Prince Kael crosses the boundary of the stone doors, and his vision plunges into darkness. The statues he had seen just a second ago disappear, replaced by voices that start playing tricks on his hearing.
"Liar!" voices shout in his head. "Betrayer! You forgot everything!"
These shouts don't affect the boy at all; his face maintains the same cold expression, but for some reason, he doesn't go further. He freezes as if stupefied.
Some beings, at the same time, spy on him from different directions within the darkness. They watch him.
"Kill yourself! You don't deserve the name of Kael!" a woman's voice keeps repeating over and over again.
"The love of your life, and you don't remember her face!" it turns into a child's voice. "You succumbed to the evil within your heart. Imposter! Hypocrite."
The voices become louder. Inside Prince Kael's body, right next to his heart, a black wisp starts trembling, resonating with the cries.
"He failed after just one step?" an elderly voice appears out of nowhere, different and unheard by Kael.
"It shouldn't be. Such a great Heaven's Phenomenon, it's impossible for him to stop right at the entrance," an old woman's voice disagrees gently.
"His comprehension and root might be great, but it doesn't mean his heart is. It might be the way of the Heavens to compensate."
"With what he showed in the past few weeks, it's very unlikely."
"And what would you say to that, Azrael?"
"..." There is no response.
"Are you embarrassed by your first grandchild, ha-ha-ha?"
Right after these words are said, a change occurs. The voices bothering the boy scream even louder, but it isn't to provoke or shake Kael's heart.
On the contrary, it is a scream of fear. Kael opens his eyes, both burning with a purple, mysterious light. He breathes in and starts absorbing the voices of demons, tricksters of the mental realm.
"No!" all of them cry in agony, the first threat to their very existence in thousands of years. "Save us!"
Their pleas are in vain. After a few seconds, silence pervades the hall, and inside Kael's Qi center, the fire spark starts burning wilder than it ever had before.
As the silence settles, the figures of Kael's ancestors emerge from the shadows, their faces a mix of shock and admiration.
"Ha-ha-ha! Unbelievable," Azrael heartily laughs, stepping forward. "All of Vespera's praise for you wasn't just empty words!"
He looks majestic and has an oppressive aura around him, with a mustache curling upwards and wearing golden ornate glasses.
A woman, standing beside him, nods in agreement. "Disposition of a True Demon indeed... Subduing corrupted voices as easily as you did is a feat unheard of."
She looks young but has a much more mature and restrained disposition. Her eyes can be described as wise and calm, just like a still lake.
Another imposing and burly man looks at Kael with a mix of respect, "Your strength and determination are truly exceptional. Reminds me of myself at your age. Ha-ha-ha."
He doesn't wear anything on top of his torso, demonstrating a perfect robust physique.
"Old fool!" Azrael interrupts him, "You were the embarrassment of Velrath!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The two old men look at each other angrily.
"Don't pay any attention to these two, they sometimes get too bored cultivating in this place. My name is Saphira, Saphira Velrath. I should be your aunt."
Kael straightens and bows respectfully. "Greetings, ancestor. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Kael Velrath."
"A well-mannered boy, what a pleasure."
"Stop lying, Saphira, you are my aunt, how come you are his too?" Azrael comments.
"If I say I am his aunt, then I am his aunt..."
"I think you are missing one generation here."
"No, I am not..."
"Ha-ha-ha, great-aunt, Kael. She is your great-aunt."
Suddenly the air's temperature falls by a dozen degrees.
"You are a rude youngster!"
The burly man harrumphs but keeps silent.
Azrael places a hand on Kael's shoulder, "Don't mind us, as Saphira said, we are too bored here. Us three ancestors who are awake have too much free time when we are not cultivating."
"Awake ancestors? It means there are those who are in slumber?"
"Exactly, you didn't think we are the only ancestors of the great family such as Velrath, did you?"
"Of course not..."
Kael's grandfather smiles and continues, "Let's proceed with introductions then. I am Azrael Velrath the Third, your grandfather and former Myriad Demon Emperor. Saphira, as she introduced herself earlier, is your Aunt. So you can call her Aunt Saphira; she was the Saintess of our Empire."
"I still am, for now, until we find a candidate to replace me."
"Yes... And this brainless thug is Thalor Velrath the Second."
"I was called the Greatest Strategist of Myriad Demon, nobody would ever call me brainless!" Thalor says, "I was the Warlord of the Empire, responsible for expanding our Empire's borders in the past."
"It is an honor to witness you, Ancestors!" Prince Kael kneels on one knee.
The three Ancestors squint, noticing that he only bends a knee. It isn't a full proper bow, how one would usually do in front of their Ancestors.
"His words are polite but actions," Saphira thinks to herself, "Actions speak louder than words, his ambition is self-evident."
Azrael sighs and stops Kael, "You can stop now, no need for formal etiquette."
Kael nods, "Thank you, Grandfather. Can you tell me about this place, the Ancestor Land? What were those voices?"
Saphira smiles gently. "The Ancestor Land is a sacred realm where the spirits of our ancestors reside. It is a place of trials and enlightenment, where only the worthy may enter."
"Yes," Thalor continues, "It has rich Spiritual Qi for cultivation and also formations to refine one's Dao Heart. The voices you heard were the corrupted wills of cultivators who failed during their cultivation in the past. Not from our family but from all over the Empire. They are gathered and used here to temper one's will."
"To refine them is a complicated task, so that's why we are so shocked to see you do it so effortlessly."
"And what of the Old Demon World?" Kael asks, curiosity in his eyes. "I've heard legends Mother told me, but the details elude me."
Azrael's expression grows serious. "The Old Demon World is a great secret, one hidden within the Stele of Blood. This monument, built by the first emperor of Velrath, contains the secrets of our origin and the truths of our existence."
Saphira adds, "The Stele of Blood waits for the chosen one of the greatest era to decipher its secrets. We once believed the chosen one would emerge during the Ascension Era, but no demon has been able to unravel its mysteries."
"The stele is hidden within the depths of the Ancestor Land. Only those at the limit of the Ascension realm can attempt to comprehend it. It is said that the one who deciphers its secrets will usher in a new age for our empire."
"So you shouldn't dive too deeply into it. Old Demon World is just a place of myths for you now, and it should be for the time being."
"Got it, thank you for your guidance, Ancestors."
The three of them smile, "Let us then present you with some small meeting gifts. It would be inappropriate to let you go just like that."
"Yes! Here, take it," Saphira stretches out her hand and a small earring materializes itself, "This treasured earring is called Moonlight's Promise. Wearing it will gather the Yin Energy of the world and refine it into Pure Yin Qi for your cultivation. Although it's more appropriate for female cultivators, our Velrath lineage has a lot of Yin-based spells."
Thalor takes out a book, "This is my experience of the body refining path. I can sense you have talent connected with the Physical Arts, so it should help you. It also describes various treasures and herbs with their effects for your cultivation."
"My turn... I will give you one of my most prized possessions..." Azrael gives Kael a simple black cube, "This is an artifact. I've left a wisp of my Divine Sense on it to explain its properties."
"Thank you, Ancestors! I won't disappoint your expectations."
"We will be looking forward to your rise. Now go. The banquet should be starting soon."
Kael bows slightly one more time and leaves the Ancestor Land.
Kael's eyes burn with determination as he thinks, "Stele of Blood... I will uncover its secrets. I will set a small goal of achieving the Ascension realm. No secrets should exist in this world with me here."
He smiles and goes forward, pondering the reason behind his success in refining the corrupted voices. He figures it should be the combination of his talents—the Body of Martial Dreams and Eternal Darkness. The former grants him a body that is adaptable and can project his will into manifesting divine abilities, while the latter dominates and corrupts everything.
"Subduing the eternal ghost voices, making them weak, shouldn't have been a surprise," he thinks to himself.
<------Writer------>
I might be taking a break, as the work is a little bit busy right now...