'The day is ending, The night is descending, The marsh is frozen, The river dead. Although... ...Although a 'Zero', I am, A frozen marsh is one that is still alive in some form, and a dead river still flows---this winter is dark, but not hopeless. I'll carve my own path to nirvana with Kama Sutra as my weapon.' Kora thought as he woke up to the chilly winds of the night that dropped the temperature of his room to a considerable degree.
Kora looked around the room and witnessed the 'woman' was gone. He didn't mind as he knew that she had other matters to deal with. He noticed all the spirit stones were reduced to ashes and the Chakras made out of blood were all dried up completely and turned to greyish color, indicating that the ritual was successful and couldn't be performed again using the same sacrifice.
Kora racked through his brain as he remembered several mindboggling events when he was indulging in the act of pleasures of the flesh with that woman. He noticed all the Seven Chakras glowing in rainbow light. The 6 Chakras automatically extracted all the qi from the spirit stones and pushed them towards the seventh Chakra under the bed and thus the qi swirled around the pair helping them to break through the ranks.
"An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea," Kora uttered to himself.
Kora's eyes gleamed with enlightenment as he got up from the bed and moved it away only to see the head of the Ralvuzeth, decomposed to a level that couldn't be recognized. Kora was amazed as a recently dead body part couldn't decompose to such a level. He had already stored the other part of her body, from which he extracted most of the blood, in his storage ring, to remove the traces of the Ralvuzeth after the ritual, as quickly as possible.
Kora started cleaning up the crime scene and reminded himself:
"I don't have spirit stones left, my progress will halt."
*Swoosh*
*Swoosh*
He cleaned the Chakras and the remains of the spirit stones, while muttering:
"I also can't reveal my cultivation level. It would be incredibly suspicious for a 'Zero' talent to advance two ranks within two days. It would raise many flags, and unwanted attention will be 'bestowed' upon me"
*Gulgulgul*
He poured water and oils and diligently cleaned the floor of the remaining bloodstains without any remorse or guilt with empty eyes.
"Father won't help me, and since mother already gave me around 5000 spirit stones earlier to cultivate, it would be difficult for her to provide me more spirit stones for now" Kora originally had 1000 spirit stones that he received from the Marquessate and another 5000 from his mother to cultivate. A total of 6000 spirit stones he used to reach the peak of Rank-1-Elementary Profound Realm. Then, the Ralvuzeth enthusiastically helped him with another 20000 spirit stones and also graciously sacrificed herself for the ritual and helped him skip ranks and now he was running on fumes.
"I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act, but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act" He recalled an old Buddhist saying from his previous life and decided to push himself further.
"Academy will open soon but before that, I have to make sure to milk this place to its limits" Kora had no qualms in using other people to his advantage, after all, he has detached himself from almost all the worldly goods that the world has to offer. He only had one aim, that is to achieve nirvana while embracing his desires that he couldn't let go of in his previous life. He wanted to become strong enough to embrace those desires as he knew, this world revolved around the strength of a person. If he couldn't be powerful enough to put everyone under his thumb, he would be chased by countless men for revenge.
Kora left his room, covered in the blanket of darkness blessed by night.
...
Athelisia, Kora's cousin and Bruce's daughter, on the other hand, was twirling the small Golden Chakra in her fingers before going to sleep while laying on the bed.
Athelisia was 1 day younger than Kora and thus her 'awakening ceremony', occurred right after Koras'. She had black hair and silver eyes with a beautifully sculpted face and a thin body with gorgeous curves. Supple skin and the freshness of the young maiden filled the entire room.
She could feel the hidden Dao Intent within this profound wheel. She could feel her hidden desires, being awakened the more she analyzed this golden wheel. It was calling out to her and kindling her individual need to find herself in the cosmos. Her individuality and her personality were being stimulated by the powerful Dao Intent held within the Chakra.
She threw those thoughts to the back of her mind and stored the Chakra back in her storage ring.
She made sure that the door was closed completely and the formations active so that nobody could spy with their spiritual sense inside her room, and put one of her hands under the robes while laying on the bed...
Formations took a small number of spirit stones to remain active, Kora had no talent, thus he could not afford to care about keeping them active, while Athelisia's status increased exponentially upon being graded as a 'Queen' level talent. Her support increased and the Maruqeussate invested in her wholeheartedly. She was rich and living her life like a spoiled princess...
....
Kora was running through the forest looking for something. He couldn't feel the Dao, qi, energies around him, as he had not developed his dantian before he turned 18. He was just a useless non-cultivator but now he was looking for opportunities to not slack behind as his strength and senses increased.
"Not enough..." Spreading his spiritual sense, he could feel everything around him in about a radius of 9 meters even in the dark.
He knew cultivators at his cultivation level could barely sense anything beyond 7 meters. His rituals connected his spiritual senses, body, mind, and soul to a higher form of power, making him the perfect 'cultivator' who has the potential to rival 'Ace' level talents. 'Ace' level talents were in their own league, they held an advantage over the other cultivators by a large margin, not only in advancing ranks but also in other fields related to cultivation like spreading their spiritual senses.
They could be said to be blessed by the heavens, but Kora didn't care about them.
Like many people would say, how unfair it is, or why do the Heavens get to decide the potential of a person? Why are there those who are cherished by the Heavens, cuddling into rising above all and everyone else? How can this be? Why must this be?
But-
Kora didn't care. He had no intentions of being the antagonist who competes against the protagonists of this world. His thoughts were different, unique, and profound!
'Your life is the fruit of your own doing. You have no one to blame but yourself. Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is true Enlightenment. I am the Joker and I'll be the change that I wish to see in the world as I focus on myself alone, not caring about the others as I walk on a path carved by my own blood and sweat!' He swept his tranquil across some village huts in the distance.
Step~
Step~
He stepped forward as he took a deep breath to deepen his resolve to move further beyond his own limits.
"Halt!" Several guards rushed towards the intruder and pointed their swords at Kora.
They unleashed their cultivation of Rank-3 Elementary Profound Realm and pressurized Kora. It was good enough for some villagers to reach this level of cultivation as spirit stones were not cheap and villagers like them mostly traded their goods in exchange for 5-10 spirit stones. Most villagers upon being 'awakened' would be recruited, if their talents were high and invested upon by the viscount, count, or other low-level nobles of the area. Thus only low-level talents were left in small villages. And with the lack of spirit stones to cultivate, these guards could barely reach Rank-3 Elementary Profound Realm in their whole lifespan.
But-
Kora didn't give them a glance, he was focusing his senses on towards the biggest hut in the middle, the hut of the chief of this village.
"Who are you?"
"What do you want?" One of the guards yelled as he felt Kora's aura at Rank-3 Elementary Profound Realm, with which he was able to resist their pressure and stand his ground.
"Demons don't play by the rules. They lie and they cheat and they stab in the back"
*SLICE!*
One of the heads flew in the air as cardinal red blood spurted on the guard standing next to the now-dead guard.
*plop*
The body of the guard dropped ground lifelessly as his head rolled like a ball.
A Golden Chakra spinning in the air, landed on Kora's index finger, elegantly. It revolved even faster as it got closer to the being who evoked the calamity of the cosmos.
Kora looked like the incarnation of God with the personality of a Demon as the Golden Chakra gyrated and hovered above his index finger. The Chakra flickered with blinding light as it rushed towards another guard who was too horrified by the events.
The leader who yelled at Kora, quickly got his bearing back as he bolted towards Kora with a sword in his hand like a dart, advancing in an area between the shocked guard and Kora, while the Golden Chakra approached the guard that was covered in the blood of his fellow guard.
"Every fault made is another valuable lesson learned, you mongrel!" Kora uttered as the Chakra stopped advancing towards the shocked guard and shot towards the leader who was rushing towards him.
The leader suddenly felt his back drenched in a cold sweat. The fine hairs on his nape stood up as his senses perceived the Chakra whisking towards him!
He turned around and saw the Chakra spinning near his neck, he knew he was too late...
*BUZZZZ!*
He heard the brattling sound of the Chakra, which looked like a spinning chainsaw in the air as it sliced his neck with ease.
Another head flew, and blood spurted out on the ground as the body plopped in the mother earth's embrace.
Kora appeared by the last guard's side as he placed his hand on his shoulder.
The last guard was too terrified and could only shiver in fear and horror. He pissed himself after his leader also died by that strange weapon.
"Learn from the mistakes of others in your next life. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself" Kora displayed a small smile as he felt happier after sharing knowledge with an idiot while the Chakra sliced his neck as well.
"That's quite a unique weapon!" Kora heard a voice that came from within the central hut in the village.
"Well, well... I guess I am the lucky one..." Kora smiled amusedly as he thought his cultivation talent was 'Zero'.
"You know you can take other people's Soul Weapon after they die right?" A burly figure appeared and spoke in a strident tone.
"And...you know you will have to kill that person first to claim their Soul Weapon...Hmmm...Even then, it is not guaranteed that the Weapon will choose you..."
"Choose me or not, I can still make a profit." The burly man displayed a greedy smile as he knew even if the weapon didn't choose him, he could just sell it to someones else at a higher price.
"Good...good...Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave."
"But beware, Foolishness can't nurture oneself and will eventually bring one's own demise!" Kora raised his finger high in the air as the Golden Chakra revolved gracefully and prepared for the battle, all for his ultimate goal to embrace his desires and rise above all!