Jian had a lot of willpower, that fact was known to most people. He was quite courageous in fact, and usually wouldn't back down even against someone stronger than him. But the size of the gap in power between himself and that gigantic atrocity was quite clearly enough to make him sweat and breath heavily.
He could feel his entire body scream in pain due to the pressure, while he sensed the goosebumbs rocking his body due to the disgust he could feel at having the snake's tongue touching his body. And the smell....It was horrible. The snake smelled like a mix between cheese that had aged for decades and fish. Though Jian didn't really have a lot of time to focus on those things, when the being was staring down at him with those two glowing orbs that promised nothing but pain.
"P-Poisonous Raja....The legendary beast that became the mascot of the Sect ?" Jian said, before he noticed just how rude this sounded. But oddly enough, the snake only laughed.
"Sususususu ! A mascot ! I thought everyone had forgotten about me after I went to sleep a few centuries ago.....But I guess people can't forget about such a powerful being so easily. Then again...Even if it painsss me to say this.....I became quite weeeeak. I think I went back two realms below what I was before...Such a ssssshame. If those people from your sect were to be made aware of this, they would certainly come to kill me....And they would be able tooooooo. This isssss why you are smiling, am I right ? You were planning to tell them about it." The Snake said, his eyes glaring right into Jian's soul.
' Uh ?....Did I smile nervously again ? I thought I got rid of this habit a few years ago.....'
[ Master ! This could be an opportunity ! The snake went back into the Mortal realm, which means that you can still get away from it. It would be nearly impossible, but one of the ghost dragon's ability could help you do that....Though you would need to unlock it, which isn't something you know because I forgot to tell you....Anyway, you can use this against the snake ! Rajas are intelligent snakes, known to bestow their powers onto people or even side with other beasts so they can stay safe...They are known to be extremely cowardly ]
Jian gulped as he failed to see how this behemoth could be a coward, but if the system said it....It should be true.
"Indeed. They are all quite c-close.....It would get quite bad for you, if I were to tell them....I think you should let go of me, before something horrible can happen..." Jian said, trying to hide his nervousness.
The snake seemed to be deeply in thought, before he nodded to himself and his tongue started to vibrate, emitting a strange hiss.
" Very well human. I shall let go of you....Only if you were to show me...What is that Unholy Energy inside of you....."
" Do you believe you are in any place to negotiate, you dumb snake ? While the kiddo is quite scared, he could indeed tell the others about you. One of them is called Peng Fu, and he could stun you for a few seconds with his flute. During those seconds, the others would kill you easily, as the only thing that remained good during your slumber was your insane speed due to it being linked to your Qi....And you can't really dodge or move around when you're stunned....I think it's best for you if you just surrender." Said Jian....Or rather, the Unholy Being controlling Jian. The snake immediately squirmed around and chuckled.
" Ahahahah ! I knew I sensed something Unholy and terrifyingly powerful. Tell me, monster, what might you be ?" The snake asked as Jian sneered. He took the same appearence he had all the other times he was uncounscious and lifted his hand. His hand was coated in a strange red energy that even the snake couldn't recognize, while Jian's whole body seemed to expand.
He became much taller and muscular, his hair growing enough to reach his hips. Meanwhile, his mouth opened due to his growling and his now sharp teeth showed, four of them growing too much for the mouth to contain them.
" I'mma teach you a thing or two...Little Upstart....I don't mind being called an Unholy being. And normally calling me a monster doesn't really anger me...However you, a gigantic snake, calling me that...It feels me with so much anger...I feel like, I could just end up destroying this whole mountain." The Unholy Being said, the red energy around his hand now completely covering his hand, as his nails became insanely long.
" This....What is that energy ? It's not Qi...How....You aren't from here ?!" The Snake hissed, before turning around and fleeing at full speed...Which meant he reached the other end of the mountain in a few second, proving just how fast he was.
However, as the snake left the cave and landed right in front of an army of disciples led by an Elite Disciple...He soon found out that his speed was still nothing in the face of the Unholy Being's.
" You ain't getting away !" The Unholy Being said, appearing right over the head of the snake and slashing at it with one clear motion of the hand.
" Yama Fury's Blade !"
"The hell is that ?!" The Elite Disciple screamed out as all the other disciples were blown away, while the snake was cut in two and a huge dent was put in the mountain.....In a single attack, the mountain was nearly cut in half from it's bottom.
The elite disciple, a red-headed young man with two scars on the sides of his mouth, gasped as he looked at Jian who was slowly falling towards the ground...Almost as if the boy was gliding.
"My...I'm sorry, but as I made quite the mess, I'll need you to forget about this." Jian said as he appeared in front of the Elite Disciple and grabbed him by the collar of his foreign heavy armor. He then smiled and grabbed the disciple's right arm before throwing him to the ground with an Ushiro-goshi.
The impact was so powerful it nearly shattered all the bones in the body of the disciple and created a crater that was at least 50 meters wide.
The Unholy Being then moved towards the snake that was still moving it's head around. A cold smile found it's way on his face, as stared down at the snake who understood he was doomed. A second later, and the snake now had a hand stabbed in it's throat as it flailed around.
"The Rajas, even the poisonous ones, have incredible regenerations abilities. However, those abilities can only be used if the Raja still has it's brain functioning, for the brain is where the core energy of a Raja is located. Though some Rajas can have it somewhere else. However I can still prevent you from recovering by simply blocking the Qi pathways. Which is why I can sense your Qi trying to reach the base of the neck to spread around. That's what I am sensing right ? This warm sensation. Like some sort of hot wind was touching my hand. Or maybe...Some sort of warm fire ? Ah, who knows !" The Unholy Being exclaimed as the Raja hissed.
" W-Who are youuuuu ? "
" Well...It's a bit humiliating. Usually people would be shocked into silence when they would hear my name...But in this day and age, I reckon no one would know about me. Especially in such a faraway land, where the citizens believe the Land of the Everlasting Sun to be nothing more than a myth...I think that's what I've become...A myth. Though this kiddo will help me in my rebirth. And people shall remember who the incredible Māra is ! " Mara declared.
The snake's eyes widened as it finally recognized who the being was.
"Death....Death.....Why....Yama should've destroyed you." The snake said before all life left it's body and Mara removed his hand.
" Yama, huh ? As if he could even end me.....I am one of the Sins after all. A mere servant of death can do nothing against a Sin....Well an Original Sin, anyway....It's the same to me." Mara whispered as he looked at the sun, and then lifted his hand. On his palm, one could see the tattoo of a moon in a sun. He sighed and brought the hand to his mouth.
" Kuh..."
Blood poured all over Jian's robe after Mara bit into the hand and started to erase the tattoo with his fangs.
"Sorry bout' that kiddo....You're still too weak to be involved in all of this...The realm of Myths, Legends, Gods, and Higher Beings.....You are still entirely too new to this world to get to know this.....Maybe one day, If you can reach the summit." Mara said as he crouched in front of the Raja and looked at his reflection in the eyes of the beast. He smiled as looked at his appearence, his mouth covered in blood with some of it trickling down and falling on the ground.
"But I guess....With such a look...You will reach it at some point. Really kiddo.....You must be hella lucky. You got such an opportunity for free, and you're actually a complete nobody. No one will ever be too interested into you for merely having ties with someone....We don't all have that privilege." Mara said before he grabbed a sword that a disciple left behind and.....Pierced his throat with it.
*********
(Li Zhang Kingdom, Royal Palace )
A giant of a man approached the golden doors that lead to the throne room. His breathing was ragged and his steps uneven, while droplets of sweat trickled down his forehead, his face being the only thing that wasn't hidden by heavy iron armour.
He then tapped on the door and waited, before the angry voice of a woman was heard from behind.
" Who dares to interrupt his majesty in his break time ?!"
"I am Park Seul jun of the Order of the Basilisk ! " The man exclaimed after wiping the sweat away. His breathing was now completely perfect, as was his stance. There was no signs of his fatigue left.
" You may enter !" The woman exclaimed. Seul jun smiled and then pushed the heavy doors with little to no effort. He immediately dropped on his knees and extended his arms before laying them on the ground, with his hands opened.
"Oh ? Excuse me, Mister Park...But I am not exactly used to this sort of greeting. That's how the members from the religious orders of the West greet their superiors, right ?" The woman said. Seul Jun discreetly sneered before lifting his head and smiling at her while nodding. His slitted eyes were completely closed, until the woman hummed in acceptance. They then opened to reveal a set of slitted green eyes that ressembled the ones of a snake.
He was then able to bask in the beauty of the woman who was in front of him. In her own country, she was considered as quite beautiful, but where he came from, she would be considered a flawless beauty. She had slightly tanned skin and build that clearly indicated how much she trained. She was by no means a giant like Seul Jun, but she was still relatively tall, though all of her assets were quite over the norm for Seul Jun.
The giant stopped his perverted thoughts and then looked at her long braided black hair and her eyes....
"Ughh..." Seul Jun looked away instantly. Even he couldn't look into those eyes that had terrified most people that ever dared to look at them....Though out of the only people who were known to be able to look into this woman's eyes, the one who Seul Jun knew the best was her husband, the King...Who had just entered the throne room.
"Ahhhh....This was one of the best sleep I ever had. And considering that you were not in my bed when I woke up, I can certainly understand why. Seeing the difference without you here to disturb my place...I'm seriously thinking about starting to sleep in a separate room from now on." The king said as the queen laughed while hiding her mouth with her sleeve.
'Right....It's not just her eyes....' Seul Jun thought.
" Enough jokes, darling. This man is from the Order of the Basilisk and he seems to have news for us." The queen said. The king looked deeply into her eyes that ressembled a burning sun and smiled.
" Of course, dear. Though I must say that I am surprised at how quickly you started to call me darling after this emissary visited.....I can't say I really like it. I was never a fan of those chicken eaters." The King said, which earned him snickers from all the heavy armoured swordsmen who were in the room.
"So...What news have you come to deliver to us ?"
"Queen Li Yao, King Zhang Shi...I bear important news. Recently, our Leader visited the Poisonous Raja Sect to greet his old friend. The patriarch of the Sect, Giran, then delivered an.....Interesting piece of knowledge to him. Apparently, a certain Jian has become a disciple of the sect recently.....And while this boy appears to be quite talentless, he was able to reach the third step of the Qi Core realm only a few weeks after joining...And his age still remains a mystery. But what makes this boy really interesting is something that even the Patriarch was hesitant to talk about in public...This boy seems to have acquired the Red Sky Sword....Not only that, he also made an interesting friend after he entered the Sect....Li Kuo....Your son."