In the next instant, Zhen snapped back to his body, unleashing a thunderous burst of spirit energy that surged outward like a tidal wave, forcefully propelling everyone backward.
The elders staggered, shielding their faces from the onslaught, while the clan leader stood resolute, his hand forming a barrier to protect himself and Hao from the torrent of energy.
"Did the ritual fail?" Elder Mei mused, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Hmm, seems like it," Elder Bi replied, his expression grave as he folded his hands in contemplation.
A mixture of disappointment and relief washed over the elders' faces.
"Whatever the outcome, I'm still in a favorable position," Elder Mei chimed in with a sly grin, ever the opportunist.
As the clan leader pondered, his expression darkened with concern. "This kid's soul is likely damaged," he thought, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to Zhen's forehead, and a spark of realization flickered in his eyes.
There, the crescent moon insignia had transformed, resembling almost a quarter of the full moon, vertically.
"That mark... it's evolved," a smile spread across the leader's face, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Perfect."
Elder Mei shot a puzzled glance at the clan leader, his mind swirling with questions. "What's with the jubilation?" he pondered, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
Following the leader's gaze, his eyes landed on Zhen, and then, with a sense of incredulity, on the young man's forehead. "What in the world?" His eyes widened in disbelief. "This outsider actually evolved the moon insignia?" He clenched his fists in frustration. "Hey, gods, are you even listening to me?"
In the next breath, the lotus petals began to glow with a mystical light.
Observing the phenomenon, Elder Zhong sprang into action. "One... five... ten... fifteen... seventeen... eighteen," he counted, pausing momentarily to confirm. "Xiao Bi Zhen, eighteen petals, fourth-grade talent," he declared, his voice echoing with uncertainty.
Confusion clouded the faces of the onlookers.
"Isn't he supposedly blessed with the supreme Orbis? How can he be only fourth grade?" queried one elder, his voice tinged with skepticism.
Another elder, his hands folded in consternation, replied, "It defies all logic. Even if one can't fully develop the Orbis, their innate talent should still grant them a higher grade. How could his be so lacking?"
"Yes, a second grade at least," chimed in another elder in a blue traditional dress, echoing the sentiments of the group.
Zhen rose from the lotus, his mind buzzing with questions. "Only eighteen petals... that's really subpar. With this talent, the road ahead will be quite the challenge," he mused, his expression retaining its characteristic calm and stoicism.
"I suppose I'll have to pull double the weight, especially with the astral splendor," he contemplated, his eyes scanning the possibilities for the future. With a swift motion, he returned to his original position.
As he glanced around, he noticed every elder's gaze fixed upon him. "What?" he pondered inwardly, scrutinizing their expressions.
Surveying the scene, he observed the youths lying on the floor, clutching themselves and shivering. "What happened here, all of a sudden?" he wondered, his confusion evident. Glancing towards the opening in the roof, he noticed the morning light streaming in, a stark contrast to the night-like atmosphere created by the spirit energy earlier.
"Once again, it seems today has been quite the ride, bursting my self-created bubble," he realized with a sigh ,"How can I be so wrong, and every time, it feels like someone is toying with me," Zhen muttered to himself, frustration lacing his tone.
(Here, Zhen's belief that the astral splendor would possibly halt time or significantly slow it down was shattered; he was wrong.)
The leader's gaze remained fixed on Zhen, his thoughts swirling with concern. "There is something very wrong with this one," he mused inwardly, a hint of unease creeping into his mind.
"Huh, a fourth grader," Hao Tian chuckled lightly, his tone laced with skepticism. "Let's see how you'll survive the academy."
Without delay, the leader stepped forward and addressed the gathered elders. "Respected Elders, the boy's second awakening was a failure, and the spirit awakening ceremony is over. Heal the unconscious youths and let us depart from the crystal cave," he declared, his tone authoritative. With that, he swiftly departed the area, with Hao Tian trailing behind him.
Hao Tian continuously looked at Zhen with the best death stare he could muster, resembling more of a confused owl trying to intimidate a mouse. "What is that? And what's up with that guy?" Zhen thought inwardly, struggling to contain his laughter at the attempt, but his willpower didn't gave in and he remained stoic.
In the blink of an eye, everyone found themselves outside the crystal cave. The previously unconscious youths were now standing, albeit looking worse for wear.
The elders soon forged ahead, followed by the kids.
"Hey, did you guys pass out during Bi Zhen's turn?" one kid inquired, rubbing his head.
"Yeah, it felt like an invisible elephant squashed me," another kid replied with a grimace.
"What happened next? What's his grade?" a kid with sparkling emerald eyes asked eagerly.
"No one knows except him or the elders. I tried asking some other kids, but they were clueless too," a boy explained, gesturing animatedly.
"Why not just ask him directly?" suggested a girl in a purple dress, her jade eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Huh, like he'd ever talk to us," the first kid scoffed, shaking his head as they continued forward.
"Huh, what does that suppose to mean?" the girl named Mei Aiko said, her confusion evident. She then walked up to Zhen, who was striding ahead.
Extending her hand for a shake, she chirped, "Hello, My name is Mei Aiko. You would be Zhen, right?" Her smile was as bright as a spotlight, practically dazzling anyone nearby.
Zhen didn't even spare her a glance, marching forward with the determination of someone who has no time for niceties. Aiko's extended hand hung in the air, like a question waiting to be answered.
"How rude!" Aiko huffed, her cheeks puffing up like a pufferfish. But undeterred, she chased after him again.
Once more, with an even bigger smile that could rival the sun, she asked, "So, what's your talent, Zhen?" She practically skipped beside him, awaiting a response with bated breath.
But alas, Zhen remained as silent as a mime in a library, leaving Aiko to wonder if she was invisible.
s he pondered, Zhen felt a knot of concern tighten in his stomach. "First time meeting that spirit," he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed with worry. "If it stays in my head, I have to act fast. I don't want anyone or anything rummaging through my thoughts."
With determination set in his gaze, he quickened his pace, his mind already racing with plans to safeguard his mental fortress. "I need to get home, analyze this situation, and fortify my defenses," he resolved, his steps becoming more purposeful with each passing moment.
As Zhen strode ahead, Aiko, determined to get his attention, hurried after him. However, in her haste, she collided with someone and tumbled to the ground with a loud thud.
"Watch where you mo—" Aiko began, but her words caught in her throat as she noticed the figure before her, prompting her to let out a startled scream.
The sudden outcry drew the attention of the elders and other kids, who looked on in concern. Seeing the cloaked figure , One of the children, voice trembling, whispered, "It's the ghost of that widowed woman," sending waves of panic through the group. The elders quickly formed a protective circle around the children, preparing for the worst.
Meanwhile, Zhen, now a few paces ahead, glanced back at the commotion, his curiosity piqued. "What in the world is going on?" he mused, his stoic demeanor unchanged by the unfolding chaos.
Before her stood a figure, it's form contorted and twisted, it's back arched forward in a grotesque manner that brought it's eye level with the children. Wrapped in a tattered white cloth, it exuded an eerie presence that sent shivers down the spine.
The figure's face bore the marks of unspeakable horror, as if it had been torn asunder and hastily stitched back together. Gaping wounds marred her features, with one eye socket empty, the other housing a hollow void filled with charred remnants. It's skin, corroded and decayed, seemed to crumble away with each passing moment, revealing the bone beneath. Instead of hair, it's scalp bore gaping holes, as though overrun by moss and decay.
The sight of this macabre figure sent shockwaves of terror through the onlookers, freezing them in place as they recoiled from the ghastly sight before them.
The elders pushed the kids back, creating a barrier between them and the horrifying figure. Elder Zhong, stepped forward to confront the entity. "What manner of being are you?" he demanded, his voice authoritative.
The figure's broken smile twisted into something sinister as it replied with a deep, hoarse voice that seemed to emanate from the depths of the underworld. "Elder Zhong, do you not recognize me?" it crooned, sending chills down everyone's spines. "You once called me your pink blossom."
Elder Zhong's eyes widened in horror as realization dawned upon him. "Yuna! But you... you were dead," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
The figure laughed, a sound that seemed to echo from the darkest depths of the abyss. "Death would have been a mercy compared to the torment I endured," it hissed, eyes gleaming with malice. "But vengeance kept me tethered to this world."
With a swift motion, the figure seized Aiko, her captive, and conjured a wicked blade made of swirling wind. Pressing the blade against Aiko's neck, she held her hostage, the sheer terror evident in Aiko's wide eyes and streaming tears.
Elder Zhong sprang into action, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger. "Yuna, how did you..." But before he could finish his sentence, Yuna cut him off with a chilling revelation.
"How did I survive, you ask?" Yuna's voice dripped with venom, each word laced with bitterness. "After you used my body for your desires and cast me out like refuse, left me for dead to be devoured by beasts, so no one will know about your righteous deeds, I clung to life by sheer force of will."
Elder Zhong's face contorted with rage. "You dare to speak of virtue, after consorting and loosing your virginity with a scoundrel , a low life? , I was the one who protected you and now you slander my name" he spat, his voice thick with contempt.
"Huh, protected me", Yuna's laughter echoed through the forest, a cruel sound that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a multitude of razor-sharp wind swords, hovering menacingly above their heads.
"Elder's barrier!" Elder Bi shouted, his voice ringing out with urgency. In an instant, a protective barrier formed around them, but Yuna's malevolent laughter only grew louder.
"Do you truly believe your feeble barrier can withstand my wrath?" Yuna's voice dripped with malice as she unleashed a barrage of wind swords, each one hurtling towards the barrier with deafening force. A resounding crash reverberated through the forest as the barrier strained against the onslaught.
"You should count yourself lucky," she began, her eyes piercing elder Zhong's soul, "for today, your sins will go unpunished. But as for him..." She turned to Zhen, her expression contorted with a mixture of malice and determination. "Today, his reckoning has come."
Elder Zhong's mind raced with a flurry of questions and concerns. "Zhen!" he thought, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty. "What could he have done to her? Or did someone from outside..." A sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
He shouted, "Protect Zhen!" His voice reverberated through the tense air, but before anyone could react, Yuna stood menacingly before Zhen.
"Twerp, remember me," she hissed, her voice dripping with venomous intent.
"Who? Exactly," Zhen retorted, taking measured steps backward, his stoic demeanor barely concealing his apprehension. "I didn't bring my knives today either. This won't be easy," he mused silently.
"Your human anatomy subject," she spat, her smile twisted into a grotesque mask of vengeance.
"Today is really not a good day," Zhen thought ruefully, his mind racing with the impending danger.
With swift precision, the woman thrust the wind blade toward Zhen's neck, a ruthless determination in her hoarse voice. "Today, I will avenge Raku. Die, you bastard!" she growled, her words heavy with unforgiving intent.
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Mass release (SUNDAY) :
160 stones = 2 chaps
200 stones = 4 chaps
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