The silence in the ancient town was broken by the sound of footsteps speeding through the streets. Leading the escape, was a middle aged man with a scar that ran across his face; Stone Heart. Lagging a few steps behind him was a teenage boy clutching a small bag. With each meter they covered, the opening of the bag would loosen and emit a faint golden hue that continued to brighten, betraying the mystery within.
"Hurry up, kid—you're slowing us down!" Stone Heart barked as he came to an abrupt halt, his grim expression fixing on the small boy behind him. It was this same boy that had gave him access to the royal treasury and made him earn the biggest booty of his life. If all those treasures and gold were converted into cultivation resources, the cultivation increase might allow him to overlord a small island, multiple wives and revered by many. But that vision would be replaced by jail bars, muddy mines and sweaty inmates, if they continued at this pace.
As he looked at the panting boy, Stone heart's heart trembled. He was once a kid begging sects to accept him as a disciple. But with his mediocre talent, they wouldn't even allow him to scrub their filthy latrines. But all that could change. Here and now. Just as he was coming to a conclusion , a hail of sharp-edged arrows clawed their way towards him. The howling noise of the distant wolves became louder and clearer. The distance between him and the imperial army was closing in rapidly. Those arrows where the signature move of the wolf battalion leader - thousand mile arrow.
Already deadly accurate from that long range, if the distance were to shorten further. Stone Heart did not dare to idle around like a sitting duck and shoved the boy behind him , assumed a defensive stance. Though death was knocking at his door, his honor as thief did not allow him to abandon a kid let alone, when he had already paid his disciple fees. Yes, he was now going to keep all of the loot and protect the boy as his protegee. There could not be a more gentler thief than him in this dog eat dog world.
Stone Heart's body glowed faintly, releasing strong bursts of energy that instantly warmed the surrounding dew. This was internal energy, a symbol of a martial practitioner. The incoming arrows like flies hitting a glass wall were stopped mid-air.
Martial Skill : Immaculate Barrier.
But the shield only offered a few breathes of relief, before an even larger volley of arrows blanketed the sky in a dark veil as they rained drown. The teenage boy stumbled backward at the sudden darkness. Clearly this was his first time outside the comfort of the palace and into a battlefield. His eyes widened at the sight of arrows gleaming under the moonlight, each tip exuding lethal intent. His body froze in place, sweat rolling on his back; paralyzed.
"Whis, run away!" Stone Heart shouted. With a swift movement, he conjured a shield with his left arm, blocking the attacks and using his other arm, threw the golden pouch towards the boy. flung the pouch he had been holding towards. His now free hand twitched and a long saber appeared. Stone Heart shot one last determined look at the immobilized boy and growled, "Listen, kid—one of us has to get off with the loot, you hear me?!"
The boy did not respond and the steady stream of arrows was increasing momentum. "F**, forget it" Realizing that the boy was not going to react. Stone Heart took a defensive stands as he appeared in-front of him shielding him from the volley. But it was not in goodwill, even though the boy had done something mischievous he was still the crowned prince. Killing him, would destroy the shield protecting the boy. Meaning he still had leverage.
…
While Stone Heart was facing the attacks for his own survival. The consciousness of the teenage boy had already dimmed from this world. That fear had struck deep in his heart and caused a heart attack, with his body already limp from the long run. He collapsed instantly. But just as his soul dispersed into the heavens. Another crawled through the opening.
"Is this it?" The teenage boy murmured as he scanned the chaotic scene around him. By now the street had already been littered with corpses of the civilians.
During the commotion, many homeless individuals had been awakened. Initially they thought of fleeing the upheaval but when they caught the glittering gold from Stone Hearts pouch, greed overcame them; leading to the inevitable. In the distance, Stone Heart's with his tone robe continued to urge his energy and sliced the arrows apart. His strength, speed and precision; inhumane.
"Is the other world… a cultivating civilization?!" Whis thought out loud, as fragments of memories flickered in his mind— foreign faces and scenes surfacing. His soul without being told began sorting and absorbing all the information.
…
The transformation was just as quick as blinking an eye, even though it took much to explain. Snapping from his daze, Whis brandished the pouch at his side and attempted to lift it. His frail hands trembled while trying to maintain the lift mid-air.
"Its true, this not my body." His hands continued to wander over his form , seeking reassurance until a familiar sensitive spot eased his worry with a sigh. "My soul should've survived the body destruction and jumped into the portal only to land into this sixteen year-old body" Whis immediately came to an understanding. But he could steady himself by dropping the heavy bag, a swift arrow raced toward him.
Instinctively, his head jerked to the left and by the power of bag's gravity he accelerated towards the ground; face flat. Groaning, he touched the thin line of blood and dirt on his face. That must've been a stray arrow, otherwise such a weak body, shouldn't have…. Wait. His heart skipped multiple beats, trying to pound out of his chest in fright. It was only now that he began noticing his surroundings. With such a frail body, it wouldn't take long before he lost his life. He still needed to make his dream come to life. Grabbing the pouch, he pushed himself upright and scanned for an escape route.
…
"Get the boy!" Boomed an intimidating, deafening shout across the entire town. The Wolf battalion had arrived. In the middle was a young man riding a wold the size of an adult elephant. His command was met by dashing soldiers wielding saber-toothed blades.
Stone Heart heart instantly crumbled. He now knew it was all a trick to pin him down and exhaust him. The Battalion leader must've anticipated his greed and had used that to tap out all his strength before claiming an easy victory.
The leader smirked as he looked at the top most wanted criminal. "More like, the world's largest porcupine" The young man smirked. Sadly no-one was close enough to enjoy the joke.