Book 2: Chapter 33: Awakening - II
An endless expanse of darkness existed in front of Zhang. Where there should've been a ring of light, held by a brilliant tree connecting him and Shi Lua, there was now a burning stump, and the shattered remnants of his core as it had split in two.
Gu and Qi swirled in endless swirls in front of Zhang, the two energies colliding and threatening to break his spirit apart.
Zhang looked at the turmoil in his spirit, his cultivation on the brink of collapsing again. Yet, somehow, he felt no worry, or fear.
"Sii!" Shi Lua exclaimed. Zhang glanced back at the spirit. Her body burned in parts, embers eating through her leaves. She was not spared from the tribulation either.
Yet, instead of any pain and anguish, he saw relief in her eyes. A sentiment he echoed. Their spirit finally felt free. Free of the false ties that had been imposed upon them, and liberated by the truth of the world.
Change was painful, and it was difficult. But change brought new life, and growth. This was growth. A change in their era of cultivation itself.
Zhang looked through his cracked spirit, and burning tree, before walking up to it. The tree was blazing on fire, branches aflame as they fell down, with more pieces of his spirit cracking as his core splintered.
Gently, Zhang pressed a hand on the tree. The fire burned him, and the pain permeated through his body. Zhang bore through the pain. Slowly, gently, he let the shattered pieces of his Core start to swirl around the tree. Once by one, the cracks of reality within the dark began to move, Gu and Qi moving in a storm with him, Shi Lua, and the tree at its centre.
"The other half. Accept."
Zhang nodded, closing his eyes. He let the Gu flood into the tree in front of him, the death soaking into the vast stump as it ate through it. The aflame tree began to wither, cracking and shattering, before soon, the flames died as well, leaving only ash.
Zhang felt the ash on his palm, the fistful of gray dust that remained. Gently, he let it pour down into the darkness, as the ash faded into nothingness. A void remained in his core now, an expansive darkness waiting to be moulded. Zhang had been given a path by Brother Jie. A path with great insights into the nature of their world.
He had never once thought why they remained on the earth below them. Or why things fell towards earth, and not into the sky. That was merely the nature of the world. Not something to be question.
But perhaps that had been his folly, for there were great insights hidden within the workings of the Heaven and Earth, and only those who tried to peer behind the obvious, and question nature of reality itself can truly reach upon those truths.
But though Zhang had been given a great insight, one that burned as brightly as the First Law within his spirit, he had not yet truly grasped upon it.
He knew these words to be truth, but not why they were so.
Afterall, how could a feather and a rock fall at the same speed? A feather was lighter, so it fell slowly, and a rock was heavier, so it fell faster. That is why a feather floated on water, but a rock would sink underneath.
But was that truly true?
Zhang reached out to one piece of his shattered core, and began to mold it. The reality around him shifted, as the shard of his core grew, forming a small world beneath his feet. He reached out to another piece of reality, directing Gu and Qi to form a rock in one hand, and a feather in another.
Closing his eyes, he let nothing else exist in this void, just the rock and the feather, and the small world underneath him. Then, together, he let the two drop. Zhang watched in fascination as the feather dropped the same as the rock, instead of fluttering like it should've.
He picked the two up again, trying once more, and the same happened once more. A piece of reality cemented itself in his mind, as he looked at his feet, and then with a kick, jumped.
His push took him high up above, far from the floating rock underneath him, but slowly, eventually, he stopped, and began to return back down, moving faster and faster as time passed. But instead of returning straight down, Zhang pushed himself sideways, and propelled himself around the little rock floating in the darkness.
As the motion carried him, he found the pull making him orbit around the piece of rock instead. Like a moon.
He felt himself move, felt the pull on his body, the curving of his path as the piece of reality he had created drew him in with the force of worlds, and planets. Moving around the rock, Zhang eventually stopped with the force of his own spirit. Standing in the void, he looked into the darkness.
Just how much vaster could all of this be? Just how much was hidden within the world?
A desire bud in his hear, and Zhang began to gather the pieces of his shattered core.
The ring of Qi flowed towards Zhang, and he let it gather in a small ball. Then, pulling the Gu flowing in his core, he let it gather as well, forming a second ball.
Zhang let the two flow outwards, circling one another, as they attracted each other. The glowing balls of energy spun, faster and faster and faster, as the darkness of his core rippled from the pulses of energy they let out.
Then, in a bright flash, the two collided, turning everything white, momentarily.
Zhang saw the light flash in his eyes, saw the energy it poured out, and found an Art carve itself in his spirit.
"Gravity Art: Birth of a Star."
Reality changed, as the Gu and Qi mingled, and a star of Chi was formed at Zhang's core. The void expanded, as the star grew in size, glowing a brilliant white glow, as it drew everything around it into its orbit.
Zhang reached out to every piece of his core, as he meticulously began to form pieces of reality.
A ring of Chi swirled around the star, forming the first orbit. Comets, planets, moons, asteroids. Time passed without any rhythm or meaning. To Zhang, the moment was both eternal, yet infinitely small.
And as he was done, he watched a solar system, walking upon the paths of celestial orbits swirling in his core, around the single star that burned brightly within him, imposing the mark of his new Path.
Zhang felt his spirit grow, as he crossed over into the fourth realm. Yet… this was no realm. Realms had lost meaning when Zhang had begun upon this path. All there was, were the five markers to the end of his path.
The five rings that would hold his spirit together. Like gravity held the stars together.
That was the truth of the world.
The truth of his Path.
With his insight carved upon his dantian in a form more permanent than his existence itself, Zhang let the energies in his dantian settle.
And then gently, he opened his eyes.
Book 2: Chapter 34: Return
The moon shone with a pale white glimmer set against the starry tapestry of the clear night sky. As the tribulation clouds had cleared and the storms had passed, the world had opened further, distant stars bathing the world in a gentle, soothing light.
As the day had passed, the chaos had settled down a hint. The Old Man had healed Zhang's external wounds, bringing the boy back to a healthy condition physically.
I had remained in the chamber with Labby, Yin and Yan Yun by my side as we all waited for Zhang to wake up. Zhou Fang had gone to tend to his father, before returning to his duties. The Old Man, too, had decided to help out and return to his tasks.
There was nothing to be done but to wait.
I glanced towards Zhang, sensing the stirring energies within him. The boy's face was calm, his hair gently flowing down his back as he lay upon the bed, the very picture of calm and peace.
The stillness concerned me, dredging up a fear in my chest that perhaps I'd gone too far. That I'd tried to rush things too quickly, and poked at forces beyond my means, and now the people I cared for would have to pay the price in my stead.
A hand grasped mine, and I nearly flinched. Turning sideways, I noticed Yan Yun looking at me, before she glanced back at Zhang.
"He'll be fine. Zhang has fought long and hard to be able to stand back on his feet, and regain his cultivation. A mere tribulation will not be the end of his Path," Yan Yun said, her grip on my hand tightening.
I nodded, glancing back at Zhang. "I just wonder sometimes. If I'm dragging all of you with me for my own ambitions. I desire change, and to follow the dream of a new world. But it's so easy to forget that I'm not the only one who bears the weight of that ambition. Those around me do as well."
"Labby will follow Master anywhere," Labby said, walking up to me. The rat on her shoulder let out a squeak as well, though I doubted the little creature understood what she'd said.
I smiled, patting Labby's head. "I know you will."
Labby smiled, leaning into the headpat with pleased crackles of purple lightning as I gently caressed her hair.
"I… I think all of us know that Zhang wanted to do this. He has sworn to follow you on your path. That is a choice he has made for himself, and… I… I think it's disrespectful to him if you think you can take away that choice from him," Yin said, and I looked at her in surprise.
"You're right. He chose me, and he believes in the vision I see. To doubt that vision is to disrespect Zhang. What I need to do is to accept the responsibility, and the burden of those around me instead," I said, glancing at Yin. "It's a bit funny, that the only mortal among us has the wisdom I lack about my own Path."
"N-no, I wouldn't dare be so presumptuous-" Yin stammered and I held my hand to stop her.
"It's not presumptuous. Only fools will let the difference between mortals and cultivators come in their Paths. Wisdom, whether it be from an ancient saint, or a mortal farmer, is still wisdom. Each with its own value and worth. To discriminate and disregard one only highlights my own folly."
Yin looked at me in surprise, before accepting my words.
Time passed slowly, each hour crawling more than the one before. I tried to meditate, to put my mind on anything else, but found my focus wavering and changing every moment.
Yet the world continued to move, uncaring of the long arduous night in front of me, as the moon moved across the night sky, and the stars started to dim against the light peeking over the horizon.
The rays of the sun splashed across the dark blue colors of the night, basking them in colors of red and orange. As birdsong filled the sky, the stir of people waking up and rising along with the sun, I sensed a change near me.
Where before, there had been three cores present within my chamber, now there was a fourth.
My head snapped towards Zhang as I stood from my seat, walking closer. Chi stirred in the boy's core, a familiar yet unfamiliar energy arranged in a dispersed cloud spread around the dantian.
With a flutter of his eyelids, Zhang slowly opened his eyes, and I noticed the dark purple color they'd taken on, with sprinkles of stars and golden light scattered across them.
"Yin, quickly get the Old Man," I said, pressing my palm on Zhang's abdomen as I felt the burning light flowing outwards from within.
Slowly, the boy rose, picking himself up. "How long was I asleep?" Zhang asked.
"About a day," I replied, my voice breaking momentarily with a chuckle.
Zhang nodded, pulling himself to his feet, before he pressed his fist into his palm, bowing his head deeply.
"Brother Jie. I thank you for your guidance. I am once again in your debt, for all that you've done for me."
I looked at the boy, before patting his shoulder once. "Raise your head, Zhang," I said, and Zhang looked up.
"Is that how you greet a brother?" I asked, before wrapping the boy up in a hug.
"You did it, my friend. You did it!" I exclaimed, laughter breaking out from my voice.
"I'd never doubted you brother. If you thought I could do it, then I knew I could," Zhang replied, as he slowly put his arms around my back.
The Old Man walked into the chamber with a concerned expression, as I separated from Zhang. He paused upon seeing Zhang standing, noticing the changed aura around him, and the shifted color in his eyes.
"You children gave this old man a heart attack," the old man said. "Come here boy, let me take a look at you, just to make sure everything is okay."
I watched the old man check Zhang's pulse, before taking a look at this core, and frowning.
"What have you done to your dantian?" The old man asked in surprise. "It's… layered. A dense burning core that flashes brightly with layers of rings set around it. I've never seen anything like it."
"It's a result of my new Path. Gravity," Zhang replied.
"Well, everything else looks normal. You should be as healthy as they come. This Old Man congratulates you upon your breakthrough, child. You walk a new path not tread before, and there will be many hurdles in your way, but this old man is glad to see you break through them."
"This one thanks the elder for his blessings," Zhang said with a bow.
"Elder Tian Feng has also informed me that you have permission from the lord to return. A carriage has been prepared for your departure. A familiar has been prepared to take any letters you may have, and send them to the lord as well. You'll be expected to send reports of your work every fourteen days," the Old Man said.
I bowed in reply. "Please tell the Lord, I am eternally grateful for all the kindness he has shown me, and that I will not disappoint him."
The Old Man nodded, turning away. "I wish you the very best, my disciple."
I glanced at Zhang, before meeting my eyes with everyone else present in the chamber. "This… has been quite the revealing trip hasn't it?" I said, and a few chuckles came. "Things have changed, new responsibilities have arisen. But we've taken the first step in preparing Taizhou to survive through the upcoming winter. And in establishing a new foundation for a different era. I'll be counting on your help in this task," I said with a bow.
Raising my head, I glanced at Zhang. "And I'll be most interested in finding out just what your new path and abilities entail as well."
Zhang nodded, "Me too brother," he said with a smile.
"I bet Su Lin and Cao Chen will regret not coming along," Yan Yun said, and I laughed.
"I can almost picture their faces now," I said, smiling, as we made our way through the manor.
A guard escorted us out, the people on the way bowing as we passed. It was another reminder of my new status as Lord, and the changes that the role may bring for me.
Nearing the gate, I waited for everyone to step into the carriage, before walking in myself.
Taking one last look at the manor, I heard the crackle of reins, as we began our departure.
It was time to return back home.
Book 2: Chapter 35: Ash
The journey back home was swift, the grass fields whirring past us as our carriage rushed through at high speeds. Within a few minutes, we were in Taizhou, and I watched the villagers pausing in their day to day work as they watched the carriage roll in.
Opening the gates, I stepped out, and found a strong earthy smell filling the air. The ground was wet from the storm caused by the tribulation, and I could see signs of water overflowing in parts from the nearby river.
The village head rushed out of his home, before grabbing Yin. "Heaven's mercy, I had been terrified when I'd seen that tribulation at the Lord's manor. Such a terrible storm too. Are you alright Yin'er?"
"Y-yes," Yin replied, shuffling as her father hugged her in a rare display of open emotion.
"Welcome back," Granny Lang said, her cane hitting the ground in a rhythmic thud, as she walked out with a smoking pipe in her mouth. "You sure went and caused a ruckus didn't you boy?"
I bowed my head, pressing my fist into my palm. "As I do, Granny," I replied, giving her a cheeky smile.
"My, what happened to you, Zhang?" the Granny said, walking closer. She looked into Zhang's eyes, finding the starry backdrop set within them from his new cultivation. "You're… different now. Like some sort of celestial fairy."
"Brother Jie gave me an insight, allowing me a breakthrough," Zhang replied. "I still haven't quite grasped just what I'm capable of now, it is a vast power."
I watched Zhang looking down at his fist, purple wisps swirling around him. We will need to test this new art, see just what it was capable of. Gravity Chi… I felt excitement stir in my chest at the thought. Just how far could the concept be taken? If taught about atoms, and nuclear fission, could someone gain Nuclear Chi or Atomic Chi? How vast would the understanding need to be?
"I know you've just arrived Lu Jie, Zhang, but could you two go look for Su Lin? He's been out for the night. With a storm, there's a chance the boy decided to just sleep out somewhere, but it'd still allow me to rest in peace if you went to check," Granny Lang said.
I looked at Zhang, before giving a nod. "Sure, where is he?"
"He went to the Qi mines, should be around there" Granny replied.
I frowned. Had the spores returned?
"Alright," I said, before Zhang and I headed out.
Making my way through the village, I noted logs of wood and small impromptu bridges set across the river. The water was still muddy from the flood, flowing in a rapid current. With a hop, I jumped across the river with ease, Zhang following me with no effort as well.
Walking a little further, I frowned as something began to prickle my senses. "Do you feel that?" I asked Zhang.
"Faintly, but yes, brother Jie," Zhang replied, his brows furrowing as well. "There's miasma nearby."
Feeling my concerns growing, I rushed ahead. Chi flooded my steps as the world warped around me, and soon I stood at the entrance of the Qi mine, and what I saw made my heart drop.
Dark soot covered the mines, Gu lingering on every inch of the cavern. Fire marks covered the ground, ash floating in the air from whatever had transpired here. Stepping inside, I walked through the haze of miasma feeling the Death energy seeping into my skin and crawling under it. I absorbed the Gu into my core, turning it all to Chi, as I opened my senses.
Two eyes looked at me from within the darkness, as a rumbling growl echoed throughout the cavern. Dark flames danced across the beast, as its visage began to come within sight from the darkness of the cavern.
I stared at the giant wolf, fire burning around its mouth as it glared at me, and I found my heart pounding in trepidation.
"Lu Jie?" a voice called from within, and I froze.
"Su Lin?" I called out, surprised.
Su Lin walked out from further inside, staring at me. "What're you doing here?" he asked.
"What am I doing here? What're you doing here? And what is that thing with you?" I asked, staring at him dumbly.
"Su Lin, step back from the demonic beast," Zhang said, his voice clipped. I noticed rocks starting to float around him as his eyes glimmered with Chi.
"No, you're misunderstanding—"
The Gu beast growled, sensing the Chi rising in Zhang's core. Flames rose high, as the beast sank low to the ground, ready to leap.
"Alright, stop!" I shouted, stepping ahead and standing in between the two of them. The Gu Beast froze, and Zhang followed my word, letting his Chi settle.
"You, explain," I said, pointing at Su Lin.
"So, I came here when someone told me there was some beast in the mines and found this fella. He's been injured, and fell unconscious, and I didn't know what to do, you see. So I went and brought it a little something to eat from the village, snuck in and out so no one would smell all the miasma on me. Then this guy just perked right up and has been whining every time I try to leave. A couple of beasts also tried to attack it and I had to separate the fights and, given how bad the storm was at the time, I figured I would spend the night here, to make sure he doesn't die," Su Lin said, looking back at the giant wolf. "I know how this looks. Heavens, I still don't believe I'm taking care of a demonic beast of all things, but it felt a bit weird to just leave it to die. And it kept giving me these pitiful eyes. I blame ya for making me get so used to bizarre things like this."
I stared at Su Lin, before my gaze went to the Wolf. I finally noticed the many, many scars and wounds it carried on its body. It was injured, and quite heavily so.
Slowly I walked closer, and the wolf growled.
"Shh, it's okay. He's a friend," Su Lin said, running a hand through the wolf's back as it settled down slightly.
Moving closer, I gently brought my hand to the wolf, pressing my palm at its head, near its eyes. It bared its teeth, letting me know it would attack if I did anything, but I continued.
Closing my eyes, I let my senses expand.
Chi stirred in my core before flowing into the Gu wolf. I let my Chi turn to Gu as it replenished the beast.
Opening my eyes, I looked at the beast, staring at me with a wide eyed expression. "Home," The beast said in a guttural growl, before leaping at me.
I sensed Zhang stir, ready to attack, but he stopped as he heard my laughter.
"Oh god, stop that. That tickles!" I shouted, as the wolf jumped on me, licking all over my face and wrestling me to the ground. I rubbed its chin, brushing its fur as the wolf flopped over onto its belly and I let myself cave, dishing out the most powerful belly rubs on the largest wolf I had ever seen.
Truly, there was no force greater than the human desire to pet anything and everything we saw.
"That… went a bit differently than I had expected," Su Lin said, watching the wolf kicking its leg in pleasure as I rubbed its belly.
"How the heck did he arrive here?" I asked, looking up at Su Lin as the wolf got up, before leaning on my back as it tried to bite at my head.
"Hey, stop that," I said, pushing the beast away, as flames danced around my body.
"I have no idea, ask it maybe? It can talk," Su Lin said.
I turned to face the Gu beast. "Can you understand me?" I asked.
The Gu Beast looked at me, before giving a nod.
"Good, great. So, how did you get here?"
"Lost. Then heard call. Home," The beast said.
"It keeps saying that, home or something. Maybe it wants to go back where it came from?" Su Lin asked.
The wolf shook its head, before raising its paw and pointing it at me. "Home." It said again.
My eyes widened in surprise as I realized something.
"You want to be part of my home?" I asked.
The wolf nodded.
"Are you sure Brother Jie? Can we trust a demonic beast like it? What if it's lying to try to hurt you?" Zhang asked.
"I doubt it, but it's a possibility. Regardless, there's no way the villagers will allow him to stay, and if the Lord finds out, we'll all be killed for keeping a demonic beast with us anyway," Su Lin said.
I frowned, looking at the Wolf.
"I don't think it's lying," I said, looking at the wolf. "Gu is… malicious. But when I reached out to this beast, it was settled, calm, like something had put chains onto it. If so, it's got a powerful will to keep the dark Gu in check, a beast like that will not lie," I said, glancing back up at Su Lin. "But, keeping it is also risky. So, we'll keep him in this mine. Hidden away from the village, 'til I can think of a more permanent solution."
Su Lin hummed, before giving a nod.
Zhang did not say anything further either.
Turning to the wolf, I brushed its fur. Closing my eyes, I reached out with my spirit once more. The roots within my soul stirred at my call, reaching out to the wolf. A moment later, I sensed a new bond snap into place, as the spirit root formed within the wolf, tying him to my spirit.
I stared at the wolf's dantian, finding two dark rings floating in the abyss. The flaming rings of Gu burned with miasma, as the Gu swirled within a core inside the beast's spirit.
I watched the darkness, and felt something click in place, a new sensation filling my mind. Like a missing piece that had been lost returning to where it was supposed to be.
The tree in my soul grew, sprouting a new leaf.
My mind joined with the beast's, as memories overtook me, pulling me into their world.
Book 2: Chapter 36: Deathless
The world looked different when I opened my eyes again. Colors were muted, more washed out, like someone had wrung them out of reality itself. Miasma roiled all around me, rocky terrains covering my entire sight.
Where am I?
The thought barely registered in my mind. Like a dream, my memories and my identity changed. I walked, not on two legs, but four. It was a strange feeling, but the strangeness of it passed soon. I'd walked on four legs since my birth in this dream world, after all.
Flames swirled around me, coating my body as I looked upwards. Giant pillars rose upwards, holding the sky above my head. I watched the twinkling night sky and stars, before the human half of my mind realized something.
That wasn't the sky.
No, it was a cavern, one so tall and vast, with twinkling, glowing shimmers that I could call it nothing but the sky. For that was what it was, in this place beneath the earth, in the depths of where all the energy of death lingered.
I rustled, shaking my body once, before I glanced nearby. I wasn't alone here. Next to me, other wolves like me stood. My family. My pack.
Some were larger than me, but most were smaller, and gave respect whenever I walked past them. Their flames were not as potent, and thus I was their senior. But my attention was not on the pups.
In the distance, a bright flare pierced the darkness of this place within the earth. Dark flames rose, followed by belching hot geysers of fire. But the fire, we knew. Fire was my fur, my breath, my existence. It wasn't the flames I feared, but the men standing within.
I was a demonic beast. A creature that grew in death, with Gu and Miasma swirling in my body and whispering in my mind. But even I feared something here, something far worse than what a creature like me ever could be.
I growled, fur rising, and my pack joined me as a dark figure walked out of the lava. Its skin was pitch black, its face like a bull's but morphed into a man's shape. Antlers rose from its head, flesh hanging off of them like molten skin that had not quite died yet.
Yet it was the eyes that struck fear in me the most. The endless pits of death and madness that looked back into my very soul.
The demon walked, and looked in our direction. I expected the creature to smile, but it stood without any visible expression or emotion.
My pack howled to the skies, as fire blazed across their furs and mouths. I joined them, letting my own flames rise and mingle in theirs. Together, we growled, watching the demon from where we stood.
It looked at us, then glanced back. My pack watched, and then we growled, as another demon walked forth. Then one more, and one more yet. And soon, there were as many of them as there were of us.
I sensed the pups faltering. Their flames weakened as fear overtook them. It wasn't easy to stay calm when the amalgamation of death itself stood in front of you.
I barked, glancing back. This was not the time to be weak. We would protect our home.
My pack agreed. We fought.
Fire rose, dark flames covering us as we rushed ahead. I moved with agility and speed, Gu bolstering each step I took as flames covered my entire body. Letting my fire overtake me, I rushed towards the demons.
One by one, they took out their weapons, watching us move closer. Axes, bows, spears. And then they attacked back.
I leapt, a demon swinging its Gu-covered bone axe at me. Using the change, I leapt, yet instead of the neck as I would with a prey, I aimed for the arm. My teeth sunk in, flames burning the flesh in my mouth to ash within moments as I tore through the muscles. Pulling back, I tugged at the demon, pulling it down. Its claws tore at my flesh but I ignored it. Letting its arm go, I aimed for its neck at last, biting through the bone and crushing it as it collapsed on the ground. An arrow shot at me, hitting my leg, and I howled in pain. Before my eyes met another demon, another arrow shot at me, and I dodged, jumping sideways before I rushed forth. Letting the fire in my spirit gather, I breathed out as dark flames flowed freely, eating through the battlefield as it ate through their weapons and I took the chance to sink my teeth in, killing the demon archer.
Briefly, I looked around and saw my family dying. Wounded, injured, we fought and fought. Yet no matter how hard we fought, more of them simply kept appearing from the fiery pits ahead. Their numbers grew, while ours continued to dwindle.
Flesh and blood flowed like rivers, as time seemed to pass by. Days passed, as my family died defending our home. The young had fled, and I did not begrudge them. It was the right choice. But I could not run. This was the place I had sworn to protect.
By now, my body was torn. Bones were broken as wounds soaked me. I glanced around, finding only three of us remaining. It would not be long before we too would die.
I did not fear death. Death was home. Death was where we all headed to eventually. It was not something to fear.
But I did not intend to die for as long as I could either. To protect this place 'til my last breath', was my purpose.
I howled to the sky, breathing in the fire around me, as I leapt for one last charge.
The demons moved quickly, aware of our movements by now as they targeted us and predicted our maneuvers. But as they had learned, so had we. I weaved through the barrage of arrows before leaping for the demon in the front. Within a moment I tore through its neck as the miasma in its body healed my injuries and filled my spirit. I had grown, drinking the miasma had made me larger, larger than even the chief who had died as well.
If I survived, I would be chief.
But I knew that was merely a vain dream.
Having killed the demon, I lunged at the next one striking at me. I bit its blade, pulling back as before, grabbing the handle with my mouth. Rushing ahead, I let the weapon slice through the demon's body, before I threw it. The blade swung, before slicing another demon's head in half.
I howled, victorious, before I let my flames take over. Fire erupted all around me, pillars of dark flames that killed any in their path. The demons ran, but the flames were faster, eating through their bodies and souls as they turned to ash, returning to the earth they had come from.
I soaked in their miasma, growing stronger still as I charged ahead.
The last of my kin fell, their dying howls now quiet. I did not care. They had fulfilled their purpose, and soon I would too.
My claws slashed through a demon's gut, and I did not spare another moment on it, rushing ahead. I knew it would die soon.
My teeth tore through another's leg, before I bit at its gut, burning through its insides in moments. Arrows upon arrows were laden in my back, and I let them shower upon me. Drinking in the Gu of the creatures I slew, I felt enough energy gather. The Gu grew denser and I pushed through, standing at the verge of death, as I achieved my third awakening.
My body morphed as I grew larger and larger. The Miasma around me stirred, pleased with the death I had given it, as it rewarded me for my actions. My strength rose to another stage, as my fire blazed stronger than ever. A new power filled my body. I moved, strength now coursing through me. I was larger, faster, and despite my injuries, stronger than I had ever been.
The demons fell. They were not my foe any longer.
For the first time in this long battle, I saw the demons starting to be pushed back. They were afraid now.
I howled at the skies, as I continued to tear through the crowds. The demons fell faster and faster, as their numbers began to dwindle. Corpses littered the ground, dark smoke filling my vision as I ate demon after demon.
The battle continued until at last, the demons turned and began to flee. I stood watching them run, breathing hard.
We… won.
The sight did not look real to me. Yet it was nonetheless. We had won.
I glanced around me, to join in this victory with my pack, when my eyes met nothing but mauled flesh.
There was no one here but me.
The memory made me falter, but I hung on, watching the last of the demons return to the fiery pits. For a moment, I thought it was over.
Then a figure walked out.
Unlike the previous demons, this one… was odd. It smiled and laughed and cackled, like it was pleased about something. Its eyes met mine, and I felt an urge to bow and whimper in front of this man.
He looked at me, and smiled.
I growled, launching ahead as I rushed at the man. With a leap I lunged for his throat, as I tore through his neck, and in a moment, cut his head from his body.
I stood, letting the head drop as I watched the body collapse. Something made me feel strange. I had not expected this.
A laugh came, and I jumped back.
The head was laughing, looking at me in mockery.
With a rapid turn, I turned around, but I was too slow. The headless body struck me, and I flew across the cave, as my bones shattered.
Laying on the ground, I struggled to even get up, but the man did not give chase. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and saw the man, his head now back on his body, as he sat, eating through the flesh of his own brethren in joy.
A fear filled me that I could not describe watching the sight. A single word filling my mind.
Deathless.
Yet, something even worse lingered behind them. I could not see it, but even its smell alone made me wish to curl up. It sensed my fear and fed on it, before speaking in a rumble that shook my soul.
"They buried us here. The traitor. Cut us off, like a rotten limb. But we did not rest. And now, finally, we will rise again."
My soul shook upon the words, a whimper escaping my mouth. That was no demon, it was a god of death looming over my spirit.
I had sworn to protect this place to the death. But… to die like that? To die to that creature? That would not be true death. The earth would not take my body, and my soul would forever be inside that creature.
With any strength I had left, I pushed up to my legs, and began to walk.
I had to run.
I moved, and moved, feeling my breath seep through the earth and strength fade from my body, before I heard a voice call to me.
It was different, not like me, or my pack, but it told me of a home.
And so I chased it.
***
The world shuddered as the memory faded from my mind. The wolf's spirit and mine separated as I panted. Opening my eyes at last, I looked at the creature in front of me, meeting its eyes, and reliving the memories it had left me with.
Words failed to describe the sensations I experienced. Of the battle, the loss of my family, and then…that creature. The Deathless, and the voice that spoke from beyond it.
"Are you alright? You look spooked," Su Lin asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm fine," I replied in a half lie. "Just a bit unsettled from this guy's memories."
I brushed the wolf's fur, now understanding where each wound I felt had come from.
"We flee. In winter. They rise," the wolf said, and I nodded. To think the demon beasts we fought in winter were merely scared beasts escaping those things…
"You'll be safe here my friend. I can't bring you out, but I can give you a home. Stay here, and I'll find a way," I said, before standing up to my feet.
"Su Lin, Zhang, keep him a secret. We don't want the villagers to panic," I said, and the two boys nodded. I glanced back at the wolf, who had curled up comfortably on the ground.
My mind burned with emotions and thoughts.
If our enemies were the Deathless, and they were moving towards us…
If that was the thing we had to beat, then we needed a lot more firepower to survive this upcoming winter.
Book 2: Chapter 37: A New Spirit Garden
I turned to look at the Gu-wolf, watching it sit there and look back at me. This world was strange to him, new, but I had promised I would provide him a home.
But first, I needed a name.
"I'll name you Ash," I said, brushing the wolf's fur. The giant creature rumbled, as if pleased, and I smiled.
"Now, I think I know a place you will like," I said, standing up. "Zhang, keep an eye on the mine. Don't let anyone enter."
The boy nodded, walking back as he stood guard at the entrance.
Walking further into the cave, I had Ash and Su Lin follow behind me. The mines had changed since the last time I'd walked this far in, but the layout was still similar enough that I could find my way around. Eventually, I managed to reach the cavern where I had first met Sheldon.
The lake inside had dried, now devoid of all the water Qi Sheldon had provided it with. No plants or blood root could be found either, but even now, a little Gu remained in this place.
I saw Ash sniff the air, sensing the presence I felt.
"You can smell it, huh?" I asked with a smile, as I walked into the crater that once used to be a lake. Moving down the slope, I walked to the center, before pressing my palm against the ground. Closing my eyes, I let my senses expand.
The world spread out before me, as I let my spirit sink into the earth. Little motes of Gu flowed around me, drifting to my call, before soon, dark smoke rose from the earth, as Gu flowed freely, cracking the earth beneath.
"I… think I'm gonna watch from there," Su Lin said, stepping back at the sight.
I didn't reply, my attention fixated on the Gu as I called upon more and more of it. Eventually, the air was filled with the energy of death and miasma. Ash looked at me in silence, and I watched as his injuries began to visibly heal.
"We'll be remodeling this place for you," I said with a smile, before taking a seat at the center of the lake. Ash walked in closer, stepping around the source of Gu I had created in the earth, before he curled up behind me, like a giant furry sofa.
I smiled, before closing my eyes, and I began to meditate.
Letting my spirit expand, this time, I focused on the roots underneath the plant of my spirit. Slowly, I let the roots reach out into the earth around me, settling themselves within the Gu.
The Gu began to flow into me, filling my body and strengthening it. Yet, there was something missing. I opened my eyes as I realized I had no plants this far above the earth that could absorb Gu.
I frowned, looking down at the earth around me in thought. Ash stirred before me, putting his head next to mine, tilting it in question.
"Just a little stuck buddy. I'm not sure if I can grow demonic plants here, I have no seeds," I said.
The wolf let out a low grumble that I felt vibrating my entire body. "Death is everywhere. Here too."
"Sure, but…" I paused in my argument. Why did I need specific seeds to grow the plants? Spirit grass did not need any seeds. Just enough Qi for them to be able to grow.
Thinking for a moment, I closed my eyes again, as I began to cultivate. I let the roots in my spirit spread out once more, letting them sink into the earth. Deeper and deeper still my roots spread beneath me, as Gu began to gather upon them. The death of thousands rested in the earth, submerging it with Gu. Now, as the roots touched upon these pockets, they had a way to reach above, and so they did.
Little by little, and drop by drop, Gu began to gather. Small roots led to larger ones as a channel began to flow, rising upwards in a torrent. Death flowed around me, and through me, and I let it transform my body.
My Chi stirred, as I felt myself connected to the world around me. Each rock, each boulder, the walls around me, the little grains of sand. All of it was built upon the remains of so many that had died before us. It was everywhere, both above me, and below me, in the walls and even within my own body, there was death.
This too, was home. My home.
As the realization sunk into my spirit, I felt the roots of my plant expand. Gu spread all around me, and I felt something rising around the world. A spirit anchor was formed, and I opened my eyes to watch a sea of purple grass filling the cavern with demonic herbs.
I smiled, feeling the new anchor establish itself in my mind. Ash lay behind me, his body healing rapidly from his injuries as the plants grew all around. Even Su Lin stared wide-eyed with wonder at the sight.
But before I could reach out to the anchor, and tie it to Ash, something shifted.
I felt my anchors flaring, reacting to each other. My garden of Qi, my home, the one I had imbued with my own spirit roused, rustling through the earth.
The two anchors lit up brightly, and I felt a tie begin to pull them closer. I closed my eyes in meditation again, focusing on my spirit, yet the events almost felt beyond me, like forces of nature that I could not stop.
I felt the plant in my spirit stir. What had forever been a small sapling with leaves now began to rapidly flourish.
The two anchors reached towards each other, roots spreading through the earth. The air vibrated, the Gu around me flowing outwards, and the Qi from outside flowing inwards as the two began to mingle.
I felt my spirit expanding, not just around these two anchors, but over everything in between. The forest, the river, the lake, the fields, the villagers, the farmers and everything underneath it. When before it had just been spirit animals, now I felt a tie to every living creature under the heavens that walked upon this earth.
As my spirit joined with all of them, and theirs with mine, I felt something flow into me. I could not tell what this was, it did not feel like any energy I knew but also like all of them at the same time.
It flowed to me, and within my spirit, as the two anchors began to fuse. The tree in my spirit now grew taller and taller, pulling life and death both within its grasp.
Everything in this area, and all of Taizhou, shook. The Qi and Gu within the world collided, forming a new order, as Chi flooded the entire area. A delicate flow established itself within the two spirit anchors, as Gu and Qi flowed into one another, turning to Chi.
I felt the energy coursing through me, and flooding my core. The birth of something new and powerful. Somewhere that I could not tell, in almost a dream like vision, I saw a flower blossom. It was neither Qi, nor Gu, but Chi instead.
The Chi flower blossomed with a brilliant glow, as for the first time in centuries, the cycle of the world began to mend itself.
I felt something deep inside my soul shudder as my spirit grew.
There were no realms in my Path anymore. And once more, I simply found myself stepping across a line, as I broke through.
Book 2: Chapter 38: Chi senses
Yan Yun felt troubled. Ever since she had learned the damning truth of the very heavens, her spirit had been shaken. She paced around her room, unable to settle down. An order in death? A broken cycle? The words still did not feel real to her. But the heavy rumbling in her spirit told her that it was, that the words she had heard were the truth. A truth so great, they formed a fundamental aspect of the world she lived in.
But then, what did this mean? That the true path was to be a demonic cultivator? To accept miasma and death? It was an odd thought, and even now she could only feel revulsion at the vile sensation that Gu created within her.
"Why is Yan Yun so restless?" Leiyu asked from her spirit.
"Because my Path feels like it has been a lie," Yan Yun said, taking a seat at her bed. "All of our Paths feel like a lie. Everything we have been taught is wrong. Everything everyone knows is wrong, the entire empire was established on a lie. How could I be fine after learning that?"
"You worry too much. Your path will remain your own. And the Path you have chosen before has not been a lie. Merely an alternative truth."
Yan Yun got up from her bed, not content with the answer. All this time she'd been searching for a new meaning in her life. A reason to cultivate and a new Path to walk upon. But when asked to start anew, she had faltered. Even after she'd learned of the truth of the heavens, she felt hesitant to accept it and embark upon a new Path.
"Yan Yun, you told Leiyu that you were meditating upon a new Path. Have you found any insights? Say them out loud."
Yan Yun frowned. Leiyu was acting calm when she was not, and it was a strange sensation to be more agitated than her spirit. "I did. I thought about many Paths. A Path of strength. A Path of protecting those near me. Living here, among mortals, I have come to be a part of their lives. And now… now I feel afraid of how fragile they are. I wish to protect them, to make sure those I care for do not come to harm. A Path of assistance. I wish to help Lu Jie on his Path, to support him in his ambitions and help his rise. It is… a grand Path that he walks upon, that much I can see now. And I wish to be a part of it."
"Have any of those felt like Paths that you wish to cultivate for?" Leiyu asked.
Yan Yun hesitated. "They all feel like answers, but at the same time, they do not. Each one is a Path I could see myself embarking upon. All of it is something I desire," Yan Yun replied.
Leiyu hummed, crackling as he manifested on her shoulder. He flapped his wings, before glancing at her. "Leiyu's path is tied to Yan Yun's. To reach the greatest heights there are, and rise to the very pinnacle. Do you know why Leiyu still remains with Yan Yun? Because there is great power hidden within you. Leiyu knows this. But he is being patient for Yan Yun to find her spark again."
Yan Yun looked at Leiyu. "I can't, Leiyu. Not anymore. You should've picked a new bond. Grandfather would've let you."
Leiyu did not reply, simply looking at Yan Yun as she sat down upon her bed. A moment later, the bird glanced outside, before flying out to the window.
"Something is happening," Leiyu said, lightning crackling around his feathers.
Yan Yun frowned, walking up to the window as well. She could not notice anything visible, but even with her weakened senses, she could feel the under-current going on within the area. The world seemed to have quieted down. Even the wind had died, the song of the birds now gone entirely. Nothing moved, all waiting with bated breath as they looked outside.
"What's happening?" Yan Yun murmured.
"A… A divinity? But so weak." Leiyu murmured.
Yan Yun turned around, quickly making her way outside her home.
Somewhere in the distance, something was growing. Yan Yun felt her spirit being drawn to it. Like roots that touched her soul. The grass swayed, growing taller, the birds chirped, the animals danced. Spirit beasts upon spirit beasts called out to the skies, their voices echoing throughout the world.
Yan Yun saw the villagers walk out as well. Even they felt what this was. Their eyes remained fixated to the distance, even as confusion and fear filled their mind.
Yan Yun continued to watch, as little motes of light began to rise. Particles moved, from the earth, from the grass, from the river, from the birds, from the trees, from the plants, and from her too. A little particle of light escaped her chest, floating into the air as it filled the skies with a grand sight, like a million stars swirling around. It moved and drifted with purpose, forming a swarm, before gathering in a singular location just beyond the forest.
As more and more light started to gather, Yan Yun began to see a silhouette appear in the distance. A vast tree of light rose into the skies, glowing with a silvery radiance. Each mote of light flowed into the tree, nourishing it, as the mirage hung upon the very skies.
Yan Yun saw the villagers fall to their knees, heads bowed against the earth in prayer and respect at the tree.
Its sight was… awe inspiring. Even Yan Yun felt a shiver of worship within her soul rise towards it.
The brilliant tree remained, as the last of the light motes gathered, before it flashed into a brilliant pillar of light. The heavens fractured, the sky cracking as the white light pierced the very world itself.
A moment later, Yan Yun felt the light spread outwards, rushing through the world. Within moments, she was swallowed within the pulse of energy, the world around her changing.
Everything felt… different. There was something more here now, something she could sense that she hadn't been able to before. Yan Yun felt at the air, the earth, and everything around her. What should've been Qi contained in small amounts was now… something else.
Something that she'd just been told of, a greater source, more primal and at the heart of the tree within the sky.
Yan Yun stared at the world around her, brimming with Chi. A moment later, she heard the door behind her open as Yin rushed out.
"Sister Yun!" Yin called out, walking to Yan Yun.
"What's wrong, Yin Yin?" Yan Yun asked.
"I…" Yin mumbled, hesitating, before she lifted a Qi crystal. "I was working on this, and then suddenly a bright light flashed and I felt the crystals… flow into me and…" Yin looked around.
She reached out her hand, and Yan Yun's hand widened in surprise as the Chi of the world around her settled in Yin's palm, resting there. A little mote of light, glowing with a silvery shine.
Yin looked up at Yan Yun, her expression was both afraid, yet somehow excited at the same time, as she uttered the next words. "I can… feel Qi now."
Book 2: Chapter 39: Breaking the Chains
I opened my eyes to find the world was different around me. Standing up from where I was, I watched the purple grass swaying around me. Yet there was more life in them than there had been before. No longer could I truly call them demonic spirit herbs, as they were part of a greater cycle now.
I glanced back, and saw Ash sleeping comfortably. His wounds healed quickly now, and I had no doubts he would be fully recovered soon.
"Lu Jie… is that you?" Su Lin's voice called out, hesitant. I turned to look at the boy staring at me in a mix of confusion and fear that I could not understand. "Just what happened? There was this bright light, a flash of something and then… you changed."
At Su Lin's words, I looked down and noticed some new changes had arrived within my body. My hair-band had fallen off, letting my hair flow as it reached down all the way below my waist, having grown significantly longer. My skin looked pale, as if it had been formed anew. There was a new awareness around me, and for some reason, I knew what was in this place. Each crevice, each crack, I did not need eyes to see them, they were connected to me as much as my own body was.
"You… you look like some kind of fairy now," Su Lin said, walking closer. "Your eyes changed too."
I walked around, trying to find a source of water before an answer came to me. I raised my hand, and the Chi in the world around me swirled, forming water. It happened with ease, an ease I had only experienced before within my own spirit. Now it extended here as well.
I looked at the blob of water, but the surprise I felt did not reflect on my face. Somehow I knew how to do this, and this was merely the surface of it. I let the water settle, forming a mirror as I looked at my own face. Silvery wisps flowed around my body, giving me an otherworldly aura. My hair was let down, its deep black color contrasting with my pure white skin. A bright glowing ring of silver shone within my eyes.
I let the water go, before my senses told me something else. My gaze drifted towards the skies, as I felt the tribulations brewing. But these clouds… they were not for me. No, the heavens intended to strike not me, but everyone else within the valley. Even the mortals.
I felt my anger rising at the tyranny of their law. I had to stop it, before they could kill anyone.
"Stay here," I told Su Lin, as I walked out of the cave. Zhang remained at the entrance, still standing guard as I walked past him.
"Is something the matter Brother Jie? There was… a lot of light," Zhang replied.
I did not say anything, simply glancing back towards Zhang for a moment, looking at him. After a few quiet moments, I glanced up towards the sky, watching the swirling storm brewing above Taizhou.
"I need to do something," I said, before stepping into the air.
It came naturally to me, once again. The air felt solid beneath my feet as I rose into the sky. The world fell away beneath me as I rose higher and higher, until the village was merely a blip upon the surface. The clouds rumbled above me, the skies turning as the heavens stirred.
As my flight took me within the clouds themselves, I felt the anchor beneath me, tying me to the earth. Even here, I was still a part of my home, and it of me. Letting the Chi gather around my hands, I reached out into the skies.
I did not know what I was doing. But I knew this was right.
Little motes of light flew into my body, each living creature that existed within this place, each person that existed within my home, and was tied to me, they now formed a source of energy for me. Every leaf, every flower, every child, man, woman. All that existed under the heavens. Now they were a part of me.
Perhaps it was that. Perhaps I was no longer a person of my own, but also a representation of who they were. Their lives, and the sum of their existence, was now tied within my anchor, contained in the tree within my soul that shone with a light brighter than the very sun.
I drew upon the land and the people within it. No longer was my core limited to my weak shell, now it was tied to the entirety of Taizhou and all that lived within it. I let the light gather, I let it grow, and then, I reached out to the Heavens.
"I am their Lord," I proclaimed to the skies. "This tribulation is not theirs, but mine."
The heavens stirred for a moment as if startled. Then, with a powerful bolt lightning lashed out, striking my body. The loud boom rattled the air around me, yet I did not stop. The heavens shuddered and shivered, shaking as I continued to reach out towards them, and I saw something taking shape.
The winds carried me above, my strength failing to resist the torrents as the storms began to swallow me. Lightning struck me. Once. Twice. I let my Chi gather, using it to hold the worst of the blows back.
Three. Four. Five. My clothes singed, burning from the intensity of the attacks. My skin was charred now, blood seeping from my wounds.
I closed my eyes, letting my Chi gather, as the strikes grew in strength again.
Six.
I almost lost control as the lightning tore through my body. My arm rose, blocking the lightning as Chi gathered around my palms, holding the thunderstrike at bay. Smoke rose from my limb, now a burnt husk as it hung limp by my side. The pain was an afterthought, as I continued to rise.
Seven.
I blacked out for a moment, the world vanishing from my sight. Taking a hold of myself, I reoriented my flight; I looked out to the heavens, to the ends in sight and screamed.
Eight.
The world turned golden as the lightning swallowed me whole. My body burnt, broken down by the energy that threatened to rip me apart. I let the energy course through me, but this time, I reached out to it, and grabbed a hold of it.
"You love to use lightning, don't you?" I said, my voice booming from the Chi present in it and shaking the skies. "Have some for yourself."
I gathered the lightning as it turned to Chi, letting it build up in my body until I couldn't hold it any longer, then I aimed it towards the skies.
A roaring bolt rose into the heavens striking the clouds as they crumbled and scattered. The world turned bright at the brilliant light, as I rushed upwards into the skies.
My Chi flowed outwards, my remaining hand seizing the air, and I grabbed the thread of the very heavens.
Like strands that flowed all around, little invisible strings of fate that tied this world. Now, I reached out and grasped them. They gathered in my hand, as the clouds swirled around me, ready to swallow me within them.
I held them, these chains that bound the world beneath me. They swirled here, tangible threads of the order imposed upon this realm. So long as these existed upon this place, the Chi would not survive. So long as these chains remain, this world will never heal. No, no longer. I could not let them hurt my home. I grabbed the chains of fire, letting them burn my hand as I pulled them apart.
The skies tore themselves in half.
The clouds rumbled with lightning, separating into two parts, as Chi and Qi exploded within the world. The anchor within my soul glowed like a shining sun within the skies as its light burned through the dark tribulations cloud.
I felt something give, a crack, a fracture that had not been there. I screamed, my body breaking apart from the force it dealt with as I continued to pull.
Crack.
The chains shook, their hold failing to grasp upon the world. The heavens roared, they struck, but it was too late.
With a roar that shook the skies, I tore the chains of the heavens apart, as the world around me shattered into pieces.
The order that broke the cycle, the chains that bound this realm broke from this place. The tribulation clouds dissipated, as I felt the Qi start to mingle into the world. Slowly, it flowed inwards, into this realm tied to my spirit, starting to form into Chi instead.
I panted, watching the world around me from the skies. The sun glistened above me, a clear blue sky gracing me with its presence.
I felt my body changing, the Chi within my spirit fading. My hair grew shorter, my pale skin returning to normal as the step beneath me faded.
Slowly, I fell to the ground, watching the skies hanging above me with a calm look, as the air rushed past my ears.
To my surprise, it was not the ground that met my fall, but hands instead. They gripped me upon my shoulders, breaking my fall, and I looked up to see a familiar face.
"Hold on tight," Zhang said, as he grasped me, flying through the skies. I felt his Gravity Chi surging as we slowly began to descend.
"You're too good for me, Zhang," I whispered, as I watched him sweat, struggling to hold both of us with his new abilities. "But I did it. I freed this place. I feel like I can die peacefully now."
"Stay quiet Lu Jie," Zhang said, snapping for perhaps the first time ever. "We need you."
I looked at the boy, and then gave him a light nod, before closing my eyes.
Though I tried to fight for consciousness, my body gave in to the whims of my injuries and soon, darkness was all I saw.
Book 2: Chapter 40: Spirit Poison
Tiang Feng watched the skies with a melancholic look. Grey clouds stirred in his vision, remnants of the many tribulations that had been working their way across the Seventh Peak. Yet all of that failed to come close to what this one had done.
His spirit Xian Yue floated next to him, her ethereal face watching the skies along with him.
"Does the child know what he is doing?" she asked, looking at the shattered skies where the heavens no longer existed. "This is no longer mere defiance of a young cultivator. False though it may have been, he touched upon Divinity itself, breaking the order of the heavens. There will be consequences."
"I suspect he does not know," Tian Feng said, his gaze not leaving the skies. "But sometimes, not knowing can be a good thing."
"Not when his life will be in danger. You can no longer shield his fate, can you? All the seven peaks will know when they look, that this boy walks a new Path, and breaks the threads of Heaven."
Tian Feng frowned at her words, before turning. His hands were set behind his back, as his eyes scanned the world. The threads of fate burned as if on fire. The world had changed forever today. How many lives had been changed from their destined path? His own fate stirred as well, the future muddier in his sight.
"Do you still see the visions?" the lunar spirit asked. "Perhaps this change can alter the Path you foresaw?"
Tian Feng closed his eyes, and let his art settle the world around him. A ripple passed through reality, like a water droplet had fallen into a pond, leaving behind a singular wave that traversed through the world endlessly.
Mist gathered in the chamber, ghastly sights and sceneries forming and breaking apart as they did. He watched war, watched men and women dying to terrible beasts, and watched the fall of an empire.
But where before, the visions were clear, now they appeared muddier, unsettled. His sight changed, as he saw the boy sitting in chains. His spirit was broken, when a hand reached out, from the darkest place there existed. The whispers of a demon.
Tian Feng opened his eyes.
"The demon tempts, a trial of his will, but do we trust him to survive it? His Path could be led astray, especially should his loved ones come to harm."
"Interference would only make things worse. We'll have to trust the boy, and those that watch over him," Elder Tian Feng said, taking one last look at the skies before he turned to walk out of the chamber.
"Come, Xian Yue. We have much work to finish."
***
Elder Yan was seething in anger. His Qi senses had expanded, boosted by the arrays set around his chamber as his vision took in all of the seventh peak's skies. And though he would never whisper the thought out loud, the sight he saw from the eye of his spirit?
It terrified him.
The skies were shattered, and his vision could no longer even breach the perimeter. He had tried. A mere village, how could it have resisted the might of his spirit, with the entirety of his sect bolstering it?
Yet, as he had tried to pierce the boundary, a strange tree had burned brightly in his vision. The light of that tree nearly seared his spirit senses, as his wards had burned, catching fire from the radiance it projected.
That was no ordinary thing. That was a divine tree.
He'd heard stories. Very rare, when a spirit plant grows old enough, it can cultivate itself into the ranks of Divinity. Often, these trees do not survive that long, but if the Lord had given the boy something like that… everything would make sense. His growth, his powers, the unexplained flames and the tribulations.
Elder Yan clenched his fists and grit his teeth. So much for a demonic child of no consequence. Just what was the lord thinking? He spit on the ground in anger, looking at the skies.
"Shadow," Elder Yan spoke. The shadows around him stirred, and a moment later, a girl bowed behind him.
"Master," Zu Ri spoke. There was a shiver of fear in her voice, but Elder Yan ignored it.
"When does the Alchemy Hall's Elder arrive?" he asked.
"In a few days, Master. The journey from the capital is long."
Elder Yan looked back regarding the shadow that stood behind him. "Too long. We cannot wait a moment longer. The boy is no longer a mere pest. He is a threat. One that must be nipped in the bud," he spoke, feeling his anger seethe. Reaching out into his spirit containers, Elder Yan picked out a small vial in his hand that appeared with a flash of Qi. Mists rolled around the vial, a sinister power filling the contents within. "Take this. It is spirit poison. Potent enough to make even an Elder die in spirit. Use it, and assassinate the boy. Then we will carve the divine tree from his soul."
Zu Ri looked up at the man, surprised. "We—" she froze whatever she was going to say, before bowing her head again.
"Master. The young mistress would not… would not return if the boy is killed by you," Zu Ri whispered.
"She will come. This poison kills the spirit, but leaves the body alive. Even the lord should not possess a cure of this. But she will know that I do," he said.
Zu Ri looked up to him for a moment, before nodding as she took the vial in her hands. "As you command, Master."
Elder Yan watched the shadows stir, as Zu Ri blended into them, leaving the halls behind on her task.
The man turned, walking out to the balcony as he looked upon the skies and saw the cracks within the world. A shiver filled his body, but he suppressed it.
Once he had the boy in his hands and the divine tree for himself, it would be time to begin his plans.
The Seventh Peak was in need of a new Lord.
Book 2: Chapter 41: Changes
I opened my eyes, finding myself in my room. The smell of herbs was the first thing that I noticed, coming from the salves lathered upon my injuries underneath the bandages covering my right chest and arm. I tried to lift my arm, but found a sharp pain telling me not to push it. The tribulation had left a mark this time. Slowly seating myself upright, I tried to recall what I last remembered. A headache assailed me at the attempt, but the grogginess slowly washed away, and the memories came.
Right. Heavens. Chains. That was a lot.
I still did not understand what had happened. At the time, all I had been focused on was protecting the village from the heavens, everything else… it felt like a blur. Whatever it had been, it was powerful.
I looked around my room. It was nighttime, and the stars were slowly dancing across the sky as Lunar Qi… no, Lunar chi rose amidst the sky. Taizhou no longer had any Qi in it, or the presence of the Heavens above it. Standing up from my bed, I walked to the window to look out at the night sky.
I could see tribulation clouds in the distance, but the sky was clear above Taizhou, scant few clouds covered the night, with the moon bathing the world in its light. I could feel my connection to this place, stronger than ever before. The core of my spirit was connected to this land, and the things that lived within it. I looked at the grass swaying gently in front of me. I focused on my bond with the grass, and let my spirit mingle with it.
I could feel the grass, like a limb that was attached to my spirit. It was a part of me now. A new part, one I could harness if I so wished.
I tried to will the grass to sway, but it remained unmoving. I was doing this wrong, the tree in my spirit told me as much. I closed my eyes, and pictured the grass growing, focusing on every leaf, and every root. Once again, the chi did not move. Something was lacking here, and that thought stopped me.
Zhang's aura pulled me out of my daze, and I turned to see the boy standing behind me.
"Brother Jie!" Zhang exclaimed, rushing closer. "Please sit down, you're still injured," the boy said, grasping my hand. I tried to tell him I felt fine, but his grip was unrelenting and I gave in, taking a seat on the bed. "Are you feeling well? Let me bring Granny Lang."
"Zhang, don't," I said. "I'm alright, thank you. Don't disturb their sleep." I said with a smile.
"You were unconscious for three days, brother. Are you sure?" Zhang asked. His voice was filled with concern, and the sight made me smile.
"I'm sure. I feel alright, and I would rather not wake up the Granny needlessly. She may not show it, but age is catching up to her."
Zhang frowned, before giving a quiet nod as he stepped back from the gate in acceptance.
"Three days, huh. The tribulations hit harder than I had thought."
"We feared the worst. Granny said she could no longer sense your core," Zhang said.
I paused. "My core? Why can't you sense my core? It should be…" my words trailed off as I tried to reach out to my core, and found it missing from my abdomen. I froze, unsure of just what was happening. My core was missing? I reached out to Chi, and found it swirling around my fingers with no effort.
Zhang looked at me, the boy looking just as confused as I did.
"I don't think I have a core anymore," I told Zhang, not sure of what to make of my words. "Though I can use my Chi without any problems."
"You walk a new Path. Perhaps this is merely another step forward," Zhang said.
"Perhaps," I replied.
Zhang looked at me for a long moment of silence. The boy seemed uncertain, and so I prodded him. "Do you want to say something?"
Zhang nodded. "You look troubled brother."
"I did just defy the heavens," I replied with a smile, trying to hide the uncertainty I felt. Zhang did not smile, and I found my facade breaking. I sighed. "I feel afraid. Things are moving fast, and there's a lot happening that I don't really understand. I wish I had someone to guide me, but I have to walk an entirely new Path of cultivation on my own, and figure out how it works. Then there are the people who wish to harm us, and the people of this village. And more so than ever, it is my responsibility to protect them," I replied.
"We willingly choose to follow you, brother. Our wish is never to be a burden."
"You're not. But… never before in my life have my actions dictated how the lives of others will go. Never before was I responsible to secure the safety of not just one or two people, but an entire village. It is so easy to imagine myself standing bravely against danger, facing what enemy may come, but now that I truly have to, I find my resolve being tested, bending under the weight of who I must become," I said, raising my eyes to meet Zhang's.
"Truth be told, I've merely been throwing myself from one thing into the next. First alchemy, then my spirits, then the tournament, then the Lord. Even the beginning of my Path had been that; an escape, a way for me to cling to familiarity. If I was back home, I would not have made any grand changes. I would not have revolutionized the world. I walk on stolen ideals of people greater than who I pretend to be, but when the time comes, can I truly be the great person who people think I am?"
Zhang stood in silence, listening to my words. I felt pathetic, like I was moping around for nothing. I stopped, feeling my words die in my throat. Everything felt like a lie at this moment.
"Brother, do you know why I follow you?" Zhang asked.
I looked up at him for a moment, thinking of what to say, but found the truth slipping from my mouth. "Because you think you owe me. For Silverlight, and for healing your core."
Zhang shook his head.
"I do owe you my life, and everything else. But that is not why I follow."
"Then why?" I asked.
"Because you are like the sun. To me, to us, you bring light. It is not your knowledge, the Path you share, or any of those things. It is your nature, your kindness, your willingness to help those in need of help, and protect them from harm. In that, I see someone worthy of following," Zhang said, walking closer as he put a hand on my shoulder. "I call you my brother, Lu Jie. And no matter what, I know I will stand by your side until the end."
I stared at Zhang, before glancing down at my own hands. "I see. Thank you Zhang."
Zhang nodded, stepping back, and I took a deep breath, before nodding. "I have something to do. Follow me."
I made my way towards the open fields just outside the village and Zhang walked behind me silently, not asking any questions. Upon reaching a clearing that I thought was suitable, I stopped, taking a look around to make sure we were alone.
"Alright. It's been some time since you had your breakthrough. Have you tested your new abilities?" I asked.
Zhang shook his head.
"I thought so. You're too diligent in your work. You should spend more time being a little self-centered."
Zhang looked at me, before bowing his head. "Brother, I'm your blade. The weapon you wield. My purpose is to protect you. With you injured, how could I rest?"
"But now I am here. So why not begin now?" I said, before pointing at a nearby boulder. "Say, could you make that float?"
Zhang looked at the boulder, frowning. A moment later, he walked closer to the boulder, and began to focus.
I watched his Chi flare. Unlike mine, his was a strange shade of purple and deep blue. A hue that shifted between the two as it surrounded him.
The pebbles and grass began to sway around him, as I saw little rocks rising up into the air. A purple aura reached outwards, as the boulder began to shift and shudder. Zhang frowned, as his Chi wavered. The boulder lifted itself slightly, rising in the air, before the Chi faded as gravity returned to normal.
"It is difficult, still," Zhang replied, looking back at me. I gave a nod.
"When I was falling, you had jumped into the skies to catch me. How did you do that?" I asked.
Zhang paused. "I don't know," he replied. "I just… jumped, and I was there."
"Then try doing it again. Imagine someone precious to you is being crushed underneath that boulder, and the only way to save them is to lift it."
Giving me a nod, Zhang turned. Once again, Gravity Chi spread all around, and once again I saw the world stir. But unlike before, this time, the boulder didn't stir.
"Think, Zhang. Picture it, someone trapped underneath there, perhaps Twilight got stuck and is crying for help, and only you are there to save her."
Silently, I watched the Chi from around Zhang concentrate itself on the boulder. A breath passed, and another, before a purple aura covered the rock, and with a powerful shudder, the boulder was up in the air. Floating above the ground.
Zhang looked at the boulder, before turning towards me. "I did it."
"You did it," I said with a smile. "What was different this time?"
"Before, I had wanted to move the boulder, but I felt something resisting me, pulling it down. This time… all I wanted was to free whoever was stuck. And so instead of trying to pull it up, I decided to reduce what was keeping it there."
"So you can alter gravitational fields. Fascinating," I said. "Do you think you could do that to yourself and fly as well?" I asked.
"I can try," Zhang replied.
Closing his eyes, the boy concentrated. I saw gravity Chi gather around him, covering him in a purple aura. Slowly, I watched Zhang rising in his step as pebbles and rocks began to flow upwards towards him. A moment later, he lifted into the sky, hovering there.
I whistled, watching Zhang hovering and losing balance as the clutches of gravity left him. "Stay focused!" I said.
"It feels… strange," the boy said through clenched teeth.
"Yeah buddy, being weightless always does," I replied. "Adapt to the sensation, embrace it. You are cutting your ties to the earth. And then, using that, rise into the skies."
Zhang nodded, redoubling his efforts. The Chi around him flared as he raised further into the sky.
I watched him go higher and higher till he was a mere speck. I suspected he could touch the clouds if he wanted.
For a moment, I was worried if he would fall, but with how deftly he was moving in the skies, I suspected he would be fine.
My gaze came back down, and I looked around the world as a thought came to me. Could I fly as well? I had done it, during the tribulation. I did not truly understand how, but I had done it.
I reached out, remembering what Sheldon had taught me in my spirit core. Reaching out, I tried to raise myself into the air. A familiar sensation came, like what had happened when I had reached out to the grass. I could feel the world around me, it was there, ready to be grasped, and when I did, I would take to the skies, but every time I came close, something slipped by.
I tried to reach to my core, to draw strength from within, but found it empty like a mortal. I opened my eyes, feeling confused before I looked back up at Zhang in the skies.
"Looks fun," I said, feeling a little frustrated at whatever changes had occurred. Unable to give up, I gave it another shot. Closing my eyes, I recalled Sheldon's words. To sever my ties to the earth, and walk as if the air was my new ground.
Yet, when I tried to do so, nothing shifted. The whisper taunted me, telling me the answer was right there.
I opened my eyes, and sighed. The moon shone brightly in the sky. I watched Zhang flying freely like a child who'd been given wings. A smile hung on my lips and I couldn't feel too bad about my failure at that sight.
Things were changing, but that may not be a bad thing after all.