Chapter 21
The silence between them is far too deafening. Shin Jiao was waiting for Cherry Lao's to speak as he can feel that she wanted to tell him something. But her eyes just look at him and began to tear up. He didn't know why but he can feel that it has something to do with him.
Her heart is tearing apart as she truly wanted to tell those words to him. To tell him the reason why she cannot progress so that at least both of them would find a way. But it would be too cruel for her to say it bluntly, she wanted to say it but she just decided to just keep it to herself, and so her heart became heavy.
"Hey, are you okay?" Shin Jiao couldn't help but ask her with worry in his eyes.
Cherry Lao didn't say anything but just look him in the eye. Time seems to flow really slow as both their gazes are glued to each other. Then like ten thousand unsaid words feelings of understanding swept through between the both of them. Shin Jiao walks closer to her and for the first time that they were together he gently held her small face and inched closer. Then he was entranced by the sweet aroma of her breath. As their faces came closer together, Cherry Lao's heartbeat became faster and her body started to feel hot and her knees soft. But when their lips touch everything went black, both of their minds forgot about the worries they have and just feel each other's presence. It's like the only thing that existed in the world was both of them.
Shin Jiao couldn't control himself anymore as he deepens the kiss. And his hands started to roam freely around her body. But when he gently caressed one of her soft mounds, like electricity jolting her back to her senses Cherry Lao and immediately pushes Shin Jiao away. Her face is red like a tomato as she covers her them with her hands and turns around not wanting to let Shin Jiao see her.
"Pervert Shin Jiao."
"Sorry, I lost control." Shin Jiao said looking a bit guilty.
But he could still remember the soft and wet sensation of her lips and the softness he felt in his hands. This made Shin Jiao unconsciously dazed while smiling like a fool. When she didn't hear him say anything, she took a glance and saw his face. Cherry Lao felt happy in her heart that her man would be too engrossed in thinking while showing that he really liked what just happened. This made her shy and happy at the same time. But then a firm determination flashed in her eyes. She already experienced being loved and having loved someone, she can't ask for more. She wanted to now free herself from this mortal worries and connections and to freely cultivate. She knows that it would be too cruel for him, but she knows that he understands her and would keep the happy and sad memories they had in his heart.
It was dawn while both are sleeping when Cherry Lao silently stood up and left a jade slip on the stone table and a silver flowered hair ornament. Then a tear fell down her face and she looks at the man sleeping soundly. Afraid that she would hesitate more if she continuously looks at his figure, she steeled her heart and quickly walks outside the cave.
When her figure was gone, a silent tear fell down from Shin Jiao's eyes. He already had an inkling of what would happen, when he saw the glint of determination in her eyes last night. Although he thought that he was prepared for it, still when she truly left him, his heart hurt so bad that he felt he would die. Shin Jiao had spent more time with Cherry Lao as they are always together and went through life and death challenges. He wanted to hold her back but he knows that it is not right. He wanted to say that he would do anything just to keep her by his side. But he knows that he would just hold her down as she already told him her dreams and aspirations, and he doesn't want to get on her way.
He now knows why her cultivation has been stuck for a long time. And felt a little guilty about it, but now he has to set her free. Although it causes his heart some pain still he had to endure, he would improve himself and gain immortality and take her back.
With this new found determination, Shin Jiao became fired up. He will do all he can to be a worthy partner for his woman. Then he quickly stood up and took the jade slip, when he saw the hair ornament Shin Jiao's mind went blank as memories of Cherry Lao's gorgeous face and elegant figure flash through his mind. Then he subconsciously put the jade slip in his forehead and suddenly he saw the message left for him by Cherry Lao. Then his face turns sad and the hurt was evident in his eyes.
"Shin, I enjoyed that time we had together, as it was the best time I had in my life. From the moment I started cultivating my life have always been full of sadness and misery. I almost forgot that there are still people in this world that are genuinely kind and good, and I found it in you. My only regret is that we cannot be together, as our path is not meant to be. I know that this may sound like I have used you just to satisfy my heart who longs for love and affection, which I have forgotten. You showed me how it feels once more, and I thank you for that. I missed my family as I never even once tried to contact them ever since I entered my sect. My parents, my dear brother… Maybe, that's why I feel something familiar with you." Cherry Lao's voice gradually became a little sad.
"I know this is unfair for you, but I hope that you would respect my decision. My Dao heart was shaken because of you… and yet I was happy… I love you, Shin. But please forget about me, and move on with your life. Don't try to find me because it would hurt me more…" Shin Jiao was truly hurt as he suddenly coughs a mouthful of blood.
His mind is a mess as he is given a choice that would definitely hurt him no matter which one he chooses. If he tries to find her, he knows that it would affect her Dao heart and her cultivation will become stagnant. This would hurt her and he could not afford to do that. But if he let her go, his heart would still be torn apart. With this dilemma, Shin Jiao became drunk in sadness for a couple of days.
After some time, though his hair and his clothes are unkempt he now made a firm decision. He would improve himself and become stronger, strong enough to protect his own even his heart.
Then he decided that it's time to move on, as she said, he needs to move on and have his life once more. So he stood up and then realized that he smells terrible.
"How long have I not taken a bath? Geez, I should really stop this now." Shin Jiao said as he took off his clothes and took a bath.
Then after donning on a new set of clothing, he sat on the bed crossed his legs and concentrate. His goal now is to fix the energy in his dantian no matter what. He needs to regain his cultivation so that he could once more create new things.
Upon starting trying to find a way to fix his dantian, his mind was diverted and the heartache he felt became lesser and lesser. Inside Shin Jiao's dantian the chaotic combination of energies are still unsettled, it's like there is a large storm inside and all the different elements are trying to show dominance. The chaotic colors made Shin Jiao dizzy as he looks at the churning and rolling colors of different elements. No matter how much he thinks about it he can't really find a way to combine them just like last time. When he tried to form a sphere it would be drowned by a large amount of energy and it would fail.
It has been days since he started, but still no progress. No matter what he did he really can't form any spheres. Then with a sad expression, he decided to give up, but upon doing so, the image of Cherry Lao appears in his mind. Then his heart once again ached, then he held his heart and felt it throbbing.
"Wait a minute! Heart!? Throbbing?!... Throbbing heart! That's it!" Shin Jiao suddenly felt enlightenment.
When he felt his heart throbbing he suddenly thought of the idea of the heart. A person is alive because of the energy supplied by his heart, then he thought of his dantian as a living being. An organism that contains power like no other. And so, he started to think of ways on how to make his dantian heart or his very own Cultivation heart.
Fifteen days later…
The night sky looms over the Daemon forest, where night creatures of every kind started their hunt. Most cultivators would not dare to hunt at night as it is far more dangerous and disadvantageous to humans. But most still dared to hunt, and this is often at the cost of their lives.
A shadow of a young man who is running aimlessly through the darkness dashed through the forest. Behind him is a pack of large Night Wolves. The young man clothes are already tattered and wounds can be seen all over his body. His group of 5 people has all been killed except for himself, by a large number of Night Wolves in an ambush.
As the young man madly dashed while panting hard, his perspiration has already mixed with the blood in his body. This also made him unable to see the path clearly as sweat droplets enter his eyes.
"Damn… I know this would happen, I told them this would happen… Shit! Shit! Shit!" the young man curses as his feet would sometimes hit some roots and would almost make him stumble.
Because of his nervousness and having less experience, he has forgotten that he is a cultivator. All the things he learned in his clan, was almost forgotten, as in his mind all he can think about is to run for his life and nothing else. But then it seems that fate is truly playing a joke on the young man as he suddenly felt a sharp pain from his right leg. This made him stumble and fall to the ground, and because of the momentum, his body came tumbling and rolling through.
When he found himself, he is already surrounded by a number of Night Wolves as they bared their ugly face and sharp fangs as a pool of saliva drips from their wide mouths.
"This… This is it!? Is this the end? My goal is to become an immortal… I can't accept this!" the young man murmured under his breath as he rested his aching back on a stone wall. Although he tried hard not to cry, as a young cultivator with lots of hope and aspiration in life, he is not resigned to this fate.
He wanted to fight but he had already thrown his weapons when he frantically escaped. Then he looks at his fist and clenched them hard.
"By my bare hand, I will form my Dao." He said resolutely prepared to fight to the death with the wolves.
As he already found his courage through his hopelessness, he then remembers the knowledge he has gained after years of bitter cultivation.
He stood up and move his fist to hand to hand fighting position, there he stood like a boxer from earth, firm and agile at the same time. As the wolves saw this they growled more in annoyance, then as if with a tacit understanding all of them rushed together.
"This is not fair!" the young man suddenly shouted.
"I thought they'd go one on one. Damn it!"
Although he felt hopeless still he bravely faced them and quickly attacked the nearest wolf. With a quick punch, the young man was able to hit the wolf directly in its head making it tumble to the ground. Then seeing that another one is already near him which quickly bit his arm. But before the wolf can bite him, he shifted to the left and landed directly beside the wolf's body. Seeing the opportunity, the young man quickly bombarded the wolf's body with a combo of punches in which sound of bones breaking can be heard.
Seeing that his attacks were very effective the young man became happy and smiled. But before he could celebrate a wolf's jaw suddenly locked on his right calf. Then with a forced pull, the wolf drags him down to the ground, while the other wolves rushed in for the kill.
"Arrgghh… Shit! I guess this is it…" the young man said to himself as he slowly closed his eyes.
A few minutes have passed and the young man felt that something was wrong as he didn't feel the pain of being torn apart by the group of wolves.
Then all of a sudden his heart almost stopped beating as he felt a truly heavy aura rising from behind him. The aura is like a mountain crushing and slowly suffocating him, even the Night Wolves are on the ground whimpering as they too were affected. Then that same aura became visible as it rises up and pierces the sky. Then the young man's vision slowly dimmed as he could not resist it anymore.
The energy wave quickly spread outwards like tides of an invisible tsunami that swept through its surroundings. Making every beast of every kind fell down on the ground unable to lift their heads.
Meanwhile…
Deep inside the middle part of Daemon forest stood a large mountain. The majestic sight is filled with gloom and a dangerous aura permeates its borders. Deep In the mountain lays a gigantic beast which has been sleeping for who knows how long. But at this time, it lazily opens its eyes and cranked its massive head then look towards the south. After a while a glimmer of interest shone in its eyes, then it went back to sleep.
...
The Xi Empire, the largest and most powerful empire in the cultivation land. The empire castle stood tall and grand for everyone to see, this is where most of the strong cultivators would always stay as the spiritual Qi in the area is very dense. Inside the main palace, in a secret room deep within the castle, sat an old man which looks like a bag of bones. But at this time he suddenly opens his eyes and a smile appear on his old face. If the emperor of the Xi Empire could see this he would hold a grand celebration for a whole month.
...
This unnatural event was felt by almost all of the most powerful beings in the land. Even in the land of Beastia, those old hidden monsters felt the strong aura. But instead of happiness they felt threatened and alarmed as the aura clearly belongs to a human.