¨C The Broken Moon Clan, which were an incredibly powerful sect in the country of Zi. Even the Royal family would be incredibly respectful when addressing them, although they would plot about putting daggers in their back when they were behind said back! "Promise me, Yang Chi, promise me. Promise that you''ll become strong. Stronger than your father, that you''ll rise higher than any clouds in the sky and be unfettered by the problems of our mundane world." Tears streamed down Yang Fu''s eyes, which dripped on Yang Chi''s face. ''How poetic. I guess I will be able to complete your request, old man.'' Yang Chi sighed in his head, as the baby in Yang Fu''s arms struggled out the words, "I promise." "What?" Yang Fu snapped out of his daze, unable to comprehend the words his son, a new-born had just said. "Hahaha, heavens help me. I thought you spoke for a second." He roared, laughing at his son. Then he looked down into those deep brown innocent eyes and somehow, he felt reassured that no matter what, everything was going to be okay. "Enough about my problems lets tell you about the county of Zi." Yang Fu smiled. "Look over the horizon." Yang Fu pointed off into the distance, where snow fell from the sky and mountains littered the land. "Zi is an incredibly rich, country. We''re some of the richest people in the entire Forgotten Valley. The mountains are full of all sorts of precious minerals, ranging from metals such as gold all the way to precious Tungsten. A precious metal that one uses in blacksmithing, it said that a suit of alloyed Tungsten is worth an untold amount of gold and could be used to purchase a small clan!" Yang Fu smiled, thinking about how easy life would be with such wealth. "But alas, the only Tungsten mine is owned by the Royal Family and is heavily guarded. Our Yang family only has gold and copper mines." Yang Chi''s father sighed in regret. ''I''ll have to explore these mines when I''m older,'' thought Yang Chi, wanting to see if any secrets were hidden beneath. As he looked off into the snowy sunset, which made him feel cold to the bone. 7 3.1 Three years later Yang Chi''s time in his new life had been extremely uneventful until yesterday, as over the past three years he had been formulating plans, that he had executed yesterday. The first idea that Yang Chi had was to sort out the Yang Clan''s god-awful power struggle¡­ but how was one to do that? A three-year-old without cultivation going up against a clan of powerful beings, that''d be preposterous. Yang Chi decided the best thing to do would be gift his father a high-quality cultivation technique, a Sky ranked one to be precise. Yang Chi estimated the current technique that his father used was a Mortal-Grade technique, and although it was a high-quality one and would perhaps be extremely valuable to someone in this part of the world, it was utter trash to him. Therefore, Yang Chi gave his father the Nine-Suns Fury Technique. Yang Chi put much thought into this decision, as he didn''t want to alert any powerful cultivators, in case they became jealous and tried to steal the technique. On the other hand, he wanted to provide his father with a powerful art, which would allow him to strengthen his bloodline with minimal resources and effort. That''s why the Nine-Suns Fury Technique was perfect for his father, the only thing it required was direct exposure to sunlight, which could then be converted to fuel for the technique. Not only was Zi very mountainous, having peaks that went above the clouds, but they also had snow! And what did now do? It reflected sunlight! Not to mention that Yang Chi calculated that that within the daily cycles of this planet, it was daytime for at least 17 hours out of the 24-hour cycle. Currently, Yang Fu''s cultivation was at a crucial stage the Qi Core realm, Yang Fu was about to condense his core and shattering it, stepping out of the Spirit stage of cultivation and transforming it into a Star, entering the Coloured Star Realm, becoming a Profound stage cultivator. Luckily Yang Chi had left a scroll, that he had written personally on his fathers'' bed. When his father saw the contents of this scroll he was ecstatic. This is the sort of thing people would find in ancient ruins, yet this had been left on his estate''s bed?! What sort of heaven-defying luck was that?! Yang Fu wasn''t one to look a gift horse in the mouth and instead decided to keep this secret to himself. He memorized the manual word for word, paying attention to each piece of advice making sure he knew it like the back of his hand. The day afterward ¨C toady, Yang Fu left the clan estate, telling everybody he was going into seclusion to prepare himself for a major breakthrough. This caused a huge ruckus in the Yang Clan and riled the Elder Council up. Those that were in a fierce debate on who to name the next patriarch were all stunned by the news, deciding that they should wait for Yang Fu to return before they made any major decisions. News also leaked to the Azure Cloud Sect, who naturally paid close attention. The sect had recently had a lot of internal commotion, the Yang Clan didn''t know it, but their existence was on a needles edge. Without the Patriarch ¨C a former Azure Cloud Sect member or a loyal Azure Cloud Sect Yang Clan member they would have no choice to eradicate the clan before it fell to the influence of the Dark Moon Sect. And of course, the Dark Moon Sect would be kept well informed by its loyal snitches embedded throughout the Yang Clan, salivating over the fresh meat all the while. 8 3.2 Three years later. Yang Fu rubbed his hands together, breathing heavily onto them, trying to gain the slightest bit of warmth. The Frostfall mountains could fall below -20 degrees on a good day, yet they were the highest point in the entire Yang Territory. Yang Fu had climbed to for five days to reach this peak. Five days in the blistering cold, on the side of a mountain. It is pure luck he had survived, but when he stood upon the tallest peak he couldn''t help but take it all in. He was standing there above an ocean of clouds, it looked like a pathway to the heavens themselves. Yang Fu couldn''t help but think that even if he didn''t succeed in his cultivation he''d be glad he took this journey just to see the wondrous sight, deciding that if he succeeded he''d take his son and wife here to see the sight. Yang Fu couldn''t admire the sight for too long though, after all, he came here for a task to accomplish. He sat cross-legged, back straight and glared at the fiery orb that hung low in the sky. He felt the sunlight warm his skin, making his bitter cold skin regain a bit of feeling. He could only smile at the newfound heat. Slowly closing his eyes, he couldn''t help but smile, he felt like something within him was awakening. As if the sleeping dragon within his veins would soon rush out and devour his enemies. Starting to absorb the sun''s energy through his skin, he followed the Nine-Suns Fury Technique, as the Pure Yang Energy from the sun was absorbed he would refine it and fold it on itself and condense it. He started to remove the old Qi Sea from his dantian, flushing it out into the world. As he started to do this the Pure Yang Energy from the sun that he condensed started to turn into a gas, over time this gas turned into dark clouds that rumbled with thunder. The charcoal black clouds started to increase in size more and more until finally, they burst. Out of them fell rain, pouring endlessly and constantly. All the while the clouds kept growing in size as the Pure Yang Energy was constantly turning to gas. His Qi Sea grew and grew until it was overflowing and was full to the brim. On the outside Yang Fu had a big smirk on his face, trying to hold in his excitement. Suddenly the Chaotic Sea of Qi started to form nine Qi Cores. As the Qi started to merge into the crystal-like balls of solid Qi, the cracks started to repair, and the quality of Qi Cores started to turn Excellent. "The Nine-Suns Fury Technique is indeed formidable. Unfortunately, I haven''t been cultivating it in an area of Ultimate Yang, otherwise, I''d be able to form 9 imperishable cores. It''s a shame that I won''t be able to perform it to its peak, I need to take the second path." "Merge as many cores as possible, to create the highest quality core¡­ to bad. But it''s for my future." Yang Fu looked slightly upset yet was still happy. Nobody since ancient times has even created a flawless core in the Forgotten Valley, let alone an imperishable level core. Yang Fu closed his eyes again, took a deep breath and continued. He hurtled the first two cores together, another, then another and another! With each core that merged it caused massive waves of energy to be released from his dantian, that seeped into his bloodline, changing it irreversibly. The five cores had now merged into one, all cracks and imperfections had disappeared, and the core had become completely flawless, yet it still lacked the inner fire of an imperishable core. Although Yang Fu was joyous on the inside, the reverse was true for his outer appearance. It was coated with blood, falling slowly down his ears and eyes. Truly a sorry sight, but without pain, there can be no gain. The excretion of blood was caused by the thickening of his bloodline, pushing out all of the old insignificant blood. The four final cores flung themselves towards the flawless core, creating large waves of bright yellow light, pulsing out of it like a heartbeat. Cough! A mouthful of blood flew out of Yang Fu''s mouth, staining the snow red. Yang Fu heaved, blood dripped out of his mouth and his vision went blurry, but he was nothing if not delighted. Inspecting his dantian there it was, an imperishable core with its own heartbeat! He laughed to himself as he fell unconscious with a crunch onto the pale white snow. 9 3.3 Three Years Later In the Yang Clan main hall, a man with a light blue goatee sat with his legs crossed, chuckling to himself ¨C Yang Zi. Yang Zi was incredibly happy at the moment, as recent events had unexpectedly gone his way. His cousin Yang Fu had gone off to some backwater to cultivate, leaving him in utter suspense for the past few months. As time passed though, he had become calmer. The fact that Yang Fu hadn''t returned in seven months could only mean one thing ¨C he''d failed. It was a glorious moment for Yang Zi, for an eternity he had been jealous of his older cousin. Personally selected by Elder Lao, meeting a bride that''s far more beautiful than all of his combined! The heavens were cruel, the only solace he could take was that his wife was barren. Alas though, his wife had finally given birth, to a boy no less. It was as if a stake had been plunged into Yang Zi''s heart, almost unable to accept it. The final blow had yet to come though; the righteous and honorable Yang Fu was about to make a breakthrough in his cultivation! Yang Zi had quivered in his boots; he had been continuously receiving threats from the Dark Moon Sect, telling him unless he could secure the Yang Clan his line would be wiped out. Although Yang Zi was in an internal conflict, and couldn''t be called the most kind-hearted as men, he still cared deeply for his family. Especially his children, often would he gift them Spirit Fruits and Medical Pills, the thought of them exterminated shook him to his very core. There was only one choice; he must secure the Yang Clan! For his children''s sake, even if it means killing another''s children with his own two hands. "Enough!" One of the elders interrupted while slamming his fist onto the arm of his chair. "We have delayed long enough, Yang Fu is obviously no longer around, and without a breakthrough into Coloured Star Realm, our Yang Clan has no defenses whatsoever!That measly Kuo Clan could finally come with an army and destroy us." "Worst of all, we have no allies. The Azure Cloud Sect that we''ve allied with; that the ancestors helped co-found has abandoned us! We must elect Yang Zi to the patriarch position immediately. Otherwise, millennia of Yang Clan history shall be eradicated in a few days!" The grey-bearded elder shouted at the council, demanding a vote that they had put off for years now. His words were moving and touched the heart of the entire council, the threat of their whole Clan disappearing was indeed a great motivator to discard Yang Fu, so that they may protect themselves. Standing from his chair, the elder smiled, "Now I call for a vote, all those that wish to vote for life, and Yang Zi to become patriarch raise your hand." The seven elders of the Yang Clan all looked at each other, sighing. They knew what had to be done for their survival. Some cursed that Yang Fu hadn''t come back alive, or that the old patriarch had disappeared. Others relished at the moment and had been working for this day for too long. Five of the seven elders raised their hands, which caused the grey-bearded one to smile. "It seems that the vote is conclusive, I would like to be the first to congratulate Patriarch Yang Zi on his ascension to the position of patriarch!" Yang Zi took a humble bow, "Thank you, elders; I promise you I won''t let down the faith you''ve placed in me. I just hope I''m worthy of your trust." 10 4.1 Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks In a dark room, sat an old man with a bushy grey beard. He wore a crimson cloak that draped over his shoulders with a purple and white robe. His eyes were a deep brown, just like his great-grandson''s, but unlike his the old man''s eyes were tired. Age seeped into them, only the kind of age mourning can provide. These eyes had seen hundreds of years and had once held absolute power. Now though, all they held were self-hatred. The old man was Yang Gou, former patriarch of the Yang Clan. Currently, though, he was just an old man trying to survive. When his favorite grandson who he had played with since young had lost his third child, he felt such sorrow that his Qi deviated, and even his dao-heart was affected. Without a word he had vanished, going into seclusion underneath the mountain the Yang Clan resided on, trying to heal himself. Unfortunately, it had been over four years to this day, and he was only just barely holding on to his life. Day after day he fought the Qi deviation, worst of all being the powerhouse he was he could spread his divine sense throughout the Yang Clan estate. He knew full well that his son had disappeared, which had only further caused him to suffer and delve into self-hatred. There was some news that kept him holding onto life all this time though, and that was that finally, his favorite grandson had a child. Yang Chi, why they chose a name Chi was beyond him though. They wanted to grant a child the name ''to suffer?'', He could only chuckle in disappointment, comparing it to the child''s father, which means blessing¡­ Truly polar opposites. Although who was he to complain, his parents had given him the name of dog¡­ names are indeed strange things. They''re often meant to define us, who we are. But the truth is, its just a name. If a man is named Dragon will he jump over a gate and transform into one? Perhaps. But probably not. The eccentricities of man have developed to a point to where we think that the name of a child will manipulate the Heavens and bend them to the sweet babe''s will. Yang Gou shook his head; he was going off on a tangent, thinking too deeply into random nonsense. He needed to recover and quickly! He''d heard the various whispers of the Yang Clan factions over the past weeks¡­ The Elders Council siding with the Dark Moon Clan. Yang Zi is taking over the position as patriarch. He was distraught; the Yang Clan was a house divided, unable to stem the tide that was the Azure Sect and Dark Moon Sect tearing his defenseless home apart! But there was something else that intrigued him; it was from three days before Yang Fu had set out¡­ it was his great-grandson. He''d seen him writing a profound technique that shocks him to his very core. He''d explored the outside world when he was a youth, and more importantly Yang Gou read the Yang Clan archives, so of course, he knew the profundity of the technique Yang Chi had written ¨C Sky Ranked! In the Forgotten Valley, there was only one single faction that had a Sky Ranked technique, and they where the Wen Imperial Family, whom all kingdoms paid homage too. Zi country wasn''t precisely independent. Instead, it was a vassal state to the Wen Empire! The Wen Empire''s Sky Ranked technique was famous throughout the entire empire as the only Sky Ranked technique ¨C The Nethersparrow Transformation. Without question this technique that was practiced by every emperor for the last ten thousand years was exactly what kept them in power, the vassal states wouldn''t dare rebel, as the Nethersparrow technique didn''t just allow someone to cultivate to the Star Palace Realm, it also permitted practitioners to sacrifice their essence to summon a Nethersparrow! Just the thought of it made chills go up Yang Gou''s spine. That''s why he was so surprised when seeing the Nine Suns Fury Technique; it was even more terrifying! There was only one conclusion Yang Gou could come too, and that''s Yang Chi must have practiced a fabled Reincarnation Technique in his past life! Only a top sect in the Divine Realm would be able to get their mitts on one of these! The Divine Realm of legends! It was a member of a dominant sect! The Yang Clan family archive told that the original member and ancestor of the Yang Clan ¨C Yang Ozai had descended from that place, fearing the evil Divine Yang Palace¡­ "Who practiced a technique called ¨C " "Suns Fury Technique." A voice that wasn''t his own reverberated throughout his mind. 11 4.2 Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks Yang Gou gasped at the voice that wasn''t his own, was it possible he was going mad? Was the first thought that popped into his head. "Although the Sun''s Fury Technique was indeed potent, it was only a lesser Sky Ranked Technique. My improvements though, they''re incredible making it a peak grade technique¡­ Hmm, I bet you don''t even know how techniques like that work, such a shame." The old and somber voice resounded throughout his head once again. "Who are you?" Yang Gou angrily demanded. "How are you able to communicate through divine sense? There are no other Coloured Star Realm cultivators here apart from me!" He shouted into the darkness of the cold, wet cave. "You aren''t stupid Patriarch, I''ve heard the stories of when you were a child. You were neither the strongest or most influential one out of your siblings when inheriting the Yang Clan patriarch position. Instead, you were quick-witted and intelligent, and here you are¡­ and here they aren''t." The old voice chuckled. "You''re Yang Chi aren''t you?" Yang Gou questioned. "Indeed." "Are you¡­ a reincarnator?" "Correct again." "Should I call you Yang Chi, or¡­" "Yang Chi will do for now." Yang Chi interrupted him, not wanting to utter his old name with his new body. "Let me ask you a question Patriarch, do you like the name ¨C Wen Empire?" Yang Chi continued. "Wen Empire¡­ I guess so, why?" Yang Gou was confused. "Really? That''s a shame; I thought the Yang Domain sounds far more appealing." Yang Chi sighed. "What?!" Yang Gou was shocked, unable to control his breathing. "Why don''t you think so?" Yang Chi smiled in his mind. "O¡­ O¡­ Of course I do!" Yang Gou stuttered, starting to feel his blood boil and ambition he had not felt since his youth grow in his bones. Yang Gou took a deep breath, "But we don''t have the power to hold off Azure Cloud and Dark Moon, let alone the Wen Empire!" he sighed slightly. "Great-grandfather, you have something neither Azure Cloud, Dark Moon or the Wen Empire have." Yang Chi smiled where he was sitting on his bed, cross-legged sweating from his brow as all his concentration went into using his divine sense. "What''s that? You!" Yang Gou answered his question, a smile started to emerge from his face. His damaged Dao Heart started to become clear, the thought of his clan''s dominance in the world began to emerge in his mind as the grin become wider and wider. "I may currently be a child, but my knowledge of the Heavens themselves could be said to rival any living being. You cultivate the sword do you not?" Yang Chi asked. Yang Gou nodded, "Indeed, yet my achievements in it are worthless in comparison to others. My sword intent is only at ten percent purity, even though I''m at the Coloured Star Realm." He hung his head in shame. Yang Chi chuckled at Yang Gou''s dismay, even though ten percent purity was considered pitiful when in the Coloured Star Realm it wasn''t as bad as Yang Gou thought. The reason that the Yang Clan was able to even cultivate to such a boundary when using Mortal Ranked Techniques was that of their faint bloodline, which drove them ever forward not wanting its possessor to be weak. The Yang Clan was indeed an anomaly in the country of Zi, their clan only possessed Mortal Ranked Techniques, yet they cultivated to Coloured Star Realm. Only precious Earth and Sky Ranked Techniques should logically be able to accomplish this. To any other cultivator, their foundation would collapse when shattering their Qi Core and entering the Coloured Star Realm! "Perhaps I have underestimated the might of their ¨C my new bloodline. The Nine Yang Palace did chance their ancestor Yang Ozai¡­ so there must be something precious in their blood." Yang Chi said to himself while frowning. "Yang Gou, as a sign of my goodwill I shall give you two gifts today." Yang Gou was knocked out of his daze as Yang Chi spoke. "Gifts?" "Yes, the first gift I shall provide you with is a sword technique that was somewhat popular around the time of my demise. Its known as the Soul Subduing Sword Technique. At its highest levels, it will transform your sword intent, causing its very presence to harm your enemies souls. It has three levels and is a Mid-Sky Ranked technique." As Yang Chi stopped speaking a stream of information was transmitted through his divine sense entering Yang Gou''s mind, causing shock to appear in his face. Even if he had the opportunity to stare at this technique for a few hours, it''d at least increase his sword intent by twenty percent, let alone learning the thing! "My second gift to you is a Daoist Chant; it should subdue your body and calm your mind. It will prevent and reverse any future or current Qi Deviation." Yang Chi sent this through divine sense as well. "I expect you to have at least recovered before the Dark Moon Sect descends upon this place. I think it has real potential¡­ and the netherworld judges seemed to have already moved some things around for me if I repaid them by dying as a child what face would I have?" Yang Chi''s voice snorted, disappearing form Yang Gou''s mind. In the dark cave, there sat a man¡­ a man who had regained hope! 12 5.1 Yang Clan Calamity Yang Chi sat on his bed cross-legged meditating, trying to improve his Divine Sense. When Yang Chi was reborn, he knew that he shouldn''t start cultivating until the age of six, but he could cultivate and improve his divine sense. Therefore he would sit and meditate reciting scriptures obtained in his past life. By having Divine Sense before he started cultivating, it would give him a competitive edge over his peers, as usually cultivators only acquired divine sense when they break through to the Star Realms. This is because when a cultivator advanced to the Star Realm, they''d experience an evolution in their soul, allowing them to cultivate it and their divine sense. Although the methods of using divine sense such as mental imprints were currently useless to Yang Chi, it was exceptionally helpful for spying on people. From observing the Yang Clan the past few months, he''d realized that although the ascendancy of Yang Zi had been rather peaceful, trouble was brewing. Currently, the Yang Clan was in three factions, The Azure Loyalists, The Dark Moon Loyalists, and the Yang Clan Neutralises, who wanted nothing more to stick their heads in the dirt and wait for the opposing sides to battle it out. They had all been going to secret meetings; The Dark Moon loyalists would arrive at the peak of the mountain and meet with a cultivator who was a Qi Core stage practitioner. He was only in his early thirties and was a recently promoted elder at the Dark Moon Sect called Mohu Yi, from their conversations he''d heard that Mouh Yi was even offered a place at the Broken Moon Clan! Unfortunately, he''d declined the offer though, as he didn''t want to come into conflict with certain genius and liked his cushy position at the Dark Moon Sect. On the Azure Cloud side, loyalists had been going to the falconry area, where the messenger falcons where kept. They had been sending hundreds of messages back and forward; all were in code. A simple code, yet a code nonetheless. One letter had been, "While the moon is out the sun won''t shine, yet never can the sun and moon be allies, the cloud and sun shall be reunited soon banishing the lunacy from the sky." The Azure Cloud loyalists and their ways made Yang Chi want to puke; a child could figure out this code! A dumb child at that! He could only shake his head, he had big plans for the Yang Clan in the future, their potential was great indeed, but he''d have to weed out the insignificant fools that betray their clan. From the words of Yang Chi, it sounded like he hated the loyalists, when in fact he didn''t. The faction he hated the most was the pacifists that buried their heads in the sand, ironic considering his past¡­ But there was one thing, something that Yang Chi admired in each and every member of these factions fighting. Every single one of them is fighting for the survival of the Yang Clan, their path different, but it has the same destination. Yang Chi sighed, if his plans come to fruition the Yang Clan would never have to worry about the likes of the Azure Cloud and Dark Moon Sects, yet they had a long way to come before they could even assault the Zi Royalty, let alone the Wen Dynasty! The first thing Yang Chi planned to do after they overcome this was; lay down a formation that could protect the Yang Clan from even a peak Star Realm cultivator! This was why Yang Chi was so desperately trying to cultivate his divine sense, all for the foundation of the Yang Clan¡­ within both lifetimes he was deadly loyal to his Clans, first the Sha, then the Yang he just hoped that it wouldn''t end the same way¡­ Clap! Thunder shook the skies. The bright blue sky above the Yang Clan mountain started to darken and crackle with flashes of gold as dark clouds began to gather. A booming voice resounded from the cloud, shaking the mountain itself, "Yang Clan, you''ve sided with the Dark Moon Sect you shall face your punishment!" 13 5.2 Yang Clan Calamity Yang Chi unfolded his legs, stood up and walked outside. Outside of the doorway, he looked up, up into the sky which was pitch black, with fetters of golden lightning rippling through the air. Yang Chi rubbed his chin, "This should be an earth ranked artifact, impressive, especially for surprise attacks. Nobody expects a cloud to be storing a small army." Although the artifact was nothing to mention when he compared it to the likes of which he had seen used in ancient times, he was nonetheless impressed. While the earth ranked artifact held an inconspicuous status traveling through the skies, it could be used for deadly ambushes and if he wasn''t wrong if it was more efficiently run the streaks of lightning which cascade from the eerie cloud even strike select targets. He could only tut at the wasted potential though. As Yang Chi looked up, seeing a multitude of cultivators fall from the cloud like raindrops he didn''t panic. There was a reason for this; the Azure Cloud wasn''t the only party who wanted control of the Yang Clan. "Ha! Yun Ting, you show up to the Yang Clan thinking that it has no allies?" A loud voice barked from the mountain peak into the skies. "Mohu Yi? Why are you here?" Yun Ting, who had now left the cloud frowned. "Old foggy, you''re eighty years old and only at the midway through Qi Core? Ha! You''re a disgrace to the founding ancestor of the Azure Cloud Sect. First, your Yun family couldn''t even keep control of Azure Cloud; then you attack a family that helped found it?!" Mohu Yi tutted while waving his finger. "You live up to your reputation of having a sharp tongue Mohu Yi! You dare face me?! You might have been able to break into the Qi Core Realm at the age of thirty, but I bet you''ve only just stabilized your foundation!" Yun Ting laughed as he drew a saber from his spatial ring. "Oh, big words for someone with a mixed quality core!" Mohu Yi snorted, drawing two daggers. "Hum! Presumptuous youth!" Yelled Yun Ting. "Cloud Sabre Slash!" Yun Ting raised his saber above his head; it glowed a bright blue and clouds formed around it. Swish! He descended through the skies charging at Mohu Yi saber first, killing intent surrounding his figure. Mohu Yi''s face turned pale, "An earth grade technique, no wonder you were confident. You aren''t the only one with such a powerful martial art though!" "Shadow''s Dance!" Mohu Yi''s figure seemed to break into five parts, four clones and finally a fifth which was real! Unfortunately, as they moved around dodging Yun Ting''s saber, he couldn''t tell which one of them was the real Mohu Yi! Repeatedly he executed his Cloud Sabre Slash over and over again until finally, it was down to two. "Yun Ting, although you have an Earth ranked saber technique you can only execute one move? Ha! How the might name of Yun has fallen!" Mohu Yi burst out laughing. "Says you! Is all you can do dodge and dodge some more? No wonder you didn''t have the stones to join the Broken Moon Clan!" Yun Ting vented, unable to hit him. "Oh, such cruel words. Yun Ting, you couldn''t even step foot outside of the Zi kingdom, let alone join a larger sect of the Forgotten Valley, Dog of the Azure Cloud!" Mohu Yi retorted. "I''ll show you ¨C Sundering Clouds!" Yun Ting''s saber flashed, cutting into the final shadow clone, "There you are!" Yun Ting scoffed, charging towards Mohu Yi to take the final strike. Mohu Yi chuckled, as the blade was inches from his face, "Shadows Slip." Wush! Turning into smoke, he vanished, as Yun Ting''s saber paused and his mouth gaped open, the wrinkles on his face started to run red with blood. Mohu Yi stood behind Yun Ting with his daggers plunged into his spine and head. The knife in Yun Ting''s spine hid in his body, while the other in his head directly appeared on the other side of his face. The tip of the dagger, peering out from his eyeball. "Too bad Yun Ting, it appears the last of the Cloud line has died out." Mohu Yi tutted, drawing his daggers out from Yun Ting, watching him collapse into the snow. Looking around he laughed, the Azure Cloud Sect had no stomach to fight now that their leader had been vanquished, they turned tail and fled, hoping to live and fight another day. Mohu Yi walked back down the mountain trying to maintain his composure, it was apparent that he''d had to use vast amounts of energy in that fight, and had to replenish, so he decided to merely nod towards Yang Zi, who was looking on with bright eyes. Mohu Yi sat down, cross-legged meditating, swallowing a pill which made him smile and regain some warmth. Standing outside the door of his abode, Yang Chi smiled. His mother clasped him in her arms weeping, "If only if your father hadn''t passed, he''d be here to protect us." Yang Chi paid the woman no mind, just looking up to the peak of the mountain where Yun Ting''s body laid and then up towards the sky where the Azure Cloud''s artifact had disappeared, a crackle of neither thunder nor lightning could be heard. "That''s one down, two to go. They should show up at any moment no¨C " "Yang Clan, your time has come to an end! The Kuo Clan shall ascend from your ashes!" A voice screamed from the bottom of the mountain, as fifty men, all with high cultivations charged through the Yang Clan gates, storming their way up the mountain. 14 5.3 Yang Clan Calamity Ru Yi gasped, covering her mouth and bringing Yang Chi inside, "We''re going to go inside for a while Chi''er, come." Apparently thinking that hiding inside their home would allow them a chance of survival. Yang Chi followed, allowing her to indulge in her fantasy, although he couldn''t help but tut. There were two reasons for this; the first was that he''d heard stories of his mother when she was younger. She was fierce and ruthless, like a tigress. She''d even beaten his father to a pulp when they first met! Her psyche was broken after she''d lost her first three children, she wasn''t the woman she had once been¡­ After all, with the exception of his father and possibly the patriarch, she was one of the strongest people on this mountain! Her cultivation was at the peak Qi Core stage, and if she hadn''t lost her children, she''d have probably broken through to the Coloured Star Realm! Yang Chi couldn''t help but feel a little pain in his heart. To this woman, he was all that she had left. Her husband had died, and her master abandoned her, all that''s left is her baby boy! It was at that moment that Yang Chi decided that when his father made an inevitable return, he''d find a way so that they could have more children! Although this was to cheer up Ru Yi there was another reason, he didn''t want to have the guilt of being an only child abandoning her! The second reason for indulging her is because of the chances he''d be hurt by the coming battle, almost fifty cultivators were charging up the mountain, all of which were Qi Core cultivators. This wasn''t such an issue in Yang Chi''s eyes, this was because the elder council of the Yang Clan were all peak Qi Core cultivators. But at the bottom of the mountain resided three Coloured Star Cultivators! "I wonder where the Kuo Clan found such support?" Yang Chi rubbed his chin. To him, it is evident that some power far more sinister was acting behind the scenes to lend aid to the Kuo Clan. How could a small family that''s been suppressed for hundreds of years suddenly develop into a fully-fledged force that could rush into the gates of the Yang Clan?! Ridiculous! Impossible! Insanity! No! This was indeed the work of some force who treated Qi Core cultivators like birds in the sky. They even lent two Coloured Star cultivators! Yang Chi frowned, he hadn''t established himself in this world long enough to know all the ins and outs of the political landscape, especially considering the Kingdoms outside of Zi and even the Wen Empire itself! This wasn''t the time to concern himself with such matters though, whoever wanted the Yang Clan gone would meet the underside of his boot in the future. Currently, though, it was a matter of life and death, an impressive show indeed. Yang Chi decided to scan the mountain with his divine sense, while Ru Yi cuddled and coddled him. He didn''t want to miss the show. The first person to appear was Mohu Yi, who was currently shivering at the sight of three Coloured Star Cultivators! He''d been sent here for a skirmish with the Azure Cloud Sect! His mission was to secure the loyalty of the Yang Clan, what was he supposed to do against a force that had three Coloured Star practitioners?! Even his Dark Moon Sect could count the amount of Coloured Star cultivators on one hand! He took a deep breath, as sweat dripped down his brow, "Sound the retreat." He whispered to his second in command. "Sound the retreat?!" Yang Zi blurted out confused. His Yang Clan''s elder council was currently battling for the chance of their clan''s survival, and their closest ally was going to retreat? Nonsense! "I''m sorry Yang Zi, I honestly am. We''ve known each other for a long time. You were my senior brother at the Dark Moon, yet I refuse to die for you!" Mohu Yi snorted, as he mounted a giant navy Warhawk with a purple mane, flying off with a few dozen Dark Moon disciples. "Damn you, Mohu Yi! You traitor! Coward! Cretin! I swear upon the graves of my ancestors I shall have my vengeance. Even if I die this day, I Yang Zi shall haunt you!" Yang Zi raved, shouting at the increasing small figure of Mohu Yi in the distance. Yang Zi clenched his hand, squeezing until blood oozed from his hand. He took a deep breath and looked to where the Elder Council was holding off the Kuo fighters. He grasped his saber, drawing it from its scabbard. Shi! Brandishing it in his hand, he sighed. Drip! Drip! His blood hit the floor, and the skies started to rumble. Wishhhh! With a flash, he stormed down the mountain to meet the invaders. He seemed to move like a blur, jumping the front-line defense that the Yang Elders had created, herding the Kuo fighters like fish in a net. "Darkness Prison!" he screamed from the top of his lungs, burning all of his blood essence, plunging his saber into the ground. Boom! A shockwave sent multiple Kuo practitioners flying into the air! While a shadowy darkness spread like a wave from Yang Zi''s saber, grabbing onto Kuo fighters like tentacles, throwing them around the air, tossing them into their comrades and more importantly slowing them down so the Yang Elders could cut them down! "Bastards!" the Coloured Star practitioner with the symbol ''Kuo'' embraided on his robes shouted, as he was about to rush up the mountain to save them. While the other two had dreary looks on their faces as if saying, ''We gave your Kuo Clan so many resources, yet you fall to the blades of old men?'' They were truly disappointed. But just as they were about to fly towards the mountain, a figure dressed in a fiery crimson cloak and purple robes descended from the skies as his robes fluttered in the wind. The three Coloured Star fighters gave a gulp, as this man had an oppressive atmosphere about him and seemed calm and tranquil, even his eyes were closed as he landed like an immortal that had walked down from the heavens. Zing! As the bearded middle-aged man opened his eyes, a piercing feeling entered their souls which made the weakest among them ¨C the Kuo man cough blood, while the others looked ashen. Quickly they bowed, "Greetings and respects to senior. Might I know why you have graced us with your presence." As they spoke the bearded man frowned. "You dare approach my Yang Clan. Nobody shall be leaving here alive." Yang Gou clenched his fist, as the other three bolted for it, flying as fast as possible. Yang Gou chuckled at their attempts, as he raised three fingers three miniature ethereal swords appeared. He then flicked his fingers, all three swords shot off towards their targets instantly catching up to the three Coloured Realm cultivators, piercing each of their souls as they howled with pain and immediately dropped to the floor like lifeless husks! 15 6.1 Breathing life into the Yang Clan! As he looked at the two lifeless corpses that laid on the ground Yang Gou couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief; thankfully his great-grandson had given him such an impressive cultivation technique. Otherwise, this probably would have ended up a different way indeed. When Yang Gou was about to turn away, he had a voice enter his ear, "Collect the bodies, they''re useful to me." This voice was one he recognised very well, it belonged to the saviour of his clan¡­ Yang Chi. Yang Gou swiftly collected their corpses, placing them in a sack and slinging them over his shoulder. "Pick me up, we must speak in privet." The voice sounded again. Yang Gou raised an eyebrow, what could he have planned? He shook his head, after all, if Yang Chi had any bad intentions for the Yang Clan, he wouldn''t have given him such a terrifying cultivation technique. Yang Chi sat on his bed, Ru Yi had long since passed out from fatigue. That woman wasn''t doing well, soon enough it would be crucial to give her a proper way to channel the Deathly Yin that was plaguing her body. A firm knock came from the bamboo door, "Enter, it''s your clan after all." Yang Chi said jokingly. Yang Gou gave a deep bow, "Thank you for your assistance senior. Otherwise, I''m afraid that without it my Yang Clan wouldn''t have lived to seeI''m afraid that without it my Yang Clan wouldn''t have lived to seedawn come." Yang Chi shook his head, "There''s no need patriarch, and please dispense with the pleasantries. I''m your descendent, so don''t call me senior." He smiled slightly. "Now, Patriarch we have several things to discuss and some of it will take a long time. Is there anything you need to see to urgently?" Yang Chi asked. Yang Gou simply shook his head in response, wondering what scheme Yang Chi had conjured up this time. "Firstly, is the matter of protecting our Clan. With the help of those three dead cultivators, I''ll be able to set up a primitive formation around the Yang Clan this evening, only those who control the formation will be able to let people come and go from the mountain as they please." Yang Chi further explained, how he intended to rip out the Coloured Star Cores from their bodies and use that to power the formation. Hypothetically it should last for a few decades, or at least until it''s broken by a power that could match up to the three Coloured Cores combined. "Secondly we have to talk about your cultivation." Yang Chi said coldly. "What about it? As soon as I started to practice the Soul Subduing Sword Technique, I''ve felt more powerful and enlightened than ever." Yang Hou blankly stated. "Yes, that''s why I wanted to speak with you. I suppose you know there are multiple ways for a person to cultivate?" Yang Chi questioned. "Of course, there''s cultivating Qi, then turning it into essence, but there''s also the method of body refining." "Quite right. Do you know there''s also a third method?" "A third method?" Yang Gou was in a daze. "Yes, cultivation of the soul. Soul cultivation can only start if somebody has a soul variant or when they reach the Coloured Star Realm like yourself." Yang Gou rubbed his chin at Yang Chi''s words, "Which is the most powerful of paths?" Hearing this Yang Chi chuckled, "That depends entirely on the situation. As you can tell your power currently when compared to other Coloured Star cultivators is overwhelming, that''s because you''ve already strengthened and cultivated your soul, whereas theirs is completely vulnerable to attack." Yang Hou nodded his head, realizing his success was only momentary and that if he faced somebody with a stronger soul then him, he''d be overwhelmed. "But if I weren''t pedantic about it, I''d say the most powerful path is the path of duel cultivating." Yang Chi said, smiling. "Duel cultivating as in between a pair of people?" Yang Gou said confused. Smack! Yang Chi slapped his forehead. "Not that type of duel cultivating you Old Dog." Yang Chi shook his head, rubbing his temples all the while. "Duel cultivating as in both essence and the body. Perhaps even the soul if you''re talented enough." Yang Chi rolled his eyes. "Oh," Yang Gou sounded, scratching the back of his neck as his face turned a little red. This caused Yang Chi to sigh, "Just focus on the cultivation technique I handed to you, it allows humans to cultivate their souls." Yang Gou just nodded with a smile. "The third thing we have to talk about are the Clan''s resources, and how we''re going to expand in the future, I''ve had several ideas so far, but unfortunately I need to have a detailed analysis of the Yang Clan mines before we go ahead with this." "And while I intend to support the Clan in its growth, the formations I wish to place down require are rather complex and require me to have my soul strength of at least the initiate level." Yang Chi paused, looking at Yang Gou who was utterly lost. "You have questions, to me, this seems rather straightforward. Ask quickly." "First of all, that you for all the thought that you''re putting into this." Yang Gou smiled. "But I''d like to ask, first of all, what are the formations you would want to place down and secondly can you explain soul strength?" Yang Chi frowned. Apparently, he didn''t like to leave anything to the imagination. 16 Breathing life into the Yang Clan! "The formations? Simple enough. The formations I wished to lay down were the Hexion Time Warp, which would allow our Yang Clan to live in a different measurement of time compared to the outside world. This would allow us to experience a time dilation of ten to one, giving us time to rapidly grow without outside interference." "Then there was the Heavenly Qi Gathering formation, which would do exactly as it says, gathers a large amount of Qi and essence, drawing it into the Yang Clan which will enable us to cultivate much faster and to a higher boundary." "Apart from this there''s also a myriad of defensive formations that need to be placed down, but they''ll always need improving so don''t worry too much about them." Yang Chi shrugged, he didn''t seem to find it to be such a big deal. "You mentioned Soul Cultivation. Well, there are multiple levels to it, the opening level is the Primitive Soul, then Novice, Initiates, Adept, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Lord, King, Emperor, Immortal and finally Primordial."Yang Chi said nonchalantly. Yang Gou looked at him with a wide-open jaw stuttering, "And¡­ and¡­ which one am I at?" "Primitive Soul. The world of cultivation is a large one, I''ve only listed you twelve realms. There are several more realms¡­ but you''ll never reach them." Yang Chi''s eyes squinted, visibly angry and full of regret. An awkward silence occupied the room, neither Yang Chi or Yang Gou wanted to speak first. The lack of noise must have only lasted for a few moments, but each of them felt like an eternity. "Any more questions?" Yang Chi asked, his previously full of light became rather deadpan. Yang Gou shook his head, sighing. In truth, he had a thousand and one questions, yet he didn''t have the heart to ask him. "There''s one last thing I wished to talk about then, it''s a gift for the elder council and that Yang Zi. Although he sees himself as my father''s rival, he fought valiantly and purely for the sake of the Yang Clan." Yang Chi handed over several scrolls to the Patriarch, telling him to hand them out however he wishes, that was apart from one scroll that was called ¨C Darkness Incarnate, that was to be handed over to Yang Zi seeing as he cultivated a similar martial art from the Dark Mon Sect. In total there were seven scrolls, each of which Yang Chi had of course handwritten. There were three cultivation techniques and four martial techniques: Hellfire Pandemonium, Darkness Incarnate, and Skyfire Origin. With the four martial techniques being: Blazing Sun Dance, The Nightmare Compendium, Obliterating Origin Palms and finally the Flowing Light Sword. Every one of these techniques Sky Ranked, yet Yang Chi had chosen them carefully as they should blend exceptionally well with the Yang Clans bloodline, allowing them to advance much faster than their current techniques. This all fell into part of Yang Chi''s plan. He would give the Yang Clan twenty years, and within these twenty years, the first phase of his plan was to take over the Zi Kingdom. He expected that if the Yang Clan elders cultivated diligently, they could step into the Dao Establishment Realm, or at least cultivate to the peak of the Star Realm. At that point even if the Wen Imperial Family purposely sent people to suppress the Yang Clan it would be nearly impossible, even if they did Yang Chi would have fortified the Yang Mountain to an impenetrable point. Now though, Yang Chi had specific plans. He''d continue to read and recite the Daoist Scriptures for the next three years increasing his soul power. If he practiced diligently, he''d be able to break into the Primitive Soul level by the age of six, eight minimum. "Now that''s all. Tend to your grandson Yang Zi, he''s in a bad way and has burnt most of his blood essence. You may also tell the Elder Council and them alone about our current situation and how you acquired the techniques they''ll grow fat off." Yang Chi scoffed. Currently, he only trusted his father, great-grandfather and cousin Zi to do what''s best for the Yang Clan. "Tell me if there are any negative reactions towards the situation. If there are, I''ll teach you a slave imprint that will strip any malicious thoughts." Yang Chi waved off Yang Gou, who bowed as he left the room which caused Yang Chi to be slightly disappointed. If he was so courteous all the time wouldn''t everybody in the clan soon be suspicious of him? After Yang Gou left, he looked towards his mother who was unconscious on the bed¡­ the poor woman was Yang Chi''s first thought. Yang Chi took out some parchment from a draw, putting it on a table with a brush and ink. Immediately he started to write like a madman, what he was writing was a dark technique called the Abyssal Lord''s Right. It was originally the techniques the God-Slayer Clan had created after witnessing the Abyssal Race and how they accumulated power by consuming each other. This infuriated the Sha Clan at the time as they were at war with the Pantheon and wanted to restore order to the heavens, so they took three children. One Great Vampire, one Asura and finally one Void-Wolf. Each one of them practiced the Abyssal Lord''s Right which quantified their strength causing them to reign supreme in each of their territories. Yang Chi had a big smile on his face; this was because not only was this technique going to save his mother''s life it would also allow her to carry another child. This ensured Yang Chi wouldn''t be held down by his parents and other talented children with a Yin-Yang bloodline would be born in the Yang Clan. As he finished writing, he put down the technique on her bed, then left to the balcony. He stood there, looking out to the west and chuckled, "Hmm, old man you finally showed up without having to fight. You truly live up to your name. You even have a violet core, impressive." 17 Sixth Birthday The past three years had not been uneventful as Yang Chi would have liked, soon after the assault on Yang Mountain, he found his father returning, having broken through to Coloured Star Realm. This was big news throughout the Yang Clan and had, in fact, threatened the currently comatose Yang Zi''s position as patriarch. Fortunately for him, though neither Yang Chi nor Yang Gou thought that Yang Fu had the bearing to become patriarch, instead appointing him as an elder and giving him the position of clan administrator. Yang Fu would be tasked with the acquisition and handling of the clan''s resources, giving them to new clan members to help them cultivate, allocating building materials, even basic food, and supplies that the family needed. Meanwhile, Ri Yi practiced the technique that had been left for her, the tired and lethargic woman that use to grace the household was gone. Now she was replaced with an intense, pale dazzling beauty. Needless to say, Yang Fu was extremely pleased not only for his wife''s new-found health but also the fact that she seemed to be interested in more¡­ carnal activities once again. Yang Chi''s mother moved out of his little bamboo hut into their previous abode which was made of beautiful marble, which was of course Yang Fu''s request, although Yang Chi didn''t mind. He didn''t want to hear what those lovebirds were up to, the thought of it made him want to vomit. Not long after they moved out, Ru Yi fell pregnant much to their delight, giving birth to twin girls called Hua and Ci ¨C Flower and Thorn. Yang Chi couldn''t help but be disappointed in his parents and their ability at choosing names¡­ Although now that those two girls where around he couldn''t help but feel a great burden lifted from his shoulders. No longer would he have to suffer those infernal talks from his mother about being her only child¡­ It gave him a headache just thinking about it. Yang Chi currently lived with his maidservant Snow. The girl was kind and straightforward which amused Yang Chi, so he decided to give her a small present, it was a Qi Cultivating Technique called the Thousand Blossoms. Although it wasn''t anything nearly as valuable as the gifts he''d given to the elder council, it was nonetheless impressive. Yang Chi had thought about Duel Cultivating with her when he got to a suitable age, but he just shook his head. Firstly, she was like half a sister to him, and he cared for her, secondly, even when he was Sha Ku such things had baffled him in his previous life, only ever falling in love the once. He tried not to dwell on thoughts of his past life though as it felt like a hole resided in his heart whenever he remembered¡­ Today though was special, it was his sixth birthday. Currently, he stood around four-foot-tall, he was average height for his age, but there were some peers in the clan that stood far taller. They would often try to intimidate him with their size whenever he ran into them; he could only scoff at them. If only they knew the beast, they dared provoke. "Young master? Young master?" a dainty voice called from a distance. Yang Chi opened his eyes, peering at the pretty face smiling in front of him. His previous clam heart started to race as he witnessed Snow''s beauty ¨C indeed the Thousand Blossom technique is impressive, it could take a pretty girl like Snow and turn her into a peerless beauty. "Yes Snow?" Yang Chi blushed. "Mistress sent word that the young girls from the Shi, Han and Ki Clans are coming especially for your birthday." Snow giggled, thinking that Yang Chi blushed when fantasizing over these girls. "Mistress and Master said that you''re to be on your best behavior today. That means no sitting in a corner meditating as you did at the Ancestors celebration." Snow lectured him while waving her finger. Even though Yang Chi had the appearance of a child he was always meditating, unwilling to socialize with his peers and the other children of the clan. Even his mother and father would feel that Yang Chi didn''t often care for him. Yang Chi could only sigh in response; he was doing this for their well being after all! Currently, Yang Chi was as a hair width away from developing a Primitive Level Soul! At the point he does this he''d be unable to truly face a life-threatening situation from anybody below Coloured Star Realm! And of course, after reaching the Primitive Level Soul, he''d be able to advance into Initiate Level Soul and put down formations that were suitable to the Yang Clans development! Instead of wholeheartedly focusing on this, he''d been subject to a lifetime of nonsense by his parents! "I - Yang Chi have lived for at least a fifth of the age of the Universe! How could I be attracted towards those girls that are only children!" Yang Chi growled, unsatisfied with the situation. Snow grabbed Yang Chi''s small hand smiling, "Come, Young Master, let''s give you a bath to make you look nice and handsome." She said while pulling him along to the washroom. "The Ancestor himself has given chosen attire for you to ware. A fine silken robe of fiery red silk, magnificent!" She giggled while undressing him and putting him in the hot water causing his face to go a further shade of crimson while he pouted. 18 Birthday Party Yang Chi was washed by Snow for near twenty minutes before hopping out of the bath as he was dried off and had his hair combed. The current Yang Chi, although only six could only be described as dashing, there was no doubt in Snow''s mind that when within ten years he will be breaking girls'' hearts with a single stare. After Snow practically dragged him out of the door, she took him straight to his parents'' estate which looked like a manor house compare to his little shack, "Damn mortals¡­" Yang Chi grumbled in jealousy and disdain for his current predicament. Snow pulled him by the sleeve, knocking on the giant red door with an intertwining sun and moon. "How droll, oh a sun and moon what symbolism¡­ what''s next a dragon and a phoenix?" "Pardon young master?" Snow asked, tilting her head, curious about her young masters mumbling words. She knew that although he was young, usually he was very compliant, at the moment though he kept mumbling and cursing in some strange language¡­ "No worries Snow. I''m just nervous of course¡­ there are going to be three fairies of major families outside of the Zi Kingdom, how could I not be nervous?" Yang Chi found a quick excuse rather than outright stating that he''s seen balls like this a thousand times over in his previous life, in the end, something always goes wrong. "If I get engaged tonight, I swear by the heavens that I''ll never live it down. I refuse to become a clich¨¦!" He growled in the inside. A middle-aged man answered the door with two children clinging to back, "Chi''er you''re finally here, I thought I''d be able to leave for a while to come find you." The man was Yang Fu; he had disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. "Having daughters and responsibility for the first time agrees with you." Yang Chi smirked. Yang Fu raised his upper lip, and his eyes widened, as he was about to slap the brat, he heard a woman call out, "What little Fu-Fu, do you not love spending time with your family?!" Yang Fu felt shivers down his spine, "No darling, of course, I do. How could I not? Ha! Get in here boy!" "Oh, there''s my handsome young man." Ru Yi hugged Yang Chi, kissing his forehead and cheeks. Indeed, this woman had changed, the once lifeless hag had become a feisty young maiden¡­although his father didn''t look the better for it. "Although you may not be the only young man." She took a coy smile while rubbing her belly. "How lucky could I be, three children in six years and now another on the way, the heavens have truly blessed me." Yang Fu said as if he had rehearsed his lines, which caused Ru Yi to smile even harder! "We do it for the first time in two years and what do I get, another one¡­" Yang Fu mumbled under his breath. "What! Did! You! Just! Say!" Ru Yi yelled in fury. Yang Fu''s face went pale as if saying, "I didn''t just mutter that out loud did I?" "Chi''er, Snow take your sister. Go ahead to the ball, your father, and I need to have a little chat." Ru Yi plied the sisters off of Yang Fu''s back, handing them to Yang Chi and Snow, then shooing them out the door. The whole process was a foreign concept to Yang Chi, who found it incredibly awkward. He felt the radiating killing intent that was being leaked by his mother, who by the way had broken through to Coloured Star Realm. He and Snow quickly took the plant twins as Yang Chi so eloquently named them and left, briskly walking up the red tile path towards the Yang Clan main hall. "Do you think they''ll be okay?" Yang Chi asked. "Oh, of course, all couples disagree from time to time. But they love each-" Bang! A body shot out of from the marble wall scattering debris around the red tile path. "You bastard! You dare say that in front of someone else! In front on me!" The four turned around stunned at the scene. Yang Hua whispered to Yang Chi, "Mama gets angry a lot recently." She was genuinely concerned for her father''s safety, while on the other hand, Yang Ci was giggling, "Haha! Daddy goes boom through the wall!" Yang Chi frowned, perhaps he shouldn''t have given his mother that cultivation technique. After all, he''d heard stories of how his mother had pummelled his father within an inch of his life when they first met! A cold chill went down his spine, shivering slightly. "Dear God, that better not be a premonition." "Come on, nothing to see here! Up the mountain!" Yang Chi quickly shouted, rushing them all up to the mountain. *** Two hours later it was a predictable scene; Yang Chi was hanging around awkwardly, rubbing his neck and looking at his feet, while others were dancing around laughing, singing and drinking. He''d never thrived at events like this, even when he was a member of the Sha Clan all he would do was wait for the night to end, possibly discussing poetry with others. Although Yang Chi couldn''t appreciate it, it was a lavish event. The walls of the great hall were coated with an elegant drape which was embraided fabulously with scenes from an ancient battle, where a man that was made of ice wielded a staff, fighting against a demonic being, while accompanied by an entourage of people who were cheering for him. At the top, it was inscribed, "The Tale of Wang Zhu." Yang Chi rubbed his chin, as he''d never encountered this name before and such a remarkable figure surely wasn''t born in his time. "Ahh the tale of Wang Zhu, it''s indeed incredible." An old figure came from behind him. "Forgive me for interrupting your train of thought Young Master Yang," the old man smiled. "There''s no need to apologize senior¡­?" Yang Chi paused, never having seen this old man in a bright white robe before. "Haha, that''s right. We haven''t met yet." The old man laughed. "Yet?" Yang Chi tilted his head, confused by the old man''s words. "So, it would seem. My name is Kewang Tian, remember my name. It may cause you to encounter a great fortune in the future." Kewang Tian smiled, while Yang Chi was confused beyond belief. "Why are you here?" Yang Chi went to ask, but the old man in a white robe had disappeared from the hall¡­ Yang Chi could only frown, he hadn''t felt a single fluctuation from Kewang Tian before, he obviously wasn''t a cultivator from the Forgotten Valley. Swish¡­ A note floated about in the air, which Yang Chi immediately grabbed. "A wise man once told me that you could only forge a true sword in the heart of a dying star. Like so only a true genius no matter how talented can only be forged in the hearts of his enemies." Yang Chi choked as he read the words, and his eyes widened. Surprised, to say the least, he hadn''t heard these words in a long time. He used to utter them to the youth of different races who were afraid to fight. "P.S. Don''t be too preoccupied on regaining a body gifted by the heavens. Yin-Yang is an expression of the heavens in its most eloquent form, see you soon ¨C Kewang Tian." Shivers went down Yang Chi''s spine; he''d never encountered somebody like this Kewang Tian in his previous life. How did he know so much about him? Where did he come from? As these questions bounced about through his heard, he heard the gentle clink of a spoon against a glass. Thrice it rang out. A man in a crimson robe covered with sapphires and a golden sun was the cause of it, Ancestor Yang Gou. "Good evening everybody, I hope you''ve all had pleasant journeys and found the food delightful. I requested to borrow the Zi family''s personal chef for this evening." "First off, I would like to apologize for this late announcement; I was waiting for our young Yang Chi''s parents to arrive¡­ unfortunately, I hear my grandson is currently unconscious." Yang Gou grimaced, while the others in the room were shocked and gasped. "Not to worry," he chuckled, "Young love isn''t always smooth sailing." Most of the people in the room laughed, while several old wrinkly faced men just nodded while profusely sweating. A third lot looked over to their wives and smiled in desperation, as if saying, "This old kook is talking nonsense, my dear!" 19 Engagement Offerings "Now I know why we''re all gathered here today, and that, of course, is for the engagement of my great-grandchild Yang Chi. The Shi, Han and Ki Clans all have brought their young daughters today." Yang Gou looked around the room, seeing the three girls Shi Nu, Han Fe, and Ki Li. All three seemed remarkably similar, pretty young brunets that had just peeked into the eyeglass of maturity. In Yang Chi''s eyes each of these women was nothing more but trouble incarnate, if he agreed to engage one, two would be angry.He couldn''t help but give a dry scoff. "While each of these proud daughters is as a blossoming lotus ready to be plucked, only one may be engaged to my Yang Chi, while the overall choice may be Yang Chi''s a preview of the dowry your family provides." Yang Gou''s pearly smile lit up, his eyes glistened and almost salivated. The first girl to come forward was Shi Nu, she was the youngest of the three and went with an old man in her Clan ¨C Shi Zhelan. Shi Zhelan patted her shoulder as giving Shi Nu to walk forward while her legs buckled. "Ancestor Yang, my Shi Clan has given the gift of a Sacred Blood Plant. Currently its only one-hundred years old, but it still has the power to increase somebodies'' physical body massively and even help body refiners to break through." Shi Nu''s voice was squeaky like a mouse, yet sweet and without darkness. In the world of cultivation, such a thing was extremely rare, people were known for being treacherous dogs. Yang Chi''s brow pricked, "This might not be too bad. The girl while naive won''t ever try to stab me in the middle of duel-cultivating." "Oh my, look at what the Shi Clan''s been hiding underneath their mattress." Yang Gou burst out laughing, "Shi Nu, you''ve done extremely well, you shall be a great diplomat one day." Shi Nu blushed at the compliment, curtseying in response and taking a few steps back. The second daughter of heaven came forward; she was far more confident having pride in how she walked with a straight back, not even bowing to the ancestor. "Yang Chi, where is he? I''m not marrying you; you low hanging old coot!" Han Fe snorted defiantly. Everybody was speechless, such a determined woman! She had the stones to insult the Yang Ancestor so deeply?! Yang Gou''s face turned green; he hadn''t incurred any insults like this for a long time! Never had he been mocked due to his age though! "You little brat¡­ if you weren''t from the Han family do you, I''d destroy your soul!" Yang Gou''s killing intent wrapped around and oppressed everybody in the room. Han Fe''s face started to go pale and cowered in front of Yang Gou''s dread. "Yang Gou!" a voice resounded throughout the room, reliving the pressure from his killing intent. The voice belonged to an old woman, she had cold eyes and grumbled when seeing Yang Gou''s actions. "Madam Han, I see why your descendent was so arrogant with you here to guard her." Yang Gou squinted his eyes. He knew Madam Han very well; he had fought with her in his youth. She was a ruthless witch that caused the hearts of men to grow cold; this was because in her youth she earned a nickname ¨C Reverse Harem Han. When defeating any opponent''s male or female she''d cripple them and then put them into her Harem, then she''d select certain ones to perform a vitality draining technique, while keeping the ones she found satisfying alive. Madam Han had hundreds of children and never took an official husband; she was a vixen, a witch, a succubus! Yang Gou felt his manhood shrivel just thinking about it; he''d lost one of his brothers to Madam Han''s vitality draining technique she played a crucial part in his takeover of the Yang Clan¡­ "What gift have you brought today Han Fe?" Yang Gou''s voice became softer like he was talking to a daughter of his clan or favorite niece. The girl gave a proud harrumph, "We of the Han Clan only bring the finest of gifts; we''ve brought our Violet Clouded Sword." Everybody in the room drew a cold breath, they heard of the Violet Clouded Sword before, it was legendary! It was an ancient sword that the ancestors of the Han Clan had discovered back when they were peasants and vermin struggling to stay alive in their little valley. The young man Han Wuying had pulled the sword from an ancient stone and read the archaic words inscribed in the sword. From these words, he''d deciphered many cultivation techniques that led to the rise of the Han Clan! Unfortunately, upon his death, nobody else was able to translate a thing, and only looked at the strange inscriptions with puzzled eyes, nonetheless, it was still a Sky Ranked Artifact! The sword felt like it could cut a rock in two upon first contact! "Wonderful, excellent. The Han Clan is generous beyond belief, its no wonder with such a beauty like Madam Han running the scene." Yang Gou laughed cheerily, while giving the old lady a wink. Madam Han blushed, seeing as Yang Gou was one of the few to resist being in her harem, she wanted him all the more. Everybody else in the room had a different reaction, although they dare not admit it. Astonishment from the sight of the Violet Clouded Sword, then revulsion from those two flirting¡­ it makes the stomach lining want to jump out of one''s mouth. Han Fu didn''t give a curtsy unlike Shi Nu, instead, she smiled, walking back towards Madam Han with pride engraved on her face. Next up was Ki Li, she gave a gracious bow, with her hands clasped together to the Ancestor, more masculine than those before her. Unlike the others, she was neither young nor wore a dress. Instead, she seemed to be in her late teens and wore a black metal armor that absorbed all the light that struck it. "Greetings Yang Gou of the Yang Clan, my Ki clan offers this." Ki Li''s sharp voice resounded throughout the hall as she threw a white gem on the floor. Everybody in the hall gasped, this was a white star crystal! The Ki Clan were famous throughout the Wen Dynasty, far more than either the Han or the Shi Clans. This was because they were haughty and ruthless, they directly went to war with the Broken Moon Clan when they insulted them! It was said that if the Ki Clan didn''t have so many enemies, they could have been the ruling dynasty instead of the Wen family. How did they acquire such power? Well, that''s because the Ki Clan owns the singular White Star Crystal mine in the entire Forgotten Valley! What were White Star Crystals though? Well, they were important objects in cultivation, much like spirit stones, but thousands of times more concentrated! Imagine a single clan holding such a thing?! "Fascinating¡­" Yang Chi mumbled, he knew the value of White Star Crystals, if the world outside the Forgotten Valley knew of their existence, they''d do anything to obtain them. Even the Pantheon was fascinated with the things as they could strengthen the bloodline of the Astralborn, who was formerly known as Star Gods! "Such a gift, we are unworthy Young Miss Ki." Yang Gou''s face lit up when seeing the gem. "There is no need to be so humble Ancestor Yang. This is only the first of such gifts from the Ki family." She retook a swift bow and walked out of the hall as the crowd divided to provide a pathway. "It seems that she believes she''s secured the marriage." Yang Chi muttered as he saw her leave the Hall. 20 Filibustering Yang Gou noticed that Ki Li left the hall, but he didn''t mind, there was a reason for such arrogance of course. He turned towards Yang Chi, who was over in the corner of the hall studying the tapestry, "Yang Chi, get up here and make your decision." While leaping over to the White Star Crystal, pocketing it. "Old man, its only one stupid crystal¡­ is that enough to sway you?!" Yang Chi mumbled, apparently the people of this world were magpies just waiting to swoop on the nearest treasure. Personally, the treasure Yang Chi was most interested in was that Violet Clouded Sword, while the White Star Crystal was fancy and could increase one''s cultivation, currently he did not need it, and to that, he also didn''t want to be dependent on the Ki family. The Sacred Blood Plant on the other hand, while it was indeed precious, and he planned on refining his body it didn''t appeal to him. He felt like that the Shi clan, although had a footing in this world wasn''t worthy in taking a place by his side when he collapsed the Wen Empire in on itself. The Han Clan though, they were neither too powerful nor too weak. They were independent of other forces and also hadn''t possessed enemies. The Han Clan also resided in the neighboring Night-Water Kingdom, who were famed for their deadly predators that lived in the vast lakes that littered the land and emerged at night. Yang Chi reached the Ancestor bowing to him, then turned on his heel to see the two parties that were awaiting his decision. "Greeting Han and Shi Clans, I bid you the warmest of welcomes. I believe that while all parties in this dealing may not be completely satisfied, people cannot always be blessed by the heavens to the point of having the opportunity to marry into such esteemed families and beautiful women. So, I thank you for this opportunity." Yang Chi took a deep bow. Madam Han had a smile on her face, while the Senior that accompanied Shi Nu nodded. Indeed, between heaven and earth, not all peoples could be satisfied. "Long has my Yang Clan been under the yolk of corrupt and treacherous organizations such as the Dark Moon and Azure Cloud. It is by mere chance we were able to encounter a senior who blessed our clan so, helping the Elders and our glorious Ancestor." "Now that we have encountered heavens fortune others clamor to our side, to try and form ties with our clan, Yang, like the sun we shall rise." "But, when approaching a matter such as marriage, with such irreversible implications, which will lead to reciprocity between the two merging clans we need to stop and think." The room went silent, hooked on Yang Chi''s words. "Is this right?" The room gasped, was he trying to stop the marriage? "Is it right? To take a leap and put our faith in another clan without knowing them? Moreover, is it right to join two souls in matrimony beneath the heavens that have no relation with each other, physical or emotional?" "Perhaps. But perhaps not. The only thing I know is: we do what we do not only for our clan but for our unborn sons and daughters that will meet the light of the future and bring with it our hopes and dreams." A heavy burden that filled both girls'' hearts was suddenly lifted, although they married for their clan wouldn''t it also be for their unborn children? Yes, a parent should do anything for their poten-tial child! Every pair of eyes in the hall started to gleam, listening to the words. "I hope the people that are here today, no matter where you end up in the future will remember my words. The children, spare them from our hate, bless them with our love and sacrifice for them our lives." Everybody nodded in agreement. "Now, excuse my words. They come from the heart, but they have less to do with today''s matters than is expected." He chuckled, and the room laughed with him. "Who shall I choose to marry, I see it in your eyes your all asking the question. I have a few ideas, but let me tell you, I don''t know if they''re the right ideas. I am just a child after all." He smiled, and a few laughs were heard from the crowd. Yang Chi continued his speech for several hours, as the sun in the sky started to set, he kept going. Peoples legs began to ache, and everybody that had been grasped with the elegance and grandeur of the speech was now eagerly awaiting its conclusion. "Now who shall I marry you ask, well let''s talk about that. I''m not specifically marrying them, just engaging, but engagement is, of course, a prelude to marriage." Yang Chi continued again, talking and talking. The people in the crowd were starting to become agitated, while his great-grandfather started at him with squinted eyes, he had forgotten that this was a noble reincarnator, but instead recognized him as a boy that was filibustering ¨C buying for time! "This damn kid! Does he think that he can talk everyone into their graves?" he grumbled under his breath. Seven hours later the sun began to rise again, its magnificent radiance lit the Yang Hall up, illuminating where the candles have burnt out. The senior of the Shi Clan had bloodshot eyes, and his hair was disheveled. His lips were trembling, and hands were shaking. This boy! He''d been giving a speech from sunset till rising! Was he discussing the Dao with an unparalleled master? No! "Enough!" he screamed unable to take it anymore, he picked up the young Shi Hu with one arm and burst out of the door. Screaming obscenities as he walked down the red brick path he then shot off into the sky, disappearing for good. Even Yang Chi himself was tired, he currently had a warm smile on his face though, "It appears that the Han Clan values patience?" he raised his eyebrow asking the two women were wobbling. "Young man, you''re trying to root out the weeds?" Madam Han''s glare lightened. "Madam Han doesn''t realize, the greatest tool in a cultivator''s arsenal is often his words. I would tell the tale of Ji Yan, who tricked the heavens with his Dao of lies, but I fear you want to hear something else?" Yang Chi chuckled for a moment. "I accept the marriage proposal of the Han Clan if the rest of your clan holds the cunning and patience you do I would very much like to see the mutual benefits it brings in the feature¡­ I mean future. Forgive me the fatigue is getting to me." Yang Chi said as his eyes started to close, exhausted from his speech. Swish! As he fell to the floor Yang Gou caught him smiling, indeed while he was an ancient powerhouse, he was still his descendant! And as Yang Chi said himself, we birth our children to for fill our hopes and dreams! 21 Building the Path to Heaven Yang Chi opened his eyes, they were sore and blurry, unable to keep them open for long he blinked rapidly. His lips were dry, and his throat was sore. "Water." He moaned from the silk sheet bed that he laid in. "Water!" he cried once more. "Young Master!" Snow rushed over at once with a small cup of water, gently pressing it against his lips. Grabbing the cup with one hand he gulped it down, wiping his lips afterward. "More!" he demanded, regaining a bit of his vision. "Yes, of course, young master." Snow poured another cup of water from a jug. Yang Chi stood up and snatched the jug from her hands, guzzling it down in a few seconds, smiling he sat down again. His hands slightly shaking from fatigue. Though his thirst was parched, he was still hungry, "Snow, food." He waved to the pretty woman. She took a quick bow, seeing as her young master wasn''t in any mood to be kept waiting, although before she left, she made a quick stop off at the guards informing them that Yang Chi had awoken. One of them made a rather unsavory joke though, "The child''s awake, but his father''s still asleep." He sniggered. "Quite you thick skulled idiot! Do you want Miss Ru to hear you?" The other one raised his eye-brow, wondering how he ever insulted the heavens to get posted with a miscreant like that! "You stay here, I have to inform the Ancestor that young master Chi''s awakened." He quickly left his post, just in case that tigress was snooping around the corner. In the small room with a little parrot that kept uttering the same phrase, "Forgotten Paradise! Forgotten Paradise, wait for the heavens there!" Yang Chi was sitting on the floor leaning against his bed. "Weird parrot what are you talking about?" he looked again over to the corner of the room, but what greeted him was a shock. There was no parrot in the corner of the room and no cage either¡­ "Could I be losing it?" he grumbled. He shook his head, he had absolute faith in himself as he closed his eyes and went to cultivate his soul. "What!" Yang Chi gawked upon a realization. His soul which had been flimsy and formless had finally started to bind together! This was the initial stages of the Primitive Soul! He was speechless, he didn''t realize how he broke through?! Perhaps he''d strengthened his soul while dreaming? Maybe, he couldn''t remember what was happening in his dream and could only attribute this strange situation to his luck. He now had the power of a Coloured Star Realm Cultivator! We''ll not entirely, if a human, in particular, chose to cultivate only their soul it would be utter madness! Like never using the letter ''M'' again, utter adness! While this may be possible for other species that primarily cultivated their soul, it''s foolish for a human! Humans are naturally adept at Qi cultivating, which helps in strengthening their body and make their power more volatile through the use of Qi. Imagine having an all-powerful soul, but then being hit by a falling rock and dying! Prepositions! Foolish indeed, although it would be invaluable by fighting people in the same realm, giving them an edge and possibly invade people''s souls. Although there was another problem currently for Yang Chi, he couldn''t handle the power of his soul! A confusing aspect but worrying one nonetheless, there''s a reason why humans only develop a Primitive Soul at the Coloured Star Realm, and not at birth like other races. Humans can''t handle the power! The more you exert your soul, the more it damages the vitality of your body! Currently, at most the only thing Yang Chi could do was a bit of backhand alchemy, inscriptions, and formations. Discouraging, but it wasn''t enough to cause him to falter! He''d continue to cultivate his human soul by reciting Daoist scriptures, but he wouldn''t use it for combat until he reached a high enough stage in his cultivation! Now though, in this moment of peace and quiet, it was time to finalize his plans. Yang Chi had thought long and hard on what cultivation technique he''d use and what weapons and powers he was going to focus on. Finally, he concluded. The primary weapon he''d practice is with the sword. It was noble and elegant, diverse and able to conquer almost any situation. The secondary techniques he would use were first techniques, encase he was disarmed, or he didn''t feel like using a sword was necessary for the situation. For his sword art, he decided on practicing the Gentleman''s Tyranny. A sword art that required one to fight like a gentleman, elegantly fighting, parrying and defending, outfencing your opponent until finally, you strike! Strike Tyrannically trying to instantly terminate your opponent! With his swordsmanship technique being so powerful he, of course, needed a fist art to match, deciding on the Void-Breaker Art, which utilizes pure power to shatter through the void and reach the opponent! This was at the higher of course at the higher levels of course, yet the lower stages were just as unrelenting as well. Each of these arts had nine stages, which could travel with him all the way to the Dao Realm! This pleased Yang Chi immensely, as he wouldn''t have to switch his martial arts mid-way through cultivating! Yang Chi, of course, didn''t forget his movement techniques, which were essential to his fighting prowess! The first one he decided on was called Shadow-less Steps, which allowed the user to phase in and out of perceivable existence via charged bursts of movement. The second technique was called the Eagle''s Flight, which was developed just so that Yang Chi could escape as quickly as possible from less than fortunate situations. With all of his combat and movement sorted Yang Chi was more than happy, ecstatic would be a better word, he knew if he mastered these arts and techniques, he''d be incomprehensible to his peers in this world. The next stage of his plans was bodily cultivation! Cultivating the body was a grueling process, especially for humans! Yet, it was also the most powerful out of Soul, Qi, and Body ¨C the trifecta. This was because body cultivators could produce explosive power than their peers in the trifecta could not, and as long as they conserve their energy against Qi cultivators and use protective measures against Soul Warriors all shall fall before them! The body refining technique Yang Chi chose was the Undying Slayer Technique. This was a technique that was extremely near and dear to Yang Chi''s heart, as he had once gifted it to the human race eons ago when they were first rising up against the Pantheon. But that wasn''t the only reason, the main reason was the Undying Slayer Technique was a mimicry technique, and it was made so that humans could develop a physique similar to the Sha Clans. The Undying Slayer had an obscenely large amount of levels, or layers as their described. It goes from Wooden to Stone, to Copper all the way to the heights of the Arch-Overlord! It indeed was an incredible technique, but never the less made Yang Chi incredibly homesick and feel as if he didn''t belong. All he could do was repress that feeling and continue onwards. Finally came the most critical aspect for a human ¨C Qi refining. Several techniques made Yang Chi extremely excited, first of were some of the methods he''d provided the Yang Clan: Hellfire Pandemonium, Darkness Incarnate, and Skyfire Origin. Though none of these techniques attributed to both the Yin and Yang in his bloodline! The second idea he had was to practice a heretical technique known as the Celestial Swallowing, which the great ancestor of the Sha Clan had adapted from one of those terrifying devouring beasts'' prophecies, which told of the coming of a Celestial Devouring Beast. The idea of this terrified Yang Chi, his clan had purposely exiled the Heavenly Devouring Beasts to another reality, a close friend of his from the Human Race, Chen Hu had died in this endeavor¡­ Yang Chi sighed, such a technique was too dangerous, as when practiced to its higher levels could result in damaging the walls of the universe itself! Forget about the Pantheon, who knows what''s outside of the Laws of the Universe?! The idea made shivers go down Yang Chi''s spine, never must one of those beasts or their legacy prevail in the universe! Refocusing on cultivation techniques, several ideas charged through his head, World Defying Manual, Will of the Sky Dragon, Grand Rebirth, Phoenix Ever Rising. "No, they''re all incredibly powerful, yet they lack that quintessential touch that is my own." Yang Chi stroked his child smiling. He knew what technique he wanted to practice, "The Yin-Yang Divide." "Yin-Yang gives birth to everything throughout the universe, the Yin-Yang divide shall both compliment and strengthen my bloodline and make my Qi energy incredibly powerful and highly refined." There was a coy smile that crowned his face, making him unbelievably happy. The Yin-Yang divide was a gateway to many things, allowing a cultivator to separate and Yin and Yang, but also combine them at will! Not only that but in the higher levels of the technique, it can permanently transform the cultivator''s body, granting them great boons such as the eyes of Yin and Yang. "With this technique, I shouldn''t find many rivals around these parts. Although it would still be best for me to hone and travel the world¡­ I''ll wait for my younger brother to be born first. After that, I''ll provide my sisters with several techniques¡­ I think I''ll give the Ci and Hua the Phoenix Ever Rising." Yang Chi said, satisfied. "When my younger brother is born though, I''ll have to mentally inscribe techniques in his psyche for him. I''ll choose Will of the Divine Dragon and¡­ hmm, perhaps I should gift him the Alchemic Index and Diaries of Grand Pillbirther Chen." He continued, remembering back to when he was young and reading the Diary of the Sha Clan''s Pillbirther ¨C Sha Chen. Sha Chen was wise beyond his years and studied alchemy among the mortals for many of them. He called his position Pillbirther, which the mortals called alchemist. If he gave his little brother this book when he was born, he''d probably reach the Apex of Alchemy in a few thousand years. Yang Chi sniggered to himself, "The Apex of Alchemy, Sha Chen would have wrung my neck, telling me that I haven''t listened to a single word of his, there is no Apex when it comes to Alchemy after all." "I''ll try to be the best brother possible while I''m still around though. The path I take is one towards the heavens, and I must shoulder its burden¡­" Yang Chi whispered a tear started to form from his left eye. "Enough of this nonsense. Time to cultivate." He snorted, suppressing the weakness and dread of loneliness in his heart. 22 Trapped Old Men ROAR!!! A giant serpent let its vicious voice be heard throughout a small snowy mountain range. The beast was at least half a mile long, with golden scales glittering in the morning sun, with strange inscriptions etched into each of them. It had four legs folded up against its body as it slithered through the sky, with razor-sharp ebony claws and tusks to match. The beast was horrifying, every demonic beast in the entire mountain range dare not move in the slightest, scared that this behemoth might notice them. All of a sudden, the roaring vanished, in its place was an old man stretching his back yawning. He wore a white robe and rubbed his purple eyes. "Ugh, what a horrible place¡­ why can''t we go back to our realities?" the old man asked out loud, utterly unsatisfied with being here. If Yang Chi were here, he''d recognize this man ¨C Kewang Tian. "Kewang Tian, you lazy bastard! We''ve got a task to do, and we''re not allowed to leave until accomplishing it." A middle-aged man with a gruff beard and dark rings around his eyes barked. "Oh, and since when have you been the responsible one?!" Kewang Tian growled, "You think just because you''re the overlord of the Sky Paradise Reality that you''re so great? I remember when you were just a newt and I had to help you with that body snatcher." He snorted, spitting on the floor. "You''ll never let that go, will you?" The middle-aged man''s face went purplish, remembering his shame from all those years ago. "Wang Zhu my dear boy, you''re such a thick-headed kid for being so talented at cultivating, I swear if you didn''t have the power to cleave planets apart, you''d be a slave in some woman''s all-male Harem." Kewang Tian gaped. "Will you stop bringing up my past you old fool! How about I bring up your instead?! Hmm! I wasn''t the one who went on a murderous rampage and devoured an entire galaxy!" Wang Zhu retorted. "Oh, that''s a low blow, you know I was suffering from bedevilment. Whereas you, weren''t you seduced by a woman''s touch?" Kewang Tian raised an eyebrow, smirking. Wang Zhu growled as he stood up, summoning a sword and staff. "You want to dance?" Kewang Tian scoffed in amusement, summoning a giant halberd which he slung over his shoulder as his age visibly reduced. From the ancient hunchbacked old man emerged a proud but mature looking youth, he was tall and handsome with stubble over his face. "It''s literally been an age since I''ve had a good throw down. Want to go pretty boy?" He started to whirl his halberd with alarming speed, that tore the mountains asunder. Wang Zhu''s lip started to twitch, he knew that he wasn''t this old beast''s match, at most he could fight him off and retreat. "Enough both of you!" A voice boomed from the skies. "Do you think this a joke?!" A man descended from the clouds in a pale blue robe. "Geeze Kong, I thought you were meant to be a bard. Your voice isn''t too lyrical." Kewang Tian scoffed, which made Wang Zhu chuckle. "Listen, the both of you, we all want to go home. Those three sent us here to perform a small task to the likes of us, and we''ve almost carried it out. We''ve been away from home for near enough three-hundred millennia. Let''s just wait it out and see our task through." Kong Jin shook his head. "You''re just missing the Eternal Empress." Wang Zhu sniggered, causing Kewang Tian to drop his halberd falling over laughing. The roars of his laughter shook the small mountain, as he kept slamming the ground. "I remember your face when being separated, it looked like a mouse!" Kewang Tian almost wet himself. Kong Jin''s face sunk while rubbing the side of his forehead. "Did you plant the Orsulin Vein beneath the Yang Clan or not?" Kong Jin was losing his patience with these two fools. "Yes, yes. Boy, you take the fun out of everything." Kewang Tian rolled over on his back, returning to the form of an old man. "Now go away, I''m tired and want to sleep. You know its hard for me to control myself went I''m sleepy." Kewang Tian shut his eyes, and slowly drifted off until he started to snore. Wang Zhu and Kong Jin sat down by a small campfire that they made, sitting in silence until finally, it became uncomfortable. "So, we''ve been here all this time¡­ but I''ve never asked. Do you know how they got big Tian over there to do this?" Wang Zhu frowned, both him and Kong Jin all knew of each other, which beings at their level always do. Both of them were young in comparison to Kewang Tian, he was countless years older than the both of them, and both owed him a lot in their lives. Kewang Tian had helped Wang Zhu recover his body when he was but a few hundred years old, a favor that reunited him with his loved ones. He''d never forget that favor. Kong Jin on the other hand, while he was running for his life, he''d stumbled upon Kewang Tian''s resting place, where he''d protected him. Little did he know back then that he''d stumbled upon a creature as complex as a Celestial Devouring Beast. He was young in those days though, unable to comprehend the mystery behind him. "I heard that they''re holding the Spirit hostage." Kong Jin frowned. "What? That''s preposterous!" Wang Zhu gritted his teeth, he knew Kewang Tian and how dominant he was. The fact that they''d been able to steal ''her'' was unimaginable. Even though those three are unbelievably powerful, they still shouldn''t be a match for Kewang Tian! "What can I say? He''d do anything for her. Including breaking the boundaries of reality once again. Each time he does it the heavens go into disarray¡­" Kong Jin smiled in admiration of the Devourer''s actions but also sighed a little. He knew what the toll on him was, how it played on him. "All this, just so that one boy can grow up safe and sound? It''s maddening." Wang Zhu looked puzzled. "It''s ironic, your soul is gifted at foresight, yet you don''t use it¡­ why?" Kong Jin asked. "Because¡­ truths are better left untold. Some futures are better left unseen." Wang Zhu answered while sighing. "There''s your answer. It''s not long left now, the end game has begun." Kong Jin laid down, trying to get some sleep. 23 Fighting Spirit! "Again, quick now!" Yang Chi shouted to the three men that were standing in front of him shirtless and muscular but drenched in sweat panting with their weapons held low. "Young Master, we''ve been at it all day and night. We aren''t your match; please have mercy!" One of the guards that were holding a wooden pole at his waist said while panting. "Useless all of you! I''ve only formed my first Qi river this morning, yet all of you who are peak Qi River practitioners and are unable to give me a challenge?!" Yang Chi shook his head, as small droplets of sweat fell down his body. The day after he''d woke up, he began his cultivation in Qi cultivating. He''d been cultivating throughout the night, producing his foundations for his cultivation base! Finally, in the morning he''d created his first Qi River! The Qi River is a bizarre stage of cultivation, as while its easy to advance into Qi Sea Realm it wouldn''t be advised to rush it! This is because one must secure their foundations and make sure the Qi River is as refined and large as possible so that that they could have better future potential. First Qi River, then the river of Qi (Or rivers depending on technique) flows into the Qi Sea. Qi becomes infinitely harder to refine at the Sea stage, which is why it''s so important to have sturdy foundations. This is because the quality of Qi in the Sea stage will not only determine your strength compared to other cultivators, but also the quality of the Qi Core! The Qi core was, of course, split into different stages of quality as well, ranging all the way from Mixed to Golden and the legendary Inextinguishable! Even in the divine realm, it was scarce to have an Inextinguishable Core, fortunately for Yang Chi''s father ¨C Yang Fu, he''d been given the Nine-Suns Fury Technique, which was kind of a cheaters method of creating nine cores and merging them. Of course, if this method was leaked to some super sect in the divine realm and given to a genius with a pure yang bloodline with Ultimate Yang Qi readily available one could only imagine how terrifying the results would be! Yang Chi got shivers just thinking about it! Trying to push this deadly thought to the back of his head, he turned to inspect his cultivation! Currently, he had one fully fledged Qi River, with a strong Yang Attribute running through it. To his surprise though, it wasn''t as powerful as he''d of liked. Unfortunately, his bloodline would need purifying, or he''d need to seek natural resources to increase his Yang Attribute! Unfortunately, this meant that he''d have to find a Yin strengthening resource as well, as his blood-line needed to be in perfect harmony. This was incredibly frustrating to Yang Chi, as the Yang Clan had neither Yin nor Yang strengthening items, yet somehow, he needed to obtain them! This made his desire to leave the Yang Clan even stronger! He needed to go into the outside world and explore, find resources for both his body and Qi cultivation and temper himself against real opponents, not some peons! Ahhh! He screamed out loud in frustration as he charged at the three Yang Clan guards, lifting his wooden sword up. They gather what resilience they had gathered into a formation, two men at the back, one spear-heading their attack! The first one struck downwards with his staff. Yang Chi followed his instincts allowing the staff to charge downwards at his body, until the final moment, pivoting his body and his sword, he redirected the staff with a light strike to the top. Bang! The staff struck the ground, making the guards hands shudder, wincing in pain. Smack! Yang Chi drove his wooden sword upwards, straight into the guardsman''s throat, causing him to huff and heave, falling over clasping his throat. Taking two swift steps backward avoiding the staffs of the final two guardsmen in green and blue sashes, his anger increased. "How can I ever be expected to improve if I spar without you two using techniques?! Now with all your might, otherwise I''ll switch to live steel!" Yang Chi growled, and the other two showed visible shock. ''Live steel in the practice yard?! Is this young master a butcher?!?!'' they both thought in unison. Quickly one after another they both executed their most formidable techniques, "Cobras Strike!" the blue sashed one yelled out while lunging with his staff! The other screamed, "Monkey Kings Sweep!" as he swept his staff out for Yang Chi''s legs! While they both had formidable looks Yang Chi could only smile, this is what he''d been waiting for, "A chance to execute my martial arts!" he cackled on the inside. "Shadowless Steps" he whispered, leaving a figure in the middle of the courtyard to get struck by the two guardsmen. Bang! Bang! The two staffs went through the outline of Yang Chi''s figure, which both caused them to gape. "Gentleman''s Tyrannical Swipe!" Yang Chi emerged from behind their backs, swiping out with his wooden sword! Boom! "Ahhh!" The guards were both blasted off their feet and created small dents in the courtyard wall as they were slammed face first into it! "Hahaha! What a rush!" Yang Chi was exhilarated, twirling his sword about in his hand with a giant smile on his face. "Young Master?!" An old man from outside come rushing in, this man was Caretaker An, he was an old man, who helped younglings of the Yang Clan with their training. He''d heard the banging from outside, and naturally thought that his Young Master would be in grave danger, yet never in his life had he expected two bloody dents in the wall and a man clasping for breath on the floor. "Oh, caretaker An you''re here? I''m done with today''s training, I hope that you can reward these guards appropriately. They''ve had quite the time." Yang Chi smiled with his lips and closed his eyes as he put his hands behind his back, sword still gripped and walked off out of the courtyard. Needless to say, Caretaker An was flabbergasted at the sight! His young master had the combat proficiency of three peak Qi River cultivators?! No! This was impossible, wasn''t it?! This Caretaker An wasn''t some green boy in cultivation either, he''d been part of a major sect in the Central Plains of the Forgotten Valley! He only joined the Yang Clan after he was crippled, but he''d only seen one or two cultivators with such talent when he stayed in the Central Plains! A thought suddenly thought, if he could introduce Yang Chi to his sect, then perhaps the current elders would give him something good?! Perhaps they could give him something to repair his cultivation! Caretaker An rubbed his old wrinkly hands, starting to salivate about the possibilities! 24 Spirit Sword Sec Caretaker An hobbled out of the courtyard, making sure the guards were adequately attended to. Although they''d be in bed for a few weeks, they''d been fine. While he was attending them, making sure their injuries weren''t fatal, he was hatching a plan in the back of his head. In his eyes he had two options, get Yang Chi to go to his old sect willingly, or he''d have to force him. This was a stressful decision though, he wasn''t in regular contact with people from his old sect. The terms he left on¡­ were poor, to say the least. He did have a way to contact someone higher up in the sect of course¡­ Elder An Mo, his blood brother. His old bones just started to shake thinking about his elder brother. An Mo wasn''t carefree in his youth like Caretaker An ¨C An Tang. He''d always been less talented than his peers, but made up for it with ruthless hard work and determination, clawing his way through the ranks of the Spirit Sword Sect. None would get in the way of his Demonic Sword! An Mo had challenged the previous Elder to combat, giving no quarter even when he begged for mercy! Just like that he''d become head of the Demonic Sword Hall, an Elder of a hugely influential sect. An Mo never liked An Tang though, he''d always been dragging him upwards with him. It was when An Tang made a horrible mistake he found a reason to banish him after crippling his Dantian of course. On that day he''d also provided him with an opportunity, a task if you will. As long as An Tang was able to do something as valuable as the mistake, he made that day he''d be willing to help him recover his cultivation. Caretaker An dare not reside on the mistake he made that day, but he definitely knew that Yang Chi was his opportunity out of the crappy mountain regions and back to the lovely warm weather and luxury one came to expect with the Central Plains! Caretaker An sighed, he knew the chances of him being able to live as a cultivator once again were less than slim, negligible in fact. Deep down he only wanted to do something useful for his brother that had carried him through life before he entered the Netherworld. The Caretaker walked back to his accommodations. It was a small shack made of dark wood, which had started to rot and fill with all sorts of bugs. He took in a deep breath as he entered the house, he immediately regretted it though, all he could smell was the disgusting rot as it entered his nostrils, making him want to vomit. "If big brother Mo lets me live the twilight of my life in luxury that''d be enough." He thought to himself, slight salivating at the thought of burning this ruin down! After he entered his less that dreary room, that only held a bed and a table, he immediately walked over to his bed. Slowly kneeling down, he reached for a small chest only two foot across and one tall. In the center of the black chest, there was a golden keyhole, Caretaker An reached into his pocket for the key he''d kept on him from the moment of his banishment. Suddenly his place went pale. Manically patting his pockets, he felt like vomiting! "Where¡­ where has it gone?!" The old man''s heart sunk, he''d kept this key on him at all times, yet it suddenly vanished?! He bit his lips, causing a little blood to flow outwards. His breathing quickened, and his eyes started to blur. Until he heard a menacing chuckle behind him! "Looking for this Sword Spirit Dog?" the voice teased while dangling a pristine golden key in front of his eyes. "My key? Give it back!" he quickly yelled, going to throw a punch. "Pathetic. Void Braking First ¨C Voidless Fury!" the figure rushed forward hitting the old man in the sternum! Crunch! The ribs of Caretaker An could be heard cracking, while he coughed up blood on the floor. Looking up to see the face of this thief and assailant Caretaker An''s eyes widened and he felt his heart shiver. "Y¡­ young master?" Needless to say, he was beyond shocked, obviously this Yang Chi was far more observant than he''d ever noticed. "Stupid humans¡­" the young boy sighed as he walked up to the old man was on his hands and knees. Grabbing him by the hair on his scalp he tutted, "It''d be so easy to just scalp you, I''ve always been fascinated with the process." He smiled while looking into the old man''s eyes, who proceeded to let his bladder go, causing his shame to only increase. "Oh, how revolting." Yang Chi spat on the floor. "You know, I never was good at scalping people. Even all those years ago. I would always slip, prematurely cutting into their brain matter." Yang Chi looked down, as if in shame. Caretaker An, on the other hand, his eyes started to water, and nose started to run. "Tell me, what''s, in that case, you wrinkly old testicle?!" Yang Chi screamed in his ear, as he drew a short knife to An Tang''s forehead. "Ahh! Its¡­ Its¡­" "It''s what?! Is it less or more valuable to me than your life you pathetic scum?!" "It''s a communication stone!" An Tang wallowed his own tear, panting and heaving. "Where to?" "My elder brother An Mo of the Sword Spirit Sect!" he screamed in fright as the dagger started to pierce his forehead. Yang Chi gave a harrumph, hitting him with the hilt of the knife, causing blood to gush openly from his torn open skin. "An Tang, I shall give you one chance. You''ve had betrayed my Yang Clan, even after we took you in. You shall have one chance, swear loyalty to me in all perpetuity. Or suffer your fate."Yang Chi''s words sounded like they were coming from a death god in his current form, causing all remaining will and loyalty to his elder brother to be thrown out the window. "I swear¡­ young master, you have my loyalty!" An Tang cried, falling to the floor unconscious. Yang Chi only gave a crude smile sitting down on the bed, starting to meditate while maintaining that smile, knowing that he''d branded An Tang with a soul seal, ensuring his loyalty. 25 Making Arrangements An Tang woke up his head ached, and his lips felt dry. Not only that, his skin felt tight where his blood had dried over it. "Ugh¡­" the groggy old man gripped his head, trying to regain his composure. "So, your Dantain''s been destroyed." Yang Chi who had his eyes closed japed at him. "Ahh!" The old man fell on to his back, both in fear and surprise for the death god that transformed into a calm young man with monk-like meditation skills. "Calm down. If you''re lucky you might end up coming out of this uncrippled." Yang Chi snorted, while he shook his head. The shame this old man must be immense. "Uncrippled?!" An Tang said in shock, trying to hold in his excitement. "Tell me, why were you originally hurt like that?" Yang Chi''s eyebrow raised, curious of the old man''s situation. "Errr." An Tang rubbed his head embarrassed, not wanting to reveal anything, yet he felt a compulsion to follow Yang Chi''s words. "I, I betrayed the Sect. I slept with a spy of another power, revealing crucial information in our defences that my brother Mo had told me in the strictest confidence." An Tang frowned suddenly, "What?! Why did I tell you that?" he said shocked, obviously this was a huge secret to him, yet he''d revealed it to a child. "Don''t worry about it. Tell me, why were you trying to get back in communication with your brother now?" Yang Chi was increasingly curious. In fact, when Yang Chi followed him back, he only did so because he felt a hint of killing intent radiating from An Tang. Obviously, Yang Chi would investigate, seeing as the man had a reasonable amount of influence over the children and therefore the future of the Yang Clan! Who would have thought while trailing him he''d hear some deranged mumbling? "Trying to communicate, yes¡­ I wanted to inform brother Mo of your talent. It could perhaps make up for my mistake all those years ago, and I could regain a chance to grasp immortality." An Tang sighed, while looking at the ground. He''d always been extremely talented as a cultivator, yet he''d always been weak-willed, never pushing himself to his limits. An Tang believed if he casually cultivated he''d be able to tread upon the path of immortals, unfortunately those dreams were shattered. "Knowing An Mo''s temperament, what do you believe would have happened if you''d have presented me as a prized pig with an apple stuck in its mouth?" Yang Chi questioned. "A prized pig young master¡­?" An Tang looked confused. "Just answer the question." Yang Chi said coldly, his face showing his displeasure of being second guessed. "Well, young master Yang¡­ I think, taking young master''s talent into account brother Mo would follow one of three paths." An Tang mumbled. "Oh, do tell." Yang Chi gave off a deadly smile, seemingly knowing what An Mo''s options would be. "The first option would of course be diplomacy, where he''d bring great gifts to the Yang Clan¡­ but he''d also probably take several hostages to the Sword Spirit Sect¡­" An Tang looked shameful as he continued. "The second option would be to kidnap young master, doing torturous things to bend and twist your mind, causing you to be utterly loyal to him." An Tang started to breath quicker as he felt killing intent radiating from Yang Chi''s small figure. "The third¡­" An Tang''s words caught in his throat, not daring to utter the sentence. "Continue." Yang Chi said slowly, as his voice deepened. "The third¡­ annihilate the Yang Clan, wipe your memories and make you believe you''re his child, it wouldn''t be the first time he''s done it." An Tang couldn''t contain his fear, as Yang Chi''s intense eyes felt like swords cutting into his flesh. "An Tang, I appreciate your honesty. It''s an extremely hard to admit your wrongdoings. For this I shall reward you, but in return you''ll have to tell a little lie for me." Yang Chi had a coy smile on his face, as if a he knew something even the heavens didn''t. Yang Chi carefully explained his orders and plans to An Tang, who''s eyes went wide in astonishment. This kid was a pack full of lies! Stacked on top of another few packs of them! He told him to inform his brother he''d met a child in the Yang Clan, this child was a stable boy for the Yang Clan. His name ¨C Sha Ku. Sha Ku was the bastard son of some traveling cultivator called Sha Di, who impregnated a maid of the Yang Clan when she was young. Later the maid died in childbirth, unable to do anything with the child and being afraid of Sha Di, the Yang Clan didn''t mistreat the boy, but only gave him a spot in the stables. This wasn''t the hook though; An Tang had felt pity for the young man. He was only six and had to tend the stables, his father was a powerful cultivator, yet he''d abandoned him. Therefore An Tang might as well have tested his talent, giving him a terrible cultivation technique a few days ago. It was only a mortal grade technique, but the boy had mastered it and already constructed perfect Qi River foundations! Of course, An Tang was completely shocked, this boy had potential! More than any of those brats in the Yang Clan! Therefore An Tang decided to give him a sword art ¨C The Nine Swords of the Imperium! At its earliest, it was relatively simple. Although it was an incredibly tricky technique at its later stages. There is a reason for its difficulty, its because the Nine Swords of the Imperium was actually nine sword arts merged which were wholly interchangeable, making it ridiculously formidable in combat! To his surprise, Sha Ku had already reached the sixth level! The boy was obsessed, flicking his sword around apparently not knowing that it''s a technique for killing, but viewing it as choreographed dancing maual! The moment An Tang saw this he had to report it to An Mo, this kind of talent¡­ before he looked away he''d of probably already have formed Sword Qi! "Young Master, that''s ridiculous! As soon as An Mo hears this he''ll storm down here trying to take you as his disciple at any cost!" An Tang worried, there was a possibility that the Yang Clan would be completely and utterly turned into a ruin! "Not to worry old man, you''ll take me to a small town, escorted by a few guards. Then we''ll leave, nobody is harmed. I get a bottomless pool of resources and you might even get your Dantian repaired." Yang Chi said, his eyes closed, and lips curled. Yang Chi proceeded to toss An Tang the key, "Now make the call." An Tang somehow caught it with his shaky hands, fumbling whilst undoing the lock he finally opened the thing, causing a cloud of dust to be released in the room. Cough! Cough! The pair both coughed, unable to breath. Inside the chest, there was a round white stone with a gleaming blue inscription that was painfully bright to behold. An Tang picked it up, causing it to flash a little, blinking on and off until finally a voice emerged from the stone. "Little Tang¡­ It''s been a while. Why are you contacting me?" The voice sounded dreadful and deep like he''d crawled out of hell. An Tang told his story to his brother Mo, exactly recounting the tale of Sha Ku. "Interesting. Very interesting indeed. Little brother, you may have finally made up for your betrayal all those years ago." An Mo''s voice went a little softer. "Bring the boy to the Night''s Turn Inn, in Greenmont City. I''ll pick him up there." An Mo ceased the transmission. An Tang turned toward Yang Chi, who was sitting there with a smile on his face. Everything had gone according to plan. He only had to make some final preparations, then he''d leave with An Tang, truly begging his path of cultivation. 26 Getting Ready for Departure Yang Chi wasn''t too worried about the time constraints around arriving in Greenmont City; he knew that the travel should take An Mo several months at the least and that he wouldn''t rush himself as a matter of his dignity. This gave Yang Chi a splendid opportunity to continue practising his techniques and refine them. As for that ''Nine Imperial Swords'', although it was hard for others, it was incredibly easy for him in particular. Sha Ku, he had memorised different techniques, arts and just books in general in the hundreds of millions! Little could one deny that the man was a walking library! And why not? Imagine being alive for countless years! What do you have to do with yourself apart from wage war, read books and live life? For now, though, Yang Chi was focusing on two things his cultivation, and passing techniques and arts down to his siblings. Yang Chi had already snuck into his parent''s house at nightfall and carefully inscribed cultivation techniques and martial arts into their psyche. It would awaken when they reached the age of six when true cultivation takes place. He''d communicated with Ancestor Yang through divine sense, telling him to put up falsehoods, saying that he''d personally guide these two girls, as two girls randomly practising a peak sky grade technique would surely garner unwanted attention! What was the Sky Grade Technique; Phoenix Ever Rising! Phoenix Ever Rising an incredibly profound technique that allowed one''s physique to evolve like the divine bird, undergoing a Nirvana at the end of every cultivation boundary, improving one''s natural talent in Fire, Yin and Life laws! This is because every time a cultivator practising this technique underwent a Nirvana, they''d in-scribe ancient runes in their bone structure and Dantian, allowing them to fuse with the Dao Stage naturally! The idea of this is just spectacular! This is because usually the way one reaches Dao Stage from the peak Star Palace is that they engrave their Star Palace with their understanding of the Dao! It is similar to this in body cultivation as well! That''s because a cultivator would have to inscribe their fleshy bodies with Dao Runes as well, which was an incredibly painstaking process that took years! That''s why the Phoenix Ever Rising technique was so amazing! It would naturally allow one to step upon the path of Dao, ascending without effort! Apart from his sister, he was also anxiously waiting for the birth of his little brother, who he so painstakingly convinced his father to name Yang Long or sun dragon. His father wanted to name him Yang Gen¡­ or in other words Root. Yes, root. And his mother was fine with the name. A blood vessel almost burst in Yang Chi''s eye when he heard this, but then he gave his father a long speech how his brother was going to be born mighty into a world that couldn''t contain him, much like a legendary dragon! After twelve days of lectures, and all the complaints his father finally broke down and agreed. Yang Long was an entirely appropriate name of course, as the moment his little brother is born, he planned to hand him down the legendary Will of the Divine Dragon! This technique was an extraordinary technique, which tri-cultivated Qi, Body and Soul! It allowed one to embody the power of a dragon, transforming their Dantian into a beast''s pearl core! After this, the cultivator will be able to transform their body into different parts of the Dragon slowly! Until finally one reached a level where they''ll be able to become a Dragon! Just the thought of having a brother that powerful made Yang Chi smile, once he carved a path through the Wen Empire and entered the Upper Realms his siblings would be able to join any sect they wished! Not only that he was going to give him everything he retained in alchemy! As long as Yang Long, Yang Ci and Yang Hua survived and practised diligently, they''d be invincible! This happiness invaded Yang Chi for several months; he''d play with his sisters daily, taking them to see sights throughout the mountains and introducing them to the songs of the Upper Realms! They loved listening to the song, even though Yang Chi didn''t have the most harmonious of voices. This all lasted up until the day his brother was born, Yang Long¡­ not Gen. He''d offered to put his brother to sleep, with the supervision of a maid of course, as his mother wasn''t in any state to do anything, currently, she was passed out, exhausted from the whole process! Yang Chi shook his head, thanking his lucky stars that he didn''t have to do such a thing. When putting Yang Long in his cot, he turned to the maid and smiled, "I''m going to have to apologise?" "Apologise, young master, whatever for?" she raised her eyebrow curiously. Woosh! He quickly moved, chopping at her neck, causing her to fall unconscious. Thud! Yang Chi gritted his teeth, letting out a slight "Whoops, forgot to catch her." He noticed that when she had fallen, she hit her head on the floor¡­ "I''ll just have Great-Grandfather take care of it." He shrugged, carefully closing the sliding door so that nobody noticed or disturbed him. He turned to the crib, which his little brother was soundly sleeping in and smiled. His brother looked had a chubby face and little tufts of golden hair. Seeing this Yang Chi laughed, "You already have golden hair, truly the heavens are telling me that it''s the right thing to do." The Divine Dragon technique wouldn''t only allow people to change their body at will; it would also have some more permanent effects on a person''s body. Their hair would turn golden; their face will develop to look more masculine¡­ and well¡­ a dragon has lots of Yang energy¡­ He''d probably hunted down for a while by different lords for¡­ spreading his Yang Energy. Yang Chi giggled to himself slightly; if anyone were going to harm his little brother for his proclivities, they''d have to face the wrath of a slayer! As Yang Chi used his divine sense to inscribe Yang Long''s psyche slowly, he fell into an intense concentration, sweating at the brow and his face started to go red until finally, he let out a gasp. Staring intensely at the child, he chuckled, "Hmm, a rebirth¡­ you still have your memories from your past life." The babe in the crib opened its eyes menacingly, which caused Yang Chi''s heart to shake. Until finally he burst into laughter. "I searched your memories; you''re a rebirther. You were the grand elder of the Golden Lotus Cult¡­ a dual cultivation sect, and you slept with a Great Abyssal Vampire?!" Yang Chi laughed so hard he started to cry, "You slept with a creature that lives off of draining vitality!" "Hahaha!" "You fool!" 27 Farewell Yang Chi found the matter too hilarious, an elder of a sect didn''t know the dangers of a Great Abyssal Vampire! Preposterous, especially for a dual cultivation sect, who must have captured her! As he stared down at his little brother Yang Chi''s look became serious, glaring into his orange eyes. "Now listen, Cao Jin, your extremely talented in cultivation. I''ve scanned through the memories of your past life; you managed to cultivate to the Grand Immortal stage instead of mastering a rebirth technique." "That takes so many years, obviously you know a lot about the world, but trust me you don''t want to stand against me." Yang Long''s eyes opened wide, seemingly understanding everything the former slayer was saying. "You have two paths ahead of you. You follow my instructions, and I''ll gift you the power to erase so-called Grand Immortals with the flick of your finger, or you can choose to go against me." Yang Chi stared into Yang Long''s eyes for quite some until he sighed, "Forget the allegiances of your past life as I have, swear loyalty to the Yang Clan for eternity. I shall leave you with those words and these." Yang Chi sent out his divine sense into the child''s psyche, granting him the Diaries of Pillbirther Chen, the Alchemic Index and finally the all-important Will of the Divine Dragon! As all the information entered Yang Long''s mind his eyes that were filled with trouble and fear dissipated, instead of becoming full of curiosity and wonder. "Ha!" Yang Chi snorted, "I told you that you''d want to listen to me!" He turned on his heel, walking to the body that was unconscious on the floor, "That poor maid." Yang Chi sighed, lifting the old woman''s carcass with one hand, dragging her to a window that overlooked the mountainside that was filled with snow. He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and the rump of her dress. Carefully aimed. Whoosh! The middle-aged woman glided out of the window down the mountainside. As she slid down, she left multiple skid marks in the snow. "Well, at least I didn''t have to call the Ancestor." Yang Chi scratched his head. He had no guilt about the life-and-death of this maid, causing a sudden thought to spring into his head. He turned to look at Yang Long one last time, "There is a maid in my service by the name of Snow, touch her, and you''ll wish you''d never been born." His voice was cold and ominous; this was a clear threat that he''d follow through with. Yang Chi left the room after that, feeling a strange twinge in his chest, but he ignored it, he had more important matter to attend to, mainly packing his bags... The next morning the sun rose above the giant spires that were the peaks of the surrounding mountains. It was the only sunrise, but Yang Chi was already on the road with An Tang. Last night he had said his final goodbyes to his mother and father, but they didn''t understand what was going on, they thought he was bidding them farewell for the evening as he was tired from trying to put his little brother to sleep. Instead, he was saying a farewell that even he doesn''t know how long will last. Not only his parents, he bid his goodbyes to Yang Gou through divine sense as well, telling him of his plans and what his parents would expect happened to him. Yang Gou was extremely surprised at the situation, to say the least, he even offered to escort Yang Chi to Greenmont City himself personally, yet Yang Chi declined of course. Someone at Yang Gou''s level would garner too much attention, especially if he were going to try and pull off lying about his identity. Instead, he''d requested An Tang to summon two Yang Guardsmen, so that they could help guard them. It''s not that Yang Chi expected any trouble, after all, the area around the Yang Clan was pretty stable after the Kuo Clan''s little upstart rebellion was crushed. Finally, Yang Chi had gone to see his maid ¨C Snow. Snow had a sentimental place in Yang Chi''s heart after all, even above that of his parents. It wasn''t loved or romantic attraction by any measure, but it was nonetheless an intense feeling of possession and belonging. Before he''d left, he gave her a long hug, as his small stature only came up to her upper stomach, so his head was carefully cushioned underneath her bosom . Although Snow was surprised by this, she didn''t take it to heart, until Yang Chi told her the truth. He''d go travelling for the sake of his cultivation, and that he''d be using a false name ¨C Sha Ku. Snow was shocked of course and offered to come along with her young master, that was for nought though, he flat out refused. Firstly, Yang Chi couldn''t have any connections to the Yang Clan. Otherwise, there''s a chance that he may be recognised. Secondly, he didn''t have the strength to protect her. Seeing how serious her young master was, she immediately understood, only nodding and hugging him tightly. Now it was sunrise though, and Yang Chi was in a cart, heading down a road. He could see the Yang Mountain in the distance, becoming ever smaller. Yang Chi hid the emotional fatigue he had in his heart, choosing to sit and enjoy the bumpy ride. Standing on a balcony, overlooking the sunset, there stood a woman. She was young, proud and tall. This woman was Snow. Her hair which use to be black had turned silver, and her cute eyes that had once sent wonder into Yang Chi''s soul had vanished, becoming cold and had wisdom beyond years counting. Tap. Tap. Tap. She tapped her fingers at the balcony ledge, as she looked off to the distance where a small boy was on a cart perhaps miles away. "Sha Ku. Sha Ku. Couldn''t you come up with a more original name? For a Grand Marshal, your tactics sure are flawed." She giggled. "You have a long journey ahead Ku-Ku, you even gave big brother Chen''s diaries to a child. But I trust you." As she said the words in her soft voice, she vanished, seemingly phasing out of existence. 28 Greenmont Town. As the bumpy cart went ever further along the small tiled road, Yang Chi eventually lost sight of Yang mountain, leaving the Yang clan''s territory. It was a long and lonely road to Greenmont, the countryside in the country of Zi wasn''t extraordinary, instead, it was mainly tundra with the occasional demonic beast causing An Tang some fright. Yang Chi knew there wasn''t anything, in particular, to worry about. He scanned with his divine sense, and there wasn''t anything higher than the Qi Sea Realm. This caused Yang Chi to relax a little, allowing him to get some much-needed rest. He leaned his head back on the hardwood of the cart, slowly nodding off as everything around him faded away. "Young master, young master Yang." A hand shook him awake as he slowly opened his eyes, and the sound of a bustling market entered his ears, causing a smile to light up his face. "Have we arrived?" he turned to the person that was shaking him, stretching hi neck and back, as they ached from the journey. "Yes, young master." An Tang replied as he removed his wrinkly hand form Yang Chi''s shoulder. "Good, how long were we travelling?" Yang Chi rubbed his eyes, as they adjusted to the midday sun that hurt his eyes. "Around seven hours young master." Yang Chi didn''t reply, only giving a slight nod in return. Instead, he stretched his head and yawned. "From now on don''t call me young master, or Yang Chi." Yang Chi quickly reminded him. "Then¡­" "Sha Ku or stable boy will do. I don''t care; your brother might already be in the town, we don''t want to give him any reason to be suspicious. Anyway, why have we stopped? Aren''t we meant to be going to that in¡­ err¡­ ''Night Turn''s'', that''s the one." "Yes young¡­ Sha Ku, but if you''d so kindly put your head out of the carriage, there''s a fair or event of some kind which all these peasants have shown up to." "Did you try asking anyone?" Sha Ku sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Errr¡­." "Idiot. Anyway, form now on, your demeanour, be less respectful to me. I''m a stable boy, not your master." Sha Ku said as he hopped out of the cart, to have a look around before he met this ''incredible'' An Mo. The streets of Greenmont were bustling with people, sprawling about the place. Waring a myriad of different coloured clothes, green, black, red, blue, orange, purple. It was like an oddly coloured incomplete rainbow. Oddly enough there weren''t any yellow coloured clothes, which made Sha Ku rub his chin and frown, it was obvious that there must be some kind of dress code. Many places had this; it would often represent the colours of the ruling party. Sha Ku tried to confirm his theory; he started to walk through the streets where they were selling all sorts of items trinkets; weapons; books; scrolls and many more! As he looked about, he came to a sudden realisation though, no yellow clothing, obviously his thoughts had been correct. The theory was even further corroborated after he saw two butch men wearing mail armour with a yellow tabard covering up the chest. These guards were only regular humans, no threat to anyone but frightened women and children. "An Tang, tell me, does Greenmont have a governing body?" An Tang quickly hobbled forwards, "Yes err Sha Ku its ruled by a local by the name of Zane." "Zane? What sort of name is that?" Sha Ku was curious; it was an odd name, to say the least. "I don''t know Sha Ku¡­ one day he just randomly appeared out of nowhere and enslaved the town. He''s only a Qi River cultivator, and he overthrew the last family who ruled here ¨C the Greenmonts. He also proclaimed that nobody should wear yellow any more, just as the Greenmonts had once outlawed green." An Tang explained. "What sort of insane town have you brought me to An Tang?" Sha Ku raised an eyebrow; indeed, he was more than confused. Firstly, how was a Qi River cultivator just able to rule a town? Did literally no one else in a hundred leagues have no time to spare and pass of the chance to get thousands in yearly revenue for tax? Even demonic cultivators might choose to slaughter randomly because of their board, or for some cultivation technique that requires the blood of innocence. All of them had something better to do than butcher this small town? "Young Sha Ku, do you think we should be going to see An Mo?" An Tang was worried. "An Tang, you old fart, do you have a brain to use?" Sha Ku rolled his eyes. "Err, I believe¡­" "It was rhetorical. Let me explain this to you simply; your brother has had people observing us since we entered this town. Now, am I, a young stable boy that''s never seen the fineries of life going to see him immediately, or am I going to prance around in wonder for a while?" Sha Ku raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Now, let''s go view over there." Sha Ku pointed off into the distance, "If I''m not mistaken, they''re selling tamed demonic beasts, so let''s go have a look I haven''t had much time to familiarise myself with the quality of beast master in this world. It''s a good opportunity to learn." In a dark room there sat a man holding a cup of steaming tea, blowing on it gently. This man was square-jawed and long-faced, with a huge nose. Not only this, but he was also littered with scars that went deep to the bone. One of his black eyes had a patch covering it, and there was a slight smile on his lips. A knock came from the small wooden door in front of him. "Enter." His grim voice sounded. "Hall Master the boy and your brother are here." A man dressed in a dark hooded robe bowed with his hands clasped together. "Indeed." He chuckled, "That waste of space has returned. You''ve observed the boy, what do you make of him?" "May I speak freely, Hall Master?" The Hall Master gave a quick nod and gestured his had so that he could go ahead. "The boy seems to have a complex bloodline, his father Sha Di was a mysterious figure, but from what reports could gather he must have had rather extraordinary as his child seems to have a Yin-Yang bloodline that doesn''t cancel out, but instead seems to be rather volatile." The Hall Master gave a nod, agreeing with the hooded figures analysis. "I also believe that the test Hall Master has devised should test the boy more than enough." "Ha, flattery won''t work with me Reaper One. Now leave, report back to me if anything takes place." 29 Beast Masters As Sha Ku approached the stage where all the beasts were being shown his eyes lit up, even though these were bound to be nothing in front of his eyes he still decided that this was rather exciting. There was a simple reason for this, the beast tamers were selling them as mounts, and there was an auction taking place. Sha Ku scanned the place; he could tell that there were quite a few cultivators here, there was even one Qi Sea realm old man! This was apart from the seven Qi Core realm cultivators that''d been following ever since he entered the town. Sha Ku climbed up the wooden stands, taking a seat in the nearly deserted top row, while An Tang followed him and the two Yang guards decided to go to the front row, ogling all the beasts. Sha Ku looked at the centre stage. Currently, there was a giant lizard, with a turtle-like shell on its back with spikes protruding out all over. This beast was called a ''Steldon'', it was massive, around twelve feet long and assisted as a combat beast to whoever its handler it. Sha Ku frowned, he''d never seen such an odd creature, it had a snapping jaw as well. A man in a suit, with a moustache and was sweating heavily stood on stage next to the beast with a bright smile. It was obvious that this man was auctioning these beasts, and he probably didn''t know what half of them were. Fortunately, sales were sales, and a good seller could make earwax more precious than gold! "Good afternoon to all you folks that were gracious enough to come out today! We have four items that we''re going to be selling today, all of which are surprises!" The man spoke out, waving his arms about, pointing to the first beast. "This big fella is called Bruno, he a Steldon! As we all know Steldon''s are a hybrid race between the Giant Black Turtles and Water Lizards!" "They have both a broad shell, that can''t be pierced by anybody under the Qi Core realm and they''re extremely loyal. There a defence style beast, great for when you''re in a tight spot! Starting price, ten gold!" "Ten Gold!" a hand in the audience went up. In a flurry multiple other hands were raised, this kind of beast was beneficial to those that hadn''t entered the Qi Core realm and was in all truth just a giant mobile wall to defend them. But this mobile wall could mean the difference between life and death! After around a fierce round of debate, the price had gone up to ninety gold! This was an extraordinary amount and could purchase a decent plot of land! The man who purchased the freakish wall, had a giant smile on his face as he went up on stage to claim his prize. The man who looked only in his twenties grabbed the Steldon by its lead and walked off stage dragging it along. While one could bind it to themselves on stage with a drop of blood, that''d be too public and also take up the time that when people could be buying! Next on the auction list was a moon-scale tiger. The moon-scale tiger was a large creature that stood over five feet tall and was the same weight as several men and had the ferocity to match! The moon-scale tiger also had scales shaped like circular moons that littered the entire surface of its body. The thing was a killing machine! The moon scale tiger sold for four-hundred gold coins in the end, the person that bought it was a dark-haired fairy, who took up everybody''s time by binding the creature straight away, which caused a ruckus with everyone. Nobody would dear cause her to harm though, as she had both the backing to buy such a majestic and fierce creature, as well as the animal itself. She could set it on whoever provoked her and anyone that even insulted her! This caused several lesser cultivators to shake in their boots, unable to control themselves, not daring to make even the slightest bit of eye contact with the woman. Once she''d bound the tiger, she jumped on its back, which caused it to rear on hits hind legs growling, which made everyone sweat a little. A moon-scale tiger was a formidable existence among beasts and was easily able to reach a tire three beast! That was the same strength as a Qi Core cultivator! She road down from the stage proudly with a smile on her face, turning towards an old man in green and blue robes, sticking her tongue out, causing him to frown. This old man was the Qi Sea realm cultivator that Sha Ku had detected. Turning to An Tang, he whispered gently, "Do you have any idea what the rivalry between those two it?" An Tang seemed to be knocked out of his daze that was so focused by the beauty of the girl. "Sha Ku, you should know that old man is a member of the Kuo Clan, right? And that young girl is Lin May from the Lin clan, who comes from the Kuo''s new rivals." "New rivals?" Sha Ku was intrigued. "Yes, the Lin clan only has a few dozen members, but ever since the Kuo clan''s been shaken by the Ancestor, they''ve been declining. Furthermore¡­ forgive me its just rumours." An Tang scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "An Tang, all rumours are caused for a reason, tell me quick." Sha Ku demanded. "Well, it''s said that the Lin clan is actually only a branch clan from the central plains. And that several cultivators have been moved here to erode the influence of the Royal Zi family slowly!" "Oh, is that correct?" Sha Ku was astonished. The central plains were under the direct influence of the Wen Imperial Family, so it was hard to imagine that they''d allow a direct vassal to cause the power of a vassal state to wane. He made his thoughts apparent to An Tang who completely understood his train of thought, but he had to correct him. "Young Sha Ku, you may not know this, but all the Royal Families actually directly descend from the six great families of the Central Plains!" "What!" Sha Ku was in shock. "Yes, Zi, Jin, Ren, Hao, Xuan and Feng.The six great families of the central plains. They were assigned by the original Imperial Emperor to set up six kingdoms." "Zi took the Zi Kingdom; Jin founded the Jin Kingdom¡­" "Before you finish, did they all just originally name their domain''s after their family name?" Sha Ku frowned, already bored by the story. "That was originally the case, yet only the Zi and Jin Kingdoms still keep their original names. The rest is now: The Lotus Kingdom to the East, The Fire Kingdom to the south, The Night-Water Kingdom of the great bogs, which are just west of us, then finally the ''Heaven''s Might'' Kingdom of the west." An Tang explained. "Heaven''s Might?" Sha Ku was curious, the name Heaven''s Might should have infuriated the rulers of the Wen Empire. It''s an incredibly audacious name, to say the least. "Yes Sha Ku, Heaven''s Might. The Feng Family have a special position in the Wen Empire. Never once have they interfered in the internal politics of the Wen Empire. They''re actually said to be led by a mighty immortal that fell from the heavens." "This causes the Wen Empire just to ignore them and pretend they don''t exist." An Tang continued. Hearing An Tang''s explanation, Sha Ku couldn''t help but be a little disappointed. If what An Tang said was correct, it could put a significant hole in his plans. But¡­ at the same time, it could also provide him with an opportunity. There must be a reason this ''immortal'' fell from the heavens and hasn''t returned. He was probably hiding here, cowering away from such an enemy he made in the higher realms. This was the only conclusion Sha Ku could come up with, as anybody that earned the rank of ''immortal'' must have been a cultivation maniac! They wouldn''t risk living in a lower realm and falling behind their peers! "Now for our final item!" A voice shouted from the centre of the stage, knocking Sha Ku out of his daze. He was in such deep discussion he''d actually completely missed the third item! The man on stage was deeply sweating now, apparently being an auctioneer was tough work, "Next we have this beauty." He placed a small box on a podium, opening it up, revealing a sizeable looking rock. Everyone was speechless, a rock! What was this man trying to pull! Seeing the crowd reaction, the auctioneer quickly spoke, "I assure you, good people. This rock isn''t simple. It was found in the far west ¨C Heaven Might''s Kingdom, where it was deep in the cave a nightmare child!" Gasp! Those words ¨C nightmare child, they caused everyone to shake a little. But the person who had the most significant reaction was Sha Ku! 30 Baoser Sha Ku''s breathing became rapid; he felt like there wasn''t enough air in his lungs. He started to sweat heavily, and his vision became a bit blurry, while he felt like he was going to vomit! He quickly put his head between his legs and tried to calm himself down. Even An Tang noticed Sha Ku''s reaction and was visibly shocked. He quickly shook Sha Ku, trying to see what was wrong with him. "Sha Ku, what''s wrong, the Nightmare Child is long dead. You couldn''t possibly be frightened of a dead thing, could you?!" An Tang burst out laughing. This infuriated Sha Ku, who swiftly brought his head up and punched An Tang in the gut, causing him to vomit! "You bastard, don''t speak of things you know nothing of! You have no idea how terrifying a Nightmare child is!" Sha Ku''s face was pale, starting to tear up a little as well, his voice slightly began to choke. "Even in the highest heavens, it''s not easy to deal with a Nightmare Child! They prey on the souls of children, infecting them, cultivating through them. They curse them with nightmares until they reach the age of eighteen, stealing any talent they had! What''s even worse, when the victim of a Nightmare Child reaches adulthood, they''ll go on a senseless slaughter!" "They''ll kill their own parents, any lover that they might have. In some cases, even their own children!" "Worst of all, to kill a Nightmare Child, you have to eliminate everybody it''s infected!" Sha Ku gripped his first, as his heart plunged into great pain. In his eyes, a Nightmare Child needed to be destroyed more so than the Pantheon!They''re evil! They should be annihilated! Sha Ku knew this better than most¡­ he''d lost his only¡­ "Just buy the fucking egg An Tang, I don''t care what the cost is." Sha Ku jumped off of the seats, walking off into the distance as tears trailed down his face. An Tang could only give a quick nod and wipe the blood from his mouth. He''d never seen Sha Ku lose his cool before. Even when he was a victim of interrogation, he didn''t lose his cool; every action was cold and calculated. Sha Ku stormed off, down a small abandoned alleyway. "Ahhh!" he screamed, as tears poured from his eyes. He then let off a roar, as he started to pound his fists against the brick walls of the alleyway. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! He didn''t stop, the banging on the walls just increased, becoming faster and faster. The blood from his ripped fleshy hands oozed just as fast as the tears in his eyes. Until he finally fell to his knees, weeping. "Bao''er¡­ I''m so sorry Bao''er. My little girl." Sha Ku leaned his head against the blood-stained brick wall. 31 A Warm Voice on A Cold Day As he was leaning head first on the wall, a figure riding on a giant beast approached him. It was a woman with dark raven hair, a pretty pink nose and a scowl on her face. Hair was extremely wet though, dripping in fact. She also wore a robe. Sha Ku recognised this woman from earlier ¨C Lin May, riding the moon scale tiger. "You!" She shouted in a stern voice, "Why are you banging on the wall like a madman? Do you have any idea who I am¡­" Lin May''s voice caught in her throat as she saw the walls covered in blood and a young boy slumped against it, the blood lightly trickling down his lost face. "Are you¡­ are you okay?" She asked, stunned at the sight, she''d been expecting some brute banging on her walls to get her attention. Yet there was this mess of a boy. "I''m fine, just trying to swallow my shame." Sha Ku muttered, turning his dark eyes towards hers. "Swallow your shame? What have you got to be shameful about?" Lin May carefully inspected Sha Ku to find that he wasn''t some trash that had never cultivated, he was already at the Qi River Stage, yet he was only a boy! This was the opposite of shame in her opinion; he could easily be swooped up by a sect or a clan. A boy from a backwater, resourceless and alone being able to match some Central Plains cultivators? To her, this sounded more like some cruel joke cast down upon the heavens. "Nothing that concerns you, young miss. How old are you exactly?" Sha Ku asked as he wiped the blood from his face, giving him a far more presentable appearance. This caused Lin May to scoff; the boy thought he looked better, but all he did was smear blood all over his face. She sighed a little, dismounting her tiger she grabbed his little hand, and pulled him, "Come with me?" "Where are we going?" Sha Ku asked, still in a world of his own, just barely noticing he was moving. "I''m taking you to wash your face and a change of clothes of course. It just so happens that you were knocking on the walls of house I¡­ let''s say rented." She made a little guilty smile. "There''s a fresh set of clothes inside; they should be suitable compared to the rags you''re wearing now." She pointed out the ragged crimson stained clothes Sha Ku was currently wearing. Sha Ku had made the conscious decision to make such terrible clothes, after all, he was trying to appear as a dull, stable boy. It''s hard to imagine a stable boy wearing the fine clothing of the Yang Clan. Lin May dragged Sha Ku through the front door, followed by the tiger as she bolted the door shut. "There, it''s much warmer in here as well. I don''t know how you Northerners of Zi have ever managed to withstand the cold." She rubbed her arms as she went and sat by the fire which had a huge bucket of water hanging above it. Sha Ku stood their weak legged, next to the doorway. Lin May turned around, "What are you waiting for, come over here and warm up." She beckoned him with her hand, as he slowly walked over taking a seat next to her on the padded bench. Sha Ku held his hands out to the fire and felt himself relax slightly. The crackles of fire, they were remarkably soothing to the soul and mind. Soon the semblance of sadness started to numb, the thoughts of the nightmare child began to vanish. "So, what are you doing here?" he asked, turning to Lin May. "What am I doing here? I heard a Moon-Scale Tiger was being auctioned, how could I pass up the opportunity to purchase it? You know that a fully-grown Moon-Scale Tiger can easily reach Tier 3, but if it awakens its origin blood, along with its bloodline memories it''s entirely possible to reach Tier five!" Lin May smiled, as she stroked the back of the tiger''s head, causing it to give out a large aggressive purr. "That''s not what I meant; you''re not from here?" Sha Ku smiled, seeing that the tiger was like an oversized kitten. "Oh, was it my accent that gave me away?" Lin May''s face started to go as bright as a peach. "No, you said Northerners of Zi, so I was wondering where you came from?" Sha Ku looked at her with his big puppy dog eyes. Seeing the face Lin May''s lips trembled a little. "Damn you boy. Do you promise me you can keep a secret?" Lin May looked him directly in the eye. Sha Ku nodded quickly in reply. "Good. I''m not from the North, in fact, I''m from the central plains!" Lin May said proudly, with her hands placed on her hips with a smug smile on her face. "How comes you''re here then?" "Wow, you don''t even make a gasp of astonishment. You''ve probably never heard of the glory that resides within the central plains then!" Lin May gave a quick harrumph, then continued. "I came here with daddy. He''s the Patriarch''s second son. He''d been given an important mission which is why I''m in this cold, desolate land!" Lin May crossed her arms, sulking. "Do you want to go back?" Sha Ku asked curiously. "Of course, I want to go back! I don''t have any friends. It''s just me, father, mother and my stinky brothers hanging about the place!" Hearing this, Sha Ku laughed. "What''s so funny?!" She immediately shouted. "Oh no nothing, it''s just that I just realised I don''t have any friends." Sha Ku said, disappointed in himself. "Well, why not?" "I don''t know. I mean¡­" he sighed, "With my station in life and my potential, I could never bond with people where I was from." "Oh, where you were from? Don''t you live in Greenmont?" "No, I''ve come here to meet with someone. I''m originally from the Yang Clan, my names Sha Ku nice to meet you." Sha Ku put out his hand to shake while trying not directly to lie to the girl. Seeing him put his hand out Lin May smiled, but instead of going to shake it she grabbed at him with a big hug. She held him tight in his chest, which caused Sha Ku too blush. He felt two soft masses pressing into his chest. 32 First Friend #Warining a suggestive chapter! Nothing explicit happens, but nonetheless, you''ve been warned.# Sha Ku couldn''t relax at first, and his back became rigid as he panicked, the girl probably didn''t realise what she was doing. Eventually, though he felt himself relax, and the enjoyed the feeling, hugging her tight as well. "I''ll be your friend little Ku-Ku don''t worry!" She whispered in his ear. Sha Ku''s eyebrow shot up, opening his eyes slightly. Ku-Ku, it''s been some time since he''s been called that. This caused Sha Ku''s heart to ache a little, with a small tear flowing from the corner of his eye, "Thank you, Lin May." "My friends just call me May." She giggled. "That you, May." Sha Ku smiled. They hugged for a while until finally, Sha Ku let go. He looked ragged and tired, but he was still happy. May shook her head seeing the boy. "Come on; we''re going to give you a bath."She smiled, getting the huge bucket of hot water down as if it were weightless. Sha Ku blushed a little, "I think that''s a bit inappropriate isn''t it?" he coughed a little. "Hmm, you shouldn''t be having thoughts like that at your age little Ku-Ku! You''re what eight?!" "Six." "Six! These thoughts haven''t gone in my head, and I''m already a woman!" "You don''t look eighteen¡­" "Ku-Ku! You don''t have to be eighteen to be a woman!" she stomped her feet slightly, as she poured the water into a large wooden bathtub around three-foot-high and with a two-foot diameter. "Err¡­ What¡­ I don''t want to know." Sha Ku''s face lit up bright red in shame, causing May to giggle a little. "Just for reference, I''m fifteen." She started to disrobe, taking off her gown jumping into the tub. Sha Ku was watching her tried to cover his eyes with his hands, but he couldn''t bear to catching a glimpse of the small of her back and buttock, as he lightly mumbled, "Inner peace¡­ Inner peace¡­ Inner peace." Trying not to let the dragon be roused. Sha Ku viewed himself as above mortal desires but seeing the beautiful girl unguarded in the bath took a hard toll on even his willpower. "Ku-Ku, you are getting in?" Sha Ku''s heart sunk, and butterflies started to stir in his stomach. "Ge-getting in¡­" He managed to stutter out, his lips and hands trembled. His mind screamed to him, "Don''t do it! You''ll end up like this girl; she''ll impact your Dao heart." But another voice was creeping up on him as well, "She''s so beautiful! Go for it, what''s the worst that could happen. I''m sure her Primordial Yin energy could be good for your cultivation." The voices in his head both made sense, Sha Ku was truly at war with his own heart, all the while he stood there trembling in front of May who found it rather funny. Soon after, Sha Ku could hear the movement of water and then dripping with wet slashes on the ground. He felt his ragged top being unbuttoned, and it being stripped from his chest. His trousers were taken off and even his underwear! He heard a little giggle, as a soft hand took his, and walked him over to the hot water, plopping him in. "There we go, silly boy. What was all that fuss about?" May laughed. May was fine dandy and happy, Sha Ku, on the other hand, was currently experiencing the biggest adrenaline rush he''s experienced since being reborn. Time felt like it was simultaneously slowing down and speeding up at it went further along, his whole body trembled and shook. "Are you okay little Ku-Ku?" May asked, her face blushed a little as she sat in the tub and her fatty flesh bobbed lightly above the water. "Err, I don''t think so?" Sha Ku somehow managed to reply, as every single cell in his body was tell-ing him to act, yet the tiniest slither of consciousness was screaming at him, "Don''t do it!" "What''s wrong?" May stood up, wading over too Sha Ku, hugging him. "Oh no." Sha Ku whispered, as a certain part of his boy started to rebel against him. Sha Ku''s face was softly smushed in between two perfect objects that that belonged to May''s chest. He kept gripping and ungripping his hands, and he dared not wrap them around her. This lasted until Sha Ku heard the words, "What''s that pressing up against my leg?" Sha Ku''s vision finally started to blur, and blood spurted out from his nose! His whole body went utterly lapse, going numb in May''s arms until he lost consciousness. 33 Disappointment and Improvement. As Sha Ku''s consciousness stirred, he awoke in a fresh set of clothes, black and grey were their colour, embraided with little stars. They reminded him of the night''s sky and all its mystery. A fire roared in the corner of the room, and he looked next to him Lin May was asleep huddled up in blankets in the giant bed. Seeing her figure, he sighed. His previous actions were beyond reprehensible and shameful. There was a reason for this though, two reasons in fact. First of all, the boundless Yang Energy that was in his first Qi river repressed his current Yin Energy, making him extremely lustful, stimulating hormones in his body that shouldn''t awaken until a few years later. Sha Ku was starting to notice that he''d even got quite a bit taller since having only the one Yang Qi river. He was now just under five foot. This both pleased and slightly annoyed him. First off, any being that had lived since time immemorial would be incredibly vain. Secondly, it annoyed him that he hadn''t created a Yin river yet. The second reason he acted in such a way is pure because of his body. In his former life, Sha Ku didn''t have half of the emotional complexity that humans had. The Heavenly Tear or Slayer Race were rather serine beings, finding it hard to shed even a single tear. All these repressed emotions started to clog Sha Ku''s perception¡­ "No wonder Monks devote their entire existences to meditation." Sha Ku shook his head, understanding their plight. Sha Ku sat up, sending his divine sense throughout the town until he reached An Tang. He was currently sitting in the carriage that had been parked in the middle of the town. In his arms was a rock shaped egg, which was jagged and a mix of red and grey all over. Sha Ku stroked his chin; he''d need to inspect the thing further before he could hatch it. He had no idea what lied in there. Jumping to his feet, he looked back at Lin May, sighing in regret. She was a sweet girl, the momentary lapse of judgment and let go of his self-control was unacceptable¡­ Taking a deep breath, he sat down opposite the fire, slowly inhaling and exhaling, falling into a state of both meditation and cultivation. Sha Ku stirred his bloodline, forcefully repressing the ferocious Yang Energy. Sha Ku searched until he came across the cold, life-sapping Yin Energy. He carefully remembered the placement of his Yin Energy, holding it in place. He looked inside his Dantian, "Time to construct the second river." He whispered to himself. Dutifully following the instructions of the mighty Yin-Yang divide, he started to burrow out a large river bed, until it grew wider and wider. In the outside world, the night sky started to grow brighter and brighter as the moon emerged from the clouds that engulfed it. When the luminescent orb in the sky broke out, it seemed to send a beaming light rushing down towards the ground, through the window and hitting Sha Ku''s figure! A smile emerged on Sha Ku''s stern face, "The sun is Yang, but the moon is Yin. They are divided yet not separated, in an eternal cycle retreating and chasing one another." The light from the moon belongs to the sun, yet it radiated Yin Energy. This had always puzzled Sha Ku, the planets rotated around a star, and the moon revolved around a planet. Not all planet''s stars had Yang Energy, but all moon''s had Yin. This is a division of Yin-Yang is it not? Sha Ku suddenly opened his eyes letting out a small chuckle, "Oh I am a fool. How couldn''t I notice it before." His head fell back a little, as he looked out to the moon. "Life, it is a mixture of Yin and Yang. The two core elements of the universe that create everything. How could I be such an idiot." He slapped his forehead. Focusing once again on his Dantian, the newly constructed Qi river started to fill with boundless Yin energy. The Yin energy started to become larger and larger, as Sha Ku pushed and guided the Yin energy from his bloodline into the river. Eventually, the Yin river started to flow in tandem with the Yang river. This wasn''t what caused Sha Ku''s face to light up though. As he inspected his Dantian, he found that the space between the two rivers had started to teem with energy, the likes of which he''d never encountered before. Grass started to grow in the space, massive trees emerged from the ground, spurring into the air. It was like a jungle, with one side being attributed to Yin, the other to Yang. The further you entered the jungle, the more the two attributes started to merge, spiralling around each other, into a union of Yin-Yang. At the moment this Yin-Yang spiral was formed, the feeling in Sha Ku''s heart that made it beat like thunder every time he saw her started to fade, like ash in the wind. Opening his eyes, that were now calm and serene, he smirked. His head was evident when he thought back to his earlier actions there was no longer darkness or regret in his heart, only analysis of the situation. He hopped up onto his feet, clenching both his fists as he made a stance, "The power within, it is calm and gentle. Perfectly balanced without end, yet if I chose to disturb the balance and stop the perfect twisting storm¡­" A smile emerged on his face, as he channelled Yin energy into his left hand, shoving it into the fireplace. If Lin May were awake, she''d probably scream at him for his madness, but then be slack-jawed from the shock. The fire intentionally tried to escape the Yin Energy! Even when contained, it dared not touch it! Sha Ku licked his lips, "Excellent." He then looked to the desk in the other corner of the room, he sat down, held the ink quill in his hand and wrote a note for the sleeping Lin May. When he was finished, he placed it next to the sleeping beauty and left through the front door, careful not to wake her. Outside in the cold of the night, he took a deep breath, "Now to go see that idiot about an egg." A youthful figure walked down the snow-covered streets, while whistling a tune. 34 The Mysterious Egg Sha Ku walked through the snow-covered streets, humming his tune, watching the winter wonderland with the full moon ruling in the skies. Seeing the sight, he felt a certain joy in his heart, knowing that this would probably be one of the last moments of peace and quiet he''d have for quite some time. He strolled past the abandoned market stalls, where all the products had vanished, cowering from the night along with their sellers. While walking Sha Ku could hear several gentle trudges in the snow. He knew exactly who they belonged too, they were the cultivators that had arrived with An Mo. They''d been following ever since he entered this two-bit town. He couldn''t help but chuckle, there were currently three following him to his count. One down an alleyway, while the other two were on the rooftops. Sha Ku casually ignored them, pretending like he never detected him in the first place. Continuing his journey to the middle of the town, he saw the old man An Tang, huddled tight next to the egg, with heavy fur blankets covering him. Even with the extra warmth, he looked like a man who would catch his death. Sha Ku couldn''t help but shake his head. He was a mortal man, being in such temperatures isn''t good for him. As Sha Ku stepped into the carriage, he immediately looked at the long string of spit that was hanging out of An Tang''s mouth. It had frozen! He looked like a walrus with only a single tusk! Sha Ku couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. He quickly changed his gaze though, it landed on the mysterious egg that the old man had managed to acquire. Picking it up in both hands he felt its scaly surface, it was jagged and hard, with a grey-red spiralling pattern. Sha Ku couldn''t help but stroke his chin, he''d never seen such a thing. His first thought that the creature inside must be reptilian in nature, dragons were famous for giving birth to scaly eggs with intricate patterns. He shook his head though; a dragon egg would radiate energy and would be extremely apparent to someone like Sha Ku. What other lizards provided such patterns though? Sometimes large snakes¡­ No. It wouldn''t be a snake''s egg, otherwise, the shell wouldn''t be as hard. Sha Ku was puzzled. It was obviously extremely old, as the outside of the shell had worn, interrupting some of the patterns. "Perhaps¡­ It couldn''t be?" Sha Ku whispered to himself, as he looked at the patterns. He quickly stood up, hopping outside the carriage, raising the egg high up into the air. Suddenly the egg started to hum a little, it was a high-pitched tune that sounded like a fair maiden''s singing. Sha Ku focused carefully, listening, eventually hearing words. "Upon the moon''s grace and the stars decent. When the bodies rise, all shall fall and weep. None shall escape, from the mother''s shriek." "The skies shall call to bring our kind to new halls, where we shall reside." Sha Ku suddenly shook, he knew this tune all too well. It was the cry of an Astral Beast! Astral Beasts were beasts that live in wilds of space, then descend to a lunar body to hatch their young. From birth, Astral Beasts were incredibly talented and would often create havoc wherever they laid their trail. Unlike demonic beasts, or holy beasts they''d wouldn''t have only incredibly powerful bodies, but souls as well! Sha Ku''s face lit up when he realised what it was. If he managed to obtain an Astral Beast, he could bind it to his will, allowing him to have another incredibly reliable servant! The only question is what kind of Astral Beast it was?! There were so many, not all of them could compare to even demonic beasts. But nonetheless, they would be incredibly valuable. The only problem was that Astral Beasts were incredibly hard to hatch, requiring a specific amount of energy absorbed from both the starts and moon. Sha Ku gently stroked his chin, "Hmm, I could lay down a formation. Allowing it to naturally gather energy. Even then it could take up to twenty years to come close to hatching." He sat down in disappointment. "Oh well, I can only try. I''ll put you in here for now. I''ll be able to draw up some formations at Initiate Soul realm, then you can absorb all you want!" He placed the egg into the spatial pouch that hung on his hip. Leaning back, with his hands behind his head he looked up to the sky, taking a deep breath and humming the Astral Beasts tune back, "Upon the moon''s grace and the stars decent. When the bodies rise, all shall fall and weep. None shall escape, from the mother''s shriek. The skies shall call, bring our kind to new halls, where we shall reside." As he continued to hum, he fell into the wonderland of dreams where everything and anything was possible, he smiled, seeing old faces that had long passed. He kept on dreaming until the morning''s sun fell upon his face, gifting him sunrise''s warmth. Opening his eyes and taking long yawn, he sighed, "Ahh, how I wish the dreams were true." In a dark hollowed out room, sat An Mo, in a circle full of candles. He was cross-legged, with a smile on his face, a servant knocked on the door, "Enter." An Mo said, as he expected some feedback. "What has the boy been up to number one?" An Mo asked, in his rumbling voice. "The boy seems to have met a Lin Clan girl, you know from the contingent that was sent out. He also had an overwhelming emotional reaction which caused him to beat his hands bloody on an alley wall sir." An Mo raised his sharp left eyebrow, "Not to worry Hall Master, there wasn''t any permanent damage. The majority of it has seemed to already heal." "Good. I don''t want a cripple, the fact that he''s already healed is a testament to his Yin-Yang blood-line. I feel the boy will perhaps become the next head of our Demonic Sword Hall." An Mo said with some confidence. "Sir?!" Number One looked at his master with astonished eyes. "Do you think I''d come to this place for less than magnificence? Ba! I stopped my breakthrough so that I could inspect the boy. He managed to pick up the Nine Imperium Swords with ease. That is beyond natural talent. With him at my side I may even stand a chance of becoming master of the sect." A devious smile crowned An Mo''s face, as he looked at the candles on the side. "As you know, after our recent and foolish conflict with the Hell Song Sect, our Sect Master was heavily injured and isn''t longed for this world. The other hall masters are preparing for this battle, Righteous Hall, Vanquishing Hall and the bloody behemoth Element Hall. They have legions of talented disciples that could storm my Demonic Sword Hall in a night, I need this boy and I need him now." An Mo slammed the ground in fury, causing the candles to extinguish. *** Authors thoughts: I''m back, better than Bache... wow that''s pretentious as F***. Anyway, I know I''ve been away for a long time. No excuses on my part, I like to run away from responsibility. I''m ''real like'' Yang Fu in that way, always missing the epic battle scenes. I''m aiming to come back slowly. Three chapters a week for the first week, then back to 6+ per week (I don''t think I''ll produce quality pieces of work if its more than that, or do you want them like the first few chapters of GSC? HA!), so come along for the ride. 35 The Meeting As the morning sun hung peered through the sky, Sha Ku warmed An Tang with his Yang Energy, his body warmed causing his frozen tusks to turn back to spit. Sha Ku stuck his tongue out, feeling sick at the sight. Poking the old man several times, until he finally awoke. "Ugh, young master?! Young master, you''re alive! I searched everywhere for you! How could you run off like that, this humble Tang almost had a heart attack, I''m far too old for these petty tricks." The old man blurted out all at once. Raising his hand Sha Ku shook his head, with a crease formed from disappointment in his brow. "Tang, you fool. What have I told you?" he growled a little to intimidate him. "Sorry, young Ku, it won''t happen again!" he shuddered, thinking back to his torture by the hands of this young man, after not obeying his will. "Come, we need to get to the Night''s End Inn, I doubt your brother would be forgiving as me. One doesn''t ascend to a realm as high as his by being forgiving." Sha Ku shook his head tutting. "You know big brother Mo''s realm?" An Tang''s mouth dropped open and hung there as he looked like a fool. "I know what it isn''t." Sha Ku chuckled in response as they started walking through the streets. "What it isn''t?" An Tang looked confused, as he held his back, limping in pain from the terrible night''s sleep. Sha Ku had a smirk on his face but kept silent. He knew exactly how powerful this An Mo was not and that''s purely because he wasn''t able to use his divine sense to locate him! What significance did this have? Well, at the very least it meant that he was about to break into the Dao Realm! Sha Ku couldn''t help but sigh, he truly underestimated the peoples of this world. When one entered the coloured star realm, they''d attempt to grow as much as possible, then extinguish it. After it had been extinguished, one would naturally start to excavate it, into a Star Palace. A Star Palace would have different qualities depending on how it was made and what the quality of the original Coloured Star was! After one had excavated the Star Palace into nine layers, they''d begin the process of inscribing the understandings of their Dao onto the walls. After one had done this sufficiently, they''d implode their Star Palace, shattering it completely. From the ruin this causes a small seed in their Dantian to be produced, this seed was a Dao Seed. This Dao Seed would be created when one entered the Dao Transformation Realm. It wouldn''t last long as a seed though, as a practitioner''s understanding of the Dao increased, eventually this little seed would form a tree. As this tree grew and grew, it was called the Dao Establishment Realm. When one''s insight and understanding of the Dao increased the tree would grow, depending on their understanding of the laws. Eventually, the tree would grow to the point it would bear fruit. This fruit would then be plucked, consumed by a cultivator, creating a Dao Domain! This was a fascinating and extremely dangerous part of cultivation, as once a Dao Fruit matures several things could happen. The Fruit could be stolen and consumed by another cultivator, allowing their insights into Dao Laws to increase exponentially. One could steal the seed, and plant it in the physical world, forming a world tree. Many old monsters would do this when they''re at their final breaths of life. This is because when a world tree is planted, any cultivator that meditates under it will naturally have their insights into Dao Laws increase much faster! Sha Ku knew that An Mo must be about to step into the Dao stages of cultivation, or might already be there! If he was to take such a man as his master, it would obviously increase his prowess and opportunities exponentially! Sha Ku and An Tang continued to walk in silence for around twenty minutes, while they drew ever closer to the Night''s End Inn. Eventually, they saw it. It was a small place, made of dark wood. It had mildew growing on some parts, and it started to smell. "Your brother wanted to meet here?" Sha Ku turned to An Tang, wondering why a powerhouse would meet in such a discussing place. Before he could answer, the door creaked open, and a shadowy figure stood in the doorway, "The young Sha Ku and Old Tang¡­ The master has been expecting you." He turned around and beckoned them to follow. As he disappeared into the shadowy room. Sha Ku felt a slight tingling down his spine, as he walked through the door, not hesitating to follow. With each footstep he took the floor creaked a little, causing him to wince and grit his teeth, "So¡­ err¡­ I never caught your name yet." The hooded man turned around, his eyes resembling a viper''s, "Master calls me Number One. If it so pleases young Ku, please call me Servant One." He spat out quickly, as he turned right up a dimly lit flight of stairs. With each step Sha Ku took he still heard the infernal squeaking and creaking of the floorboards, "I bet nobody can sneak up on you with these about the place." Sha Ku tried to joke. "Even if there wasn''t, they couldn''t." Servant One replied. "Right¡­" Sha Ku nodded, finding Servant One incredibly uncomfortable to be around. "Strange." Servant One stated. "What''s strange?" Sha Ku raised his eyebrow. "Most Qi River martial artists can''t stand to be in my presence, yet you seem to be unaffected." "Oh, I''m sure if you were a tad friendlier, they wouldn''t mind so much, try smiling more." Sha Ku rubbed his nose, playing innocent. "That''s not what I meant." Servant One stated while Sha Ku rolled his eyes, obviously knowing what he had meant. After walking up two flights of stairs, the two of them came to a stop, while An Tang was nowhere to be seen. "Where''d Caretaker Tang go?" Sha Ku questioned, while they approached a large doorway, with light flickering and creeping through the doorframe. "Do not worry about the Exile, he''ll be dealt with appropriately." Servant One said, in a cold voice. Sha Ku couldn''t help but shake his head. He knew what that meant¡­ all that effort went into refining that soul seal, wasted. Unable to do a thing about it, he sighed, vowing in his heart that he wouldn''t soul seal anyone without greater potential again. Knock. Knock. Knock. Servant One lightly tapped the back of his knuckles against the door thrice, waiting for a response. "Only the boy." The deep voice rumbled throughout the hallway, as Servant One took a bow, leaving the door for Sha Ku. Sha Ku smiled, nervously. This was all very ominous, but nonetheless, he continued. He walked up towards the pitch-black door, which seemed rotten to the touch, pushing it open gently, it swung creaking. In the middle of a small room sat a man, surrounded by candles. His eyes were like the night sky but robbed of all the stars, void of anything, dark and cruel. His face was wide, and he had a long beard. His hair was thick and wavy, but grey, just like his beard. His eyebrows were sharp and clean and when he smiled his teeth were pearly white but jagged like daggers. "Greetings Youngling." His cold voice shook Sha Ku to his bones. 36 The Master of Demonic Hall Grants a Mission Sha Ku swallowed his natural fear of the man, shaking ever so slightly as he walked through the threshold into the room. Bang! Sha Ku''s heart felt like hit jumped out of his chest as the door slammed behind him. He put his hand on his chest and felt fear ripple throughout his body. Sha Ku steadied his breathing, trying to calm himself. This An Mo had an incredibly oppressive aura around him, causing terror in those that encountered it, much in the same way an old monk may grant hope and serenity when in your presence. An Mo''s voice cackled a little, "Impressive. The first disciple I ever took fainted when he met me in person, and I wasn''t half as strong then as I am now." Sha Ku clasped his hands together, taking a deep bow, "Thank you, Lord Mo." An Mo burst out laughing, "Lord Mo? Ha! I like it. Unfortunately, I am no lord. Refer to me as Hall Master." "Of course, apologies Hall Master Mo." Sha Ku said immediately. "Do you know why I asked that trash of mine to bring you here?" Hall Master Mo asked, while staring at him intensely. "I don''t know Hall Master." Sha Ku said while still bowing. "Good. Now sit." Hall Master Mo gestured with his hand, "Now that you''re comfortable, we may begin." "Begin?" Sha Ku questioned. "Yes, begin. That trash told me several impressive things about you, so I''ve set up a test for you. You know the current ruler of Greenmont?" "I''ve heard he''s a man called Zane?" Answered Sha Ku. "Yes¡­ Zane. A disgusting name for a disgusting man. He''s actually here under false pretences, he''s actually a trash disciple of the Hell Song Sect who ran away after his father a late elder was slain. I''m giving you this task, Zane is an affront to me and the Spirit Sword Sect, that has battled with the Hell Song Sect for so long." "It is your task to slay this man, don''t let a trace of him exist. I''ve heard you''ve mastered the first few Swords of the Imperium. An incredibly easy, but insurmountably difficult technique to learn. This task shouldn''t be a problem for you. Now go, prove yourself and I''ll name you a member of my Demonic Peak!" Hall Master Mo slammed his fist onto the ground and roared with pride, shaking the building, and even causing Sha Ku to be a little inspired by his words. Sha Ku immediately jumped to his feet, taking a bow, "Yes Hall Master, I''ll go immediately." He walked out of the room, opening the black rotted door and closing it again, making his way down the stairs and out into the streets. Once in a crowd of people Sha Ku couldn''t help but take a deep breath, that man, although his aura is oppressive and cruel, his words could inspire a heart even as detached as Sha Ku''s! Back in the room lit up by candles, Servant One was kneeling in front of Hall Master Mo, "Master, what do you think of the boy?" An Mo scratched his chin, "He''s obviously hiding something, many people can''t tolerate my presence for too long. The rear mortal might die of fright when around me for too long. The boy''s either very brave or stupid, his soul has already started to form as well." Servant One raised his head in shock, "His soul is at the Initiate Stage? How?!" he gasped. "No, its still at the primitive stage, but he''s close. Not only that but I believe he''s in possession of an incredible cultivation technique." "What?!" Servant One was shocked again, he didn''t have the insight and vision his master had. "Yes, I inspected his cultivation. He appears to have a perfect balance of Yin-Yang between two of his Qi rivers. He could break through to the Sea Stage any time he wanted, but I feel there''s more to it that though¡­ Make sure to protect him, he''s young and might make a stupid mistake, I don''t want a diamond in the ruff to be snuffed out before he has time to shine in the starry sky." Servant One took a bow, "Of course, Master." Sha Ku made his way through the busy marketplace, after offering a certain merchant a golden coin for the location of this, ''Zane''s'' abode. It was only midday, and Sha Ku was thinking about how he should deal with the situation. He had several options in front of him. The first is to burst in with shock and awe, cutting down any that may intrude on his path. This was a bad idea in Sha Ku''s head, as he didn''t want to appear as someone who was just a great brute, swinging his sword without a through going through his head. No, he was always someone that was thinking in a strategic manner. He decided it was best if he''d sneak in at night, using his Shadowless Steps, hopefully cutting the gullet of this Zane without mercy. Of course, he could always reassess his strategy when he arrived, depending on the type of home he had and what forces he had garrisoned there. Sha Ku continued his quick march for about twenty minutes. Eventually, he arrived at a large manor house at the end of an inexplicably clean road, there were two guardsmen every ten feet all the way down the road, totalling in a hundred pairs. Sha Ku stroked his chin, "They''re all mortals, just mortals armed to the teeth, but they are indeed killable¡­ But I won''t sew any good Karma by going on an endless rampage." Suddenly a gleam could be seen in Sha Ku''s eyes. He slowly walked up to one of the guards, wearing the starry robes provided by the Lin girl. He looked like he had an inexhaustible pride, that could only be matched by another of his status. "You there, is this the dwelling of brother Zane?" The first two guards looked at each other frowning, "What do you want Kid, our master is a busy person¡­" "Silence!" Sha Ku interrupted, "Do I look like some kid to you? You do realise I''ve come here on the order to bring brother Zane home?! Do you want to incur my wrath, I guarantee I''m nowhere near as nice as Zaney!" Sha Ku yelled, spit flying from his mouth. The guardsman stuttered, oppressed by the heavy aura Sha Ku was giving off, "B¡­b¡­brother you said?" Sha Ku nodded his head with a smile, while the two guards looked at each other, and the one shaking in his boots led him down the road to the gate. The front gate was black and had dark spikes adorning it, with rotten human skulls upon it. Five in total. Two adults, three children. Sha Ku looked up at the heads, then towards the guardsman''s face, which was slightly pale, "The old city lord?" "Y¡­ Yes." The man said, gulping like he was trying to keep his breakfast down. Sha Ku nodded, grabbing the man''s wrist, holding it firm with his index finger and thumb, "Not too bad. You won''t ever accomplish anything without proper challenges though. Have you ever seen a cultivation technique?" The guardsman shook his head while trying not to peer at the corpseless heads on the walls. "What''s your name?" "Lie Jun." "Lie Jun, as in¡­" "Yes, young lord." "Ha!" Sha Ku burst out laughing, the man''s name was indeed arrogant. "What made your parents choose such an arrogant name honestly ¨C Thunder Sovereign!" Sha Ku was still laughing, double bent, he found the whole situation hilarious. "My father named me after the great ancestor of our family, who supposedly sat upon a hilltop, cultivating one day, until out of the blue he was struck with Tyrannical Retribution Lighting, ascending to the heavens¡­" Sha Ku stopped his laughing almost immediately. There''s no way a mortal from a realm such as this should know of something such as Tyrannical Retribution Lightning! Tyrannical Retribution Lightning was a form of Divine Tribulation, that struck a cultivator at certain cultivation boundaries! Tyrannical Retribution Lightning was the Lightning from the final tribulation before becoming a grand immortal! If a mortal was struck with this! Heavens knows what would happen?! Many True Immortals would explode into a thousand pieces when they tried to ascend, let alone a mortal! Sha Ku scratched his head; how would it be possible? Perhaps one with a strong enough will could re-forge themselves from the ashes? Perhaps the Tyrannical Retribution Lightning could change the body of mortals and this discovery wasn''t something anybody had ever caught onto before¡­ If so, this was probably the biggest level skip in the history of cultivation! But another though prevailed, it was that in fact that it probably wasn''t Tyrannical Retribution Lightning at all, but instead the soul of some peerless dying cultivator that possessed the original Lie Jun! "If only I could do such a thing!" Lie Jun whispered. Sha Ku looked at him, eyebrows raised like he was looking at a madman. "You''re saying you believe that if you were to encounter Tyrannical Retribution Lightning, like your ancestor you''d be able to¡­ ascend, well live?" Sha Ku''s jaw was practically hanging off his chin. He could only shake his head, slapping his middle and forefinger against Lie Jun''s forehead. "Follow those instruction, although you won''t be able to attract Tyrannical Retribution Lightning, you''ll be able to cause the weakest Divine Tribulation to appear." Sha Ku shook his head, rubbing his forehead as he entered through the gate, feeling slightly guilty that he''d just sentence a man to death¡­ but if one chooses their own path, who is he to disagree? Sha Ku entered the outer courtyard and then knocked on the large yellow door, whilst faintly star-ing back at five heads mounted upon the door. A man in a white uniform answered the door, with a large moustache and a grin on his face, "Greetings young one, why are you here?" Sha Ku frowned, was he going to have to act all over again? He sighed, reciting the tale with the same pompous attitude that he had done before. The man who was a butler immediately let him in, showing him around the place. Currently, his master was in the study, reading an old scroll. The butler led him up to the study, knocking at the door, going in alone. After ten minutes the butler came out, requesting Sha Ku to enter. Sha Ku obliged, entering the study. While the study was large it wasn''t anything to particularly glare at or envy, although it was rather nice.Tapestries, with silver swans on a background of green, hung across the room, obviously, it hadn''t been redecorated since the previous owners had been so cruelly removed. There was a young man, who couldn''t be older than twenty-three sitting at the desk, his head in his hands, rubbing his face in frustration. On the table, there was a large map, on the map it had the title Heaven''s Enigma, with large ''X'' marking a spot in next to a wide river, that conjoined with a mountain range. Looking at the word Heaven''s Enigma it was like a small electric shock stemmed through the tips of Sha Ku''s fingers making him feel on edge. "Strange. I''ll have to take this map with me when I leave." Sha Ku mumbled to himself. The blue haired Zane didn''t notice Sha Ku enter, he was practically tearing his hair out in frustration, "Dammit all!I''ve finally discovered where this fucking place is, yet the entry requirements are just too harsh! To enter before the age of twenty and be at the Coloured Star Realm! What fools! Fools!" Zane started to scream over and over again as bunched up pieces of hair was in his hands. Coughing to gain some attention Sha Ku looked straight at Zane. Moving his head up to look at Sha Ku, Zane was obviously shaken. Immediately he reached for the Sabre at his belt, drawing it, shaking all the while. Pointing it directly at Sha Ku he mumbled out, "Who, who are you? Why have you come here?!" "You''re Zane if I''m not incorrect?" "Yes, of course, I''m Zane! You in my house are you not? Speak, what is your name? Tell me now¡­ or¡­ or I''ll kill you where you stand." Zane stammered out. Sha Ku smiled, stroking the hilt of the sword strapped to his belt, "You''re not what I expected, Zane. Your father was an Elder of our Sect. Well respected and even in our ruthless hellish song, he could always be seen acting in a way that would only advance the sect. But now, you, his only son has taken a secret like that the Heaven''s Enigma for yourself¡­ I can''t help but be disappointed, Zane." Sha Ku tutted with a smirk on his face. "What do you know! My father''s loyalty killed him? And how did they reward him?! They threw his only son out of the sect! Even if I die, I won''t reveal the secrets of the Enigma!" Zane bellowed out, spit flew like a flock of birds. "Streaming Sabre!!!" Zane slashed out with his sabre continuously, raining strike after strike upon and around Sha Ku. "Shadowless Step." Sha Ku whispered as a flurry of sabres was just about to hit him. Swoosh! "I think you missed." Sha Ku rested his hand on sword hilt while laughing a little. With a sharp flash, he drew it from its sheath while shouting the words, "Imperium''s First Sword ¨C Slave''s Slash!" As the three feet long sword came out from his sheath it whistled across the air, cutting Zane''s head from his shoulders. With a bang and a squelch, the decapitated head fell to the floor. The headless body collapsed to the floor while squirting everywhere like a geyser, dying the room red with blood. Sha Ku looked down at his robes and frowned. This Zane''s blood had completely coated him, the former beautiful robes that May Lin had provided had become red and wretched. Sha Ku gritted his teeth in anger, these were a gift from his first friend, not to mention how he de-tested mess and dirt! Stomping over to Zane''s head he started to brutally and repeatedly stamp down upon the skull until only a small pile of bone filled mush remained. "Damn idiot. You really aren''t worth¡­ anything!" Sha Ku growled. "Deep breaths." Taking a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Bringing himself back in the moment Sha Ku walked over, placing the map on the table in his spatial ring after sheathing his sword. Taking a look at the headless chicken''s corpse Sha Ku frowned, noticing a small ring on Zane''s un-feathered finger. Carefully removing the ring and wiping the blood off, using Zane''s clothes he inspected it closer. The ring was made of a golden material that shone brightly, almost blinding to Sha Ku''s eyes. On the top of the ring was a purple two-headed lion, roaring proudly with feathered wings. "Interesting. A two-headed lion, it must be the 9 Flame Purple Lion, there shouldn''t be such a creature within the lower realms." Sha Ku mumbled to himself. "You''re right there kid." A heavy voice suddenly sounded in his mind as he slid the ring on his finge 37 The Two-Headed Lion, the Maiden and The Hall Master Sha Ku''s blood-covered face frowned, as the crimson dripped off his face. A voice had come from this ring. Multiple possibilities popped up in his head, wondering what the cause of it could be. "Kid, are you listening to me? I can make you -" Before the heavy voice inside the ring could finish Sha Ku interrupted him, "Quiet. Are you a spirit artifact or have you latched onto the ring?" "Little Bastard, what are you saying?" The voice roared as Sha Ku touched upon its weak point. "An expert afraid of death, latching onto the ring then¡­. tut tut tut." Sha Ku let out in succession. "Let me guess, seeing as you''re hiding in a ring that seems to be made out of a near-divine material I''d say you''re at least a false immortal, perhaps you''ve even attained true immortality. Unfortunately for you, you seem to have cultivated Qi instead of your soul, meaning that you had to cling to an object to survive." Sha Ku mumbled, not letting the ring''s voice interfere with his analysis. "So, false immortal, a nine-flame lion. I''m going to say you''re probably from a divine flame sect or at least a sect that worships some sort of flame deity. Am I correct?" Sha Ku stated nonchalantly while seeming slightly smug on the outside. "Who¡­ who are you?" The ring''s voice stuttered as it entered Sha Ku''s mind. "My name is Sha Ku; you may address me however you wish. I don''t particularly mind." Sha Ku started to undress his clothes, neatly folding them and placing them in his interspatial ring, while taking out another set which was clean and fresh. "Sha Ku¡­ Sha Ku. I do not know this name. I was known as Yan Huang of the Nine Flame Sect. You''re a reincarnator, aren''t you?" The voice from the ring became polite and respectful towards Sha Ku as it spoke. "Yan Huang, yellow flame. Appropriate. The Nine Flame Sect, I''m afraid I never heard of such a place before my previous death. I have a few questions Yan Huang, would you be willing to answer them?" "Of course, Sha Ku, it would be my pleasure to share my knowledge with someone as esteemed as you." Yan Huang almost grovelled, seeing this as a prime opportunity to escape the cursed ring that he was trapped within. A smile grew on Sha Ku''s calm face, "I have three questions. First, how did you end up in the hands of that¡­ Zane?" "Oh, the young boy? That''s easy; his father left me to him before he went and got himself killed." Yan Huang quickly and eagerly answered. "How are you related the ''Heaven''s Enigma''" Sha Ku finished putting his new robes on, as he quickly ducked out of one of the study''s large windows. "The Heaven''s Enigma? Cough. Yes, well... The Heaven''s Enigma is a vault left behind by my Nine Flame Sect."The ring responded. As Sha Ku heard these words, a greedy look appeared in his eyes. A vault left behind from a sect that possessed a False Immortal would be incredibly valuable, possibly containing treasures that could help him and the Yang Clan rise to absolute prominence. "Finally, what''s inside the Vault?" Sha Ku''s words were sharp as he dashed in and out of the shrubbery, stealthily leaving the estate which was guarded to the teeth. "Inside the vault?" Yan Huang almost gulped. "Yes inside." "Well, I''m not entirely sure." Yan Huang almost laughed nervously. "You''re not sure? I''m going to need a tad of exposition."Sha Ku said, scrambling over the wall of the Greenmont estate and landing on the other side which was a narrow street leading back to the centre of the town. "Exposition? Of course. Yes. Inside you see, it slightly embarrassing. The Heaven''s Enigma Vault wasn''t originally owned by my Nine Flame Sect but was instead something captured by me in some ancient ruins. I, of course, being the noble cultivator I am didn''t keep it for myself, but shared it with the sect. For such a meritorious deed I was voted to be the head of the sect by the elders." Yan Huang said like a brave and valiant knight that had done a noble deed. "You couldn''t open it yourself, could you?" Sha Ku scoffed. Yan Huang gave a slight harrumph to Sha Ku''s words but didn''t deny them, "Even the Ancestor could only open the first layer of the vault, he fled with it as well. Down to this crappy sub-realm. He abandoned me though and the rest of the sect. How could I allow him to get away with such a dreadful act? The coward!" Sha Ku''s heart tightened, his previous opinion of Yan Huang had changed. Initially, he thought this man was a coward, but instead, he followed a traitor to a sub-realm, even going so far as to seal himself away in a ring! "Would your ancestor go by the name Feng?" The name struck Yan Huang like lightning bolts raining down from the sky! "Feng! Yes! His name is Feng Qiang!" Yan Huang shouted quickly. "It''s as I thought, the ruler of the Heaven''s Might Kingdom is, in fact, a fallen immortal." Sha Ku cunningly stroked his chin, thinking up a few extremely convoluted ideas that could help him in the future. Sha Ku spent another two hours talking while taking a gentle stroll around the town, slowly making his way back to Hall Master Mo. In the middle of the bustling afternoon markets, while the sun hung high in the sky, a girl''s voice could be heard calling, "Little Ku-Ku!" The voice was familiar to Sha Ku of course; it was Lin May! Turning on his heel to greet the girl he mumbled to himself, thinking how lucky it was he''d changed before leaving the Greenmont mansion. "Little Ku-Ku, you were gone once I woke up! Why did you leave me such a weird note as well? ''I''ll see you again when the sun hangs above the world; then we''ll be free to seek the world in any way we see fit?''" Lin May frowned, not knowing that the sun meant the Yang Clan. Cough! Sha Ku cleared his throat while looking Lin May straight in the eyes, "You must forgive me Lin May, I have a flair for the dramatic and have recently received some news that I''ve been accepted into a Sect from the Central Plains." Lin May''s lips made an ''O'' shape, nodding her head. "Which Sect?" she asked curiously. "That would be the Spirit Sword Sect." Lin May gasped a little at his reply, how could she not know of the Spirit Sword Sect?! "You''re joining the Spirit Sword Sect? That''s incredible! You do know they''re one of the most powerful players in the Central Plains! The old leaders of the Spirit Sword Sect once reigned supreme, only bowing to the ancestor of the Imperial Clan!" Lin May continued in her dramatic tone, awestruck by Sha Ku''s good fortune. "In recent times though, the Spirit Sword Sect seems to have fallen into ill repute. After several lengthy wars with many different factions all their old leaders have either died, or gone into seclusion, never emerging again."A hint of sadness could be heard in Lin May''s voice. Sha Ku stood there for little over half an hour, listening to Lin May''s stories, she was practically an encyclopaedia full of knowledge. After so long Sha Ku had to stop her, even he was starting to get anxious about making the hall master wait. Gently taking Lin May''s hands, he spoke, "Big Sis Lin, I have to get back. I want to make a good impression on my new master. I''ll try to contact you when I get the first available opportunity." Lin May looked at her hands and smiled, telling Sha Ku that if he didn''t, she''d go to the Spirit Sword Sect and embarrass him the first chance she got. Sha Ku gave a smile laugh in response, saying his goodbyes and walking off to the Night''s End Inn. *** Inside An Mo''s room, Sha Ku sat cross-legged, opposite the sinister looking An Mo. They''d been talking about the situation inside Zane''s stronghold for a while now and about how all the guards had started to loot the manor house. Sha Ku explained how he had found a signet ring on Zane''s body and how it had spoken to him. This could be viewed as both idiotic and ingenious at the same time from an observer. On one had it would gain the Hall Master''s trust, yet if that Yun Huang spilt the beans about him being a reincatinator he''d be in a hole so deep they could bury him and the Yang Clan with him. An Mo was extremely intrigued by the signet ring but smiled when he investigated it, "The spirit in this ring doesn''t want to communicate with me. I feel it has chosen you. Congratulations." The hall master handed over the purple signet ring, placing it in Sha Ku''s palm. "I have to congratulate you, Sha Ku, you''re very talented, especially for a youngster. But, never think you can deceive me. Understand? Otherwise, that girl will be beheaded quicker say her name. Not to mention your supposed adoptive family." A devious smile emerged on An Mo''s face; his voice held killing intent that pressed down on Sha Ku''s body, making him feel like he was a child, alone and afraid. "Yes! Yes, Hall Master!" Sha Ku blurted out, as he felt like his bones were being crushed to oblivion. "Good. I will forgive you, this one time. You are no longer Yang Chi, but instead Sha Ku, a disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect!" An Mo''s voice eased up, as Sha Ku''s face looked distraught. Like the fool he was, he stood up, bowing three times to his new master. "Good. Now, there are a few things you must know." An Mo''s sinister voice emerged, unable to hold back the morbid tone. 38 The Spirit Sword Sect Situation "Good. Now, there are a few things you must know." An Mo''s sinister voice emerged, unable to hold back the morbid tone. "This concerns the Spirit Sword Sect and our current predicaments." An Mo gestured for Sha Ku to sit back down. "Predicaments, Hall Master?" "Yes, you might remember that I previously mentioned a certain sect that we foolishly went to war with?" Sha Ku remembered their name of course ¨C The Hellsong Sect. Zane''s father had been an Elder at the Sect before being destroyed under the swords of the Spirit Sword Sect. Seeing Sha Ku nodding, he closed his eyes, welling in his anger. "The Hellsong Sect was only the most recent of our foolish conquests and wars. Since my youth entering the sect, we''ve been in no less than four wars, coming into conflict with tens of sects!" An Mo growled in anger, clenching his fists and puffing hot air out of his nose. "The current head of the sect is from Righteous Peak; he feels it was his duty to hunt down and kill any devil cultivators. The fool, he even started to suppress the Demonic Peak for its practices as we walk a fine line between devil and demonic cultivation, especially with our demonic arts. "Worst of all, Sect Master Jaihao Zhao, was unable to merge with¡­" An Mo suddenly shut his mouth, worried he was getting ahead of himself and revealing his sect''s secrets he stopped himself. "Anyway, you don''t have to worry about that. You focus on cultivating and don''t let yourself slack. Would you like me to give the basic layout of the sect, or would you like to discover it for yourself once you arrive?" An Mo asked, wondering what Sha Ku''s answer would be. Cupping his hands, Sha Ku did indeed wonder what kind of place the Spirit Sword Sect was. "Good. As I''ve told you previously, the Spirit Sword Sect is divided into four primary factions. Righteous Hall, Vanquishing Hall, Elemental Hall and Demonic Hall. Although there are some differences in strength, currently my Demonic Hall is ranked bottom due to the constant infighting and flux of population." "There are different talents, and responsibilities disciples of each peak are given. For example, there is something called contribution points. One may buy different techniques and advice from teachers if you amass enough contribution points, but one must be careful. Contribution points can easily be deducted, and if your balance goes negative for more than three months you''ll be banished to the Outlands!" An Mo''s voice contained a pinch of fear when he mentioned the Outlands as if he''d had an in-depth experience. Sha Ku''s face went a little pale, yet was excited, nonetheless. In his previous life, let alone the Spir-it Sword Sect, even the Forgotten Valley couldn''t receive a cataclysmic wave of his hand. Now he''d be forced to do endless tasks, cultivating and having a tough time amongst his peers and these outlands didn''t sound like a walk in the park¡­ "Anyway, that''s all I''m telling you right now. Its time to journey back home. It''s not too long of a journey, only three months. It''ll give you a chance to see the countryside."An Mo made a little whistle that was extremely quiet, not after long a giant flapping in the air could be heard, like thunder with each movement of its wings a giant crow squawked in the skies. An Mo immediately stood up, cracking his ankles and knees, then stretching his spine a little he whispered, "Mind your head." Boom! Rotten wood and old brick flew everywhere, flying through the air like rain pouring down. Smoke and dust filled the air, while Sha Ku coughed hard, trying not to breathe in the air. Looking up at An Mo standing there in a wide-legged stance, with his fist hanging in the air. He smiled looking up at the giant crow with a wingspan at least eight meters long. Turning his head back to Sha Ku who was coughing and a had blood pouring out of a cut on his cheek he shrugged, "Kid, I told you. Mind your head." An Mo then yelled, "It''s time to move out!" Suddenly Servant One and another man wearing the same attire appeared, both of them leapt up into the air, clinging onto the feathers of the giant crow, scaling it and climbing onto its back. "Come on Kid, its time to get moving." Grasping the scruff of Sha Ku''s robes, he leapt up into the sky, mounting the giant crow as it soared into the sky, tossing Sha Ku into the hand of Servant One who caught him, An Mo sat atop the crows head, cross-legged and in meditation. Sha Ku was breathing quickly, with everything in his body clenched in fear. If he was to fall from this height, he''d be killed and immediately. As he looked back at Greenmont, the crow zoomed away at colossal speed, causing a wind pressure that would have surely knocked him off if it wasn''t for Servant One holding him in his arms. Although Greenmont grew smaller and smaller he had sharp eyes; he could see the pandemonium currently ensuing. Half the town was covered in blood, and the other half was in a bed of flames! Men and women were running about the town massacring each other like swine! "What''s¡­ what''s happening." Sha Ku muttered. "Masters exit probably caused collateral and killed a few people. The rest? I don''t know. They seem to be rioting, after being oppressed by that Zane for so long they are a fuse ready to be lit, supposedly this is the moment." Servant One said while looking at the town of orange and red. Soon after the small town vanished from sight, and apart from the harsh ''whooshing'' of air the back of the giant crow was utterly silent. The silence lasted for a few hours until finally, An Mo spoke. "Two, did you locate what I told you to?" "Yes, master!" The second man in dark robes with a covered face finally spoke. "Good, give it to the boy. It''s a gift for him after all." Servant Two immediately handed over an old scroll to Sha Ku, who was still wrapped in Servant One''s arms. Taking the scroll and unfurling it he scanned the contents, ''Heavenly Demon Soul'' was the title, which sent ripples throughout Sha Ku''s body. The words in the scroll were old and faded, yet they were ancient and profound, nonetheless. "Kid, your soul is strange. It''s already entered the primitive stages, which only Coloured Star Cultivators can achieve. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say you were a descendant of an ancient race to have such a soul and aren''t even human." "This has led me to believe that you are a variant, and so you are both blessed and cursed by the heavens. Cultivate your soul with this technique, and you''ll become extremely powerful. No matter what though, keep it a secret. Even I cannot protect you if you''re caught with this technique. It''s directly from one of the founding fathers of the Spirit Sword Sect, Kewang Yun." An Mo said with a little bit of wanderlust oozing from voice. Sha Ku took his eyes off of the Scroll, turning immediately towards An Mo, "Did you just say Kewang?" his voice stuttered a little, thinking back to the old man who had attended his birthday feast. "Yes, Kewang, Kewang Yun." Replied An Mo. "Have you ever heard of a person called Kewang Tian?" An Mo turned his head, raising his brow. "Kewang Tian? Never. Enough question, concentrate." An Mo resumed his meditation, frustrated. That name was niggling at the back of his mind. 39 Demonic Peak Time passed quickly as the four men sat upon the back of the colossal crow, and the flapping of its mighty wings became like a rhythmic drumbeat to pass the time. They flew a vast distance indeed, over great lakes that were tens of meters wide. Across great chasms that burrowed deep and across a mighty mountain range that divided the central plains and the Kingdom of Zi. As Sha Ku flew further and further south, he found that the weather had become far warmer and the sun even seemed brighter. Eventually, they even flew across an inland sea the size of a country itself! Just like this, three months passed, seeing wonder after wonder, not stopping once. The group didn''t need to eat, sleep or defecate. Qi Core practitioners and above can go years without eating, feeding off the Spiritual Energy of the Universe. Sha Ku, on the other hand, was getting a continuous supply of this energy through servant one and two who were taking turns intermittent-ly, injecting it into his body. Sha Ku wasn''t bothered by this though, instead, he was deeply immersed in the ''Heavenly Demon Soul'' scroll. It was profound, the likes of which he''d never encountered before. If he were to grade it, it''d be even higher than his techniques, making him wonder two questions: Who wrote such a thing? And how did it get to a lower world? Too many things were suspicious about this place, the myriad of things that were out of place for a lower plane couldn''t help but raise Sha Ku''s inquiries. Unfortunately for him, he lacked the power to investigate these thoughts¡­ "In time thought." He whispered to himself. As he was continuing to think further, he was suddenly given a sharp wakeup call, the piercing cry of the giant crow awoke him, they''d arrived! In the distance, growing increasingly larger was a mountain range, surrounded by a hilly region, littered with all sorts of wildlife. This mountain range was spectacular to behold, in total five peaks were stretching into the sky, each large enough to hold ten of the Yang Clan mountains! "Here we are, the Spirit Sword Sect!" An Mo''s grievous voice lightened, filled with delight. "The five mountains, these have been our home for millennia, training, flighting, living¡­" An Mo sighed with delight. "Why are there five peaks, not four?" Sha Ku suddenly interrupted An Mo''s monologue, causing him to frown. "Indeed, there are five. The smallest belongs to the Vanquishing Hall, justly named Vanquishing Peak. The next is out Demonic Peak after that is the Righteous Peak and then the behemoth ¨C Elemental Peak!" An Mo pointed out four of the mountains, each bigger than the last, and the last dwarfing the first. "What about the fifth?" Sha Ku pointed to the mountain in the centre of them all, with a titanic sword emerging from the tip, seemingly grander than the entire mountain itself. "That''s Spirit Sword Peak, the place where the Sect Master and Elders reside; it also includes the Prime Disciples of the Sect." "Prime Disciples, what are they?" An Mo smiled at this sentence as if saying, "You''ll find out¡­ in time." "There will be no shortcuts when you join the sect; you''ll have to join the lower demonic peak and work your way up." An Mo interrupted Sha Ku''s train of thought. "The lower peak, how does one join the upper and middle peaks then?" "Excellent question. Cultivation or becoming proficient in a secondary skill." "Oh, secondary skills?" Sha Ku said cunningly, wondering what sort of arts demonic peak practised. "Rune forging and Demonisis, these are the secondary skills we practice." Sha Ku felt a stark shiver fall down his spine, he knew what these things were, and they weren''t good by any point of view, they''d sow terrible karma into the practitioner. Rune forging, simple enough, all it is, is carving runes and inscriptions into armour or weapons. Not so bad? Well, how about tearing out the soul of a practitioner and shoving them in the rune to power it up?! And better yet, a particularly cowardly rune forger could do something as despicable as harvest the souls of tens-of-thousands of innocent mortals, creating a devilish artefact! Demonisis, now that was a different ballgame altogether. The process of extracting souls, tearing them out of the living practitioner, no remorse, no mercy! Taking that soul and twisting it within the hands of the Demonisis master, infusing it with demonic energy, causing an incomparable pain rushing throughout their very being! Then after they''ve been through a fate comparable to an ordeal of karmic flames, there''s only one path left, a sickening loyalty to their corrupter. Following their every order, possessing the bodies of the living at command and raising them like puppets, creating a dark army for the Demonisis Master! Sha Ku knew of such things from his previous life¡­ he''d done similar things in the past. Although with wailing souls whose mortal bodies were failing them. "Eh Demonisis, nasty business." The voice from his purple lion ring emerged. "I remember the Ashkaga Cult; they had a Super Demonisis Master as their cult leader¡­ he created an army in the millions, none of them was weaker than a fallen immortal!" "None of them were weaker than a false immortal? Millions?!" Sha Ku sent his thoughts in shock to the Yan Huang. "Yes, not to worry though. He''s dead now. Some man in a snow-white robe appeared one day, slaying legions upon legions with his mighty axe. Sauntering, he annihilated everyone in the sect, until he approached that old cult leader who was shaking in his boots¡­ hehe," Yan Huang laughed. "That evil old man, he was put under the headman''s axe. I wish I could have been there to see it." The old man trapped in the ring chuckled, mischievously. Thinking about his words Sha Ku couldn''t help but be curious, to destroy a sect with a million False Immortal slaves, even if they were only puppets for souls would require a level of strength beyond that of an Immortal, or even True Immortal¡­ "Perhaps, a go-" "Time to get off!" An Mo interrupted his train of thought, while Servant One pushed him off the top of the giant crow where they were sat. In an instant Sha Ku found himself whooshing through the air, the fast winds burning his skin. The ground growing ever closer and closer, as the once small mountain from the skies grew larger and larger. A tingling feeling felt like pins sticking into Sha Ku''s hands and feet, while the air pressure on his chest caused him to be unable to breathe! "Fuck."He managed to let out in inexplicable horror. 40 Yu Shi As Sha Ku plummeted to the dark dreary end that was the empty mountainside, he let continued to let out his cures, as the ground and was approaching, now just a few hundred feet away! Where he was about to land, he saw an old man looking up, surrounding him were a group of nine-ten youngsters, either around Sha Ku''s age or a few years older. The oldest among them looking twelve. The old man chuckled; he''d experienced this many times. With a wave of his hand stones across the bottom third of demonic peak lit up, purple, green, blue, black. Each of these colours shot into the air, creating a massive illusionary projection in the air. It was intricate, but clearly, in the style of a talisman. The moment Sha Ku saw this talisman his futile screaming turned furious instead, "Fucking cunt! Cunt faced fuck, little Dao Stage twat!" The giant inscription on the air was the symbol for ''Stop'', which caused him fury to boil over. He''d been had. This was An Mo''s idea of some joke?! By the last few feet towards the ground Sha Ku wasn''t even cursing anymore, a loud residual growl was emerging from his lips though, while a deep and hearty chuckle could be heard coming from his purple ring. "Yan Huang, silence!" Sha Ku sent out his thoughts, which caused the fallen immortal to laugh even further. As Sha Ku was about to splatter on the ground, the air pressure whipping him about like a kite, he suddenly stopped a foot above the ground. Frozen there in the air the old man nodded, with a smile on his face, "We can''t have disciples dying from something as stupid as falling, after all, Demonic Peak is the sparsest populated of all the five peaks." The old man had a green beard, and was bald all over, even missing eyebrows and lashes. His eyes were a deep green as well. He wore a bright purple robe with a dark flame dancing across the fabric. "You must be the young boy the Hall Master went out to collect¡­ Strange your only six or seven." The green bearded old man covered with wrinkles was by Sha Ku''s side in a flash, holding his wrist and stroking his beard. "But then again, Hall Master''s judgment has never been anything less than beforehand when scouting new talent." The green bearded man''s smile vanished, "I am Tun Feng, you may refer to me as Third Elder Tun. I am Master of Lower Demonic peak." A stream of violent energy encompassed all of the younglings, crushing them and causing some even to cough up blood. All but three fell to their knees or the ground. Sha Ku, who felt a slither of blood trickle down his nose. Another boy who had purple hair down to his waist was skinny and tall. The third was a young girl, older than the rest of them. She seemed to be around the age of eleven or twelve and was obviously at the early coloured sea realm unlike him and the purple haired boy. Seeing the green bearded man''s attempt the girl snorted, looking too proud even to consider this an attempt of a test. Seeing the girl''s reaction, the Third Elder smiled, "So, her young highness Wen Fe is indeed talented." Hearing the name everyone else in the group took in a deep breath! Wen! As in the Imperial name Wen! One of the shorter boys in the group mumbled, "Wen Fe¡­ Wen Fe, that name¡­ it belongs to the young princess Fe, youngest daughter of Wen Kong, Imperial Uncle to the current Wen Emperor!" Wen Fe looked over at the brightly clothed young lad, meeting his gaze for a second then gave a snort of derision, looking to her left at the purple haired boy. "You, what''s your name?" The lanky purple haired lad looked around and pointed to himself, raising an eyebrow, as if saying, "You''re talking to me, right?" "The names Yu Shi. I''m from the Yu clan." The girl looked at him suspiciously, then her gaze landed on Sha Ku, and smiled, "I''ll keep my eye on you." With this, she walked off, into the small mountain town that was situated in lower demonic peak. Sha Ku frowned, indeed the Imperial family were like vicious beasts that could strut about like they own the place, any that defy them would fall, becoming their prey. Sha Ku looked over towards the group with a grin, looking to make friends among the newcomers. Instead, he encountered a sea of glares and frowns, making it feel like he''d been hit in the stomach. "Oh, seriously. One smile and I encounter the dregs of jealousy¡­" he growled under his breath, turning to the tall purple haired boy. "Greetings, I''m Sha Ku." He cupped his hands; goodwill expressed in his warm tone. "Sha Ku, that names strange. I''m Yu Shi." "Oh Yu Shi, as in-" "No." "I didn''t answer though." "I know." "But how do you know what I was going to say was wrong?" Sha Ku raised an eyebrow, deeply confused. "The name, it has no meaning. Its symbols may be Feather and Decoration, but there is no meaning in such things as I''m neither." "Righhhhhhht¡­." Sha Ku let out slowly nodding his head, clearly somewhat bamboozled. "I''m Yu Shi; you''re Sha Ku; let''s be friends." Yu Shi said in his monotone voice, as his purple hair swayed from side to side, covering his eyes. "Sure." Sha Ku shrugged, thinking this was easier than he first thought while splitting one of his eyes to look back at the group who had just managed to stand, up biting at him with their cold hard stares. 41 Talent Tes The Third Elder strode forth, "Now, while your talent is enough to enter the sect and each of you has either been selected or sponsored by another member of our sect or passed the entry trials. There is, of course, a test for each of you. This is first and foremost a test of your talent." Green beard waved his hand for the students to follow him. The walk wasn''t long, but while they did Sha Ku managed to get some vital information out of Yu Shi. The entrance exam to enter the Spirit Sword Sect was exceedingly arduous; one has to traverse their way from the outer regions of the Spirit Sword highlands, which are festering with all manner of beasts, then if they survive that they''re required to climb the colossal mountains. This is not only a test of talent, ingenuity and cultivation but also willpower. This is thanks to the special effects of Spirit Sword Mountain. When ascending the mountain, the sect would activate the boundary suppressing formation, suppressing the cultivation of everyone below Qi Core down to that of a mortal. This was a tremendous test of willpower, especially from those that came from cultivation clans, meaning that they won''t have the natural advantage they usually possess! The further one climbed, the better the results they would get. Some wouldn''t even manage to reach Vanquishing Peak, whereas others would climb up to the hardest of them all ¨C Elemental Peak! Of course, some people would stop at specific points, depending on their personal preference, but that was exceedingly rare. Surprisingly it happened twice this selection process though, each deciding to stay at demonic peak''s height. This was Wen Fe and Yu Shi! As they finished their walk, they arrived outside a large hall, built with pillars holding up a large ebony arch and a ginormous gate with a pitch-black sword at the centre of the doors. "This is the lower hall, where we''ll test your talents. Damn brats." The green bearded elder chuckled. As they were walking along the Sha Ku approached Elder Tun, having questions. "Elder Tun, why are you so nice?" Sha Ku raised his eyebrow and peeled his eyes. "Why am I so nice?" The skinny elder laughed. "It''s because you''re at the lower level of demonic peak of course." He spoke loud enough so that all the students could hear him. "I try to do my best to instruct you younglings, but I don''t use overly violent or brutal means. But as soon as you enter the second level¡­ it''ll be a different story. Elder Fang isn''t nearly as kind as I."The green bearded man smiled, thinking back to a memory. "Think of it as the deep breath before the plunge." He stopped speaking as they entered the hall, pushing the doors open with a wisp of sword Qi, causing the majority of the youngling''s mouths to fall open in awe. Sha Ku secretly scoffed at the other junior disciples; they were such green boys. He''d seen sword Qi that could cut planets apart like a knife through butter! When they entered the hall, there were eighteen seats divided by three rows. They were more large pillows than seats, but that wasn''t what was important. The important thing was the table in front of each of these seats, there was a large orb in each of them, resting on a stand. Elder Tun walked to the front of the hall, clapping his hands and instructing everyone to take a seat. Most of the students took the first two rows, whereas Yu Shi and Sha Ku sat in the back row in the right corner. Although it was excluded from the rest, Sha Ku thought it was rather spacious. Elder Tun took a deep cough, gathering everyone''s attention, "The orbs placed on the desks are called Wonder Orbs. They detect someone''s talent by changing colour." "There are seven colours, Black, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Golden and Purple. Each shows a greater talent than the last. In out Demonic Peak only two people have ever managed to reach purple. The first was the founder of our peak, way back in ancient times. His name was Kewang Yun; rumour has it that his talent was so great it shattered the Orb, of course, this is just a legend." "The second to achieve Purple was a disciple that we don''t often talk about on demonic peak, for it is our greatest embarrassment in the past few hundred years. His name was An Tang, brother to our great Hall Master himself!" Hearing the name shivers went down Sha Ku''s spine! An Tang, the old man who was a cripple, he was a purple level talent?! The man who was called trash?! This was just inconceivable, feeling a deep pity in his heart he truly felt sorry for the man. "Elder Tun, what are the talent level of the elders?" Yu Shi suddenly raised his hand while the others glared at him for interrupting the story. Elder Tun chuckled, "You''re a clever one. Yu Shi wasn''t it? You want to know if you have the talent to surpass us?" Yu Shi nodded in response. "Well sorry to disappoint you, but the three elders and hall master never had the greatest of talent, unlike his brother. Elder Fang, Ko and I only ever achieved the blue boundary."Elder Tun said with some regret as if he wanted to reach for the start, but some invisible force was stopping him. "Then the Hall Master?" "The Hall Master," Tun Fong smiled, "Back on the day we first joined demonic peak the Hall Mas-ter''s orb turned pitch black." "Pitch Black?!" One of the disciples in the front blurted out in bewilderment. 42 Wonder Orb Cracking "Yes, pitch black." Elder Tun said a wide grin appeared on his face. "The Hall Master cared not though, embracing his sword of slaughter, cutting a path into the Demonic Hall. With a smile, he slew the previous Hall Master, his uncle, An Xuan." Elder Tun said with some pride; he was old friends with the rest of the Demonic Peak elders. They''d been a rambunctious bunch and had arrived together on their first day. He still remembered the look on An Mo''s face the moment he placed his hand on the Orb that day, as it turned to pitch black. It wasn''t surprise; it wasn''t regret. No, instead there was a faint smirk, and his eyes said, "If you challenge me, you''ll never see the light of day again." "An Mo is the pinnacle of willpower over talent, by all logical premises he shouldn''t have ever been able to advance into the Upper Star Realms, yet he''s at the peak of Star Palace. I suspect its only a matter of time before he enters the Dao Realm." Elder Tun told the children, their eyes lit up, unable to contain their excitement. If they could get higher than black, then couldn''t they perhaps surpass the might Hall Master someday? Immediately the dozen students touched the orbs, a myriad of reactions crowned their faces. Three of them managed to achieve Blue, with big smiles on their face. Seven managed to light the orb up red, disappointment appeared on their faces, yet they mocked the person on the far right of the front row. He''d only manage to light the orb up black, causing his face to screw up as if he was about to start weeping. Luckily, he kept his self-respect and managed to bottle up any emotions. On the far left of the front row a young man smiled, "It appears I win!" He spoke with overwhelming pride, as he held a golden orb in front of him, mocking the rest with his prestige and new found status. He looked over to the far right smiling, "Song Yi, it seems I win again. You always were trash. Half-breed scum." "Shut it Song Ping, so what if you got golden. If I put the work in, I''ll be able to surpass you!" Song Yi shouted back; a wisp of terror hid in his voice. "Haha, as if anyone in this sorry class could match up to me!" Song Ping said with some certainty while Sha Ku looked to his right where Yu Shi sat. His hand was placed on the orb, it started to glow the same colour as his purple hair, yet he didn''t have any reaction, keeping the same calm fa?ade as always. Elder Tun immediately observed this, having a smile on his face, "Yu Shi, you managed to light it up purple. I would like to speak with you in private later, important matters and such." Song Ping turned around, immediately seeing Yu Shi''s orb, causing a metaphorical sock to be shoved very far down his throat. Sha Ku gave an audible chuckle at this, enraging the young Song boy. "You, you bastard! You haven''t even touched the orb yet, yet you dare laugh at me?! I bet your scared, coward! You see him, this so-called Sha Ku, a coward!" Song Ping instantly started to rile up the rest of the sheep in his group. "Yeah! How dare you laugh at brother Ping!" one of them snorted. "He''s a coward. He wasn''t even in the sect entrance tests, he cheated. Using connections to enter the sect!" another one of them shouted, both of them given a nod of encouragement by Song Ping. "So, what''s it going to be coward Ku?" Song Ping taunted him. Sha Ku shook his head, sighing. Placing his hand on the orb, he didn''t feel a difference. Everyone stared at the round crystal ball, nothing happened! "See the trash couldn''t even cause it to go back, what trash!" Song Ping stood up, laughing at him and causing everyone to giggle and jibe at Sha Ku without mercy. Sha Ku looked at this Song Ping; a frown crowned his brow. He didn''t like this smug bastard. Slowly injecting a slither of his power into the orb, it suddenly changed! In the centre of the ball a tiny symbol appeared, "Is that a Daoist Yin-Yang-" before Song Ping could finish a large crack was heard, and the crystal ball exploded everywhere! Bang! The glass flew about the place! "Ahhh!" A familiar voice screamed as a shard of glass hung out of his eye socket. This was undoubtedly the voice of the once bold and great Song Ping. "Ahhh!" he ran about like a headless chicken, as he''d been unable to block the shard of glass that had flown straight into his eye. Luckily for the others, they hadn''t been leaning forward head first. Instead, they managed to cover their eyes, only a few cuts where on their arms! They were all at least at the first stage of Qi River; they should heal quick enough. That eye on the other hand¡­ Song Ping finally managed to clam a bit, his back pressed against the wall of the hall, his hands shivering and shaking as he slowly reached to the shard emerging from his eye. The moment he touched his, he felt blood trickle onto his hand. His vision turned black, slumping to the floor as his body went numb. "How unfortunate." Tun Fong said, looking at the boy. He knew the child was alive and well. Well, might be a tiny overstatement¡­ On the other hand, there was a student that managed to destroy a Wonder Orb! This made his heart elate with joy. He''d never encountered such a talent in the history of his time on Demonic Peak! This was the most talented group in memorable history! He''d usually get a bunch of reds and greens! Now he had a purple, three blues, a one-eyed gold and a shattered orb! The rest of the students stared at Sha Ku and Yu Shi with some awe, while the two sat there cold-eyed, their expression not changing in the slightest. On the inside Sha Ku was a mess though, "I can''t go anywhere without becoming a walking circus, can I?" "You do seem to have trouble keeping a low profile!" Yan Huang''s voice snorted. 43 Young Demonisis Master Sha Ku After the debacle taking place in the main hall, Tun Fong asked the younglings which profession they wanted to choose. Immediately all of the children including Yu Shi chose Rune-forging. That was except for two, Sha Ku and Song Yi. Sha Ku had his own plans and ideas; he knew a version of Demonisis that was far more¡­ ethical than that practised on Demonic Peak, using willing souls on the edge of death. He''d be able to give those downtrodden a second chance in life. A fair deal if you asked him. But this Song Yi, he must know what Demonisis does to a cultivator, yet he was still willing to step into the void, enduring the terrible karma that comes along with it. This was intriguing to Sha Ku, to say the least. He''d suddenly recalled the name Song Ping had spat out at Song Yi, "Half-breed," Perhaps this had something to do with his choice? Sha Ku stroked his chin curiously while having a yearning for a beard for effect. Tun Fong nodded, looking at everyone who had lined up, selecting Rune-forging. Then tutted a little when his gaze descended to the Young Demonisis Masters, the worst and best in the class had been grouped together¡­ this was troubling, to say the least. "Now, I''ll guide you to the profession masters, after which they''ll show you to where you''ll be staying." Elder Tun led them out of the hall, through the mountain town and to their profession masters. The woman to take the larger group was grey of hair, with long eyebrows coming off the side of her face. Her name was Qin Lian, an old woman whose skins had more wrinkles than a book had pages. She quickly instructed everyone to sit down, shut up and listen. Her face stern, and haughty. As Tun Fong led both Song Yi and Sha Ku away he could hear the dreaded yelling of the harpy-like woman, "You listen here you little vermin, rune-forging is neither fun, not easy. So, if you''re looking to get a free trip to the middle peak you better have another thought coming!" Sha Ku smirked at the words that lingered through the air, hitting his ears. Tun Fong chuckled as well while walking to the Demonisis'' chambers. The area where it was wasn''t like the rest of the mountain. Instead, it was much darker, with the skulls littering the ground outside a large barn. Song Yi made a face as if he were going to vomit, spotting a skull that was on the ground, still rot-ting. A long green worm emerged from the eye socket, taking a bite of the jelly-like flesh that the eyeball was constructed from. Even Sha Ku made a small wrenching face, the boy it belonged to looked young, no older than ten. This Demonisis Master didn''t take mercy upon him¡­ Tun Fong stepped outside the small barn, "Enter as you wish. The old guy and I don''t get along; its best from me to leave first." Tun Fong started to walk away before turning back, a look of embarrassment hit his face, "Before I forget." He threw two coins towards the two young boys, one was black, the other bright purple. The purple landing in Sha Ku''s hands, the black caught by Song Yi. "Good luck with old Dong Hu." Tun Fong walked away, his back facing them, not a worry in the world. Sha Ku and Song Yi looked at each other as if saying, "You want to knock first?" In the end, Song Yi went straight up to the barn doors, smashing down on the knocker seven times over, then waited for a reaction. Nothing happened, so he did it again, this time knocking even louder! Suddenly the door started to fling open, but before Sha Ku could even react Song Yi had already stood behind him, pushing him next to the knocker! "What are you doing you brat!" A vengeful voice bellowed out with a gush of tainted wind rushed over Sha Ku, who was acting the bulwark for Song Yi. Out of the door emerged a man, his face paler than ice, his lips purple and his smile blighted black. The man was old, hunchbacked. His brows frowned like an eagle, perched, ready to dive on its prey at a moment''s notice. "Sorry senior, we''ve been brought to study under you!" Sha Ku immediately bowed to the old man, as low as possible. The old man with purple lips nodded in approval, "Your coin, its purple." "Yes, Senior." "Call me Dong Hu. I don''t like feeling old." He waved his hand, inviting the two boys into his barn. The moment he walked into the barn Sha Ku was stunned, to say the least. The place was utterly immaculate, not a spot of dirt could be seen within the entire building. There were old bookshelves, but the books weren''t covered with dust. There was an old staircase going up, to what Sha Ku could only assume what were Dong Hu''s living quarters. But most noticeable was the enormous skull-faced furnace in the corner of the room, inside was a fire glittering red and a faint screaming could be heard. "Don''t mind him, that''s Long Fang. A disobedient disciple from Elemental Peak." Dong Hu laughed, taking three seats out from a ring on his finger, each was clean and had a beautiful wooden pattern carved into them. "Why is he being punished like that?" Song Yi murmured. Dong Hu immediately looked at the black coin in his hands and shook his head, "Long Fang, a noble disciple of the mighty Long Clan, once an overlord of the Central Plains¡­ The head of the Elemental Peak discovered that Long Fang had murdered one of his senior brothers. So, he wanted to make an example of him." "A harsh punishment." Song Yi muttered. "A traitor''s punishment." Sha Ku said decisively. "Indeed, traitors aren''t looked upon kindly at out Spirit Sword Sect." Dong Hu said sternly. "Come, have these." Dong Hu gave a book to each of the boys, titled, ''Demonisis, a beginners guide''. Song Yi immediately opened up the tome, flipping through it like a madman, while Sha Ku just scanned it with his divine sense. Seeing their actions made Dong Hu chuckle in his raspy old voice, "You''ll have to forgive me, I''ve never been a particularly articulate author. But its better than what I got when I first started to practice Demonisis." Sha Ku nodded; the book was incredible. It seems this Dong Hu''s attainments in Demonisis were profound! 44 Supreme Retard Song Yi Dong Hu grabbed the young Song Yi by his arm, dragging him to the skull furnace, "go on kid have a try." Song Yi''s face instantly went pale. This made Dong Hu angry, grabbing his hand and forcing it to the furnace''s red flames, "Do it, or you''ll be in there next!" he barked. Song Yi instantly complied with the madman''s demands, following the book''s detailed instructions, he felt the flow of the demonic energy that was in the air, and intensely radiating from the furnace and guided it gently to the soul that was Long Fang. The soul started to shake about, until a high-pitched scream emerged, the sound of terror, emerging from a small child. Pitiful, sad, heart-breaking. "Quickly!" Dong Hu cursed, grabbing to Song Yi''s other hand, and placing it in the fire, while the book that was on the floor quickly flipped to the page titled, ''Soul Trap''. The entire page was a collage of horrid diagrams designed to ensnare the human soul, preventing it from fleeing in the face of absolute terror. Warded off were the paths to Samsara; only pain and suffering were what awaited the poor souls afflicted by these bindings. Terror struck Song Yi''s heart, waving his hand in a specific pattern, making it look like an animal''s claw. Afterwards exclaiming the words, "Lesser Soul Trap!", tears streaked from either side of his cheeks, dripping to the floor, muffled by the sounds of the shrieking soul within the furnace. Slowly a yellow cage formed around the howling soul, forcefully suppressing it. Eventually, it started to fade away, much like the light in someone''s eyes would fade when they passed. The red and ethereal Long Fang slowly turned pale white, but became thicker and corporal, as if it occupied a physical place in reality. "Pale white, not half bad." Dong Hu nodded, obviously impressed. "You may have some talent when it comes to this¡­" "Song Yi." Song Yi stated his name. "You may have some talent for Demonisis, Song Yi. There are five grades of souls. Yellow, Red, White Black and Purple." Dong Hu lectured them. "Yellow souls are souls that have lost the majority of their original power, only possessing twenty-five per cent of what was once living." "Red souls possess twenty-six to forty-nine." "White souls are those that posses fifty to seventy percent of their original strength." "Black souls possess seventy-one to ninety-four percent, and a legendary purple soul have up to a hundred percent of the persons original power! What makes purple souls incredibly powerful, though, they have the ability to grow and evolve!"Dong Hu looked off to a corner with wonder and envy; he longed for the chance to refine a purple soul. "There are also subgrades; ethereal, corporal and complete. You''ve managed to create a White ¨C corporal soul. This can be considered a good talent, especially for a first timer. You can leave today, knowing that you have both gained a master and kept your life." Dong Hu laughed, pushing the two boys out of his doorway, bored with their presence. When questioned where they should go Dong Hu handed them a map of the outer mountain, showing them where the dorm rooms were located and giving them a piece of advice, "Hurry, don''t get some crappy rooms. That old witch probably hasn''t finished her lesson yet, meaning you''ll get to pick the rooms before anyone else." "Senior, is there a difference?"Song Yi asked, curious of the matter. "I told you not to call me, senior!" Dong Hu glared at the boy. "M-Master?" Song Yi stuttered; his tongue all tied up. "Better." Dong Hu nodded. "Yes, there''s a big difference. Usually, the students would battle for the best rooms. This is because all rooms are part of a magnificent formation which pipes pure Qi into each of them. The better the room, the purer and more abundant the Qi." Dong Hu started to rub his hands, maliciously, "Of course, these battles can only take place twice a year. At the time of the Winter and Summer solstice!"a little cackle emerged from his lips, pushing them out and making them rush, following the map. "Oh, one more thing!" Dong Hu rushed in front of the pair, "Sha Ku, you need to promise me something." Sha Ku looked up at Dong Hu with bright eyes, wondering what the old man Dong Hu could want. "What can I do for you, Uncle Dong?" he said with a smile. "Haha, no hesitation, I like it," "Promise me you''ll look after this young Song Yi." He said straightforwardly. "Of cou-" before he could finish what he was about to say Dong Hu kept talking. "He''s only a Black level talent. This is the equivalent to be a fool or a jester in the natural world. People will view it as if a supreme retard managed to get into a prestigious school with a full scholarship. Truly young Song Yi here is equal to a brain-dead old man when it comes to cultivation!" Dong Hu nodded as if he were morning a dead animal. Song Yi looked on in horror, his face almost turning the same colour as milk. This was a bit harsh, wasn''t it? "But. He has more than enough talent to compensate for it in Demonisis. So, make sure he doesn''t get his head caved in or something." Dong Hu immediately walked through the two boys, knocking them over like bowling pins, entering his barn and slamming the door behind him before Sha Ku could even reply! Sha Ku frowned; this old man was obviously short a few cards of a full deck. Whereas, Song Yi was in an odd state. He didn''t know what to make of the matter; he was slightly touched by his master''s concern. Yet¡­ he was emotionally crushed. It wasn''t often one got called a supreme retard¡­ 45 Burning the Disgust Away As they ventured to the dorms Song Yi and Sha Ku didn''t speak much, only conversing but a few words, "You seem to be rather talented at Demonisis." Were the those that came from Sha Ku''s mouth. "And you seem to be overly talented at cultivation." The response from Song Yi. "Why does Song Ping hate you so?" "Song Ping?!" The words mumbled with dread after exiting Song Yi''s mouth. "Song Ping and I share the same mother¡­ but not the same father. Beyond that¡­ I''m not willing to say." Song Yi fumbled with his hands, rubbing his neck and face started to go red with shame. "How unfortunate for you. Don''t worry. I''ll make sure he doesn''t harm you. He''s only got some minor talent. Not enough to become a permanent problem."Sha Ku cracked his knuckles. "Haha, yeah." Song Yi said, mumbling his words and his eyes darted about, scared that someone would hear their conversation. This sort of plotting made him uncomfortable to the extreme, yet it seemed not to bother this boy who was so much younger than him! Had his parents raised him with snakes or something? Seeing the older boys attitude Sha Ku shook his head, "No wonder you failed at the test." He let out in a soft sigh. "Wha- what?" Song Yi stumbled. "The test, it already sensed that your downtrodden and defeated. You''d be unable to cultivate with such an attitude." Sha Ku said, disappointed in the lad. Soon enough after their exchange Sha Ku and Song Yi arrived at the newcomer''s lower mountain dorms. They weren''t luxurious at all. They were only lined up from numbers 1 to 70. There wasn''t even that many students on the lower mountain¡­was the first thing Sha Ku thought. Immediately Sha Ku walked up to the door numbered, one, entering it swiftly, only giving Song Yi a casual wave of the hand as a goodbye. "Bye-bye then." The downtrodden boy muttered as the number one door was slammed in his face, then meekly entered the number two spot, closing the door gently. --- As Sha Ku entered the room, slamming the door behind him, he scanned the room, tutting slightly to himself. The Qi formation on the ground was indeed useful, but it could door with a few improvements. Carefully removing a sword from his belt, he slit his finger. With the blood slowly pouring out of his finger, he pressed it to the ground, changing the pattern of the formation until it looked completely different. Now instead of looking similar to a pentagram, it was encased by a circle of blood, and a red Daoist symbol for Yin and Yang resided within it. By the time he had finished, Sha Ku had a bright smile on his face, "This should at least improve its output by fifty percent." Now that he had got the important stuff out of the way he looked around, examining this new room. Like everything else on the lower demonic mountain, it was dark and dreary. It had a small circular hole in the clay wall which facilitated a window¡­ it didn''t even have a frame. The bed looked nice enough, but as he inspected it more closely it was covered with some kind of lice¡­ or flea. He didn''t know what it was; all he knew is that it disgusted him. And the table where food was meant to be eaten¡­ it was half rotted; woodlice fell out like a waterfall! "This will not do!" Sha Ku let out a large snort, raising his right hand and shouting the word ¨C "Blaze!" In just a moment a torrent of flames emerged from Sha Ku''s right hand, incinerating the bed, table, the insects¡­ A typhoon of fire curled around the room burning all of it to ash, cleansing everything in fire! The blaze shot out of the circled excuse for a window, like a dragon''s breath it bathed the courtyard, causing the students who had just arrived for their lesson with the old witch to fall to the ground, ducking under the fire! Gently the flames began to exhaust themselves, retreating into Sha Ku''s hand again as he stood there, his clothes, the formation and him unscathed from the hellish nightmare that had encompassed his room. "Ahhh, that''s better." Sha Ku sighed in relief, raising out his left hand, the cold energy put out the smouldering ruins, even the smoke in the air was gently pushed out of the charred circle. "Perfect." Sha Ku felt the crawling sensation in his back disappear. He sat down in the formation, ready to meditate, ignoring the commotion that was going on outside. Now was the time to plan. His ascension in this realm can be divided into three parts, his power base, his cultivation and his influence on the world. These three things formed a trifecta, without all three it would collapse, unable to support itself under the weight of his glory. Currently, he''d established his power base, providing generous amounts of cultivation techniques to the Yang Clan. They would grow like a weed with these things, and his younger siblings will be the flowers from these weeks, dazzling and bewitching all to see. Whereas the Yang Clan elders would be the prickly thorns hidden underneath, a forgotten yet ever-present threat. Sha Ku wasn''t one to only rely on others, and the Yang Clan while growing in power would require his support. Him being inducted into the Spirit Sword Sect was the first step of this. Now all that was left was to temper his cultivation at an acceptable rate. He''d already sorted which techniques he''d practice for the foreseeable future, but he needed to decide how he''d cultivate. The main problem in the future is that he needs to evolve both his Yang and Yin bloodlines. Currently, they were weak, unable to honestly give him the power he needs to practice the Yin-Yang divide to its utmost. There was only one solution to this matter, Body Cultivation. Sha Ku had to cultivate his Undying Slayer technique until he managed to collect enough Yin and Yang resources to strengthen his bloodline. At that point he''ll easily be able to break through, forming river after river until he reached the Qi Sea Realm! 46 Destroying Ones Meridians But to do this, he first needed to obtain the resources, through strength none the less. Even if the Spirit Sword Sect provided them for contribution points, it''s not like he could obtain them like water from a river. No, first came the Undying Slayer Technique. It would provide the power necessary to carve his way through the legions of enemies he will soon have. "Unfortunately, this is going to hurt." Sha Ku gave off a small smirk. Obtaining an Undying Body was in rationality a sin against the heavens themselves, if one were to cultivate it to a high enough level a practitioner would be able to rebirth themselves from a single cell of their body. Sha Ku couldn''t help shaking his head, knowing how frustrating people like this were to kill. After he awoke for the first time, on his way to the infernal hell which Duman resided, he had murdered an incredibly powerful practitioner that practised an Undying Technique. The confusion hit Sha Ku like a celestial hammer at the time; he was unable to make hide or tale of it. The only conclusion that he could come to was that an extraordinary genius managed to obtain the corpse of one of his clansmen and from his natural undying body he must have devised a method to create his own. Of course, an Undying Body isn''t easy to cultivate; even the Heavenly Tear Race would express great pain when their body underwent an evolution in power. Taking a deep breath, Sha Ku clenched his fists, crossed his legs and pressed his knuckles together from a meditative position. Sitting there, his body became deathly silent, only the feistiest sounds of his breathing emerged. A small warmth from his nose, hardly enough to tell he was still alive. Sha Ku''s current focus was inside his body. There were nine major meridians in the body, at the current time in Sha Ku''s body they were all expanding, twisting, like the gaping maw of a colossal beast trying to swallow its prey. Soon blood started to leak from the surface in all the meridians, nine spots throughout his body; each began to drip with blood like pools, the red water overflowing. Sha Ku''s calm body started to shake, his fists grinding against each other, his gentle eyes began to twitch, rapidly opening and closing, giving off flashes of a pair of bloodshot red eyes. His breathing became heavy, the sound in his throat started to rattle, like a dying dog. With every breath started to bring blood out with it, slowly the crimson syrup started to trickle out of the boy''s lips. A smile formed on his blood covered face, cocky and bold, yet rooted in pain, "Now, for the plunge." "Kid! What are you doing?!" A voice in his head suddenly screamed as Yan Huang awoke from the disturbance in Sha Ku''s life force, making him shocked and in a state of horror! "You''re destroying your meridians, are you mad! Do you want to be a cripple for life?!" "Hahaha!" Sha Ku cackled like a madman, blood pouring from every single orifice. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! A series of nine pops emerged throughout Sha Ku''s body, blood spurted out like a hose in all directions, coating the charred black room in a deep red, dripping down the walls, and running onto the floor. Bang! Sha Ku collapsed onto the ground! A spirit like presence coated in Gold emerged from his ring. It was a middle-aged man, bold and bearded. Immediately it started to shout, "Sha Ku! Wake up, you fool!" "Wake up!" The voice was booming and loud. Suddenly a knock came from the outside door, a voice upset and hurt, seeking revenge! "Sha Ku! Get your ass out here! You didn''t compete for your spot." A tremendous thump was heard, sounding from the courtyard. A terrifying scream shook the air; it was Song Yi''s voice. Quickly Yan Huang peered through the hole-window, looking down towards the courtyard. Needless to say, what he saw was disgusting. Song Ping stood there, proud and prim. His hand raised, his foot pinning the weak Song Yi, blood pouring from his mouth. Song Ping''s hand which was held high in the air had a small pink thing hanging from it¡­ "My mongrel brother couldn''t keep his mouth shut. That won''t be a problem anymore." He said a smirk emerged on his haughty and smug face. Song Ping threw the chopped off appendage on the ground like it was nothing. Taking out a small handkerchief, wiping his hands clean. At this moment, Song Yi tried to sit up, struggling against the tyrant of a brother that was Song Ping. "Oh, you want to help?" Song Ping scoffed, lifting Song Yi by the collar. "You can help." He smirked, punching him in the gut, tossing him up in the air and sending a devastating side kick towards him in the air! Crunch! The sound of Song Yi''s ribs cracking resounded in everyone''s teeth, they all looked on with horror, unable to contain their reactions. Song Yi, on the other hand, flew through the air, like a wrecking ball aimed at Sha Ku''s doorway. Huang Yun rushed over, trying to brace the door in his ethereal form pathetically. One word came out of his panicked lips. "Fuck" 47 Ice Rhino, Condemned to the Tyranny of Blood Twenty minutes earlier ¨C "No, you shan''t be the one to obtain the number one room. That honour belongs to me, of course!" A loud and arrogant voice barked at a stocky child, sporting long black hair. If Sha Ku were here, he''d recognise this voice all too well. It belonged to a one-eyed fiend, Song Ping. The stocky kid who only wished to look at the first room froze in his tracks, a feeling of terror started to crawl up his spine. This Song Ping had been unrelentingly cruel since their return from the Mistress of Rune-Forging, Qin Lian! He''d been patched up and given a strip of red cloth to cover his mangled eye that was completely blind. He felt no pain, thanks to how Elder Tun had treated him. Instead, he just had a hazing fury in its place. Indeed, he from the noble Song Clan should have breezed into the shoes of a Rune-forger, but somehow, he''d been upstaged as well! That Yu Shi had been able to complete a golden grade rune on his first time¡­ This had Qin Lian so impressed she shooed everyone off, telling Yu Shi to keep his nose out of trouble as soon enough he should be at the top of the mountain! Song Ping''s blood boiled like magma in a volcano, and he was a moment away from erupting. His eye twitched lightly and felt like his sabre needed to taste blood by nightfall; otherwise he''d cough up blood from all this stress. This was his perfect opportunity to vent and establish his dominance amongst the disciples! He wasn''t like the rest of these foolish mongrels; he was of the Song Clan. He had cultivated a Sky Ranked Technique! He was at the peak of Qi River and solidifying his cultivation base before breaking through! He could take several blows from lesser Qi Sea practitioners, let alone these pathetic lower clan fools. They weren''t worth his mercy. "What''s your name, fatty?!" Shrieked Song Ping. Turning around to immediately reply the stocky lad muttered, fumbling his words about, "My, my name is Bing Yuanshan, from the Dark Water Kingdom¡­." The boy''s words flopped about like a seal. "The Bing Clan?" Song Ping laughed in hysteria. "Some trash from the Bing Clan seriously thinks he''s good enough to take first place in the rooms? Pah!" Song Ping spat on the ground, mocking the boy''s very blood. The Bing Clan were famous, but for all the wrong reasons. They had initially been a clan from the central plains, but like so many, they had to retreat as their powerbase slowly withered away. A few years ago, the Bing Clan started to make trouble for the royal family in the Dark-Water Kingdom though, trying to plot and scheme against the King. Ming Shui, king of Dark-Water, came down upon the Bing Clan personally, destroying any cultivator above the Qi Core Realm and enslaving anybody over the age of twenty. The women were sold in slave markets; the men sent to the royal mines. Like that, all the respect that the once noble Bing Clan had commanded, vanished. Such is the way of the world; you climb the ladder until you slip and never have the chance to rise again. "Draw your weapon!" Song Ping barked. "Do it!" "Draw it you coward!" "Now!" As these words hit Bing Yuanshan''s ears, he began to tremble. He''d never had to fight someone of Song Ping''s calibre before. Hands shaking, legs buckling, Bing Yuanshan rubbed the ring on his finger, causing a staff to appear in his hands. The staff was vibrating in the air; the cause was the little Bing''s arms, unable even to hold the thing properly. A smirk emerged on Song Ping''s face, raising his arms in the air, turning his back towards Bing Yuanshan he laughed, "Do you see my fellow brothers, the mighty Bing Clan has been resurrected. Like his ancestor wielding his mighty ice staff, Bing Yuanshan has come to defeat me and reclaim his forefather''s honour!" A laugh emerged from everyone''s lips. Mocking the weak and small fat boy, Song Ping couldn''t help but be in awe of his own charisma; truly, he was a natural leader. Perhaps there would be a more fabulous place in his future than just another competitor for the Song Clan''s leadership position? He stood there, looking amongst the crowd of laughing children who had been unwittingly drawn ever closer into his service. He couldn''t help but nod to himself, not a bad bunch. A few turds amongst the chocolates to be sure, but nothing he couldn''t weed out through¡­sufficient methods. As he cast his gaze over them, it suddenly halted upon the purple hair of one lanky boy ¨C Yu Shi, the purple talent¡­ This Yu Shi was troublesome, to say the least, amongst those here he was his only rival. He''d have to think of some way to control or humiliate him before his influence spread. Although one shouldn''t suffer rivals, otherwise one is being cruel to themselves, if it was possible to make Yu Shi his pawn¡­ he could pit him against Sha Ku. A devious light appeared in Song Ping''s eyes, and his plan had already started to formulate before he could adequately think it through though, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere. The air became cold¡­ "Rushing Ice Rhino!" Screamed Bing Yuanshan, slamming down his long staff from above his head! Song Ping turned quickly, witnessing a massive Rhino made of ice charging his person. Quickly his gaze turned cruel, his brow twitched. Drawing the sabre from his belt, he faced the frozen beast head-on, slashing out with a single strike, "Blood Sabre Strike!" As he swung the sabre from his bottom left diagonally upwards to his top right it thumped bright red, giving off an aura of death and despair. One of Song Ping''s cronies looked on in awe, "This is one of the Song Clan''s sky ranked techniques ¨C Blood Indulging Sabre, I heard that a member of the Song Clan came out of an ancient ruin with it in toll." Another one nodded, agreeing, "Yes, only a few people have dared to comprehend it though, it takes the blood of its enemies to improve your level!" After hearing the two boys everyone looked on with horror, such a technique required blood? That was truly frightening. Immediately as soon as the Blood Sabre hit the Rhino it shattered into a thousand pieces, Song Ping dashed forwards, like a bolt of lightning, using both hands to bring his sabre overhead and downwards into Bing Yuanshan''s chest. Bing Yuanshan froze in place as the horrifying might of the Bloody Sabre descended upon him! Bang! All he could do was raise his metal staff, hoping he could block some of the momenta, giving him a chance for survival! Nonetheless, he wasn''t in a good state. The Sabre strike caused his staff to bend; the energy caused it to shoot out from his hands like a bird escaping its nest. With the resulting energy drove him backwards like a cannonball, smashing him into the fountain that was within the courtyard. Like a corpse he laid there, water running over him, blood leaking from his mouth. There was nothing he could do. Song Ping approached, a sinister smile adorned his face, he dragged his blood-soaked sabre along the ground, its metallic chink on the stone sounding in everyone''s ears and with it, a trail of crimson along the ground. Song Ping snarled for the first time as he raised his sabre above his head, ready to slash down upon the defenceless Bing Yuanshan. Seeing his sorry state everyone couldn''t help but sigh, it appears that there would be one less person for them to compete with soon. 48 Brothers Enmity Seeing his sorry state everyone couldn''t help but sigh, it appears that there would be one less person for them to compete with soon. That was until a panting sound could be heard and like a bolt a figure rushed out of the number two dormitory, spearing the mighty Song Ping to the ground, causing the sabre to fall from his hands, banging along the floor. Cough! Song Ping wheezed as he tried to breath with great difficulty, his chest completely winded. His eyes darted about the place; he didn''t know what was happening.There was a faint ringing in his ears, and a banging sound repeatedly emerged from around his head. His eyes looked up, blurry and painful. A dark-haired figure was on top of him, raining down fists upon him. With every hit, his whole body shook, a bright red liquid started to emerge from his empty eye socket. Pale and confused, Song Ping''s fighting spirit began to kick in. His eye constricted, focusing on this advisory. Starting to dodge his fists, causing the enemy to growl in pain as he hit his hands on the floor. "Song Yi!!!" Song Ping''s voice screamed, letting out a vicious war cry, invoking the fury of his Song ancestors the moment he recognised this vile fiend face. "You, treacherous half breed!" This creature that he had to acknowledge as his blood brother would betray him so? This was unacceptable! His dark eyes started to burn bright crimson red, and a devilish aura began to exude from his skin. Whoosh! Three giant red-ethereal tentacles emerged from behind Song Pings back, grabbing Song Yi by the neck and arms, lifting him off his body. Song Ping growled, standing up. "You¡­. Song Ping, you''ve managed to¡­" Song Yi''s voice fumbled about in horror. "Yes. I''ve reached the second level in our Blood Song Codex!" His voice was livid yet filled the impassioned glory of a madman. "Blood Claws!" The hands of Song Ping suddenly transformed into two monstrous talons, all the fingers and palm converging into a stump of flesh, oozing blood, with a long dark, twisted tendril-like talon emerging from the centre. Everyone looked on with shock and horror as Song Ping prepared to plunge the dreadful claws into the chest of Song Yi, none moving, standing there stunned. Even the immensely talented Yu Shi just looked on, eyes wide, his pulse racing in fear as his breath quickened and his palms sweat. "Time to die!" Song Ping let out a visceral chuckle, excited at the prospect, his claws lunging forward. Song Yi tried to struggle but could only look on with horror, unable to do a thing, those ebony talons about to pierce his gut. All heard the whoosh of the air until a louder roar emerged! It was like that of a dragon, launching out its fire! Suddenly, through a little hole in the first dormitory, a stream of bright infernal flames burst forth, so quick it was even faster than Song Ping''s lunge. It was as if a mighty Jiao-Dragon swooped down from the heavens, trying to send them all ablaze. Instantly the entire group dropped to the ground, apart from two. The Song brothers. Song Ping didn''t even notice the flames, so obsessed with his bloodshed. He didn''t find out until it was too late, the flames, they swallowed him! Boom! Launching him from where he was standing, across the courtyard and instantly dissolving his bloody aura. Like a ragdoll, he was flung into the walls of the opposite dorm! Rushing against him, it was like he was stuck on the rocks of fiery rapids, using every ounce of his strength to resist! Pushing his hand forward against the fiery waterfall, he managed to whisper the words, "Blood Shield." A dome suddenly formed around him, red and scarlet all over. There he sat, only for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. How could such unholily powerful flames appear out of nowhere? This was his first thought, finding the whole situation rather inconceivable. As the flames vanished, he slumped to the floor, utterly void of energy he looked up. Everyone else was as shocked as he was but had managed to hit the ground first. Looking at the lot of them and their pitiful eyes made Song Ping feel sick, and just increased his desire to cut them to pieces! Now though, he was nothing. Entirely devoid of energy. A petty soldier in some mortal''s army could come up and snap his neck! Looking up with vicious but harmless eyes, he saw a figure approaching. It was walking, step-by-step. Hunched over and timid. It bent down and picked up the ''Blood Soaked Sword'' that Song Ping valued so much. Each step he took caused Song Ping''s rage to build, he knew what was coming¡­ Song Ping was about to vanquish his clan''s greatest shame for a hundred years! What made his father leave home forever! It was unfair! He could have ended it! If it wasn''t for that flame! Gods, what was that flame! It was so powerful, beyond anything someone at Qi River could produce! But it had to be someone from the lower peak¡­ it couldn''t be¡­ "Sha Ku." He hissed, blood glopping out from his mouth. "I''m sorry, brother." The figure stopped before him, shivering. "I can''t just roll over and die and seeing¡­ seeing as you want to end my life so badly." Song Yi took a deep gulp, lunging out with his sword eyes closed, causing a metallic ring to resound throughout the air. Silence lingered in the air for a while; everything was deathly still. Only a faint, lonely, breeze could be heard. Song Ping who had his eyes wide open suddenly started to cackle and laugh, breaking the silence. "You fucking retard! You missed me! At point blank range, you managed not to kill someone completely that was vulnerable! You truly are shit at everything you try!" 49 A World of Darkness, A Dream of Home "You fucking retard! You missed me! At point blank range, you managed not to kill someone that was completely vulnerable! You truly are shit at everything you try!" Song Yi''s eyes shot open looking at the sword that had gone underneath Song Ping''s arm, like a child play fighting and pretending to be stabbed. Song Yi tried with all his might to pull the ''Blood Soaked Sword'' out of the wall, but it was stuck! Even holding onto the hilt and using his leg to push it out didn''t work. Song Ping muttered a single word, "Fool." He grasped onto Song Yi''s wrist, "Blood Theft!" The words resounded throughout the courtyard until its effects started to take place. It was like bugs were crawling underneath Song Yi''s skin and travelling into Song Ping''s hand, with each little one of critters making him feel stronger and stronger! With an abrupt movement, Song Ping removed his left hand, which was on the ground, forming a fist and throwing it into Song Yi''s stomach! With a barking cough, Song Yi was sent flying, landing on top of Bing Yuanshan who was still unconscious. Rising once again from his deathly state Song Ping walked over to Song Yi, each step he took with his leather boots resounded throughout the courtyard, not a squeak could be heard. As Song Yi and Song Ping were only separated by but a few steps, Song Yi felt a terrible hatred for the first time. The self-loathing that he usually felt in his heart had long since gone, now all that re-sided within was a hatred. He wanted to hurt Song Ping, but he was weak. But what was it that hurt Song Ping the most, a stab, a kick, a punch? No, what assaults Song Ping the deepest is a slap. A slap to the face and his ''noble'' Song Clan. "Hahahaha!" Song Yi sniggered. "Ironic, the son of a notorious cuckold is the one to end me! Will your kill be stolen like mothers'' legs were by my father!" The crunching on the floor suddenly came to a halt. Song Ping''s feet were frozen, a deep shiver of hatred ran down his spine. His hands started to shake, and his eyes burnt red with blood. His shaking hand went behind his hip, and with a sharp slice through the air, a silver dagger was removed. His eyes transfixed on the tongue of the detestable half-breed that he named brother. He marched forward, silent and unholy. Standing before the tainted kin, he smugly smiled, "You shall be punished for your impudence, just as that whore I call mother was!" His voice cracked; his eyes frenzied. He raised his leather boot, far above his waist, stomping down upon his head. Again. Crunch! Again! Crack! Again! His nose bent halfway across his face, his teeth falling from his mouth and his jaw slacked across his face, Song Yi looked upwards. Hatred seethed from his mouth, unable to form words, blood poured veraciously as his tongue tried to wag about, his words were wind. As Song Ping saw this wagging tongue, his smile grew ever wider, his eyes squinting as he did, "The prodigal son offers himself off as a sacrifice. You have to learn how to keep your mouth shut you filthy mongrel!" Song Ping''s hand grasped Song Yi''s tongue, and with his other, he sent the dagger, shining in the afternoon sun ever closer. Lowering his head towards Song Yi''s ear, he smiled, "This will be slow." He let out in a whisper, his voice soft and smooth, calming even. He traced the edge of the blade over the top of Song Yi''s tongue; it started to leak the red ooze as Song Yi shrieked from the top his lungs, cutting into the hearts of the onlookers. Kicking his arms and legs about Song Yi tried to resist, yet he was powerless before Song Ping. His legs spasmed about, and his head felt like it was going to explode with pain! His eyes went hazy, soon he was no longer in the courtyard with a broken fountain, laying upon a fat lad. Instead, he was being held, they were strong hands, covering his entire back. The arms were that of a man, hairy and thick. He held him close, carrying him. He was only a boy back then. This man was holding his mothers'' hands, whispering to them both, "I''m sorry. I''m sorry it has to be this way; I hope you can forgive me when you''re older." Like that the muscular hairy man disappeared, turning into wind. Like a ghost, he was gone, vanished, leaving Song Yi and his mother all alone. Suddenly his once happy mother was in chains, imprisoned deep in a dungeon, a man with blood red hair held a child as well. Like his father, he was strong, but not brave or a heart full of compassion. Instead, he was unruly and selfish. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry Xiao Ping, mother has betrayed us. We won''t be seeing her for a while." A tear emerged from his eyes. "Ahhhhhhhh!" Song Yi screamed from the depths of his soul, his voice piercing the ears of all around, rudely awoken from his dream, stepping into his own personal nightmare. 50 Barbarian at the Gates The moment he awoke Song Yi''s eyes were like that which was cutting his tongue, daggers ¡ª staring straight at the blood-soaked Song Ping, who stood there, enjoying cutting his tongue layer by layer of muscle. "Oh, you have something to say?" Song Ping paused all of a sudden. Song Yi just gave an obstinate and disillusioned look towards the first dormitory, rousing Song Ping''s inquisitive nature. "Don''t worry; I''ll be sitting in there soon." His disgustingly smug face started to smirk until a sudden pause and a frown. "You, why do I sense no distress from you? Just happiness and¡­ expectation." Song Ping''s squinted eyes suddenly shot open; he had realised something. "He''s in there, isn''t he? Sha Ku. What a stupid name. Slayer, Painful. It doesn''t even make sense!" Song Ping let go of Song Yi''s tongue, rubbing the piece of cloth that covered his eye. Rage started to swell within him; he gave up taking his revenge slowly! He grasped Song Yi''s tongue once more, pulling it towards him, causing Song Yi to wail like a wounded animal and with a mighty slash he dismembered the tongue, blood squirting throughout the courtyard. Immediately Song Ping turned to the number one dorm, becoming a noble orator, "Sha Ku! Get your ass out here! You didn''t compete for your spot." His voice rung out true and strong. Then he waited and waited for some more. After there wasn''t any response he scoffed, obviously this Sha Ku was all talk. He had no intention of taking his challenge; he was, after all a nobody who only had a bit of talent to rely on! "My mongrel brother couldn''t keep his mouth shut. That won''t be a problem anymore." Song Ping held his brother''s dismembered tongue in the air, waving it in the air. He knew that Sha Ku tried to blind him just for mockery before. This was slapping his face and humiliating someone he had taken a liking to before, of course, he''d come out to respond! Song Ping continued waiting, taunting again and again, yet there was no response! Song Ping threw the chopped off appendage on the ground like it was nothing. Taking out a small handkerchief, wiping his hands clean. At this moment, Song Yi tried to sit up, struggling against the tyrant of a brother that was Song Ping. "Oh, you want to help?" Song Ping scoffed, lifting Song Yi by the collar. "You can help." He smirked, punching him in the gut, tossing him up in the air and sending a devastating side kick towards him in the air! Crunch! The sound of Song Yi''s ribs cracking resounded in everyone''s teeth, they all looked on with horror, unable to contain their reactions. With an almighty bang, the door burst open to reveal a stunning scene within¡­ --- "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, kid!" Yan Huang''s voice called out as the door burst open, Song Yi''s body ''rag dolling'' into the room of blood and ash. Sha Ku was unresponsive; he was only a collapsed and half mangled corpse on the floor, unable to do a thing. Yan Huang tried to wake him again and again, his voice unheard and his spirit unseen. Then came the all too well know footsteps of the soft clad leather boots; each step could be heard in the courtyard. They were like encroaching doom upon Yan Huang''s ears who was unable to contain his fear. "Damn it, kid! You were my chance for revenge! A mighty reincarnation of an unstoppable force forgotten by this world and the next! You''re going to let me get killed and taken away by foolish Mr Terribly cultivated blood art over here?!" Yan Huang''s voice was piercing and full of despair as if there was only darkness left in the world. The infinite void had swallowed all the light his divine flames had once illuminated. "So, this is why you weren''t coming out¡­" The voice belonged to Song Ping; it was full of contempt and was like a dog snarling. "To think, you suffered some major Qi deviation. Tut, tut, tut. And here that wretched old man Tun Fong thought you were some saviour sent from the heavens for the Spirit Sword Sect¡­" Song Ping sighed, as if slightly disappointed. He reached out his hand backwards, opening his hand. Soon the sword that was stuck in the wall began to wobble until it shot out towards his hand. "At least you''ll have the honour of telling all in the afterlife you had the good grace to die at my hand¡­" As soon as the sword entered his hand Song Ping cackled, stabbing towards Sha Ku''s defenceless body that was curled up on the floor with blood pouring out of every orifice! 51 The Undying Slayer Chuck! There was a loud ringing sound and vibrations reverberated throughout the air as Song Ping attempted to pierce Sha Ku''s defenceless heart. Instead, the ''Blood Soaked Sword'' instantly stopped just an inch into Sha Ku''s chest, like a lumberjack who''s axe had sunken into a dense wood, unable to properly chop or penetrate a mighty oak. "What witchcraft is this." Song Ping let out a gasp, trying to pull the sword out of Sha Ku''s chest. "Not witchcraft, Body Refining." Huang Yan let out, his voice choking up. His eyes bawling up in relief, his revenge was still possible. "What?!" Song Ping instantly turned his head, the spirit Huang Yan was visible to him. Standing there, he was stunned. Without a moment''s hesitation, he demanded to know who he was. "What are you waiting for, kid?" was Yan Huang''s only response. From the moment the sword didn''t sink into Sha Ku''s heart, he knew that the child was alive and well. Otherwise, the tip would have pierced deep into his fleshy body, lacking the energy to resist. Like a river in reverse the blood that soaked the floor started to retreat, slowly but surely returning into Sha Ku''s one meridian, like that Sha KU''s blood vanished from the room. "Enough of this!" Song Ping drew his dagger once again, preparing to plunge it into the soft jelly of Sha Ku''s eye. It grew ever closer, the air from the tip rushed against Sha Ku''s eye until a smile appeared on his face, "Shadowless Step." Clicking his heels Sha Ku vanished from Song Ping''s sight, instantly the latter''s face went pale, his hand numb from where the dagger hit the stone hard floor. Bang! Sha Ku appeared in mid-air, his foot shot towards the centre of Song Ping''s chest and screamed, "Void Breaking Foot!" The moment the foot his Song Ping''s chest ripples appeared in the air, like the ripples in a pond. So powerful were these waves that the wood and stone in the room vibrated! Swoosh! Song Ping shot through the air like a cannonball, skidding along the floor, landing in a semi-circle made by the other students. One of them ran up to him, witnessing the blood gushing as his mouth. With two hands he helped him up, urging him on, "Come on Song Ping, don''t let this cretin defeat you with stupid sneak attacks!" Hearing his words, Song Ping looked at him with deathly eyes, as if saying, ''Close your mouth, fool! Before I shut if for you permanently!'' Immediately a thought of gold stuck Song Ping''s mind as Sha Ku merged from the ashy hut, "Perhaps you can help, ''Accelerated Blood Devour''!" Without a second thought, Song Ping plunged his claw-like palm into this follower''s stomach, screaming these words with utmost urgency. The boy who had once been brave and supportive now withered away like a corpse, a thousand year in a few seconds before everyone''s eyes. Before Sha Ku could take another step, Song Ping''s follower fell to the ground, nothing but a dusty skeleton remained. Song Ping, on the other hand, he looked amazing. All his energy was restored, three elongated, red tentacles flapped about in the air, like a set of legs emerging from his back. His eyes weren''t round anymore, but sharp, like a snake''s. "Prepare to die ¨C" Before he could finish his sentence, Sha Ku shot towards him like a raging tornado, sliding on the ground as he got closer, causing a hale of dirt and dust to fill the air! With a mumble that sounded like, "Void Breaking Chop!" the blinded Song Ping felt his left leg vanish suddenly! No pain, just all sensation of it disappeared, like a phantom in the wind. Song Ping looked downwards, and with a sense of horror, his confident and bestial fa?ade broke. His face twisted, and he let out a cry from the top of his breath! "My Leg!" He stood there looking down, all that remained was a stump leaking blood like an ocean leaked a tsunami! It was spurting everywhere like a high-pressure hose left without anyone to control it. The dirt from the air began to settle, and Sha Ku appeared from within it, his face full of bright smiles. "You know, you may cultivate a powerful blood art¡­ but it''s pretty much useless if someone slices an artery of your''s wide open. Not much blood left after a time." Sha Ku appeared like a shadow in the mist, a king of the ashes, holding a severed leg in his right hand while smiling and looking Song Ping straight in the eyes. Song Ping''s giant tentacles immediately vanished, falling on his back, his consciousness fuzzy and fading. "If I were you, I wouldn''t plot revenge against me. We''re expected to ascend to the middle of the peak by the end of next winter solstice." Sha Ku said, his voice confident and wise. By his calculations, he had to ascend to the middle peak within a year, if not the consequences will be dire. Hearing his words, some of the students looked about, there faces still in awe and shock of the battle that took place. One or two had looks of disgust, and a short fellow had brought up his breakfast. "What do you mean?" Shu Yu asked, stepping forward from the crowd. "Shu Yu, you''re not stupid right?" Shu Yu immediately frowned in response, thinking over Sha Ku''s words. "You may be too innocent to realise. The dorms. Think about it, why isn''t there anyone occupying them?" His words were like a glass shattering on the floor in a room of sacred silence, where was everyone else? There were around fifty dorm rooms; there should be more students on the bottom peak! Instead, it was only the group that had joined today. "Interesting." A smiling face said, his old wrinkles sprawled across his face, stroking his green bushy beard. This was Elder Tun; he was standing at the top of the peak with another two men, one of which was An Mo and another that was missing both his eyes. "He figured out what happens to those that don''t proceed to the middle peak within a year." An Mo''s face lit up; his sharp eyes were filled with pride at the find. "Well, what can we do, waste resources on weaklings? We need souls to fuel our subsidiary professions. If we were allowed to slaughter our way into the heart of our rivals, we could easily provide¡­ ahhh, I miss the old days." The blind old fellow said, rubbing the centre of his forehead, disappointed. An Mo nodded, "Yes, Sect Master has indeed been impractical these past few years. If not for the Elemental Peak, he would have completely reformed the sect long ago. Luckily he''s not longed for this world." "That''s why you should go into seclusion and break thought An Mo, if you manage to reach the Dao realm, there wouldn''t be any chance for the other Hall Masters to ascend to Sect Master." Elder Tun nodded veraciously. "You''re not wrong, but you''re not completely correct either. There''s always the possibility one of the Prime Elders want to throw their name in for Sect Master." An Mo''s voice was sober and cold. "Prime Elders?!" The blind and green bearded duo said in shock. "Hush now." An Mo said, calming the duo. "Do you know if it''s that old bastard interfering with things again? He always was a cunt, even when we were measly disciples." The eyeless old geezer asked. "I don''t know, but he is undoubtedly the most powerful practitioner within the Sect, but he''s been in seclusion for two decades now. I''m not even sure if he''s still got all his faculties." "We can only hope." Elder Tun chuckled. 52 The Next Frost Archon The horizon had swallowed the sun quite some time ago. Currently, Sha Ku sat within his room. He was planning his path ahead. He had successfully cultivated the first layer of the Undying Slayer Technique ¨C Undying Wood. This first layer was the deep plunge, requiring Sha Ku to cripple and destroy his nine meridians, sacrificing them in honour to the heavens. Showing his devotion, it would grant him a single Un-dying Meridian that would transform his body ¨C The Undying Wood Meridian. This was a sycophantic technique in the eyes of some, begging the heavens for something, but actually, it was a way of seizing what Karmatic Luck one had and offering it up and getting something in return. There were fifteen levels in total for the Undying Slayer Technique, all of which are progressively harder than the prior level. Fortunately for Sha Ku, he wouldn''t have to destroy his meridians once again. Instead, he should be able to temper his body in a straightforward manner¡­ if you included indescribable pain and agony mixed with untold resources under your definition of straightforward¡­ Now though, Sha Ku didn''t have to worry. As long as he didn''t fight with anyone above Qi River, he should be undefeatable, especially someone in the lower realms. It''s not like he''s not going to run into someone practising a Dao Tier technique around the corner. This is a wasteland of cultivation after all. Sha Ku suddenly frowned, thinking about the technique An Mo gave him, made by that¡­ Kewang Yun. "Perhaps things might be interesting." A smile emerged on Sha Ku''s face. --- Sha Ku emerged from his room as the sun went into twilight, and the fresh mountain air swept down upon him. The courtyard covered in snow, the skies above filled with white and snowflakes drifted through the air. A light smile appeared on his lips, appreciating the short breath of serenity. "You''re Sha Ku right, the one who chopped off Song Ping''s leg?" A broken voice spoke out from behind him. It was the short fat young man ¨C Bing Yuanshan. Looking backwards Sha Ku raised an eyebrow, clasping his hands behind his back, he nodded. Seeing his disposition, Bing Yuanshan gulped a little, fiddling with his collar, "It''s just I wanted to thank you¡­ I couldn''t have done it myself." Bing Yuanshan''s voice faltered from shame. "There''s no shame in being weak. Only in staying so." Sha Ku told him. Bing Yuanshan was stunned by his answer; he''d never been called weak before today. After the downfall of his clan, he had always been the most talented child left. He may be a glutton and enjoy food, but whoever teased him or jibbed at him would be swiftly crushed under his boot. This place, though, the Spirit Sword Sect, he was the ant underneath the tyrannical boot. Swift would be his demise if he couldn''t change. "I wanted to ask; can you help me become powerful?" Bing Yuanshan managed to stutter out-wards. Sha Ku who was facing away had a deep and sudden smile appear on his face, "I can make it so your staff can freeze over the great sea of the central plains so that you can walk through this world without boundaries nor obstacles. What can you offer in return?" Bing Yuanshan immodestly fell to his hands and knees, his forehead pressed to the ground, "My undying loyalty." "Your undying loyalty? I have no use for such a thing. You do realise you''ll eventually become a burden to me, so why don''t you offer me something of value¡­ and don''t say your life." Sha Ku turned around, his face like stone. "Something better?" Bing Yuanshan started to sweat¡­ until a bright light sparked within his eyes. "Ice Phoenix Fungus!" "What did you just say?" Sha Ku''s stone face cracked apart; his eyes shot wide open. "Ice Phoenix Fungus, my family knows the location its rumoured to grow!" Bing Yuanshan said with some pride. Sha Ku couldn''t help but be stunned, unable to believe his luck. Ice Phoenix Fungus was a unique and rear item, even in the higher realms! It was an Ultra Yin substance and could fully develop the Yin side of his bloodline¡­ If he managed to obtain it, he wouldn''t need to worry about the Yin half of his bloodline ever again! "This is a fair deal; the Fungus is greater in value to me than that of your clan. Come bring me a map with its location in the morning, and I''ll give you something of such value that you''ll not fear another man or woman in this world again." Sha Ku''s words were true and fair; if he could obtain the fungus, he''d repay Bing Yuanshan beyond his wildest dreams. Turning on his heel Sha Ku rubbed his hands together behind his back, a delighted look crowned his face and re-entered his room, closing the door behind him gently. When he the room he immediately took out two scrolls of paper starting to write down two different techniques. The first was called, "The Frost Archon''s Wrath." A technique he''d adapted from the Ice Born of the God Race! The second was, "Heaven''s Divine Ice," A unique technique that he''d acquired some time ago. It allowed one to gather divine ice and transform one''s ice techniques into those that use it. What was so special about divine ice, well it had the toughness of steel, it couldn''t melt, and it burned to the touch. If Bing Yuanshan was to become a follower of his, he couldn''t have him looking weak. It would reflect poorly upon himself. 53 Suspicious Old Man By rising of dawn the next day, Bing Yuanshan was sitting outside of the number one room; patiently waiting with a map in his hands. On this map there was a location circled a hundred miles from the Spirit Sword Mountain range. This area was a lush forest region with winding hills and hundreds of horrible beasts that would devour whoever they got their grubby paws on. Creeeeeeak. The door to the room creaked open, standing there was an adolescent with a look of divine pride on his face; for he was about to turn stone into gold. "You have the map I see." Were Sha Ku''s words, looking down at the chubby figure, who instantly leapt to his feet. Whoosh! Swiftly and decisively Sha Ku snatched the map from his hands while holding two paper scrolls behind his back. Quickly memorising the map, he nodded, "Good, good. This deed will not go unrewarded." Sha Ku snapped his fingers, causing the map to go up in cinders. Handing the two scrolls over to Bing Yuanshan he locked eyes with him, "Memorise these, then destroy them. Believe me; you don''t want to be caught with these." He stepped out of his door and started to walk away before Bung Yuanshan even got the chance to say, ''thank you.'' --- Before long Sha Ku arrived at a place titled, "Spirit Sword Store." It was at this place that students would gather rewards contribution points. In the shop was an older man with a pipe in his mouth, rocking back and forth in an old rocking chair. His hair stuck out at the sides, and his eyebrows came halfway off his head. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Ahhh! A new whippersnapper, what are you here for?" The old man chuckled in his wry voice. Sha Ku immediately took a bow; he couldn''t detect this old man''s cultivation level, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Greetings Senior, this young one wants to enquire about the reward and contribution point system in the sect." Sha Ku asked humbly, showing the utmost respect. The old man nodded, taking a large puff on his pipe, taking in all the air and coughing it out, "Cough! Cough! That''s some good pipeweed." The old man chuckled, his eyes going red around the irises. "Listen here, kid, the sect wants to bleed every service possible from you. You aren''t going to find anything easy, and it''ll kill most of the students before they can become an elder. But for those that succeed, it''ll create an inbuilt dependency and loyalty to the sect." The elder spoke, taking another large puff on his pipe. "The reward system is straightforward; even a rooster could understand it. The sect will reward you for the heads of beasts and sect enemies alike; there are missions as well, but we don''t offer them on the lower peaks as they''re considered too hard." The old man scratched his chin, nodding, "Yep, that''s about it¡­" Sha Ku looked up; brows perched. This old man was odd. Very odd. "May I ask senior''s name?" Sha Ku spoke. "No, you may not, hehe." The old man giggled. "Very well, I bid you a good day." Sha Ku said, turning around to leave without even bothering to ask about the rewards, he intended to get as many contribution points as possible on this trip. "Happy hunting for that fungus." The old man cackled, echoing throughout the air. "What?!" Sha Ku turned around, stunned, looking to ask the old man how he knew of his mission. But when Sha Ku turned around all he saw was a middle-aged man, dizzy and half-conscious, vomiting on the floor. There was no sight of the crazy old man that he had spoken too before. "What the hell was that then?" Sha Ku raised his lip in confusion, looking out to the central peak with suspicion. ---- Sha Ku left that day, his hand clasped around a particular sword that he had taken as a prize from a defeated opponent. As he left the gates of the sect, he looked back, tracing along the outside of the sharp sword, "Soon. Soon, none shall be able to obstruct my path and the mountain will belong to me." He walked through the hills, his sword sheathed on his belt, another ¨C the violet cloud sword, was resting in his spatial ring. The journey to the forest ¨C Darkspire, where the fungus resided would be a long one. There were a hundred miles between him and the forest, he figures he could trek it in about twelve hours of continues travelling, but there''s a strong possibility that he''d be exhausted when he arrived. He was only in the body of a young boy after all. He''d spend two days travelling, to make sure that he didn''t tire himself out. That present-ed a specific problem for him though, sleeping. The distance between the Spirit Sword Mountains and Darkspire forest was filled with ruff terrain and beasts beyond counting. "Eh, I''ll just wing it." Sha Ku shrugged, he wasn''t too worried, and if worst came to worse, he could slaughter his way to the forest. 54 The Princess, Big Bessie and Ma Chao ''ROAR!'' A Jurassic like roar resounded throughout the air, shaking the ground. Sha Ku raised an eyebrow, "Well, that can''t be good." A rumbling sound reverberated throughout the ground to the point the soil on the ground started to jump about like little insects. A cracking sound started to come from beneath Sha Ku''s feet as if something was rising from the depths of hell. Roar! Bang! Sha Ku slammed his foot down on the ground, launching himself into the air. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Beneath him the ground ripped open, a ginormous maw full of razor-sharp teeth burst forth from the dirt, snapping at Sha Ku. "Fuck!" Sha Ku looked at the giant creature emerging from the ground with rounded eyes, completely and utterly shocked. The colossal beast that burst forth from the ground was a rank five beast! An Armoured Demon Wyrm! Its strength was equal to that of a Star Palace practitioner! "Fuuuuuuckkk!" Sha Ku rapidly burst forth, using the Great Eagle''s Flight to soar half a mile for-ward in the blink of an eye. With a grand slam Sha Ku landed on the ground, rolling over and over again as his momentum started to falter, coming to a stop he was covered in dirt; the proud nobleman had long since vanished. "Why, why is there a fucking half-dragon outside the Mountains?" Sha Ku laid on his back; panting with every word. Suddenly a rumbling once again drew ever closer, "How fast is this thing?" Sha Ku gasped in shock, getting up to once again run for his life. "It''s going to drain too much energy to constantly use my movement or escape techniques to outrun this thing¡­" Sha Ku growled, looking around himself, panicked, for anything that could help. There was nothing though, only empty roaming hills and grassland that was endless. "What''s that?" Sha Ku looked upwards, seeing a large carpet in the air¡­ --- A pompous fellow in a five-coloured robe was standing upon a beautiful stitched rug; his arms stretched around two big-breasted beauties. A charming smile lighted upon his face, licking his lips at the same time. The incredibly handsome man was Ma Chao. The third greatest disciple of elemental peak, a peacock amongst women and a dragon amongst his fellow men. "Look, what''s that!" One of the women he had his arm around pointed out to the ground, seeing a boy dashing about the place in a blur, being chased by a giant worm with a gaping mouth of swords. Ma Chao looked over his shoulder, "Haha, that kid''s getting chased by old Bessie." Ma Chao chuckled while caressing one of the woman''s soft breasts in his hand. "That kid must be from Demonic Peak, never thought I''d see one of those brats be so stupid." Ma Chao looked away, starting to pull down one of the women''s tops. "Wait, Ma Chao, please help the child. I don''t think I could do anything knowing I let a child die." The woman named Si Qing said, drawing him over from the other girl, kissing him deeply on the lips, and undoing her robe, allowing her large breasts to fall out. "Ah, Si Qing, I never could say no to you." He stuck his tongue down her throat, pushing back-wards, causing the other woman to fall off the flying carpet, screaming all the while. Si Qing and Ma Chao broke their lips, both smiling. Ma Chao quickly pushed her down to the bottom of the carpet while she giggled and let out moans of joy. --- Sha Ku looked up, as he was dodging from side to side, avoiding the beast that he didn''t know was Bessie. "Is that girl naked?" Sha Ku furrowed his brows, as a large breasted woman was falling in the air, trying to retie the neck of her dress. Bessie, the giant beast immediately sensed the falling beauty. Fed up of the dodging flea that he was trying to eat changed its target to something juicy! The violet haired woman that was falling from the skies had finally retied her dress and had tied back her hair. Her face was infuriated and screamed so loud it felt like it was shaking the heavens, "Fuck you, Ma Chao! You''ll regret screwing I, Zi Xiang, over!" Seeing, Bessie, the hundred-foot-long Demonic Wyrm launching towards her through the skies she made a loud snorting noise. "A beast like you dares to gobble me up?! You may be stronger than I am now, but I''m going to hurt you real bad, you slow little slug!" Zi Xiang drew an epic greatsword twice her height from her spatial ring, dodging to the side of the fifty-foot-wide gaping maw and slashing downwards into its side, causing it to roar as a line of blood and flesh burst out of its body! Sha Ku was in awe; this woman must have some strength to contend with such a thing. Sending out his soul senses, he was able to tell the woman was at least a Coloured Star cultivator. He didn''t stick around though; he wasn''t keen on fighting the thing. And he especially didn''t want that girl to notice him. "If she knew I saw her breasts she''d probably try to kill me where I stand." Sha Ku rubbed the back of his neck, turning in the other direction and running off. A firm image of her bare chest still scorched into his head. "It was a good sight though¡­!" Smack! Sha Ku slapped his forehead, "Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, that''ll make me slow. Focus!" Sha Ku used the Eagles Flight once again, vanishing from sight, leaving the intense fight between the Princess Zi and big ol'' Bessie to its fate. 55 Entering Darkspire Sha Ku stood up straight; it was night. In the distance, he could see the vast forest of Darkspire. His current appearance was far different than it had been two days ago. The current Sha Ku was in blood-soaked robes, his face completely red. In his interspatial ring, there were hundreds of heads, each belonging to a different beast. When he had outrun big Bessie, a swarm of beasts appeared. They were hiding from the alpha, but when she had disappeared¡­ well as the saying goes, when the cats away, the mice will play¡­ and many mice there were. Two days of complete and utter slaughter had taken its toll on Sha Ku; his face was tried. His eyes fatigued. No, he wasn''t physically, but instead mentally exhausted. The path of slaughter is one of fury, one of destruction one of ruthlessness. Two entire days in that mindset would be exhausting to anyone who had not yet tempered their minds. Sha Ku growled, looking upwards. The skies were dark around Darkspire; the clouds grew heavy as they crackled and lit up in the dark of night. As he took the first steps into the forest, the gentle pitter-patter of rain started to fall upon his shoulder; his hair grew wet, the red began to run. His clothes were washed. He tilted his head upwards, eyes closed, the rain ran down his elegant face. He opened his mouth, capturing a few droplets of water. Gulping them down, his mouth was refreshed. Taking out a piece of beast meat from his ring, he ravenously devoured it, bite after bite. Brushing his hands together, they suddenly ignited, burning away any dirt. Crack! Crack! He wrenched both his fists, sending a loud echoing crunch through the air, "I suppose its time to move onwards." He let out a small whisper, once again drawing the ''Blood-Soaked Blade''." Swoosh! He had vanished from his spot, jumping twenty-foot-high he landed on a branch of one of the seemingly infinite trees of darkspire. Crouching on the branch, he shook his head, "The forest is at least a few thousand leagues in ar-ea¡­ the area which holds the Ice Phoenix Fungus is in the very depths of the forest." Sha Ku rubbed his chin; it would take him a few days to traverse the terrain. "Hopefully, I don''t meet with any distractions." "You know you, Sha Ku." A spiritual figure suddenly appeared, emerging from a certain ring, "You always manage to find trouble." Yan Huang started to laugh to himself. Sha Ku''s face turned sour, turning to the bearded old spirit, "Nice of you to mention you old goat, perhaps I should throw this ring of mine into the ocean?" Yan Huang''s translucent face somehow went a shade of white, "Cough, cough. I mean you manage to find opportunities, of course; you always turn a situation to your advantage." Sha Ku sighed, "Let''s move." Like that he moved as fast as the wind, leaping from tree branch to tree branch for who knows how long. --- Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Feng Lou, what are you doing? You''re not just going to let this trash go, are you?" A fellow in a fiery red robe stood tall, next to another wearing the same garbs. Feng Lou looked to his brother in arms, "Feng Dong, he''s just some measly disciple form Elemental Peak who''s talented in alchemy, why would I let him go?" Feng Lou slammed down with his boot, causing the boy underneath his feet to heave. The identical twins laughed to each other. The taller of the two Feng Lou quickly started to pat down the five-coloured robe disciple ¨C Yung Chu. Taking out a small pot of pills, that were engraved with several markings. Opening the pot, he took a quick whiff. "Smell that, brother?" Feng Lou looked to Feng Dong. "Yes, Heavenly Encompassing Pills, twelve of them." Feng Dong started to salivate over the bottle of pills. Heavenly Encompassing Pills were, without a doubt extremely useful. They could help with a breakthrough all the way up to the Dao Realm! They could also purify the bloodline and cleanse the body! They were things that anyone with any power would kill over! Now the Feng Twins had got their hands on them. Feng Dong and Lou were both at the early stages of the Qi Sea Realm; they had easily crushed this disciple from elemental peak ¨C Yung Chu. Yung Chu was a unique child, although his combat skills and cultivation were inconceivably terrible compared to his peers, his alchemic talents were comparable to a deity amongst men. What-ever pill he creates it''s 100% Purity, no matter what. This caught the eyes of everyone on Elemental Peak! He was immediately promoted to an Upper Peak disciple, and even though he was the weakest there, he was adored by all. Who would want to get on the wrong side of a future Pill Grandmaster?! Nobody! Unfortunately, Yung Chu had decided to gather some ingredients and had wandered off from his protective detail; the end result was an ambush from the red-headed twins. "Please, I''ll give you anything. Please, just spare me!" Yung Chu squeaked, begging for his life. "Hm! Stupid Elemental punk, you think that I''m going to allow you to tell your senior brothers and sisters about this? You must think I''m a retard!" Feng Dong roared, drawing his sword and striking downwards! "Ahhh!" Yung Chu screamed. "Hahaha!" Feng Dong manically yelled, piercing towards his chest. "Hu?" Feng Dong, who stood their pinning down Yung Chu with his big boot, looked at his hand; it had vanished! All that remained was a stump! A stump squirting blood! "Ahhhh! Lou''er what happened?!" Feng Dong cried, appealing to his twin. Turning though, it was useless. Standing there was a headless carcass, wearing the robes of Feng Lou. Feng Dong''s eyes became small, his pupils constricted. He took a tight breath, ready to scream in horror and morning. Smack! The back of his head was whipped with the hilt of a sword, falling to the ground his entire world went dark. The whimpering Yung Chu looked around, setting his sight on a figure holding a dark red sword. It wasn''t a might figure; it was small¡­ it was a child?! 56 The Bumbling Genius The whimpering Yung Chu looked around, setting his sight on a figure holding a dark red sword. It wasn''t a might figure; it was small¡­ it was a child?! Sha Ku stood there, blade in hand, like a terrifying demonic dwarf. Sha Ku sheathed his sword, looking at the tall, lanky Yung Chu, his eyebrows frowned. "You there, why do you have such a strong medical aroma?" Sha Ku pointed directly at quivering man-child that was Yung Chu. Yung Chu mumbled a few words out, "Pill Venerate Dai Chi is my master, I promise you¡­ she''ll reward you if you help me!" Sha Ku''s frown deepened. ''This fool is trying to bribe me. I just asked him why he smelt like a barrel of pills?'' His thoughts turned, ''I wonder who this Pill Venerate Dai Chi is.'' Shaking his head, he looked to the robes of Yung Chu, "You have an azure striped collar, only those from the top of the peaks have them. Your cultivation is at the Coloured Star Realm¡­ how are you so weak?" "I¡­ I¡­ I''m a useless louse!" Yung Chu burst out crying, slamming his hands on the ground like a child not getting his way. Sha Ku tip-toed towards Yung Chu, pinching his wrist as he writhed about, his jaw almost dropped. "How¡­ how the hell did you even reach Coloured Star Realm?!" Sha Ku''s eyes went wide open, his breathing deepened. Sha Ku felt something very wrong. Cultivation, it required a sturdy foundation before advancing to the next level; otherwise, one would suffer deviation! A cultivator needed a foundation sturdy as a mountain to reach the heavens! Yung Chu though, it was like a city, ruined and completely burned to the ground, razed and destroyed! It made Sha Ku feel sick just looking at it, "I''m sorry, I would like to help you¡­ but there''s honestly nothing; even I can do¡­" Sha Ku left, turning his back on Yung Chu, walking onwards. "Wait! Wait! Don''t leave, I¡­ escort me back, and I can tell you about something good!" Yung Chu clawed at Sha Ku''s leg. Sha Ku turned around, looking at the pitiful being clawing at his leg, "Something good?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yes! Yes! Something very good! I know about an Eight-Tailed Serpent, its injured and is about to die! You could steal it''s Demonic Core; it''d help your cultivation immensely!" Sha Ku rubbed his chin; an Eight-Tailed Serpent had the bloodline of the Eight-Clawed Dragon within, if he could acquire it, he''d be able not only use its Demonic Core but harvest it''s blood-line, and an Eight-Clawed Dragon bloodline would be invaluable. He could use it himself, or even better send the refined blood to his little brother, allowing him to make leaps and strides in his ''Will of the Divine Dragon''! The meat off of the beast could help him condense the Undying Stone Body as well! "Very well, I''ll escort you to the edge of the forest, from there you''ll be able to make your way back." Sha Ku smiled. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"Cried the disciple who appeared as if a strong breeze could destroy him. Sha Ku started walking, dragging the lanky man-child along with him as he clawed as Sha Ku''s leg, "Don''t worry, once I get back to Elemental Peak I''ll tell all my brothers and sister of your glory, you''ll have good relations with them from there on out!" Yung Chu practically wept in joy as he was drug through the thick forest mud, rain splashing down on him from above. After half an hour of pulling the useless man along Sha Ku came to a stop near the outside of the forest, "Don''t worry, Yung Chu, that big worm''s in a fight with some Zi Royal Clans lady. You should be able to sneak back without encountering any living demonic beasts." "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Yung Chu cried kissing Sha Ku''s feet, who felt incredibly uncomfortable. "Just tell me where the fucking Eight-Tailed Serpent is." Sha Ku started to lose his patience. "Of course, of course. The Eight-Tailed serpent is the frost-heart section of the forest." Yung Chu smiled, then ran off into the distance, waving his arms and legs about like a madman. "Frost-heart section of the forest!" Sha Ku growled, shaking his fist the man that was running into the distance. "I''m already going there you, fucking coward!"Sha Ku started to grind his teeth, quickly shooting back into the forest at full speed. --- Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. In a small area covered with blood, an old lady stood upright, she had dark grey hair, and she wore a white Daoist robe. Her hair was pinned back by a long ''swallow pin'' and at her side was a sabre, sheathed. Looking at the two corpses, she tutted to herself, "Heaven''s Fallen isn''t going to like two of his decedents showing up dead." She tutted to herself. She then took out a bright purple lantern; it emitted an intense azure fire, "Flames of Heaven''s Virtue, tell me the truth of this place!" Suddenly the fire shot up in the air and the air rippled, a worried figure crushed under the foot of the Feng Twins was crying, begging for his life. Just as they were about to kill him, a shadowy figure slew them both, swiftly and cruelly. The old woman frowned, "Interesting¡­ I don''t know who that dark figure is, but that wastrel must be Yung Chu¡­ Dai Chi''s disciple¡­ this could get interesting." 57 Poison Spiri Sha Ku sat down, wiping his forehead. Removing a dark flask from his spatial ring, he uncapped it, taking a deep swig of it. Smacking his lips, a smile lit upon his face, and his cheeks went a little rosy. "Sha Ku, drinking whiskey, you''re what, five?" Yan Huang appeared in his golden glory. "What about it, all this drudge work¡­ I need something to dull the senses a bit!" Sha Ku chuckled, taking another swig of the whiskey. "What you need is a lackey¡­ or lackeys. Someone you can trust, reliably powerful, but most of all, easy to manipulate." Yan Huang sat down against the back of a tree. "Easier said than done. I need that, yes, but it''d be easier just to make a legion of soul slaves. My soul cultivation is only at the beginning of the Initiate Stage. I''d need to reach the Expert stage if I wanted to create an army of my own." Sha Ku shook his head with regret, belching a little the smell of whiskey and stomach acid hung in the air. "Have you ever thought of making friends, binding people through a sense of shared gratitude and ambition rather than the idea of making them subservient." Yan Huang spoke, raising his eyebrow. "Ha! You sound like the old ancestor. Let me tell you, binding people through ambition, it''s insane, the very concept is writhed with faults. What happens once you achieve the ambition? There''s nothing more to bind you together! You turn your swords on one another, like fiends¡­ even blood brothers would murder each other for a taste of immortality¡­" "Gratitude though¡­ That''s entirely different. Although people with gratitude feel the need to be indentured into servitude towards a person or organisation, eventually that gratitude will fade. The fanaticism will fade¡­." Sha Ku suddenly sat up! Electricity coursed throughout his body; a bright but vicious smile appeared on his face. "Tell me, Yan Huang; you came from a flame worshipping religion, right?!"Sha Ku snapped his fingers at the translucent golden man before him. "Yes¡­ although the religious aspect wasn''t heavily practised. Yet the reverence of the Holy Flames was deeply embedded in the sect." Yan Huang had a puzzled look on his face. "Yan Huang, how many have met the judges of the underworld, following their religious code or path?" Sha Ku''s eyes were like a vipers. "Kid, you don''t mean to say¡­ you want to set up-" "Yes, I want to set up my own religion!" Sha Ku''s face switched to a serine calm, "With you at its head." "Me?!" Yan Huang''s face scrunched up. "Of course, it''ll take time. But I suggest when we have time, we visit a highly populated town, in the Centre of the Wen Empire. We''ll check with the governmental bureaus; we''ll find the town with the highest population density that''s the least educated¡­ then we''ll feed them our ideals. We''ll indoctrinate them, make them loyal, you shall be the holy spirit from the heavens, and I shall be the heavenly son, the boy to free them from servitude." "Sha Ku¡­ that''s¡­ that''s." Yan Huang stuttered, slightly uncomfortable. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Don''t worry; it won''t be for a while now. All in good time, for now though, I have that mess of fools that live a few feet away from me. They''ll be more than useful to me." Sha Ku stood up again, stretching. "Now, let''s go find that fucking fungus and that stupid serpent." Sha Ku''s eyes became focused, clicking his bones about, disappearing in a flash. "Kid, wait! This form is slower than a snail writing a book!" --- Sha Ku stopped came to an abrupt stop twenty minutes later, directly opposite the tree he was sitting in was a subterranean cave. He''d sent his spiritual sense, only slightly feeling it out, what he found was a trail of blood, powerful blood within. He''d only have one chance to kill this thing; it was a Rank 5 Demonic Beast after all. It was equivalent to a Star Palace Rank Practitioner! Even a Rank 5 Demonic Beast on the verge of death was dangerous, but Sha Ku had a plan for that. On his journey through the forest, he''d snagged three herbs ¨C Jung Berries, Heartcooling Vein and Purple Tree Ash. Just these three things alone were utterly harmless, but mixed, melted under the experienced flames of an ageless sage, well, they were a pretty nasty paralysis mixture. Now, a Rank 5 Demon Beast, that''s going to take a lot of energy to heal. It''s going to need a lot of food. Probability dictates it''s already eaten any reserves it''s had, luckily for it, Sha Ku had built a collection travelling through the Spirit Sword Hills. "Hehehe." He chuckled to himself, melting the three ingredients, pouring them each into his whiskey flask, taking a quick sniff while shaking it about he gagged, his eyes started to twitch, becoming dizzy. "Oh, that''s some strong stuff. Whoooeeey!" He put the cap back on, trying to regain his bearings. Sha Ku ripped off an arm of some clothes stored in his ring, careful to avoid the now clean robe Lin May had given him. Tying the white cloth around his face, he squinted, pouring half the alcoholic mix over the meat of many different beasts. Placing it back in his ring, he descended from the tree, throwing it down the entrance to the cave, a bottomless an emotionless pit in the ground. 58 Cave Side Sha Ku waited five hours, each second squatting outside the abyss like cave in the ground. Each second of these five hours had his ears fiercely attuned to everything that was happening in the cave. He dared not to use his divine sense if the beast discovered it would be too suspect. Thinking it was a trap! Of course, it was; but that was only for Sha Ku to know. ''Come on you damn monstrosity-'' Sha Ku''s inner ear started to twitch, making his spine shiver fiercely. ''It''s time.'' Was Sha Ku''s first thought. Below he heard the massive trudging of a beast and the sound of the skulls cracking underneath the colossal beast could be heard. The reptile purred with joy. Chomping down the carcasses of the dead beasts, a sense of comfort and relief deep within its heart was apparent to even the blindest of observers. A cunning smile appeared on the face of Sha Ku as the titanic serpents chomping, slower and slower, until finally, it came to an eventual halt. Swoosh! With a great leap, Sha Ku dove into the hole in the darkness.! All around him, the air whipped about, burning his skin but not removing his deadly smile. His hair stirred about in the air like it was a black dye in a whirlpool of crystal-clear celestial water. Shing! Sha Ku removed the two daggers from their sheaths on his belt, plunging them deep into the surface of the cave walls, coming to an abrupt stop. He hung there, mid-air. The cold air started to bite at him. The cave wall which he clung to was damp, moss-covered. Droplets of ice-cold water began to cling to his fingers, running down his arms, causing him to shiver. Sha Ku took a deep breath, and with a roar, he opened his mouth, fire-spewing outwards, illuminating the deep dark beneath him. The bottom of the cave was twenty feet below, not enough of a drop to harm his undying wood body! Also, directly beneath him was a slumbering giant ¨C The Eight-Tailed Serpent. Sha Ku tutted to himself, "The big beast, rank five. Equivalent to a Star Palace Practitioner. All mine for the taking!" Sha Ku jumped to the surface of the cave; a giant squelching sound echoed out as he landed. Looking down, Sha Ku almost vomited, the bottom of the cave was coated with a thin layer of blood. "Disgusting." Sha Ku exclaimed, whipping out the ''Blood-Soaked Sword!'' In an instant the entirety of the blood on the floor flew upwards with into a vortex, coming together into a giant ball of the red revulsion. Piercing the blood ball with the sword, a rumble occurred, and the ''Blood-Soaked Sword'' started to suck up all the blood as if it was a mighty straw. It didn''t end there, though! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The blood started to travel through the sword, lighting up mighty runes that popped outwards casting a shadow of red! After this, the red ruby hilt started to glow like the birth of a new star! Slowly the energy started to defuse in countless red glowing orbs, each going into Sha Ku''s hand. A warm feeling travelled up his arm, and a shocked look appeared on his face! Suddenly an explosive popping sound could be heard on Sha Ku''s back. His robes ripped apart, and blood leaked out! He wasn''t in pain, though, he felt stronger than ever. Holding his head high, he felt a change. His entire body felt stronger. The energy within his hands felt like at least twice as strong! Picking up a rock from the ground, he started to clench ¨C bang! It exploded into hot dust as he closed his fist! "Haha, amazing! Simply beautiful!" Sha Ku waved around the ''Blood-Soaked Sword,'' he had found the sword special before, but he''d never expected it to be so valuable! The Sword had the ability to refine the blood of dead creatures and instantly refine it! "This will help me immensely in the future! With this, my bodily cultivation will soar!" Suddenly like a thunderbolt out of the out of the blue Sha Ku had an idea, "If I take this to the Graveyard of the ancients¡­ the possibilities, they''d be limitless!" 59 Beast-Slayer! While Sha Ku was in the ecstasy of his expectations, he didn''t pay much attention to his body, which had just advanced a rank! From absorbing enough energy, he had pushed himself into the Undying Stone Level! The second level of bodily cultivation. A big step, to say the least! The difference in power was more than double that of his previous state! His body was like stone, and he now had the ability to crush rock with his bare hands! The next stage was Undying Copper, and if he kept up his performance and with the help of the Blood-Soaked Sword, he''d undoubtedly reach that stage quickly! "I''m renaming you!" Sha Ku said, kissing the sword that he would soon rely heavily upon. "I shall call you Devouring Red!" As soon as this name echoed throughout the cave, there was a terrifying crashing sound that frightened even Sha Ku! Looking upwards from the bottomless pit, he saw the skies. The heavens! They started to stir! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Swirling round and round until they started to form an ungodly vortex that made Sha Ku nervous. Shhhh! The sound of electricity entered Sha Ku''s ears as he perceived what was happening! Before he could even react to the sound, the sword within his hands had been struck by the heavenly lightning! Was this a blessing from the universe or it trying to strike him down before his journey had even begun, Sha Ku did not know. All he knew was that it terrified him deep within. The heavens knew all and saw all. He didn''t know if they saw past the tides of reincarnation! They might suspect him to be a heretic going against their will! The Heretic Under the Heavens is truly cursed. None can stand against the eyes of heaven, for all came from the heavens, and all must return. It is the one eternal truth of life. "In my past life, we worshipped and divined the will of the heavens as if it was a mysterious and elusive patriarch''s will; now though, I lack the means. Deducing the will of the heavens is impossible¡­ if only the old ancestor were here." Sha Ku shook his head, placing Devouring Red back in his spatial ring. immediately he turned to the scaled beast behind him, "Although Devouring Red is indeed powerful, I get the feeling it won''t be able to pierce through your mighty scales!" Sha Ku slapped it''s back, chuckling heartily. GRRRR! A massive rumble came out of the beast! "Hahaha!" "You almost scared me!" Sha Ku burst out laughing, moving round to the serpent''s snake-like head, its slitted eyes were wide open following Sha Ku about. They were like those of a cat, sharp and oddly shaped with a second eyelid at the sides. Each of them was a deep hue of red and black. "I can feel the hatred in your eyes, old boy. You don''t want to die. You''d snap me up and devour me without a second thought if you could though. Haha!" The young boy crouched, looking deep into the beast''s eyes. "You know, every instinct in my body is terrified when I gaze into your eyes." Sha Ku whispered lowly. "The hair''s on my body are raised, there''s a tingling down my spine, screaming. It''s screaming kill it! Run! Do something!" "It''s the feeling the child gets when they''re all alone in their room for the first time. They hear the scurrying in the darkness, the monster hiding under their bed. Scratching, salivating, slowly waiting for the kid to breathe too loudly¡­ then, bang!" Sha Ku stomped down on the ground; a vicious look appeared on his face. "The child, it''s body is never found. Much like yours will never be." Sha Ku opened is hand, a violet sword materialised in his hand. "This is a sky-grade artifact. I don''t think your scales can defend from this¡­" "GENTLEMANS TYRANNY!" Sha Ku screeched, chopping downwards unto the centre of the beast''s skull, right between its eyes! Chrch! The Violet Cloud Sword went straight through to the Seven-Tailed Serpent''s brain. Instantly the darkness in the creature''s eyes went away, only a white and sad emptiness remained. Sha Ku didn''t notice this though; he just flicked the Violet sword about. Swoosh! Cuk! A small palm shamed orb flew out of the Seven-Tailed Serpent''s head, being directly caught by Sha Ku. The insidious smile on his face transformed into one of delight, "Yes, this shall be of immense help." He chuckled to himself, putting the orb that was the demonic core of the Seven-Tailed Serpent in his spatial ring. "Time to get messy!" Sha Ku expertly inserted the Violet Cloud Sword between the scales of the Seven-Tailed Serpent, extracting them one-by-one. He cut out its tendons. He extracted its blood. He removed its organs. He cut up its flesh. He piled up its bones. He butchered it as if he were a master of the craft, cutting up a common pig. In the end, the daylight from the giant hole started to fade, Sha Ku had to switch back to his inborn flames, and they hovered overhead as he worked through the night. The stars were bright in the sky, and the moon hung high by the time Sha Ku had finished. Cleaning off his sword and sheathing it. Removing the now blood-stained clothes, he was wearing and taking off the headscarf. Instead, he changed into a light purple robe that he''d acquired on the Demonic Peak. Looking up at the moon he had a though, the Lunar energy was remarkably strong here. He stood in the bare patch where once the old Seven-Tailed Serpent''s body had been residing, he dipped his finger in the jar of blood he''d collected and started to make markings on the floor. "The Seven-Tailed Serpent''s blood will make for the perfect catalyst in this." Sha Ku smiled. Immediately he started to place down markings and strange symbols in a circular pattern, then connecting them by bizarre chain looking lines. Sha Ku worked and worked for an hour and a half. Finally, it was finished. To the common man, it looked like the sprawling delusions written by a madman in blood. But to anyone that was learned in the formation and runic arts, it was like a prized possession! It was like obtaining a work of art that everybody could learn from! Sha Ku smiled; his work was done. He placed the Astral Egg he had obtained in the centre of this formation and then quickly stepped out of it. Inside the formation, he left several identity markings, a strand of his hair and a drop of his blood. He also placed an imprint of his divine sense. These were all precautions left by Sha Ku. An Astral Beast would bond with whoever was closest in its hatching. Naturally, the Astral Beast would pick up on these markers he had left behind if he weren''t here for it''s coming into the world. Sha Ku wasn''t worried though; this cave network was littered by something called Lunar Stones. A rare thing indeed, even in the higher realms. Even those such as the Maidens of the Moon and Scions of the Crescent would murder to obtain the Lunar Stones. They helped people who cultivated both Yin and Lunar energy! It seemed this little fellow would have a feast on his hands the moment it entered the world! 60 A Dangerous Ques Country of Zi ¨C Yang Clan. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Yes, grandfather. I know you''ve put great faith in me; I shall not fail you." Said a proud yet humble voice, coming from a man kneeling on one knee. "Good, A''Fu. You''ve already ascended to the peak of Coloured Star Realm; it won''t be long until you break through to Star Palace. That''s why it''s necessary that you complete the task I''ve assigned you. Worry not for Ru Yi and your children; I promise they shall be treated as if they were my own." The old voice sounded, for the first time in a long time full of vigour and strength -Yang Gou. Since Yang Gou had received the holy texts from Sha Ku a few months ago, his soul cultivation had soared! His soul cultivation was currently ranked at the Soul Master level! This was equivalent to a high Star Palace practitioner! The only people in the entirety of Zi country who could contest with that were those that ruled the country ¨C the royal Zi family! Yang Gou had given Yang Fu a straightforward yet incredibly deadly task ¨C go explore the ruins of a place called the "Continuum." Yang Gou didn''t only send Yang Fu to this place because of the unprecedented luck he was accurately named after, but also because it was a forbidden zone in the country of Zi! Only seven people had ever emerged from the Continuum Ruins, six went mad, but the seventh is said to have ascended to the heavens never to be seen from again! Taking a deep bow, Yang Fu excused himself, nodding to each of the elders as he left the cold, damp cave. --- After a twenty-minute walk around the mountain, Yang Fu appeared in front of a familiar face. It was pale and sweetheart shaped; it belonged to his dear wife ¨C Ru Yi! Standing in a window, she looked at him; her gaze a mix of daggers and soft petals. Yang Fu gritted his teeth, his eyes a mix of regret and hopefulness. After a short walk, he approached the all too familiar red doors that he had been sent flying through before. Opening them up and going through his eyes came upon his wife''s cold face. Standing there, as beautiful as ever, arms crossed, and teeth being ground. "You''re going to that old ruin? Are you mad?! Even the Zi Clan wouldn''t dare send one of their descendants there, what makes you think that you can go there?!" She barked at him. "Yi''er¡­" Yang Fu put his hand out, trying to take her by the arm. Ru Yi snorted, turning her head and walking off with only a few words, "Hmph! You care about your ancestor over your own children! Chi''er is already gone. At least say goodbye to your other children a final time." She strode off, mumbling to herself in a huff. Before Yang Fu had a thought to respond Ru Yi had already disappeared. His hand still held there in the air, shaking, while a teardrop fell down his cheek. --- He came upon a rocking crib, within was Yang Long. His eyes were big and golden, his cheeks rosy red. "Yang Long, when your big brother Chi''er was lying here I gave him a speech. A speech that he didn''t understand but I myself, needed to hear. Back then was a dismal time, as is now. But I can not let down the clan. These past few months since the benefactor left with your big brother, your great-grandfather has grown anxious." Yang Fu continued, "The old families have been making moves in the dark, it''s said they''re being spearheaded by a powerful cultivator exiled from the capital. Even the Dark Moon Clan have fallen, only the ashes of their people remain under the moonlight. The Azure Cloud Sect have gotten on their hands and knees, practically felicitating the Exile. He''s sent messengers to our Yang Clan three times in the past month, yet we''ve rejected them all¡­" "I fear that soon enough they''ll bring their fury to the Yang Clan and after that head straight to the Zi royal palace¡­" Yang Fu took a deep gulp, his forehead sweating. "That''s why it''s important; you''re my youngest son; you need to carry on the family line by whatever means necessary! I''ve made arrangements for you and your sister encase of a surprise attack, never fear." He kissed Yang Long''s forehead, disappearing in the night. He didn''t say goodbye to the twins. Instead, he brought them both a bundle of toys. Neither saw him leave, each playing with their new dolls with a smile on their face. --- "You there!" A shrewd voice sounded. "Ru Yi? Why are you here, I thought ¨C" before he could finish his sentence Ru Yi had pinned him up against the wall of the front gates, kissing him deeply. They kissed, tongues dancing together. Breaking off, they each breathed deeply, "Yang Fu, come back to me." She whispered, biting his ear, sending the all too familiar shivers down his spine. --- The birds tweeted in the air; the sun started to rise in the horizon. Yang Fu hobbled through the courtyard, his face and back covered with scratches, his neck filled with dark marks and an apparent limp¡­ obtained from his¡­ veracious wife. Although he looked like a man fresh from a battle, he had a cheesy grin plastered across his face. Before the sun fully came up, he mounted a flying beast that looked like a giant scaled bat, flying off into the horizon ¡ª the direction of the forbidden Continuum. 61 Obtaining Treasure. "Wow, I wasn''t expecting that in the slightest." A familiar soft voice sounded out from a young boy. As he was looking downwards from a tree, he could see a formation of five people hanging around an icy looking mushroom. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Each one had a fierce-looking face, weapons drawn and eyes cold. Two men were wearing fiery red robes of Vanquishing Hall. One woman was wearing a multi-coloured robe of Elemental Peak. There was a slender man with a sabre in his hands; he was in an aqua blue robe. He must have been from Righteous Hall. Finally, there was a brutish one; he had a monobrow and a large club over his shoulder, more resembling an ogre than a man. The man-ogre had a purple headband tied across his head and a cape with a purple skull as well. "We all know this is a divine grade herb here, fellow Daoists; we shouldn''t fight over it. It is a treasure, to say the least, we should bring it back to the sect." The man with the sabre in his hand spoke, his tone calm and serene, like a tranquil pond on a warm summer''s day. "Oh, put a sock in it, Lu Bei, nobody gives a fuck what people of Righteous Hall have to say. Go hug a tree or something!" The Ogre-man shouted while picking his nose. "Perhaps my ways are far too refined for you, Zhou Zhong." Lu Bei''s blue eyes started to go cold. "Hmm, if you fellows would stop your flirting this herb should belong to my Elemental Hall, we could use it to refine a Divine Grade Pill." The woman in a rainbow robe walked up to the ice emanating mushroom, ready to pic it at a moment''s notice. Shing! Shing! The two red-robed vanquishers drew their swords, both pointing them towards the woman from elemental peak, "Rou Xie, we dare you to try and take it." The pair spoke in unison. "I Dou Pi refuse to let you have such a valuable item; you''ll just use it to buy your way into the Up-per Peaks or become a Prime Disciple." "Hm! As if she could ever become a Prime Disciple!" Jong Bu, the other red-robed disciple, spat on the floor. Even the noble Lu Bei''s eyes had a flash of greed when he heard the words, "Prime Disciple." Everyone knows that Prime Disciples have access to sky ranked techniques from the moment you enter Spirit Sword Hall! Not only that, you will receive advice a master ¨C either a Prime Elder or an incredibly senior brother or sister! If he could enter Spirit Sword Hall, he had the chance of inheriting one of the four quarter swords! The four quarter swords were divine fragments of the mighty Divine Spirit Sword, which was the foundation of their sect! Each of the Four Quarter Swords had a different path that made up the way of Spirit Sword ¨C Elemental, Vanquishing, Righteous and Demonic. If someone managed to inherit one of these Four Quarter Sword Fragments, their comprehension would sky-rocket! The current Sect Master was the only person to have a fragment in the past century! The Vanquishing Quarter! "If only I could get the Righteous Fragment, I might be able to become one of the Prime Elders, or at least stand on par with them in prestige and might." Lu Bei''s eyes started to fill with greed until he took a deep breath, regaining his clam. Shuuu! He sheathed his sabre, "Being filled with greed for such things neither helps my Dao Heart nor does it follow my Righteous Path." He turned around, walking off into the darkened forest. "What a brat." Zhou Zhong snorted, raising his mighty club above his head, "PURPLE-BLACK DEMON''S DECENT!" he yelled from the top of his lungs, slamming down his club towards the two red-robed disciples. "Heart Fire Sword Shield!" the two of them yelled at the same time, crossing their swords together to block the mighty club. Boom! The shockwaves reverberated throughout the area, blasting the beautiful lotus-like Rou Xie far away. The red-robed disciples buckled underneath the attack of the big fat man that dwarfed them with his mighty club. "Fucking half-blood!" One of them growled. "He''s second only to Zhang Long on demonic peak; we can''t win this fight." "Hahaha! Foolish Qi Cultivators! Now you''ll see the power of my Body Cultivation!" Zhou Zhong screamed out. "Purple-Black Demons Headbutt!" He slammed his head into the floor, causing it to split apart like glass! Shattering it went out in waves, like a tsunami in a mighty storm! Knocking both the red robes off-balance, destroying the sword guard they had put up! Not so far away in the trees, Sha Ku stood there, waiting for his time to strike. That big fellow that was apparently his senior brother was at least a Steel Stage Body Cultivator; he was equal in strength to an Extreme Coloured Star Cultivator! A saucy but secret smile crept onto Sha Ku''s face, "Sorry ''big bro''." "Shadowless Step." Swoosh! Sha Ku had vanished from the tree, landing on the dirt next to the Ice Phoenix Fungus. The moment he touched it; the Fungus made Sha Ku''s entire bloodline shiver. It was an ecstasy he''d never experienced before in this life. Shaking his head and focusing, he quickly drew the Violet Cloud Sword, cutting the Fungus out of the ground. "Oy, brat!" Growled the hulking mass of fat and muscles that was Zhou Zhong, turning around with one of the red-robed disciples Jong Bu in his massive hands, his hand wrapped around his throat and flinging him about like a child. "Apologies Senior Brother, I''ll make this up to you! Eagle''s Flight!" Sha Ku yelled quickly, disappearing from the area altogether. "What!" Zhou Zhong growled, confused and enraged. "WHERE DID HE GO?!?!" the furious giant screamed at the insect in his hands. "I¡­ I don''t know! How would I know!?" Jong Bu went purple, soiling himself. "WHAT?! THAT, THAT''S DISGUSTING! DIE PUNY INSECT!!!" Zhou Zhong smashed his club into the ground like a gardener would a spade, using both hands he rolled Jang Bu into a ball and squeezed them together! "AHHH! AHHH! BROTHER SAVE ME!" Jong Bu screamed in horror as his skin bones and flesh started to snap and be compacted together. "AHHH!" Dou Pi could only continually scream in horror of the sight, a river of red started to ooze out from Zhou Zhong''s palms as there was no longer any screeching, only a fierce and terrible cracking and squelching sound. Bang! With a slam Jong Pu''s mangled ¨C contorted body¡­ no, it could no longer be called a body ¡ª just a pile of flesh and bone. Zhou Zhong turned with a deadly smile looking at Dou Pi, grabbing his leg between a finger and a thumb as he clawed at the ground screaming! "No! No! Please No! Zhou Zhong, No! I''ll do anything!" Not listening to the man''s pleading Zhou Zhong lifted him in the air, dangling him as he opened his jaws wide open! "No! Please, please, please! Pleeease!" Dou Pi cried out, trying to push against Zhou Zhong''s giant jaw as his head was lowered into the mighty maw! "No! Anything, please!" Tears flowed out, and he continued to be. Chomp! There was only the sound of chewing now. The rainbow robed Rou Xie covered her mouth in horror, looking on, tears falling from her eyes. Until she felt electricity in her spine, a pare of titanic eyes had set upon her, with a blood ridden smile emerged on its lips. 62 A breadcrumb trail Just as the horrid Zhou Zhong started to undo his robes while licking his lips and smiling intensely, a grey flash appeared in the air! Swoosh! With a thunderous bang, Zhou Zhong went flying not the side of a small mountain over half a mile away! It was so fast he didn''t even have time to scream! "Dear girl, stand up." The voice was that of a woman. She had grey hair and experienced eyes. It was the exact same woman that had inspected the two dead bodies of the Feng brothers! She took the girl by the hand, helping her up and stroking her hair gently. "That brute won''t be getting up for a long time." A vicious light appeared in her eyes. "Thank you, senior." Rou Xie whimpered, clinging tightly to her robes. "Girl, I need you to focus now. I''m following someone here, but I for some reason I can''t detect them properly. It''s like I''m tacking a cloud of smoke, but every time I reach for it, it simply vanishes!" The grey-haired woman had a look of frustration on her brows. "The breadcrumb trail led me here. Who was here girl, before, for it belongs to none of those that were here currently? Dead or alive." The girl looked about clearly still in shock, shaking her head, confused and disorientated. She was visibly thinking hard, "¡­err, it, it was, Liu Bei. Yes, Liu Bei" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Liu Bei, as in the Liu Family?" The grey-haired woman''s eyebrow started to raise; her nose twitched. "Yes, one and the same." Rou Xie looked up, her eyes gentle and soft. The grey-haired woman started to nod, taking a deep sigh. This was, indeed, troublesome. But it made a lot of sense. "That Liu Bei must be one of Duke Liu Dong''s sons. Duke Liu is head of the Divine Justice Bureau, they specifically hunt and butcher those that cultivate evil karma¡­ no wonder the Feng brothers were slain." The old lady started to nod; she had to report back about this. She didn''t want to start a feud with the Sabre of Justice and her master without conformation. "What is your name, my dear?" She looked into Rou Xie''s soft, gentle eyes, holding her head in her wrinkled hands, wondering what her words would be. "My name? It''s Rou Xie, of Elemental ¨C" Chick! Before she finished speaking there was a loud crack, the hands that were soft and wrinkled, kind and homely gripped down hard, twisting furiously until Rou Xie''s chin was above the middle of her back. "Such a shame, so pretty and yet such a weak name." Standing up the evil-looking woman waved her hand, Rou Xie''s body burst into bright purple flames! --- On the other side of the woods, Sha Ku was sitting against a tree, his hands holding an opened handkerchief, within that hankie was a frosty blue looking mushroom. His eyes were transfixed on the thing, even looking at it made Sha Ku feel like he was in a heavenly place. Taking a deep breath, he folded up the cloth which had started to get colder and colder, placing it in his spatial ring. "Now I only need an Ultra Yang ingredient, and I''ll be able to refine both my bloodlines. At that point, I''ll be able to easily create nine-nine divine Ying-Yang rivers and advance into the Qi Sea realm." Sha Ku had a satisfied smile on his face. "That may have to wait sometime though, finding the Ice Phoenix Fungus was already enough of a miracle, let alone an Ultra Yang Ingredient such as a Jiao''s horn or a Nine-Fall Ruby Sunflower¡­ for now, I have my Undying Body cultivation, it''s arguably as important, or even more so. Even in the lower realms." Sha Ku looked at his left index finger; a cold look entered his eyes. CRACK! "GRRRR!" He gritted his teeth, looking at his finger that was bent sideways, the bone was piercing out of the skin, like a lance through a man''s body! Slowly though it started to change, the finger began to mend itself before Sha Ku''s very eyes. It even grew a bit! The bone re-entered his flesh, conjoining with its other half. The flesh melded together, leaving no trace of damage behind. A smile emerged on his face. "Shing!" His smile vanished, a flash appeared in the corner of his eye, before he could react, there was a curved blade softly resting on his jugular. There was only one reaction Sha Ku could have had ¨C "Impressive." A smile lit upon his face, a beast''s fire lit in his eyes! 63 Sacred Eyes "How did you do that?" The figure from the shadows looked asked Sha Ku; his deep voice was soft but full of gravel. "I cultivate my body primarily; I''m already at the Stone Body level." Sha Ku replied, as his eyes flashed, easily able to pierce the darkness. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The person holding the sabre to his throat was tall and lean. Slim and graceful. His long hair was black, tied back in a ponytail. His robes were a deep blue. He was obviously from Righteous Hall. In fact, he was somebody that he had observed earlier ¨C Liu Bei. "Hmm, Liu Bei, a man that claims to be from an origin of supreme righteousness yet holds his sharp blade to a child''s throat just because he cultivates his body." Sha Ku chuckled; this Liu Bei reminded him of someone he met when he was an actual child¡­ so long ago. "Don''t speak with a forked tongue to me!" Liu Bei snapped back. "We both know that body cultivators cannot heal that quickly, even if they are all the way at the Golden Body Stage!" Liu Bei continued, "Yet, you, a mere child, are able to heal within a moment. Not only that, your entire aura is filled with that of a killer I''ve never seen before!" "You can see my aura?" Sha Ku looked up; indeed, he was surprised. A lower plain was able to spit up someone so talented. "Tell me, why shouldn''t I remove your head from your shoulders right now, demon?" Liu Bei ignored his question. Sha Ku was shocked; his mouth parted a little. Yet no sweat appeared on his brow. "Liu Bei, I think we both know I''m not a demon. You''re a man that follows his Dao Heart, to the bitter end. You''d kill a king and risk the wrath of a thousand swords if he were to harm those that are innocent. You seek and destroy practitioners of the devil path, those that cultivate evil karma. You wouldn''t have let me live even until now if you weren''t sure, sure of what? Well, that I''m not entirely evil. You can see my karma and aura, right? You have the holy eyes of, Guan Yu, Lord of War and Righteousness. A rare ability, even where I''m from." Sha Ku spoke firm, full of confidence and fury. "Look further into my aura, beyond the sea of red. What do you see?" Sha Ku continued. Liu Bei''s eyes that were entirely bright blue started to twitch, going deep into Sha Ku''s aura. Diving deep within after the red there was purple, then a deep and holy gold. But deep within, at the bottom of the pit, it was different. It was white, pure and innocent. Yet, it was stained with black, like a piece of paper, which was scribbled over. It wasn''t just scribbles; they started to make some sense at least. Cough! Blood flew out of Liu Bei''s mouth as he collapsed onto his back, dropping his sabre on the ground. His eyes were back to normal, his pupils and irises had reappeared. Looking up, he saw Sha Ku, his hands behind his back, a smile on his face, "Interesting, I''ve only met one person with Sacred Eyes before. You''re¡­ different, to say the least." "Who are you?" he asked. "Now, isn''t that a complicated question." Sha Ku''s eyes looked upwards; a deep sigh emerged from his lips. "I guess a know-it-all, that''s it. You can find out for yourself when you''ve managed to master your Sacred Eyes." Sha Ku chuckled to himself. "How do you know about them?!" Liu Bei frowned; his tone fierce. His father had told him to keep his eyes a secret, even from his brothers, let alone some stranger. "I told you already, Liu Bei, I''m a know-it-all. But you may refer to me as Sha Ku." Sha Ku started to smile to himself, walking the young man lying in front of him in circles. Extending out his hand, he helped Liu Bei from the floor. "You''re from Demonic Peak, are you not?" Liu Bei suddenly spoke. "Yes, was it that obvious?" Sha Ku said in a snarky tone, handing Liu Bei back his blade. "It''s just people from Demonic Peak are usually¡­" "Demonic, ravenous, destroyers of all who get in their objective path?" Sha Ku finished his sentence. "Yes, to say the least." Liu Bei spoke again. "Don''t worry, as you can tell, I''m young and am only from the lower mountain. I also haven''t cultivated any demonic techniques just yet." Sha Ku laughed to himself. Demonic Peak was indeed a dangerous place; it got its name for a reason. They don''t call it fairy peak after all. One has to become a demon, embrace their inner darkness, or they''ll be devoured. This is why although the least numerous it has the most dangerous of any disciples. "Why are you out here? A child-disciple from a lower peak, you should know that this forest is filled with terrors far above the 5th Rank." Liu Bei spoke, warning the young child as he sheathed the sabre once again. "Oh, such as." Sha Ku started to pat himself down, brushing off any dirt on his clothes. The two began to stroll out of the depths of the forest briskly; at this pace, it would take more than a few hours to leave the Darkspire. "I don''t know. I just know that my father told me not to go into the depths of the forest. He had given me only that piece of advice when I left home¡­ I have heard rumours, though." Lie Bei mum-bled. "Tell me of these rumours." Sha Ku looked upwards to his left; eyebrow raised. 64 Sudden Calamity "It''s only whispers from a senior brother who ascended to become a primal disciple." Said Liu Bei, holding onto the hilt of his blade. "Whispers?" Sha Ku was indeed intrigued. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "There''s meant to be a beast born of primordial blood in the centre of the forest. It''s slumbered for a thousand, thousand years. All that approach it shall die. There''s a circle, two miles in diameter. Nothing grows in that circle; nothing lives, nothing breathes. There is nothing. Only a small beast the size of a dog. It has fur; it''s red and orange with ten-tails. It has three eyes. I''m told it looks much like a fox." Liu Bei explained. "Orange and red, ten-tails, a fox?" Sha Ku rubbed his chin. He knew many and most of the beast from antiquity, yet he''d never heard of, or seen any like that. Almost the entire history of the primordial era was his history, yet for such a unique beast to es-cape his notice, it was indeed hard to fathom. "It''s truly an abomination; the Elders said it deals in the Dao of Death." Liu Bei gritted his teeth as if shivers were going down throughout his spine. "What did you just say?" Sha Ku frowned, turning his head towards Liu Bei. "The Dao of Death?" "No, no. The abomination. Why did you say that?" Sha Ku''s eyes grew cold. "I don''t know; it''s just as if nature would never produce such a terrible beast. Yet there it is, residing, sleeping without a care in the world." Liu Bei shook his head, looking down, truly he was disappointed in the heavens for allowing such a beast to reside in this world without suffering a holy wrath. Sha Ku, on the other hand, was paying no attention, he was thinking at a million miles an hour, postulating all kinds of theories. "Abomination, one of his abominations truly survived?!" Sha Ku whispered from his lips. Liu Bei looked across, noticing Sha Ku''s ashen face. "Is everything all right Sha Ku?" Liu Bei had a look of concern and angst across his face; his eyebrows raised. "No, it''s nothi ¨C shit!" Sha Ku tried to move his head. Shing! Before he could react, Liu Bei was stood there, covered in blood. Blade light flashed before his eyes, and the young man that knew too much ...his head was removed from his shoulders! The dark hair which he sported was stained red as his eyes rolled back, his head spinning through the air! "Sha Ku!" Liu Bei called out, his eyes in a frenzy. Pulling his blade looking in the direction the flash of Sabre light came from. "You!" he pointed towards a ragged old woman sitting in a tree. Her hair let down and a pin flick-ing through her fingers. 65 Battle! "Next time you try to hurt the ambitions of the Heavenly Monarch, you shall not survive Liu Bei, consider this as your final warning." "Get back here, you bitch!" Liu Bei roared furiously, charging forwards to the old woman! Swoosh! He tore through the air, sabre drawn first, closing in on the grey-haired witch. "Gate of Righteous Fury!" he screamed from the top of his lungs, a terrible and barbaric looking gate adorned sporting a snake and lion on each side, with a scale in the middle appeared. It spat blue fire from within, standing at least thirty feet tall. "Shit, forbidden techniques!" The woman instantly started to defend herself, drawing two sabres locking them in front of her-self. One suddenly lit up purple, and the other had a hue of golden. "Hm! Do you dare to stand against me? I''ll give you a thrashing; we''ll see who''s going to be regretful then!" The witch spewed out, extremely confident. Although she couldn''t kill him, teaching him a lesson wouldn''t hurt her master''s position. "A witch only at the Coloured Star stage dares to be so disgusting?! Hm!" Liu Bei was extremely confident as the blood in his veins started to boil, seeing the woman who had sneak attacked him, and a friend was so weak! "Sunset Sabre!" Liu Bei called the Gate of Righteous Fury''s strength surged within him! The pink sky turned a late shade of blue as the falling sun turned azure! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The Sunset Sabre came crashing down upon the grey woman''s crossed sabres, a smile crowned her face, confident and smug! As his orate Sabre crashed into her weapons a pure white strand suddenly lit up between her brows, causing her entire body to glow like she was an angelic figure descended from the heavens themselves! Boom! Suddenly she exploded outwards with both sabres in a crossing motion, her entire body and weapons enshrouded with a hue of holy light! The sound of blades clanging could be heard, Liu Bei''s entire body surrounded by a blue flame, flashed about! In the air the two danced, sparks flew, the bashing and scraping of sabres would echo through-out the forest. Each time their sabres would collide they''d send shockwaves throughout the area! Dirt blasted away; trees uprooted! Branches would smash on the ground, and hurricanes of splinters and stakes flew about the air! To mortal eyes, the speed the two duelled at; it would be impossible to perceive! Even if Sha Ku''s head were still on his shoulders, it''d be incredibly difficult for him to follow their movements! After all, these were two Star Stage practitioners, both boosting their strength though terrifying techniques! Bang! Crack! Liu Bei was sent flying, bursting through a titanic thirty-foot tree! His face was covered in blood, all leaking from his mouth. His chest had cuts spread across it; none were shallow either! The grey-haired woman, on the other hand, had a satanic smile on her lips, a devilish look dwelled in her eyes! "Hm! You learnt the Gate of Righteous Fury that your father is famed throughout the land for?" The woman spat a drop of blood on the floor, "I, on the other hands, have a strand of Divine Immortal energy from the Heavenly Monarch! You were bound to fail! Even if a Dao Transformation practitioner approached me now, I could slay him without a second thought!" She cackled, spinning her blades about in the air, a furious and deathly look appeared in her eyes! As she was about to raise her sabres overhead ready to strike down the young Liu Bei permanently a purple streak flew through the air, she wasn''t able to see it until it was too late! She stood there frozen in place; a tall man stood next to her. He had black hair down to his knees. His purple robe was half shredded, his eyes were bright red, and his skin was as grey as ash! He looked like some vampiric being that had ascended from the Eternal Abyss! The tall man looked young, incredibly young! Like a teenager who''d never missed a day bathing in skin refreshing milk! He leaned in, whispering something into the woman''s ear, causing her entire face to go even paler than his! "I know you''re watching Feng Qiang, through that strand of divine sense you placed in her! What a fool you are, using a woman with such low cultivation. She''s barely strong enough to fight a Dao Stage Practitioner, let alone me¡­" A wicked smile emerged from the tall, pale man, revealing a set of jagged teeth. A luciferin laugh laboured from his lips. It sent chills up even the semi-conscious Liu Bei''s spine. "You''re so weak that you hide yourself from the world, only sending servants to do your bidding! Even a shitting rank one assassin could end your life¡­ Now I have this strand of Divine Sense¡­ hehe, I''ll be taking your head within a week!" The pale man practically salivated with each word! He pincered the strand of divine sense between his finger and thumb, holding it there, wiggling about in the air. Frantically, like a worm trying to escape a child it writhed and wriggled about. The tall, pale man took a bottle from his waist, his hand was three times its size at least, yet that didn''t subtract from its beauty. It was sage green, with ornate patterns painted across it, sporting flowers and two blue serpents wrapping around. The moment the plucked divine sense entered this bottle, it lost all its rebelliousness, calming im-mediately, gently glowing. "Truly my trip to the Continuum has been fruitful." The madman chuckled, looking over his shoulder at the woman frozen in place, he snapped his fingers together. Slowly with a terrified look on her face, the blood from her left leg started to drain outwards, tiny little particles of blood fled outwards through microscopic holes in her leg. It wasn''t a tiny bit of blood, though, and it wasn''t only her leg! Countless droplets of blood started to hover out of her leg, rushing into his extended finger! The granny started to wither away, becoming like an ancient desecrated corpse! "Tasty." The blood eyed youth said to himself, a smile adorning his face. 66 Luck of the Gods Yang Fu "Darkness, that''s all there is¡­ why can''t I ever visit some ruins that are bright and full of fanciful vegetation, specifically not being adorned with ancient statues that creep the living hell out of me!" Yang Fu muttered to himself; his brows were pinched together. He was currently in a deep cavern, following through on his quest and what an abysmal one it was! The moment he''d arrived outside this so-called ''Continuum'', he''d got into a fight with two arrogant disciples from powerful sect, each had their own story and planned on teaming up! Naturally, Yang Fu asked to join them, without a second''s hesitation the brawny looking one grabbed Yang Fu by the throat! Unable to comprehend the situation he felt himself be thrown through an ancient stone door, and with a horrible cracking sound, he blasted through it! The giant boulder-like fragments following through with him as he fell down a thirty-foot dirt slope! As he landed, he looked to his left and right, Spikes! Gargantuan monolithic spikes like a leviathan''s teeth suck out of the ground! On them, bodies, as fresh as the moment they died! This made Yang Fu turn a deep green; his entre face looked as if he could vomit the entirety of the Yang Clan''s food reserves. But that wasn''t the worst of it! He himself had landed on a spike! Not only a spike, one with a dead body on it! It was a fat old man, his stomach the size of a small carriage! Sweat had poured down his forehead; he felt both thankful and revolted by the fat old man. Yang Fu had hopped across the spikes, like walking across the back of a vicious hedgehog. Then with a great bang, he landed on a pale tiled road. That was twenty minutes ago, and his horrible trek didn''t end with that! No, it had gone even worse. First off, the two terrible robed fellows had jumbled down, each floated slowly to the bottom, touching down on the alarming spikes gently. The moment Yang Fu saw them a scared look appeared on his face, sprinting like a madman he shot down the tunnel, his feet moving so fast it was almost impossible to perceive them. Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! They moved faster than the wind, but the two robed villains behind him weren''t slow either, first was the one in green, he withdrew a flying sword and shot after Yang Fu! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Boom! The air exploded as he sped towards him! "AHHH! Leave me alone, you heathens!!!! Nice going Fu Fu, I''m sure that''ll tame their anger!" Yang Fu screamed out loud, running wildly with his hands in the air, oddly resembling some kind of dim-witted goose¡­ As the flying sword shot towards him, he fell over, slamming on the ancient stone tiles. Instantly one of them started to sink into the ground, and the creaking of ancient mechanisms could be heard. There were three quick hissing sounds, bolts of wire shot across the upper half of the hallway; each was barely possible to see. Yang Fu looked on, holding his hands up to the flying sword surfer as if begging not to be harmed. Swish! Swish! Swish! Like tofu the sword surfer was cut into three equal pieces, his sword went flying off without him down the endless corridor! Blood sprayed all over Yang Fu, his face coated in blood! "My God, I hope he didn''t have any disease!!!" Yang Fu stated to douse himself in a strong alcohol, even getting it in his eyes which burnt like hell! "Oh, gods! My eyes!!" he screamed on his hands and knees, walking about like a crazy blind fool. "Haha, you killed him for me! How wonderful." The gruff muscular-looking one approached, a smile deeply engraved on his face. He drew a giant halberd off his back, grabbing it by its pommel his dragged it across the floor, a metallic scraping sound echoed in the hallway. Yang Fu was still shaking from his last opponent, "I¡­ I¡­ please¡­" a smile that would usually be in-credibly handsome lit upon his face, but instead, it now looked like a terrified man''s smile of plead-ing. As the metallic sound echoed, there was suddenly another! The sound of a tile being pushed! Boom! Two massive stone slabs that made up either side of the wall suddenly slammed together! The strongman had been squashed into nothing but mush! Yang Fu stood sat there, his eyes going round and round, nearly unable to comprehend what un-der the heavens was happening! --- On Yang Peak, a woman sat, Yang Fu''s wife ¨C Ru Yi, she sat there a tear in her eye started to trickle down her cheeks. Yang Ci suddenly came up, hugging her leg, "Mumma, don''t worry. Everyone says Daddy''s a fear-less hero, unparalleled in the country of Zi. Why are you worrying?" Ru Yi picked the little girl up putting her on her knees, "Mumma knows a secret about Daddy; that''s why sweet girl." "Why''s that, Mumma?" asked the little girl with round eyes. "Daddy, he''s not some fearless hero¡­" Seeing the little girl''s eyes Ru Yi suddenly stopped, choking on them. She couldn''t tell her daughter that her father wasn''t a hero. Nor was he fearless, more accurately he was a fool, a dumb fool and a coward. Yet a coward who possessed heaven-defying luck! The man had once defeated a group of his peers when tripping up! Sure, he was wilful and determined, but most of that was him stumbling into one situation or another! "Daddy, he''s not a fearless hero, he''s a man of extraordinary power. He surely is unparalleled!" She said with a smile, holding back her tears. 67 The Continuum 1 Yang Fu stood there; his face disappointed by his luck. Although he knew that he''d had good luck only running into two opponents. The sects in the state of Zi would regularly send their disciples to the old ruins which he was currently strolling through. The first one ever to come out, he was named Zenith Warrior Dong. Zenith Warrior Dong was a warrior without equal in his time; he strode forth, halberd in hand, destroying all in his path. Zenith Warrior Dong was the founder of the Hell Song Sect, learning the forbidden Hell Scream Song from the ruins of the Continuum. Dong was a madman, consuming the blood of his enemies none could stand in his path. He took a handful of devil cultivators, turning them into a truly frightful force; one that those even in the central plains feared. None were able to resist, that was until the one called Wei Shen interfered. Who was Wei Shen? He was somebody of legend; he was an ascendant, someone who walked the golden path into the clouds of heaven. Wei Shen the Defender, Wei Shen the Resolute, Wei Shen the Battle-King! What the history books didn''t often teach was that Wei Shen was Zenith Warrior Dong''s blood brother. They had entered the Continuum together; what happened within was unknown. Some said Zenith Warrior Dong ¨C or Wei Dong betrayed Wei Shen, casting him down when seeing the devilish inheritance. Some said that Wei Shen was the first to discover the Hell Scream Song from the ruins, yet when he saw the nature of the terrible art, he turned his back. A puritan and a true Daoist at heart. All we know is that Wei Shen obtained the Battle-King Jun-Jun''s inheritance ¨C the ''Battle King''s Kingdom''. A horrifying technique, whose body was his endless legion! Wei Shen had struck down Wie Dong, beheading him on the ebony grass fields of ''Zhanghe''. The Hell Song Sect''s tyranny was put to an end, the ancient sects of the central plains were furious! They banded together under the Emperor to beat them back into the Hellish Abyss which they called home. Unable to defeat them or enter their hell ridden realm, the Emperor laid siege to Hells Gate Abyss for two hundred years. In this time all the younger practitioners of the Hell Song Sect died off, starving to death. Eventually, the writing was on the wall, the elder council of Hell Song surrendered, bending their knees to the Emperor and becoming a dog at his feet! Long have the current Hell Song Sect carried out the bidding of the Imperial Wen. Long have they done the dirty deeds that are unbecoming of the Imperial Family. Even the current Crown Prince of the Wen empire had a seat on the Hell Song Sect elder council. He didn''t practice their arts, but he did have the considerable influence that was afforded him as crown prince, making the Hell Song his left hand¡­ Yang Fu had a smile on his face, "Imagine if I could inherit the mantle of the Battle King! I''d be able to rename the county of Zi to the country of Yang!" the smile on Yang Fu''s face was so wide it was as if it was about to jump off his face. "Hm! You mortals, thinking that you could obtain our inheritances!" A voice snorted from out of nowhere. "Whaaaa! Where are you!" Yang Fu burst out, waving the dual swords he wielded about like a madman. All around him was quiet; it was so devoid of noise he could hear the dust fall upon the ground. "Oy, you who was leaning on me!" A growling sound came out from a stone statue of a bat-like being. It''s eyes glowing bright red. Yang Fu quickly turned around, pointing both his swords towards the statue, "Who are you?!" he growled, using what little fury he had in his voice. "Who am I? Kid, you sure like to speak disrespectfully to your elders. I''m elder Blood Sky, Servant to the almighty Eternal Bat!" the statue spoke to him, his voice proud and degrading. "Eternal Bat¡­ is that some kind of demonic beast...?" Yang Fu''s face scrunched up, evidently confused. "Hm! Do you call master a demonic beast?! You brat! How dare you! If I could, I would strike you down! I''d drain your blood and chew on your bones!" The stone statue raged, wobbling from side to side. "So, he''s human¡­?" Yang Fu raised an eyebrow. "Yes, he''s human! He''s Supreme Ancestor of the Divine Blood Sect!" the stone statue''s voice grew in rage; its eyes were like bloody flames. "Why does he call himself Bat then¡­?" Yang Fu raised his lip, looking about the place. "Hahaha! You tell him, kid!" Another voice sounded out; its laughs shook a statue depicting a golden unicorn. "Shut up Silver Horn! I''ll come over and rip your eyes out!" Blood Sky raged, like a dog with rabies! "Ooooh, look at me. I''m from a blood cultivating sect. Aren''t I cute!" The statue of the unicorn looked as if it was wiggling its ass, mocking Blood Sky. "Ahhhh! If that bastard didn''t trap me here, I''d rip your eyes out through your mouth and fuck the holes! Ahhh!!!" Blood Sky called out crazed. "Enough!" A massive boom crashed throughout the halls. Blood Sky suddenly whimpered, the unicorn kept schtum. "You there, do you dare try to receive master''s inheritances?" A deep booming voice exploded in Yang Fu''s ears, causing his eyes to blast wide open. "Yes!" he whimpered out. "Good, very good. You have passed the first trial." A dark figure almost as tall as the cave appeared. Its mouth was sewn together; its face was pale white. Its eyes were just holes; one could see its brain. "This one is Meat; Meat shall take you to your next trail." The dark cloaked figure started to walk down the hallway, using a giant scythe as a walking stick. Yang Fu followed along, warily, "Err, what do I call you?" his voice was quiet, but Meat heard him. "This one has told you, Meat. That was what master named me, Meat." Meat replied. "Okay¡­ Meat, err, what was the first trial?" Yang Fu mumbled out. "Meat''s voice was the first trial." Meat replied. "That didn''t answer my question¡­" Yang Fu spoke. "Those who don''t have a sacred physique above, they implode and explode upon my voice entering their ears." Meat spoke, his voice was monotonous as ever. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Ex¡­. EXPLODE?!" Yang Fu shrieked! 68 The Continuum - Echoing Halls Meat nodded, his brain visibly bobbing up and down through his eyeballs. "Ugg." Yang Fu felt sick to his stomach, just witnessing the scene. Meat turned around, with a wave of his hand and a massive cracking of ancient mechanisms a staircase opened up in front of him, dust flew about in a storm, and Yang Fu coughed deeply. "Follow Meat to master''s grounds." The monolithic figure descended into the pitch-black below, his steps echoing as the grey twisted toenails of his bare feet stomped down the staircase''s stone slabs. "Follow." His voice was eery, like death upon the wind. One that every warrior knew. Yang Fu''s eyes darted backwards and forwards to the pair in an endless series of statues, each spaced five feet apart. The bat and the Unicorn simply glowed in their eyes, as if saying, "Follow him and quick!" Yang Fu took a deep breath, wiped the reaming cultivator mush from his brow and followed Meat closely. The staircase, resealing itself as he entered into the deep dark below. "Whew. He''s gone." The Silver Horn sighed, wondering what happened. "I''ve never seen someone avoid all the illusion arrays before¡­ I wonder how he did it?" the Blood Sky mumbled deeply confused. "Wait, why did the Caretaker come here to greet him¡­ do you think, He, brought him here on purpose?" Silver Horn''s voice quivered a little. "Don''t be daft, that old bastard-" Boom! The statue of the bat exploded pieces, the rubble on the ground turning to dust within seconds. "Blood Sky?!" the Unicorn''s voice went hoarse. "I think I''ll be going back to my slumber now¡­ I wonder how Wei Dong will react to this¡­ I wonder if he''s still alive?" Silver Horn muttered to himself. Grrrrr Along the floor slid another statue, it was of a purple serpent. It had horns on its head and a vile streak, mixed with different shades of green going throughout. "Eyy, Daoist Greenshade. Long-time no see!" The Serpent''s eyes lit up, and it made a hissing sound, "Screw off Jun-Jun! It''s your fault we''re all here!" "Awww, you sound so upset. Perhaps you shouldn''t have tried to ambush me then! Pff!" Silver Horn burst out laughing. Behind him, for at least five hundred feet, Jun-Jun heard a thousand mumbles and groans. "Maybe you shouldn''t have angered us so!" Greenshade hissed once again, her voice agitated. "Oh, come on! I didn''t do anything that bad." Jun-Jun snickered to himself. "I do wish I could kill you," Greenshade mumbled, her eyes going silent as stone. ---- Below. The gentle patting of Meat''s feet was followed by the heavy trudging of Yang Fu''s waddling, feeling his way through the darkened corridor. In the ever-deepening ancient hall, Yang Fu asked, "Who''s the Master you''re taking me to¡­ Meat?" "Master is the Lord of the Continuum; he built it with his own two hands." A deep and hollowed voice rung out through the hallways, not stopping as he spoke. "Oh." Yang Fu nodded, not pushing the matter. Every time this ¨C Meat, spoke, it sent shivers down his spine. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. What little information he could extract had been taken, any more and the sweaty pools on his robe would turn into oceans. Looking about and as his vision started to adjust Yang Fu could barely make out deeply engraved carvings upon the wall. On them was a horde of men and women, all tall and mighty. Their bodies covered in blood, their eyes, all of them, fixed on a single point. A tall man adorned in sagely robes. Next to him were three people, two men and a woman. Each of which was on their knees. The man in the sagely robes had a third eye in the centre of his forehead. In that carving the eye had the symbol of the heavens carved within, teardrops fell creating oceans of grief. "Your Master¡­ Lord Continuum, is he the one in these carvings?" Meat halted, looking to his right and reaching out with his hand, hovering over the beautifully etched stone. "This¡­ is not Master." He said slowly, but with some sorrow. "How come-" "This is Master''s progenitor." He said sombrely, walking onwards. They continued their walk for a while; Yang Fu couldn''t tell how long it was, all he knew was that his legs ached, and his eyes had adjusted superbly to the darkness within. "Stop." The deep voice rumbled throughout the hallway, the room grew cold, and the heart of Yang FU steeled itself. "The second trail is ahead. The Mind Trail." "The Mind Trial? What''s that, what should I expect? Some illusion or a horrible beast which tries to invade my mind?" Yang Fu said, both a tantalising excitement and heart shaking dread occupied his muddled voice. "You will see." Bang! Meat slammed his foot down on the floor! All of a sudden, both he and Yang Fu shot upwards, the sound of metal contraptions rung throughout the hall. Whoosh! "Ahhh! What''s happening?!" the middle-aged man screamed, any semblance of his heroic and stoic demeanour had long since disappeared from the heavens and earth. On a stone elevator Meat and Yang Fu travelled upwards so fast Yang Fu was pinned to the floor by air pressure. Crash! Yang Fu stood up, brushing himself off. The wind crushing him had ended, and he was no longer in a narrow hallway, only ten-feet high. No, now he was in a garden, it was night, yet it was lit up like a star in the sky. The sound of flowing water entered his ears, many flowers bloomed, and the plants in the garden were like neon lights shining in the dark. In the middle of the garden was a table, on the table there were three items. A cube of many different colours. Each of which was in a mismatched pattern. A box, it had a keyhole in both its front face and its top face. Finally, there was a mammoth tusk on the floor. It was golden and red, yet covered with microscopic inscriptions in an unknown language, each word of which made the critical shine with warm light, pulsing away like a tiny heartbeat. "Three days, that is what Master gives. The advice: All secrets are within; the heart cannot be impatient. To the many answers that may be given, only the heart is the truest of them all." Meat spoke, his entire body fading into smoke that went away with the wind. Only the gentle sound of water remained. "Huh?!" Yang Fu looked onwards, his face contorted, unable to comprehend what had happened. 69 Woe to the Man of Hubris On the tips of his toes, Yang Fu walked around like a cat. Steady and suspicious. Eyeing up the table, he didn''t know whether he was truly being tested or was this all some big illusion? Honestly, he''d heard many tales of the Continuum. He''d listened to the harsh realities and accounts of all those that knew and those that had returned. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Horror. That was the underlying concept, cruel and gruelling tests that would break a lesser being''s mind, snapping their sanity intwine. Yet, here he was. In a transcendent garden, like that of a celestial, everything was beautiful, everything was serine, everything was¡­ right. Was it even possible for such a situation to be? Had the fateful survivors all been liars, coveting untold powers? Only¡­ Yang Fu could not know the truth of their hearts, the only thing that he could do was to press forward, even with the tension that was under his skin. Under his brow and in his shoulders. Unknown to him, what an opportunity this was. Unknown to all those that had come before him. Seven Legacies, that is what has emerged from the Depths of the Continuum. Cerberus. The Path of the Under-heart, enabling the daring and diabolical to manipulate the paths of Samsara, luring out the Jackal like being that guarded the Under-Dark, the pathways to hell, corrupting their hearts and forcing servitude upon them! Inherited by Ki Zong. Ursine. The Path of the patchwork. An ancient bear made of many different creatures. The vicious heart that could wield this legacy could dissect creatures, implanting their qualities on towards others. One could also steal the blood of Phoenixes and Dragons¡­ making it their own. Inherited by Yu Houlie. Nemesis. The Path of the Hated, bending Karma to hate you, bending it to despise you. Calamity would befall the bearer of this standard, yet once absorbed¡­ one would transcend. None would be above the tides of fate apart from he who inherited this mantle. Inherited by Jiang Wang. Toxicus. The Path established by Daoist Greenshade. The Path of the most tumultuous and unbridled of poisons and toxins. The venom of which could destroy a thousand mortal civilisations with absolute ease, as not only does it poison the individual, but also the heavens and earth themselves. Blood Sky. The Path of Devouring the blood of your enemies, when in combat or not. Originating from the Eternal Bat, resident of the Abyss. Inherited by Wen Dong. Silver Horn. The Path of the Battle King. Harnessing the Crashing and Terrible Energies of your opponents and turning them against themselves. Digging deep, sacrificing your soul, your matter, your energy to battle. Then take the final step, condemning yourself to hell for the sake of rebirth¡­ Inherited by Wen Shen. Each of the names had vanished from the world, either being slain or walking the golden path long ago. Yet their legends still reside, tales of their aguish always concoct fear in the hearts of man and woman alike. The scene before him though, it invoked and shattered his disbelief within a microsecond, thousand times over. Both his conscious and unconscious mind were working overtime, taking in and assessing the situation for traps and deceit. Yet he felt fine, totally and fully. Nothing was the matter; everything could only be described as¡­ perfect. This situation of perfection put Yang Fu on as much edge as the earlier traps that had sprung before him. Nevertheless, he''d been tasked to do this from his grandfather ¨C the ancestor of the Yang Clan. He''d told Yang Fu that, "The Winds of Change are afoot, Xiao Fu, I can feel it in my bones. The Heavens call out to both the Elders and I¡­ they speak but one word ¨C Yang." When the ancestors had told him these words shivers had been sent down Yang Fu''s spine, he''d acquired the Nine Suns Fury Technique like magic; it suddenly appeared out of the blue. Was it magical? Was it a gift from the heavens that spoke the word ¨C Yang? It was the only possible solution in his head. Sitting his skinny bottom on the delicately decorated pillow, he looked downwards upon the obstacles in front of him. Three items, a cube of many different colours, a box with two keyholes and a massive ivory ''tusky-horn thing''. Touching the Ivory Tusk, a thought entered his head, "Long''er." His son''s face came to mind, shaking his head it vanished, this was not the time for distractions. "Why do I get the feeling this is a puzzle?" Yang Fu groaned, scratching his chin. His eyes practically going bloodshot at the thought of having to do some mental athleticism. "Okay, lets'' start with this." He said, picking up the multi-coloured cube. It had six faces, the centre of one had a prominent symbol on it, with the engraving ''Rubik'' in the centre. "I guess I have to align them so the colours on each side match! Doesn''t seem too hard!" A smile broke out across his face. Yang Fu, with the big dumb smile across his face, looked incredibly satisfied, the cube made of smaller cubes'' two across and two deep looked like an easy challenge. Until¡­ "Oh Oops, did I do that right?" Swoosh! In a flash like an electric strike and with a buzzing sound, the cube suddenly grew! After Yang Fu second-guessed himself, turning the cube backwards to his last position, it turned bigger! "What?!" All of a sudden, the big cube had three-by-three squares within it. "Errmm." Yang Fu looked around, the smile from his face vanished, trying to turn it again it grew again! Four-by-Four! "Crap" Five-by-Five! "Shit!" Six-by-Six! "Fucker!" "AHHHHHH!" Yang Fu sprang up from his skinny ass, throwing the Seven-by-Seven magic-multi-coloured cube into the distance. Woosh! "Take that you fucker! Muahahaha! None can match the might of Yang Fu!" He jumped up and down like an ape, puffing out his chest and beating it at the same time. Pop! The sound of water splashing as something ¨C roughly the size of a stone entered it. Yang Fu''s triumphant face froze¡­ his entire body seemed like it deflated. Turning around, he saw a cube in the water, growing and growing as a feeding frenzy of magical carp tried to feed upon it! "Ahhhh!" Yang Fu''s voice broke, soaring over to the increasingly growing cube, leaping into the water head first! 70 In the Depths Yang Fu dived in headfirst, disregarding whatever dangers or poisons that lay beneath the water''s surface. He defiantly held his breath as his awkward dive-in caused the water to thump against his chest, making him want to vomit air faster than he could breathe it. "Sun Fury Fist!" He screamed while a storm of furious sun-fire materialised around his right hand, throwing a massive overhead fist towards the swarm of piranha-like fish! Boom! The ten feet wide pond exploded like a geyser! Fish flew, pond scum shot off! The now innumerably squared multi-coloured square started to fall in the air! Spinning and rushing throughout, increasingly growing in both size and mass! As it started to free-fall in the air, it created the sound of a screeching whistle resounded throughout the sky. "Oh no¡­" Yang Fu''s face turned from a cocky brash man, to humble and regretful. The cube that was as large as he was going to fall directly upon him! "Hhhhhhu." Taking a lungful of air until even his cheeks were inflated, he rushed out of the pond without a moment''s notice. As he clipped his feet together, he screamed, "Sun Scrying Kick!" In an instant his feet blasted outwards from the soles, launching him into the air! His scream riled the formerly quiet atmosphere, and an ancient and furious roar resounded from beneath the water as a vortex started to open up beneath him. "What is that?!!?!?" Yang Fu screamed in horror, unparalleled from whatever he''d let loose from his lung before. In the centre of a head emerged, it had seven eyes. Each a pale shade of white with a vicious red pupil in the middle. It''s mouth - far larger than any gate, inside the gaping maw was a jungle of blackened sharp ivory teeth, too numerous to count and too fierce to watch. A wicked laugh emerged from its lips, "Haha! A tasty meal, how long has it been?" The scaled fish-thing chuckled, it''s voice kindly sinister, gnashing its teeth all the while. "Oh my god?! Holy heavens, please my creator, anything that lasts for all eternity, I beseech you! SAVE ME!" As he screamed and the Serpent''s smiling head rose out of the pond, revealing its giant tree-like body which seven men couldn''t connect hands around! "Don''t worry, child. You''ll soon join those that are within me!" the faced Serpent laughed again, as it increased its speed. As if this was just a gentle warm-up to the prelude. Bang! "Damn you Heavens!" Yang Fu let loose a blood curtailing scream, the colossal cube, now the size of a carriage had slammed into his back! He hit the back of his head against a segment, now red from the bash. His arms and legs pinned down by the air pressure. In just a moment, Yang Fu closed his eyes, but the light of the garden began to vanish as the Serpent swallowed him whole, along with the cube. His hands rigid and robust between the gaps of the giant multi-coloured cube, like iron they clamped down his fear-induced petrified body hung there; rigid and unmoving. "Okay¡­. Breathe." He mumbled to himself, his eyes began to open as the humid air of the beast''s belly filled his lungs. The taste of a vicious acid-filled his nostrils, his stomach turn. As light once again crept into his pupils, he looked around. Complete darkness consumed his vision, nothing, no light. An impenetrable fortress of night. "Sun God''s Eyes." A whisper emerged from his lips. His eyes lit up like a cat''s in the deep of night. As he looked about the place, he saw a circular fleshy tunnel surrounding him, the entirety of it wet and filled with a thick goo like substance¡­ "Is¡­ is that mucus?" He felt his stomach turn once again, barely keeping down his breakfast. The giant cube from which he hung was wedged between the two sides of the fleshy wall. "Oh; thank the heavens." He took a deep sigh, the muscles in his back started to relax. He hung there for seven minutes, regaining what little composure he had left. His muscles didn''t ache, his hands still firm like stone; a Coloured Star Cultivator could keep up this positioning for days, if not weeks. "Maybe I can climb out?" His brow started to sweat with nerves, he swung back and forth; pivoting his legs in the air. Stretching out with his left hand, he swung like a lemur in a tree, grabbing hold of another gap. Wuuuuz! As he leapt, grabbing the next gap, he moved forward; but also knocked one of the blocks forwards. The cube once again grew! It was at least 50 one-foot by one-foot blocks across! "Hu." A creeping suspicion entered Yang Fu''s mind. He hit one of the foot-long blocks again trying to move it. Wuuuuz! It grew by another block on all sides! A devious smile adorned Yang Fu''s face¡­ "Hahaha! How could I be so stupid?! No-one is smart enough to solve that thing! It must be a weapon!" With much haste and confidence, he started repeatedly turning the cube of mystery over and over again, each colour frequently flying past him as he continuously hit at it! Quickly the size of the cube swelled and swelled adding more and more blocks; the corners and edges of the mighty cube pushing against the great Serpent''s insides! Slowly but surely, the walls of the colossal creature started to bleed, drips and drops of blood began to leak as the under skin ruptured! Oozing ever downwards the golden blood dripped onto Yang Fu, bathing him in it''s burning fury! As it started to hit its skin, it was automatically absorbed! The gold spet into his pores as cloudy steam like vapour began to effervesce from his wrists, the crimson colour of his very own Yang Blood. "What the hell?!" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Yang Fu felt woozy but strong. He couldn''t slow down though, he had to push forward. He had to be strong! Decisive! To not give up! "Ugggggggggrrrh!" A visceral and vicious raw released from the scaled lips of the Serpent! Its voice echoed throughout the heavens and shook the garden to its very core! 71 Spatial Bloodline With twists and turns, flicks and pushes the giant cube started to grow until ¨C RIPP. The fleshy inner walls of the world serpent ripped apart! An untold amount of water started to flood the beast, while Yang Fu was soaked in a golden liquid which had burst forth from the serpent''s golden veins; invading his pores and orifices making him feel a hot burning sensation from the very depths of his soul. "Grr¡­ Why does that hurt so much?" Yang Fu clutched at his chest, his eyes turning into back his skull. He didn''t have the time to be overly concerned with such a matter, though. Instead, he was rushed into the deep of the pond without being able to take a single breath! As the tidal wave of water took him, he instantly swam upwards from the depths. Clutching onto his breath, he almost let out a shocking scream as he saw the monstrous colossus floating in two halves. Each looking like a Wyrm of old! Doggy paddling like a madman he reached the surface, gasping for breath! With a cough or two, he brought up mouthfuls of water that he''d somehow let into his lungs. It was quiet now. The many-eyed serpent had been slain. His eyes hazy and confused as he looked upwards towards the skies. They were dark and lacking stars¡­ "Is this a cave?" He thought to himself as his eyes slowly closed, taking a much-needed nap; sprawled out on the grass at the banks of a monster free pond. ¡­ When Yang Fu opened his eyes, an old man with a sweet and kind smile appeared before him. His eyes were a bright golden, and he had a delicately knotted beard down to his lower chest. The kindly man looked like everyone''s idea of a classical grandpa. "Greetings young man. I see you solved the puzzle... may it be unconventionally manner or not." The old man smiled wide. Yang Fu sat up, rubbing his eyes, looking towards the old man. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The old man was dressed in golden silk robes, the serpent that had been slain emblazoned those robes. Lonesome and proud it roamed his torso. "Yet, I''ve never seen anyone bold enough to jump into the belly of the beast." The old man chuckled, stroking his beard. "But of course, you are the first one to pass the trial in¡­ how long, I think I''ve lost count!" The old man held his fat belly, letting out a hearty laugh. "Ha. Ha." Yang Fu let out a terrified grin and nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his skull compulsively. "Come here¡­?" "Yang Fu." Yang Fu instinctively answered. "Good, Yang Fu. Sun of Luck. Truly a blazing testament to how luck can influence a man. Hehehehe." The old man spoke, grabbing Yang Fu''s wrist. "Yes, fantastic. Truly you are a man of incredible means Yang Fu!" "Isn''t he Meat? Isn''t he?!" he looked over his shoulder to his black-clothed faceless companion. "Meat agrees, Master." "Yes! Indeed. In the other testing grounds, the students had to bargain with the World Aspects for a singular drop of their mighty blood! But this boy, this boy managed to completely transfuse his blood!" The old man said astonished! "Wait, testing grounds? World Aspects? What are you talking about?" Yang Fu said woozily. "Haha! Of course, you probably have no idea what''s going on, do you?" the old man chuckled. "I am Yan Zi. I am the Dungeon Master of Continuum seven-hundred and fifty. I am also an Inner Court Elder of the Heaven Breaking Sect." The old man who was apparently named Yan Zi spoke. "This Continuum is one of ten-thousand, where we test disciples of the lower realms. We provide legacies from our former enemies and a core inheritance of the Sect in the form of the World Aspect." Yan Zi explained, his arms gesturing crazily. "The World Aspects, well they''re harder to explain. They''re kind of embodiments of nature. They''re descended from a World Serpent whom the Sect Master slew. We stole the World Serpent''s Eggs and infused energy from our inheritances into them." "So, for example, we infused something called, ''The Hellfire Compendium'' into one, which is a treasured and ancient technique. When the Aspect is hatched, it would be a pure embodiment of Fire!" Yan Zi said proudly. "Then a prospect would try and barter with the World Aspect, depending on the Aspect it would either eat them or grant them a drop of their blood; infused with the natural laws of Fire or Ice or whatever!" "An elegant methodology if you ask me!" Yan Zi stamped on the ground thrice with his foot, his arms crossed a cocky smile appeared on his face. "It can''t be that easy?!" Yang Fu spoke, his face had a puzzled look upon it. "Hehe." Yan Zi drew in close, opening one of his eyes extremely wide looking into Yang Fu''s. "Of course, it''s not. We also have to steal a Spirit of Nature and Infuse it into the Egg." Yan Zi whispered. "Wha-" Before he could speak Yan Zi covered his mouth upwards. "SHHH, Yang Fu. Do not speak of such things. You are not prepared for the consequences." Yan Zi rose once again, the look on his face quite troubling. "Okay¡­" Yang Fu felt strange but followed this Yan Zi''s advice. However... eccentric, he may be. "What was the bloodline trait I absorbed then?" Yang Fu asked curiously. "Oh, you''ve been listening? Good. For some reason, when people from the lower realms hear this, they usually go boss-eyed and freak out." Yan Zi chuckled. "The bloodline you absorbed was an ancient and rare one. Hehe. It was a Spatial Bloodline. Infused with the World Walker Inheritance." Yan Zi had a pearly white smile on his face. "Spatial Bloodline? As in time-space, space?" "Yes, exactly!" "Wow." "Exactly!" Yan Zi''s smile prevailed. "Now, Yang Fu, are you ready to join my Heaven Breaking Sect?" Yan Zi offered his hand to Yang Fu, who was still prone on the floor. Yang Fu''s face froze. He knew if he could join this ''Heaven Breaking Sect'', the fortune his Yang Family could obtain wouldn''t be small. No, in fact, their gains could be greater than anything they''d ever imagined! "What about my family?" Yang Fu slowly went to grab the old man''s hand. "Caring about familial connections. That shows loyalty." Yan Zi gave a nod of approval. "Meat." "Meat obeys, Master." Meat took a knee. "Meat, your job is to safeguard the Yang Clan for the next¡­ thousand years, let''s say. If possible, protect them from the shadows. Also, take this, put down a few Holy Grade Spirit Veins underneath their primary stronghold." Yan Zi chucked Meat a ring from his finger. "Meat will allow the Yang Clan to flourish, Master." Whoosh! Without a second''s notice Meat transformed into a cloud of black smoke and vanished from the garden. "Happy now?" Yan Zi asked as he dragged Yang Fu up from the ground. Yang Fu gave a prompt nod as he stood up with Yan Zi''s help. "Come, let us go. I have been away from home for too long." He stamped his foot on the ground! A great shaking occurred, and the sound of a balloon popping echoed. Like that, they vanished. Not only them but the Continuum that had been buried in the ground since time immemorial disappeared from Zin country that day¡­ never to return. 72 The Devils Ritual of Rebirth! The man in the tattered purple robe stood upright; looking towards the winds of the north. A slight chill went down his spine. The clouds above his head started to gather, a breath of fresh air filled his lungs. In his nose, he smelt the scent of rain about to fall. "Interesting. The Continuum, it''s gone. I wonder if someone obtained the core inheritance." The tall, youthful man looked towards the ground, seeing two boys. One a teenager, black-haired and tall. A stern look adorned his face even without any semblance of consciousness. Then he looked further away, his eyes locking onto the beheaded corpse. He wore a Purple Robe; he was only a child. With a gentle stroll, he approached the child''s body. Scanning it with his eyes, he tutted, "Such a loss for my demonic peak; a strong bloodline and already at the stone¡­" Before he could finish his words, he froze. The body¡­ its organs were still functioning. He could hear the offbeat of a heart. He could hear the lungs constricting, screaming for oxygen. "Well¡­ isn''t that fascinating." A devilish smile appeared upon his lips. Crack! Suddenly there was a sound of a stick breaking on the forest floor. A large and hefty lad with a double chin trudged his way up towards him, grunting and panting. His face was covered with blood, and he adorned an angry expression; visibly grinding his teeth. "Zhou Zhong. I didn''t expect you to turn up here." The tall blood-eyed man spoke, looking towards the fat oaf. Zhou Zhong froze in his steps. His spine felt hot and red, his eyes and ears seemingly unbelieving. "S¡­S¡­ Senior brother!" Zhou Zhong quickly took a deep bow, not daring to look upwards; "Senior Brother, a thousand apologies, if I knew you were here, I would have come to greet you." His senior brother gave a silent nod, a look of dissatisfaction written across his face, "You were always a bootlicker, Zhou. A common tendency amongst your tainted bloodline. Tell me, is your ancestor stealing forbidden techniques to boost your cultivation?" "What? You¡­ you''re mistaken?!" Zhou Zhong muttered out, stunned that his senior brother knew of such matters. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The Senior Brother tutted at his junior''s words, "It matters not. I care not for the impact it will have upon the Spirit Sword Sect. It is just another means to an end. The last Demonic Peak Prime Elder matters not to me." "Tell me, Zhou Zhong, do you know who this boy is?" He pointed to the decapitated head next to the fatty''s feet. "That bastard! Senior Brother, he stole the Phoenix Ice Fungus ¨C" Zhou Zhong quickly covered his mouth. "You seriously are stupid Zhou Zhong. You don''t have an inch of tact about you, do you?" The Senior Brother shook his head; "You let a¡­ boy, steal from you?" "I was duelling with disciples from other peaks Senior Brother!" Zhou Zhong pleaded. "Impressive." "I''m glad he''s dead, though!" Zhou Zhong kicked his decapitated head, sending it flying against a tree. As it finished rolling, the blood-eyed youth noticed something. The eyes in the head were still twitching. After noticing the eyes of the boy, the senior brother''s devious smile grew ever wider, "Fascinating." He looked over to his junior brother whom waisted the resources of his once loved demonic peak so frivolously, his keen eyes drew into a vicious viper-like grin, "Zhou. Do you want to be of use to me? Help me on a path to resolve some of my karma?" The tubby fool took repeated and multiple bows, "Yes! Yes! Senior Brother! I''d do anything to please you." The stoic faced Senior Brother gave a nod, "I have use of this child''s vessel," he said, drawing a beautiful silver dagger from inside of his belt. He signalled for Zhou Zhong to approach, making several hand gestures as you would to a young child. "Hold out your hands, Zhou Zhong." The Senior Brother placed a dagger in one hand and in the other he traced an ancient and unintelligible symbol in the other. "Carve that into your flesh, Junior Brother, then trail the blood into a pentagram around the dead body of this¡­ boy. You''ll be rewarded appropriately." Zhou Zhong nodded his head, cutting out the strangely patterned symbol into his hand. He gave a small grunt as the dagger pierced deep into his flesh, yet only a grunt. The reason was twofold: Firstly, he was a body cultivator, he had endured pain that surpassed this most days of his life; Secondly, Zhou Zhong wouldn''t dare to show a strand of weakness in the presence of his Senior Brother, in the fear that it''d be snuffed out¡­ permanently. Zhou Zhong handed the dagger back to his Senior Brother, taking a bow. He then proceeded to form a circle of blood around Sha Ku''s body. Then creating a five-sided star within the boundaries, forming a perfect pentagram. "Excellent, Junior Brother Zhou. You are as always an incredibly useful pawn¡­" the devilish smile on the crimson eyed disciple only grew. He walked over to the tree where Sha Ku''s head had been kicked, carefully picking it up, then placing it gently unto the stump which was left of his neck. "You said he had an Ice Phoenix Fungus?" "Yes, Senior Brother. It should be within his ring." Zhou Zhong''s head dripped with nervous and impatient sweat, gliding down his fat swollen brow and cheeks. The Senior Brother gave a nod, quickly searching through the rings with his intrusive and tyrannical divine sense. "Hm. Many things interesting things to be sure." Chucking the Spirit Herb to his Junior Brother, "Hold this for one moment, Zhou." Calmly walking outside of the pentagram, the Senior Brother chuckled, "You are useful to the very end, fatty." The laugh emerging from his lips monstrous and maniacal. "Grek''yash''kin." The Senior Brother ¨C Zhang Long spoke. Bang! With a great bang the fat and overly bloated Zhou Zhong burst! His blood and guts flying in a plethora of directions! In mid-air the bloody matter of his body floated about, decomposing into a slushy red liquid. The bones ground down to a white powder gently flowing in the sea of blood. The ancient Ice Phoenix Fungus started to decompose as well! Slowly they began to orbit each other: then faster, and faster, and faster! They accelerated to the point that the blue and red swirled and combined with one another above Sha Ku''s chest! The holy and sacred symbol of the Yin-Yang divide appeared from the flashing red and blue! Then slowly but surely the Yin-Yang symbol lowered into Sha Ku''s chest eventually fusing with him! The stump which was Sha Ku''s neck and the head fused! "Cough! Cough!" Sha Ku gasped, clutching his chest and spewing up a mouthful of blood. "Shit! I forgot how much I fucking hate that!" he growled; his pitch white face started to slowly, but surely regain some of its colour! "Why the hell have I got Pure Ultra Yin-Yang energy in my body?!" Sha Ku came to his senses. His eyes darting about the place. "Hm! What an interesting kid." A snort came from behind Sha Ku. 73 Peak Qi River Cultivator "What?!" Sha Ku turned around, witnessing the terrifying figure that was Zhang Long! His entire body radiated killing intent as if he were a walking battlefield emblazoned with the blood of heroes and the broken dreams of peasants alike. "You''re about to have a breakthrough. Cross your legs, sit up straight, and shut up." Zhang Long''s commanding tone was clear and decisive. Sha Ku looked towards him, his eyes wary, yet he wasn''t afraid. More suspicious. The events of the day have been hazy to him, he barely remembered the moments before his head was¡­ severed, just flashes. Was it this figure who had decapitated him? - He knew not. But what he did know was that the vital energy of Yin-Yang wasn''t quieting down within his Dantian whatsoever. No instead it was like the vast storm that was collectivising every single drop of Qi in the surrounding area; greedily gobbling it up and demanding a decisive and swift breakthrough in Sha Ku''s cultivation. "As you say." Sha Ku spoke smoothly, his eyes gleaming at the hollowed out and ethereal ghost that was Yan Huang, as if saying ''Warn me of anything suspect,''; Nonetheless Sha Ku wouldn''t have imagined that the usually loud-mouthed and opinionated Spirit Artifact of the Three-Headed ring would be stunned in silence. His eyes, wider that well¡­ someone who saw a ghost. Sha Ku sat up, casting his senses upon his Dantian. Within it was a mess. The energies of Ultimate Yin-Yang continuously collided with each other, like two storm gods fighting to see who would rule over the skies forevermore! Crash! Bang! ''This is no good.'' Sha Ku thought to himself, gazing upon the riverbanks that were the first stage in the evolution of his Dantian. The previous harmonious Yin-Yang Rivers had gone awry, the rivers flooded and contaminated one another! The once peaceful shaded forests were set ablaze in a show of might by the two monstrous building blocks of Qi ¨C Yin and Yang. "Enough!" Ska Ku spoke, his voice echoing throughout his Dantian! The rivers rocked, the forests froze, and the skies calmed. The lord had arrived. He was once again in command of his domain. A small avatar made of his innermost spiritual energy appeared within Sha Ku''s Dantian. It seemed rather unlike him, though. It was not a boy. But a man. A man beyond age. A man who had endured an eternity of war and suffering. Throughout his body were scars inflicted by the cruellest and most devious of curses. Swords, spears, axes and claws. All had made marks upon this vessel. None were symbols of shame, though. This mighty figure wore them as a badge of honour, his rugged and handsome looks scoured from his face, replaced by a visage of horror that was the tapestry of his past wars. This was Sha Ku. The real Sha Ku. Rubbing his large calloused hands together Sha Ku chuckled, they were almost like sandpaper; not the pretty smooth hands that he had in this life. Slowly he formed a meditative lotus position mid-air, looking over the wild wasteland frozen that was his Dantian; frozen in a singular moment. He put his two hands together, pressing his index fingers and thumbs to one another above his sternum. Then in a low and grizzled voice, he spoke, "Yin-Yang, Divide!" Woosh! Like a deity from the skies above using the Godly Yin-Yang Divide Technique Sha Ku separated the tow basic building blocks of the universe, each going to different halves of his Dantian. "May the ground be toiled forming the rivers of eternity!" As he spoke, Nine-Nine rivers formed on both sides of his Dantian. Each going travelling in a spiral pattern, going into the centre of Sha Ku''s Dantian where his Qi Sea would one day reside. "Rivers of Yin, Form!" As he spoke, the Ultra Yin obediently followed it''s master will! Forming eighty-one perfect Ultra Yin rivers! "Rivers of Yang, Form!" The moment the words left his mouth, the Yang rivers followed in suit, creating eighty-one perfectly flowing Ultra Yang rivers! "Yin-Yang Divide, Harmonise!" Woosh! Crash! The Yin-Yang of the inner world harmonised as the icy Yin, and molten Yang started to cut against each other! Slowly but surely, a giant Taoist Symbol of Yin-Yang started to gather overhead, constantly and perpetually rotating in the skies. A sense of the serene overtook the inner world. The cataclysmic unfurling of reality itself halted, and everything was as if it was formed from the hidden beauty of nature itself. Outside of Sha Ku''s body, Zhang Long looked at him with rabid eyes, his mouth almost watering over the sight. He knew what Yin-Yang energy was! He knew how rare it was! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. This young lad was the future of the Demonic Peak ¨C no, the entire Forgotten Valley! Sure, this boy was vulnerable for now, but if he greased the right palms and chose the right paths, he''d end up usurping the Sect Master in a few decades, if not years! "If this boy inherits the Four Natures Spirit Sword Technique¡­ perhaps even the mighty Wei Empire will fall?" Zhang Long''s interests peaked, perhaps he''d hold off on hunting down the old fart that ruled over the Feng. Maybe he''d stick around a bit to watch this kid; he does seem to be the only one interesting after all. Sha Ku opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. Uncrossing his legs, he stood, turning around to gaze into the vivid crimson eyes of Zhang Long. Cupping his hands and taking a quick half-bow, he spoke, "Senior, this little one owes you a favour." Zhang Long nodded, "Very good. A six-year-old who''s only a hair''s width away from the Qi Sea stage owes me a favour. However, did I become this lucky?" Sha Ku gazed over intently, analysing every word that leaked from Zhang Long''s mouth, his body language and his sharp red eyes. "I would be careful though¡­?" "Sha Ku." Sha Ku replied gracefully. "Sha Ku, I would be careful if I were you. Don''t let Old Demon Zhou know that you just consumed his grandson. He''d go mental and tear down the entirety of Spirit Sword Mountain. The Prime Elders would have to stop him." Zhang Long warned a look of expectation filled his eyes. "Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother. May I know your name?" "Zhang Long." "Thank you, Senior Zhang." Sha Ku once again bowed, but as he raised his head to look upon his Senior brother once more; he''d vanished. Like a whisper in the wind, he''d gone. "What an odd fellow. I could feel the bloodlust emanating from his heart. His restraint is incredible, as are the lengths he''s gone to cultivate such a demonic technique." Sha Ku spoke, in awe of his Senior Brother. Yan Huang still stood there gobsmacked; unable to speak with his jaw halfway down his face. "Wake up, Flame Face¡­ I told you I had an undying physique before, why are you so surprised?" Sha Ku shouted as he was oddly annoyed by the spirit''s continued silence. 74 Attempting to Save a Life A long time passed as Yan Huang stood there in confusion, still unable to comprehend what kind of witchcraft or divine intervention had taken place upon the heavily leaved forest floor of Darkspire this day. "Sh¡­ Sha Ku?" Yan Huang whispered into Sha Ku''s mind. "You''re finally awake then? It''s about time." Sha Ku scoffed with his divine sense, keeping his communication with his spirit buddy a secret from the possible ears of others. "Yes¡­ I''ve been awake this entire time. Yet I somehow feel like I''m in an inescapable dream." Yan Huang said, his face solemn, even for him. "That happens when someone''s idea of reality comes crashing down around them." Sha Ku said grimly, a tremor appearing in his lip. He knew of this happening twice in his past life¡­ when the first of the Heavenly Tear Race took up arms and went to war. The second, well that was when he''d lost his daughter¡­ Sha Ku looked up towards the skies, barely peering through the dense treeline. A tear fell down his cheek. His breathing became quick and deep, it felt hot. Gulping down the feelings of agony Sha Ku stood up, "Enough of this, Yan Huang. You came here with a singular purpose, did you not? It matters not about my ability to avoid death. Your revenge, would you let it go because you found something blinded from the midnight sun, the all-seeing eye of heaven?" Yan Huang held his breath, he centred himself. Thinking back on what he''d seen in his life, the indescribable horrors and entities he''d seen and the awe-inspiring performances of those few who go against the fate itself; he knew this was no time for surrender. The audacity of surrender or submission wasn''t an avenue he was willing to walk. No, his was the path of only one end. Life or Death. He had gone all-in with Sha Ku, revealing to him the secrets of his placement within the Forgotten Valley, and Yan Huang was going to see it through. "Thank you, once again, Sha Ku. I lost myself for a moment." Yan Huang made a small bowing movement towards Sha Ku; "What are you going to do about that unconscious fellow then?" Yan Huang pointed towards Liu Bei, who was sprawled across half a collapsed tree. Sha Ku tutted to himself, approaching the lazing Liu Bei who was napping on the tree, "He was knocked out, I wonder what happened?" "It was the woman who¡­ disabled you. After she took your head, she duelled him. While they duelled, I felt her channel¡­ the former Sect Master¡­ Feng." Yan Huang explained to Sha Ku had the battled and the ultimate defeat that the mysterious woman had suffered at the hands of Zhang Long. "Interesting, Senior Brother Zhang Long was looking to kill Feng Qiang?" Sha Ku raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Yes, from what I could gather it seems that while Feng Qiang retained much of his former power, his physical body was somewhat weak. That Zhang boy remarked, a rank one assassin could eliminate him if his location was known." Yan Huang explained, almost bursting to get an opportunity. Sha Ku picked up on the intent in Yan Huang''s heart, it was as if a massive wound in space opened up and was seething a deep and vivid bloodlust, enough to paint the entirety of the forest red, "Enough of that, Yellow Flame!" Sha Ku shouted, almost unable to endure the bloody intent emanating from the spirit. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''I may be a reincarnator, my soul may have an edge above my peers, yet it still only at the Novice Soul Stage¡­ let alone something that can contest with something that''s at the above the Heaven Ascending Realm!'' Sha Ku though, weathering the storm of Yan Huang''s contemptuous rage. Yan Huang immediately halted his actions, reeling in his anger, "Apologies, Sha Ku. I didn''t mean to let that loose." The old-looking ghost hung his head in shame, while an aura of shame enclouded him. "Don''t reside upon it, Yan Huang. It takes a man a lifetime to master his emotions and a man whom his blessed with immortality¡­ hm, it will take an eternity, if he''s lucky." Sha Ku chuckled with a smirk on his face. "Now, let''s see if Liu Bei is still alive¡­" Sha Ku said with a somewhat grim disposition, for more than one reason. This Liu Bei was only a young man still. He couldn''t be above sixteen years of age¡­ it would be a great tragedy to die at such a young age. Not only that, Liu Bei''s father was meant to be a great Duke who could cast entire dynasties aside with a swipe of his hand. If he allowed Liu Bei to die here, Sha Ku feared there would be no end to the hounding and daggers in the dark; perhaps if he had really disappointed the heavens Duke Liu would come personally and cast the child responsible down into the depths of hell! Sha Ku shook his head at the thought alone, he knew not what stage Duke Liu was at. For all he knew he might be a fat dragon, lousing around stuck in Dao Transformation. On the other hand, though, he could be a crouching tiger, a Dao Domain expert, ready and willing to topple kingdoms so that he may exact his vengeance. Sha Ku put his fingers on Liu Bei''s wrists, there was a faint beat. It was weak, though, very weak. And growing more fragile with each passing moment¡­ "Shit!" Sha Ku let out a grizzled growl, breaking from the prepubescent high pitched voice of which he had come accustom to. "I need to stabilise him now." The real Sha Ku started to emerge, the one who was accustom to war, famine, disease. The man who stood above the world with his sword in hand, laughing at all who challenged him. "Who is that?" Yan Huang whispered to himself as he gazed at Sha Ku. Yan Huang didn''t perceive the world as physical. As an Artifact Spirit, he saw the souls of living things primarily. The young boy who looked warn from age was gone, now in his place, kneeling and caring for the incapacitated Liu Bei was a man. A war-worn man. A man brutally scarred, yet who''s shoulders were strong enough to carry the weight of the world¡­ 75 Heavens Reckoning Sha Ku didn''t notice Yan Huang depositional change as he was observing him, the entirety of his being was focused upon Liu Bei, who had a small trail of blood dripping from the corner of his lips. Sha Ku hastily dragged Liu Bei off the log upon which he was resting, cradling his head on his knee, "Liu Bei. Liu Bei! Can you hear me?!" Sha Ku''s voice got louder and louder, but it fell on deaf ears. "Damn." Sha Ku cursed, putting his hand over Liu Bei''s sternum, directly infusing Qi into his Dantian. Ying-Yang Energy flew with a steady stream into Liu Bei''s Dantian, like a dried-up well hit by a monsoon, it rapidly started to fill and fill, all the while Sha Ku infused more and more of his Qi! Soon enough, the well that was his Dantian started to overflow, nothing changed though. Although he was full to the brim with some of the most potent Qi in the plane, nothing happened! His body just lay there, unmoving, unreactive, like the living dead. "Damnit, why the hell isn''t this working!" Sha Ku growled once again. "Next method then." He spoke, flipping Liu Bei onto his stomach, then pulling up the back of his shirt; exposing the bare of his back. "Acupuncture points and Meridians then!" Sha Ku shouted as he spread out his hands. Tiny spikes of Qi started to form on each. "The body has Nine Grand Meridians and Fifty-Four Vital Acupuncture Points¡­ fuck, I''ve never done this on a human." Sha Ku grit his teeth, as he rapidly pressed down on different points througho0ut Liu Bei''s back. With each and every time he put a finger down a little pop could be heard ringing in the air, and a small bubbling ooze leaked out each of the points. "Come on. You''re probably the only one with every single Grand Meridian and Vital Acupuncture Point''s open in the lower realms! Get up!" Sha Ku shouted once again, as he continuously infused healing energy into Liu Bei''s back. Sweat poured down his forehead, his breath was heavy. He''d expended a lot of Qi. Liu Bei was several realms above him, incredible quantities of Qi were required to refill the husk. Yet a humble Qi River Realm was providing it! "Kid¡­ You opened his Nine-Grand Meridians and his Fifty-Four Vital points? Doesn''t that mean?" Yan Huang spoked, his voice cautious and slightly worried. "That I''m creating a monster? Is that what you were going to ask, Yan Huang?!" Sha Ku barked at him, his voice ripping at the back of his throat. "Yes¡­ only Immortal Exalts have opened all their Meridians and Vital Points to the Universe¡­ doing it at his age¡­" Yan Huang was lost for words. Never in his life had he imagined he''d be involved in such a monumental event! As a young man, he''d heard rumours of long-lost prodigies of time immemorial who were born with their entire Qi System open to the Universe. They had Sacred Bodies, blessed by the heavens. In his wildest dreams, he''d never thought that he''d see such a physique created before him! Crackle! Boom! The skies above started to swirl in a thick, dense black cloud. They purred, rumbling gently. As a vortex of lightning began to gather within! "Fuck! Bloody Heavens, you send a tribulation! You send a tribulation at a time like this!" Sha Ku gnarled deeply, his dark eyes having flashes of ancient tyrannical light, so vague and so dim that not even the Heaven''s Eyes noticed. The brutal skies ignored his pleas, as the storm overhead started to swirl more and more. "Kid, if you''re going to do something¡­ do it fast. You have less than a minute." Yan Huang warned. "I know!" Sha Ku spat, his fury from within grew evermore. "I served you for aeons. Let me just have this. Why won''t you just do me a favour this once!" Sha Ku screamed, his lungs burning with every word. The Heaven''s, they cared not. They just prepared to strike. "Fuckers." Sha Ku muttered, taking out a small dagger from his belt. With a slit he opened his wrist''s vain, pouring the blood within onto Liu Bei''s lips. Small droplets of blood entered his mouth, "I hope this doesn''t screw me over¡­" Sha Ku grunted, annoyed. He didn''t know the effect of mixing his blood with¡­ a mortal''s. He''d once healed a wild beast like this in a past life¡­ Would it work now? "It''s time. I''ve never felt this before¡­" Sha Ku looked up to the sky, where a ripple of white-hot light descended from the heavens¡­ "This won''t tickle." Sha Ku held his breath and let out a blood-curdling scream as he stood over Liu Bei, preventing the lightning from hitting the helpless young man! Bang! "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Sha Ku screamed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His throat and lungs almost burst. The lightning hit him! It scorched his entire being, burning his whole body as it passed from the top of his head, through to lower organs and moved into the ground. "Ahhhh." He let out another shout in deep pain, his nails dug so deep into his palm that blood started to pour from four deep tears in his flesh. "Ughh, huuu." He bent over double, breathing heavily. Nothing could quell the pain within. "Sha Ku, are you alright?!" Yan Huang let out a gasp, almost unable to watch. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I¡­ Its nothing, Yellow Flame." Sha Ku forced a grin to appear on his face, "I''ve endured far worse, a thousand times deeper." What Sha Ku neglected to mention was that he was infinitely stronger when he had formerly experienced such deep pain. "You know this is only the first round of Divine Punishment¡­ there are nine in total¡­" Yan Huang''s voice was quiet, worried for his friend. "I know." Sha Ku spoke, his voice unwavering. "I''m not going to let such an opportunity go to waste though¡­" A devilish smile appeared on his face, drawing the Purple Cloud Sword from his interspatial ring he pointed it to the heavens. "Come forward and muster what little you have! For I Sha Ku, last, of the God Slayer Clan, command it!" Crash! An ocean of white-hot light crashed upon him¡­ 76 Web of Lies Crash! Crash! Bang! Flash! Woosh! Kaboom! ¡­ The lightning sent from the heavens struck down upon Sha Ku''s crispy carcass nine times in total. Each struck down like a blacksmith hammer against a poor innocent insect. Sha Ku like the cockroach refused to die though, surviving through each and every strike of divine lightning. The Purple Cloud Sword that was firmly grasped to pierce into the sky was now lying, disposed and wasted on the ground. The seven ancient runes carved within were rippling with electricity, each biting at the anything that approached it. Surrounding it was a litter of small creatures, from insectoids and arachnids all the way up to a rodent ¨C a little two-tailed black mouse that was native to Darkspire. Sha Ku still stood over Liu Bei''s body, his once porcelain white skin was now scorched and burnt, a sour mix of bright red and a pork-like roasted chestnut. His breathing was slow, his hair was gone. All that was left was his tattered clothes and a disgustingly indomitable smile that adorned his face from ear to ear. He knew this was a moment of triumph. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Slowly bending down, he grabbed a-hold of Liu Bei''s wrist. The once weak heartbeat was now strong! Like the heavy beat of an ancient gong, becoming the release of an abyssal dragon, from the depths of the Hell''s Abyss. And it responded! The fingers on his hands were twitching, the eyes beneath their lids twitched about; "He''s alive. He''s going to thrive. Ahh." Sha Ku collapsed onto his side, his legs giving out from underneath his body. With his tired and burnt arms, Sha Ku dragged himself one scrape and deep sunken clawing of mud at a time. With each rotation of his arms, pulling him closer to the tree, his body seemed to heal. The chestnut skin hat almost vanished from his face, becoming a forest of red blotches upon his skin. "Ughh." Sha Ku groaned in exhaustion as he propped himself upon a mighty oak, his skin full of abrasions, torn and battered; but more importantly still alive. He closed his left eye, ready to sleep; but suddenly halted himself. "Gentleman''s Return." He spoke, with his hand open. Slowly but surely, the Purple Cloud Sword returned to his hand, "You''ll be more than useful." He spoke as he carefully stored it in the three-headed interspatial ring upon his finger. With that, his right eye closed as well, with a soft smile upon his face, he fell into a land of dreams. Soaring the skies and fishing in an ocean of stars. In his dream he saw a good many things, some brought warm memories to heart, the others were dark things¡­ the likes of which would be a nightmare for most, but for Sha Ku; it was the path of blood he had trekked. The thousands upon thousands of stories that he had ended with the point of his sword. It was all in service to some omnipotent will of the universe. That was what he thought, there wasn''t even an idol behind it, just the random whim of the world. Now though, the universe, the heavens¡­ had it abandoned him, or had it grander notions in store for him? Did the heavens wish to upheave his life or test him? Test him by crushing him, his flesh, his bones, his vitality into the dust. Treading on him repeatedly. Over and over again, until the desperate will and manner of his unyielding soul is all that is left? Was that the answer? To destroy all that he was? So that only the pure and tenacious core of his soul was the only thing remaining? But for what purpose could that serve¡­ no the will of the heaven was too complicated; all he could do was walk a certain path and at the end of it pray that he had the heaven''s favour rather than their fury. "Sha Ku!" "Sha Ku!" "Ugh, what. Piss off!" Sha Ku groaned, rubbing his tired little eyes. Looking at his hands, he realised they were fully healed, they weren''t even a little red. Smacking his lips, he sat up, grunting while stretching and letting out a big yawn. "Oh, Liu Bei. You alright?" He looked up to see the young man poking at him with a stick. "Sha Ku, are you alright? I don''t remember what happened?" Liu Bei asked, observing the tattered purple robes that desperately clung to Sha Ku''s body. "Awww," Sha Ku yawned once more, "Yeah. I''m fine. Just a bit exhausted. Let me go back to sleep." Sha Ku leaned against a tree once more, closing his eyes. "Get up! Don''t you realise where we are?! Darkspire! Darkspire! It''s a miracle some demonic beast didn''t sloth up upon us and slit our throats while we slept! Now get up!" Liu Bei said sternly, his natural disposition, dragging Sha Ku to his feet. "Now, let''s get out of here. Explain to me what happened on the way." Liu Bei practically slung Sha Ku over his shoulder, much to the boy''s complete chagrin. After about twenty minutes, Sha Ku convinced Liu Bei to put him down so that they both may walk, in return Sha Ku would reveal to him what had happened. "Liu Bei, it''s quite complicated, and I''m only going to explain it once, so listen up!" Sha Ku spoke decisively, not giving Liu Bei a chance to reply. And so, Sha Ku spun his web, fabricating a tale worthy and perhaps equal to a child being beheaded and miraculously coming back to life¡­ well not really, but it was still rather convincing. "So, you''re telling me that woman put down some kind of formation that captures people in an illusion?" Liu Bei asked, still unsure. "Precisely. I managed to see through it, not immediately though¡­ as you can tell from my tattered robe¡­" Sha Ku''s lip twitched. "I was in a den of wolves when I came to¡­ that was awful. Imagine the moment you came awoke from a horrid dream you were confronted with an even scarier and far more tyrannical power?! I was confused, luckily I managed to break the illusion though." Sha Ku explained as they finally left Darkspire, seeing the mountain range of the Spirit Sword Sect on the horizon. 77 Return To The Spirit Sword Sec The journey back to the Spirit Sword Sect wasn''t a long one, with the strength of Liu Bei''s sword at their side no creature dared to approach them; especially after seeing the fourth demonic beast being laid to eternal rest in his sword''s wake. The demonic beast infested hilly and mountainous region was annoyingly complicated to traverse, but in only half a day the two returned; standing at the front gate of the sect the two bid each other farewell. "I owe you, Sha Ku. I was unconscious, and you treated my wounds¡­ luckily there is no damage. I will return the favour." Liu Bei gave a final gesture, before leaving, following the five-coloured path to Five Element Peak. "Kid, why did you tell him that you gave him the Ice Phoenix Fungus to heal him?" Yan Huang appeared out of nowhere, questioning his actions. "The answer to that is twofold, Yan Huang." Sha Ku set foot upon the demonic path, glowing a terrifying mix of blood-red and purple. "If anyone knew about the existence of the Ice Phoenix Fungus, they now have to take it up with Liu Bei. I''m off the hook. Especially since that old geezer, Zhang Long warned me about probably knows about his grandson''s demise." Sha Ku explained to Yan Huang, as he continued walking up the steep steps that led to the lower Demonic Peak. "Secondly, Liu Bei is now formally in my debt. Which will be useful for my future." Sha Ku said decisively, his jaw jutted out all the while. "That seems a bit¡­ manipulative, Sha Ku¡­" Yan Huang muttered. "Manipulative? Well, yes. But I also gave him a body that''s perfect for martial arts¡­ he won''t encounter a single bottleneck until he starts to deduce the laws of the world." Sha Ku explained it was more appropriate to say that Liu Bei should be heavily in his debt! "That is true." Yan Huang nodded, admitting that Sha Ku was correct about the matter. "Also," Sha Ku''s eyes turned sharp, "If such a talented young man appears in the Wei Empire, it''ll cause strife between the Emperor and the Great Duke Liu." Sha Ku ignored Yan Huang''s reaction, tired of explaining his motivations to the old ghost. One mustn''t forget, in Sha Ku''s former life he was High Marshal of the God-Slayer Race. High Marshal! He was head of all military matters, imagine what kind of man it takes for him to ascend to such a position in a group of people called, ''God-Slayers''. That kind of man must be impeccably suited to strategy and thinking ten moves ahead of his enemies. By dusk Sha Ku had returned to the Lower Demonic Peak, his lips were dry, and his eyes were sore, smacking his lips he felt he needed a drink. "I should get some wine¡­ I haven''t had a bottle of good wine in years." Sha Ku mumbled to himself. He made his way to the contribution store, which was open until late. The person manning it was no longer the older man, nor the seemingly possessed boy. No, instead it was a woman. She was bald, bald and wrinkled. She had a wretched scar across her face, half her nose was missing, and her left eye was white. "Greetings Senior." Sha Ku took a bow towards the woman, his face as calm as water. In response, the old woman gave a smile, showing her blackened teeth, crooked and rotten, "Aren''t you a sweetie. I bet you''ll be ripped to shreds within a month." She cackled to herself. ''So, you''re as demented as the rest of them?'' Sha Ku thought to himself. "I''ve come to claim contribution points, it''s five points per head of every Rank One, fifty for Rank Two and one-hundred for Rank Three demonic beasts, if I''m correct?" Sha Ku spoke while brushing the outside of his interspatial ring. The old woman gave a nod, "Yes, yes. Get on with it, youngster, before I skin you." She laughed to herself, getting tired of a six-year-old''s imperative demeanour. Sha Ku''s eyes went cold, "Your name is Senior?" "Lian Ling," The woman replied off-hand. "Good, I''ll remember your name." Sha Ku responded in a low voice, his eyes cold and emitting not killing intent, but the feeling of a thousand soul''s being slaughtered in a moment. "What?!" Lian Ling, spoke, shocked. Bang! A massive pile of decapitated demonic beast''s heads started to pile up in front of her, each and everyone causing a shock to her¡­. Sha Ku was rewarded 20,000 Contribution points that day. He was sure that he''d spend them wisely in the future. His plans hadn''t come to fruition just yet. Instead, all he bought of the old witch, Lian Ling was a map and a bottle of wine. The map was old, ancient. It showed all the locations of antiquity, from ten-thousand years in the past. While this map was useless to some, if paired with a modern map, perhaps he''d be able to find ancient burial grounds! Which, of course, should hold vast amounts of treasures. That is the nature of cultivators, not to gift their items upon their deaths, but to seal it up in ancient tombs. The likes of which are filled to the brim with untold amounts of traps and tribulations! A ridiculous notion if you asked Sha Ku. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Such people have no notion of what''s essential, or even how to preserve power¡­ "Huuu." Sha Ku shook his head sighing. Uncorking the bottle of wine, he took a swig from it, "Mmm, good stuff." The wine was a rosemary flavour, but it was also slightly sweet and spiced, dancing on Sha Ku''s taste buds. Now the moon hung high in the sky, he remembered back to the Astral Egg, wondering how it was doing. It wouldn''t be anywhere near hatching yet though; it would still be another four years at least. "The die is cast¡­ to the rise of the Yang Clan." Sha Ku raised his wine to the moon, toasting his new life which had finally managed to find a place deep within his heart. 79 An unexpected visitor Within his minute shack-like room Sha Ku sat cross-legged, a bitter smile on his face and an empty bottle of wine in his hand. "The wine¡­ it''s always gone." Sha Ku tutted, turning it upside down above his gaping mouth until a few little droplets trickled out, which he gulped down with fierce ferocity. "Ugh.. it couldn''t get me drunk now anyway¡­" Sha Ku shook his head in slight contempt. "You know what they never tell you about having an Undying Body, Yan Huang?" Sha Ku asked his transparent friend. "I''m guessing that you can''t get drunk?" he swiftly replied, with an unamused look adorning his sour face. Seeing his reaction, Sha Ku chortled, "Oh, I forgot. Hehe." Remembering that his compatriot couldn''t even eat, or drink let alone have the pleasure¡­ or displeasure of getting drunk. "I remember in the Nine Flame; we had a personal brewmaster. He was a monk from the Sacred Peach Paradise. We bought his loyalty by providing the Peach Paradise with a Buddhist Scripture that we found in some old ruins. In return they sent this silent bald brewmaster over, for a thousand years he brewed the sweetest and most succulent of wines. Many of the disciples wept after he left." "Hopefully you''ll be able to drink that Sacred Peach Paradise Wine again, Yan Huang. Just give me time, and I''ll make sure we reach it there." Sha Ku spoke a soft smile on his face. "Time? Thank the Heavens, for that, is all I have to give." Yan Huang joked; a heartfelt grin crossed his face for the first time in a long time. The two spoke into the depths of the night until Sha Ku fell asleep on the burnt black soot covered stone floor. Not awakening until the hearkening of morning crows came tapping on his burnt-out window¡­ which could more accurately be described as a hole now¡­ Knock. Knock. "Ugh¡­" Sha Ku''s slobbering face was pushed upwards by his hands as he dizzily arose from his slumber. Knock. Knock. Wiping the drool from his chin and rubbing his eyes Sha Ku gave a sharp blow on each side of his nose, pressing down on the other side with his knuckles. Knock. Knock. "Heaven''s sake, who''s knocking at such an ungodly hour?!" Sha Ku barked as he swung open the door. Standing there, legs shaking together and an honest to heaven look of absolute dread stood a young boy. His knees knocking and eyes darting about the place he spoke, "Sha¡­ Sha Ku?" "Ugh, it''s you." Sha Ku groaned at the boy in multiple five coloured robes. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!" Sha Ku barked, pointing at the sun but not looking at it in the skies above; where it was apparently high in the sky. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Err¡­ Err¡­ it¡­ it''s Midday." The five-coloured boy spoke, his voice, trembling. "Mid... Midday?" Sha Ku spoke in surprise, as he peeked out of the door, looking at the midday sun hanging high in the sky. Pouting his lips outwards and putting his eyebrows up like a chimney on a house, he gave a nod, "Hu, so it is midday." "Anyway, come in, Yung Chu." Sha Ku grabbed the tall skinny boy by the ear, dragging him into his hut. Bang! "Who was that who went into Sha Ku''s Room?" the purple-haired Yu Shi asked Bing Yuanshan, who was sitting next to him on the broken fountain. "He has an azure collar and a five-coloured robe. He must be from the top of Elemental Peak. He''s also a Coloured Star Cultivator¡­ strange, how would such a fellow know our resident Demonic Child." Bing Yuanshan wondered, stroking his chin. Since cultivating the technique Sha Ku had given him, ''The Frost Archon''s Wrath,'' Bing Yuanshan had changed. It wasn''t just his bravery, but his entire nature had changed. He was literally starting to embody some of the ancient traits of a ''Frost Archon''. Thoughtful, keen and unyielding. All of these had been mixed into the big pot that was his personality! He peered over his shoulder to the tongue-ripped Song Yi who was currently leaning over the fountain with his mouth wide open. He was gazing intently at the lone inch of his tongue that was left¡­ "Knock it off, Song Yi. You''ll only feel worse the longer you look." Bing Yuanshan said, intently trying to discourage him from peering at his missing organ. "¡­." Song Yi looked at him with a hint of despair. "You realise if you make it to Star Palace, you should be able to regrow your tongue?" Yu Shi told the soppy looking fool. Song Yi just frowned at him in a hellish agony, unable to respond. "You know, Song Yi," Bing Yuanshan spoke up, "You could try Body Cultivation. They say it''s ten-times more agonising than Qi Cultivation, but you might be better suited for it?" Bing Yuanshan rubbed his chin, suggesting to his friend. "Not to mention that to be a powerful Demonisis Master you don''t necessarily cultivate Qi, you can use your bodily energies as a Body Practitioner," Bing Yuanshan explained to his friend that it might be a good idea to change paths. "Bing Yuanshan has a point, Song Yi. Plus, body cultivators can regrow body parts rather rapidly. I had an Uncle, Yu Gong, who regrew an arm and he''s a Silver Body Cultivator." Yu Shi added, taking out a nightshade apple, starting to chew it. "You really have to eat that poisonous fruit around us?" Bing Yuanshan said with forthright revulsion, covering his nose. "What? I use Poison Art, what''s your problem?" Yu Shi asked, crunching on the toxic apple a gleeful look on his face all the while. "Ugh. Come on, Song Yi." Bing Yuanshan dragged Song Yi away. "Where are you going?!" Yu Shi shouted at them in the distance. "We''re going to the Spirit Hall to find a Body Scripture for Song Yi. Join us, you know, when you finished your poisonous death apple!" Bing Yuanshan walked off, with Song Yi in tow while Yu Shi shrugged, unbothered. 80 Scripture of the Heavenly Demon "So, Yung Chu, what trepidations did you come to spill at my doorstep this morning¡­ afternoon?" Sha Ku spoke, slamming the door behind the two of them. "Oh, wow." Yung Chu let out a little gasp entered the room, observing it. Several dozen jars and bottles full of blood and organs rested against the leftmost wall and stacked up on the right side were hundreds of lizard-like scales! "Don''t mind that, Yung Chu. It''s just the remains of that Eight-Tailed Serpent. It''s a draconic descendant, so I plan on shipping all this off to my home; soon enough. So, don''t let your dirty alchemic eyes inspire greed in your heart!" Sha Ku said plainly, taking issue with Yung Chu. "Oh! No, I''d never. Hahaha." Yung Chu let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "So why have you come here? To cause me agony? To bore me to death?" Sha Ku yawned covering his mouth, sitting down in the centre of the room. Slowly he started to pick the sleep out of the corners of his eyes. "Erm¡­ No. Actually, I came to give you something. My master told me to make it in return for you saving me¡­" Yung Chu took out a pill bottle from his hands. "Listen there''s no need-" "Is that a Heavenly Clarification Pill?" Sha Ku jumped to his feet after recognising the sent. "Yes, it''s a Heavenly Clarification Pill! How did you know?" Yung Chu was confused as the young boy looked at the pill bottle in his hands. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "The combination of Silver Bark, Jasmine, Owl Eyes and Hydra Venom are unmissable." Sha Ku remarked, having known these ingredients having been used in the creation of a singular famous pill! "Do you want it?" Yung Chu asked, his face had a beaming smile on his face. "Well, yes." Sha Ku straight up answered. Grabbing out of his hand, popping the pill bottle open and swallowing it. "Oh¡­ you''re just going to straight-up take it?" "Do you even know it''s effects?" Yung Chu asked, confused and shocked. This was a pill worth a small city! Yet this Sha Ku just pops it like a sweet! "It increases comprehension by around 74% for a total of two hours. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have comprehensions that I must make." Sha Ku shooed Yung Chu out the door, telling him that he''d be visiting Elemental Peak later this day if it all went successfully. Bang! Sha Ku slammed the rickety wooden door behind Yung Chu, some splinters even came loose! "Terribly discourteous of you, why-" Yan Huang was just about to ask Sha Ku the reason for his rudeness, he heard a resounding ¨C "Shut it! I haven''t got much time!" Sha Ku raised his voice angrily taking out the scroll he''d received from An Mo the day they left Greenmont. ''Soul of the Heavenly Demon,'' it was a technique that even Sha Ku couldn''t cultivate. Not because he didn''t have the ability or his body wasn''t adaptive enough, but purely because it was too complicated! The Soul of the Heavenly Demon required the practitioner to perform two secret techniques hidden in the scroll to even read the central part of the scripture! Even a mind as astute as Sha Ku was unable to do this. The toll on his soul was too heavy! It required him to use his divine sense, his soul power and his full cognitive ability at once, each having a catastrophic toll on each other! It was like asking a cripple to perform a movement technique! Cruel and vindictive, giving a man hope, but then pulling it away like a rug underneath their feet! This is where the Heavenly Clarification Pill came in! No doubt Yung Chu''s master thought the pill would come in useful for discovering Sha Ku''s Dao! Or even comprehending a specific intent! No, instead it was being used to comprehend a soul cultivation technique! Imagine Dai Chi''s reaction if she found out! "Haha! It''s working!" Sha Ku grinned manically, as he carefully read the text. "To the reader, I greet thee. I am Lord Yun. Heavenly Master of the Demon Clan. What is it to be a Demon? What is it to destroy all in your path, to devour and spit the bones of Gods? They are synonymous. There is no difference. To be a demon is not to be evil. To be a demon is not to dominate and destroy the innocent. I learnt this through my own blood and tears. I learnt this through my own child''s death. To be a demon, what is it? It is to be unchallenged. To be indomitable. To not fear the laws of Immortals and Gods. To not bow to anyone but of your choosing. To be a demon, it is to be free. Free from restraints. Free from bondage. Free from destiny! For the Chains of Heaven Shall bind neither I nor you! Be Free!" Cough! Blood flew from Sha Ku''s mouth as he read the text of ''Lord Yun''! His eyes grew wide. His mouth agape. A feeling arose in his heart. A sense of being untethered. "The Dao of Demons, the Dao of Freedom. They are by one and the same¡­ it makes sense. But to be untethered from the Heavens themselves, to escape their immutable influence. It¡­ isn''t it only a dream?" An image of chains descended from the sky, infinitely wrapping around him, vanished! The chains shattered, the skies thundered, but they had no pressure! Like a child, they raged and sulked, but soon they calmed. Nothing, nothingness¡­ it was everywhere, and Sha Ku had deduced true freedom. Woosh! Sha Ku''s enter body exuded an old and ancient energy. His eyes turned a terrifying violet, signifying the newfound liberty of his soul. "I''ve advanced to Soul Adept¡­ two boundaries at once. How remarkable." A smile adorned Sha Ku''s face as he laid back on his black soot-stained floor. A wave of exhaustion taking him into a land of far off dreams. 81 The Yu Clan The midday sun had started to lower by the time Sha Ku had awoken. He rubbed his eyes and stood to his feet; tubbing his neck he spoke, "I really need to get some furniture in here¡­ a bed at least." He stretched his arms wide open and yawned. "You also need to get rid of all this junk." Yan Huang pointed to the dissected and butchered remains of the Eight-Tailed Serpent. "Yeah, I really do." Sha Ku said, rubbing his eyes. "I wonder if I could get someone to deliver it? Perhaps another Soul Slave is in order." Sha Ku thought out-loud. "You can create Soul Slaves?" Yan Huang asked with some scepticism. "Yes, now that I''m at the Adept Soul Stage I''ll be able to create a Coloured Star Soul Slave as well. The only trouble with that is, well suppressing them." Sha Ku admitted. "Something tells me you wouldn''t have much of a problem defeating a Coloured Star practitioner." Yan Huang said, his face had a look of sarcastic wit upon it. "Well, you''re right about that. Given that he''s a poor-quality Coloured Star Realm cultivator. The Star Realms really are the true basis of ascension for most cultivators. If a Red or Yellow Stared cultivator attacks me, I should be able to finish them off no problem." Sha Ku explained. "And above that?" Yan Huang queried. "Well, Blue; I''d survive. Violet, I could put up a struggle¡­ Golden, I''d die." Sha Ku answered Yan Huang. "A Golden Star Cultivator could kill you?" Yan Huang was shocked, knowing Sha Ku''s regenerative abilities. "Well¡­ yes. If he was clever, he''d destroy my head, then burn my body until only the bones remain. But I''d appear to have been killed in any case. Just like with that strange woman who took my head." Sha Ku gave a sigh, not knowing her identity or who she worked for. Although the current him wasn''t ready for such an insurmountable challenge. "I wonder how my sisters and brother are doing?" Sha Ku wondered to himself. As he left the room, going to find the sun in the sky, getting ready to go for its slumber. The courtyard wasn''t empty, no. There were three people; Song Ping and one of his many underlings, and yes, his underlings still obeyed him. The man may be missing an eye and a leg, but like a savage pirate with an eye-patch and a wooden peg-leg, he refused to give up! And to admit anyone could beat him? Preposterous! He''d be torn apart by dogs, devour by beasts and be foul on the forest floor before he dared to admit defeat! His tyrannical nature was unbending! If he had to be felt together by stitches for the entirety of his existence, just so long as he didn''t have to admit his inferiority; he''d be happy. Never give in. Never surrender! "Grrrr." Song Ping growled the moment he noticed Sha Ku, who in his own way had a deep admiration for his rival¡­ if you could call him that. And the feeling was reciprocal from Sha Ku, who also had a sense of respect for Song Ping. If he wasn''t mistaken, Song Ping was on the precipice of touching upon two Dao''s ¨C The Dao of Tyranny and the Dao of Relentlessness! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Both of these Dao''s were strong in their own respective manner and took a vast amount of time to fully comprehend, but with Song Ping''s unyielding nature, as long as he didn''t become the proverbial young master threatening those whom could crush him with the utmost ease; the boy should develop into quite a talent in the future! Of course, Sha Ku would neither help him nor view him as his rival. The only being he''d thought of a rival since he arrived on this plane would be perhaps Feng Qiang, or the Wen Emperor himself. Of course, neither of these individuals yet realised that a shark had entered their quiet midday pond¡­ and it was hungry for blood¡­ The third person in the courtyard was, of course, Yu Shi, he sat there, looking at the fountain with a broken edge as the water had turned from the cool calm blue into a vile purple, the same colour of his hair. "A Poison Art, a deadly one at that." Sha Ku said from behind him, putting his hand on Yu Shi''s shoulder. "Mmm." The boy gave off a nod, looking deep in the tepid pool of purple. "Your family practices the Poison Arts?" Sha Ku asked him, trying to analyse the poison''s characteristics. "Only the direct male line." Yu Shi responded, "For some reason the first-born male of every generation is born with an immutable resistance to the deadliest of toxins. We''re required to learn our clan''s secret Poison Arts from the age of three." Sha Ku gave a nod, "Only the direct males learn it." Sha Ku pondered, wondering about the genetic mutations possible to achieve such a thing. Unfortunately, selective breeding was never his forte. "Well, anyone can learn it," Yu Shi corrected him, "In fact, my clan encourages it. It''s just if one goes past the initial stages, they have a one-in-five chance of death. Then it multiplies by five for every stage after that." "Interesting, your Yu Clan must have some influence then?" Sha Ku questioned. "Some, we''re an old clan. My ancestors founded the Unholy Viper Sect, but it fell in years far gone. Only a few remnants remain. Although my father and grandfather are often called upon by the Capital for certain favours, often to do with poison¡­ if you understand what I''m saying." Yu Shi tried to explain without giving too much of his family''s ''shady'' business away. Sha Ku gave a surprised nod, and gentle hum to boot. He never expected Yu Shi to be a poison cultivator, he was quiet, yes, but that was only one of the similarities. If he''d had to guess he would have predicted something along the line of Ghostly Arts, or perhaps Wind Arts. Nonetheless, Sha Ku digressed, wondering where his fellow disciples were," If I''m not mistaken Bing Yuanshan, and Song Yi were out here earlier, where did they go?" Sha Ku looked about around the courtyard, surprised not to see them. "They went to the Spirit Hall. Bing Yuanshan wants Song Yi to get a Body Scripture, he believes that he''ll regrow his tongue and be far better suited to the Body rather than Qi cultivation." Yu Shi explained to Sha Ku. "Clever. Anyone can cultivate their body, as long as their willing to endure enough pain." Sha Ku gave a nod of approval. 82 Demonic Soul, Unleashed "Clever. Anyone can cultivate their body, as long as their willing to endure the torturous pain." Sha Ku gave a nod of approval. Yu Shi nodded as well, "My Uncle, Yu Gong is a body cultivator at the Silver Body Realm. With it, he''s able to cultivate my Yu Clan''s Poison Arts up to its fourth stage. He once regrew an arm straight in front of my eyes." "Sounds like a good man." Sha Ku chuckled. "Ha. Uncle Gong''s a muscle head, peanuts for brains¡­ but you are right, he''s a good man. He helped raise me while my father was away." Yu Shi admitted, recalling the fond memories of his childhood and how his Uncle Gong had helped him comprehend his clan''s famous Poison Arts. "Do you want to go find the two pinecones we call friends then?" Sha Ku suggested, finding it awkward sitting here, making unsubstantiated small talk. "Mmm." Yu Shi gave a nod and with a wave of his hand turning the purple pool back to the cool, clear drinking water that it was before. "Do you know the way to Spirit Hall?" Sha Ku asked, slightly embarrassed. "Follow me." Yu Shi beckoned Sha Ku with a wave. The journey to Spirit Hall wasn''t long with Yu Shi guiding them, unlike many others the young man of the Yu clan wasn''t one to banter or bumble about senselessly when walking. He was a young man who could enjoy silence to it''s fullest¡­ hardly unsurprising seeing as he came from a line of killers for hire. They followed the purple demonic staircase to the ''Bridge of Wailing,'' an ancient structure that connected the Lower Demonic Peak to the central mountain ¨C Spirit Mountain. The ''Bridge of Wailing,'' was only one of four cobblestone bridges that lead to Spirit Mountain. Each quarter of the sect had their own. Unlike the others though: Elemental Peaks ''Rainbow Road''; Vanquishing Peak''s ''Crossing of Heroes''; and finally, Righteous Peak''s ''Blindman''s Folly'', the Bridge of Wailing was crumbling, in a state of decay. Much like the peak, it connected. As they crossed some of the paving slabs that they stepped on were even coming loose! Horrifyingly dropping shivering handfuls of old dusty cement down into the deep, bottomless chasm that it crossed! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Damn, that''s a long way to fall." Yan Huang stood on the bridge''s edge, staring at the few hundred-meter drop. He felt like gulping to himself; if he had a real throat that is. When the old man was but a child, he''d been terrified at heights¡­ even when he became an immortal, flying definitely wasn''t one of his favourite things to do! "Ignore it, you can do nothing about it." Sha Ku told Yan Huang with his divine sense, as they reached the other side of the bridge. As they reached the other side, an older lad, sporting dark curly hair and sage green eyes stood there. He was tall, with broad shoulders; donning a five-coloured cloak. His didn''t wear robes, no, instead he wore a top with ripped sleeves and a pair of shorts. "Ahh, another pair of demonic dunces." The curly-haired fellow laughed; a vicious grin adorned his face. The boy stood in front of the narrow exit of the bridge, his eyes keenly looking for trouble. "Listen here, if you want to cross the bridge, you have to pay the toll!" He took a cockily wide stance, summoning a long maul from his interspatial ring, hanging it over his shoulder. It was spiked, heavy and already had a fine layer of dried blood upon it. "Toll? What toll? You''re not even from demonic or one of the spirit peaks! Why would we pay a toll to you?" Yu Shi burst out, genuinely confused. "There''s always one who tries to fight back! Two thousand Spirit Stones! No more, no less!" the curly-haired boy demanded once again, his voice roaring this time! Sha Ku''s face shrivelled up at the price! Two thousand?! That could buy a few cultivation pills or even a lower-tier technique! Just for crossing a bridge, it''s disgusting! "Sigh¡­" Yu Shi let out a long and exasperated sigh, "Fine, just take these." He immediately took out two-thousand Spirit Stones from his ring, piling them up next to the arrogant boy. The man smiled, "I, Ren Ji am a reasonable man." Said the man with curls. "But, it''s two thousand Spirit Stones each, idiot." Ren Ji''s eyes gazed over at Sha Ku whose face had gone dark, his purple eyes started to become even more intense. His pupils once round went narrow like a cat''s! "The blood on your maul¡­ where did the blood come from?" Sha Ku''s voice was shaking in trepidation, as if in a state of flux. "Oh this? Some mute refused to -" Bang! Without a moment to spare as soon as the word''s left his mouth Sha Ku kicked off! "Shadowless Steps." He whispered to himself, vanishing from the besides Yu Shi. Woosh! Before an eye could blink Sha Ku had arrived beside Ren Ji''s side, his fist cocked and loaded by his waist, ready to launch at a moment''s notice. "Void Breaking Fist!" Sha Ku screamed until his lungs were sore, driving his fist into Ren Ji''s ear! Bang! Like a boulder falling from the skies, Ren Ji''s body hit the ground, blasting into the dust; scattering it everywhere. Ren Ji lay on the floor, his eyes wide and disorientated. "What did you do to them?!" Sha Ku screamed! "What did you do?!" The child lurched over Ren Ji, his hands clasped onto both sides of his face, his thumbs driving into the undersides of his eyes! "Tell me!" Sha Ku raged on, emanating a deadly killing intent. "Nothing!" Ren Ji whimpered! Bang! Sha Ku lifted the sobbing teenager''s head up by his hair and slammed it down into the mountain face with all his might! "Tell me!" Bang! He did it once more, blood started to pour from the back of Ren Ji''s head. "Tell me!" "N¡­Nothing¡­ I hit¡­ the¡­ the mute¡­ they paid up¡­ let me go or my¡­ my brother¡­" Ren Ji managed to mumble out, unable to string a proper sentence together. "Oh, your brother? Your brother? Very nice! How fucking wonderful! You can tell your brother he''s a fucking piece of shit, who enables a piece of trash like you!" Sha Ku spat and raged, his eyes going manic and wild, the depths of the Heavenly Demon Soul were enraged! His bright purple eyes seemed to want to lurch forward and beat Ren Ji to death themselves. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Like a maniac, Sha Ku slammed Ren Ji''s head into the ground repeatedly, like some sort of psychopathic despot! 83 Bloodstained Hands "Enough! Sha Ku!" Yu Shi, who was usually calm and measured snapped out of his shock. He never expected Sha Ku to be so hot-headed! "Get off of him, he''ll die!" Yu Shi grabbed Sha Ku from behind, wrapping his arms under his and behind his neck, pulling him off the blood-soaked youth. "Uggh. Huuu. Ugggh. Huuu." Sha Ku''s breathing was heavy and deep, his mouth wide open gulping down air. It looked like a wild animal who''d lost their dignity, unable to calm their minds, rapid and erratic in nature! "Sha Ku snap out of it! We need to leave now!" Yu Shi dragged Sha Ku away, as he was still struggling with all his might to end the line of Ren! After ten minutes of Sha Ku trying to claw his way towards the broken man that was Ren Ji, he finally collected some of his senses, head throbbing and heart-pounding; his hands soaked in light red blood. ''What the hell.'' Sha Ku thought to himself, the first moment he had regained clarity of mind. He was shocked and appalled by his actions. This wasn''t him; it was as if a bestial nature had overtaken him, only relying on the core most tribalistic instincts of this human vessel. Roar! A colossal demon with black wings spread across the stars appeared in his mind''s eye. Purple eyes that glowed like a burning forest in the dark of night! ''What in heavens name is¡­'' Sha Ku paused his thoughts, his breathing got deep and heavy, his brow started to sweat. He knew exactly what it was, but the realisation shook him to his core. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "The Heavenly Demon, it desires freedom above all else¡­ and I''ve morphed my soul..." Sha Ku''s words caught in his throat, whispering the devilish actualisation of his actions to himself. There must have been a reason An Mo had put such value in this technique and gifted it to Sha Ku¡­ there had to be a reason. Why wouldn''t he cultivate it himself, or at least treasure it, like precious White Star Crystals in hand, but even more valuable! The technique itself was unlike anything Sha Ku had ever witnessed before, it was a ''passive'', soul cultivation method. It would encourage independent growth of the transformed soul without the need or want from its possessor¡­ much like a parasite. Perhaps even An Mo couldn''t cultivate it, like these ''others'' who had tried before? In the end, it doesn''t matter though, Sha Ku couldn''t go back. His soul had already morphed into that¡­ thing. The so-called, ''Heavenly Demon''. "The technique¡­ it, it isn''t usual. Unlike other soul cultivation techniques, this one automatically grows, as if continuously subconsciously dragging its way to the surface!" Sha Ku mumbled to himself in agitation, realising that he had done something irreversible, whether it be for better or worse. ¡­ Twenty minutes passed until Sha Ku finally regained his bearing, accepting what the inevitable and what was the impossible was. "Mood Balancing Pills. That''s what I need. I wonder if Elemental Peak sells any?" Sha Ku questioned himself, thinking of only a few things that could adequately suppress this newfound impulsive nature! ¡­ Another half an hour passed, now it was late afternoon, and Sha Ku had regained the entirety of his composure. He looked over to Yu Shi who was sitting next to him on a cliff edge, feet hanging off into the giant chasm that laid below Spirit Mountain. "I¡­ I apologise for my behaviour, Yu Shi. It wasn''t proportional to the situation. I should have handled that better, much better." Sha Ku spoke, deep shame hung off of every word he spoke, seeping into the atmosphere around the two. "Huuu," Yu Shi mumbled, "It''s fine Brother Sha, it is only to be expected. Demonic Peak isn''t known for its pushovers, or it''s patience. I imagine you''re cultivating a Demonic Cultivation Art, am I correct." Sha Ku stared off into the distance, a giant eagle flew through the skies above the Peak, it''s feathers majestically rustling in the wind. He gave a simple nod in reply. "Oh well. Not much you can do. Once you set foot upon that path, there''s nothing much that can be changed. It''s an avenue of no return," Yu Shi sighed, "I just wish you hadn''t pissed off someone from the Ren Clan¡­ those bastards are powerful beyond belief¡­" Yu Shi rubbed his eyes, knowing that Sha Ku could only find trouble from now onwards. "The Ren Clan, what influence do they have?" Sha Ku asked, slightly confused. "Tell me, Sha Ku. Do you know who the ruling family of the Lotus Kingdom it?" Yu Shi spoke, his voice was low and full of exhaustion. "The Lotus Kingdom, one of the six imperial high-vassals?" Sha Ku asked, thinking of a map in his head. The Lotus Kingdom, it was the smallest of the six kingdoms under the Wen Empire''s reign. Yet it wasn''t to be underestimated. The entire region was a mess of highly competitive feudal warlords. Each more powerful than the last. This state of war provides a perfect opportunity for bloodthirsty battle-hardened warriors to emerge! These warriors are then sponsored by the central Ren Royal Family, bribed into putting down any sparks of rebellion and slaughtering the monarchies rivals. If one of these warlords gets too big¡­ they''re cast back down, slaughtering them like animals. This is the Ren Clan''s web of intrigue; it allows those in the Royal Family to expand and train without the worries of their vassals rebelling. It means the number of dangerous practitioners named ''Ren,'' were truly too numerous! Yu Shi explained the state of the Lotus Kingdom to Sha Ku, sparing no detail. Telling him how dangerous and underhanded the Ren Family were; how''d they''d incite rebellions and proxy wars without end! 84 Stone Masters The sun was getting high in the sky, the wind on the mountain''s face was howling, beckoning the first winter moon to come all the sooner. Sha Ku and Yu Shi had left the cliff face, going to seek out their fellow brothers in who were still exploring Spirit Hall. The moment Sha Ku and Yu Shi arrived they were both impressed. Spirit Hall was carved into the heart of the mountain, the entrance of which had nine rows of nine-thirty feet white marble pillars! This was nicknamed by the students as the ''stone forest''. Each of the columns had a different makeup. Varying patterns and markings were on each. Some were filled with the meritorious deeds of past disciples. Providing eulogies of their lives and their heroic final moments in service to the Sect. Others had inscriptions and paintings of ancient legendary beasts! Dragons, Phoenixes, Qilins, Manticores and other Legendary Beasts! The final and closest of these pillars had even more splendorous things. They had both writings and sayings from the former heads of the Spirit Sword Sect! ''The elegance of the sword shines where the negligence of the blade seeps into the abyss. The beauty of blood has little to offer when spilt upon the single-edged trash." ¨C Yao Zindu 7th Sect Master of the Spirit Sword Sect ¨C Former Prime Elder from Demonic Peak. "Ha!" Sha Ku burst out laughing as he read the words etched into the wall with sword intent. He knew of the deep-set, bone-deep rivalry between both sword and blade cultivators! Often, they would hate one another more so than Evil and Righteous cultivators! The pride of their weapon was deeply embedded into each of them, how marvellously frightening the battles between Sword and Blade Immortals were. The likes of which are often seen in ancient battlefields. The past rulers of the Spirit Sword Sect are indeed ones you could imagine wanting to cave in the heads of their greatest rivals ¨C Blade Cultivators. ''While my Sect still stands, so shall the world. But if my Sect falls, so shall the world; this I promise you.'' ¨C Yan Kai 3rd Sect Master of the Spirit Sword Sect ¨C Inheritor of the Righteous Sword Shard and Prime Elder of Righteous Peak. "Wow, people of Righteous Peak are still serious even back then¡­" Sha Ku tilted his head, slightly reminded of his friend Liu Bei and his almost cast-iron demeanour. "Come, let us go in." Yu Shi waved to Sha Ku, pushing open the twelve-by-six-foot dark wooden doors open, walking into Spirit Hall''s Lobby. The Lobby wasn''t big, it was only a small room. It had a counter made of a warmly painted wood, with shelves behind it. Each had a lid though, with a keyhole in the middle. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Behind the counter, on an old stool reading, a dusty book was an old man, a grey beard down to his stomach and a warm look adorned his jolly fat face. Sha Ku and Yu Shi walked up to the counter, dinging the bell that sat on upon it. Ding! "Oh. Oh my. Sorry boys I didn''t see you come in there." The old man smacked his lips and smiled with his eyes closed as he put the dusty book to one side. "What can I do for you today, young men? Do you perhaps want to look for a technique? Or could you be seeking books on another subject?" The man laughed, rubbing his stomach and taking a bite of a biscuit resting on the counter. "We''ve come looking for our friends, a mute fellow and another one¡­ he''s a bit icy." Yu Shi stepped forwards as both he and Sha Ku made a small bow to the Spirit Hall Senior. "Burp!" The Spirit Hall Manager let out a loud burp, rubbing his belly, "Oh h hoo. That was a big one." He chuckled to himself, a highly satisfied smile on his face. He then looked sharply at the two boys, shedding his soft and friendly attitude, "So, you''re looking for the Song Yi and Bing Yuanshan. Those two wanted to find an Earth Ranked Body technique for that boy to practice. So, I sent them to the eighth-floor trial." "Trial? Senior, what trial?" Yu Shi asked, a little anxious for his friends. "You didn''t know?" The old man stroked his beard, "My Spirit Hall doesn''t use contribution points as a method of trading goods. No, we don''t even accept money: Silver; Gold; Spirit Stones, it''s all useless here. What we do accept though, is a disciple''s blood, sweat and tears. There''s a trial for each rank of technique. The first two are Mortal Ranked, the next two Yellow, then two Black Ranked, then we get to five for Earth Ranked, where I sent the¡­ the mute and the iceman, as you so eloquently stated, hehe." The old man chuckled, "And there are many above that, too. But, my young disciples, you don''t want to even think about that. Only Prime Disciples are allowed up there." The pot belled man took another ravenous chunk from the hand-sized biscuit, giggling all the while. "Delicious. Madame Dai Chi may be a fantastic alchemist, but her baked goods may even exceed that." The old man finished off the biscuit with another swift bite. Nom! Nom! Nom! He chewed it up, swallowing it down with a smile on his face. "Oh, a few bits in my beard." He chuckled, picking a few pastry crumbs out of his beard; placing them in his mouth and gobbling them up. "You there!" the fat old man raised his voice, pointing at Sha Ku. "Don''t I know you?!" The man said with a huff. "Err¡­ no senior¡­ wait, are you?" "That tone of voice, a bright-eyed child barely the age of seven. Yes, I remember you! Did you get the Fungus?" the old man said, putting a pipe in his mouth taking a big ''ol puff on it. "It went well senior." Sha Ku took a deep bow. "Seeing as you survived, I''ll tell you my name ¨C Ki Panglong." The old man smiled, stroking his beard whilst taking in a lungful of smoke. "Wait, you''re a member of the Ki Clan?!" Both Sha Ku and Yu Shi blurted out in shock. 85 Fat Dragon "Wait, you''re a member of the Ki Clan?!" Both Sha Ku and Yu Shi blurted out in shock. ''His name is Fat Dragon?'' Yan Huang stood to the side as he burst out laughing, slapping his knee and almost falling over. Shing! Like deadly blades Ki Panglong''s eyes fell upon the spirit as if seeing straight through him, a deep piercing feeling, full of sword intent hit Yan Huang''s soul! ''Crap, many apologies wise dragon!'' Yan Huang took repeated bows before he disappeared back inside the three-headed lion ring, cowering all the while. "The Ki Clan?!" Sha Ku''s voice was a bit uncontrollable. "As in the Wen Empire''s rival, Ki Clan?!" Yu Shi finished off Sha Ku''s exasperated questioning. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Oh, so you''ve heard of my humble Ki Clan?" Ki Panglong chuckled to himself, stroking his beard, holding his head a bit higher. "I was proposed too by Ki Li ¨C" Sha Ku put both his hands over his mouth the moment they left his lips, losing the calm of head to monitor his statements. "You were proposed too by the young mistress?" Ki Panglong raised an eyebrow, his sharp eyes darting over towards Sha Ku, questioning his words. Ki Li was the young mistress of the Ki Clan, daughter of the Patriarch! Why would she have proposed to Sha Ku? "Haha, I think she did it as a joke," Sha Ku rubbed his neck, redraw, "Apparently she''d just come back from some other clan to the mountainous north. Something about getting rejected by some young master?!" Sha Ku grinned, and his face went bright red, his poker face was about to burst. "Right¡­" Ki Panglong was certain this young boy was speaking half the truth and half a manipulative lie, taking another puff of his pipe he sighed, letting it go, "Well if the young miss proposed to you, you need to make yourself worthy of her¡­" Ki Panglong laughed, shaking his head. "Listen, kiddos, it might take a while for your friends to come out of the trail. It''s worth having a look around yourselves, you might find something you like!" Ki Panglong recommended, "Here, this is the keystone to the fifth level. With it, you won''t have to pass a trial." He pulled out a white stone with a brightly glowing blue insignia in its middle. "Catch!" He threw it over to Yu Shi, who swiftly snapped at it like a frog catching a fly. "Thank you, Senior¡­ Senior?" Before Yu Shi could thank Ki Panglong, he''d already vanished into thin air without a single sound. "Hu." Yu Shi spoke with some surprise. Sha Ku and Yu Shi made their way to a long spiralling red staircase, going up its steep steps through the first, second¡­ all the way to the fifth floor. "You got your eye on something, Yu Shi?" Sha Ku asked, curiously following behind the overeager Yu Shi. "Yes, although I cultivate my clan''s poison arts, I lack when it pertains to versatility and adaptation in my combat style." Yu Shi explained. "Also, my clan''s poison arts are very slow to cultivate. It requires one to ingest a consortium of poisons, then to slowly over time mix them with our Qi. This way, our entire foundation is architected to produce massive amounts of toxins." Yu Shi explained carefully, very confident of the path he''d have to take. "So¡­ you want something that increases your Qi absorption rate, or at least a supplementary combat technique that you want to merge with your current martial arts?" Sha Ku conformed as they walked down a long cobblestone corridor labelled ''5''. Down the deep corridor, there was an archway, shielded by a liquid-like substance floating in the air, barring entry to the 5th-floor library. "Precisely!" Yu Shi answered, looking at the obstacle in front of him, "How do you think we''re meant to open this?" Yu Shi asked curious, looking at the wriggling liquid, in the archway. "Pass the keystone here." Sha Ku asked, extending his hand. "Here." Yu Shi placed it in his hand, curious of what Sha Ku''s intentions. Sha Ku walked up to the slippery sliver barrier, holding the keystone up and injecting tiny amounts of his Qi into the stone, "Open!" his voice was clear and calm, standing only a couple of inches from the door. Woosh¡­ The barrier started to recede, illuminating the fully stacked old library behind. Sha Ku waved his hand, indicating Yu Shi to follow. The pair walked through the archway, scanning, and beholding its splendour. "Wow, that''s a lot of techniques¡­" Yu Shi mumbled, recollecting his family library, it wasn''t even half the size of the fifth floor! "Mmm. Right, we have no time to spare. We have to look about, see if there''s anything good about." Sha Ku reminded him, not being bothered by the bookcase after bookcase of ancient tomes. This was something of an office library worth of books to him. "I didn''t ask what techniques are you looking for Sha Ku? You have your whole foundation ahead of you, you haven''t even entered the Qi Sea Stage, have you?" Yu Shi spoke, knowing little of the depths of Sha Ku''s knowledge of cultivation and the volumes upon volumes of cultivation literature that was stored within his mind. Yu Shi knew he used some strange and profound movement technique, that was all he knew though. Well, that he had a fighting technique called, ''Void Breaking Arts'', or something like that. "Me? I''m not sure. I think I''m going to look for an axillary skill and a sword art." Sha Ku was determined. He''d realised something when battling Song Ping that day. Although he had a monolithic collective of information and martial arts in his head, he had no choice but not to use them. If detected with a technique that escaped the reality of the Forgotten Valley, Sha Ku would be hunted and hounded for it, through greed and malice he''d be destroyed. He wouldn''t be able to use anything above Earth Rank until he''d acquired enough strength to reveal himself to the world. His gentleman''s tyranny was a classic example of this. It was fine to use it when in private, but if witnessed by external forces, he''d stand no chance of keeping it a secret! The cultivation world would be abuzz with rumour of its profundities, and before he knew it, it''d be snatched away from him, using ruthless and life-ending means. 86 Silverlight Swordsmanship Sha Ku searched the library for two hours, the hours went by drolly, though. Silently they walked by, reading the brief summaries of the tattered old books and cracked bamboo scrolls. Often while opening the techniques and arts Sha Ku and Yu Shi would suddenly sneeze, blasting the dusty tome''s waste far away. Sha Ku scanned through the library far faster than Yu Shi could, each book in his hand was studied by his divine sense; he did not need to read them. He would know what he was looking for when he found it. ''Iron Man''s Wrath ¨C Coat your skin with metal and go into battle, without fear or forethought, be an invincible war machine on the field of war!'' "Gods no." Sha Ku snarked to himself, shoving the tattered old tome back into the wooden bookcase. ''Wind Scythe ¨C Let the wind become your feet, your legs, your body. Stream through the air like the gentle summer''s breeze, and slice down all in your path like wheat in the field.'' "What a load of bupkis." Sha Ku looked at one scroll, detesting its supreme drivel. South Guardians Sword. Bitter Bloom Arts. Ninefall Lightening¡­ Technique after technique was scanned and fully read by Sha Ku''s divine sense, each of them utterly detestable. Furthermore, each of them seemed to have their weaknesses; if he practised them, he''d be just like a cup full of holes, losing the majority of his substance before he even tastes sweetness. Suddenly after half an hour of hobbling through second rate techniques and martial arts, Sha Ku came across something intriguing. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Li Lu''s Meridian Strengthening Guide. An intriguing name to say the least. The moment he read the title; Sha Ku''s imagination was fully captured. Meridian Strengthening was a rare thing, even where Sha Ku came from. If one managed to strengthen their meridians, their latent potential would explode exponentially! If someone like Shi Yu managed to obtain such a pristine methodology¡­ it''d be like giving a tiger wings! "Yu Shi, over here." Sha Ku beckoned towards Yu Shi, waving him over. Yu Shi walked over, an old tatty scroll gently tucked underneath his arm, carefully protecting the deeply valued goods. "What is it?" Yu Shi enquired, he was respectful of Sha Ku''s insight and wisdom. At such a young age he''d managed to acquire such a vast repertoire of knowledge¡­ it was almost suspicious. There were very few who''d managed to obtain such a thing. Furthermore, if there were people with inborn legendary wisdom of this calibre they''d often hide in the dark of night, not daring to leave their hideouts, afraid of the Wen''s mighty reach¡­ "I found this; I believe it''s what you''re looking for." Sha Ku handed over the book titled - Li Lu''s Meridian Strengthening Guide. Yu Shi stared at it deeply, reading it out loud, "Li Lu''s Meridian Strengthening Guide ¨C A technique for those who wish to bring out their truest potential. Dangerous are my ways, that of I, madman Li Lu, but if successful, never again shall you have an obstacle in this world of shifting ways." Yu Shi read it out, his eyes going wide like saucers with every word. Giving a quick thanks to Sha Ku his grin turned great, spreading across his lower face. A deep and sincere look of thankfulness crossed his eyes, "Many thanks, Junior Brother." He stepped to the side, placing the book and the scroll on top of one another. Sha Ku quickly sent out a strand of divine sense, invading the old tatty scroll that was locked underneath his arm, a pondering look crossed his face, "7 Palms of the Earthen Tiger." His head bobbed up and down in a nod of approval. From what he could tell, this technique enabled one to move about and pounce like a tiger, having seven levels and a different palm strike in each. This would work wonderfully with a poisonous Qi''s like Yu Shi''s. As he charged in and slammed his tiger palm into the opponent, Qi would ravage their inner organs, forcing them to either submit, run or die fighting. Actually, the combination of the two was rather insidious in Sha Ku''s eyes. His warrior''s heart wasn''t exactly the biggest fan of poison, especially when pertaining to those who could do well without it, and someone with the talent of Yu Shi was undoubtedly one of those people. On the other hand, though, his tactician''s mind was screaming out in approval, looking out for the trap that would send rampant poisonous Qi throughout his enemies unsuspecting bodies ¨C an ambush in a live fight! Brilliant! Like that, an hour passed, but Sha Ku wasn''t satisfied no. He wanted to search the whole place from head to toe, he knew there were some good things in here, something that would suit him and his combat style! Like a madman he searched through Sword Technique after Sword Technique, each more anti-climactic than the last. Winter Wind Sword. Dao Blossom Arts. Ice Prince''s Slashes. Sundering Skyfall! Each promised more and more, yet the methodology in the text was flawed, inaccurate of ultimately limited¡­. Letting out a sigh Sha Ku placed his head against the bookshelves, eyes bloodshot and exhausted. His divine sense was teetering on the brink of collapse, worked ragged and thin, no longer the glossy golden strand, but like a dark-grey sheep in nature. Sickly and ready to die. "Ugh." Sha Ku rested his head against the bookshelf making disgusting sounds of enervation, drained of all vitality. Bang! A large solid book fell against the back of his head, with a large crack! Falling to the floor the big hefty leather tome the size of four books put together laid there, it''s writing silver and shiny, so much that it hurt to look at! ''Silverlight Swordsmanship,'' was its title. Standing there bold and proud, like a divine brand, left by an immortal! ''Silverlight Swordsmanship ¨C The collective knowledge of the Silverlight Swordsman and his collective experiences. Whilst not known for his vast cultivation and great deeds the Silverlight Swordsman was a fore to be reckoned with. Even the most famed of sword cultivators would come and dine with him, asking for his advice. This is not just a sword art, no, it is the way of the sword. The collectivisation and integration of all sword skills into one unimaginable art!'' As Sha Ku read these words with his mortal eyes, he was confused for a time. His mind struggling to comprehend the words. For four long minutes, he was thinking, pondering to himself what on earth it could possibly mean? "Wait?!" "No¡­ could it be?" Sha Ku was confused, no. Actually, he was dumbfounded. If he wasn''t incorrect, then this ''Silverlight Swordsmanship,'' was suggesting. No. Telling him, that he could integrate Great Dao''s into the Sword Dao. That wasn''t so hard, though, was it? Comprehending two Daos? No, it wasn''t. What was entirely unheard of, even in his ears though, was fusing Daos, fusing comprehensions into one¡­ it seemed like witchcraft! From his knowledge, other than the infinitely rare combination Daos, such as Ice-Fire, Yin-Yang, Space-Time, which naturally came together, complimenting each other; Dao Laws couldn''t be fused! 87 Daoist Book Dao Laws couldn''t be fused! Dao Laws couldn''t be fused! Dao Laws couldn''t be fused! It rung through his head over and over again, as if repeating an old dharmic mantra. But the longer he stared at this, ''Silverlight Swordsmanship,'' the more doubt mounted in his mind. Perhaps he had been wrong. Perhaps the integration and fusion of laws into a limitless divine sword was possible! Sha Ku was reading like a madman until finally, a hand clasped his shoulder. It was Yu Shi, looking at Sha Ku strangely. "What are you doing, Junior Brother?" His question piercing Sha Ku''s daydream, forcing him awake and back to reality. Seeing his senior brother''s trepidatious approach, Sha Ku was puzzled; couldn''t the man see that he was engrossed in the workings of a genius beyond any common understanding? Yu Shi explained the matter to Sha Ku, clearing up his confusion. For the past thirty minutes, he''d been a statue. Standing deathly still, head hunched over and muttering an indecipherable language. Only his lips were moving, and long a soliloquy of complex utterances emerged! After so long, Yu Shi couldn''t bear it anymore, he found it eerily disturbing. His little friend, the genius a genius of his age group; had he finally gone mad? Or even worse, been possessed from some ancient spirit hiding in the inky veins of these dusty old tomes? "What?!" Sha Ku''s reaction was bombastic, hairs stood on his back, and his spine curled about as tingling started to appear in his fingers. "You¡­ you don''t see it?" Sha Ku raised his hand, holding out a dense and dusted object, wide as his shoulders and as thick as his torso. "See what?" Yu Shi asked, a single eyebrow raised, and cornucopias amount of confusion entered his face. Sha Ku''s mind went ablaze for a single second, was he the only one able to see it?! His eyes lit up, realising what this must mean, "Spirit Artifact." He whispered in the deepest reassesses of his mind. Never had he encountered a Spirit Artifact before, which was, in fact, a book. Swords, Rings, Houses¡­ even Worlds. He''d met them all before¡­ but a Spirit Artifact that was instead a book¡­ that was beyond the purview of his experience! "Sorry, Yu Shi. You don''t see it?! It''s my hands! Empty Hands!" Sha Ku put of a theatrical growl, raising his arms up in the air, "The arts in this room¡­. The techniques¡­ their lacking¡­ no, not only lacking. Profoundly disappointing." Sha Ku sighed, covering his face in shame for the Spirit Sword Sect. "It''s as if I''m staring at the midday sun, but I''m no longer blinded by its glory. Instead, concluding, it''s just a hot flaming ball of Yang gas." Sha Ku sighed once more, casting a shadowy layer of shame upon the library grounds. "Snort!" A great and ginormous snort echoed throughout the library halls. "Who dares insult my knowledge. I''ve been collecting the ideas and writings of man and god alike before your ancestors crawled out of mudded huts, boy!" An astute and refined voice rung throughout the room. "What''s that?" Both Yu Shi and Sha Ku asked in unison, a look of bewilderment appeared their young faces. A look Sha Ku found becoming extremely tired of waring across his face. "You may call me Daoist Book." The voice rung out clear and refined as if it had been raised on the most delicate of plum blossom wines since it''s birth, instead of its mother''s milk. "Daoist Book¡­ seriously?" Sha Ku thought to himself, holding the heavy, yet somehow non-existent black book in his arms. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "That has to be a fake name¡­" Yu Shi spoke, a look of utter boredom subsequently formed in the depths of his eyes. "Hm! You try being stuck in a library for ten thousand years, then you''ll know what a fake name is! You''ll forget your own mother''s face!" Daoist Book let out a loud snort, as all around our two Demonic Disciples, the red-wood library started to quake. "You¡­ aren''t you a little petty?" Sha Ku called Daoist Book out, putting the Silverlight Swordsmanship into his interspatial ring. "Petty?! Child, obviously you don''t know whom you have the grace to speak to this day, Daoist Boo-" "Daoist Book?" Before he could finish, Sha Ku cut him off, not daring to allow the Library Spirit to filibuster, he knew it''s ilk. It likely stood, ready to pounce upon unsuspecting disciples, trying to convince them of its magnanimity, when in actuality it was dying from lack of human reaction. To be totally honest, Sha Ku could sympathise. If one was only allowed the dusty old tomes of cultivation techniques, not even a basic commentary or novel, one would surely go insane. Even a Spirit designed for that very purpose. He himself remembered when he filibustered at his engagement feast, getting out all that pent-up introspection that he''d been storing since his rebirth. "Daoist Book, what Earth Ranked Technique would you recommend then, for someone such as myself?" Sha Ku pressed upon Daoist Book''s weak point, playing the spirit''s game, but to his advantage. "Hm! Don''t try to get off that easy kid! Well¡­ maybe¡­ wait¡­ tell me about yourself, no wait! That''s no fun. You''re pretty young as I can see. You also have a faint sniff of a bloodline upon you¡­ actually¡­ it''s not faint. Strong. It''s just your cultivation is low¡­ and¡­ and you''re suppressing it at that." Daoist Book spoke, he started mumbling, going into a frenzy of categorically listing everything he could analyse about Sha Ku. It was amazing to witness, like a master strategist planning out the battlefield, manipulating it to his absolute advantage¡­ but with books. "I know! You''re a body refiner, so that means that you primarily focus on short-ranged attacks. So, we''ll get you two martial techniques; the first is for long-range fighting. I think it''ll suit you well!" An ethereal being suddenly appeared, coming through the ceiling as it shot towards a bookcase, "Where is it, where is it? No, Nine tidefalls, rubbish." He flung a book away as he was through a row of books. "Wind Scythe, eechhh" Daoist Book had a look of disgust as he chucked it away, not wanting to ever see it again. Daoist Book proceeded to go on a determined campaign of chucking book after book against the wall, each time making a sound of revulsion with each book louder than the last. Soon enough, there were two enter piles of books and seven empty rows of books, that was until he froze in his actions. A great big smile appeared on his translucent face! "Ahh! Here it is!" He picked the book up, kissing it. "You wonderful thing, you are just what I was looking for! Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!" Daoist Book continually kissed the book over and over again. "Here, kid. Is this good enough for your highness?" Daoist Book appeared in front of Yu Shi and Sha Ku, handing a book called: Heartblood Flames, to Sha Ku. Before Sha Ku could even read the book though, he was shocked at the sight of Daoist Book''s true appearance. He thought the spirit would be a senior, or at least portray that type of stereotype! Instead, it looks like an angsty teenage girl! 88 Sundering Sword The angsty teenage girl had blue and green hair, the robe which she wore was ripped at the sleeves, and she had a veil covering half her face. "You''re¡­ you''re Daoist Book?!" Yu Shi blurted out, almost bringing up his afternoon tea. "Yes. Why? Do you have a problem with the way I look?" Daoist Book stared daggers at Yu Shi so much that his hair stood up on end. With a quick cough and a scratch of the back of his neck, he shook his head, "No problem, Madame Book, no problem whatsoever." His face went bright red. Obviously, he''d never expected the austere Daoist Book to be so¡­ young. Usually, artifact spirits were ancient souls tethered to objects near the ends of there lives. It was a method of escaping death, after all! "Who are you calling Madame? It''s Daoist Book to you, twerp." The Library Spirit huffed, slamming her foot to the floor, shaking the entirety of her endless collection of books with it. "Right. My apologies." Yu Shi bowed deeply, almost putting his head below his knees, quickly turning his head to his companion who also stood there in shock. Sha Ku, for what it was worth, wasn''t as surprised as Yu Shi. No, he was quickly trying to assess the likelihood of the situation. Spirit Artifacts are usually born one of two ways; an artifact at the Peak of Sky Rank or higher is birthed into the world, in which case it will suffer heavenly tribulation and be born into existence from the heavens; or, like his right finger man, Yan Huang, an experts soul would be imbued in an artifact by one of a numerous amount of magical techniques! What Sha Ku was trying to figure out, was, is this Daoist Book, a natural-born artifact, created by heavenly tribulation, or was her soul made part of the ancient library? Noticing the pleading eyes of Yu Shi, Sha Ku quickly intervened, "Ahem." He cleared his throat, "Daoist Book, please excuse my friend. He''s about as quick-witted as a monkey-bat, and half as resourceful. To be honest, I mainly keep him about as a favour to his sister, whom I greatly admire." Sha Ku quickly explained, portraying Yu Shi as a halfwit, and a liability. "Oh? Someone you greatly admire?" Daoist Book''s voice became softer for the first time, "Why do you admire them?" She asked, holding the book that Sha Ku so desperately wanted close to her chest. "Well, how can''t I admire, Senior Sister, she''s clever, beautiful and has a level of eccentricity that sparks my imagination alight." Sha Ku rubbed his nose whilst looking directly into Daoist Book''s eyes, obviously not hiding the real meanings behind his glib complements. "But¡­ you''re so young. Little, Sha Ku was it? How do you expect her to ever respect you?" Daoist Book''s voice became low, showing a glimpse of insecurity. "Damn. I sometimes forget I''m stuck in this¡­ body." Sha Ku gritted his mind''s teeth and started to grind them¡­ although he was a loyal and heartfelt man in his past life, only ever having the one Daoist Partner throughout his life, Sha Ku would often use his rugged¡­ looks like a weapon, "Kind of hard to pull off when I''m four foot tall." He cursed in his mind. "Big Sister¡­ ahem¡­ Daoist Book." Sha Ku spoke clearly but was interrupted by Daoist Book. "No. No. Big Sister is fine." She spoke, a massive grin growing across her face. "Well, Big Sister." As he spoke the words Daoist Book''s face looked like it might split apart from the force of her smile, "Big Sister, I often feel like age isn''t truly representative of one''s maturity. I often feel older than I am and need to garner respect for that person. Then wait for my mortal coil to catch up with my spirit, do you know what I mean, big sister?" Sha Ku tried to carefully put his thoughts into a web of feeling that might appease the Library Spirit. Enthralled by his words, Daoist Book handed the Heartblood Flames straight to Sha Ku, carefully not allowing it to fall. Then she swiftly glided to one spot at the other side of the library, following along an old undisturbed bookshelf until she reached a book called, "Sundering Sword Technique." Which she also carefully placed in Sha Ku''s hands. "This technique may not be the most useful or the most powerful, but it''ll help you gain insights into the Dao of Sundering, an ancient and powerful Dao which if mastered can become a deadly force within the world." She had a happy smile stuck across her face, endlessly showering the praise upon the book. As they the duo of Sha Ku and Yu Shi left the library, Daoist Book made sure to remind them that they had to visit again soon, especially after Sha Ku had finished the Sundering Sword Technique, as she''d show him about the library and even let him take a peek at the ''forbidden section,'' whatever that may or may have not meant. The two soon left, in a bit of an urgent manner. Daoist Book had taken a real shine towards Sha Ku, which crept Yu Shi out to the point of no return, although personally, he was just happy her scornful gaze was removed from his body. Just thinking of it made shudders run through his body like seeing someone''s bone pop out of their arm for the first time! "What do you look so smug about?" He turned to look at Sha Ku, who''s chest was puffed out far too profoundly for the four-foot kid that he was. "Just nice to know, I still got it." He chuffed; his face had a look of pride plastered upon it. This was probably the best he felt since his rebirth. "You''re how old exactly?! You shouldn''t be thinking about such horrid things Sha Ku! They''re meant for the older generation. As your senior brother, it is my responsibility to shield your mind from such corruption!" Yu Shi explained as they walked out of the library, his hand placed on Sha Ku''s shoulder, explaining to him the virtues of chastity, unfolding into a long drawn out speech about the virtues of keeping one''s Yang Energy as pure as the skies in the ninth heaven! Sha Ku simply nodded along to Yu Shi, indulging him; "I don''t think senior brother Yu Shi knows what I was so proud about¡­ he¡­ he can''t think I was proud because that spirit took an interest in me¡­ could he? Uh¡­ my hubris is born out of my skills of manipulation, dear Yu Shi¡­" Sha Ku sighed to himself, he''d let his senior brother have this one. After all, he found it heart-warming that someone on Demonic Peak would be willing to play the role of a familial brother to him. As they came down the red staircase, they ran into a pair of bloodshot eyed boys, roughly the same age as Yu Shi. They were, of course, Bing Yuanshan and Song Yi! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Song Yi had his clothes ripped all over, the purple tunic and robes he had been wearing had multiple three-pronged claw marks torn all over his apparel; faint traces of blood could be seen by a careful eye, as they tried to blend into the deep purple robes. Bing Yuanshan, on the other hand, he wasn''t nearly as troubled as Song Yi. No, in fact, he stood there a smile on his face, looking rather pleased with himself, the polar opposite of the exhaustion cast upon Song Yi''s deeply bagged eyes. "You two look like you''ve had an eventful afternoon." Yu Shi joked as the sunset off in the distance. "Haha!" Bing Yuanshan burst out laughing, his overbearing nature starting to come to fruition, courtesy of the Frost Archon''s Wrath. Clasping his hand over his mute friend''s shoulder, he grinned from ear to ear, "Me and Brother Song had a great time!" With his other hand, he waved in the air, as if painting the scene of a mighty battlefield, "It was remarkable, and I have to say the highest floor of the earth ranked library was worth it! We faced a mighty Scarlet Clawed Beast to enter the top level!" "A Scarlet Clawed Beast?!" Yu Shi said with some shock, he was familiar with the beast, to say the least. He''d grown up near herds of them, they have outrageously strong constitutions for a third-ranked beast, which was of course, equivalent to a Qi Core cultivator! His Yu Clan used to test all kinds of new poison recipes on the poor unsuspecting beasts. Of course, though, the Yu Clan would declaw them when they were young! The beasts were incredibly deadly if their claws were allowed to come to fruition. Not to mention their hide was like iron and their mighty head, which was that of a crocodile! "However, did you manage to beat it?" Sha Ku said with excitement, he let a good war story better than most! "Well, I can''t be accredited too much for it, haha." Bing Yuanshan scratched his cheek nervously. Over the next twenty minutes, Bing Yuanshan proceeded to explain how the beast had, for some, absolutely refused to attack Song Yi at first! It simply clawed away at Bing Yuanshan! Swiping over and over again! Luckily, thanks to Bing Yuanshan''s intense movement techniques, he''d barely been able to avoid the beast! Unfortunately, in a hallway, you often can''t dodge a creature that takes up half the volume of the place! The beast eventually cornered Bing Yuanshan, swiping at him! Luckily for him, Song Yi dove on the horrified young man, absorbing the blows! Apparently, the moment it clawed at Song Yi, though, it had a look of horror and froze, maw wide open! Like an odd version of a gobsmacked human being. Bing Yuanshan didn''t hesitate to use his ancient Ice Spear technique, piercing through its soft upper jaw in a single blow, going straight through the other side it''s head! Sha Ku looked with incredible intent, his curiosity had been erected, "It panicked when it attacked Song Yi, and before that, it refused to attack him¡­ Song Yi is only at the Qi River Stage. It''s not possible, Demon Beasts at that level wouldn''t even fear a Coloured Star Cultivator, choosing to die rather than flee¡­ so, what secret are you hiding my dear elder brother, Song Yi?" Sha Ku''s eyes become sharp and deadly, analysing his friend with the utmost scrutiny. 89 Qi Sea Realm! By late that evening when the sun stood high in the skies, being ripped down below the horizon, Sha Ku and his fellow compatriots returned to their rooms; each with different attitudes engraved into their hearts. The oldest of the group, Bing Yuanshan, had a look of sincere and surreal calm. As if he knew the bath that had been set out before him after his encounters in the Library. He had attained a combat technique that he thought would go nicely with his Frost Archon''s Wrath, the Riverman''s Rod. Although deceptively dirty in name, it was, in fact, a fisherman''s technique, using a magic fishing rod to fight. Mustering the power of water, it would allow the user to both the combination and versatility of provided by a fisherman''s pole, a weapon that had a medium to long-range and was devilishly difficult to fight against! Not only that, but it also paired perfectly with his icy techniques; allowing the changing of states between ice and water, which would take Bing Yuanshan''s environmental control and adaptability to different present situations to a whole new level! All that was required from him¡­ find a fishing pole¡­ shouldn''t be too hard, considering the number of rune crafters on the demonic peak. That said¡­ which self-respecting rune crafter would burn runes into anything, but a sword. Especially in the Spirit Sword Sect. This had been what Sha Ku had mused about, mocking the imperious Bing Yuanshan. Why would the sect even keep a fisherman''s technique? Song Yi, on the other hand, he was a different story altogether. There wasn''t a single ounce of complacency in his eyes, they were roaring ready to go. He''d sought out a rather bold technique, The Beast King''s Battle Body. An old and hardly used book, it was one full of pain and suffering. Why he chose that, even Sha Ku couldn''t help but criticise him. It was horrid, it required one to defeat Demonic Beast''s with their bare hands to advance, using nothing but their brains and brawn. Afterwards, after enough victories were had, the practitioner would accumulate enough ''Beast King Aura'' to break through into the next stage of the technique. If he did manage to cultivate it through¡­ even dragons wouldn''t look down upon him. The purple-haired Yu Shi was as relaxed and cold as always though, focused wholly on his next steps. He trod a dangerous path as well, though, using that Meridian Strengthening Technique. There are reasons why such things are as much a danger as a boon. Can one just strengthen their meridians, ''willy nilly''? No. It took years of preparation and even then, it''d be a miracle if they could pull it off. Although, knowing his nature, Sha Ku was confident his violet maned friend could pull it off! Sha Ku was had the most going on in his head though, which gave him a feeling of tense and heavy shoulders. The likes of which even his companion with their tough and arduous paths ahead could not compare to. Sha Ku had been trepidatious about his newly found¡­ temper that had come courtesy of cultivating the Heavenly Demon Technique. He found it neither appealing nor necessary to ever have such a vicious streak, as a matter of fact, it terrified him. Usually, his actions were nothing but cold and calculated, almost every single one of his words had defined intent behind it, he very rarely couldn''t control his emotions, let alone emotional outbursts! Needless to say, it made him feel like a five-year-old¡­ ironic. As he sat in his room cross-legged, the Qi from the formation in the ground; inscribed from his own blood, was absorbed into his body, like a giant sponge in water, refusing to let a single drop go to waste. Sha Ku cleared his mind of his current troubles, setting it to a singular goal ¨C breaking though to the Qi Sea Realm! His Qi cultivation had started to desperately lag behind both his body and soul cultivation! Where his body had rapidly advanced to the Copper Undying Body, thanks to the events that transpired in the Darkspire and the seemingly restless Demonic Soul that steadily advanced no matter the cost, his QI cultivation was definitely lacking. \"I''m human. I have a human body for the foreseeable future, I can''t allow myself to lack behind in Qi Cultivation. It is the quintessence of the human search for the Dao, and my path to revenge.\" Sha Ku spoke to himself as he readied his breathing according to the Yin-Yang Divide, on the precipice of breaking into the Qi Sea Realm! Within his Dantian the Ninety-Nine Qi Rivers of Yin and Yang started to burst, like a dam rupturing open! With a great and mighty boom, the seemingly fragile earth that held in the sparkling starry black and white waters started to leak, the high pressure causing single strains of Yin-Yang water to fly for dozens of meters! Like hoses, they squirt outwards with more and more water, into a seemingly endless ravine, so deep that it was impossible to see the bottom with a naked eye! Within this inner world, that was Sha Ku''s Dantian, was a man. He was rugged and scarred. This was Sha Ku''s true spiritual self! Sitting there, cross-legged in the skies, it''d be hard to notice him. He looked like a speck of dust on a mighty castle. Unseen and without purpose, but he was there for a reason. Taking a deep breath, the winds whipped around him, blowing his long tied back hair about, causing a few strands to come free from his high-strung ponytail. A small smirk in the corner of stone statue-like face crept up, breaking his fa?ade, \"It''s time!\" He opened his eyes, like violet beacons becoming the ancient sea''s tides, the water came! Boom! With great fury, the mighty Yin and Yang rivers all burst forth at once, cascading downwards into the endless pit that was to be his Qi Sea! In the outside world, Sha Ku couldn''t help but to have a grin on his face, \"Early Qi Sea, I''m finally here.\" He let out a small chuckled, he''d been waiting for this for too long. His foundation was solid, and he would be able to continue cultivating smoothly, baring no unforeseen issues. As he broke through, the outside world wasn''t silent though, no. It was a momentous occasion; breaking through to the Qi Sea Stage, and those around him had felt it! In the second dormitory, Song Yi sat, his mouth was mute, but his eyes erratic! Sharp fluctuations of Ultra Yin Yang energy, cascading into him like rushing waters onto a helpless fish, hopelessly swimming against the tide! Taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, opening the pores in his body according to the Beast King''s Battle Body, storing what little of this Yin-Yang energy he could! In the courtyard outside a one-eyed lad sat upon an old rocking chair, his left leg missing. His remaining eyeball had a look of brutality and deathly experience; bloodshot and furious he looked to the place where the energy fluctuations originated¡­ \"The little monster¡­ he''s at Qi Sea Stage. I must try harder.\" He let out a fierce growl, hobbling back into his dormitory. Slamming the door with a loud bang behind him. Upon the apex of demonic peak, two men sat, one youthful, the other an old demon. Drinking their tea, they paused their deep conversation, concerning the tides of fate, \"See there, Master?\" the youthful Zhang Long pointed towards the small hut upon the lowest demonic peak. \"That¡­ it''s an Ultra Yin-Yang¡­\" An Mo sat there, cross-legged and stunned. He''d never known someone to perfectly balance Yin-Yang, let alone achieve perfect harmony in Ultra Yin and Yang! \"Master, that feeling, do you know what it is?\" Zhang Long let loose another of his terrifying smiles, sending shivers down his master''s spine. \"W¡­what is it?\" An Mo asked. \"It''s a pit, and all that dare to cross it shall fall in, never to emerge again.\" Zhang Long spoke with absolute confidence, having long since deduced the unknowns behind this boy¡­ he had to be a reincarnator! 90 Divine Flame Sha Ku sat in his little hut, his consciousness deep within the waters of his freshly drawn Qi Sea. Examining it until the very depths, calculating how long it''d take to fill and how he could increase his efficiency. He''d made several observations; this was his first time cultivating the Yin-Yang Great Divide after all. The first thing he observed was the depth of his Qi Sea. The average cultivator would usually have a depth of twenty to thirty meters, with perhaps a few kilometres in circumference. Sha Ku''s Qi Sea was far different though, perhaps it was because of the colliding energies of the Ultra Yin-Yang that had excavated his Qi Rivers, or his new bloodline¡­ but his Qi Sea was more than fifty times deeper than his peers! Let alone the width! Standing upon the sandy edge which would someday become the beach of his Qi Sea, he couldn''t visibly see the other coast! Witnessing the sight Sha Ku couldn''t help taking a deep breath, he''d need to desperately cultivate his Qi like a man possessed to keep up with his fleshy body, let alone the Soul which automatically increases in power! Shaking his head slightly, there were some apparent positives though; once into the later stages of the Qi Sea, his stamina would be entirely undrainable! It may be a mountain compared to other''s molehills and therefore harder to achieve any of his goals, but he would be a mighty mountain; none amongst his peers would dare to compete with him! Taking a deep breath Sha Ku rose up, flying into the skies, untethered and unphased in the world which was his Dantian. There, high in the sky, his violet eyes beamed down, like a mighty sun, gazing upon the land. There he let out a small grin at what he had made¡­ It is impressive, I have to admit.\" A small inkling of pride sept into the grounds below, as he was unable to mask his newfound nature. The ever-rebellious Soul in his body felt like roaring, roaring in the heavens and earth, letting it be known a new king had risen from the depths! \"Ha¡­ it does feel good to once again feel this pride, even if it is just an illusion cast upon my Dao Heart.\" Sha Ku whispered as his newly refreshed eyes opened once more, gazing upon the charcoal room in which he inhabited. \"Tut, tut.\" Sha Ku spoke, seeing the state of the place. He couldn''t help but be disappointed, it really needed a clean-up, a home more deserving of someone of his status! Not to mention the gifts he had yet to post to his siblings. Slap! A resounded slap echoed throughout the room as Sha Ku''s palm slapped straight down upon his own forehead, sending it bright red. Shaking his head from side to side, he couldn''t help but growl, \"Fuck. Why am I becoming so bloody pretentious?\" Slap! Slap! That was rhetoric. He knew why he was so ostentatious! This bloody Demonic Soul! Sha Ku ground his teeth as he purple eyes, the windows to his Soul, flashed! \"Congratulations, young Master! I knew that you could sunder the status quo with but a single snap of your hand!\" Yan Huang suddenly materialised out of nowhere, showering his Master with a consortium of praise! \"Oh, the heavens themselves cower in fear from your talent, young master, that was why you were reincarnated into the lower realms!\" \"Young Master, he is so strong and brave! He could destroy the virginity of the Grand Yin Palace with a snap of his fingers!\" Yan Huang praised Sha Ku endlessly. \"Yan Huang? Why¡­ why are you being such a suck-up? What do you want?\" Sha Ku interjected sharply, not having the patience to deal with this stream of false niceties when he knew the core of his personality was slowly being transformed by something that wasn''t in his control! \"Ahem. You can see right through me, Young Master. I was wondering, you said you could bind souls to dead bodies, through Demonisis, without repercussion that is. I was wondering if you could split part of my Soul¡­ so... so I may be of some help for you of course!\" Yan Huang''s honeyed words did him no good, his schemes and insincerities would be evident to a tortoise, let alone a man. \"I can make you a body, yes.\" Sha Ku gave an immediate reply, to which Yan Huang was naturally elated! \"But!\" Yan Huang''s smile froze, \"But, Yan Huang, it will not be easy. I''m guessing you seek to cultivate and use a flame-based body?\" Sha Ku questioned the Sprit. \"Yes.\" Yan Huang replied a puzzled look arose across his face as if Sha Ku was going to give him a catch. \"Hmm¡­ I''ll need to acquire a spark of divine flame at least. And an actual divine flame if you want a body that can actually cultivate.\" Sha Ku rubbed his chin, thinking about where he could possibly find such a thing. \"There should be a divine flame in the Vault!\" Yan Huang spouted out, confident and convinced of its location. \"In the Heaven''s Enigma? You realise there''s probably an immortal guarding it?\" Sha Ku''s eyebrow''s furrowed. Yan Huang hung his head, disappointed in himself, he''d definitely jumped the gun on this matter. \"Huu,\" Sha Ku sighed, \"I¡­ if I find a divine flame, I vow upon the nine heavens that I''ll reconstruct your body. Do not fear, Yan Huang.\" \"Really?\" Yan Huang swirled about in the air, ecstatic about the situation. \"Yes¡­\" Sha Ku rubbed his eyes, already tired of the charity he was providing. It occurred to him that it may be better to put a slave seal on Yan Huang''s Soul, but he, for some strange reason, trusted the ghost, that seemed to be more haunting him, than aiding him¡­ This time Yan Huang stood to attention, a sincere voice arose from his lips; \"Master, I thank you for your kindness. This Yan shall not forget your good nature, in this life, nor the next. I vow upon the heavens that I shall never betray you! My will is your will, my life is your life! I swear loyalty until my last breath!\" Yan Huang clasped his hands, disappearing from the scene, as Sha Ku felt truly touched as a warm feeling spread through his chest. 91 Die! As the warm feeling in Sha Ku''s chest started to fade with time, he decided to get up. He had finally broken through to the Qi Sea realm, but that didn''t mean that he had a moment to waste! Sprucely jumping to his feet, he stretched forwards, touching his toes; then to the side with one hand on one hip and the other curved over his head, causing the bones along his spine and arm to crackle with each repetition of the movement. Letting out a partial sigh with the premonition it''d be a long day, Sha Ku opened his creaky wooden door, entering the courtyard which had finally been repaired after his duel with Song Ping. The fountain flowed with clear blue water, spouting a stream of clear crystal water out of a little purple shelled turtle''s mouth. \"Strange, I never heard¡­\" Before he could finish his trail of thought, a loud-mouthed disciple wearing the fiery robes of vanquishing peak approached! \"You there!\" He strode forwards, his hardened mitten-like hand clasped over the hilt of his sword as he took every step. His voice was rough, like a dog that had its throat stomped upon, sporting long dark hair tied behind his back with an arrogant look plastered across his noble face. Across his neck were two distinct scars, that looked like the result of something barbed ripping it apart. The older lad marched up straight towards the small, Sha Ku. His sharp eyes fixed upon him, slightly startled¡­ this was not what he had been expecting, at least when he''d been told to wait outside this ''Sha Ku''s'' dormitory. \"You''re Sha Ku, are you not?\" He stepped in Sha Ku''s face almost immediately, holding up a piece of brown paper with red markings littered upon it. Sha Ku slowly looked up at the lad who was at least double his age and who towered over his currently, small physique. He could read his cultivation base easily, noticing the fellow was only at the middle phase of the Qi Sea Realm. With this he let out a sigh of relief, this man was no threat to him¡­ although the aura emanating off the blood in that paper was at least a Qi Core cultivator. Sha Ku gave a quick nod, holding his hand out, accepting the folded note. As he unfolded the thin sheet of paper, there was only one word upon it ¨C \"Die.\" Written with the most hatefully styled symbol, one could twist their mind to manifest. \"How fascinating, I must have offended the author somehow. I wonder who it is?\" Sha Ku''s mind raced away, thinking of the figures that had been harmed by him or by his karma. There was that fat tub of lard¡­ Zhou was his name? Yes, Zhou, it couldn''t have been any of his relatives though, he was related to a Prime Elder who was bound to act if he discovered anything¡­ Then there was the pompously prancing Ping, Song Ping. Song Ping was far too proud to call a hit out upon Sha Ku, he''d rather suffer ten-thousand deaths than admit defeat to his more talented counterpart¡­ The only person left who he could presume was that thick-skulled lad whom he''d beaten so brutally, just before the sun had set! \"Wait, how did they track me down so quickly?\" Sha Ku thought to himself, completely confused, having an air of suspicion about him. He felt there was something going on that he yet couldn''t fully understand. Like smoke, the problem constantly evaded him, unable to grasp it, fleeing from his control. \"The pieces are in place, but which am I? And who is truly the gamemaster?\" Sha Ku whispered to himself as his suspicions grew ever deeper. Who was the person on the lower peak that would sell his information, or leak it? Most feared him beyond belief¡­ Sha Ku scratched his chin as Yuan Lin quickly interjected, \"Sha Ku, I trust you know what this means?\" the dark-haired tower looked down to the young boy, his brow extremely stern and a little concerned. His Supervisor had demanded he take this letter to Sha Ku after his younger brother had been beaten completely senseless¡­ but this child was¡­ well, he was practically an infant! Such power in that form made for a disastrous enemy. Yuan Lin''s face didn''t betray his emotions though, this wasn''t his first rodeo. \"No¡­ What does it mean?\" Sha Ku replied, acting the part of the innocent and clueless child. \"It means that you have been challenged! Any of those above the bottom peak have to accept the challenge of another! None can weasel there way out of this hole.\" Yuan Lin explained, his every word streaming with confidence full of the storied lore and rules of the Spirit Sword Sect. \"But¡­ I''m not on the middle peak yet?\" Sha Ku raised an eyebrow, granted he was going to ascend to the Middle Peak within a year; it was still a tad early to be sending challenges engulfed in killing intent¡­ \"Yes, but you are in the Qi Sea stage, meaning that at the next cleansing of the Lower Peak, you shall be able to survive. My lord Ren Xuan want''s it to be known that the challenge has been issued!\" Yuan Lin explained, his master was someone who liked to plan ahead. In Ren Xuan''s mind, Sha Ku was his meat; no one could touch him! \"Hu.\" Sha Ku made a strange face; this Ren Xuan was inadvertently helping him by challenging him to a duel. Sha Ku had to admit, it wasn''t the worst arrangement that he''d ever suffered. \"Yuan Lin, is it?\" Sha Ku looked up at the fellow from vanquishing peak. \"I never mentioned my name how -\" Before he finished, Sha Ku had already continued, \"You''re from Vanquishing Peak, currently the number two peak overall. There''s a look in your eyes that is one that could only come from being born into the upper reaches of the aristocracy, so why are you calling Ren Xuan your lord?\" \"Err-\" Yuan Lin scratched the back of his head, \"My mother remarried into the Ren Clan after my father passed. She took me with her instead of letting me reside in the Yuan Clan. Ren Xuan is technically my younger half-brother¡­ although far more talented than I. It was by his grace that I''m allowed to be a member of the 9 Blossom Lotus Society.\" Yuan Lin said with an air of absolute subservience, which, quite frankly sickened Sha Ku to death. \"You''re practically a dog to your half-brother because he allowed you to join some pompous stuck up society?\" Sha Ku could have guessed there''d be factions like societies in the Spirit Sword Sect, it was too big to have one homogeneous rule amongst the disciples and students¡­ but never would he have thought it''d cause a noble to eat their own shit! \"Wait! Why am I telling you this?!\" Yuan Lin spoke up, outraged! \"Hehe, his soul strength truly is pathetic.\" Sha Ku chuckled to himself, using a trick as old as Soul Cultivation itself to exert pressure on Yuan Lin, manipulating him.