Not only Alzeer the rest two with him were filled with despair and hate, hate not just towards the phoenix but the heavens for the injustice they were in, they had lost all faith and were treading on the edges of collapse, even Xiao felt burning anger in his heart as he looked at how humans were being treated like mere wastes
Soon a phoenix scream was heard above as Amber descended beside Xiao, her were arms bleeding as her gaze turned towards them as she spoke in astonishment
"Why haven't you been evacuated?!"
Her voice was loud and anxiety-filled but in return to her question all she got was a confused look, seeing it she quickly understood what had happened, her murderous eye stone towards the three who were looking at her with the same look
"You dare defy my orders?!"
She barked but before she could say anything Naria did
"Yes! we did! if you placed her life above even the children of our human race then she needs to die along with this wretched race of yours!"
"YOU!"
Amber raised her hands to kill them but before she could a powerful Skylla arrived close as it targeted Xiao and Yurou, Amber snorted as she waved her hands and burned it to crisp but it was not over as millions more were invading, at the same time phoenixes were dying by the minute, Amber's eyes turned blood red as she screamed to the sky
"Zorax how dare you betray us! even if I die here today I will make sure to bring you with me to the afterlife!"
With that she placed a barrier around them before she flew to the sky where a war of unprecedented size continued to wage on, the blood of many filled the ground and the sky turning red, some didn't die whole as they were devoured by the Skylla becoming their power, immortals like moves to world-ending strikes were being hit here and there, flames died the world, while death danced in the battlefield
It was a war in which everyone fought to give their life, none backed down as they died willingly for a chance to see their loved ones survive, Xiao stayed there protected as he looked at this humongous war where stars and worlds were destroyed by the aftershocks, within all this he had once again being reminded of how small and powerless he truly was
And once he thought of this he once again felt a pull in his soul, unlike the last time he was now prepared as he appeared on the sword world with the cloaked being seated on the throne with a hand in its face, boringly watching as everything proceeded forward, its blue sword-like eyes looked directly at Xiao as it spoke
"You're calm in the face of death Gravewalker"
"What else should I do scream and cry? what would that give me? this is merely the product of my weakness"
Xiao calmly spoke to the being on the throne as his eyes wandered through the world, he knew that he and Yurou was on the tips of death, right now the fight was not at all looking good, thousands were dying in vain, none that were fighting had any way to help them as the war took their entire focus
The only thing that stood between absolute death was the barrier that Amber set up which was being weakened with each hit, now he was left alone in a war where even the smallest residual wave will turn him to dust, betrayed by humans themselves, he could see that both him and Yurou should have been evacuated by Alzeer and the rest, yet they threw him into the war, granted their aim was Yurou it doesn't change the fact of betrayal
And from what Amber shouted even the Phoenix were betrayed by someone from the inside, they might survive this due to the innumerable deep foundation they have but the death of millions is not a far fetched idea, he and Yurou will be part of this too, Xiao rose his head as he looked at the being in the throne as he spoke
"During the ancient times there laid a powerful species they called themselves the rulers of the sword, their way of cultivating too was unique, their total number in the vast cosmic world of cultivation only numbered to 100, an insignificant number but none dare challenge their might"
Xiao paused for a moment as he gazed at the being on the throne, who now had a nostalgic look in its eyes before he continued
"Their way of cultivating was so powerful that even the heavens themselves trembled in their might, the Mercuvial they called themselves, for they grew strong by crafting different words into swords, be it the sword in the ground or the one that one uses all will bow to Mercuvials, for they were the Dream, king, Emperors and the Gods of the sword"
"Any and all swords will bow into submission to their power, no Man, God, Demon or Angel, dare face their wrath until the whole world of cultivation banded together to get rid of them.....no one knows the outcome, all everyone knew was that millions of worlds disappeared from existence while the Mercuvials themselves vanished into the corners of history"
With that Xiao stopped as he looked at the person that was lost within his mind but soon it shook it off as it... a Mercuvial spoke
"You're quite knowledgeable Gravewalker"
"It's one of the main history of the cultivation world that all know, how could it be forgotten when the trillion that went to fight never came back?"
"He..hehe...indeed those were good times"
The Mercuvial chuckled, Xiao's eyes flashed as he looked at the thousands of swords that created this very reality, just imagining the lives the person in front of him had taken shook him but he was quickly broken it off as he heard the one on the throne speak
"It's similar, isn't it? the world always fears the unknown"
"Indeed I think it's normal though, the world always feared the powerful and the unknown, it only matters if you have the power to make the world tremble in your wrath"
"...."
"...."
For a moment silence reigned before which the Mercuvial spoke
"Tell me Gravewalker, what do you think of your journey till now? angry? disappointed? or sad? at the fickle of life that flips at any time?"
"You could say that I am feeling all of then, the disdain of the phoenixes, the will of the heavens that grants powers, the irony of how in the end betrayal is same for all but in the end, I only came to the same truth I have always known"
"Oh? what's that?"
The Mercuvial spoke with a twinkle in its sword-like eyes, Xiao bore deeply into its eyes as the feeling deep within his heart burst forth
"Strength! strength is the universal truth in them all!, be it from the disdain to the betrayal to the war, it's all the same as long as I have absolute strength! all of them wouldn't be a problem! I want strength such that even the cosmic gods would never think of hurting the people I hold dear..."
With his final words, Xiao calmed down as he bore deeply into the being in front of him, a being that at once was called the God Of Swords, a being that holds the very domain of swords that once cut through the very fabric of Fate and Karma, rendering the plans of the very cosmos null
"I see...."
The Mercuvial spoke as its eyes left Xiao and gazed deeply into the sky, a multitude of emotions and pasts flashed through its eyes as it gazed back at Xiao as it spoke
"You're right Gravewalker absolute strength is the only truth in this vast unforgiving cultivation world, powerful civilization to unending beasts that ruled the laws, all of them only stood tall because they had the power that spooked all that wished them harm"
The Mercuvial stopped for a moment before which it spoke again
"For time immemorial, be it kindness or ruthlessness, good or evil, Yin or Yang, Truth or Lies, it doesn't matter, what mattered is that if you have the strength and if you do then what you say goes, history was always written by the winner, that was ironically the only truth within the past that stayed the same"
As it finished speaking mind blogging silence, remained in the space, Xiao stood there without any word as he gazed at the being with power that was far beyond his understanding, he didn't ask nor scream for help for he was unworthy of it, favor or demands, and request can only be done by people that have the same level
Xiao understood that deeply, hence he stayed there in silence, meanwhile, the Mercuvial, sat there in silence, deeply pondering about something, within its eyes Xiao's karma, fate lines, his destiny all of them kept flashing, the more it saw the more puzzled it became soon it opened its mouth as it spoke
"Gravewalker show me your past and your present"
Xiao was startled for a moment as he heard this request, in the end, he just shrugged his shoulders as he opened himself to the being in front of him, by choice all his secrets were laid bare, he wasn't afraid as he knew that the person in front of him was long dead, as for how? well it was a gut feeling that keeps hitting him
The only thing left of the person was the domain he sat on, while the wisp of the past connected to it by sheer will, while Xiao stayed silent, the being on the throne looked all through Xiao, and the more it saw the more its eyes twinkled, finally, a sigh left its mouth as it spoke
"Xiao my names Torex Swordzeit"
Xiao stood there silence as Torex who refused to use his name used it, Torex gazed deeply at Xiao before which the cloak on his face dissipated bringing in the visage of a ridiculously handsome man with blue hair and eyes that would cause all women to be swept off their feet, a deep pride and arrogance brimmed deep with him, all that was and wasn't bowed to him in respect
"Xiao in truth I never hoped to pass my domain to any, it was the accumulation of blood, sweat, and tears of the past but seeing how even the heavenly destiny screwed you over I wish to pass it on to you"
"What do you mean when you say that the heavenly destiny screwed me over?"
Xiao asked with narrowed eyes, while the domain thing interested him, what drew his attention was the part of being screwed over, Torex chuckled he spoke
"You should know about the barriers of Karma and fate hence I can't say much but you should know that the 'gifts', rebirth, and power that you are receiving is not something without a cost, the #$%$% has a use for you hence they uprise you but once you lose your value everything would come falling"
"What should I do?"
Xiao asked with narrowed eyes, he wasn't able to hear the name of the one toying with his fate and he didn't ask for more information as he knew that he wasn't going to receive it
"Simply become an 'Irregular' that breaks the bonds of Fate and Karma, willing it to your desires, though you seem to be partially one"
Xiao's mind churned with several ideas, he felt as if he was gasping for something that was far yet close at the same time, his mind raced for a few more seconds before which he spoke again
"Are there any 'Irregulars' before and what do you mean I am partially one?"
Xiao asked carefully not knowing if it would hit upon the laws of causality, Torex nodded his head as he spoke
"You aren't the first to be dealt with in such a fashion Xiao, there have been many before you, heroes are chosen at the end and beginning of Chaos but the number that was able to wield fate and causality can be counted on one hand"
"In your first life everything you should have was stripped away, I could see that a certain being is hiding his presence while protecting you, with the memories of the future you have already started to change fate in an unprecedented manner, making you already a partial Irregular"
Xiao's thoughts became much more serious when he heard this, the cultivation world has a huge...huge history that one wouldn't even be able to count, and for only such a small number to exist means that it's extremely hard to accomplish it, even then he felt more curious to the person that played him to death and the one giving him a chance to redo it all but the most important question all boiled down to why?
Xiao wasn't all that effected by this bullshit of fate, karma and all, he's Xiao and that hadn't changed, why should he start throwing tantrums and screaming for something that has happened? it won't change a thing, Torex didn't wait for Xiao to digest it all as he spoke
"Oh! also don't speak of this outside, the only reason I was even able to say this much to you was that you are currently in my domain that trends between the known, unknown, and death, making the presence of #$%^ weak"
After saying so he peered into Xiao with a thoughtful look, seeing it Xiao asked
"What?"
"Nothing, it would seem that you shouldn't have been able to meet me, even with this bloodline of yours the chances were too slim, 'they' would never let you meet someone like me who has already peered into some of the secrets of the world, this encounter was one out of pure cosmic misplace or..."
"Or?"
"Nothing"
Torex shook his head, causing Xiao to look at him suspiciously but he didn't force it as Torex has already said to him much that he was missing, he now knew that somebody was playing with his fate and he doesn't like it one bit
"So boy take my domain, my greatest creation, and bring forth chaos"
Torex spoke with a handsome smile that would fool the devil but Xiao didn't fall into it as he questioned
"What's in it for you? what do you gain?....no what should I do for this power?"
Xiao didn't believe for one second that Torex was doing this out of goodwill, no one would give away his most prized power like this, alive, dead, or surviving consciousness, and Torex agreed to it by nodding his head
"You're right this is not free as for what I want? hehehe...it will happen whether I give this power or not but I would surely tremble with pleasure at the thought that my power would cause harm to those bitches"
Xiao calmly nodded his head though he didn't fully believe it but for now he could only accept, what else could he do? moreover he didn't show it but he was trembling with excitement for getting this domain, he was sure that this would make him a nightmare to all his enemy
Domain, a power that would be wielded by people who reach a certain cultivation level far above the first heaven, in fact, Xiao had his own domain called the Living Slaughter, something that had combined both his fire and bloodlust, it wasn't that strong but it wasn't that bad either, the power and rarity would all again depend on your talent
A person would pay at most seriousness when he or she builds their domain, its something that would follow you through your life, domain building is something that takes talent and patience, the degree and power of it would all depend on your hard work, talent, resources, and element, many factors come into play in its creation
Gazing at the domain that he was in Xiao could say with confidence that he hadn't met a domain like this before, Xiao had never before heard of people gifting domains but hey he wasn't complaining at all, he could tell from Torex's words that this ability of him receiving a domain was related to a bloodline within him, in the past, he never knew that he had a bloodline, from what he could gather he could tell that it was locked
It wasn't something unnatural as most of them had been closed off by the other species in fear of humanities power, in the past humans have hunted down the species as they took their abilities, bloodlines, and quirks but it was said that at the end of the war most of them had been locked away, only if one was lucky to meet the requirements would one unlock them, the worst part being that they won't know about it until they awaken them
This was done under the pressure of the entire cultivation cosmos, everybody in the past was trembling in fear as they saw three different abilities that alone even though strong together destroyed worlds and humans wielded them all, this was the terrifying gift that the heavens had given them that was at the bottom
Right now there might be many walking with a heaven-defying bloodline that was locked to their blood unable to be wielded, after all, how would it be when a human fights with the destructive might of the Qilin while having the speed of a Griffin, breathing out Dragon fire? of course, one also needs the body to wield this power, otherwise one might just explode, shaking off his thoughts Xiao looked at Torex as he bowed respectfully and spoke
"Of course, I would be honored"
"Good, right now you lack the strength to wield my power but just for this once using my power you would be able to wield it, so are you ready kid?"
Torex asked with a smile, anticipating battle, to which Xiao gave a similar one as he replied
"Sure, let's go cause some chaos old man"
Xiao added a jab in between but Torex didn't mind it as he smiled, he had always been a straightforward person, he had seen the best and worst of Xiao and knew him better than anyone, he was fine with Xiao wielding his power that was the last remaining legacy of his people
'At least in this way the power of my past will shine through him'
With such thoughts, the whole world of Swords started to shake, Xiao could tell that they were all shaking with sadness, they were unwilling to let go of their lord, Torex waved his hand as all the swords started shinning with suspended light, the final wisp of his power came together as they flooded Xiao who felt unprecedented power fill him up, clanging sounds were heard, as the swords vibrated and then with a boom all was broken
Meanwhile, within the outside world the war raged on, bodies of flesh and blood had already made small mountains everywhere, the smell of blood had filled the land and the sky, the world that was shining with beauty and pure Qi was now unseen and lost, Men and Women gave it their all as they fought to protect their lands
The Skyllas all kept dying one after another without an end, they who were just the form of energy and death moved with excitement as they relished on the death and sadness they caused, the core of the world felt its weakness as it drew in the faith of the world trying to boost up the finale, the phoenixes started to retreat a bit leaving behind many to die, several trump cards had been thrown and many were tried
Amber fought with anger and hatred causing thousands to burn and despair in her anger, humans that were weak were slaughtered left and right as they were being killed, again and again, overall it was a hell-like scene that would make the toughest of all men drown, Yurou's face was pale and deathly, most of her injuries were already healed but the scene in front of her was too much for an 11-year-old
ROAR!!
A Skylla roared towards the sky as three powerful ones among them surrounded Amber, even with her power she was being pushed back, she bit her lips as complex emotions passed through her eyes, finally, she relented as she gave her orders
"Retreat ad start the burning flame of fury!"
Her orders were received by the rest as flame barriers were created in the main palace, soon a spatial wave was spread and the rest of the phoenixes were transported within it, soon the barrier acted as a healer as they all began to heal, even the Skyllas were unable to enter but the only problem was that the rest that was outside unable to enter was left to die.....
"Ahhhh!"
"Noo!!"
"Damn you phoenixes!! this is your world too you bastards!"
Without the support of the phoenixes the war just became a massacre, the death rates increased as the proud warriors that fought for their world kept dying like flies, humans, monsters, beasts all of them were being devoured without any way to fight back, without the flame of the phoenixes this had just become a slaughter fest
"N-No.....wh-why?"
Yurou's heart scrunched up as she gazed upon the scene in front of her, all the phoenixes are known to be proud beings that would die than back down, they are the epitome of promise and grace, yet what was this? what was she seeing? were power and promise such a fickle thing? something deep within Yurou's mind trembled with disgust and hate
But sadly the truth was in front of her, a ruler would always have to value the survival of their race above all else, even if they would have to bear its sin...true heroism and sacrifice are truly rare, Yurou seemed to have understood something within all this as her mind buzzed and blood swept from her head
She kept her eyes open as she saw humongous beings that were facing Amber now concentrated on her and Xiao, sadly they weren't pulled into the barrier, due to Xiao holding Yurou she hadn't been recognized by the program that controlled it, the phoenixes had retired to their shell as they knew that they were safe in it till their reinforcement reached, plus the world core was with them too, making everything safe for them.
By the time all the other phoenixes realized that Yurou wasn't with them it was already late, as three humongous hands the size of a mountain were descending on the barrier that Amber had produced, meanwhile, Yurou's mind was throbbing with pain, she seemed to reach a certain understanding but it seemed to be far out of her reach as blood started to leak from her head
But even then Yurou could feel death approaching then, bitterness filled Yurou's heart, she had finally got the one thing she loved but now all of it would be lost from her gasp, right now she was barely holding on from failing due to the pressure that was being applied to her mindscape due to her enlightenment
But she didn't let it crush her if she was about to die then she wanted to be awake as she disappeared with the one she loves, it was then that she felt her soul tremble, her head snapped as she used the last of her willpower to raise her head as she gazed into Xiao's eyes that was finally opened, even till now he held her close to him but Yurou didn't pay mind to it as her eyes focused on Xiao's
For a moment she seemed to gaze into the past as she came upon the scene of millions dying as swords ripped them apart, be it the enemies or the allies all of them followed one man's will as they fought at his command, fighting to bring about the desire of their king, her eyes shook as she saw worlds being twisted as trillions died for the birth of swords
Soon she has shaken awake from her dream as she saw a smile on Xiao's face, his eyes looked different as millions of swords floated deep within them, he hugged her body as he washed away some of the blood from her head, his voice was soft as he spoke
"Rest, trust your husband, I will deal with it all"
Hearing it Yurou smiled as her eyelids closed with a sweet smile on her face, she didn't know the whole truth but she understood that she and the one she loved will survive, Xiao, nodded his head as he dusted away some of her blood on her head and as he did his eyes focused on the humongous fists that were heading to end his and the life of the person he loved
"[Domain Of The God Swords: 1st Form Nightingale]"
Xiao's words were barely a whisper but the whole world froze in it, a pillar of light that blinded everything rose with Xiao at the center, the world seemed to have stopped as silence reigned within the battlefield of death. The Qi, element, and laws, everything that formulated the world disappeared, nothing remained anymore
It wasn't just at the battlefield....no it had taken place within the whole world, bringing it into the domain of the one that once stood above all, the light that blinded all soon faded away, and the sight that greeted all made all of them pale, with some even falling to their knees in sheer incredulity, all beings be it the one in the war or the ones that were being slaughtered on the outside world all of them came upon the same scene
Swords! millions of swords surrounded them all, in the skies above them they floated, each one beautiful and deadlier than the next, they stood above them all waiting to deliver punishment on the ones their master deemed his enemy, power rippled across the world, everyone had lost the control of their power, within this domain they were just ants waiting to be slaughtered
"Wh-What's go-going o-on?"
A phoenix barely spoke stuttering with fear that filled his entire being
"A domain"
The ancestral elder spoke, even her eyes were filled with sheer incredulity and awe, all of them gathered here were people with cultivation that had their own domain, if they wished they too could overlap a large area with their domain but they would never be able to cover the word with it much less trap someone of their cultivation level within it
Just imagining the power of the being that wielded this power all of them trembled but soon all of them were able to gaze upon a sight that they would never forget in their life, up above them all a throne made of swords floated, and on it sat a boy with an unconscious girl in his arms, her bleeding had stopped as he held to her tenderly
His sword-like eyes looked down at all from above, it wasn't just to the ones on the war...no everywhere the swords floated the projection of Xiao on the throne floated, sparking reverence in the hearts of those who gazed upon it but for the phoenixes, they all felt their heats chill at the sight in front of them
"Impossible!!"
Someone screamed that was the fuze that lit up the fire that spread across all that knew who sat on the throne, arrogantly looking down at the whole world but no matter how much they refused to believe it currently all of their lived were in the hand of the species that all saw as a means to an end
While Xiao sat on the throne feeling power he never felt in his life, everything that was far in his life now seemed within his grasp, all the people that were above him now stood below him, they were ants that he could crush with a thought, this.....this was the power that he ran after all his life but Xiao didn't spend long within it as he knew his time was limited
His eyes peered at the Skyllas, the millions that grew stronger with death, one among them had almost taken Yurou from him a second time, his eyes turned icy as the black flame within him roared for the third time as it blasted from deep within him but unlike the last time none of them could be seen outside
No, they were surrounding the billions of swords that floated in the world, now all of them blazed with black flame, a flame that looked far more deadly and evil than the Skyllas themselves, the moment it appeared in the sky all of them started to scream and twitch around, the weaker Skyllas even started to kill themselves!
It was as if divine retribution had arrived upon them, flaming black swords now surrounded the world, it wasn't just the small part of the world that was hit, the whole world had faced the attack of the Skyllas but now it was all over, the warriors, men, women, babies, children, cowards, kings, monsters, hidden serpents to heroes all of them could only gaze at the boy who sat on the throne of the swords, for a moment his gaze connected with every being on the world as he spoke
"Humans might not have anything special to call upon as their own but that doesn't mean that they could never take the powers of others for themselves, the truly powerful weapons have always been born after being tempered, they might face all the difficulties in the world but once they are complete...
....no obstacles would be impossible for them to overcome"
p Those were the last words Xiao spoke before he rose his hand up and waved them downwards and then? there was no then as death itself arrived, the world trembled as the apocalyptic scene of the swords descending took place
There was no explosion, no screams, there was just silence as the final move of the battle had descended.
Black and death this was the thought within the mind of all who saw the sea of swords fall upon them, Qi shook, laws trembled, Dao's were lost, the world even shook in fear, a power far above it had descended and it could only await judgment, soon screams were heard far and wide but the weird thing was that all those that stood awaiting their death were completely unfazed
All of them watched with rapid breaths as the swords seemed to have their own life as they skillfully and terrifyingly killed only the Skyllas not at all harming the rest, the darkness of the sword covered the skies and the land as the cries of Skyllas were heard across the world bringing a chill to those who heard it
The very being that didn't even squeal when ripped apart was right now crying and screaming with utmost terror, the black flame was like a child who found its favorite dessert as it jumped and swallowed all the Skyllas that grazed upon, it consumed them, purifying them and using the very death, despair, and sadness to fully awaken
Unlike the purple flame, it was only beginning to rise, power like no other filled Xiao, just like before Xiao became completely black, his eyes and hair was now completely black while the throne he sat on was now a mix of the burning black flame and swords, a huge black devil-like black wings rose from the back of the throne, Xiao's current look was terrifying and evil
He looked like the evil God Of Sword that had come to reap the life of the ants he deemed useless, indeed Xiao's thoughts too were similar, Xiao could feel that just like the purple flame the black one was in a way affecting his thoughts, the purple flame had made him feel like a king with a grace that looked down on all
But the black flame was making him feel death, the feeling of a rebel filled him as the desire to just unleash all of death and despair filled his mind and it was powerful in its own right, meanwhile within Xiao's flame scape the purple flame that had awakened watched on the black flame floating a bit far
Right now it was just floating in the shape of flame but when it saw the black flames' actions a snort seemed to leave its 'mouth' as a small power from it was released to Xiao helping him cope up, the black flame that was enjoying its birth felt it as its 'eyes' narrowed at the purple flame as it roared at it, the purple flame wasn't scared at all as it barked back with the same power, causing a clash with the flame scape
And with that a small fight took place within Xiao unknown to him, Xiao just sat on the throne as the deaths of the Skylla took place and within a minute only silence remained....silence.....mind blogging and sight chilling silence remained, all the beings in the world stood there in a daze unable to believe the very species that was the end of them being eliminated within a minute
They had fallen to hell and had been uplifted to heaven, for a few seconds they were lost before which the truth of the situation settled in, all the warrior's worries left them as they lifted their blood-soaked hands as they roared into the sky
"ROARRRRR..."
"AHHHHH..."
"ALL HAIL THE SKY SWORD GOD...."
It didn't take long for all the people to hug their precious ones as they roared from deep within their hearts, humans, monsters, phoenixes, and all the beings in the world roared in unison at the same time, the world rocked with their voice, among them, many moved the bodies of their lovers, child, parents, family, friends, and comrades
In the battle, many had been lost and the blood it spilled was above everyone's understanding but that didn't stop them from raising their head as they called upon Xiao The SKY SWORD GOD, a name that quickly spread across the world as they roared it in respect to the one that granted them a second life
Meanwhile back in the skies most of the black flame surrounding Xiao had disappeared, bringing back his natural looks, he sat there on the throne with the last embers of the power that was fading from his body, the roars, cries, tears, laughs and calls of everyone reached his eyes and ears
He could see people hugging each other as they roared his name in reverence and respect, there was no barrier between species, all of them were just letting out the relief in the heart, the one relief and happiness that crossed across times, space, species.....the fear of death!
Xiao for a moment felt lost, in the past he had indeed had people surround him and roar but that was for him the monster to put to death, this was truly a change of pace, it was then that he heard the sound of Torex, his sound was soft and lost
"Quite a sight, right?"
p Xiao nodded his head as he agreed
"Indeed, it's quite the sight"
"Yes this is the true will of strength, it doesn't matter if your human, Skylla, the realm eating worm, the nighttime God, or the hidden devils, all of them would roar and cry in relief in having their life spared and for that what do you need?"
"Absolute strength"
Xiao spoke without hesitation, Torex felt satisfied as the embers of his words were heard
"Good, remember this feeling in your heart and use it as your path, take the fate of all and wield it to your will as you walk the path of an Irregular, also take this as the rambling of an old man, my power the domain use it as you will, the legacies of mine are already lost, what you do now is all your desire....."
With that the voice disappeared completely as the final vestiges of a great being disappeared from the center of the cosmic cultivation, Xiao remained silent as he bowed his head and paid his respect in silence, a few seconds later his eyes turned to the ground as he felt the power that was keeping him afloat leave
It was then that he came upon the sight of Alzeer and Naira, it would seem that within all this just the two of them lived, his eyes met with the two that were gazing at him, their eyes trembled as they looked into his, there was a lot of complex emotions within them, for a moment Xiao thought before which his voice reached them and the world
"Humans were never weak, it was us looking down on ourselves, rip, cut off and take it all, if we don't have it we just take it, we will look where others won't see and take what others can't"
And with that, the final power within Xiao disappeared and just as it did a very familiar flame cut through time and space coming and engulfing Xiao, taking him and Yurou in his arms away, just like that the hero The Sky Sword God left, leaving behind several emotions and desires that now burning deeper than the hottest flames that would one-day shake the cosmic world of cultivation
Xiao opened his eyes as he came upon a familiar scene, he was once again floating in space, with stars and several worlds surrounding him, his gaze didn't linger on it for long as he focused on Yurou who was unconscious in his arms, till now she hadn't regained her consciousness, she had gotten an epiphany and right now she was taking in her gains,
"It's good that both of you survived"
It was then the very familiar phoenix voice was heard, Xiao rose his head as he focused on those eyes in the sky, it was fainter and weaker than before, he stared at them for some time before which he spoke,
"It's good to meet you again World Burning Phoenix or would you be like to be called as the Empress Amber?"
"No need, that name is something of the past"
The Phoenix or Amber spoke with a nostalgic voice, Xiao didn't interpret her brooding, as he kept waiting, finally seeing that she was back from her thoughts he spoke,
"Tell me is Yurou okay?"
"Yes she's well, it's just that her gains are a bit too much for the current her, it would take form time for all of them to be digested"
"I see"
Xiao nodded his head,
"...."
"...."
After which silence again reigned, Xiao thought for a moment before he spoke again,
"Empress Amber was I truly in the past?"
To Xiao's question the eyes above narrowed for a moment before which she spoke mysteriously,
"Who knows? the mystery of time is too deep even for me but all the answers you seek will be one day surely be unraveled in front of you"
"Sigh....again with the mysterious"
Xiao shook his head feeling a bit annoyed but he didn't speak anything out, he wasn't all that angry with Amber, it was true that she had sent them on a very dangerous mission, which would have resulted in their death but because of it didn't he and Yurou achieve greater strength?.
The current him now and the one before were incomparable, both he and Yurou had grown not just in strength, the experiences that Yurou had gained will be the driving force that will lead her path, she had seen despair, powerlessness, the cruelness of fate, and the fickleness of people, all of this will help Yurou in the long path ahead.
Xiao's eyes became tender as he gazed at the asleep face of Yurou, his mind traveled to all they have been through and he couldn't help but sigh over the close calls, who would have thought that the girl he was pushing away would become someone so important to him? they had maybe being gone for 2 or three days but the things they went through would always be engraved in their hearts, Xiao raised his head as he spoke,
"So what now?"
"Now you would leave and spread your name across every plane and reality"
With that everything started to crack and break, the scene was apocalyptic as the world around them started to break, seeing it Xiao raised his head as he gazed deeply at the phoenix in the sky before which he bowed a bit and spoke,
"Thank you for everything"
"Your welcome child, also beware of the power that was granted to you, not all that is seen and heard is true"
"I know"
Xiao calmly nodded his head as the world around him kept cracking, the eyes above started to become dimmer and dimmer, its embers flowing away, the last will that remained would be now forever lost, having fulfilled its purpose it would now rest deep within death, the remaining will of Amber gazed deeply into space seemingly lost.
Her pasts kept flashing before her eyes, the moments of her smile, the first time she cried, the sadness of defeat and the feeling of growth, the despair of powerlessness and the feeling of falling in love, the bitter truth of fate, the sins in her hand, the cruelty of time that grazed everything in its path and finally the feeling of loneliness that fills all.
Each emotion flashed through Amber's eyes until it finally landed on a familiar and lost memory, on it was a happy family of four, a handsome man and a beautiful woman with two children that was a boy and a girl playing happily on the ground, the satisfied smile of the man, the eternal loving smile of the woman, the annoyed look of the boy and the pure and innocent eyes of the girl.
All of them flashed but this one stayed deep within Amber's heart even if many were lost within this million-year history, the picture of her father, mother, and brother and her family stood tall, sometimes it's the smallest moments that stay deeply rooted in the corners of our heart without our knowledge.
'Finally a well-deserved rest....'
These were Amber's last thoughts as her final consciousness was snuffed away, meanwhile, Xiao felt the very familiar movement around him as the space around him twisted and turned covering him as he was teleported away.
Meanwhile back within the real world, Yun Xuanyin, Xia Yunbai, and Elder Fin waited in the carriage, right now it had been three hours since Xiao and Yurou had entered the legacy land and they were all anxiously waiting for Xiao's return, well Xuanyin and elder Fin was, as for Xia Yunbai he was well just waiting.
Elder Fin gazed towards Xuanyin who was looking at the portal and sighed, all these three hours Xuanyin had been gazing at the portal without any rest, she seemed to possess as she kept looking at it, to be truthful Elder Fin was always weirded out by her, other than Xiao no one was ever able to get close to Xuanyin.
She always seemed repulsed by everything that was around her, the only exemption being Xiao, moreover, the main reason that many avoided her was due to her eyes, those cold apathetic eyes that looked through one soul, just gazing at them would make one feel as if their true self was laid bare, no one was spared by this.
Even elder Fin felt a bit lost when he gazed into those eyes that didn't even consider him as anything, Xuanyin's cold blue eyes were so beautiful that sometimes people would just be lost in them. No one was capable of having a conversation with her, she was just like that nothing mattered in her eyes and the only thing that did was in a place where his state was unknown and due to it she just kept gazing at him in the portal, nothing moved her.
Seeing it Elder Fin took some deep breaths before which he approached her and spoke,
"Young Miss, why don't you take some rest? you already have a weak body it's better that you take a break"
Hearing Elder Fin's words Xuanyin turned around as she gazed at him, her eyes bore into him making Elder Fin flinch for a moment but she didn't say anything as she turned her head back to the portal,
"....."
"Um, young miss please come and take some rest, it's bad for your body if you don't"
"....."
"Young Miss, I am sure that the young master is alright"
"....."
"Young miss, I-sigh....."
Finally feeling no response from Xunyin Elder Fin just shook his head as he stood back and did his duty as a protector.
As Elder Fin retreated back, Xiao Yunbai just gazed at all this with neutral eyes, even he who was a bit crazy felt a bit pressured when he looked into Xuanyin's eyes, plus he had just met all of them, he might have respect for Xiao but that doesn't mean that he was worried or cared much about Xiao, true care would only arise with the time.
But soon all felt the portal cracking, it was as if the portal would disappear at any time, Xuanyin's eyes widened, she didn't think about anything else as she ran towards the portal but was stopped by Elder Fin, who was startled as he looked into Xuanyin's eyes that turned colder and deadlier as he had stopped.
Eder Fin opened his mouth to speak but it was then that a pressure he never felt flooded his body, it didn't put him in place, it was more of a pressure that filled primal fear and respect within ones soul, all of their eyes focused on the portal that was flinching and finally, it exploded as a huge, beautiful phoenix rose from it and rose to the sky and roared.
Sreeeech!!
Its scream was heard across the lower realm, all of them felt their souls tremble, a beautiful phoenix rose to the sky as it covered the entire sky, up above the clouds clapped signaling the end of a warrior far from the past, deep within the shrine of Fire a tremble was hit, a beam was shot from deep within as a powerful cry was heard, monsters far above one's imagination was awakened.
While back within in the lower realms, The phoenix gave one more cry to the world before it dissipated, Elder Fin, Yunbai, and Xuanyin gazes lingered for a moment before they focused on the boy that was floating down with a world toping beautiful girl in her arms,
"Young master!"
Elder Fin's eyes were trembling as he gazed at Xiao, his whole body felt heavy, the current Xiao was completely different from before, a searing feeling of danger-filled Elder Fin's body, moreover the Xiao felt before felt more connecting, the current him had it but there was an added feeling of royalty to him, a feeling that all must be under his rule, it was faint but it was still there.
Xuanyin didn't care about anything else as her eyes narrowed deeply as she felt Xiao's emotions, especially the one for the girl in his arms. Just as things were getting confusing they all froze in their spot, even Xiao who was floating in the sky, in front of Xiao a woman with a mask on her face had appeared in front of him.
Even through her mask Xiao was able to see that her eyes were shaking in deep astonishment, that was drawing her in, his eyes narrowed but he soon calmed down as he understood who she was, a deep conflicting emotion filled his head as he gazed at Yurou in his arms finally he sighed as he presented Yurou to the woman in front of him as he spoke,
"Take her, don't worry she's fine, it's just that she's undergoing some enlightenment, she will wake up later"
The woman in front of him finally broke out of her daze as she moved forward and carefully took Yurou from his arms, he felt the familiar sensation he had before, the woman in front of him was a phoenix, the protection that was sent to protect Yurou, it wasn't easy to detect it at first but when she had seen Yurou a part of her aura had leaked and Xiao understood who she was,
"Take care of her and once she wakes up tell her that I will find her and that our marriage will be done under the sky of the world"
The woman handling ayurou froze as she heard his words her eyes grew dangerously but then eyes curled up in amusement before which a smooth voice was heard in his ears along with the disappearance of them from his sight,
"Keep dreaming boy....."
'Dream?'
Xiao chuckled when he heard it, the woman might not have felt it now but when they return to the top, the elders would definitely know that Yurou's mark was already given away, even if they didn't want to, Xiao was the current and only partner for Yurou, he couldn't help but chuckle thinking about the chaos he would cause indirectly,
"Brother"
A smooth and soul-shaking voice was heard deep inside Xiao, hearing the voice Xiao smiled as he blinked and appeared in front of Xuanyin, he didn't even have to wait for even a second before which a very familiar scent and coldness assaulted his body, Xunayin's eyes were still cold but if one were to look deeply into it, one might be able to see stars dancing in them.
She hugged him with all her might afraid that he would disappear, Xiao could feel it all, he could tell how anxious and scared she was, no words needed to be spoken between them as he hugged her back with the same enthusiasm, a relaxed smile came to her face as his words lingered,
"I'm back"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Xuanyin, can you give me some space?"
Xiao asked as he looked at his little sister who was stuck to him, even when they had entered the carriage his little sister didn't even let him go, she sat on his lap as she hugged on to him, unwilling to be afar, Xiao felt a headache hitting him, for him, it might be a day or two since they saw each other but for Xuanyin it was only three hours!.
'Sigh....might as well deal with it'
Xiao finally relented, his little sister was just 8 years old, once she's older she will definitely be more restrictive, might as well as enjoy the time he has now, relenting he hugged Xuanyin as she rested her head on his shoulders, they stayed like that for some time before which she raised her head and looked at him,
"....."
"Yeah, I'm not hurt"
"....."
"No, I'm not lying, it wasn't that serious"
His answer didn't make her happy at all, as her blue eyes narrowed at him as she turned her head to the side, acting annoyed, seeing it Xiao smiled, feeling that his sister was cute, he patted her head as he coaxed her,
"Fine..fine it was a bit dangerous but I got stronger because of it"
Xuanyin: Shakes head
"Fine, what should I do to make you happy?"
Finally, Xuanyin's head turned towards him as she picked up his hand and placed it on her head, in Xiao's eyes each of her actions was cute. He understood what she wanted as he started to pat her smooth silky hair,
"My..my for the one called the ice phoenix you're quite spoiled"
Xuanyin didn't reply as she enjoyed the pat that he was giving her, finally after she had enough she turned towards him again, with her eyes bearing into his,
"....."
"You know I had to, it was too dangerous to take you with me"
"....."
"Okay, I will be more careful next time"
"....."
"Yurou?...well let's just say that she's at a better place"
Saying so Xiao started to give a small explanation of what had happened, not knowing that the wheels of fate and karma were already changing, a single move had turned the chessboard upside down, ripples that will affect the entire cosmos were beginning.
Deep in an unknown place far beyond anyone's reach, an old man sat on a huge rock, his figure was blurry and unseen, he sat there in a meditative position, the world, laws, time, or even the Dao's none of them seem to affect him as he sat there unmoving if it wasn't for the humongous pressure that was being released from his body. He would have just looked like a corpse.
His figure was illusionary, disappearing between the known and unknown, just his natural pressure was enough to destroy worlds, the place he sat was quiet, no sound filled the area, it was complete silence but today the silence was broken as the man's eyes opened after a millennium, his gaze was too profound to be understood.
Just gazing into his eyes one would feel oneself slip into something far beyond understanding, the vicissitudes of life and experience filled his gaze, nothing in the world seemed to surprise him. He opened his eyes as his body that hasn't moved in who knows how long finally rose as an orb appeared in his arms.
His eyes peered deep into it as a hint of surprise filled them, his cold apathetic eyes twinkled for a moment as his murmurs filled the world,
"A Gravewalker? shouldn't its legacy be lost?"
The man's eyes narrowed as his mind flashed to a past forgotten by the world, a past where Titans, kings, Dragons, Gods, and Devils fought to protect one thing they held dear, an Era that was never written in the depth of history, due to it being far beyond what history could take, within all this flashed the memory of a family that brought fear to all, the memory of a single bloodline that decided the fate of the past, the man's mind flashed with the greatness of the past.
In a time When the skies cried, where the world was on the edges of death, where fear ran rampant and death embraced all, there was one bloodline that held the cosmos, a single family that was lost and split as it gave its all to provide a path for the future,
'Sigh....with this bloodline back chaos will besiege the world again'
Finally, the man broke out of his thoughts as his mind returned to the present, he gazed at the orb one last look before which he crushed it into oblivion, his powers spread as he cut the lines of Karma and fate, finally accomplishing everything he sighed as his murmurs filled the world again,
"A Gravewalker...huh? looks like the age of turmoil will begin again....I wonder who would be lost this time?"
With that, the man closed his eyes, no longer paying any mind to the matters of the cosmos, he had a duty and he would be completing it till the end of time.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Here say Ahh"
Xiao spoke as he fed some soup to Xunayin who opened her mouth and took a big bite of the food that was given to her, right now Xiao was feeding Xuanyin not knowing the numerous beings he had startled, well even if he did he wouldn't give any fuck about it.
Right now all he cared about was fulfilling the desires of his pouty little sister, he raised his hand as he wiped away some of the juice that spilled from her mouth, his sister who wasn't just happy with a hug as she requested him to feed her, Xiao didn't reject her as he directly accepted it and now he was filled with smiles as he fed her soup,
"It's good, right?"
Xunayin: Nods head
"So do you want anything to be added?"
Xuanyin: Nods head
"Oh? you want to be hotter?"
XUnayin: Nods Head
"I see your colds getting worse?"
"..."
"I see, don't worry, I already have a way to heal you, just wait for your big brother to save you"
With that he swept the spoon again as he fed his little sister with all the care he could, finally 10 minutes later he lay on the sofa, trying to relax his body, it was then that Xunayin came over as she sat above him, her eyes kept peering into his, question swirled within them,
"....."
"I already told you Yurou just awakened her powers and grew stronger, from now on she would be someone that would roam the world above with pride"
"....."
"How I feel about her?"
"..."
"I love her, you mustn't fight with her anymore, she's going to be your sister-in-law"
This time there was a difference in Xuanyin as her eyes shook a bit, with her connection she was able to feel the deep feelings within Xiao, it was deep and unfathomable, trying to break it would be almost impossible, for some reason Xunayin felt her heart squeeze, her cold apathetic heart felt anger burn deep within them.
This was the first time this had taken place but anger wasn't the only thing present, fear was mixed into it, fear that she would lose the one thing she loves, soon her cold burst forth from within her, this time it was wore than the past, Xiao who felt it didn't hesitate to clutch his little sister tighter as he transferred the cold to him.
Coldness swept into him, even with his cultivation taking this all in felt cold, plus the feeling of nails prickling his whole body filled him, he bit his lips as he used his connection to take a large portion of the pain within himself surprising Xuanyin who was in pain, she wanted to stop it but she didn't have any power to do it.
Soon minutes ticked by before which the cold finally withdrew, Xiao exhaled out as cold bursts escaped his mouth, he brought the purple flame out as the warmness surrounded them, the cold that surrounded them disappeared as the warm flame comforted both of them, Xuanyin seeing the flame had her eyes sparkle.
She who was the opposite of flame felt a regal and kingly aura from Xiao, moreover, the flame he was wielding didn't make her uncomfortable at all, normally she was repulsed by flames but this one just made her calm but she quickly moved her gaze to Xiao as she hit his chest with her small and smooth hands, her eyes bore into him.
"No...."
She whispered her voice calm and lost, Xiao smiled as he caught her hand as his face turned serious even he had felt the sadness in Xuanyin, he could understand that she was afraid of losing him, for her who only interact with him, the thought of him going away surely would frighten her, he moved his hand as he rubbed her face and spoke.
"Xuanyin, I'm your brother, I'm not going anywhere, I will never abandon you, not now and not even in a million years, we are family, nothing that comes in between us will ever change it, remember there's nothing more important than family"
Xunayin stayed silent as she heard her big brother's words, her mind replayed all that she had been through before and she nodded her head, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, as her head found a place with his chest, Xunayin's eyes closed as she slept taking in the familiar warmth that was already taken a place deep within her heart.
A day had already passed since the image of the Phoenix had appeared above the world the news had already spread far and wide, some spoke that a unique treasure was born, while others speculated that a legacy word had opened, many speculations and theories were running wild, the place the phenomenon had appeared from was thoroughly ransacked but nothing was found.
Superpowers that hid in the dark even came to light as they ravaged the lands for anything that might give them an idea of what had happened but sadly again nothing was found, Xiao made sure of it, he didn't want to create problems behind him that might bite him in the ass later on, after all, Xiao had made sure to clean out all traces of proof that existed.
Many lamented the loss, as the news that a treasure had appeared and was already taken away, some had even put a bounty on any news related to it, overall the entire lower heaven was in a turmoil, meanwhile, Xiao who was one of the perpetrators of said uprise had just woken from his sleep, he rubbed his sleepy eyes as he smiled seeing Xuanyin who was laying beside him.
Xiao who finally got some rest had taken a nice nap, his little sister didn't let him go as she slept beside him, she felt a bit cold but with his flame element, it wasn't all that bad, though when he saw Xuanyin beside him he did feel a bit lonely as he missed Yurou, he had to admit that she had grown on him a bit.
But even if he wanted to he wouldn't have kept her with him, leaving aside the fact that Yurou's protector would have taken her away, Yurou wouldn't have been able to stay on the lower realm for long, the only reason that she wasn't forced to ascend when she left the legacy land was that Amber had placed a barrier to protect her.
But it wouldn't last forever, moreover, she staying here would have only dampened her talent, she needed to reach the top and display her talent to the world, only then would she shine the brightest, the only problem was him not being able to meet her for some time but it wasn't much of a problem as he could always talk with her.
Xiao closed his eyes as he felt his connection with her, he could tell that she was still asleep, due to the 'mark' both Xiao and Yurou would be able to talk to each other no matter the distance, they could tell how the other was doing too, in truth this shouldn't have being possible but Xiao could tell that his skill [Connection] had somehow combined with it and gave it more possibilities.
Speaking of skills Xiao was able to finally able to get proof of his doubts, he was able to tell that his skills were evolving! he couldn't tell it at first but as his cultivation grew, so did his skills, the increase in the quality of his soul seems to push the skills towards evolution, giving birth to new variants.
Till now Xiao hasn't looked into it but he was thankful for it, due to this Xiao could always talk and be connected to Yurou, no matter the distance, though Xiao right now has no desire to climb the world and reach the top, he did that in his first life and missed out on the beauty that was the present, in this life as head through the journey of cultivation he would enjoy the thrills of the lower heaven before he reached the next.
Plus it wasn't as if Yurou couldn't come and visit him, for normal people it wasn't possible as the resource needed to descend was humongous but for the Shrine Of Fire? it was just a drop of water in the ocean, plus he don't need to fight and scream for the Shrine to accept him as Yurou's partner.
With her mark on him, no one could oppose him, she had chosen him and once it's done it over, they nor anyone could change it, the purity that phoenixes take seriously can not be looked down upon, they would have to accept him, that was the truth, heck he was sure that they would dip into their treasures to make him a genius if he didn't have talent,
'Hehehe...I can't wait for it'
Xiao's mind was already running with ideas to drain the Shrine dry of its treasures but he quickly shook it off as he had to focus on the issue that he had at hand, right now his cultivation had reached a high level but the rest were lagging behind, his spirit, soul, and mental realms were left unpolished and this would be the right moment to polish them.
But the problem lay in how? Xiao has no idea on how to cultivate them at all, all he knows are just basic knowledge, in this case, he needed a master, someone to guide him but all the ones he thought of are too hard for the current him to reach, plus there's no guarantee that they would take him as their disciple,
'Sigh.....one step at a time'
Xiao shook his thoughts off as he heard a knock on the door as Elder Fin; swords were heard,
"Young master, we are here"
"Okay I will be right out"
Xiao responded as he patted the head of Xuanyin that was waking up, her groggy eyes quickly gained their coldness as she sat up straight and rubbed her eyes quietly, her silver hair clutched on a bit to her face as her blue eyes shined beautifully, she sat up straight she opened her arms wide, her intentions clear to him,
"Oh? your wish for me to carry you?"
Xuanyin: Nods head
"Sigh...you are becoming more and more spoiled"
Xiao shook his head but he did have an indulging smile on his face, as he moved forward and hugged her, right now they weren't that small and Xuanyin had grown up hence when she hugged him she hugged him completely, her actions were of a kola as she hugged him completely, just like an octopus her arms and legs wrapped around him.
Xiao was wrapped, he barely had space to move he lifted her as he took her towards the attached bathroom of the carriage, spatial formations were something else, coming inside he placed her on the ground and patted her back to let him go, finally after some pats she reluctantly let him go, he smiled at her, soon he took the toothbrush out as he gave the smaller one to Xunayin
She took the toothbrush from his hand as they started brushing their teeth, there was a mirror on the wall as they with synchronized movement started to brush their teeth, Xuanyin seemed to be copying Xiao as she brushed with her's, her intelligence was being used for a very weird reason, truthfully there weren't any toothbrushes in this world.
For cultivators there wasn't a thing known the as bad breath, they could keep their mouths clean and fresh but that is at a bit higher level, there also come times when a bathroom won't be required but till then people would only take food supplement pills when they are on a journey.
Of course, brushing teeth was required when one was a mortal, a powder existed with which one could clean their mouth but after Xiao was reborn he had introduced the idea of brush and paste to his mother, which was quickly a hit among the mortals, heck it was even useful for the kids of the cultivation family, who hadn't embarked on the path of cultivation yet.
Xiao even took it further by introducing different and styled brushes for common, rich, and the cultivators, the one that Xuanyin was using had the shape of a cute rabbit, in truth he didn't have to brush but it sort of had become a habit to him after living in the other world for long.
"So this is the place?"
"Yes young master"
Elder Fin replied respectfully as he stood behind Xiao who was gazing at a canyon that was huge and spread across all insight, also that was not the end as a heavy and hazy fog covered the area blurring it, what was more strange was that the fog stick to the canyon not escaping from it, there seems to be a barrier around restricting it from spreading.
The place that he was standing at is one of the 5 great mysteries in the lower heavens, all those that had entered the fog had never made it out, many experts had moved forth to seek its truth but none made it out and the only one that did soon went crazy as he took his life, ever since then none had the guts to enter the fog, it was later called The Lost Canyon,
"It strangely looks beautiful, doesn't it?"
Xuanyin: Nods head
"Young master, what do you wish to do here?"
Elder Fin asked with a fearful look, it was not far from the place at hand but fear of what Xiao planned to do here, Xiao didn't respond as he kept gazing at the fog in front of him, his mind reeling with several thoughts, this was the place that he needed to desperately come to, thankfully it was close to the Empire, hence it only took them a week of nonstop travel to reach here.
The treasure that he was looking for could be found from here, in fact, he knew that secret of this place and it was far from what others truly thought, there was indeed a treasure but no one could grasp it. Gazing deeply at the fog he calmly spoke his words,
"I will be entering the fog"
"!!"
"What!"
"....."
Three different reactions took place to his words, Xuanyin who was close to him came up to him as she held his hands tightly, she didn't say a word but her eyes betrayed many other emotions, she would be with him this time, she wouldn't leave his side not this time, while Elder Fin was sweating from top to bottom, faintly an idea of making Xiao faint and taking him by force appeared in his mind but just as he thought of this his instants screamed death.
He didn't look into Xiao's cultivation as not to appear rude but he could tell that it was definitely not small, the gains that he had after entering the legacy land were not small at all, for him to feel threat would mean that Xiao's cultivation should be at least equal to his and if that was true then he would be looking at a monster far beyond everyone's understanding,
"Younger master can you please reconsider?"
Elder Fin spoke with a pleading tone, he even gave a discreet look towards Yunbai, who was just cooly gazing at the fog without much change in his gaze, this was another thing that ticked elder Fin off, just like Xiao and Xuanyin, Yunbai is another weird kid that doesn't seem to follow the rules, heck he didn't even seem afraid of anything, instead only excitement could be felt from him,
'Why do I have to be stuck between these weird kids?!'
Elder Fin lamented in his mind, Xiao didn't pay any attention to elder Fin as he turned towards Xuanyin who was holding his hand, he looked at her intently as he spoke
"Stay"
Xuanyin: Shakes head
On doing so her hand tightened as her cold beautiful eyes defiantly looked at Xiao, unwilling to back down, Xiao felt his heart melt as he saw the serious yet cute look on his sister, she clearly knew the dangers of coming with him yet she didn't hesitate to come with him, it was clear that her care from him stood above her life.
He patted her head slowly, relishing in her soft head, as she purred at his touches, Xiao smiled confidently as he spoke,
"Don't worry Xuanyin, this time I don't plan on getting myself hurt, in fact, I can swear to you that not even a part of my skin would be hurt"
"No....."
Again Xuanyin's whisper was heard, Xiao stood to his knees as he looked at her, his eyes were serious as he repeated his words,
"Xuanyin I promise you that I will be fine, so please wait for me, okay?"
"....."
She stayed silent, her will wavering but finally, she was unable to keep up with her big brother's words, she nodded her as her head dropped, Xiao felt sad seeing it but in this task, he really couldn't take Xuanyin with him, as he said there was not even a hint of danger in his task, that was the truth but the difficulty of the task he was about to undertake is nothing to scoff at, that's also one of the reasons that Xuanyin retreated as she knew that Xiao spoke the truth,
"Good girl, after coming back I will spend the rest of the week with you"
Saying so he patted her head, hearing his words her head lifted as the life in her eyes regained itself, she didn't hesitate to nod her head repetitively, looking like a head pecking its food, causing Xiao to chuckle, giving her one last pat he turned to the other two as he spoke,
"Stay and await my return"
"Yes"
Yunbai nodded his head, after retuning Xiao had had given him some books to learn about, teaching him the common sense of the world, also he thought Yunbai the things he should and shouldn't do, for a guy who lived most of his life in death, the things related to common sense was highly lacing in his mind,
"Y-Young master are you sure?"
Elder Fin asked one last time with gritted teeth, Xiao finally looked at him as he calmly nodded his head,
"I'm sure, don't worry I don't do things that I am not sure about"
"Okay....."
Finally, Elder Fin agreed with a defeated voice, knowing that he can't stop him, he could only agree. Giving one final look at the others Xiao took a deep breath as he entered the fog, and as soon as he did his senses were completely cut off, his Qi was erratic and he could feel himself being stained mentally, all in all, just entering the fog was a task in itself,
'Um, not bad'
He walked through the fog forward, the moment he entered it his vision was completely covered, the big canyon in front of him disappeared, only an unknown path excited, picking a direction he started to walk, there seemed nothing in his path, yet he kept walking without stopping, the fog entered his body making his mental situation worse.
But it didn't affect him much as he kept walking forward without stop, a minute, an hour, a day, time passed by as he kept trudging in the direction he chose, his mind and body were now dry, his feet and body hurt, some kind of pressure-filled his body, cursing him to give up and rest but he pushed it all as he kept walking forward,
'This is going to be tough'