Kori purification.
The world around Kori dissolved into a whirlwind of frost and ice. She stood in the eye of a blizzard, the storm raging with merciless fury. Ice erupted from her body uncontrollably, lashing out in every direction, freezing everything in its path. Her family stood before her, terror etched into their faces, their bodies immobilized by the very force she couldn't control. Her breath came out in frantic gasps, clouds of frost escaping her lips.
"No... please... I don't want this! I don't want to hurt you!" Her voice cracked, pleading with the storm. But the ice paid no heed to her cries. It surged from her core, tearing apart the ground beneath her feet, the air around her becoming colder and colder—deathly cold.
Her heart pounded in her chest, the horror of watching her family become nothing but frozen statues overwhelming her. "Why is this happening?" The weight of helplessness crushed her spirit, and she could feel the cold wrapping around her soul, dragging her deeper into despair.
But then, amidst the howling winds and biting cold, she felt a flicker of warmth in the storm's centre—small, fragile, but alive. Her breath slowed, and something shifted within her. "I... control this," she whispered, her voice cutting through the storm like a blade through the ice.
The storm stilled. The ice that had once raged now obeyed. She raised her hands, and with a steady, commanding breath, the blizzard began to calm. The frost withdrew from her family, the cold retreating back into her body, no longer ruling her but bending to her will.
And then the fire came.
Hellfire tore through her veins, burning away every impurity, every weakness. Her body was no longer hers—it was being torn apart, reshaped, rebuilt. Pain surged through her like molten steel, her bones crackling under the pressure. For ten excruciating minutes, she endured the torment, each second feeling like an eternity.
But when it ended, Kori stood, her breath steady, her strength undeniable. The storm within her was gone. The ice, once wild and uncontrollable, was now hers to command.
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Kori finally stepped out from the depths, her figure emerging like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Her eyes cast an ethereal glow that highlighted their determination.
Kori arrived before her and greeted her master, Valdir, and Misaki.
After greeting them, she looked at her master and said, "Master, ever since I was a kid, I always feared death; my family member and I tried everything in our arsenal but were unable to achieve anything."
"When I was kid, I thought I would die alone in coldness, but as I started getting bigger, I realised my coldness not only affected me but also my surroundings, which means it also endangers the people who are close to me."
" That's the reason I live in a cave away from people, planning to die alone; thanks for giving me another life, master."
Hearing her, Xenos smiled softly and said, "Your body is called nine-yin, neither physical nor mental; it is controlled now, but it can erupt again."
Before Kori can feel panic, Xenos explains," But if you practice the cultivation technique I give you, you can easily control and benefit from it, so there is no need to panic. I will always be there to support you."
Kori smiled from the bottom of the heart, and after a few talks, they waited for the final disciple to arrive.
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Maximo purification
Maximo stepped into the heart of the trial, and the world around him twisted. There was no fire, no storm, only silence—a suffocating, endless silence. And then, he saw her. His sister, lying limp in his arms, her small frame stained with blood, her eyes closed as if forever lost to him. The image tore through him like a blade.
"I promised you," his voice cracked, barely a whisper as his trembling hands clutched her lifeless form. "I swore I'd protect you… no matter what." The weight of his words fell heavy, his heart screaming at the impossibility of undoing what had been done. The guilt suffocated him, wrapping around his chest like iron chains. His promise, once a symbol of his strength, now seemed like a curse.
He looked down at her, his vision blurred with tears. Once so full of life, her fragile body was now covered in crimson. Blood soaked through his hands, and no matter how tightly he held her, the warmth was gone. He shook her gently, desperation filling his voice. "Why… why did it have to be you?" But the answer never came. It never had.
For what felt like an eternity, Maximo sat there, paralyzed, the scene repeatedly replaying—each time more agonizing than the last. He had sacrificed everything for her and used forbidden alchemy to save her. But what had it really cost? Was she genuinely alive, or was she just a shadow of what she used to be?
And then, a moment of clarity. "I didn't fail you. I did this for you… because I love you." His voice, though broken, carried the weight of truth. The nightmare flickered, and for the first time, Maximo saw beyond the blood and pain. His love and sacrifice—no matter the cost had been truth.
With that realization, the nightmare shattered. The vision of his sister faded, and the world of Hellfire returned. But the pain wasn't over. His body erupted in flames, every cell burning as the purification took hold. But this pain was different. It wasn't torment—it was a rebirth.
For three agonizing hours, the hellfire ravaged Maximo's body, burning through him with relentless intensity. Every inch of his being was consumed in flames, scorching his skin, tearing through muscle, and searing down to the very marrow of his bones.
The pain was unbearable, a constant wave of agony that seemed to stretch into eternity. Yet, with each searing moment, the fire did more than destroy—it began to heal.
His shattered, lifeless, and broken meridians were restored and flowed with energy again. Old wounds vanished as the flames repaired them, and the impurities that had once weighed him down were burned away completely.
His heart, once burdened with guilt and regret, was freed, and the years of lifespan he had sacrificed in desperation to save his sister were miraculously restored.
Maximo stood tall when the fire finally receded, his body whole and unmarked, more robust than ever. The weight of exhaustion that had haunted him for years was gone, replaced with an overwhelming sense of renewal.
His lifespan had been renewed, and his spirit felt lighter, no longer shackled by the past. He was no longer the broken man who had entered hellfire—he had emerged reborn, a warrior reforged in flames, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
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Xenos and the other disciples are waiting for the completion of the Maximo purification. However, after waiting more than two hours, he still hasn't arrived.
Misaki's worry couldn't be contained any longer. Her voice was soft but filled with concern as she approached their Master. "Master, do you think there is anything wrong with Brother Maximo's purification?"
Xenos glanced at her, calm yet reassuring. "No, there's nothing wrong. His purification takes longer. His body has been crippled, his lifespan damaged. It's only natural it would take time for the hellfire to heal what's been broken."
Misaki nodded, though her worry didn't entirely fade. Valdir and Kori, though silent, shared her unease, their expressions betraying their thoughts.
Seeing their reaction, Xenos asked, "Do you guys know each other from before?"
To answer this question, Valdir replied, "Master, we come from hidden families. We've had some contact over the years. Each of us carries the burden of being the 'black sheep,' the outcasts of our families. We may not know each other personally, but... we understand each other's struggles."
Misaki and Kori nodded in silent agreement. The mood hung heavy, the weight of their pasts creeping in.
But Xenos wouldn't allow them to linger in that darkness.
"There is no need to be depressed about it; now you have changed your fate, so all the people who have spoken back to you will kneel in front of you."
A small smile tugged at the corners of their lips, and in unison, they responded, "Yes, Master."
Just then, movement stirred in the distance. A figure appeared, walking towards them. Maximo had returned but was no longer the broken boy they remembered. His skin glowed with health, and his posture was strong and upright. The dark circles beneath his eyes had vanished, and life pulsated through his very being.
Seeing this, Misaki, Kori and Valdir are all surprised.
Maximo, seeing his Master and other disciples standing in front, walked towards them, knelled in front of his Master, and said, "Master, my greatest fear was leaving the world early when my sister was unconscious; now, you have given me a chance to change the future. I will never forget it in my life."
"Please acknowledge my kowtow"
Before Maximo reached the ground, Xenos stepped in and stopped him. "I don't need you to kowtow." Patting his soldier, he said, "This is what a master should do."
Let's go back; we still have a lot to talk about.
[ going on a break, new chapter will be back on 14-07-2024]