Chapter 49 - 98- (2) 1

Chapter 98: Dragon and Phoenix

Liuxiang opened her eyes, finding a completely new myriad of senses present within them. Where before, she had to focus upon her sight to see through the life energy permeating each creature, now it was a part of her sight, naturally present at any moment like her sense for Qi.

Her gaze shifted towards her great-grandmother. A glowing beacon of life so bright, that Liuxiang had to lower her eyes for a moment.

"So you have succeeded," the woman said with a trailing hiss, a cold smile upon her face.

Liuxiang looked up at the woman, as the words her father had said played in her mind. The truth about her birth, and the reason behind her father's suffering.

"I have," Liuxiang replied with a bow. Her voice was lighter now, free of the touch of Yang and her body had begun adapting to its Yin alignment already.

It had been years since Liuxiang had taken upon a Yin form, and the womanly features she was expected to gain upon puberty had always been lacking with her. Yet with her recent transformation, she had already started to notice a change begin to appear.

Frustrating, but nothing she couldn't deal with later on. Her poison could stem her growth if she wished now. She had that much control.

"Ah, I'd missed your hair. I'd always been envious that I had not inherited my mother's hair," the serpentine woman said, walking closer as she brushed Liuxiang's hair.

Liuxiang's eyes drifted onto the white strands flowing past from her pins. The color she'd abandoned in her last shedding, to try and pull away from her past even further.

"There is much left for you to learn my child. And little time to do so. Come, we will be meeting with some of your cousins who possess some hints of our bloodline as well. They will form good vassals," the serpent said, grabbing Liuxiang by hand.

"Will… I not be going to the sect? There is a tournament going on," Liuxiang replied, trying to pull her hand back.

"There is no point to the facade anymore. You will train with me, before we shall head on to the capital," the woman said.

"Liuxiang…" Zhi Zhu trailed off.

"I am fine. This had been a long time coming. Merely unpleasant that it came in this manner," Liuxiang replied.

"Let us go now," the woman said, as Qi rippled around Liuxiang.

Liuxiang took one last look back. She would have to break her promise to Lu Jie, to help him with his ambitions.

"The boy will be fine. And so will be you. After gaining the training from a Divinity, you will be far more equipped to help him if you so wish," Zhi Zhu said.

Liuxiang nodded. Taking one last look, she turned forward. Taking a deep breath she nodded to her great-grandmother.

Light flared all around her, and with a blink they were gone.

***

A myriad of sensations assailed Labby. The Qi had flowed into her, pulsing at a steady rhythm as she felt the Blessing of the First moon course through her body.

There was a warmth encapsulating her, like the hold of a loving mother. It felt as if she were just being born anew.

Labby let the Qi flow in her Dantian as it grew. Her Qi was vast now, vaster than it had ever been. She could sink into her dantian, in the lunar lightning that filled her core. As a rat, her Qi had been meager all this time, but no more. She had broken past, learned the tempest from the dragon, and met the moon itself.

She was still weak, but she would not be helpless. She could fight alongside her master, and protect him.

Powerful crackle of lightning licked her body, rumbling with the promise of violence. Gently, Labby took in from all her senses as she opened her eyes.

A cavern chamber came into her sight, as she found herself lying on the ground, with her hands tied behind her back.

Hands? Labby tugged at her limbs, glancing downwards. She was higher from the ground, far far higher than she was used to. Her body was not the furry small thing she was used to, it was tall, and had very little to speak off. She was wearing unknown garbs of the moon, draped around her new body.

Labby tried to move and tumbled face first onto the ground with a faceplant. Her hands were tied behind her back with something, and even if she tried to use her lightning, the restraints were Qi infused and not budging.

"Ouch," Labby said out loud, and paused. She'd just spoken. Not from her Qi, or with any bond. She had spoken through her mouth.

Emotions began to well up in her chest, but she forced her attention back. How had she come here? She had been in the court of the moon before.

Her eyes glanced around, and she noticed the large gate, shut close tightly. It was the door she'd entered, which had taken her to the dragon. She was back at the entrance. But then who had tied her up?

"She is awake, brother," a voice sounded from nearby.

Labby looked ahead, and saw two children walk towards her. She recognised them as Yan Yun's cousins, the ones her Master had been trying to defeat.

The boys walked closer, and Labby inched a bit further away, glaring at them. How had they trapped her?

"What is a child like you doing here? You can't be more than eight," one of the boys spoke, looking at her in fascination.

"She's in the third realm, brother. At such a young age too. How come we've never heard of her," the other boy said, glancing sideways.

Labby tried to wriggle her hands from behind her back, as the boys continued to talk.

"It's pointless to try. The ropes have been soaked in Qi. Even we would struggle to break them," one of the kids said, glancing towards Labby.

"She had not been in the chamber with the participants. Do you think this is some sort of trap or trial?"

"I'm not sure brother. But it's best to keep her asleep for now. She has no spirit herb treasures regardless," the boy said, turning towards her. Lightning crackled between his hands as he moved closer.

"Don't resist, and it won't hurt for long," the boy said, moving towards her with an apathetic expression.

Labby pushed her legs back. If she had her claws, she could've cut through the ropes. She was unfamiliar with this form, her feet were too long, she had no tail, her body moved completely differently to before.

Thought paused Labby. Claws. She did have claws.

She kicked the ground, raising her back up against the wall. Pouring Qi towards her feet, Labby jumped through the air, twisting. She flooded lunar Qi towards her hands.

Silver Crescent Arcs.

Claws of silvery moonlight formed upon her fingers as she cut through the rope tying her wrist.

Flailing her hands around, she fell down, and broke into a roll somehow managing to stand up, and raise her fist. The method to move her body filled her mind, the blessing of the moon imparting the knowledge upon her. Labby followed its whispers, taking a stance.

"Labby is gonna beat you up!" she shouted, as lightning crackled between her fists.

The twins glanced towards each other, before laughter burst forth from their stomachs.

"Brother, let me take care of her," the second twin said, patting his brother on the shoulder. "Let us trade some pointers, Junior sister," the boy said, raising his own fists. Golden lightning arced between them.

Labby closed her eyes, sinking deep inside her mind. The moons had left instructions for her. How to move her fists, her feet, her body. How to channel her Qi through this new form that she had gained.

She let the Qi guide her hands and body, honing her senses before she opened her eyes once more.

There were no words exchanged, as the boy kicked off, his feet crackling with lightning. Labby raised her fist, letting her arm deflect the incoming strike, as she pivoted. Turning around, she let the flow of her body guide her into a spinning kick.

Qi gathered at her feet, scythe like claws of silver growing as she swung.

The boy raised his arm, bolstering it with Qi as he blocked her kick. Her claws remained an inch from his face, as he grinned.

With a sudden fall, the boy swept his leg outwards, kicking her legs from underneath her.

Labby yelped, her concentration broken for a moment. She pulled her arms inwards, blocking a lightning coated punch that took her in the chest.

The ground collided with her back, lightning Qi coursing through her. Another strike followed, and she rolled to the side, as the ground splintered where she had been.

The tang of blood filled her mouth. Quickly pulling herself to her feet, Labby flooded her feet with Qi. A push had her shoot towards the boy, her hand pushing off the ground. She gathered a bolt of lightning upon her fists, letting her Qi collected in one small section.

With a pulse of Qi, she swung.

Purple lightning arced forward, crackling with booming thunder as it shot towards.

Golden lightning swirled, striking her bolt of purple lightning, as the two burst apart in a rain of sparks.

"So much skill at such a young age, plus a strange kind of lightning. I'm Yan Li, who're you?"

Labby kept her fists raised, looking at the boy. She breathed hard, trying to keep herself from falling apart at the disjointed sensation of her new body.

"Labby," she replied to the boy, trying to gather her breath.

"La Bi, a strange name. So be it La Bi. You are a worthy opponent. Let us show you what the lighting of a phoenix looks like," Li said. Qi swirled around his fists, as they moved in a mesmerizing arc.

Sparks crackled, and the air turned static as pure lightning Qi began to gather at the boy's fist. In a steady rhythm, his fists moved through the air, plucking bolts of lightning that swirling around him.

One by one they gathered, a spear formed of pure energy crackling madly between his fists.

"Thunder Phoenix's breath."

Lightning pulsed out with a blinding flash. Labby moved on instinct. Lunar Qi flooded her pathways. She guided her lightning, gathering the Lunar lighting around her fist. Stomping her feet into the ground, she shot her purple bolt into the blazing shot

Lightning struck lightning, a blinding flash resounding through the cavern. Yet it wasn't enough, as the golden bolt tore through her purple lightning, heading towards her.

Moving her hand forward, a pulse of lightning struck her finger. She let the lightning enter her body, and let it course through her. Lunar lightning stirred in her core, as she guided the lightning down, into her chest, and then below, down to her feet and out into the earth.

Smoke rose from her body, her newly formed gray hair smoldering as burnt skin and blood singed her.

"H-how? The strike didn't work… what did you do?" Li blurted out.

Labby coughed, stumbling as her vision began to spin. She clenched her teeth, fighting against the disorientation. "Labby's master taught her," Labby said, her eyes meeting Li's as purple lighting sparked in them. "Lightning seeks the earth. It seeks balance. So she gave it balance."

"That… makes no sense," Li said, an expression of fear flashing briefly on his face.

"Now it is Labby's turn," Labby said, looking towards Li. She raised her fists, as lunar lighting flowed through them. Her body burned with pain from the recently passed lightning through it, but she pushed through.

The wind stirred around her, lightning crackling, as bolts of thunder began to crackle down from upon the sky.

"The wrath of dragons, the rage of storms. Labby has learned to capture it," she spoke, her feet briefly parting with the ground. Golden lightning shot at her, and crashed into the air around her, before breaking apart.

Her Qi pulsed, following the rhythm of a soaring dragon, as she called upon the Qi of the world. There was electricity in each corner. In each section of the world. All she had to do was form an imbalance.

Qi poured out from Labby's body, as the air crackled, vibrating. Heat rose around her in a cloud, as the wind howled with increasing intensity.

Labby pushed even further, letting the air crackle with fury. She fueled the rage of the dragons, the sight she had watched as she rose into the very heavens, to chase after the moon. The world rippled, a blinding light rising, as a bolt of pure energy manifested.

With her soft hands, Labby reached out, cradling the lightning within her palm.

And then, with a silent look of rage, she let it loose.

"Dragon's Tempest."

Purple lightning crackled, tearing through the air as it shot forward. Wind howled with fury, as bolts of lightning struck towards Li, one after the other.

The boy screamed, golden lightning flashing striking back. But the barrage didn't last long. A powerful bolt of purple struck true, drawing a scream from Li as he stumbled back.

"Brother!" Lei screamed, before turning towards Labby with vibrating fury.

A powerful bolt of gold rose from Lei, his fist lashing out towards Labby's back.

Labby turned, raising her hands as the bolt struck true. She tried to channel the lighting, but her feet were parted from the ground.

The lightning tore through her body, rushing into her dantian. Something cracked, Qi pouring outwards in a wave. Labby crashed on the ground, losing all sensation in her limbs.

Lei rushed towards his injured brother, who stood bleeding, yet conscious. "I'm okay," Li spat, coughing out blood, yet if he said anything more, then Labby couldn't hear the words.

The world spun around for Labby, an agonizing throb rising from her dantian. Her Qi rapidly poured out of her body, her dantian starting to crack. Agony tore through Labby's spirit as she watched the two twins walk towards her with a dimming gaze.

Labby closed her eyes, shame filling her chest. She had lost. Even after gaining the form of her desire, the strength she'd chased so desperately. She lost nonetheless.

She felt lightning Qi gathering near her as the twins moved closer, and she knew what was to come.

"Master…" Labby cried out, tears flowing down her cheeks as the world began to dim.

Chapter 99: A New Era

A dissonance had plagued me throughout my life. There had been something missing in my interactions and memories. A strange wrongness that had permeated me through every waking moment. My path had been incomplete, fractured.

Memories flashed through my mind, a joint fractured mess being stitched together. Anger, frustration, fear, hate, love, passion. I watched my life flash in front of my eyes, memories being tied together into a singular whole.

They were broken. Two sights, two eyes. Two people. Split between two minds that existed in one body. But not anymore. Now I was complete in a way that I failed to describe. I had been suffocating my entire life, crushed under the tangle of my own soul. And finally, I was allowed to breathe for the first time in decades.

Chi flowed from the world around me. It flowed into the little tree within my dantian, sucked into a blinding tree, as little leaves sprouted. They lit up with a green shimmer, energy distilled to its purest form. Two rings of Chi floated around the tree. One was solid.

Words of gold were marked upon it, shining brightly. The First Law: Duality of Chi.

I had solidified the first step in my path.

I opened my eyes, and took a deep breath in. Everything felt different. I was brimming with more energy than I had ever felt within myself. Each smell was distinct, each color more vivid. All my sensations felt enhanced, as unrestrained energy seeped through my body. Yet the whispers of neither Qi nor Gu reached upon my ears as they did on previous breakthroughs.

"Chii! Complete!" Twilight chimed, jumped atop my head. I smiled, grabbing my little vampire girl, and carefully putting her on my shoulder.

"The cycle mends itself. The first step has been taken," Ki said, stepping closer. The Kirin's antlers lit up with a green glow, basking upon my skin.

"How do you feel, child?"

I looked down upon my hands, clenching them, as if I had just gained them anew. "Ashamed to have treated you without due respect," I said, bringing my hands together as I bowed respectfully. "And better than I've ever felt," I raised my head, grinning.

"That is to be expected, child. You had been living with a soul fractured in two. Your self was fractured upon itself, and tangled into a knot. But your suffering has not been without reward. The Chi flows through you, more pure than it would've been had you not gone through life in two halves."

I nodded at Ki's words. My dantian now housed a singular core, larger than I could've fathomed. I called upon the Chi lightning, a flame upon my fingertips. The flames burned bright gold, surging and flickering.

With a silent tug of my will, the flame expanded, a floating ball of fire over my hand. I grabbed half the flame with my other hand and let the chi split. Qi formed on my right arm, and Gu upon my left. The flames shifted, one turning red, the other a violet-black.

My heart began to thunder Yet, this was far from the extent of my newfound abilities. I had used a drop, a mere single drop from the vast lake that stirred in my soul.

"You will have time to learn about your Path child. But for now, we have tasks to finish," Ki said. Hooves clicked, as the Kirin stepped into the air. I followed behind, heading towards the giant tree ahead of me.

"Press your hand against the tree. You will know what you need to do."

Taking an uncertain glance towards the flying Kirin, I stepped ahead. Chi pulsed between my feet, as each step covered large spans of distances. An evolution of my Wind step that manifested on its own.

The tree slowly rose in front of me. Its stump was vast, and all expansive. Even when broken, the tree was larger than any structure I had ever seen, in either this world or the previous one.

Stepped closer, I marveled at the energy flowing through the tree. Pure Chi coursed within the bark, moving through little streams that were rising up above. It was alive, even in this broken and hollow state.

Gently, I pressed my palm against its bark. Essence permeated my body, entering through my body. The essence flowed into the sapling within my core, nourishing it. A vision rose in front of my eyes, of my little sapling, growing, slowly but surely, into the gigantic tree that was in front of me.

Somewhere, deep in my soul. I could understand. This too was a cycle.

The tree would die, the cycle would break, before a new one would arise from its dead branches. A new order, shaped by the people of a new era.

My senses mingled with the tree, and for a moment, my spirit drifted, as the world around me came into view.

The sun and the moon went around in an eternal cycle, as I watched decades fly past in a moment. My roots were spread throughout the continent, my branches extending into the sky, and touching upon the realm of spirits. Life began from my branches, and Death ended within my roots. All life, and all dead, they joined within my cycle.

But all cycles must come to an end. And so the tree fell, dying, withering, as its era came upon an end. The world splintered. Life and death, now separate.

Immortals rose, a defiance of the order. Death was cut off from its rightful place, so now it festered. Preying upon the weak. Qi and Gu were thus formed.

Where life exists without death, and death without life. And so, rose a new empire. An empire of immortals. And of the immortal heavens. A defiance of the cycle of nature, and the corruption of life.

I watched in silence, as my branches continued to wither, and my roots began to die. In silence, I waited. For a new seed to arrive.

A snap pushed me out. I opened my eyes, breathing heavily, as my spirit parted from the tree. Sweat dripped from my forehead, and my body shivered as if I had run a marathon.

A brief image remained in my mind even upon the separation. Upon my death, the tree within my soul would blossom. Marking the end of an era, and the rise of another.

"Now you see, my child. The tree, it is our husk. We remain as its spirit, tied to an old era that had ended. Awaiting a new one to arise."

My lips parted briefly, as I breathed out. Something remained stuck in my throat. I gulped.

"Why me?" I asked.

"We do not know. Fate. Or perhaps a simple chance. But it is only you, who heard our voice. It is only you who saw the divide within the cycle, and accepted both halves within your soul. Perhaps the split of your soul too, was preordained. Meant to form two cycles, that could them recombine. To form what you are today," Ki said, stepping down from the sky. Her golden emerald eyes glimmered as they met mine.

I felt my lips tremble. "How are you so calm? This… if I do this, then you will die."

The Kirin met my eyes in silence, before it let out of a snort. "We do not fear death. And neither will we be gone completely. We will merely change form, be reborn anew in the plant you house within your soul. And within her," the Kirin said, glancing down towards Twilight.

"Chii?" Twilight tilted her head in confusion.

"Twilight?" I asked, surprised.

"You have much to learn, Lu Jie. She is the most suitable spirit to harbor us. She hears the whisper of the living, and of the dead. She exists upon the line of union, the twilight of this world of divide. And she carries the essence of your soul. Our blessing will suit her best."

I glanced down at the little plant girl on my shoulder, before looking back up towards Ki. The Kirin's eyes reflected my face.

I watched a golden circle spinning inside my pupil, a second silver one right outside it.

"Your path will guide this world forward Lu Jie. Or you will fail, and we will wait once more. For another seed to arrive. We do not know."

"Totally not a lot of pressure for a random 20 year old guy," I smiled.

Ki returned a sensation of amusement as well. "We trust you, child. Your path is fascinating. And haven't you been stifled enough? Now is a new beginning, for both you and this world. Walk your path in freedom, and bring this world to a height it has never seen before. For you walk the path of knowledge, and of learning."

The rings within my soul stirred at the Kirin's words.

"Now go. Think not of this as the end, but the beginning. We will watch over you, from within your soul. And we will await the day, for our rebirth in a new era of knowledge and understanding." The Kirin nudged me ahead, as I stumbled towards the tree.

Taking a breath, I pressed my palm against the tree once more.

A vast cycle spread out to my senses once more. It spread, throughout the lands of the Azure Jade, through the depths of the demons below the earth, into the Heavens, and the spirits beyond it.

I watched the cycle of the world. And made it mine.

I sensed my roots spreading through the earth, pulling upon death, and my branches calling upon the Qi. It was impossibly vast. The energy of an entire world stirred around my senses, my roots were infinite, and my branches spanned the sky. I let the feelings wash over me, settling down into peace.

This was my cycle. And I would not be consumed by it.

With a tug of my will, I called upon the energies of the world. Gu flowed from deep within the earth, a tide of earth. It flowed into my body, and in my core. Qi stirred from the sky, it moved through the air, sinking down from the heavens, before it too settled inside me.

I let it all flow into me, into the seed that resided within me.

The tree in front of me withered, its branches cracking. Its roots shriveled up, its bark began to peel. And so it crumbled, as the forces of the world permeated through it, and flowed inside of me.

I let the cycle of the world settle within my core. Gu and Qi, turning to Chi, as they unified within my order, and within the First Law I had defined.

A spirit anchor formed.

A loud crashing noise came, as the tree in front of me crumbled, turning to dust. A swirling storm of energies now collided within my core, but they remained unified, each flowing within the plant inside my core that consumed it all. Nourishing itself.

A voice crawled upon my ears. A fading whisper. "We will watch you child. Watch the era your path will bring."

I felt Ki's spirit dissolve, swirling within my soul. A strand flowed from me, and into twilight. And I knew the Kirin was gone.

I opened my eyes, and found tears pooled inside of them. Grief filled my heart for a moment, as I wiped my eyes, letting the emotion pass.

A crumpled pile of dust stood in front of me, where once a massive tree had remained. Silently, I bowed my head in respect.

"Thank you. I will not disappoint."

My gaze turned towards Twilight, and I noticed the spirit had changed. A little green diamond mark was glowing on her forehead now.

I picked up the little flower spirit, and set her on my head. Silently, I watched the darkness stir. A door made of light opened up in front of me, showing the way out.

With a silent look back to where the tree had once stood, I turned to face the light, and stepped outside.

Chapter 100: Retribution

Li coughed blood, feeling the strange lightning coursing through his limbs. He licked his lips, wiping the blood coating them. A throb of pain went through his chest, and he tore his burnt clothes. A black burnt patch let out smoke, blood, skin and flesh melting into a smoldering patch.

Channeling his Qi, Li stumbled ahead. Towards where his brother stood over the girl's unconscious form.

"Brother, stay back. You're injured," Lei said, lightning crackling between his fists as he watched the girl squirming in pain on the ground. Lei gathered golden bolts within his fists, raising them high above.

"No. Let me," Li barked, limping closer.

Blood dripped down his chest, coating his chest. A pang of pain spread through his chest upon each step. Some of his ribs had broken from the strike, and he felt out of breath.

"It's… refreshing," Li panted, walking to the girl's body. As she remained clutching her gut. Tears flowing freely from her eyes. "I haven't felt this much pain since grandfather's training."

"Are you sure brother? You look… distressed," Lei said.

A grin rose upon Li's face. "Distressed? Brother, we have met a child more talented than us. How can I be distressed?"

He stood next to Labby, watching the girl gasping as agony began to render her immobile. Qi flowed outside her body now, as her dantian failed to keep it all contained in. Li bent down on his knees.

Reached out, he grabbed her chin, lifting her face up. "A pretty face. Unnaturally so. As if crafted to be human. And that symbol of the moon. You're a spirit aren't you?" Li asked.

Labby pulled her eyes open, tears flowing out from them. Li pushed down upon his impulse to twist her neck, containing his anger. He would teach her a lesson. But first, he needed to know.

"Who are you? And how did you learn such strange arts?" Li asked.

The girl grunted, clenching her teeth. But he knew she could speak. The pain would not be enough to render her incapable of talking just yet.

"A spirit. So your master must be inside," Li said, leaning in closer. "Do you know what he'll look like, if I cripple you completely in front of his eyes?"

The girl shifted, yet she did not talk. Li continued undeterred. "Oh the despair. Or perhaps he wouldn't care. Spirits are a dime a dozen afterall. He will merely get a different one."

A pulse of purple lighting crackled around the girl, and for a moment, Li feared she had gained her strength back. Yet the bolt fizzled out before it could even reach her, as the girl let out a painful sob.

"It is pointless. The more Qi you use, the faster your dantian will collapse," Li growled. He lifted the girl's face, as she opened her eyes. Anger swirled inside them, mixing with purple lightning.

Li sent a bolt of lightning through her arm, as she cried out in pain, collapsing once more. "Do not look at me like that. You are not worthy," he spat, clutching her hair.

"If you want to live. Tell your master to give every treasure he has to us. Do that, and I will spare your measly life," Li said.

Tears flushed down the girl's eyes as she glared. Something grasped upon his feet, and he saw the girl's arm grabbing his ankle.

Another arm moved towards Li's chest, towards where he had been struck, as a bolt of lightning pulsed in. The girl screamed, her dantian shattering in pieces as the bolt of lightning coursed through Li, pushing him back.

Agony tore through Li's limbs as his body lost control for a moment. "Stop!" he screamed at his brother nearby. With a force of will, he clawed upon the earth, pulling himself up.

"We will keep her alive till her master arrives," Li spat, limping closer. Lei walked closer, grabbing his brother's shoulder, but he knew not to do more.

"Brother, do you plan to… spare them?" Lei asked.

"No," Li said, walking towards the girl. Slowly bending down, he heard the girl sobbing, and he grasped her hair. "All of this? This only ensures that I will do everything I can to make both you and your master suffer as much as I can," Li growled, letting her fall.

He watched her writhe in silent sobs, before soon they settled down, as the girl lost consciousness.

Scourging through his pouch, Li bit down a pill. Qi flowed through his body, healing his burnt pathways and skin. It would be far from enough, but for now it would have to do.

"We need to prepare, Brother. For when someone comes out—"

A tremor broke off Lei. Li turned behind, and watched the gates shudder open. A blinding light poked out, as a tall figure stepped out.

Li raised his fists, gathering his Qi. Lightning crackled between his fists, as he prepared his arts ready to strike out.

"What… did you do?" a voice echoed in the silence.

Li stared at the boy, staring blankly upon them. Turning towards his brother he nodded, ready to jump upon the boy. Yet something inside his gut held him back. A shiver went down Li's spine, as the boy walked forward, and his gut sank.

To train in the Yan family, the two brothers had honed their instincts. Throughout their life, Li had trusted his instincts to assess the threat of any fight, and his own strength. It was an instinct that had allowed him victory many many times in his life.

And right now, his gut was screaming at him to run.

***

There was a state beyond anger. A state that I had not entered many times in my life. It was a calm place, a silent place. Like you were staring in the deep void of your soul, ready to inflict it upon the world.

I was in that place. No, I was beyond that place.

My eyes remained rooted to the prone form upon the ground. A voice had crawled upon me. A cry from Labby, mixed with the most heart rending fear and pain I had ever sensed from her.

My lips trembled as I watched her. She was not the tiny little rat I knew. Instead, a small child of about eight, with gray hair covering her face. Yet, I felt no Qi from Labby. Our bond led into an empty void. A void I was intimately familiar with.

I stumbled forward, my mind unable to think of any other thought. I felt Qi gathering nearby, lightning lashing out towards my back. I let it, soaking in the strike. I felt no pain. I felt no agony.

All I felt was the creeping edges of despair.

I stumbled towards Labby, falling to my knee. The strikes of lightning lashing out on my body were a faded thought as I wrapped my hands around her small form.

A storm of Chi swirled around me, shielding her from any stray strikes, as I cupped her body, pushing her gray hair aside. The crescent moon was marked upon her head, followed by a full moon right above. Yet unlike before, it held no light, held no Qi within it.

With a groan, Labby stirred, opening her eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on my face, and my heart shattered.

"Master…" Labby whispered. "Labby is… so sorry…"

I felt my throat clam up.

"She failed master… she failed to make you proud."

"Shh," I spoke, pressing my finger against her lips. "You are beautiful Labby. The most beautiful spirit, and the most loyal junior sister I have ever had."

Fighting against my choking voice I spoke. "I am proud of you Labby."

I watched a light smile reach upon her face, as she closed her eyes once more.

Gently, I reached my hands upon her dantian and extended my senses. The tree within my soul expanded, a root reaching within Labby from our bond. I let the root reach within her dantian, as a spirit anchor manifested within.

Chi flowed from my hand, towards the cracked pieces of her dantian. Like strings I pulled them along, bringing them back together. The tree spread its roots, binding to the broken ring, as I tied the pieces together.

Digging in my pouch I grabbed a Qi gathering pill, that I soak in my vitality before dropping into Labby's mouth. She pursed her lips, stirring. I sensed my vitality flowing through her body, and healing her wounds, as her dantian began to fix itself.

I gently put Labby back on the ground.

"Senior sister… okay?" Twilight asked, as she jumped down next to Labby.

"She will be okay," I whispered. "Stay with her."

I stood up and turned to face the Twins. The two boys stood with their arms extended, Qi swirling in their cores and lightning crackling between their fists.

Something snapped inside of me.

"I was fine when your spar had nearly crippled me," I stepped forward, as Chi boiled in my core, hissing and frothing.

"I was fine with the arrogance you had displayed." Flames burst from my hand, dark violet and bright red, licking my skin with a promise of agony.

"I was fine with the suffering you had inflicted upon others with no thought," the wind swirled around me in a frenzy. Howling with fury.

"I was fine with forgiving you after all of that," I reached upon the First Law carved within my soul. A golden ring flashed in my eyes.

"But... hurting Labby?" I kicked off, my feet leaving the ground as my fist slammed into the left twin's gut.

The cavern shuddered around me, crumbling from the shockwave as the boy was slammed into the wall. A crack echoed through the cavern, as his dantian shattered into pieces.

"How dare you?"

Chapter 101: The Hunt Ends

A resounding crack echoed through the cavern. The ground cracked underneath, a blinding ray of light flashing through the darkness.

Li stumbled from the impact, his body frozen stiff as he heard the crack. Felt the outpour of Qi from his brother's dantian as it shattered into pieces.

A single strike.

All it had taken was a single strike, to destroy years of training, and cultivation. To shatter everything they had been working towards. His eyes remained pinned upon his brother's form, as the boy slid down the cracked walls, and slumped down to the floor.

Li turned slowly to face the boy. Watched the flames swirling in a dancing inferno of death.Two golden rings swirled inside the boy's pitch black eyes, the fury inside scraping raw terror from Li's soul.

"Demon," Li hissed, unable to hold himself back. There was no Gu that he could sense, yet the sheer terror inflicting upon him the boy's gaze had no other description that he could give.

The boy stepped forward, wisps of white and gold swirling around his fists. Li reached within his chest, to the terror that stemmed within his heart and drowned it in rage. The lightning Qi in his core raged. It wished to lash out, to incinerate everything within its path, and today, Li would let it. There were no words exchanged. With a pulse of thunder Qi, Li kicked off.

"I am going to kill you!" the boy roared, lightning coating his fists as he moved. His fist shot towards the boy's gut, lightning covering them as he moved within an eye blink. In a motion almost too fast for him to see, the boy turned to the side. A fist descended on Li's skull.

The blow sent him flying into the wall, the walls collapsing around him. Li pushed through the pile of rocks, trying to free himself. But before he could escape, the boy took another step, arriving right in front of him.

A hand reached out, grabbing him by the throat as Li was raised up into the air. He grabbed upon the hand, clawing to free himself. His legs dangled, thrashing as his eyes stared into the swirling black pools inside the boy's eyes, and the ring of gold contained within them.

With a silent turn, Li felt himself being pulled back, before he was tossed like a child. He screamed, Qi flooding his feet, as his arms pulled up, ready to take on the impact. The ground met his face soon, as Li tumbled, crashing into a tree outside the cavern.

Groaning in pain, he coughed out blood, quickly pulling himself to his feet. Quickly, he dug into the pouch, taking out a pill that he bit between his teeth.

The trees rustled around Li, as a figure walked through them. The boy was silent, eerily silent as he walked forward.

Li pulled to his feet. His arms shook, trembling without control. Pain wracked his body, the world spinning in his vision.

"You will regret this," Li snarled back, spitting out a broken tooth. "Hurt me all you want. Elder Yan is going to kill you for crippling Lei. He will lash you till you die crying like a pig for slaughter in front of the whole sect, before he kills that spirit of yours and your entire family."

The boy stood in silence, staring upon him. A moment later, an almost distant voice echoed from his mouth. "Is that all?"

"What?" Li muttered, taken aback at the remark.

In a blink the boy moved, a hand slamming his chest as he was knocked into a tree. "Is that all?" the boy growled, his voice rippling with a crack.

Li gasped for air, as tears filled his eyes. He gagged as the boy's intense gaze held him place.

"Because, I am going to do so much more."

Wisps of white and black flames gathered around the boy's hand, and Li screamed. A blast had him shooting through the tree set behind his back, flying through the forest.

"Stand, Junior Brother," a voice echoed through the forest. Li groaned, turning over as he looked forward. "Stand and fight me. It has been months since we last sparred. Let us trade pointers," the boy said, walking closer.

Li coughed, the hair pin on his head falling as a disarray of hair strands covered his vision. His eyes widened as a long forgotten memory returned upon him. A spar where he had fought a weakling, trying to practice his new technique to aim at the head.

"Y-you… how?" Li's eyes widened, as he pulled himself. "How did you grow so much?" His voice was shaking, fear now fully entrenched in his heart.

"All thanks to your pointer's junior brother. If it wasn't for you, I would have never woken up," the boy said, and Li almost sensed a kindness in the voice. Yet the boy's expression was still as empty as ever, his dark eyes burning with raw fury. A shudder ran down his back.

"Y-you will regret this," Li stammered, gathering his Qi. His body was aching, bones broken and insides bleeding. There was no way for him to win this match. All he could do was try to buy some time.

"Make me," the boy said.

Li stared blankly, with his fists raised.

"Make me regret my choices Li. Avenge your brother. Or do you not care for him either?"

A strand of fury passed from Li's chest as the image of his brother came upon him, but the fear for his own life won out.

"Strike me. Strike me with everything you have. I will not move. I swear this on my Path." the boy said, standing with his gaze fixed intently upon Li. A pulse traveled through the world at his words.

Li grinned. "You are a fool. I don't know how you have achieved such strength, but your arrogance will be your end. For daring to strike against me, and my brother. I will make sure you suffer this strike."

Lightning Qi pulsed in his core, glowing into his fists. Golden bolts crackled around his body, as Li pushed himself to the edge. His blood boiled, the fury of the phoenix building inside of him. He was less now, less without his brother, but he would not let that stop him.

Golden bolts flew around Li, in a swirling dance of fury, waiting to be released. His fists moved through the air, plucking each bolt out, gathering them in his palms.

Not enough.

He called for more, draining his dantian to the absolute limit. The bolts roared in a frenzy, as he moved faster and faster, gathering them all around his body. The bolt of gold pulsed within his hand, the air crackling with static, as a blinding light grew near Li's fists.

It was not enough. He needed more, a lot more.

Li's gaze drifted towards the sky. Storm clouds drifted upon them, rays of sun peeking through from a tempest that had passed. He raised his fists to the sky and called upon the heavens, sending a pulse of Qi up into the sky.

The air vibrated around him, as his bolt shot into the sky. Towards the heavens itself. The bolt of gold flashed, rising like a phoenix of gold, as it crashed into the clouds.

Li panted, standing, as his heart drummed within his chest. The world remained silent for a moment, edges of despair crawling upon his heart that he had failed.

Then the heavens rumbled.

Li barked a laugh, his joy spiking and mingling with seething anger. He would put this peasant into his place. The very heavens were on his side.

The skies turned and rumbled, golden bolts of lightning flashing among them. A tribulation brewed within the air, as the Heavens answered his call.

A brilliant bolt of light flashed down upon Li, the strength of the Heavens flooding his pathways. Bursting through them. He screamed in agony, and exhilaration, as the thunder filled his body.

The words of an art of the Heavens formed within his mouth.

"Heavenly Phoenix's Strike"

A roaring phoenix of lightning shot out forward, covering the world in heavenly lightning. The ground singed, turning bright red, as the heat caused the air to burn.

"The First Law," Li heard a voice whisper. "Duality of Chi."

The world rippled around him. Two orbs of black and white collided. The ground beneath him crackled, a blinding light covering his sight.

Pillars of ghastly flame rose from the ground, consuming his thunder phoenix completely. For a brief moment, Li's eyes met the golden rings staring at him, and as the pillars of flames swallowed him whole, he realized his folly.

He'd never even posed a threat.

***

Yan Yun felt her heart shuddering, as she watched flames rising into the sky. Ghastly flames of white and black that mingled together. It was terrifying, in a way that she could not fathom, and her heart raced watching the scene.

The scenes had come back into place, as the end of the tournament had approached, and her grandfather had spread his influence to see what was happening for himself. They had watched Li and Lei fight against a spirit. Watched Li lose to La Bi, before she was struck in the back. And the aftermath of it all, when Lu Jie had arrived outside.

She watched Lu Jie walk through a flaming forest, watched him strike Li, as if he were nothing. Just what had happened in there, to change him so much?

For a brief moment, she saw the black demonic eyes of Gu flash around him, and felt her heart shudder. Has he been taken over? Had she condemned Li and Lei to die at a demon's hands?

Her heart thundered, as her glance shifted around the arena. Most of the mortals, perhaps even the elders would miss it. They had never faced a demon, never truly felt the energy of death, but her grandfather would know. The black flames could not be mistaken to be anything else.

Just what would her grandfather do now? What would Lu Jie do?

She clenched her fists, watching in silence. Only time would tell.

***

I stood amidst an ashen forest when I finally came to. Flames ran rampant around me, the ground cracked and marred black.

The influence of the First Law retreated from me, the golden rings within my eyes fading. I sensed strength leaving my body as my dantian and pathways began to ache.

I stumbled for a moment, before continuing forward. I had been in a trance. A trance of fury and single purpose. A part of me was surprised that I hadn't killed both the twins right then and there, but another was also glad that I hadn't.

Despite how much I seethed with hate, despite all of that, I could not justify killing children.

Li twitched on the ground, as I walked towards him. He was still conscious after everything, which took me by surprise.

I stared at his burnt body, half of his head of hair completely gone from where the flames of Gu and Qi had struck him.

"Demon," the boy rasped, his eyes unfocused.

I kneeled nearby. Many words filled my chest, many things that I wanted to say. Yet nothing felt right. Nothing, after what I had done, would mean anything.

I set my hand to his cracked dantian, and I saw the boy's eyes widen for a brief moment.

"You will not speak of anything that has happened here," I said out loud, pressing my hand against his abdomen.

Li nodded silently.

Chi spread from my body, into his core, as a chain formed around his dantian. There was a crack within his core, as the flames of Gu and Qi had infiltrated his spirit and wreaked havoc, but he could still recover over months. Unlike his brother.

Silently, I walked closer and picked up any herbs from the boy's pouch that weren't completely destroyed. I only found a single one.

Any care for the boy was gone from my heart by that point as I stood up and turned. Quickly, I made my way back to the cavern, where I had left Labby. And to my surprise, I found Twilight sitting on her head, the little diamond on her forehead glowing.

My eyes drifted back to the girl, sitting on the ground with her abdomen clutched and a gaze of wonder labeled towards me.

"Master, Lab—"

I swept Labby in a hug, before she could say anything, wrapping my hands around her body.

"I'm sorry Labby," I whispered, grabbing her tightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Labby's arm gently pressed itself against my back, as she leaned into the hug. "It feels good Master," she whispered. "Labby can hug you now. It feels good."

I let Labby rest in my arms for a moment, as I took the opportunity to assess her core. Her dantian was fractured, but thankfully, unlike Zhang, neither had it been ripped out, nor had it completely broken apart.

I sensed strands of Chi binding together broken off pieces, with the roots of the tree within my soul healing the cracks slowly. I smiled, feeling relieved to know that she would be fine.

"Chii!" Twilight, exclaimed, feeling my relief. I laughed out loud, feeling happy to be surrounded by my spirits.

A strange sensation tugged at me. I stood up, surprised at what was happening when a blinding flash of light covered me.

Shouts and cheers slammed me from all directions, as I stumbled,finding myself standing in the center of an arena. A voice echoed around me, announcing the end.

"And the Hunt ends! We have our Winner, Lu Jie!"

Chapter 102: Trial

Whoops and shouts echoed all around me, forming a blanket of noise. The people cheered with a mad fervor, as names were chanted through the crowd. My gaze shifted through the crowd, before they finally settled onto Yan Yun.

I saw her watching me silently, a look of concern in her gaze. My heart sank as I realized what had happened.

They had seen the fight. Perhaps even the trial. I had no idea how much, but they had definitely seen something.

"What an incredible end to the hunt!" the voice echoed through the crowd, causing another wave of cheers to reach out from the crowd.

I felt a hand grab my sleeve, and I looked sideways, to find Labby looking around the area nervously. Quickly, I realized something.

They weren't just cheering for me, but for Labby as well. They were cheering for the both of us, chanting our names in a rising fervor of excitement.

"A battle of spirit and master. A display of indomitable strength! Who would've thought of such a thing from an unknown disciple of no renown!"

By now, I was starting to get annoyed by the loud screams. As much as the attention pleased me, there was too much anxiety in my heart about what was to come to enjoy it. My gaze went towards Elder Yan, seated atop his seat at the center. But instead of fury, I saw an impassive face look at me with cold, calculating eyes.

My gaze shifted once more, towards the Lord. A pulse of Qi silenced the whole crowd as he raised his hand. I bowed my head deeply in respect.

"A marvelous performance by our disciples," the Lord said, and I felt my tense shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. "But, to cripple a disciple is still not a forgivable offense, no matter the reason."

And there it was. I sucked in a deep breath and raised my head to meet the Lord's eyes.

"I was merely delivering justice upon cowards who had struck from behind," I said, my hand grasping Labby's shoulders.

"It is not your task to do so, disciple," Elder Yan said. "Or do you think yourself above the laws of our sect?" He asked, and though his voice was calm, I could sense the vibrating fury hidden underneath.

I grit my teeth, struggling not to spit back at the Elder. With a calm voice that I struggled to hold, I replied.

"Forgive me Elder, but I was merely trading pointers. I am but an outer disciple, who hadn't broken through even at my age. I hadn't anticipated the prodigious twins to be so weak, and went slightly overboard."

Some laughs echoed from the arena, quickly silenced by the gaze of the elder. I couldn't help but grin slightly at the remark. I was using the very same rules the Elders lived their lives by afterall. The fault was upon the twins for being so weak.

"It is the duty of a senior, to guide their juniors. Not to cripple and stem their potential forever," the Elder said, and I remained silent.

The eyes of the crowd shifted to the Lord, sitting and watching over me in silence. Moments passed, as I waited, before finally, the Lord spoke up once again.

"What is your name, child?"

I looked up in confusion, and realized that I wasn't the one being talked to. The Lord's gaze went past me, and to the smaller girl partially hiding behind my leg.

Labby looked up at me, unsure. I gently pat her head, nodding once.

"L-Labby!" she exclaimed.

"La Bi. The child who had been blessed by the honorable Dragon of the seventh peak," the Lord said, as everyone's gaze shifted past me, and on towards Labby.

"Tell us La Bi. Do you think your Master should be punished for his actions? For crippling a fellow disciple in a tournament meant to nurture and grow?" the Lord asked.

I stood silently, watching a light smirk rest upon Elder Yan's face. Not reacting in any way, I waited for Labby to answer.

"No," Labby said, her voice steady. "Labby thinks that Master did nothing wrong. Master was protecting Labby. They had promised to kill Labby, and her Master both, and the sect had said the hidden trial was outside the restrictions of the tournament. Labby thinks her master was merciful. He could've killed both of them."

I almost laughed out loud, when I saw Elder Yan's face twitch. Didn't expect an answer like that from a young spirit huh?

"The rules of the trial were meant as a warning from the spirits. The act of harming another disciple does not lessen in any way with it," Elder Yan responded.

"Labby was hurt too!" she exclaimed.

"A mere spirit is not the same as a disciple."

I clenched my fist, as I felt the Chi in my core start to boil. I looked up at the elder, before bringing my fists together.

"Forgive me Elder. But I cannot help but notice that you are not talking about the repeated threats from Li to kill me. I had previously almost been crippled by him in a spar as well, and had it not been for help from the sect Alchemist, I may have lost my cultivation as well," I said out loud, keeping my head bowed.

The man snorted. "Spars can result in minor injuries. If you have made such a quick recovery, then it should've been nothing serious."

I sensed another pulse of Qi coming from the Lord, silencing the arena once more.

"Lu Jie," the Lord said, and I raised my head. "Do you remember your debt?"

I met the Lord's gaze for a moment, before nodding my head.

"Very well. We have decided. You shall be expelled from the sect for the crime of crippling a fellow disciple, and will work under our name for the next year," the Lord's voice boomed through the crowd.

I heard multiple gasps come from the crowd, as my heart thundered. That was no punishment. It was a boon that many would fight to obtain. And for the Lord to do this so publicly… meant he was taking a stance against the sect, and showing that I was under his protection.

I bowed my head even further. "I accept my punishment, Lord Zhou."

"Then let us not tarry. The hunt has ended, and it is time for the tournament to progress to the other disciples waiting for their turn," the Lord commanded, as cheers took the crowd again.

An Elder appeared near me escorting me outside the chambers in a rush. The world rippled around me, as I was teleported in a dark chamber all of a sudden.

"This is the last favor I will be doing you Tian Feng," the Elder who had escorted me muttered, before teleporting away.

"Chirp!" I heard Sheldon's voice, as the turtle rushed up to me, bumping his head to my feet.

My gaze instead was fixated upon the man standing in front of me, a thin smile set upon his lips.

"We need to talk," Elder Tian Feng said.

"Yeah, we do."

***

Yan Yun walked through the halls of the inner sect. There had been a small intermission after the hunt, given the many unpredictable activities that had occurred. Her grandfather had called for her in that time period, and she found her gut twisting in anxiety.

She walked through the corridor, reaching the chamber she recognised to be her grandfather's. Lightning Qi swirled within in a raging storm.

"Yan Yun need not worry. Things should go fine."

Leiyu consoled her, and she returned a nod. Gathering herself, she slid the door open, and saw her grandfather standing with his hands put behind his back, lightning crackling around him in a furious display.

Black burnt marks from stray lightning strikes marred the ground, and she could see Li shivering nearby, half his face covered in bandages from the burnt mark. Lei was nowhere to be seen, likely still being treated having his dantian shattered.

"You have brought shame to our name," the man echoed, as Li kowtowed deeply, his head set upon the floor.

"He is a Demon," Li whimpered, and her grandfather scoffed.

"There is not a single mark of miasma on you. If he truly is a demon, then he at least possesses more cunning than both of you combined," her grandfather spat, fury boiling from his body.

"And if he truly is a demon, then I could not just bring it up in front of the entire city. What name would be left of our sect, if it was ever found out that we had been nurturing a demon?" Elder Yan said, his eyes set upon Li's shivering form. "No, no we must proceed with caution. Those flames of his were abnormal, demonic. Yet for some reason, not a single trace of either Gu or Qi remains from his Arts. Nothing but an empty void."

The Elder's gaze shifted then, settling upon Yan Yun.

"She knew," Li whimpered once more, raising his face. A gaze burning with hate settled upon Yan Yun from behind his bandaged and marred face. "She had this book in her chamber, with the same boy in it. Deviant tales written inside of them. She knew who he was all along."

Yan Yun felt her chest tighten at the words.

"Is this true, Yu'an?" her grandfather asked, his gaze set upon her. His eyes trembled for a moment, their fury dimming.

Yan Yun gulped, clenching her face as she met his gaze. "I did know of Lu Jie."

Elder Yan stared in her direction, his face turning passive. His glance shifted towards the twins for a brief moment, before returning to Yan Yun. "These pesky children are one thing but Yu'an… you? Did you never think to tell us of it? Do you understand what this means?" her Grandfather erupted, and Yan Yun flinched back.

"Leiyu knew as well. It is not merely Yan Yun," Leiyu spoke up, manifesting on her shoulders with a crackle.

"No, Leiyu had asked me to stop. I knew about Lu Jie. I'd asked him to beat these two as well. He wasn't going to participate in the tournament at all if it wasn't for me. I asked him to participate, I wanted him to beat Li and Lei, albeit not like this. It was all me," Yan Yun replied, stepping up, as lightning crackled around Elder Yan.

"Why?" the Elder asked, his voice quavering for a moment. "Why did you do this?" he asked once again, his fury rising.

"Why did you betray me?" he asked, as a golden bolt of lightning flashed from his hands, shooting towards her.

Yan Yun moved before she could think, her hands moved ahead. The bolt of lightning curved around her hands, moving through her fingers as she guided it, around on itself. The lighting flowed through her hands, before shooting back out, as it lashed at her grandfather.

A crackle of fury descended, as the Elder stumbled back, his gaze wide in shock.

She watched the fury in his gaze, watching his Qi rumbling as his gaze leveled itself upon her. All she could see in his gaze, was anger at the slight, anger at having lost face.

"You don't understand, do you?" Yan Yun asked, her voice choking upon itself. "What do you think these two represent?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"Heirs. That is what. You were looking for an heir for our clan, after you had sold my hand to the Lord's son like I was some mere trophy," Yan Yun spoke, lightning Qi boiling in her core.

"Did my struggle ever matter to you? Did all these years of work, all the things I did to appease you ever matter?" Yan Yun asked, a bolt of lightning crackling upon her fingers.

"I never could make any friends I wanted. Never got to live my life outside of your demands. All you ever saw in me was a tool, a piece to be traded. And even then, I kept on working, and working and working. Hoping that if I got strong enough, if I got far enough, maybe you would reconsider. Maybe… just maybe…I would make you proud."

Yan Yun's voice choked, as she felt something shift in her core. An answer that she had been struggling to find all this time revealed itself.

The step into the fifth realm broke from in front of her, as the answer to her path revealed itself. Lightning swirled around her in arcs of golden glimmer. Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked at her grandfather.

"I cultivate… to make you proud," she whispered, as her core shuddered. Yet she took no step forward. The realization stood like a heavy stone upon her heart, as her dantian shuddered under its weight.

If this was her path. If this was her reason to cultivate? Then she would rather never again.

Her dantian shuddered, the Qi within it fading out to the word as her path dissolved upon itself. She felt her strength leaving her body as her Path faded from her grasp.

Tears flowed down Yan Yun's cheeks, as she cried, unable to hold them back. She did not see her grandfather walk closer, she did not see the expression on his face, as he regarded her.

"If you really have picked that boy over us," the Elder said, his voice heavy. "Then you need not stay." The man silently walked past her and out of the chamber, soon followed by Li, as Yan Yun was left all by herself.

Yan Yun's knees gave out, as she crumpled where she stood. Her tears turned to pained sobs. Leiyu's arms wrapped around her body, as she crawled onto his chest, and let the grief of having lost her family take her away.

Chapter 103: Leaving Sect

To my surprise, the talk I had been waiting for so much had not happened so quickly. After a brief talk, I had been asked to wait before I could have a proper talk with the Lord. The week had flown by as the tournament progressed, and with the light chill of autumn marking the turn of the seasons, I was finally called to the Lord's estate.

The manor resided at the heart of the city, a vast and sprawling structure that sat right down the center, overlooking the entire city. I almost wondered if the manor alone was larger than the Cloudy Peaks sect. If it wasn't, then it was quite comparable in size.

I walked for a good few minutes, trailing behind the guards escorting me. Both at the third realm. And these were just the guards manning the door, I shuddered to think what the actual troops were like. Likely all seventh realm or higher.

We walked for a few minutes through gardens upon gardens, full of various kinds of herbs and plants. I spotted an entire waterfall in a distant pond further away from the path through some shrubs.

The building soon became visible, not particularly large, but well warded and spread out in a pleasing design. The guards parted ways with me, remaining outside, as I was taken a hold of by a servant, who also seemed to be a cultivator, albeit only at the first realm.

"Honorable guest, the Lord awaits your presence," the woman said with a bow, as she guided me through the corridors.

My gaze wandered around the premises taking in all the sights as I was led in. Soon, I stood outside the doors of a massive chamber, as the maid instructed me to stand by for a moment.

"Come in," a voice instructed.

I glanced at the maid, who quickly slid the door open for me, before I made my way in. Lord Zhou sat further, on a simplistic seat, a table in front of him with papers spread all over. I bowed my head deeply in respect.

"It is an honor to work in your service, Lord Zhou," I replied smoothly. Just a bit over a week ago, I would've been incapable of any proper courtesy.

"Raise your head, no need to be so stiff," the Lord said, and I raised my head to meet the Lord's eyes.

Lord Zhou continued to glance over his papers, frowning. His eyes glanced at me a moment later, as he assessed me in silence.

"Here, have a look," the Lord said, handing the parchment to me. I glanced at the papers, grimacing visibly when I saw that they were accounting for taxes. But the math itself was fairly simple.

"Does… the Lord ask me to solve this?" I asked, looking up in confusion.

"Can you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded.

"Very well, in that case. Show us," he said. I picked up the quill nested within the parchment sheet, noticing that it continued to run ink without any need to dip it in a pot. Spending a few minutes, I added the math for the numbers, crossed checking them by converting the characters into English numbers. Silently, I handed the paper back.

The Lord took the sheet, glancing over it. A moment later, he looked up at me, and nodded. "We know what your task will be here, Lu Jie."

"Math teacher?" I asked, being unable to hold myself back.

The Lord laughed in reply. "That and more. We are aware of the Lost Souls, and their penchant for these kinds of tasks. More in recent years than before. I'd like for you to tutor my sons."

I stared at the lord for a moment, before returning a nod. I definitely did not mind. Before I could ask any questions though, the Lord continued.

"We will provide a chamber and everything you need, if you wish to stay at our manor, but if not, then we will provide for arrangements elsewhere too. You will be expected to arrive here every weekend, to teach our sons. And afterwards, you will be learning from instructors on some key martial arts, and will continue your study of Alchemy. From a master you are likely already familiar with."

I stared at the lord silently, unsure of what to say. He had gotten the old man to agree to teach me? Even after I left the sect?

"That sounds… like a lot to provide as a punishment," I finally managed, staring at the Lord in bewilderment.

The Lord smirked. "We shall see if you say that once your training has begun. You walk a mysterious path, Lu Jie. One that needs to be nurtured and explored carefully. We have plans, and from the message that had arrived from the Shie clan, not much time to act upon them."

My ears perked up on hearing the name. I had not seen Liuxiang even once since going to the trial. The Lord, apparently having already known something, extended a letter that appeared in his hands out of nowhere.

"Your friend had sent a message. But the sect has refused to accept things in your name, so we decided to keep it instead. Here," the Lord said, extending the letter forward.

I walked ahead, grabbing it, and after an indication from the Lord that it was fine to read it, I broke the seal open.

"I'm sorry for vanishing without the word Lu Jie. The trial had taken me to my great-great-grandmother. She'd just reached the eleventh realm, reaching the status of Divinity and a feast will be held in the Jade court in her name. She pushed me to get through a breakthrough, and progress my cultivation faster than I'd planned, so that I could be named heir.

I can't explain too much, but your secrets are safe with me. I'll take a while before I can help you with our promise. But I'll be there. Don't worry about me, and take care. If luck has it, we'll even get to meet before long.

— Shie Liuxiang"

I dropped the letter when it began to corrode all of a sudden, vanishing into smoke before it even hit the ground. In surprise I looked up, trying to process all the information.

"You have interesting friends," the lord said.

I looked at him silently, before giving a light nod.

"Is there anything you would like then? About where you wish to live, and what you plan to do from now on?"

I gave the question some thought. "I'd like to stay in Taizhou," I replied, looking at the Lord. The man nodded to me.

"Very well. And before we forget, here. The reward for your efforts," Lord Zhous said, putting his hand to the side. I watched in surprise as a spirit sat in his palm, a flower of silver sat in his hands, looking at me with beady eyes.

"Sii?" the little plant said, stumbling over towards me.

Even though Twilight wasn't with me, I could somehow still hear her shouting in delight. Gently, I picked up the silver spirit lilly. The spirit sniffed my hands, before it began to chime happily and rub itself against my palm.

I smiled, putting it on my shoulder.

"Make your preparations, Lu Jie. You have till tomorrow morning to leave the sect premises and reach your new home," the Lord said, and I bowed my head in respect.

"I hope you are ready for things to be different, Lu Jie. The actions, and to some extent, your very existence will be bringing change to this world. You have been given a seed. A seed for a new era. It is our duty to help you nurture it."

I glanced back at the Lord, bowing once, before I stepped out, my heart racing in a mixture of nervous excitement.

Things were changing, and only time would tell if for better or for worse.

***

"Why the hell do ya have so much junk?" Su Lin asked me, making a disgusted face as he carried out another pot filled with spirit herbs.

Su Lin and his brother Cao Chen had both arrived at the sect to help me move out. Without even a letter or any other method of communication for the task. Zhang had stayed back at Taizhou with granny Lang, to take care of the old women and the shop.

"How's business been going?" I asked Su Lin, hauling over a bundle of pointless notes from my desk. I would have to stack them one day, but that day was certainly not going to be today.

"Better than we'd ever expected. Things have changed down there. Ya'll see when we get there," Su Lin said, and I nodded.

"Ya sure went and became famous though," Su Lin said, as we passed by a pair of disciples who looked at me as if they'd just seen a fish with legs.

"It's not funny," I grunted to the snickering Su Lin, putting my bundle of notes onto the cart standing outside the sect.

"Sure is for me," Su Lin replied, putting over his bunch of items. I elbowed the snickering boy, and laughed when he actually stumbled from the impact, making me realize that I was a fair bit stronger than I had been before.

Our banter continued, a light back and forth, as we slowly but surely emptied out the room. I stood in the empty chamber now, the sun soon to be rising over the horizon, as I felt a melancholy fill my heart.

I have lived here for years now. But the past few months of my life spent in this place had been something else entirely. There was a strange sense of loss I felt at having to leave, but I also knew that I had to one day or another.

"I can't say I'll miss you. But it was good while I was here," I said out loud. A meow interrupted my thoughts, and I glanced down to see a familiar cat rubbing against my feet.

"Nyan!" I exclaimed, bending down to pet the cat. Nyan raised his backside to me, very clear about where he wanted his scritches, as he continued to rub himself against my feet.

"You want to come with me too?" I asked the cat, who let out another meow. Which I opted to take as a yes.

With one last look at the chamber, I turned and walked outside. In silence, I made my way through the sect with Nyan in my hand, ignoring the glances and whispers.

"Definitely left a mark didn't ya?" Su Lin said once more. "Did ya hear what they're calling ya?" he asked, and I looked at the boy confused.

"What? They gave me a name?" I asked, surprised.

"Sure did. The Twin Flame demon, they call you. Not the most flattering name, but it sure is terrifying."

I grimaced, cringing hard internally. Of course I had gotten a stupid and edgy name like that. Though against my wishes, a smile rose my lips upwards as well. I could not deny being pleased.

"Master! Labby is ready!" Labby waved from the cart ahead, as I walked closer. Labby sat amidst all the things I had, which was a lot more than I'd anticipated, but definitely not too much for a big cart. Sheldon sat nearby on the cart as well, sleeping contently, with Twilight sleeping on the little turtle.

I smiled, setting Nyan down on the cart before I hauled myself up.

Together with Su Lin, I sat at the cart, glancing at the sect one last time.

"Time to go huh?" Su Lin asked.

I nodded, as the cart rocked forward, Cao Chen pulling ahead, when I heard a distant scream coming for me.

"Lu Jie!" I heard a figure scream, running towards me. My eyes widened in surprise, when I noticed Yan Yun running, her face flushed, and sweat on her face.

"I… I need to… go with you too," she panted, catching her breath. I frowned watching the girl, unable to sense any form of cultivation from her whatsoever. As if she'd somehow become a mortal.

I decided not to comment, waiting for Yan Yun to gather herself. "I… need a place to stay. I can do work too, and I promise I won't be a burden. So can I please—"

"—Sure," I interrupted Yan Yun, extending a hand. A smile creeped on my face as I watched Yan Yun's eyes go wide in surprise "Hop right along."

Hesitantly, she grasped my hand, pulling herself over and seating herself next to me.

"Hmph. Do not expect Leiyu to do any chores. That only applies to Yan Yun," the eagle said, manifesting nearby as he took a perch nearby.

I laughed, watching the road pass by, as the sect began to pull away. The sun hovered over the horizon, slowly rising into the bright sky indicating a brand new day.

I took in a breath, feeling my heart beating with trepidation at everything that was to come.

It was time to head to our new home.

Book 2: Chapter 1: A New Start

The cart rattled beneath me, jumping and clattering as it moved through the dirt paths. The Ox pulling the cart grunted in effort, as Cao Chen steered the cart. "We're almost there. I think I can barely see it in the distance."

The sunlight warmed the back of my eyelids, making me open them. The sun was high up in the sky, approaching close to noon. Turning my sight ahead, beyond the rising and flowing grassland I saw the little river cutting through the landscape, near which lay the town of Taizhou, bustling with people.

I took a moment to appreciate my newly enhanced eyesight as I noted the village head walking around in a rush. It was an odd sensation to be able to recognize faces, still far off in the distance.

"How much longer?" I asked, glancing at Cao Chen.

"About an hour or so," Cao Chen replied, and I nodded.

Labby rustled in my lap, turning over in her sleep as she pursed her lips, a frown on her face. I brushed a hand through her grey hair, looking at her child-like form sleeping peacefully as I wondered just what kind of dream she may be seeing.

My hand drifted from her head, down to her abdomen briefly. I gently pressed my hand, feeling the little spirit root in her dantian, keeping the cracked pieces of her dantian together as she healed. Despite knowing she was not in pain any longer, the thought made my chest tighten with pain.

"I'm… sorry," Yan Yun said, noticing my lingering gaze on Labby. "I never should've involved the two of you in this."

I felt a bit surprised when Yan Yun spoke up. She'd been silent throughout the way. I'd noticed the tears that glistened her eyes. Seeing how I failed to even sense the base of her cultivation, it was not terribly difficult to imagine what may have happened with her grandfather.

I sat in silence for a moment at Yan Yun's words. "Li and Lei's actions are not your fault. I went of my own will. It was my fault to put even Labby at risk," I said, clenching my fist. A hollow feeling lingered in my chest. I had taken my revenge, given in to anger, to the thing I had been trying not to become. What had it truly done? I had put Labby at risk, put myself at risk, letting her get injured and then lashed out because I was angry. It was childish. It was… like me from before my spar with Li and Lei. The actions of an arrogant cultivator.

I looked up to see words that yet lingered on Yan Yun's face, but neither of us spoke any further.

We sat in silence, rocking along with the cart as the grasslands flew past us.

"Ah, here we go," Cao Chen said, squinting into the distance. "I see Taizhou. We'll arrive soon."

Yan Yun stirred in her seat, turning to look at the town in the distance. I noticed her eyes squinting as she looked towards the distance in confusion, before they widened a sliver as a realisation settled onto them. I followed soon after, realising what surprised her.

She couldn't see the town. Her eyes were unable to see that far anymore.

I turned my gaze away from Yan Yun before she noticed that I was watching her. Words hung in my chest, curiosity and concern jumbling together. She has lost her Path, that much I knew. And I knew her grandfather had something to do. Just what did her grandfather do to have something like this happen?

Anger rose in me at the man, but I breathed the emotion back down. Actions and memories from Lu Jie still felt like a tangled mess within me. So much of me was vague now, unprocessed emotions bursting out at whim. I suspected it would take months before I could feel complete, but that didn't mean that I would allow my past self's faults to linger.

With my breakthrough, my spirit had been forged anew. I would not squander it.

"Chii~" I hear Twilight chime, twirling as she climbs onto Su Lin's back, to stand atop his head. The sleeping boy's head bobbed, as he jerked and startled awake.

"Wha- what's happening?" Su Lin said, glancing around, arms raised up to his face. He glanced around, slowly taking in everything, before his eyes met mine.

Laughter burst out of me, at his stupid expression, and I felt the swirl of emotions in my chest become lighter. Cao Chen joined me as well, and I noticed even Yan Yun had a small smile on her lips.

Silverlight watched the laughing faces, before looking at Twilight standing on Su Lin's face. Following Twilight's lead, she jumped onto the boy's head chiming loudly as well. "Sii!" the lilly plant said, raising her finger, looking around at everyone else for a reaction.

"Get off, you stupid plants," Su Lin said, brushing off the two of them. Though the smile on his face betrayed his amusement.

Labby stirred next to me. "Master?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes as she got up.

I patted her head lightly, smiling. "Did you have a good sleep?" I asked Labby, as she looked up to me, still shrugging off the remnants of sleep from her eyes. Silently, the little girl nodded. My eyes drifted to her robes, marked with the sigil of the moon that brimmed with Lunar Qi. She would definitely need some new clothes.

I felt Sheldon slowly wake up from our bond, as the little turtle blinked his eyes. Nyan continued to resist instead, curling even more tightly around the turtle's shell.

With a crackle of lightning I saw Leiyu flying ahead, making his way to Taizhou before us by himself. In the distance I saw the people starting to gather, familiar faces and unfamiliar ones both mingling together as they saw the flying thunder eagle up in the skies.

With a crackle of the reins, Cao Chen sped up the cart as the cart moved faster, rushing downhill to the entrance of the Taizhou. The village stood, waiting for us to arrive with the village head at the front.

Slowly, we reached in front of the crowd as the cart settled to a stop an I jumped off. Guo Zou, the head, walked up to me. "It is an honour to have you with us, cultivators," the village head greeted. "Please, allow us."

A few men, which I recognised to be the miners I'd saved with Liuxiang walked to our cart, and began to pick up all the things we'd carried on the cart.

"I hope we're not intruding too much. I really appreciate you allowing us to stay with you," I said to the village head, lightly bowing my head in thanks.

"Nonsense. I would shame my ancestor's spirits if I could ever be so ungrateful to our benefactor," the head said, shaking his head.

The others stepped off the cart as well, Cao Chen and Su Lin helping the miners take the things off, while Labby, my spirits and Yan Yun walked up to stand by my side.

Leiyu crackled with lightning, settling on Yan Yun's shoulders and I saw the villagers staring at all of us. I couldn't blame them either. We made for quite the crowd. Labby was wearing celestial clothes from the lunar court itself while Yan Yun emanated her Jade beauty aura despite lacking a cultivation base. My spirits on the other hand made for quite the attraction simply due to their nature as spirits.

"What took you so long, boy?" a familiar old woman's voice reached me.

I turned and saw a familiar wrinkled face heading towards me, a smoking pipe grasped in her other hand. "Made a damn mess at the tournament too, what were you thinking?" Granny Lang said in a gruff voice.

"It's good to see you too granny Lang," I said with a smile.

The old woman snorted but did not pursue. "That old bastard wouldn't have been happy if something had happened to you. I'm glad to see you in one piece boy," she added in a quieter voice.

"I'm sure there's a lot to be discussed. So please, come and have some tea. The miners will see to your items, and put them at the place for you to stay at," the Village head said, and I nodded, following inside.

To my surprise, none of my spirits or friends followed me inside the village head's place, except Yan Yun, who trailed behind quietly with Leiyu on her shoulders. I turned to see Labby being prodded and pulled at curiously by the young children of the village. Many were fascinated by her sparkling dress that shifted and moved around as if defying gravity. My little spirit turned to me, her eyes confused and slightly scared.

"Go and have some fun with the kids, Labby," I sent to her,and she nodded, going along with the children. A moment later, I glanced at Sheldon who understood my intention without me having to say anything.

Silently, the turtle followed behind Labby, taking Twilight and Silverlight with him.

Satisfied, I followed into the village head's home. Walking in, I took a seat in the guest chamber on little cushions set on the floor, next to Yan Yun who sat next to me. A small wooden table was in front of us, on the other side of which the village head sat, eyes narrowed and his portly belly larger than the last time I'd seen him.

"I hope everything is going well?" I asked the village head.

"Oh, more than well. Old lady Lang has been an immense help, teaching many of the women about her craft. We have medicine to sell to the city now if we so wish, and there's been a lot fewer illnesses. The three brothers have also been immensely helpful, chasing off any stray spirits and pests trying to get into the herb storages. And now to have you here as well. It is truly a blessing."

I already knew about the little details from the letters from Zhang, but I still smiled regardless when I heard it from the village head's mouth.

Footsteps moved towards us and I moved towards the door. A girl, roughly around Yan Yun's age, opened the door, carrying a tray with cups of tea. Walking closer, she gently placed the warm and still steaming tea down, nodding briefly to me once. I quickly recognised her to be the village head's daughter Yin. I nodded my head once to her in acknowledgement, noticing her gaze linger on me for a moment before she walked out of the chamber.

Silently, I picked up the tea-cups, taking a sip of the warm tea. The taste felt a bit bland to me, given how used I'd gotten to mixing in spirit herbs into food anytime I ate, which in itself was becoming less and less often.

Yan Yun didn't touch hers, sitting next to me in silence.

"Is there something you wished to discuss, honoured cultivator?" the village head asked, looking at me with his typical nervous expression that made it seem like he was perpetually sweating.

"Please, call me Lu Jie. And in truth, I have a lot of things to discuss. Plans for this place, and what I will be doing as well. But seeing as we've just arrived here, I'll leave those talks for later. For now, I just wanted to ask what the arrangements for our stay might be, and how I can pay you for them."

"You don't need to do any such thing. We've got enough room for all of you to stay comfortably. Please, allow us to do this much at the very least," the village head said.

"Are you sure? Surely it will be an imposition if we have to stay with the other families, especially if it's for a longer period of time," I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"There's no need to be concerned over that. The young lady can stay with my daughter, who should be more than delighted to have a friend who would stay with her. I've also arranged for a place for you," the village head said.

"Oh, I- is that alright?" Yan Yun asked, looking at the village head.

"What are you saying, young lady? It is a great honour to have the granddaughter of Elder Yan live with us," the village head said, and I saw Yan Yun's expression fall. She hid the brief lapse quickly, but not enough for it to go unnoticed by the village head.

"This can be a good experience for you too, Yan Yun. A change of perspective, among other things."

Yan Yun looked at me, returning a silent nod. Leiyu looked back at me, the eagle's eyes as critical as ever.

"Where would I be staying then?" I asked, trying to focus the conversation to a different topic.

"Uhh- that. I'll have to ask the villagers," the village head replied. I'd been ignoring the various tells for a while now, thinking he had just been more nervous than normal around me, perhaps sensing the change in my cultivation, or hearing some stupid rumour from the sect, but perhaps I was wrong.

The door to the village head's chambers opened with a clatter, as she walked into the chamber, looking at me. "Su Lin needs you boy. Something of yours that he needs help to move," the Granny said.

I nodded, getting up. Giving my gratitude to the village head one last time, I made my way out with the granny, as we began to walk to the other end of the village.

We walked a bit further outside the homes that lined the perimeter of Taizhou, and I saw the surprise that the village head and granny Lang had been trying to hide. A section of the land near the western edge of the village, next to the Qi vein had been tilled. Little spirit herbs grew in small patches here and there, at what looked like failed attempts at growing them, yet enough were here to fill the air with Qi. A fence was erected around the perimeter of the garden, going all the way back and behind what was the real surprise, one that made my eyes widen in surprise when I saw it.

A little home sat on the hill, made of cut stone and wood, looking snugly set on the landscape. Yet its features were not something I would expect to see here of all places. It was built with wood, its features a mix of the architecture of this world and mine.

The granny turned towards me, as I stared at her in surprise. "Among the various plans you'd given, Su Lin had taken the blueprints for the school. Using some connections in the city that he had, he'd asked to see if he could get a home-made in the given design. It's not perfect, and neither did it come cheap, but Tian Feng had been willing to pay for it. The villagers also chipped in however they could. We'll likely need you to take a look around, but this is our gift to you. For saving Zhang, and all the town folks here."

I didn't reply, silently walking towards the house. Reaching the door, I pressed my hand against the wood. I found it difficult to think. None of this felt real.

"Oi, he's here!" I heard a shout from inside, as Su Lin opened the door.

"Whatchu standing for gawking like an idiot? Come take a look!" Su Lin said, pulling me in.

I felt both surprised and more than a little embarrassed by the tears that glistened in my eyes, as I hurriedly wiped them away, taking the place in. Walking through the rooms, I felt the tightness in my chest grow greater and greater.

As I walked to the last room, Zhang greeted me, showing me a room made exactly in the design of the lab I had made. I walked in, feeling more than a little overwhelmed

"Welcome home, brother," Zhang said, and I found a strange emotion well up in my chest, clamming my throat.

How long has it been since I had a home? Since I belonged somewhere?

I moved in, taking Zhang and Su Lin in a tight hug. With happy tears in my eyes, I whispered. "I'm home."