Chapter 92: The Dragon Ascends
Labby raised her head, staring at the massive dragon rising from the pool of water in front of her. The Qi flowing through its scales smelled of unseen storms and thunder. It spoke to a deep inner desire within her Qi, to be let loose and run wild, like a fierce storm.
It was like watching a deity, and for a moment Labby almost felt the same reverence towards the dragon that she held for her Master.
In contrast, the dragon looked quite confused.
"What brings you to our lair, rat?" the dragon asked, its long serpentine body rising further out of the water, Labby struggled to see the Dragon's face, until the massive creature lowered its head down to Labby's level.
"Labby is trying to find her junior sister Twilight!" she squeaked at the massive dragon, crackling once with purple lightning.
"Junior sister you say," the dragon uttered. It was only now that Labby realized the lack of any movement of the mouth when the dragon spoke. But rather than projecting its voice like she did, when the dragon spoke, the Qi all around her seemed to shudder, and give voice to its words.
"Ah, a bloodroot spirit. Foul creature of rot and decay. Why do you seek that one, little rat?" the dragon asked, turning towards Labby.
"Labby's sister isn't foul! And… Labby needs to find her. She got taken by a mean monster thing" Labby shouted at the dragon.
The massive creature looked down towards her, long whiskers flowing from its face. Water flowed around the dragon, a blob rising up to its face that began to reflect Twilight within it.
"You do not lie. A bloodroot fed on pure essence," the dragon spoke. "She was taken by no monster, but the spirit of the trial. We see her, she is safe. Safer than any place on the Seventh Peak."
The blob of water flowed down allowing Labby to take a better look. She saw Twilight sitting on a tree branch, a strange creature with glowing antlers standing nearby. Labby squealed happily to see her junior sister fine.
"Can you take Labby to her?"
With a silent plop, the blob of water dissipated, returning to the lake.
"Why should this great one give you anything? Tolerating your presence is honor enough to your Elders," the dragon asked, its voice echoing throughout the cave.
Labby almost recoiled back at the power of the voice, but she held on. She stood silently, thinking over the dragon's words.
"Great Dragon, Labby just finished the trial… shouldn't there be a reward?" she asked the dragon hesitantly.
The dragon's serpentine body swirled through the lakes as it rose further outside, looking down at her. "Your words are not without merit," the dragon said.
"Squeak!" Labby replied in agreement.
"Unfortunately, we cannot bring you to your junior sister. She is not within the seventh peak anymore. And neither is your Master."
"Where are they?" Labby asked, confused.
"In the line that separates our realm from those of the spirits. You should know of it child, the spirit realm is the domain of the lunar sisters," the dragon said.
Labby let out an uneasy squeak. That did not sound good.
"Why is master in that place? And how can Labby get there?" Labby asked the dragon.
"The trial of spirits, that is where you stand. The trial brings each disciple to the locations they are most required at," the water flowed up in streams of water, forming images. Labby saw a disciple with flames licking their clothes dancing among spirits of flame.
"A child of fire would be taken to the spirits of flames that live deep high above the peaks," the dragon said, before the image changed once more.
"A child of water would be taken to the misty rivers that flow deep within the Seventh peak, to learn from the spirits directly," Labby watched the disciple swimming underwater, moving currents through the river at their whim.
With a plop, the image collapsed.
"The trial is the foundation of the sect we preside over now, a great place of learning for those that know to seek. And today, it has brought you to us," the dragon said, before looking down at the rat.
Labby looked back at the massive dragon, feeling her Qi unsettled within her core.
"There is a way to reach your master. But it would only serve to disrupt the trial that has been set out for him. Think carefully before you ask anything of us, child."
Labby looked at the dragon, as her heart began to pound. Her Qi stirred inside her core. This was her chance.
"Labby… wishes to take a human form," Labby spoke, crackling with lightning as she looked at the dragon.
A moment passed in silence, before a rumbling shake shook the cavern. Labby jumped in surprise, sniffing her nose, as she looked around. It took her a moment to realize the shake to be laughter from the dragon.
"A rat that desires to take a human form, it has been years since we have heard such a fascinating tale!" the dragon roared in laughter.
Labby thumped her feet angrily. "Labby will do it!" she shouted at the dragon, crackling.
The dragon paused at her words, and turned to face her with a serious gaze. "It is not in your nature, child. To do so would be to defy the order of our world. But when has that ever stopped those who were determined?" the dragon said, in a way that oddly made Labby think that the massive creature was smirking.
"Very well." the dragon continued. "Then we shall teach you the path of the dragons. To take on a form beyond yours, you must first ascend like a carp scaling a waterfall. Ascend beyond heavens, and towards the court of the lunar sisters, and join them. If you can, you will be granted the form of your desires."
"But… how? Labby cannot fly, and it is day outside. There is no moon."
"Such narrow thinking from who twists the light of the moon, and coaxes the thunder into its form. The sun does not vanquish the moon child, it merely hides its presence with its gleaming brilliance. Yet the moon is still there, for those who reach out. And as far as flying goes, you have learned the tempest of the dragons have you not?" the dragon asked.
Labby squeaked out loud in surprise, before nodding her head. "Labby… has. But she's not good at it," she said. A moment later, she called upon the Qi around her. In a swirl, lightning Qi rose from her surroundings, as little strikes of purple lightning crackled down around her.
"You are no dragon, to master the art of dragons is not a simple feat. But to call that a tempest would be to call a flake of snow an avalanche," the dragon scoffed. "One such as you cannot hope to achieve this, your nature is far too feeble for such."
Labby looked up at the rising dragon, feeling her Qi swirling. "Labby will defy her nature then."
Laughter echoed through the chamber once more. "A child of the moon, of course you would be pesky. The Blessing of the First Moon befits one such as you. A Path of new beginnings. It is a path well suited for such yearning. You tame a thunder few ever glimpse, a gentle one, yet just as ferocious. They believe it Yang to be thunder, forgetting that Balance must precede all things in nature," the Dragon's gaze rested on Labby, as Qi began to swirl around it.
"Let us show you the tempest of a dragon, child. It is a thing of fury, of rage, of the unbending strength of the storms that govern the skies," the water in the lake shuddered and quaked at the dragon's words.
"It is the dance of the dragons," the dragon spoke, as Qi burst into a frenzy. Wind swept through the cavern, lifting Labby up into a swirling tornado. Water swirled around the dragon as the magnificent creature rose, swirling alongside the wind.
Thunder crackled on the wind, lightning gathering and striking down. The world began to shake under the might of the dragon, as it swirled in circles, rising like a storm.
"Our name is Shen Teng,"the dragon proclaimed, as rain poured down from the skies. The cavern began to crumble as the dragon continued to rise above.
"Watch our tempest. The tempest of the seventh dragon."
The world flooded with water, a storm shaking everything as the dragon soared. Labby squeaked, crackling with lightning. She cycled her Qi, lunar lightning flooding her pathways as she pushed through the howling winds, towards the rising Dragon.
Rushing past the swirling rocks and water, Labby leapt atop the lashing tail of the dragon, and clung on for dear life.
With a burst of Qi, the world rippled around Labby, and she found her claws slipping from the scales of the dragon. Pouring Qi through her feet she kicked, and began to run up its tail. The dragon swirled, a hurricane of water following it all around.
With a burst, the dragon ascended, rising high into the sky. The wind rushed past Labby. She hung on for dear life, clinging onto the scales of the dragon.
"The heavens, it thunders!" the dragon roared into the sky, a boom of Qi rippling through the sky. Clouds gathered high above shimmering and rumbling as the dragon soared higher and higher up towards them.
Labby looked up, her eyes widening, as she felt the Chi of the world gathering all over. Heavenly Qi rumbled, golden lightning swirling through the clouds. Memories of her master's breakthrough began to come to her, as her heart began to pound even further.
"Look at the skies, they stand in your path. Do you fear it?" the dragon asked, brilliant light rising from its scales. Swirling waters tore through the skies, swirling in a mesmerizing display.
Labby closed her eyes, trying her best not to fall off at the high speeds or look down at the ground flying further and further away from her. Little wisps of clouds began to touch her as the world began to grow more and more cold. The earth seemed to curve at its edges in the distance and Labby stared mesmerized.
"Do you fear it?"the Dragon asked once more.
A crashing bolt of lightning passed by the dragon, as the world was painted into dazzling gold. The Qi pouring outwards vibrated with strength and anger. It shuddered and raged with the might of crashing mountains.
"Hear it thunder, it rages against us for defying destiny. For defying fate. Hear its mighty roar. It tries to stop us from the throne that lies beyond it," the dragon sang and Labby could hear the Heavens turn in anger at the words.
"Do you fear it?"the dragon boomed, its voice shaking the very air.
"Yes," Labby squeaked out.
Laughter shook the dragon's body, almost throwing Labby off to plunge to her death. She clung on as Qi gathered on the dragon's scales. Like a rolling tide it welled up, flowing in streams of pure energy. The dragon's curled once more into the skies, before looking up towards the heavens. With a resounding boom, the dragon roared.
"But has fear ever stopped a Dragon?"
"No!" Labby screamed with everything she had, and the dragon shot towards the sky in a frenzy of Qi.
Golden lightning poured down towards her, the strike of a tribulation from the heavens themselves. Labby saw the lightning head down onto the dragon, saw it crumble atop the antlers of the massive creature, yet it wasn't enough. The lightning lashed towards her like a cracking whip.
"Squeak!" Labby shouted, as she churned her Qi and called upon the thunder around the world.
"Dragon's Tempest!" she shouted, jumping towards the bolt of lightining. Purple arcs of lightning welled up around her body, shooting towards the heavenly tribulation. They struck the golden bolt, splintering further still.
Arcs of lightning struck Labby, coursing through her body. She felt her limbs go stiff as she slid down the tail of the dragon, falling down to earth.
Refusing to stop, Labby swirled midair, using her teeth to cling into the gap between the dragon's scale, managing by a fraction of an inch.
Cycling her Qi, she fought through the injuries she had, grabbing on once more as they headed straight into the clouds of tribulation.
"The heaven rages, it rages at us who seek to defy destiny," the dragon sang, its voice booming, and the world shuddered all around it.
"Let it rage all it wants, for it can never smother a dragon."
The Qi sang around the dragon, as lightning welled up all around it. Bolts shot into the heavens, striking at the clouds. Labby watched Shen Teng open its maw, as a stream of water poured from it, into the skies. Rain and storm struck at the heavenly trial clouds, dissipating a little circlet.
"Hold on tight," Shen Teng spoke, before shooting forwards like an arrow.
Labby squeaked loudly, as the dragon rushed into the sky, flying around the bolts of lightning that shot towards them. Shen Teng swam, twirling through the skies like a dancing carp scaling a waterfall.
"But a dragon is not mere pride. For we are creatures of both will and grace," the dragon whispered in a soft voice, swimming through the skies past the dark clouds of Heavenly Qi.
"And nothing, not even the heavens can separate a true dragon from its sky," the dragon said, as the clouds parted. Labby watched in awe at the blanket of clouds beneath her, and the shining sun high up in the sky, glowing brightly within a deep blue sky.
"Thus, the lesson ends, Child," the dragon said, slowing down to a gentle swim through the calm skies. Labby looked down and saw a carpet of white and gray, with little peeks of the ground so far beneath her that she could barely fathom it. Her gaze traveled forward, towards the Azure-Jade empire. To the land she called home and the seven peaks that presided in it.
"It's… so big," Labby exclaimed, in awe. The mightiest of trees, the largest of sects. They were all but mere dots on the landscape in front of this sight.
"And so you see the nature of the world, from the sight of a Dragon. Even we are mere whispers of the tale that is the world. And it is precisely why a dragon is proud. For we can partake in this sight, and understand our place in the order of the world."
Labby squeaked, nodding. She could understand, after seeing this sight.
Did her master know of this? Did he know of the vastness of the world? The way the trees looked like tiny motes of grass laid across the land. The way the world curves at the edges, leading to a darker sky further.
Labby's gaze turned up and outwards, towards the blue sky, and the edges of darkness she sensed beyond. Wisps of something began to flow downwards, an energy she did not understand. Dark, but colorful. It was chaos personified and for a moment, she felt as if she was drowning in it.
"Do not look there, child. The primordial vastness is not kind to our kin," the Dragon spoke, snapping her out of her daze.
Labby took in a breath, nodding.
"Now, do you understand the world better, child? And the task you are here to perform?" the Dragon asked.
Labby nodded once more.
"Very well, then close your eyes, and sense the moon. It lurks beyond sight, but it is there. Call for it, grasp upon the threads of the moon, and hone it into the lightning you wield. Then focus, and ask for an audience with the sisters of the moon," the dragon said.
Labby closed her eyes as instructed as she began to focus on the lunar Qi. She let her senses spread outwards, trying to find any hints of it. A myriad of colors splashed in her senses, the world was full of chaos and Qi, and at a moment she felt as if she could reach out and touch all of them, yet the one she sought was not here.
She looked further, extended her reach even outward. She looked for the silver strands of light, of the moon that lurked within the bright sky.
A little strand of lunar Qi reached Labby, before one more and then another one more.
A few moments later, she was surrounded by silvery light flowing all around and into her. Never before had she felt a stronger connection to Lunar Qi and Labby relished in it, cycling her Qi over and over.
She felt one particular strand of lunar Qi beckoning her towards itself. Labby moved her senses closer, and she felt something shift within her core. As if she had moved a part of herself outside of her soul and granted it to the strand.
The strand shuddered and moved, shooting to the sky and then with a shudder, a burst of light made Labby open her eyes.
Eight figures loomed in front of her, eight faces she could recall from when she had first picked the path of the moon.
One of them stepped forward. A silver crescent moon was marked on the forehead, and clothes flowed around her body. She greeted Labby with a smile.
"Welcome, child. We have been waiting."
Chapter 93: Serpent's Trial
Liuxiang sensed the familiar rumblings of Heavenly Qi pulsate through the air around him. Glancing vaguely upwards through the dark cavern, he wondered if Lu Jie was up to his madness once more.
Unlike when at Granny Lang's place, it would be nearly impossible to hide the tribulation from the sect no matter what, and Lu Jie should know that.
"No, it isn't Lu Jie. It's the child. La Bi," Zhi Zhu muttered in Liuxiang's mind, reaching outwards with her senses.
Liuxiang paused in his steps, trying to sense the heavenly tribulation for himself. But if there was some way to tell who it was, then he could not.
"Isn't she merely in the second realm? Not even at the peak of it," Liuxiang asked, surprised at the calm in his voice.
"Yes. Insanity. The boy and all his spirits love to defy all common sense," Zhi Zhu said, and Liuxiang smiled at his spirit's words.
"They certainly do," Liuxiang said, shaking his head. He was unsure about what was going on, but there was little time to worry over others. He had his own trial to focus on.
Liuxiang walked through the paved caverns, into the thick overgrowth. It was an odd sight, of nature mingling in with the work of civilisation. He had arrived at this place just once before. Back when he had been a mere child, he had been taken to visit the line that separates the spirit realm from the mortal realm.
"Zhi Zhu remembers it. Liuxiang was much more fragile back then."
"I would be surprised if Zhi Zhu did not remember. We had first met here after all," Liuxiang said, as he glanced around through the forest pathways. The scent of poison Qi lurked within these shrubs, and he knew the potent poison that filled each plant, and creature that lived within this place.
Memories passed through Liuxiang's mind, as he walked through the paved path beneath him, avoiding the worst shrubs that could cause damage even to him.
"Does Zhi Zhu wish to meet her sisters?" Liuxiang asked. He could sense the colony of spiders that lived in the tall trees west of this place.
"If Liuxiang wants Zhi Zhu to give him some space, he merely needs to say so. No need for such games."
"No, this one means it.Your kin may not share the bonds humans do, but family is still family. If Zhi Zhu wishes to pay them a visit, then she should," Liuxiang replied, waiting for his spirit to reply.
Zhi Zhu remained silent as Liuxiang trekked through the bushes. Silver needle swiftly piercing any mindless critter that came too close to him.
A threatening hiss broke out of Liuxiang's mouth when a scorpion tried to jump him. The creature froze at the sound, before curling up on the ground. Liuxiang raised a hand to his mouth, surprised at his impulsive behavior.
He could not do that normally.
"The shedding draws closer. And Liuxiang's nature seems to be reverting back to what it once had been."
"No, that can't be," Liuxiang said out loud. Yet a part of him couldn't help but notice the changes for himself. His Qi had shifted back to be more Yin, and he had opened up the eyes of the Shie as well.
"Zhi Zhu thinks Liuxiang knows the answer to that."
Liuxiang remained silent. They proceeded through the mist, following the paved path deeper into the forest. Dense fog began to fill the area as they walked. Liuxiang recognised the area, and the familiar aura of poison lurking within the area.
"It has been a while since Zhi Zhu met the eldest."
"It has been a while indeed. I had wished I wouldn't have to do so until I'd obtained the rank of an elder," Liuxiang said, walking towards an altar that was barely visible through the dense fog, at the end of the path.
"Not much has changed about you, has it, child?" a voice hissing rippled through the air. There was power carried in the words, sending a slight tremor through the ground.
"This one greets the great spirit," Liuxiang bowed his head in respect.
"Zhi Zhu greets the eldest."
A snake hissed, sliding through the ground and coiling around itself as it moved its head forward from the altar it slept on. The body of the spirit escaped the altar, and went through the ground, coiling large trees and hills across the massive realm all of them currently stood in.
Liuxiang kept his calm, as the giant serpent shifted its face closer, its massive tongue flicking outwards with a hiss. "We accept your greetings."
Raising his head, Liuxiang regarded the ancestral beast whose grandmother had started their clan, and entire bloodline. The origin of the Shie, and poison Qi.
"We seek wisdom, Eldest. A trial has brought us to you in the spirit realm," Zhi Zhu spoke, manifesting upon Liuxiang's shoulder from his dantian.
The snake's massive eye turned towards the spider, a single slit reflecting the two of them within it. Mist gathered around the snake, accompanied by a wave of Qi that flowed towards the massive creature.
Liuxiang cycled his Qi, struggling to hold his ground against the pouring winds that flowed in. He watched as the serpent was soon covered entirely in a green fog.
With a sudden pulse, the green mist collapsed towards the ground, the serpent's body disappearing.
"It has been decades since we had to take this form," a woman's voice spoke, sending a chilling wave of cold through her surroundings.
Liuxiang watched a beautiful cultivator walk through the mist. Skin whiter than snow itself, with eyes a pale yellow and emerald green. Her clothes seemed to be made of pure Qi silk, refined and arranged in beautiful patterns of coiling serpents that moved all across her body.
"We're honored to witness it, Eldest," Zhi Zhu said, lowering her head slightly.
"No need for such excessive courtesy here, my child. You should be well aware that the spirit world does not follow the pointless courtesies of the mortal realm. Merely tolerates it," the woman spoke, as a frigid smile hung on her black lips.
Liuxiang felt a strange attraction to the woman, as if he wanted to settle into her arms forever. He pushed the emotion down, finding his repulsion growing. He was well aware of the other uses of the Shie poison, and he found it utterly distasteful.
"If the great spirit would show us a method to solve our current trial, we would be eternally grateful," Liuxiang said, looking at the serpent woman walking closer.
"You keep referring to me as great spirit. Is this what one calls their great-grandmother?" the spirit asked, as she stepped closer. Her aura brushed upon him. It was a murky thing, like the sickening smell of death, and the frigid cold of a lifeless winter intermingled together.
"It would be disrespectful," Liuxiang replied back, trying not to show any agitation.
The woman stood in front of Liuxiang, her presence completely still and collected. The awareness that this spirit could end his life within a moment if she so wished lurked upon his mind. He had sensed the power of the great spirit before. Beings so beyond comprehension and strength that he couldn't even fathom their capabilities.
"You hide your nature beneath layers of skin. You cling to the yang aspect of your Qi, hoping it would further push you away from your true identity. Tell me child, do you truly hate our blood so much?"
Liuxiang sucked in a breath, looking up to meet the woman's eyes. Five rings of immense power reflected back through the narrow slits, almost blinding his senses as he got to peer into the woman's soul.
The eleventh realm. She's reached Transcendence.
"As you wish… grandmother," Liuxiang replied, bowing his head to the woman.
A smile reflected upon the woman's face, when he looked back up to meet her eyes. "We are pleased, child. It would not do for you to refer to us as great spirit in front of the emperor."
"The emperor?" Liuxiang asked, looking up at the spirit.
"The emperor. The Jade court shall throw a celebratory feast upon our Ascension into the ranks of Divinity. It had been a century coming, since the passing of our mother, and finally, the Shie clan have reclaimed their rightful place," the woman said, turning around.
Liuxiang stared at her back, before walking behind her. "Forgive me great— grandmother. But… this one is not accepted as a part of the clan," Liuxiang replied, finding his nerves worsening.
The woman paused in her step, as she glanced back. "Your father is a fool, and our bloodline shall not be squandered for his weeping. He had been convinced that you would be incapable of awakening the heirloom abilities of our blood and he has been proven wrong," the woman said, her intense gaze stuck on Liuxiang.
A moment later, a kind smile snuck upon her face as she turned to face him. "We had been waiting for you, to reach the fourth realm and realize your nature. But there is little time left, and we are tired of waiting," the woman said.
A moment later, she appeared right in front of Liuxiang, a black nail pressed directly against his face as a cold smile hung on the woman's face. Liuxiang tried to move his body but found it unwilling to listen to his commands.
"It is time for you to stop running from your bloodline, child. That is the trial which brings you here. We will have to thank the sect elder for his service. We would've found it far more difficult to come fetch you ourselves," the woman said, as a bright light began to light up on her finger tips, right on Liuxiang's forehead.
Qi flowed in towards the finger in a swirling torrent, as the world began to twist under the words of the woman.
"Eldest, Zhi Zhu—"
The woman raised a finger, and Zhi Zhu froze. "Shh, we will not harm her. She merely needs to remember who she is," the woman whispered to Zhi Zhu.
Liuxiang gasped, his body frozen against his will, as the Qi poured into his soul. Darkness encroached upon his vision, as he felt the poison in his body stir.
"Sleep my child. And then rise anew. It is time for our clan to reclaim our rightful place."
A blinding light consumed Liuxiang, and his world turned white.
Chapter 94: Shie Liuxiang
The world spins around Liuxiang. Stumbling, he struggles to find his balance as a strange energy permeates his body. Clutching his head, Liuxiang glances around the area, frowning. This was a different forest, with trees adorned by beautiful yellow flowers, and little red blossoms that bloomed on the ground.
His gaze drifts through the area, onto the dirt path cutting right through the path. Just where was he?
"Does Zhi Zhu remember?" Liuxiang asked, before pausing. He couldn't feel Zhi Zhu on him. Trying to hold back his frustration, Liuxiang walks towards the dirt path in front of him. He'd just have to solve whatever trial had been set out for him by the great spirit and make his escape.
The tournament would be ending soon as well, and he had better places to be in than the clutches of a whimsical grandmother he would rather never have to meet.
Liuxiang walked to the other side of the dirt path and into the rows of trees flowering with yellow blossoms. There were little critters and animals walking around the entire area, and Liuxiang couldn't help but notice that none of them were showing any response towards him. Normally, any creature close by would sense his aura and flee. That or freeze where they stood completely.
He looked down at his body and quickly realized that his body was transparent.
"Spirit Projection," Liuxiang hissed. The same thing Lu Jie's turtle had done to him, but at a far greater scale. His very soul had been taken out and sent to a different location. He'd thought the feat impossible, but it surprised him little that the great spirit could pull something like this. Especially after she had reached the eleventh realm. The greatest height any cultivator had reached in eons.
Putting the thought aside, he continued to make his way through the forest, trying to find where it led. There was something suspicious about the location that he could not quite place, and it was irking him.
"No, you're scaring her!" a young boy's voice echoed.
Liuxiang turned to face the voice, caught off guard at not noticing the child earlier. Quickly putting off his lack of spirit senses as a quirk of the spirit projection, he walked towards the voice. Standing behind a tree, he glanced to the side, and watched a child sitting on the ground with a little squirrel cupped in its hand. He couldn't have been any older than five from his height.
"You shouldn't grab them by their tail. That will spook them even further," the boy instructed a girl standing nearby, who was looking on with an angry expression.
"They hate me anyway. No matter what I do, they all hate me. There's no point," the girl complained, tears welling up in her eyes.
Liuxiang's eye slits expanded to be round circles, as he stared at the girl. Her skin was pale, her features just subtly off. Her jaw was a bit too narrow, and her limbs slightly too long. White hair adorned her back, with emerald-green eyes containing two eye slits looking back at the child.
He watched his younger self, and the only boy he'd ever truly called a friend in his home.
"That's not true," the boy continued, undisturbed by Liuxiang's realization. "Your aura is scary, but they can ignore it if they know how to. If you show them that you do not mean them any harm, then they'll come to you on their own."
Wiping her eyes, a younger Liuxiang looked on curiously at the squirrel, cupped between the boy's hands. "Really?" she asked, staring in wonder at the little creature.
The squirrel remained settled in between the boy's hand, comfortable and safe. "Yes, really. Now slowly come closer and extend your hand towards it," the boy said.
The young girl stepped forwards hesitantly. Slowly, she walked towards the squirrel, pausing every time it seemed as if the creature was about to run. Eventually, she was close enough to crouch, as she extended her hand towards the critter.
"Now let it come to you instead. Just put your hand forward gently," the boy said, smiling as he opened his hands.
The squirrel sat around, brushing its ears and body as it looked around curiously. Soon, the extended hand caught its interest as it sniffed the palm. A moment later, the squirrel jumped onto the extended hand, looking around and sniffing its tiny nose.
Liuxiang watched his past self. The girl's eyes were shining in wonder as she touched an animal for the first time in life. His heart began to wrench in his chest as the memories of the past began to return.
"It's… not running," young Liuxiang said, her eyes widened in surprise. Gently she extended her hand to pet the squirrel when the creature jumped off and sprinted away. A small pout came upon the girl's face, but it didn't last long, soon replaced by a bright smile.
"I told you you aren't scary," the boy replied, grinning brightly at the girl.
"Thank you Li Yuan!" Young Liuxiang let out a radiant laugh, two fangs peeking from the corner of her mouth.
"Do you want to find some more squirrels?" the boy asked.
Young Liuxiang thought over it, before turning towards the pathway heading deeper. "The servants in the clan were talking about some spirit animals in the forest. Maybe we can make friends with them too?"
"I don't know. Mother said not to bother the spirits. They are dangerous," the boy said, glancing over nervously in the pointed direction.
"Please? I hear they're really pretty!" Young Liuxiang exclaimed, glancing at the boy.
"Alright, but only for a little while," the boy said. With a cheerful exclamation, the two children began to head further into the forest.
Liuxiang stood where he was, as he watched the two of them go. Did he truly wish to relive his memory of what had happened? What was the point of all of this? To make him miserable?
Glancing towards the children, Liuxiang turned away and began to make his way in the opposite direction. There had to be a solution to this. A way to escape.
Taking a deep breath, Liuxiang rushed towards the inner walls of the courtyard. To the place he had once called home.
The path passed by quickly, as Liuxiang rushed through the massive courtyard. Trusting his memory, he made his way unseen through the inner walls. Walking more slowly now, Liuxiang began to follow the path based on faint memory as he explored the clan grounds.
Poison Qi filled the area, little denotations of serpents and their ancestor marking every nook and cranny, alongside the symbol of the Shie clan itself.
Liuxiang walked aimlessly, taking in the sights. Memories of a forgotten childhood returned to him.
"Has anyone seen the young mistress?" a voice called out. Liuxiang turned to see a woman wearing servant clothing walking around.
"Isn't the young mistress playing with your son?" another servant spoke to the woman.
"I had left them in the courtyard inside, but I can't see them anywhere now. The Master is calling for the young mistress," the woman exclaimed.
Quickly, more and more servants began to run around trying to search for the young mistress.
Liuxiang ignored the chaos as people ran about trying to find the lost young mistress for one particular thing. His father had called for him. His father never called for him. He'd only met his father thrice in his entire childhood.
Lixuaing walked ahead through the corridor connecting the buildings together. He rushed past the people coming by, walking into the building that connected the central halls of the clan.
Liuxiang walked past chamber after chamber, unseen by anyone around him. His path brought him up to an imposing set of doors barring his way.
Even having just visited this place thrice, Liuxiang could never forget the sight of the door to his father's chamber.
Taking a deep breath, he touched the door, and slid it open.
A man sat inside, behind a desk. He sat hunched, with graying hairs set in his hair. Signs of age that were rarely seen with any cultivator, especially one of such strength.
Liuxiang watched his father in silence. He wore the typical green robes of his clan, yet once the color that had accentuated his youthful visage, now sat like a murky green of filth.
"Who is it?" his father asked, looking up. The man paused upon seeing Liuxiang, his eyes stuck onto him.
Liuxiang found his breath stuck in his chest, as his father watched him. He was tempted to look behind him, to see if there was someone who his father was reacting to in such a way. Yet something in his spirit told him that there was no one behind. That it was him, that his father saw.
A defeated sigh broke out of the man's mouth, as he looked up at Liuxiang with sunken eyes. "Why have you come here," the man asked, looking up.
Liuxiang found words leaving him as he regarded his father. Just what was going on? This was a memory was it not? A spirit trial? Then how come his father was talking to him?
"That expression. Grandmother's trial then. A mere memory fragment to be made a mocking of, that's all that is left of me in the future then," the man muttered, yet there was no emotion in his voice.
Liuxiang watched the man look upon Liuxiang with a tired gaze. He searched for any hate, or disgust. Yet the only thing left in his father's eyes seemed to be apathy.
"Why?" Liuxiang asked, his mouth dry. "Why do you just… not seem to care?"
His father looked on towards him, meeting Liuxiang's eye. "Why should I? What point is there to any of this? Grandmother has long since discarded me as an heir, and after Xiuying's death… what's the point of it?"
Liuxiang clenched his fists, his Qi roiling in his core. He'd thought that, maybe there would be anger, hate, something. Yet all he saw was a defeated man who had given up on life.
"Why did you let her die," Liuxiang asked, a cold chill emanating from his voice. "Why couldn't you even save her."
Liuxiang's father looked up, his eyes trembling. "You think I didn't want to?" he asked, a shiver in his voice. "I could have saved her. I could've lived happily with her. We didn't need any kids, I was happy as I was."
"Then why…?" Liuxiang asked, a tremble in his voice.
"It would've meant killing you," his father whispered, as he sunk his face into his hands, a haunting expression on his face.
Liuxiang watched his father with a blank face. "If you loved her so much. Why did you have me. If you truly loved her so much, you would've never—"
"I did not intend to!" his father screamed back as he stood from his chair. A wave of aura poured out and stunned Liuxiang. "I did not intend to…" the man said once more, sinking back into his chair.
"We were not going to have any children. I'd prepared pills to make sure I would have none. I knew the risk, and had no intention of taking any."
Liuxiang felt his heart pounding, as the Qi rustled in his dantian. "Then… why?"
"Your grandmother needed an heir. Someone who would inherit the bloodline. She convinced Xiuying to have a child, and switched out the pills I'd prepared," his father muttered, clutching his head.
"I…" Liuxiang stumbled back, staring at his father.
"I cannot bear to look at you… my daughter. I cannot. I see Xiuying in you. And I see her corpse as she cradles you in her arms. Far too often, I've considered taking your life, and then my own. Far too often. I would merely kill you one day, if you remain close to me. And if I do that, I would lose my last tie to Xiuying in this world," his father blurted out, his voice choking.
Liuxiang stared at his father, feeling his heart thundering.
A shout echoed from outside the chamber. Liuxiang turned to the side, and watched the servant woman from before rushing in. The child his younger self had been playing lay in her arms, unconscious and pale, with dark poison coursing through his voice.
Liuxiang turned and saw that his father's expression had returned to normal as he heard the woman's plea. Turning around, Liuxiang walked outside the chamber, and saw his past self, weeping to the side.
The child stared at her hands, at the poison that filled them.
This had been the first time that Liuxiang had learnt to use his poison. He'd been incapable of controlling it, as a spirit beast had attacked, and it had afflicted his friend.
The clan had rejoiced at the awakening of the poison bloodline within the young mistress, as a young mortal boy had lost the ability to walk for the rest of his life. And a young girl had lost her first and only friend in life.
Liuxiang watched as his father, the man looking back towards him for a mere fleeting moment before he turned away.
Within a few moments, the world began to dissipate from around him, plunging into unending darkness.
"You are poison," a voice crawled upon his ears.
"You try to hide who you are. You try to hide behind human skin. Each step, you suppress your own nature, trying to hide the monster that you are. You change your hair, your Qi, your face, your name. Yet the poison, you can never change."
"No one will love you. No one can. You are Poison itself, meant to bring suffering upon everything it touches."
Liuxiang stood breathing heavily, as something pressed itself in his chest. It was difficult to breathe.
Was he truly…? Was he truly a monster?
"You're interesting, you know that?"
Liuxiang rose, a memory replaying in his mind.
"Oh wow, so you can use your fangs to inject poison as well? That's actually legit cool!"
"I can't say much… but I know that your mother loved you dearly."
Liuxiang looked up, Lu Jie's voice echoing in his mind. The acceptance he had received, and the strange and curious friend he'd made.
The voice changed once more, something changing.
"I told you you aren't scary," Li Yuan's voice echoed through the darkness, as the sensation of touching an animal for the first time filled Lixuaing's mind.
Tears flowed down his cheeks as he stared into the darkness, and found acceptance. Qi stirred in his dantian, as his skin began to peel. The color of his hair receded, turning a bright white, as it had been upon birth.
"No, I am not a monster," Liuxiang replied to the darkness. For a brief moment, he felt the touch of his mother upon his back, and the whisper of her voice as she uttered his name.
The Qi in his core shifted. Yang turned to Yin, as the Poison within his body changed and Liuxiang began to break through into the fourth realm.
"I am Shie. Shie Liuxiang."
Chapter 95: The Lunar Court
Yan Yun felt her breath tighten, as she gazed upon the rising figure of the dragon, and the crashing tribulation welling in the sky. Her clothes were drenched from the pouring storm covering all of seventh peak, and the mortals now stood behind formations meant to protect them from the harsh wind and lightning of the tribulations as they remained with their heads bowed.
The past half an hour had been strange, as the entire arena had gone silent, losing track of everyone currently inside the trial. The scene had shifted to a display by the sect instead, as the participants went through the secluded enclosure.
Then all of sudden, the world had shuddered, as a tribulation had rumbled around the sky. A moment later, all of Seventh Peak watched a soaring dragon rising into the sky, and heading head first towards the heavenly tribulation and then beyond.
She looked around at the mortals and cultivators alike, bowing their heads in respect as the dragon soared into the Heavens themselves. She couldn't help but wonder over what was going on.
Her gaze shifted towards the central seats, where she found the lord of the peak watching over the rising dragon, as an uproar of fear and excitement was going through the crowd. Yet knowing Lu Jie, and the truth behind his core, Yan Yun found her stomach turning over itself in concern.
"You look pale," the boy behind her muttered. Xiao Lan, the boy Lu Jie had defeated. He'd decided to stick by her side for some reason, and she'd not see reason enough to send him away.
"Is that any way to speak to a Senior disciple?" Yan Yun replied with a calm voice, glancing towards him.
Widening his eyes, the boy slightly bowed his head. "Forgive this one, Senior sister," he spoke, and Yan Yun let out a 'hmph' as she walked aside.
She never enjoyed putting on the act of a haughty senior disciple, yet it certainly had its uses at times.
"An auspicious day, to see the seventh dragon rise into the very heavens!" an Elder announced, gaining cheers from the crowd.
"A disciple has gained the blessing of the great dragon," the lord said, his voice projecting outwards on Qi as the arena grew silent to listen carefully.
"A child of the sect has truly been blessed today. Many congratulations, sect elder," the lord said, as the crowd broke into cheers.
Yan Yun continued to gaze at the turbulent skies, feeling a similar turbulence rumbling in her own heart.
She hoped everything would be fine.
***
Tian Feng opened his eyes, his gaze rising to the sky. Even with all his divinations, he'd not expected for things to turn out this way.
"Perhaps I see why you took an interest in her, Xian Yue," Tian Feng said.
"It was a whim. And being the spirit of the moon, I never fail to act upon any of my whims," Xian Yue replied, her gaze also towards the sky.
"Do you wish to head to the court as well? All lunar spirits will be watching our dear rat arriving atop a dragon, beyond the heavens themselves. It would be a tale most of your kin and sisters would hate to miss," Tian Feng said. He knew how the spirits of the moon were, this was a tale that would be told for at least a decade to come. Centuries in the spirit realm.
"As amusing as it would be to watch my sister's reactions when they realize that I'd guided the little rat from the start of her journey, I think we both have better things to be doing," Xian Yue said, chiming.
Tian Feng saw a smirk hanging upon her lips and knew to leave things there.
"Chirp!" Sheldon chirped from behind, his Qi expanding outwards. Streams of water flowed around the area, as Tian Feng's Qi mingled with Sheldon's.
Streams of fate flowed through the air, as mist filled the room, and Tian Feng returned to his divination. He could only hope now.
***
Labby stood in front of the right moons. There was a strength to their form that she could not sense. It was a vast thing, vaster than the sprawling lands she'd seen beneath atop the dragon's back.
Her gaze shifted through the many moons, as she watched the marks upon their foreheads and the ornaments they wore, reflecting that. Each moon looked like the other, sharing the same face. Yet they couldn't have been further from one another in demeanor. The dark moon madee Labby nervous and afraid. There was a deep hunger in the moon's gaze that made the Labby fearful.
The waxing crescent felt like kin to Labby, and she felt a tie to the moon.
The full moon glowed brightly within her senses. The brightest moon that reflected all. A moon of completion and fulfillment.
And so she watched the faces of the moon, all the same, yet different.
"Squeak!" Labby replied.
She watched the court of the moon. It sat with eight thrones, arranged facing eight directions. Each moon was marked upon each throne, with many branches extending out from all of them, into a silvery white eternity.
Never before had Labby felt this much Lunar Qi in her surroundings. The world was drenched in the scent of the moon. A gentle light filled the room, with starry sparling curtains that rippled in and out of existence decorating the chamber.
Labby tapped her feet on the ground, feeling the clouds that formed the floor beneath her. She did not understand how she could stand upon them, when they felt softer than anything, and like air.
Murmurs spread throughout a court spread, as little spirits moved and drifted from all over.
"It has been ages since our court has had a visitor like you," one of the moons whispered.
"Millenia!" a spirit shouted. "Not since the old stag!"
Delightful laughter spread through the many spirits, as they danced and moved through the court.
Labby looked on in confusion. "Umm, Labby wants to… gain a human form. She was told that you can help."
The crescent moon laughed a beautiful chiming laughter. "Impatient, are we dear? First we shall hold a celebration. You are a guest of our court today, La Bi. Come, and join us," the moons said, as mist rose from the ground around her.
Labby was carried off by the mists, flying towards a little seat. The right moons sat on their thrones, watching as the spirits of the moon came. They sang and danced, as laughter and wine flowed like a river.
Rare delicacies passed in front of Labby, brimming with the scent of Lunar Qi, yet something in Labby's soul told her not to eat anything, or she'd be stuck in this place.
Time passed by in a blur, in what felt like a week of celebration. Labby watched the spirit tell magical tales, with vivid illusions, they sang melodious songs and the melody of the moon. It was a celebration grander than any she'd even fathomed.
"Ah, what a shame. The time to part has arrived," the waxing crescent moon spoke, her eyes lingering upon Labby.
The court shifted once more, the spirits sweeping past as the thrones faded. Mist covered Labby through the silvery room, as the eight moons all stood in line, the waxing crescent moon standing front and foremost.
"My child. You have sworn yourself to my path. To the path of growth and journey. Now, it is time for you to pick another moon, or walk further along the path you already walk," the moon said, her voice resonant.
Qi wavered and pulsed, power gathering within the words. The eight moons regarded her as one.
"Tell us. Why did you pick this path?"
The weight of the moons pressed upon Labby's shoulders. The court stilled, each spirit watching her in silence.
"Labby wishes to grow. She wishes to keep up with her master. To learn about the cycles of the world and to understand what lies beneath it. To help her master spread curiosity and knowledge. To journey beyond the little areas and explore the vast world around her. Squeak!" Labby replied, looking up at the moons.
The Lunar Qi shifted, as something flowed within Labby. The crescent on her forehead lit up, flowing a bright silver.
"So you walk the path of the curious. A little rat that gazes upon the moon," the moons spoke as one, regarding her.
Labby felt the weight on her spirit increasing.
"Tell us. What does the moon mean to you?"
"Change! And a cycle of the world. The moon is the cycle of the world, just like the sun. It is the cycle that changes constantly, yet is fixed in nature. It is a cycle of periods of time. It represents growth, it represents phases. The moon means change!" Labby exclaimed proudly.
"The moons are varied, we form a single whole, but are eight and more. Like the ever shifting faces of the moon, our domain changes as well." the moons echoed.
Silvery mist formed around Labby, as she felt Lunar Qi forming around her claws.
"Why do you walk our path?"
Labby thought over her path, over her purpose. Why did she wish to follow her path?
"Labby was granted everything by her Master. She wants to accompany him on his path. Labby wants to be the moon to her master's light, to follow him like the moon follows behind the sun, eternally reflecting its light," Labby replied, looking up at the shifting faces of the moon.
"Labby wishes to take on a human form," she replied towards the moons.
"We witness your Path child of thunder. You wield lightning few others possess. To you, we grant the blessing of the first moon. The moon of a new beginning."
The moons leaned forward, their forms dark and starry like the endless void of celestial places, yet marked by the silver light of the moon. Together, in a joint form, the sisters pressed their finger against Labby's forehead, as a bright light lit up upon her.
Lunar Qi swirled, flowing in towards Labby. Her crescent grew larger and larger as the second moon imprinted itself upon her forehead, forming above the crescent.
"Like the shifting faces of the moon, you can shift into the form of your desire."
Labby felt the lunar wisps flooding her, as her dantian was filled to the brim. For a moment, she felt like she was going to pop, but she controlled the Qi and channeled it to her body.
Lunar light gathered on her fur, rising to be a glowing blinding shimmer.
Closing her eyes, Labby sat, as the QI flowed into her and began to change her body. The heavens rumbled beneath the court, and the air vibrated around her as she pushed past the 2nd realm within moments, breaking into the third.
A spirit of the moon played the flute, laughing.
"This shall be a tale to tell, of the rat that rode upon a dragon's back, crossing the very heavens to reach the court of the moon. All to take the form of her Master!"
And so the court of the moon sang, the tale of the rat that rode a dragon to defy fate. Of the moon that followed behind her master's sun.
The story of La Bi.
Chapter 96: Tree of Unity
I wasn't sure what correlation was with endless dark spaces and life changing revelations but there certainly was something in there.
The last I was in an endless dark abyss, I learnt that I had a soul twin, aka, the previous inhabitant of my body. This time, I got to know that the previous inhabitant was cut off during childhood. And that we're the same person.
Does this officially mean that I have a personality disorder now? My other half even fits the criterias for a murderhobo as well.
I let random stray thoughts distract me for a moment, but I knew that it wouldn't last. I could sense my other half, stirring within my soul, as I stared nervously at the flowing fog in front of me. The images hadn't ended yet, and I wasn't sure I had the courage to see any more of them.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. It would be strange to do this alone. Not after everything I'd seen.
I focused my senses inwards, towards my core.Gently, I tried to call forth Lu Jie, and with surprising ease, the Gu filled core in my body left me, as the Gu manifested in a slightly darker haired version of me standing nearby.
"So we meet again," Gu Jie said. Which is the nickname I should've given him a long time ago, but anyway.
"Strange circumstances and weird spirit places. Just as usual," I replied with a smile. Gu Jie did not seem as cheerful.
I sighed. "Can you not tell that I'm trying really hard to not act bothered by everything? Just play along for once damn you."
"And what? Pretend that… this didn't happen? That we weren't led astray and lied to for years. That the elder didn't try to play games with both of us?" the boy said, his eyes changing colors as dark wisps of Gu licked his body.
"Whoa whoa, calm down Mr demon king. How did the Elder betray us? Didn't he save our lives?" I asked the boy.
"He crippled us. And he could've cured our soul. Made us one again. We could've grown so much. We… I wouldn't have had to suffer for so long. Even the old man—
"—Wait what? The old man knows? How?" I asked, baffled. Gu Jie regarded me for a moment, with the typical 'shit I messed up' expression of someone saying something they weren't supposed to.
"The old man… is a powerful master. And his grandson turned into a powerful demon. Yang Shen, the fire demon of the west."
I blinked, staring at Gu Jie in silence. "Of course he is. Why wouldn't he be? Hidden masters everywhere, can't catch a break these days," I replied, as I worked on sorting my thoughts.
So the old man knew, and he was even aware that I possessed Gu.
Perhaps it really was time to confront Granny Lang and Old Man a bit more about their past once the tournament ended. There were too many tie ins by now for me to ignore things any longer.
"Do you think he would not, if he could? Do you truly believe that?" I asked Gu Jie.
"No," the boy replied, glancing downwards.
"Exactly. I think they couldn't. For whatever reason. We'd tried it ourselves and it didn't work."
"Because we're not equal," Gu Jie said, looking at me. "Because if we were ever to join our souls into one. I will be gone."
I remained silent at his words. "I don't think you'll be gone. Merely a part of me instead."
"Would it be the same? We're so different, you and I. I don't remember my past life. You did not live the life I did. We're different people now. Can we ever truly be one?" Gu Jie asked.
I turned to face the cloud of Fog in front of me. "Only one way to find out."
Glancing at Gu Jie, I stepped forward into the foggy cloud. The world faded in through the white fog, as I stepped ahead, into the white haze.
The sight of a young Lu Jie, playing nicely, came to me. The young child was older now, looking to be somewhere around three years old.
My mother sat nearby, watching over me play as she did some chores. Scenes continued to shift by as I watched my younger self growing without any issues.
"There has been news of an attack to the nearby village," my father said, walking into the home.
"Mother held me close to her, as I lay, sleeping," spirits? Has the sect not sent any cultivators?
"A cultivator had arrived, but there has been no news yet. You two should stay inside tonight. The men in the village will be keeping a watch just in case," my father said, as he walked around, grabbing whatever he could find to use as a weapon.
"Stay safe dear," my mother whispered, hugging me too tight to herself as my father walked out. She quickly closed the door shut, locking it from the inside.
"I… remember this," Gu Jie spoke from next to me. I glanced over towards him in surprise as he continued. "I had woken up from the noises-" his voice broke off, his breathing growing heavy.
I continued to watch in silence, as the scene continued to shift. The wind blew past in harsh howling gusts, as the men of the village patrolled the perimeter. A shout came from one man in the distance.
I found the fog solidifying, as I stepped onto the ground and walked outside through the wall. Glancing in the dark, my gaze went towards the screaming man, and then gathering.
Something was shifting further ahead. The ground trembled and shuddered, as dark wisps began to pour through the ground. The men of the village raised their weapons, aiming at the creatures.
Dark wisps of blackness continued to accumulate, and my heart sank as I realized what I was seeing.
Malformed creatures broke through the earth.
They rose, like an army of darkness. They rose shrouded in death. The land withered in front of my eyes, as the creatures rose from the ground, bent and distorted, some stood on two legs with long fangs and sharp claws. Others were misformed, bent at odd angles and twisted.
It was a scene from a twisted nightmare, and the ranks of the villagers quickly broke at the sight.
"Demons!" the men shouted, running for their lives. My heart pounded as I watched my father rush through the crowd. The demonic tide was breaking at the surface and spreading in all directions, chasing after everyone they could.
A slaughter began, as blood flowed freely down on the earth, coating it red. Screams rose to the sky, of agonizing pain and the chilling quiet of death.
My head was spinning as I watched the sight, horrified. My gaze shifted back to my father, stabbing a demon through the heart with a broken plank.
Screaming as loud as he could, the man rushed the demon into a wall, plunging the plank further, even as it rotted away from the Gu emanating from the creature.
Making sure the demon was dead, the man turned, rushing towards his home. He kicked the door open, grabbing my mother and me, and ran ahead.
"Demons! Don't say anything, just run!" the man shouted, as he began to rush out of the village.
My gaze shifted once more, as I saw an eerily humanoid figure standing at the center of the Gu cloud. The creature looked like a person, the only sign of its demonification were the black irises, and the flowing Gu all around it.
With a speeding step, the demon walked forward. A single wave of the hand parted the earth, as fire rose from the ground. Dark flames covered the village, burning any and everyone in their proximity.
I watched my father shouting, fighting back against demons. I watched him hold the beasts back as my mother ran with me. I watched a claw pierce his chest. Then another. Then one more.
I watched him stand his ground, pushing through the demons. Until a pillar of flame rose from the ground, and all that remained was ashes.
Yet the slaughter didn't stop.
I watched as my mother ran. She bled from her gut, injured by the demons around her as she clutched me close to her chest. Rushing, she went inside a shack, and hid amidst a pile of corpses.
Tears poured down the young Lu Jie's eyes, and I watched as a blood soaked mother held his sobbing close, calming him down.
I watched as she remained amidst the corpses, hiding, bleeding. As the night turned to day, and the demons made their way through.
I watched her take her last breath, as a cultivator arrived and she handed a sleeping, blood covered child to the man, before she joined the pile of corpses she hid in.
The images faded, plunging me into darkness. I stood in silence. There were no words that could do justice to what I had just seen. I could understand why Lu Jie didn't remember this. Anyone would suppress a memory like this.
I turned to face the boy.
"I… remember," Gu Jie whispered.
Unable to hold myself back, I rushed over, and hugged him. I felt tears soaking my shoulder, wisps of Gu touching me from his body, as he weeped.
I consoled him, keeping him close as he processed whatever emotions he was going through. I could not share. I did not know these people. Yet my heart ached nonetheless at the tragedy I had just witnessed.
"So you see the truth."
A voice rumbled through the darkness.
I turned, and saw a figure in the distance moving towards us. Something reached me from the direction, a presence that I'd been looking for.
"Twilight!" I exclaimed, as my bond to her snapped back in place.
"Chii!" Twilight exclaimed, as she headed towards me.
I stared blankly at the creature. It was as if a dragon had been merged with a deer. A strange yet magnificent creature that rode towards me with clacking hooves. A powerful aura of life emanated from the creature and I saw Twilight riding upon its antlers.
Twilight jumped into my arms and I cradled my little flower spirit, happy to see her again. In thanks, I turned to face the spirit when my eyes widened in surprise when I saw the eyes of the creature.
"You're… the world spirit?"
"If you speak of the name you call us by, then yes. We are. But our name is Ki." the creature said, snorting as it stomped its hooves.
A kirin! That's what it was. I quickly bowed my head to the giant Kirin in front of me. "Apologies, Ki," I said.
"Blessing! Life!" Twilight chimed, pointing towards the giant Kirin.
I suppose she wasn't too wrong about that. I could feel myself growing more energetic, just being near the Kirin.
"Let us not tarry. The cycle needs mending, and we find you ready to proceed ahead. Follow us," the kirin spoke, leaping into the air and rushing ahead. I looked behind at Gu Jie standing next to me, before we began to follow the creature.
My eyes were soon hanging upon a massive tree trunk with glowing branches rising further up ahead. Yet, the tree was broken, cracked from the center, with rotten roots infested with disease.
"What is that?" I asked, walking closer to the massive tree, as the Kirin slowed down.
"The tree of Unity. Or what used to be such," the kiring spoke, gently brushing against the tree before looking towards me. "The one whose seed now grows within your soul."
"...Excuse me?"
Chapter 97: Breakthrough
I stared at the Kirin standing in front of me, confused.
"Do you not sense the sprout within your soul? The deep pool of essence that fills your soul? The thing tying you two cores together, preventing a horrifying death at any given moment?" the Kirin asked, glancing towards me.
"I… do?" I replied, before pushing my senses inwards. The familiar little sprout at the core of my dantian reached out to me, in my senses.
"Indeed. The fragile little sprout born between your soul. Born from the partial union of Order and Chaos."
"Partial?" I asked the Kirin.
The majestic creature glanced towards Gu Jie. Its mane flowed as it jumped up into the sky, landing at the boy.
"You would understand. What is lacking," the Kirin said, leaning in close to Gu Jie's face. Gu Jie turned his eyes away, not meeting them with mine.
"Hold on, I'm getting incredibly confused. Can you please explain why or how Twilight got here? Let's start from there," I said, patting Twilight sitting on my head.
The kirin glanced back towards me. "Twilight. Mu. The meeting point of day and night. An apt name," the Kiring said.
My eyes widened in surprise when I realized the Kirin wasn't saying a broken form of Twilight, but instead a translation of the word instead.
"You understand english?" I asked, baffled. Even the heavens hadn't caught on to english.
"We are not hindered by any language child. But we are aware of some that you lost souls bring to our realm. The old cycle was responsible for handling birth and rebirth. To take the souls from those buried in the earth, up towards the heavens, and then back into the mortal coil," the Kirin said, a green glow lighting up its antlers.
"We did not find your spirit. She found us on her own. All we did was guide her to the path that would bring her here. She is one of the few creatures which still presides in an older order. Capable of touching both death and life. Now death remains devoid of life, and life has little comfort in death."
The world rippled around me, as I saw a massive tree rising into the sky. Glowing a bright light, I saw Gu spreading around the roots of the tree, being pulled in by plants. In there, death would change, form life, and then be released upwards, into the skies.
"If the tree is gone, how is rebirth handled now? You called me a lost soul. Is the tree breaking why I'm here? Because it messed up with the rebirth cycle or whatever?"
"The cycle is broken. And so the dead stir, rising from their graves if left unattended. A ritual must be performed, to send the spirit towards the heavens. The journey is perilous, preyed upon by the shows of the void that lurk. Death runs rampant, Gu spreading unchecked through the earth, leading to abominable creatures. You call these demons. Creatures submerged in Gu, formed from feasting upon the dead."
The image of the wraiths filling the void that struck came out to me. The twisted malformed creatures screaming in eternal agony and pain. Were those… people? People who had lost their way?
"You would know, wouldn't you?" the Kirin asked, but not to me. I saw the creature standing in front of Gu Jie.
"The darkness had lurked within your spirit. Corrupted. Yet your soul was tied to your other half, which yet remained pure. So you remain struck, half wraith, half human. Unable to find release."
I saw Gu Jie's fists clenching, as he averted his eyes.
"The first step is acceptance, child. Accept the death that fills your spirit, make it a part of yourself," the Kirin breathed, moving closer.
"You saw the creatures that killed your parents. You saw the twisted nature of our world. The cycle remains broken. The children live in eternal dispute. You can mend that. You merely need to accept who you are."
"I… do not want to be this way," Gu Jie said, looking up. "I do not wish to be lost. I'm mired in death, and suffering. Just a touch of Gu breaks down my body. I cannot exist within myself for even a moment. I am anathema to life. How could I ever? I don't wish to be a demon," Gu Jie said, clenching his teeth as water pooled in his eyes.
"You are not a demon," the Kirin said, as it lowered its head and brushed it against Gu Jie's cheeks.
"Demons are not death. They are a defiance of the cycle. To become a demon, a product of the wraiths that plague death. The very same exists in life. The whispers of those who passed, they form the heavens. They speak of secrets in mortal ears. They fear the wraiths lurking in death, and they despise the Gu they inhabit. And so they lash back against the cycle."
I looked at the kirin, my eyes wide.
"The cycle of Gu and Qi. It is not merely one of Life and Death, but one of Order and Chaos. To cultivate both Heaven and Earth, one must step beyond the restrictions of the twelve steps."
The kirin glanced towards the both of us, before a ripple went through the space around me.
"Let us show you."
The world changed, as I saw the world from the skies. Vast sprawling lands, and soaring skies. Time passed by in a blur as I watched seasons pass beneath me.
People tilled farms, they moved with purpose, together as one. They reared animals, they fought spirits. It was fascinating, and slowly but surely, I began to notice something. These people… they never cultivated. Yet they were strong.
I watched a man lift a boulder, and throw it over trees. I watched another man, practicing the swings of his sword. Until one swing lashed out with intent and power, parting the earth in front of him.
"The Path is devoid of the concept of cultivation. There is no need to sit down and focus solely on gathering the energies of the world within oneself, when one is focused upon their Path. The Order of the Five circles was all that existed. Of the five stages of the Path towards the pinnacle of existence. It was only later, when the twelve realms would be separated, upon the breaking of the cycle."
The kirin said, as I watched the people move about in fascination.
"In the old era, everyone would walk a Path. There were no such things as an innate ability to cultivate. The lives of mortals all when honed would form a path that would bend the energies of the world to their whim. It is the cultivation of the heavens, which discards and picks people suited towards its path. By creation, the cultivation of the empire is meant to pick only those that fit into its mold, leaving all the rest behind as mortals."
"But the demons, they have no such qualms. The demons do not cultivate through realms, but live instead in awakenings. Five awakenings, of the five circles constituting one's soul. They progress by walking their Path of chaos."
"And today, we need you to awaken. To form the first circle of Gu missing in your soul, and become equals."
I glanced over toward Gu Jie, as he stood frozen, staring at the Kirin.
"I know," Gu Jie replied, glancing over at me. "I've known this for a long time."
I stared back, unsure of what to say. Here was my other half, the one to have lived in this world without any of my memories. He was arrogant, like any typical cultivator, and he'd made many mistakes that these people had. It made little sense normally for me to wish to merge back with a part of me that was this way.
"I don't think… we should run away from ourselves," I replied, looking up at Gu Jie. "We will never be completely separate. We are already inherently tied. I sense your thoughts, your emotions. So often, the difference between the two us blurs. But if we remain like this, then our Path will be incomplete, unable to progress any further. We will never be able to discover the other Laws of cultivation. I have so many ambitions, and there are so many things to see," I said, meeting Gu Jie's eyes.
"I want to grow. I want to see everything this world of magic has to offer, and find the secrets behind them," I extended my hand forward.
"I will ask you what I have asked every other friend I wish to bring along this path. I want to bring change in this world, spark revolution, spread knowledge, and generate a new way to think. A new way to understand. And since we're popping pills like maniacs anyway, we may as well form a Drug Empire. So… Would you like to help me with that?" I asked, extending my hands towards Gu Jie.
He looked down at my hand, before slowly extending his own. "We will never be the same again after this," he whispered. "I won't be me. You won't be you. There will only be one."
"I know," I whispered back.
Dark wisps rose from Gu Jie's body, swirling in a torrent of death around him. The energies of death flowed freely through his spirit changing him. His hair turned pitch black, eyes dark as an abyss, with a glowing white pupil in the middle.
Within our soul, I felt something forming.
A second black circle, behind my dantian. Linked to the first one formed by Qi. A circle of Gu.
"Now death lags behind no more. They exist in harmony. Order and Chaos, together in Unity."
I watched Gu Jie, feeling the Gu flowing through him. There was a strength in there that I hadn't felt before.
"Two souls, divided, yet joint. Two halves, representing Order and Chaos. In this cycle, the tree of unity. It awaits your union, child. It is time to be whole."
I looked towards Gu Jie, walking closer. My heart was thundering as he stepped closer towards me, and I felt my Qi flaring outwards to match his Gu.
"I guess… this is it then," Gu Jie spoke, looking up at me.
"Yeah. Even if… we won't be able to talk like this. You'll be there. A part of me. Just like how I'll be a part of you," I replied, feeling my voice starting to choke.
I had not felt anything so far. But now that I stood here, I could feel my nerves rising. My palms were sweaty, my throat clammy and my chest was tight as I struggled to keep my calm.
"I'm scared too," I told Gu Jie, looking up at him. "But… I really think that this is the best way forward."
The boy looked back at me, and silently returned a nod.
I extended my hand forward, as white circle formed beneath my feet.
"Life steps ahead."
Gu Jie extended his hand. A dark circle formed beneath him, merging with mine.
"And Death follows right after."
I pressed my palm against his, as Qi began to rage against Gu. A dark circle formed beneath my feet, in the area of light. And a similar circle formed beneath Gu Jie, but white instead.
"Yin and Yang. Order and Chaos. And now they unite. To be whole again."
The Yin and Yang beneath our feet began to revolve, mingling together like my Qi and Gu. Something began to flow out from me, as I held Gu Jie's hand tight. Our souls began to revolve around, like two stars orbiting each other.
"From Gu and Qi, a new form is born. One of unity. One of Peace."
The world vibrated around us, shuddering. It sang, a harmonious tune born of the collision of two opposing forces.
I felt our souls collide, as our two cores merged back into one.
"And so, Chi was formed."
Blinding light consumed me, as Gu and Qi combined. My senses were lost, as our souls merged into a singular.
The knot within our soul unraveled itself, the equilibrium of our two cores broken.
Two circles, of Qi and Gu, collided, forming something different. Something new.
I sensed the First Law change. The foundation of my soul, the first step of my cultivation. It shifted, to represent the duality more accurately.
I had been wrong before. We had been wrong before. The Law was born of incomplete understanding. It was imperfect.
But no more. Now we understood. As one whole, we opened our eyes, and uttered the words imprinted on our very being.
"The First Law of Cultivation: Duality of Chi"
The two circles in my souls fused into one. Of Gu and Qi combined, not in destruction but in harmony. The energy of both heaven and earth, and the very world itself. A circle of Chi.
A plant bloomed within my soul.
There were no tribulations from heaven this time, no breakthroughs. I merely stood upon the line between the realms and took a step across.
And so I was more.