《Beyond The Primordials》


 Chapter 1: Servitude

    Crash~


    The statue shattered into multiple chunks of translucent white jade as it hit the ground. The able-bodied workersresponsible immediately prepared their ropes to take down another, while others came in to collect the rubble. They threw the pieces of jade into large brown sacks, strategically organizing them to make their sacks look as full as possible.


    Though they moved with great speed and efficiency, the workers were thin, their faces showing slight signs of malnourishment. All of them wore worn-down hemp robes with varying degrees of tears, revealing red whip marks on their skin.


    They were the slaves of the Tang Clan.


    "Anyone who doesn''t bring in a full bag of jade goes without dinner tonight!"


    The voice came from a young man with an arrogant demeanor wearing red silk robes. The man paced around the demolition site, watching each and every slave for the slightest sign of weakness or slow in their pace. He approached a young boy who looked around fifteen and kicked his sack, spilling the boy¡¯s meticulously organized jade all over the ground.


    The boy had a very handsome face, one that could be described as royal despite being covered in dirt. However, what stood out were his eyes. His eyes were fierce, radiating an essence of defiance and majesty.


    "Yin Hui, I know your clan used to own all this land we are currently excavating, but you cannot get clumsy from sentiment." He chuckled.


    Yin Hui cast a cold glare at the young man who kicked his sack. His gaze contained what seemed to be a murderous intent, but was actually just the natural fierceness of his eyes.


    ¡°There it is, those eyes. Those demonic eyes that don''t even seem to put the heavens in their sight. Know your place!¡± The young man waved his sleeve, and a long red whip appeared in his hand.


    As he swung, flames began to form on the surface of the whip. The whip struck Yin Hui directly on his back, burning through his robes and leaving a smoking red wound on his back.


    Yin Hui howled in pain as he collapsed onto the ground. However, the man did not seem to be finished. With a wicked grin he whipped Yin Hui an additional five times, completely burning off the back portion of his robes. Despite Yin Hui¡¯s screams echoing throughout the excavation site, the surrounding slaves worked as diligently as usual. They were not oblivious to what was happening, but simply knew that there was nothing they could do about it.


    Yin Hui''s laid motionless after the last lash. His body paralyzed by the immense pain caused by the flaming whip. The young man holding the whip picked up Yin Hui by his short black hair, holding him up to eye level. The anger in his face had not lessened at all, and it seemed like he would begin whipping once more given the slightest provocation.


    "Your just an insignificant slave of one of the many clans conquered by the Tang Clan. I should dig out your cursed eyes so that you''ll appear more subservient." He sneered.


    "Haha¡­" While Yin Hui''s upper body was completely limp, his mouth was still fully intact.


    "Subservient? Let¡¯s not forget that your clan is also just one of the Tang''s dogs. At least I''m a slave who still retains some spine. On the other hand, you''re just a mutt who licks his master''s boots on all fours, hoping for a treat and a pat on the head."


    The young man''s grip on the whip tightened as the veins on his face bulged from anger.


    "You''re courting death! Let¡¯s see you mouth off again once I give you some lashesto the head!" The young man threw Yin Hui''s limp body hard on the ground and drew back his whip. The surface of the whip ignited with flames once more as he lashed out towards the defenseless boy.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Stop." A young voice called out.


    The young man hesitated briefly when he heard the voice. However, with his mind in such an enraged state he pretended not to hear it and continued his attack.


    As the whip was about to make contact with Yin Hui''s head it suddenly halted. A boy around Yin Hui''s age with shoulder length black hair was firmly grasping the flaming whip. There wasn''t the slightest expression of pain on the boy''s face as he held the whip, which was mere inches from Yin Hui''s face.


    "Tao Shou, I told you to stop." The youth said sternly.


    Tao Shou gritted his teeth as the flames on the whip slowly faded. Heretracted his whipand lowered his head, trying to conceal his immense rage.


    "Forgive me young master Tang Li. I was merely disciplining a slave who was not showing face to the Tang Clan."


    "You disobeyed a direct order from a member of the Tang Clan, which is an even greater offense. Since you can¡¯t seem to hear, I''ll get rid of the extra weight for you." Tang Li unsheathed a decorated short sword from his waist, and with a quick swing sliced off Tao Shou''s left ear.


    The attack was clean and graceful, the splattering blood painting an even coat on the edge of Tang Li''s sword, making the edge appear to glow an alluring red. Coupled with Tang Li''s handsome face, what most would see as a barbaric act seemed more like an elegant performance.


    "Ahh!! Forgive me young master! It will not happen again!"


    Tao Shou screamed as he picked up his severed ear and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. His initial rage was completely replaced with concern for his missing ear, praying the healers from his clan could reattach it.


    When Tao Shou was no longer in view, Tang Li knelt before the injured Yin Hui. He took out a small brown sack the size of a wine gourd and opened it. This small sack was not like the ones the slaves were using to carry pieces of jade. Inside was a tiny pocket dimension that seemed to be able to hold an infinite amount of objects, perhaps even living beings.


    Tang Li took out a few bottles containing different kinds of liquids and began applying them onto Yin Hui''s damaged body. When the liquid came in contact with Yin Hui''s wounds they began to rapidly close up and heal, not leaving a single scar behind.


    Yin Hui sat up, healthy skin radiating through the few patches of damaged cloth still draped loosely around his torso.


    "Thank you Tang Li."


    "Humiliated from being saved by a member Tang Clan?" Tang Li laughed, pointing to a golden crest on the belt of his blue robe, the surname Tang was inscribed on it.


    "Your an exception." Yin Huilet out a small smile.


    The surrounding slaves heaved a sigh of relief. Tang Li was a favorite among the slave populations controlled by the Tang Clan. Despite his status, he was very kind, and took genuine care of the slaves under his command. Slaves under him were never beaten, and were treated more like ordinary workers rather than slaves.


    "You may be good at controlling and concealing your emotions, but those eyes of yours seem to make that all useless." Tang Li sighed


    "It''s fine. A little beating every now and then isn''t a problem. If you really feel bad, you could pass me a spare robe from your bag of holding."


    Tang Li smiled and took out fresh blue robe from his bag, throwing it towards Yin Hui.


    "It''s nothing much. If it wasn''t for you, I would''ve died long ago."


    "Thank your clan elders for giving me that death sentence all those years ago then." Yin Hui laughed


    When Yin Hui was ten, he accidentally gave poisoned wine to a Tang Clan elder by an assassin disguised as a slave. The assassin was caught and killed, but Yin Hui was still blamed. As punishment he was sent to find and kill the Onyx Serpent from Black Serpent Mountain. It was essentially a death sentence, as the mountain was ravaged with giant man-eating serpents and the Onyx Serpent being only a rumor.


    When Yin Hui entered the mountain he saw a young boy around the same age as him twitching on the ground. Around the boy were ten bloody corpses, each holding various kinds of weapons in their hands. The young boy was poisoned and was going to die within hours.


    Seeing the boy¡¯s ragged appearance, Yin Hui assumed he was another slave. Had Yin Hui thought he was a member of the Tang Clan, he would have left him to die. However, other slaves were people he shared great camaraderie with. Therefore, he decided to take the boy back to the Tang Clan, and quickly rush back before anyone noticed him.


    Unfortunately, he was caught and was to be executed for returning without completing his task. Luckily for him, the boy he saved was actually one of the Tang Clan''s young masters, Tang Li. Tang Li vouched for Yin Hui, informing the elders that Yin Hui saved his life, which resulted in the sentence being retracted.


    Ever since then, Yin Hui and Tang Li became close friends. Tang Li often protecting Yin Hui from threats by the other Tang Clan members and their vassals such as Tao Shou.


    When Yin Hui finished swapping his robes, Tang Li ordered the slaves to gather their supplies and return to the clan. As Yin Hui gathered his belongings and was about to leave, Tang Li signalled towards him.


    Yin Hui hesitated, but eventually followed, noting the serious expression on Tang Li¡¯s face.


    ¡°Tang Li, what¡¯s going on? You know how annoyed the supervisors can get when these sacks aren¡¯t returned on time.¡±


    They walked further into the excavation site, passing untouched statues made of jade and other precious metals.


    "I''ve found an opportunity that could potentially change your life for the better. Forever."


    "What opportunity?" Yin Hui asked.


    "An opportunity to free yourself from the life of a slave, to become an immortal!"

 Chapter 2: Yin Clan Ancestral Burial Grounds

    Immortals were not immortal in the literal sense. Instead, they were cultivators of spiritual qi energy, which when properly integrated with a person''s body and soul, gave them heaven-defying powers and the ability to cast daoist spells.


    The flaming whip used by Tao Shou was a weapon made using spiritual energy. It was imbued with a flame spell that allowed it to spontaneously ignite flames when striking. Spiritual qi could also be channeled through the body as well, making it more resilient. This was how Tang Li was able to hold the whip''s flames directly without receiving any injuries.


    Tang Li took Yin Hui deeper and deeper into the excavation site. As they kept walking, the statues made out of jade and other precious metals were replaced with thousands of tombstones. Some were more unique than others, but they all shared one thing in common, each belonged to a person with the surname Yin.


    These were the Yin Clan Ancestral Burial Grounds.


    "We''re here" Tang Li said stopping before an old shrine.


    The shrine was covered in moss and showed signs of decay. However, there was a lingering aura of power that gave it a majestic feel.


    When Tang Li and Yin Hui walked inside, they saw a large jade pillar with 6 runes inscribed in a circle. The pillar exuded a power identical to the one outside, but magnified to the point where a faint pressure could be felt. While the shrine surrounding it was visibly impacted by the passage of time, the jade pillar seemed completely unaffected. The runes embedded within were vibrant, and it''s luster surface was so clean and smooth reflections could be seen off it.


    "What is this?" Yin Hui gaped in awe.


    "It''s your clan''s ancestral tablet. Rumor has it that your ancestor was a powerful cultivator on the level of the primordial gods that rule over the heavens. After reaching the apex of cultivation he imbued his knowledge onto this jade pillar, hoping that one of his descendants could also rise to a similar level of greatness."


    Tang Li spoke with great fanaticism when describing the Yin ancestor. While the Yin Clan had fallen, the rumors surrounding the Yin ancestor were well known and believed by many. Being an eager young cultivator, Tang Li respected the Yin Clan ancestor immensely and aspired for the same level of greatness as him.


    "Unfortunately, the secrets of the tablet are impossible to unravel. Our clan has tried for months since we discovered it, but the only thing that we have been able to take advantage of is the vast amounts of high quality spirit energy that permeates from the tablet."


    Tang Li turned towards Yin Hui and put his hands on Yin Hui''s shoulders.


    "However! I believe it might be different for you! Yin Hui, as a member of the Yin Clan there''s a possibility for you to receive the inheritance of your ancestor and become an immortal!"


    Yin Hui shook his head and was about to explain when laughter was heard from behind. Two people stood at the doorway to the shrine, one of them missing an ear. The man with both ears intact had a face similar to Tang Li, but looked much older and more mature. Beside him was Tao Shou, looking quite pitiful due to the asymmetry caused by his missing left ear.


    "Tang Jiao¡­" Tang Li frowned


    Tang Jiao scraped his boots on the worn down tiles as he walked inside, purposefully leaving behind bits of dirt with each step.


    "Little brother, you spoil this slave too much. He may have saved you once, but have you already forgotten? This boy is a child is an ill omen cursed by the heavens!"


    "When he was born a divine tribulation was cast upon the entire Yin Clan. The strongest clan of the region was crippled in a single night, all of them stripped of their cultivation and reduced to mere mortals!"


    Tang Jiao spoke as if he was the narrator of a play, but if one listened carefully they could tell his voice contained nothing but mockery and ridicule.


    "They tried again and again to restore their cultivation, but the spiritual energy rejected them. It was as if the heavens had cursed their bloodline, preventing a single Yin Clan member from gathering spiritual energy ever again.


    "When the enemies of the Yin Clan found out about this, many of them mobilized their forces and laid waste to the clan. The entire clan was nearly exterminated, with a handful of survivors being taken in as slaves. Of course, this was only done to further shame the clan over actual mercy."


    Tang Jiao looked at Yin Hui and smiled, pointing his finger towards him.


    "A proud clan that once ruled over tens of thousands was brought down due to the birth of this trash. If I were him I would have already dug out my eyes and died a quiet death."


    "Tang Li, even though you know this, you still decided to bring him here. You think this crippled brat will really be able to unlock the pillars secrets?"


    "He is a member of the Yin Clan, perhaps the secrets can only be passed down through the descendents." Tang Li argued.


    Tang Jiao shrugged his shoulders.


    "Hmph, all I was doing was trying to give my younger brother some advice. If you will not accept my good intentions so be it. However, this brat provoked my servant!"


    "It was I who cut off his ear, he is not to blame." Tang Li stepped in front of Yin Hui.


    "Father would not be pleased if we fought, so I will not make things difficult for you little brother. On the other hand, justice still needs to be served. Why don''t we have our respective servants settle things themselves then?"


    "Don''t speak nonsense! Tao Shou is a cultivator in the Spirit Waking realm. Do you not feel shame in having him bully someone who can''t even cultivate?"


    "Tao Shou has only recently broken through to the Spirit Waking realm. You on the other hand are at its peak, half a step into the Spirit Manifestation realm. Did you not feel shame in bullying a junior almost an entire realm of cultivation below you?"


    Tang Li was silent, in battle of words he was no match for his older brother.


    Yin Hui placed a hand on Tang Li''s shoulder.


    "It will only be a small beating, nothing new. If it gets out of control I''ll just rely on you to stop it right?"


    Tang Li was silent and gave Yin Hui a serious glance. With Tang Jiao there, Tang Li was uncertain if he could stop the match should it reach a critical point. However, there was no way they were getting out of this without initiating some kind of fight either. Tang Li sighed, turning his head back to Tang Jiao and giving him a small nod.


    "Excellent! I''m glad we have reached an agreement. Tao Shou I''ve given you an opportunity, use it well."


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Thank you, young master. This servant will not forget your grace." Tao Shou clasped his hands and bowed


    "Begin." Tang Jiao announced.


    Tao Shou rushed towards Yin Hui, spiritual energy swirling around his fists. When Yin Hui was within reaching distance he struck out with his right palm.


    Spiritual energy passively raised all the bodies attributes based on what realm they were in. Tao Shou''s current speed was similar to that of a horse at full gallop, which was something Yin Hui simply could not match.


    Just when the palm was about to reach him, Yin Hui shifted to the side. The palm passed him by a hair''s breadth, tearing a small piece off the side of his robe.


    Tao Shou was briefly shocked, but quickly regained his composure.


    "A simple fluke! The next one will leave a hole through your chest!"


    Tao Shou attacked again, sending a flurry of palms in Yin Hui''s direction.


    Like before, each attack was dodged at the last second, leaving Yin Hui completely unharmed.


    "Why can''t I hit him!" Tao Shou shouted, preparing another palm.


    This time Yin Hui started running towards Tao Shou. He dodged another palm on the way and leaped over Tao Shou''s head, kicking it as he passed.


    If Tao Shou was not a cultivator, this kick would have knocked him unconscious, but instead just caused him minor pain.


    "You think I was just quietly sitting all those times you beat me over the years? I''ve been studying you, making sure none of your attacks were hitting my vitals. I know where your attacks will go and when to dodge them."


    Tao Shou was taken aback. He would never have guessed that the countless times he tormented Yin Hui that it would come back to bite him in such a way.


    While Tao Shou was distracted Yin Hui rushed towards him again. When Tao Shou regained his senses, Yin Hui was right in front of him and landed a strong kick between his legs.


    "Ahh!!" Tao Shou howled and collapsed onto the ground. He rolled on the floor with a pained expression on his face, cupping his hands over his family jewels.


    "You may be a cultivator, but I guess even mortals can defeat you if they hit the right spots." Yin Hui smirked


    Tao Shou stumbled as he got up, his hands still covering his most sensitive area. He was infuriated beyond measure. Not only did he lose an ear, he now also potentially lost the key component to expanding his family line.


    "Yin Hui! I will feed your corpse to the dogs!" Tao Shou roared.


    Yin Hui laughed, watching Tao Shou start to sweat from holding back the pain.


    "Very intimidating coming from a man hunched over with both hands between his legs."


    However, Tao Shou did not respond back. His expression calmed as he slowly fell into a stance and retracted his fist. Spiritual energy swirled around his fist once more, but in a different manner, as if the energy was being condensed.


    Tang Li''s eyes widened as he saw this


    "Yin Hui stay alert! That''s the Wind Bullet! He''s not just empowering his fists, he''s using a martial skill!"


    "Too late." Tao Shou bent his knees and shot his fist forward, his body recoiling slightly. The sound of a small cannon could be heard as Yin Hui was forcefully thrown back, his body smashing hard against the shrine walls.


    Only cultivators of the Spirit Waking realm and above had senses refined enough to see the Wind Bullet. To Tang Li and Tang Jiao, the Wind Bullet was a translucent beam of pressurized air coated with spiritual qi.


    Since Yin Hui was not in the Spirit Waking realm, to him it seemed like he was hit by some mysterious invisible force.


    Yin Hui started to run, but didn''t get far as he was quickly hit by another Wind Bullet. He was sent flying into the ancestral tablet and fell to the ground. The force behind the second Wind Bullet was much stronger than the last, fracturing a few of Yin Hui''s bones.


    "Time to finish this." There were traces of fatigue on Tao Shou''s face as he charged the third Wind Bullet. He had recently learned the technique so three attacks was his limit.


    "Tao Shou, stay your hand! The match has already been decided!" Tang Li took a step forward, preparing to block Tao Shou''s attack.


    Tang Jiao smirked and in a flash appeared beside Tang Li, putting his hand on Tang Li''s shoulder.


    "Unless you think you can get past me, don''t even think about interfering."


    Tang Li cursed under his breath. Tang Jiao was a Spirit Manifestation cultivator, which was an entire realm above Tang Li. Even with his peak Spirit Waking cultivation, the gap between the two was enormous.


    Seeing that this was the end, Yin Hui turned to face his clans ancestral tablet. He looked at the 7 runic carvings engraved in the pillar with a look of regret.


    "If only I wasn''t crippled at birth, maybe things could have been a lot different." He thought to himself


    While Yin Hui was analyzing the pillar one of the runes caught his eye. He positioned himself closer to get a better look and found that it was of an eye.


    The eye radiated a sort of fierceness, and upon further inspection Yin Hui found that it looked identical to his. Suddenly, the eye moved, looking towards him as if it came to life. It paused for a second before emitting a golden beam of light that shot directly into Yin Hui''s eyes. Simultaneously, the jade pillar also began to glow a bright gold color.


    Tang Li and Tang Jiao noticed this change and shock filled their eyes.


    "Is that cripple really getting a reaction from the jade pillar?" Tang Jiao pondered.


    At the same time, Tao Shou finished charging the Wind Bullet to maximum power. He seemed oblivious to the change in the jade pillar and punched forward. A jet of pressurized air that seemed to be capable of taking down a fully grown tree shot towards Yin Hui.


    As the Wind Bullet sped towards Yin Hui, his body started to glow gold. A loud bang was heard as the Wind Bullet made contact. The shockwave produced by it caused the roof above to collapse, and the tiles below to break into a cloud of dust.


    As the roof began to descend on them, Tang Jiao threw out a punch. It produced a shockwave even more powerful than the Wind Bullet and shattered the falling debris.


    When the dust cleared, the tablet was completely unharmed, surrounded by broken moss covered ceramic.


    "Yin Hui!" Tang Li ran forward and waved his hand. A strong gust of wind appeared and blew away the rubble surrounding the Yin Clan tablet.


    Yin Hui was nowhere to be found. His body had completely vanished, not even leaving a single drop of blood.

 Chapter 3: Yin Tou

    When Yin Hui regained his senses, he found himself in a space that resembled an endless void. Aside from him and the vast nothingness, there was also a gray statue of an old man a few feet away.


    "Am I dead?" Yin Hui wondered. The last thing he remembered was Tao Shou firing the Wind Bullet towards him, as well as a golden light from one of the runes on the ancestral tablet shooting into his eyes. Two possible outcomes immediately popped into Yin Hui''s mind. Either he was dead and this was the afterlife, or he was transported to a hidden space inside the tablet! Yin Hui''s eyes locked onto the statue a few feet away and began to move towards it, if there was an answer, the statue was the key.


    Despite having no floor to walk on, Yin Hui felt solid contact with each step. The texture of the floor was smooth and stable, but when he bent down to touch it, his hand passed right through. Considering his experience with cultivators he did not bother to question the oddity of this phenomena, and continued walking forward until he reached the statue.


    The statue was of an old man with long hair wearing an extremely extravagant robe. A fierce expression was carved onto his face, and he was pointing towards the sky as if he were commanding the heavens.


    "Are you god? Or are you my ancestor?." Yin Hui asked the statue.


    "Hehe¡­ God? Ancestor? How about both!" The voice came from the statue, but did not possess the authority and majesty befitting of a god. Instead, it sounded very sly and mischievous like a trickster.


    A ball of light emerged from the statue and stopped in front of Yin Hui. It materialized into a spectral elderly man whose features were identical to the statue. The old man had a crooked smile on his face, which coupled with a pair of shifty narrow eyes made him look like a swindler. However, a deep ferocity could be seen within those narrow slits for eyes, a ferocity that was exactly like Yin Hui''s!


    "Congratulations kid! You''re the first of my descendants to be worthy enough to enter my domain and awaken me! What is your name?" The ghost cheerily asked.


    "..."


    Seeing Yin Hui''s silence, the ghost sighed and shook his head, but still retained a large wide smile on his face.


    "Kid. Don''t you think that it''s a bit rude to not introduce yourself to your ancestor?"


    Yin Hui was not a very sociable person. Being raised a slave for most of his life caused him to develop a cautious personality. This meant choosing his words carefully and to always think twice before acting. He had never really met or talked to a family member before, especially an ancestor, and momentarily forgot how to respond.


    "My name is Yin Hui."


    "Yin Hui. Good good, I feel like this is a name I will never forget. As for me, I am your ancestor, the great Yin Tou!" Yin Tou pointed to the statue behind him as he introduced himself, posing in the same manner as the statue.


    Yin Hui stared at the posing ghost who called himself Yin Tou with a puzzled expression. He found it hard to believe that this cheery eccentric old man was really the all-powerful ancestor Tang Li told him about.


    "Anyways, your not dead. In fact, you could say that you''ve received a great fortune instead! Now, enlighten this old man on your current cultivation level."


    "I''m a cripple, I don''t have any." Yin Hui lowered his head in disappointment.


    Yin Tou laughed loudly.


    "Ah kid, you tell very good jokes. How could a descendant of mine who has been chosen by the formation I put on that tablet not have an extraordinary cultivation base?"


    Yin Hui contemplated the thought. If he truly did have no capability to cultivate, why would the ancestral tablet let him through? According to Tang Li, his ancestor was an apex cultivator, with the strength to accomplish anything. If this was the case, perhaps he also had the ability to restore his ability to cultivate as well.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Well, it doesn''t really matter. Now that you''re here, I will bestow upon you my inheritance. You should be grateful boy, for you shall have the honor of becoming the new vessel of the great Yin Tou!"


    Before Yin Hui could react, Yin Tou''s spirit charged into his body. Yin Hui''s eyes immediately clouded and his body began to emit a white aura. He collapsed onto the ground, twisting in pain as he slowly loss consciousness.


    After a few moments the aura began to die down. When it finally dissipated Yin Hui slowly stood up, clenching his palms and examining his body.


    "Haha! Finally! After countless years, I, Yin Tou, have finally regained flesh!"


    Yin Tou was ecstatic. Using Yin Hui''s body, he began to jog around the empty void, striking poses and throwing punches in the air. While he could still do all of these things in his spirit form, possessing actual flesh added a new feeling to his actions.


    To the average person, it would seem that Yin Tou was just fooling around like a child who received a new toy. While this was true, if one looked carefully they would also be able to tell that he was also testing the strengths and weaknesses of his new body.


    "Heh, I knew there was something unique about you boy. While you indeed have no cultivation your body is completely devoid of mortal toxins that new cultivators need to cleanse before they can fully utilize spirit qi. Even a cultivator who has dedicated their whole life to the first step of cultivation, the Impurity Cleansing realm, would not be able to achieve this. This body is simply something that only a true chosen could be born with!" Yin Tou was very pleased with his new vessel. With such a great foundation and the rich spiritual qi that surrounded his domain, it would take no time at all to reach the peak of the Spirit Waking realm, not even the Spirit Manifestation realm would be too difficult.


    "Since this body is essentially already equal to a peak Impurity Cleansing cultivator, all I need to do is absorb a strand of spiritual energy to break into the Spirit Waking realm. Don''t worry boy, I''ll be sure to get revenge on that Tao Shou brat for you once I get out of this place. Haha, perhaps I''ll even use his own technique to do it!"


    Despite Yin Tou possessing Yin Hui''s body, he had not fully integrated with it yet. Therefore, Yin Hui''s soul still resided within his body, but in a suppressed state. This allowed Yin Tou to access a bit of Yin Hui''s memories and understand what was currently going on in the outside world. However, it also meant that Yin Hui could see and hear everything that Yin Tou was doing with his body as well.


    Yin Tou sat down in a cross-legged position and closed his eyes. As he meditated, the dense spiritual qi that was present in the void began to converge towards him. The qi entered Yin Hui''s body and began to circulate. However, at the critical point of integration the qi scattered and shot out of his body. Shocked, Yin Tou tried once more to integrate the qi with Yin Hui''s body, but the spiritual energy rejected him again.


    "Argh! Your really a cripple! What kind of joke is this? A perfect foundation, but spiritual energy completely rejects it!" Yin Tou was exasperated. While he did hear Tang Jiao retelling the story of the Yin Clan through Yin Hui''s memories he did not believe it. Even if it was true, Yin Tou believed that the tribulation only affected the soul and not the body, in which case he would still be able to utilize Yin Hui''s perfect foundation.


    Infuriated, Yin Tou threw a huge tantrum. With nothing else around, he kicked the leg of his own statue to alleviate his anger. When he did, he instantly recoiled in pain.


    "Gah, I forgot that this statue is still partly tied to my spirit so if it gets hurt so do I. Forget this, rather have no body at all then be in the body of some useless cripple." Yin Tou closed his eyes and Yin Hui''s body began to emit the same white aura as before. Yin Tou''s spirit exited Yin Hui''s body and materialized once more with a displeased expression on his face.


    When Yin Hui recovered he was incredibly angry. He stared at Yin Tou with fierce hate filled eyes that would''ve scared off a pack of hungry tigers.


    "Don''t give me that look brat. Turns out your useless to me so go run along and enjoy your boring life as a slave. I''m sure there are other more worthy descendants still lingering around that will find this place eventually, but you won''t do." Yin Tou snorted. He pointed his finger towards the void and a portal opened up, revealing the destroyed shrine with Tang Li, Tang Jiao, and Tao Shou looking around for Yin Hui.


    "What about my inheritance!" Yin Hui objected, gritting his teeth.


    "There is no inheritance! Even if there was, it would be for me not you! The whole point was simply to get another body compatible with mine so I could be revived. I could tell while in your body that you inherited my eyes and that was probably why the formation accepted you, but there''s nothing I can do with the body of a crippled brat!"


    Yin Hui reached out and attempted to punch Yin Tou straight in the face, but his fist simply passed right through his ghostly head.


    "I thought you were just a cripple, but it looks like your also an idiot. Hurry up and leave already boy." Yin Tou took a few steps away from Yin Hui and sat down, entering a state of meditation.


    However, Yin Hui was not leaving without some kind of revenge. His entire life was filled with grudges. He wanted revenge against the heavens for crippling him and his clan. He wanted revenge against the Tang Clan for making him a slave and mistreating him. The heavens and the Tang Clan were currently beyond reach, but he was definitely not letting Yin Tou off the hook. Yin Hui recalled all the things Yin Tou did while possessing his body and an idea lit up in his head. He turned towards Yin Tou''s statue and an evil grin appeared on his face.

 Chapter 4: Shaking Down A Swindler

    Outside the tablet''s hidden domain, Tang Li, Tang Jiao, and Tao Shou were inspecting the ancestral tablet, trying to find out where Yin Hui went.


    "Yin Hui get out here! I''m not leaving until I see your corpse at my feet!" Tao Shou shouted, kicking the tablet in frustration.


    Tang Li let out a breath of relief, but still felt worried. Based on what he saw, Yin Hui seemed to be transported somewhere by the Yin Clan''s ancestral tablet. Teleportation spells were one of the most dangerous spells a mortal could be exposed to. The immense speed their bodies are subject to during transport could easily reduce them to a pile of flesh and blood before they even reach their destination.


    While the thought of Yin Hui dying to failed teleportation worried Tang Li, he was even more fearful of what would happen if he came back. Tao Shou had recovered his spiritual energy and was still bloodlusted. If Yin Hui returned without some kind of hidden ace, he would stand no chance. On top of that, there was also Tang Jiao, who stood next to him with a sinister smile on his face.


    "What are you so happy about?"


    Tang Jiao turned his head towards his younger brother, still wearing the same wicked grin.


    "If that slave returns, rest assured I will not let Tao Shou kill him. After all, he''s the first one to ever get a reaction from the jade pillar. I just wonder what father will do to that slave once I tell him of this. Perhaps I will bring him back to the palace and present him myself."


    "You dare?!" Tang Li drew his sword and swung at Tang Jiao.


    "Young master Tang Jiao!" Tao Shou cried. While Tao Shou was concerned for Tang Jiao, he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop Tang Li. Even if he charged the Wind Bullet to its maximum power, it would do little more than make Tang Li take a few steps back.


    When Tang Li''s sword was mere centimeters away from Tang Jiao, an ethereal arm emerged from behind Tang Jiao''s shadow and grabbed it. Tang Li attempted to withdraw his sword, but it didn''t budge under the grip of the arm''s hand.


    "The ethereal spirit of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator¡­" Tao Shou stared in awe.


    "Seems like I can afford to teach you a lesson after all little brother. I''m sure father won''t mind a little scuffle once I inform him that Yin Hui has the ability to access the pillar. With father''s personality, I bet he will refine that boy''s soul into a puppet. Of course, not before torturing him for the method to unlock the pillar and taking whatever inheritance he might have received.


    "Tang Jiao don''t you dare tell father about this!" Tang Li shouted, while trying to move his sword.


    "If you can beat me, I''ll do whatever you want. I''ll even make things easier for you and fight on equal terms." The ethereal hand holding Tang Li''s sword dissipated and Tang Jiao took a giant leap back. He tapped his own bag of holding attached to his waist and took out a decorated short sword similar to Tang Li''s.


    "Last time we fought you were grovelling after 30 moves. Hopefully, now you can last at least 40!"


    Tang Jiao brandished his sword and dashed forward towards Tang Li, that sinister smile never left his face.


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    "All right! All right! I apologise! This old man was wrong. Just please stop!"


    Back in the spatial realm within the pillar, Yin Hui was taking out his anger on Yin Tou''s statue. The statue was Yin Tou''s current vessel, so if it was harmed so was he.


    "This is for stealing my body you damned geezer." Yin Hui threw a barrage of hard punches towards the statues nose. Yin Tou was rolling on the ground in pain, covering his face with both of his ghostly hands as each punch was reflected back onto him. Under the assault of Yin Hui''s punches, the nose of the statue started to crack, which meant Yin Tou''s nose had cracked as well. These cracks were only temporary as Yin Tou would simply use the rich spiritual energy around them to heal the cracks and himself. Unfortunately for him, this just allowed Yin Hui to repeatedly break the same parts as many times as he wanted, leading to an endless cycle of torment.


    "Argh! That''s the 4th time you broke my nose!"If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Shut up." Yin Hui moved down to the statues neck and threw a straight jab right to the statues throat.


    Yin Tou wrapped his hands around his throat and began to cough. If he wasn''t a ghost right now he would have already coughed out a pool of blood.


    "That''s it brat you''ve finally pushed it! I''m forcibly sending you back!" Yin Tou pointed to the ground beneath Yin Hui and the portal to the shrine began to open once more.


    "If I am then your coming with me!" Yin Hui climbed to the top of the statue and quickly broke off some pieces, throwing them into the emerging portal.


    "Wait stop!" Yin Tou quickly closed the portal. As he did, Yin Hui threw a hard punch to the top of his head.


    "Either you give me a method to cultivate, or this is going to continue for eternity!"


    "I can''t! Your a crip--- Ahh!!" Yin Hui climbed down the statue and sent a strong kick towards Yin Tou''s two most prized possessions.


    "Call me a cripple again and I''ll break these pieces off at least 10 times. Your supposed to be an all powerful cultivator right? I''m sure you have something."


    Yin Tou looked down with a face of pain and embarrassment, letting out the same shameless smile he had when he first appeared.


    "About that¡­ You see, most of my memories are sealed away inside this tablet. The only reason I awakened is because you inherited my eyes and unlocked one of the seals." Yin Tou explained while covering his two most prized possessions.


    "Each of the seals corresponds to a part of me that contains some of my power. Right now I only have the eyes unlocked, so I can only utilize techniques I have physically seen that don''t require any hard comprehension or a high cultivation base."


    Yin Hui''s face turned red with anger, he could not take more of this old man''s shameless and disappointing character. He turned towards the statue once more, lifting his leg up in the air.


    "Wait wait! Just because I don''t have my former cultivation base or my arsenal of spells doesn''t mean I haven''t seen anything in the past that could help!" Yin Tou said hastily.


    Yin Hui put his leg down and turned around, this time with a wide smile on his face. Yin Tou gulped when he saw this smile.


    "With just my eyes, I can reproduce most body reconstruction rituals since those are purely done through physical step-by-step instructions."


    "And can any of those techniques reform my body so I can cultivate even with a cursed soul?" Yin Hui asked with an endearing expression.


    Yin Tou looked at Yin Hui''s ''endearing'' face and shuddered with fear. He closed his eyes and carefully recalled all the body reformation rituals he had in his visual memory, making sure to find the right one for Yin Hui. After a few minutes, Yin Tou started to sweat. While he had seen multiple rituals throughout his life, most required special materials which he didn''t have access to. Eventually, he found one that was suitable, but it was a demonic technique with a very low success rate that could kill the target if it failed.


    "The success rate of this technique is abysmal, but it''s the only one I can replicate with these limiting circumstances¡­"


    Yin You turned towards Yin Hui, almost afraid to give him the news that he only found one possible method that could potentially even kill him.


    "Uhh, kid, I mean, my beloved descendant Yin Hui. I have found a method, but it''s success rate is low. It''s a demonic technique, and if it fails there''s a chance you might even die."


    Yin Hui sighed, he knew that with his current restrictions and Yin Tou''s incomplete knowledge that the solution would not be easy. However, if he didn''t obtain some kind of method to cultivate, he would get slaughtered as soon as he left by Tao Shou and Tang Jiao who were waiting outside.


    "I don''t care if it''s a demonic technique, the heaven''s themselves have already made it clear they reject me. Even if the success rate is low, are the chances lower than what was done to me at birth? Let''s do it." Yin Hui declared solemnly.


    Yin Tou was slightly moved by Yin Hui''s declaration, but it quickly passed as another scheming thought popped up in his mind.


    "Wait a minute. If this brat dies, then he won''t be able to bother me anymore. If he lives, then he''ll stop bothering me and owe me a favor! It''s a win-win situation! Haha! Even as just a portion of my true self this old man is simply too clever."


    Yin Tou drifted closer to Yin Hui with a new demeanor full of life and enthusiasm.


    "I admire your courage Yin Hui! As your ancestor, I am pleased that my chosen descendant has been born with such a tenacious personality!"


    Yin Hui scoffed at his ancestors praises.


    "Cut the bullsh*t you old swindler. I know that whether this method succeeds or not you benefit. Regardless, if we succeed I will still repay you despite your malicious intentions."


    Yin Tou let out a wry smile. Turns out the brat wasn''t as foolish as he initially thought.


    "Well, erm, I guess we can start right away then. The name of this technique is called the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique."


    "Evil Fiend Devouring Technique?" Yin Hui narrowed his eyes.


    "Based on what I''ve seen, it involves reconstructing your body into that of a fiend. Doing so will also rid your body of the curse done to it by the heaven''s. Once that is done, you can use the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique to consume other cultivators souls and cultivation making them your own. Since you cannot integrate spiritual energy with your own soul, you will instead be using the souls stored in your body by the technique!"


    "Are there any drawbacks?" Yin Hui asked.


    "Since your effectively consuming another''s soul, you will have full control over it as if it were an empty husk. However, doing so also means that it cannot get stronger either due to being only a subsidiary soul. So whatever cultivation the owner had before being consumed would be the maximum cultivation you can utilize from it."


    "That is fine, there are plenty of ways to get around that. All I need is the ability to interact with spirit energy. We can start whenever you''re ready."


    "About that¡­" Yin Tou cupped his hands together and a sly, bashful smile appeared on his face.


    "What is it now¡­" Yin Hui rolled his eyes.


    "For the entire process, I''ll need to be in control of your body again..."

 Chapter 5: Obtaining A Fiend Body

    Yin Hui''s body was sweating vigorously throughout the process of body reformation. Body reformation or body reconstruction required the original body to slowly be refined cell by cell, this way the soul could memorize the features of the original and retain its form for the new body. Even for cultivators, this was an extremely painful process, especially when done without any medicinal pills or healing formations.


    Furthermore, the process for turning one''s body into a fiend was extra challenging, as it required the conversion of normal qi to demonic qi to craft the body.


    Demonic qi itself was highly unstable, eroding and consuming all things that weren''t related to it. This was what made the fiend transformation process risky, as there was a chance the demonic energy could get out of control and devour the body mid-way.


    Despite initially being irritated that he had to lend Yin Tou his body a second time, Yin Hui knew he had no other choice. While Yin Tou was a mischievous trickster of many schemes, he looked completely serious during the reformation process. He had split his spirit into two halves, one half was possessing Yin Hui''s body, while the other was connected to the statue providing external help. Not a single movement was wasted as he coordinated with his second half, one side holding back the demonic qi from devouring Yin Hui''s body, and the other progressing the reformation.


    The half of Yin Tou''s spirit not merged with Yin Hui''s body looked very tired, appearing more and more transparent as if he were fading. Splitting his soul and having them perform different tasks, while conducting a very risky body reformation with no materials was extremely taxing on him. If he had at least one more seal unlocked, he could''ve had the strength to set up special formations to stabilize the process. Unfortunately he didn''t, so Yin Tou had to remain extra vigilant as the slightest mistake could have dire consequences. On top of all this, because Yin Tou was currently the main soul controlling Yin Hui''s body, he was the one feeling all the pain that came with the refinement.


    Yin Hui was silent, not wanting to disrupt Yin Tou''s concentration. As the procedure went along, Yin Hui actually started to feel bad for his ancestor. Watching Yin Tou exert himself so much to reconstruct his body, while also resisting the pain of the refinement made his heart ache a bit. Although Yin Tou had lied to him many times and even cheated him out of his body, he seemed to be genuinely trying his best to help Yin Hui reconstruct his body.


    Time moved slowly in the tablet¡¯s dimension, what seemed like hours inside was actually only minutes in the outside world.


    After about a day and a half of intense concentration, the Yin Tou not possessing Yin Hui twitched his hands slightly from the strain. As soon as he did, the half-transmuted demonic qi he was converting started spiraling out of control. A significant portion escaped and took the shape of several black ghosts that converged upon Yin Hui''s body, attempting to devour it.


    "Sh*t, kid! You have to maintain the demonic qi inside your body yourself! I need to put more energy into my clone so it can reassert control!" Yin Tou shouted frantically.


    "How do I do that?" Yin Hui asked through his thoughts. Because Yin Tou was not suppressing his soul like he did in the first possession, Yin Hui could communicate with him using his mind.


    "Maintain a balance of emotions! Demonic qi interacts with your body based on negative emotions, so as long as you keep a proper balance you can prevent it from devouring you!"


    Yin Tou quickly left Yin Hui''s body and merged his two halves. He weaved a few hand signs and a strong pressure filled the dimension. The incomplete demonic qi began to converge back towards Yin Tou. He waved his hands and several seals were applied, preventing it from escaping again.


    "Alright kid! Everything''s back under control! I''ll separate my soul again and--- what?"


    When Yin Tou turned his attention back to Yin Hui his jaw fell. Yin Hui was sitting in a state of complete tranquility, demonic qi swirling around him in a smooth, disciplined manner. The black ghosts initially attempting to devour him were now arranged in a uniform circle around Yin Hui, chanting some sort of spell that caused him to emit a black aura. Not only were the ghosts and true demonic qi completely tame, they were also progressing the refinement process on their own!


    Yin Tou let out a hearty laugh.


    "I''m starting to like this Yin Hui kid! Reminds me of myself... I think. What was I like again?"You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Seeing Yin Hui was alright, Yin Tou sat down, allowing the exhaustion he was suppressing for so long set in. He watched eagerly as the ghosts and demonic qi surrounding Yin Hui slowly reformed his body to that of a fiend.


    Yin Hui was calm as he felt the demonic qi course through his entire being. He was no stranger to controlling his emotions and effortlessly subdued the demonic qi and ghosts when Yin Tou left. At the same time, Yin Hui also found out that with his mastery over his emotions, he could take it a step further and command the qi as well. Remembering the way Yin Tou was directing the qi for the body reformation, Yin Hui commanded the demonic qi to do the same. The ghosts were much harder to control, but eventually they submitted and without instruction, created a formation that stabilized the refinement.


    After a couple hours, the demonic qi stabilized and dissipated along with ghosts. Yin Hui stood up. His body was dyed in black and his facial features were completely hidden. A few minutes later, cracks began to appear and light, flesh colored skin peeked out from underneath. The black shell surrounding his body shattered and Yin Hui''s body was now fully visible. His appearance was nearly identical to what he looked like before the reconstruction, retaining his handsome features. However, his black hair had grown to the center of his back and his irises turned from black to a deep dark purple.


    Yin Hui walked up to Yin Tou''s weak spirit for an evaluation. Yin Tou examined Yin Hui''s body and nodded in approval. It was a perfect reconstruction. Aside from the appearance, there were no traces of the original body left, including the curse placed by the heaven''s. A demonic aura filled the spatial domain, creating a cold and dreadful atmosphere. After the reformation, the rich spiritual energy that permeated from the dimension decreased by almost 20%, allowing the demonic aura to be further emphasized.


    "That was a lot of work, but of course since it was me the results were perfect. I must admit that you surprised this old man when you controlled that demonic qi. If you didn''t, the process would''ve taken another 2 days. Maybe your not so useless after all! Now there''s only one thing left to do to fulfill my end of the deal, and that''s to get you your first soul." Yin Tou said weakly. He slowly raised his finger towards the void and a portal to the outside opened up once more.


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    Back at the shrine, the sound of clashing metal could be heard as Tang Li and Tang Jiao traded blows. Tang Jiao was completely unharmed, his robes in perfect condition as he swung his sword with grace and precision. In contrast, Tang Li looked quite pitiful. He had a bright red cut on his face and his robes had various tears and holes in them.


    "I believe we''re at 30 moves now, good job! Last time you reached 30, you were on the ground and covered in blood! At least this time your still on your feet!" Tang Jiao laughed.


    Tang Li was exhausted, but didn''t show it. He knew his brother liked to gloat a lot, if he could catch him off guard during one of his moments it would allow him to deliver a decisive blow. He watched as Tang Jiao''s sword lowered just a tiny fraction out of position and charged out, channeling all his spiritual energy into his legs.


    "I suppose the only way you could possibly damage me is if my guard is down. However---" Tang Jiao cut his sentence off when he saw Tang Li rushing towards him with his sword, aiming a horizontal strike towards his center.


    "Slicing Wind Strike!" Tang Li shouted. The Slicing Wind Strike was a martial skill that involved swords. The user would coat their blade with a thin layer of spiritual qi which contained the element of wind. The layer of wind would repel all forms of air resistance on the blade, allowing the user to multiply the speed of their swing as if they were literally slicing through the wind.


    Knowing he had no time to build up momentum for a rush of his own, Tang Jiao quickly moved into a defensive stance. He held his sword tightly with both hands.


    "Damn it! There''s no time for me to counter with my own martial skill."


    When Tang Jiao was within range, Tang Li unleashed a slash so fast that mortals would say it was invisible. Tang Jiao slashed forward as well, but it was obvious the speed of his attack paled in comparison to the Slicing Wind Strike. Both of them paused after the clash, waiting to see who was the true victor of that decisive confrontation.


    Putt~


    Tang Li dropped a knee on the ground, grasping the side of his stomach with one hand while coughing out blood.


    "You shameless bastard..." Tang Li croaked.


    Tang Jiao stood up, flourishing his sword to get rid of the blood staining its edge. An ethereal armored torso had overlapped over his own torso, protecting him from Tang Li''s attack.


    "Too bad little brother. I must admit your timing was impeccable. If you were in the Spirit Manifestation realm and had your ethereal spirit unleash that attack, I might have been seriously injured."


    Tang Jiao put his boot on top of Tang Li''s arched back with an expression of triumph. He was about to say something when he heard a scream come from behind.


    It was Tao Shou. A portal had opened up in the Yin Clan tablet and an attraction force was pulling him inside.


    "Young master Tang Jiao save me!" Tao Shou screamed frantically, flailing as he flew into the portal.


    Running towards the tablet, Tang Jiao extended his arm and an attraction force of his own began to pull Tao Shou out of the portal. Unfortunately, right as he did, the attraction force of the portal instantly tripled in retaliation, sucking Tao Shou inside. By the time, Tang Jiao reached the tablet the portal had already closed.


    Tang Jiao cursed under his breath. He wasn''t angry because he failed to saved Tao Shou, but because he didn''t make it in time to venture into the portal himself.

 Chapter 6: The Spark of a Flame That Will Ignite The Heavens

    Unlike Yin Hui, when Tao Shou emerged from the portal and into the ancestral tablet''s hidden dimension he was fully conscious. He looked around and frowned when he saw that there was nothing but an empty void surrounding him.


    "Well, well, well. It looks like the one-eared bootlicker has arrived." A youthful voice called out.


    Tao Shou turned his head towards the voice''s direction and saw a familiar face standing in the distance.


    "Yin Hui!"


    Out of pure instinct, Tao Shou rushed Yin Hui with a bloodlusted expression, spiritual energy flaring around his fists. This time, Yin Hui did not try to dodge. As Tao Shou threw out a punch laced with spirit energy, the corners of Yin Hui''s mouth perked up into a smile. He raised his arm and at the moment of contact blocked Tao Shou''s punch with his palm.


    "Impossible!" Tao Shou cried.


    Tao Shou pulled back his fist and staggered backwards, shock covering his face. His bloodlusted madness subsided, and he stared at Yin Hui as if he''d seen a ghost. The Yin Hui that stood before him was completely different from before. His hair had grown long and his irises had turned a dark purple. If it wasn''t for the familiar ferocity he felt from Yin Hui''s eyes staring deep into his soul, he would''ve assumed he was dealing with another person entirely.


    "I remember you saying that you would feed my corpse to the dogs. If that''s the case then let''s see if you can do so!"


    With Tao Shou in his dazed state, Yin Hui took the opportunity to deliver a hard punch right into his abdomen. He followed it up with a strong thrust kick that sent Tao Shou flying.


    Tao Shou hit the ground hard, putting 10 meters of distance between him and Yin Hui. He was completely dumbfounded, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened in that brief exchange.


    "What happened to you?! It''s only been two hours since you disappeared! How are you so powerful!"


    Yin Hui showed no emotion, but in his mind he was shocked.


    "Only 2 hours had passed in the outside world? I could''ve sworn that the body reformation took at least a day and a half. Does time pass differently in this dimension?" Yin Hui pondered.


    Tao Shou coughed out a mouthful of blood as he laid on the ground in complete disbelief. It had only been a little under two hours since Yin Hui disappeared. Yet, in such a short amount of time he had become strong enough to injure him to the point that he was coughing out blood.


    "Regardless, it doesn''t matter! I do not believe you have advanced enough to defend against this!"


    Tao Shou quickly got back up and assumed the stance of the Wind Bullet. Even if Yin Hui''s body had grown stronger, Tao Shou was fairly certain that he still did not possess spiritual energy. Nonetheless, he decided to test the waters by starting off with low power. With the rich amounts of spiritual energy that surrounded the hidden dimension, Tao Shou took no time at all to charge the Wind Bullet to its lowest intensity and instantly fired.


    Since Yin Hui did not have a separate soul to house spiritual energy yet, he still could not see the Wind Bullet. The pressurized wind hit him right in the chest, but did not send him flying back like before. The force from the low-power Wind Bullet made him take a couple steps back, but otherwise he was unharmed.


    "I knew it, he still can''t see the Wind Bullet! That means he is definitely not in the Spirit Waking realm! However, low power seems to have no effect, so this time I''ll go right to high!


    Tao Shou began charging the Wind Bullet once more. Yin Hui saw this and dashed towards Tao Shou, intending the interrupt him midway. When Yin Hui was just a couple steps away from Tao Shou, the corners of Tao Shou''s mouth curled up.


    "You have fallen for my trap Yin Hui! Die!" Tao Shou shot his fist directly into Yin Hui''s torso and released the Wind Bullet at point blank range. Yin Hui coughed out blood as he was sent flying 50 meters backwards from the attack.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Tao Shou saw Yin Hui''s motionless body hit the ground with a look of satisfaction.


    "Strange, the power behind that seemed a lot weaker then what I put into it. While the rich spiritual energy surrounding this place allows me to charge the Wind Bullet quickly, there is something else as well that''s weakening its power. Whatever, that doesn''t matter. Now that he''s down, I can charge up to maximum power and finish him off!"


    As Tao Shou prepared to final Wind Bullet, he heard laughter coming from Yin Hui.


    "I''d like to see you keep laughing once I render you to a bloody corpse Yin Hui!" Tao Shou sneered.


    "Tao Shou, you''ve never been exposed to demonic qi before have you?" Yin Hui laughed.


    "Demonic qi?"


    Even though Yin Hui now had the body of a fiend, he was still not Tao Shou''s match. However, due to large amounts of demonic qi lingering after the fiend transformation process, the strength of normal spiritual energy was being suppressed. Since Yin Hui was a fiend he was completely unaffected, while Tao Shou was actually getting weaker!


    "Hmph, so you''ve rejected the path of the heavens and have chosen to walk the path of the devil. This demonic qi of yours may be weakening me, but my full power should still be enough to eradicate you!" Tao Shou snorted.


    "I agree, but who said that I would allow that attack to reach me?"


    Tao Shou narrowed his eyes and saw that Yin Hui was holding a round clump of darkness with countless seals placed on it. Slightly concerned, he focused even more power into the final Wind Bullet, believing that the clump was some kind of defensive technique related to demonic qi.


    However, Tao Shou''s eyes widened when he saw Yin Hui throw the glob of darkness at him. The seals unlocked and the mass of darkness transformed into an army of 100 black ghosts that charged towards him.


    Tao Shou fired the fully charged Wind Bullet and an ear-piercing sonic boom echoed throughout the area. A few of the ghosts dissipated on impact, but the rest held strong. Not long after, evil laughter could be heard from the ghosts as the Wind Bullet was halted in place. While laughing, the black ghosts began to devour the spiritual energy that made up Tao Shou''s attack.


    "What is this technique?!" Tao Shou was exasperated, he had never seen such an attack before in his life.


    Before the battle began, Yin Hui asked Yin Tou for the incomplete demonic qi that was not used for the transformation. With his masterful control over demonic qi and it''s uncontrollable urge to devour in it''s incomplete state, he figured it would be a perfect hidden ace.


    The black ghosts continued to devour the Wind Bullet like a pack of hungry wolves. They traced it back to Tao Shou and latched onto his body, proceeding to consume him as well.


    Tao Shou screamed as the black ghosts devoured his flesh. It was a truly horrific sight. Not only were the ghosts consuming his flesh, there were also draining Tao Shou of all his blood, causing him to shrivel up while still fully conscious.


    When Tao Shou''s body was reduced to nothing more than a shriveled mess, a small ball of light emerged from the corpse. The ghosts moved in to devour it as well, but Yin Hui quickly snatched it away. The ghosts were extremely angry and seemed like they wanted to lash out at Yin Hui. However, Yin Hui simply snapped his fingers and the seals Yin Tou placed earlier bound them all back into a ball of darkness.


    Yin Hui held the ball of light representing Tao Shou''s soul with a grim look on his face.


    "Your right, I have rejected the heaven''s. However, the heaven''s rejected me long ago..." Yin Hui lamented, a single tear leaving his eye.


    When it fell to the ground Yin Hui''s expression changed, his eyes flaring with conviction.


    "I''ve dreamed of getting revenge on you one day for all those years of torment. Now that it''s been achieved, I no longer bear any hatred against you. To those who will wrong me in the future beware! To those who have wronged me in the past beware! I, Yin Hui, swear to pay back any and all grudges in full. Tao Shou, you will be the spark of a raging flame that will eventually ignite and devour the heavens. Now, become the fuel for my ambition! Evil Fiend Devouring Technique!"


    A black aura flared around Yin Hui, summoning dark tentacles that stabbed into Tao Shou''s soul. The soul turned black and grew smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared. Afterwards, the tentacles retracted back into Yin Hui''s body and the black aura around him doubled in size.


    Yin Hui closed his eyes and felt a separate soul inside his body. The soul had no consciousness and radiated a power that Yin Hui always felt, but knew he could never obtain. As of this moment, he was feeling like a house that recently had a spare room added on. However, instead of filling it with furniture he would be filling it in with spirit energy. Yin Hui sat down in a cross-legged position and began to feel the spiritual qi around him. The spiritual energy within the dimension was very high in terms of quality so it was very easy to sense. Yin Hui gathered the qi and directed it into the extra soul within his body. As the soul filled up with spiritual energy, Yin Hui felt more powerful then he ever had in his entire life. The sensation that came with first successful integration with spirit energy, was akin to rising for a breath after submerging his head in water for a long time.


    His arms felt stronger. His feet felt lighter. His mind felt sharper. If only he could get another soul, no, ten more souls! Yin Hui''s brain ran wild over the endless possibilities and power he could obtain if he had more souls.


    Yin Hui was elated, he had never been so happy his entire life. As Tang Li said, this opportunity had truly changed his life forever.


    He had become a being with limitless potential. One that mortals looked up to in awe and reverence as immortals.


    Yin Hui was a cultivator.


    A Spirit Waking cultivator.

 Chapter 7: A Lesson On Cultivation

    Due to his weakened state, when Yin Tou pulled Tao Shou into the tablet''s dimension he released him a few kilometers away from his location. This was to avoid putting himself at risk as well as to prevent him from becoming a liability during the fight. However, since this was his dimension, Yin Tou was aware of everything that had transpired, including his descendants success.


    "So how does it feel to have spiritual qi circulating throughout your body?"


    "Like my life has finally started to move forward for once." Yin Hui had returned with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "While I wish that it was me currently in that vessel of yours, as my descendant you could say I already am. You''ve taken your first step into the realm of cultivation, so before I send you off I have a few things to say that might be helpful."


    "When your serious I actually like to hear you speak." Yin Hui joked.


    "Hmph this old man''s words are made of nothing but gold. Now that your back we can... My, my, I must say that you have quite a well-developed little dragon on you."


    "..."


    Yin Hui stood there in silence. In his mind, a thousand fireworks were firing off in his brain as he realized he had been completely naked this whole time!


    During the body reconstruction process, his robes were completely destroyed at the final moments of reformation. Yin Hui had gotten so caught up in the moment that even when he went off to settle the score with Tao Shou, he forgot to have the decency to put on a new set of clothes!


    "Cough cough... Then again I must say as your ancestor, I''m genuinely pleased to know that even without spiritual energy, you have cultivated well in that specific department." Yin Tou nodded while looking down Yin Hui''s exposed waist.


    Yin Hui''s face turned red out of both shame and anger. He went over to Yin Tou''s statue and tipped it over.


    "Ahh!! Kid! Don''t you remember that I''m already near death! You could''ve made me disappear for good just now!" Yin Tou screamed in panic. His statue had countless cracks on it. At its current state, it looked as if one good hit could shatter it to pieces.


    Yin Hui took out Tao Shou''s bag of holding, which he claimed after his death. He took out a long red robe from inside and quickly put it on. A bag of holding had always been greatly desired by Yin Hui. As a slave that often had to carry many things, he envied how items of any quantity or size could be stored inside the bag without affecting it''s weight or size.


    "Let''s forget what happened just now. You were saying?" Yin Hui gave Yin Tou a piercing stare, as if telling him to never bring up that particular topic ever again or the consequences would be more then he could bear.


    "Err... Yes! I was going to tell you about the first 3 realms of cultivation and how to advance through them!" Yin Tou didn''t even bother to confirm the details behind Yin Hui''s sinister glare. He felt like if he said one thing out of line Yin Hui would actually destroy the statue.


    "The first realm of cultivation as I''ve said before is called the Impurity Cleansing realm. Since you have already passed this stage, this information is slightly irrelevant. However, I will tell you anyways as it is a good habit to learn how to identify cultivators of all levels so you are never caught off guard. Cultivators at this stage take in spiritual qi to purify their bones, blood, and organs so that their bodies become suitable to store spirit qi long term. You can tell a person is in this realm by the fact that they cannot utilize fully spiritual qi and have the strength of a peak level mortal."


    "The second level of cultivation and the one you are currently in is called the Spirit Waking realm. In this realm Cultivators can actually use spiritual qi for multiple purposes. At this point your body and senses are beyond that of any mortal, even with your fiend body if you fought that young man earlier without the assistance of demonic qi you would''ve lost."


    Yin Hui bit his teeth when he heard this. What Yin Tou was telling him made sense. As soon as Tao Shou began to use techniques such as the Wind Bullet, Yin Hui could no longer see his attacks or protect himself. If he did not ask for that small amount of incomplete demonic qi before the battle, the outcome could''ve been far different.


    "Tell me what I need to do to advance to the next stage." Yin Hui knew that even as a Spirit Waking cultivator it wasn''t enough. His ambition stretched beyond that of the heavens and he needed power if he wanted to fulfill it.


    "The Spirit Waking realm is all about the mastery of spiritual qi, using it like a carpenter uses wood. There are 3 different areas that you need to master in order to break through to the next stage. They are martial skills and spells, flight, and the most difficult, spiritual sense."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "They are ordered as such because of the ascending level of difficulty that comes with each of them. As soon as you manage to utilize 1 spell and 1 martial skill you are known as a one aspect Spirit Waking cultivator. In order to become a two aspect cultivator you need to be able to utilize your spiritual energy to continuously fly for a minimum of two hours. Finally, to become a three aspect cultivator you need to develop a spiritual sense, a sixth sense that allows you to extend your sight and see without actually being present."


    Yin Hui listened attentively to the requirements needed to advance through the Spirit Waking realm, not missing a single detail. He recalled how Tang Jiao called Tang Li a peak Spirit Waking cultivator. Over the past year, Tang Li somehow always knew when he was in danger from one of the supervisors or clan members, and always came to save him at the right time. Now that he had learned of the three aspects of Spirit Waking, he was certain that it was due to Tang Li''s mastery and use of spiritual sense.


    "Now once you achieve all three aspects, the key to breaking into the Spirit Manifestation realm is to truly make spiritual qi yours, also known as true qi. You need to integrate your own essence into it to the point it becomes an extension of you. When you do, you''ll find that this qi has a unique aura to it that distinguishes it from the normal qi of heaven and earth. This qi is much more versatile and allows you to form an ethereal spirit around you that can attack and defend."


    Yin Hui was filled with thoughts as he listened to the characteristics of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator. Tang Li seemed uncertain whether he could stop the fight if things went bad back in the outside world due to Tang Jiao. Based on that logic and the fact that Tang Jiao called Tang Li a peak Spirit Waking cultivator, it was safe to assume that Tang Jiao was in the Spirit Manifestation realm.


    "Unfortunately, like Spirit Waking compared to Impurity Cleansing, Spirit Manifestation is world''s apart from the Spirit Waking stage. However, Spirit Manifestation also carries some risk."


    Yin Hui''s eyes lit up. If Tang Jiao truly was at the Spirit Manifestation realm, he needed to know all he could about its weaknesses no matter how small or insignificant.


    "Similar to Spirit Waking, Spirit Manifestation has three parts, all having to do with forming an ethereal spirit. The first is the upper body which consists of the skull, torso, and arms. The skull is the most important and needs to be made first as it houses the spirit''s core. Second, is the lower body which consists of everything below the torso. An important thing to keep in mind is that Spirit Manifestation cultivators in the first and second stages can only utilize one half of their spirit at a time, even if they have both. This leads to the third stage which is the complete body. A Spirit Manifestation cultivator is said to reach this stage when they can utilize their full ethereal spirit at once. They can also detach the spirit from their body and have it act independently to their will as if it were a clone."


    "You still haven''t told me the risks a Spirit Manifestation cultivator possesses." Yin Hui said impatiently.


    "The weakness is that no matter the stage they are currently at, if you manage to destroy the core of the spirit, namely the skull, the users cultivation immediately drops back to the first stage of Spirit Manifestation without any of their true qi! This means that even a peak Spirit Waking cultivator will be able to defeat them as they will now be fighting on equal footing! While this is most detrimental to complete body Spirit Manifestation cultivators, it can still cause shock to those in the lower stages as well. Unfortunately, unless you have a cultivation level above theirs or a powerful treasure, the chances of destroying an ethereal spirit are very rare."


    Despite being nearly impossible to pull off, this was still very important news to Yin Hui. If he was in the peak of the Spirit Waking realm, it still meant that he had a chance against Spirit Manifestation cultivators as long as he managed to find a way to destroy their ethereal spirits core.


    "What are the levels above Spirit Manifestation?"


    Yin Tou shook his head with an embarrassed look on his face.


    "What I''ve told you so far are just the beginning levels of cultivation. Only at the peak of Spirit Manifestation can you really call yourself a cultivator. Unfortunately, this is all I know without the rest of my other parts and memories."


    Yin Hui sighed, but didn''t snap back at Yin Tou for his lacking memory like he did before. He owed much to this swindling old man and he had already told him a large amount.


    "I can sense that there is a Spirit Manifestation cultivator outside with ill intent and an injured peak level Spirit Waking cultivator as well. Sigh. I guess the last thing I can do with the remainder of my strength is to send you safely out of here somewhere far away."


    Yin Hui predicted that Tang Li and Tang Jiao probably had a falling out and decided to fight. Since Tang Jiao was Tang Li''s direct blood brother, Yin Hui knew that his life would not be in danger. He nodded towards Yin Tou and gave a deep bow. Yin Tou had given him a new lease on life, one that he was determined to pay back with high interest. He thought about ways he could pay him back a bit at that moment and came up with one idea.


    "Do you want to come with me? You can possess half my body again and see the world once more."


    Yin Tou let out a hearty laugh.


    "Haha, no thank you. I don''t want to risk my already weakening and senile soul in the body of a new cultivator with no kind of backing whatsoever. However, if you do want to pay me back, do you think you could help me find the missing pieces of my soul for me during your journeys?"


    Yin Hui laughed back, understanding Yin Tou''s intent.


    "Of course! Once you return to your full form, I expect to get that inheritance!"


    Yin Tou waved his hand and a portal opened up beside Yin Hui. Yin Hui gave one more sincere bow before stepping into the portal.


    "Remember boy! I''m missing 6 more parts of myself, each contains a portion of my soul! I''ll give you a special sense that will allow you to know when you are near one! Take care!"


    Just as the portal began to close, Yin Tou pointed his finger towards Yin Hui. A beam of light shot out and entered Yin Hui''s brain. Afterwards, the portal complete closed and dissipated as if it was never there. Yin Hui was off on a new adventure with a new life, a life that the heaven''s had denied him for so long.

 Chapter 8: Yu Zhuwa

    The Tang Province spanned a large area several hundreds of thousands of kilometers, containing numerous settlements within it''s borders. Formerly known as the Yin Province, the Tang Clan changed it when they assumed power and became the new rulers of the region.


    A province''s name was determined by it''s current ruler, and would often be named after the ruling clan as a mark of pride. While most provinces were ruled by a single undisputed overlord, this was not the case for the Tang Province. While the Tang Clan held the majority of the power, they were heavily contested by the powerful Yan Clan. A rival clan that possessed many high-level cultivators. The inhabitants and other provinces generally acknowledged the province as the Tang Province, but those who lived closer to the Yan usually called it the Yan Province out of respect.


    Yin Tou did not have much energy left when sending Yin Hui off. Therefore, the range and distance of the portal was very limited. Yin Tou simply did not have the strength to move him out of the province, so he decided to just send him as far away from the Tang Clan as possible.


    When Yin Hui emerged from the portal, he found himself in a large forest with trees so tall they blocked the sky. Yin Hui took a moment to take in his surroundings before quickly moving on. His main priority was to locate a nearby settlement and find out how far he was from the Tang Clan''s influence.


    Yin Hui went to secure provisions while keeping an eye out for travelling mortals. Even though he was a cultivator, he wasn''t at a level where he could go without food or water yet. With his Spirit Waking cultivation, he took down packs of wild animals with ease. As for water, Yin Hui found a special gourd inside Tao Shou''s bag of holding. The gourd was unique and could instantly purify river water if it was stored inside.


    When Yin Hui finished gathering supplies he began to walk on a trail he found while hunting. He enjoyed the peace and quiet, as it was a nice change from the barking orders he would constantly hear back in the Tang Clan.


    As he was leisurely strolling, his eyes narrowed when he heard what sounded like angry shouts up ahead. Yin Hui ran towards the voices and stopped to find three burly men surrounding a frightened young boy. The boy was even younger then Yin Hui, looking no older then 12. He also held a small wooden chest in his arms. Two of the men around him were wielding daggers and looked extremely angry.


    "Yu Zhuwa! You certainly know how to court death! We brothers have already paid your pathetic village for it''s hospitality, yet you dare come back and attempt to steal from us?!" One of the men shouted.


    "Your mountain bandits! You probably stole this chest from a innocent traveler anyway!" The boy called Yu Zhuwa shouted back. His voice was so shrill and whiny that it sounded like he was crying rather then trying to make a point.


    Yu Zhuwa was curled up like a ball, hugging the chest tightly against his body. He had a very innocent looking face and a weak demeanor that would naturally make others feel bad for him.


    "Hah! So what if we stole it? Not only are we brothers bandits, but we''re also cultivators! Two of us have already passed the bones and blood stage of the Impurity Cleansing realm, while oldest brother has already purified his organs too! What can you even do?!" Another bandit mocked.


    The final brother who had yet to speak walked up to Yu Zhuwa, placing his foot on his head and pushing him to the ground.


    "Yu Zhuwa, the cultivation world is a world where strength is everything. We may have stole this chest from a innocent traveller, but they had no one to blame but themselves for their own bad misfortune. You as well have no one else to blame other then yourself for being weak enough to be caught." The burly man took out a long black whip that was attached to his waist and cracked it, sending an echo throughout the forest.


    "The weak who are caught stealing from the strong are punished. Ten lashes and some time tied up in a bear cave should teach you!"


    As the whip descended, Yu Zhuwa closed his eyes bracing himself for the pain. However, after about five seconds he still didn''t feel anything. Yu Zhuwa opened his eyes to see a youth with long black hair and violet eyes standing in front of him. The young man held the whip firmly in his hand, preventing it from hitting Yu Zhuwa.


    "Sorry, but I just hate it when children get hit by an angry man holding a whip. Personal experience you see." Yin Hui felt no pain at all when he blocked the whip. Even without his Spirit Waking cultivation base, the whip he intercepted paled in comparison to the one imbued with flames that Tao Shou used back in the Tang Clan.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Who are you?!" The oldest brother shouted.


    The two bandits beside him looked around in confusion. Yin Hui was so fast that the two brothers didn''t even notice him until he already broke through their circle.


    Yin Hui strengthened his grip on the whip and tore it right off the handle. The man that was called oldest brother took a few steps back. This youth had just broken through their circle without any of them noticing. Being cultivators, this meant that the person before them possessed a higher cultivation then all of them.


    The oldest brother trembled as he stared into Yin Hui''s violet eyes. His eyes emitted a ferocity similar to that of a vicious killing intent, one that made him feel like death itself was looking right at him.


    "F-F-Fellow daoist, I''m afraid there has been a mis-misunderstanding. I-I-If we knew that Yu Zhuwa had such a senior by his side we would most certainly have f-f-forgiven him."


    Yin Hui stepped forward. A black aura leaked out of him that gave him the appearance of a demon.


    "I believe you said that in the cultivation world, one can only curse their own misfortune for being too weak. In that case, curse while you can as all of your fortunes are about to end."


    The oldest brother screamed and ran away as fast as he could, his two younger brothers following close behind. Unfortunately, no matter how fast they ran they could not outrun Yin Hui and his Spirit Waking cultivation base. Before they even made 20 meters of distance, Yin Hui quickly caught up to the three brothers and gave them each a strong punch to the side of the face. The punch was so strong that their necks snapped from the speed at which their heads turned, killing them instantly. Yin Hui then activated the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique and devoured their souls. Because they were Impurity Cleansing cultivators his qi storages did not expand, but Yin Hui still felt his physique grow a little stronger.


    "While this is indeed a world where the strong prey on the weak, the label between who is weak and who is strong can change in a heartbeat."


    Yin Hui returned to Yu Zhuwa who was shaking in fear over what he just witnessed.


    "D-D-D-Demonic c-c-cultivator..."


    Yin Hui sighed and gave the boy a pat on the head.


    "Yes, I am a demonic cultivator, but does that automatically mean I''m a bad person? After all I just saved you." Yin Hui smiled.


    With his fierce appearance, Yin Hui''s smile looked very sinister. However, behind it Yu Zhuwa saw a trace of genuine warmth and slowly calmed down.


    "What is your name senior brother?"


    "Yin Hui. Your Yu Zhuwa right? Where are your parents? You are simply giving them worry by engaging a bunch of mountain bandits on your own like this."


    Yu Zhuwa looked down in embarrassment when he heard Yin Hui say his name.


    "I don''t have parents. I was found by the village leader as a baby and she took me in. The village calls me Yu Zhuwa because I am as clumsy as a pig, but have the tongue of a golden frog."


    "Do you not have a real name?"


    Yu Zhuwa shook his head.


    "The only thing the village leader gave me was the surname Yu. She said that names are powerful and that she didn''t give me one because she wanted me to decide for myself who I was."


    Yu Zhuwa sighed. He had long wondered who he wanted to be and what really defined him, but could never get close to finding an answer.


    Yin Hui stroked his chin, intrigued by the wisdom of the village leader. Perhaps the village head was a cultivator as well. If that was the case, there was a chance she might be willing to share some knowledge as payment for saving Yu Zhuwa.


    "I would very much like to meet this village leader of yours. Do you think you can take me to her? Just so you know ahead of time, I don''t have any treasures worth stealing on me."


    Yu Zhuwa let out a carefree laugh.


    "Don''t worry senior brother! I wouldn''t dare to steal from a benefactor such as yourself. Come! I''ll show you the way to the village!"


    Yin Hui let out a wry smile as he followed Yu Zhuwa. The boy truly had the tongue of a golden frog. For a moment, just listening to his voice made Yin Hui unconsciously drop his guard for a brief moment. If Yu Zhuwa had really tried, he probably could''ve robbed Yin Hui right then and there.


    "Yu Zhuwa, how close is your village to the main capital of the Tang Clan?" Yin Hui asked. If the Tang Clan capital was a significant distance from Yu Zhuwa''s village Yin Hui would stay for a while. If it wasn''t, he would quickly leave once the boy was safely returned home.


    Yu Zhuwa told Yin Hui that his village was located around the outer region of the Tang Province. He also mentioned that his village rarely dealt with cultivators, due to being too small to be noticed by the neighbouring sects.


    Yin Hui felt a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders when he heard this. Since Yu Zhuwa''s village was far from the Tang, he speculated that the clan did not have a very strong influence there. If so, it would be the perfect place to cultivate undisturbed.It was also a good opportunity to learn more about the current politics of the province.


    They approached a small settlement that housed around 300 people. The village looked poor, but the people seemed content and satisfied with their lives. As Yu Zhuwa led Yin Hui inside, some of the townspeople snickered. They saw the small chest in Yu Zhuwa''s hands and assumed that he had cheated it off of Yin Hui with his golden tongue. Yu Zhuwa escorted Yin Hui to a large wooden house that was far more elegant then the others. When Yu Zhuwa knocked on the door, Yin Hui inquired more about the village head.


    "By the way, Yu Zhuwa. How is your village head''s relationship with the Tang Clan?"


    "The Tang Clan? I assume pretty good, after all one of their messengers is here right now speaking with her!"

 Chapter 9: The Messenger

    The village leader''s residence was clean and tidy. It was decorated with wooden furniture that possessed refinement and beauty only a master craftsman could create. There were no windows, and the entire dwelling was lit with torches.


    In the main chamber''s dining hall were two people sitting at a long table. One was an elderly woman with paper white hair tied in a bun. She wore a brown hemp robe and had a medallion with the symbol of a leaf hanging around her neck. The other was a young man with long tied-up black hair wearing a scholarly robe. On his waist was a golden crest with the surname Tang written on it.


    The table was filled with an assortment of consumable delicacies, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and wine. While each of the two had food on their plates, neither of them seemed interested in eating.


    "Lady Yu, as you know tensions between the Tang and Yan are escalating. Many sects and clans in the outer regions have pledged their allegiance to the Yan Clan and have started to disrupt the peace within the province. They have begun to raid small villages in the hopes of finding mortals with potential in cultivation to expand their forces."


    Lady Yu took a sip of wine with a blank expression on her face, as if she already knew all the information the young man was telling her.


    "It is only a matter of time before the Scattered Leaves Village is also implicated. Lady Yu. even as a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator I''m afraid you will not be able to refuse them. Prospective children from this village will be taken from their families and sent to a sect against their will, forced to fight in their armies." The man said grimly.


    Lady Yu furrowed her brows, but still maintained a calm demeanor.


    "I assume your Tang Clan has something to offer to resolve this issue then?" Lady Yu smiled. Her voice was very pleasant, making it sound like she was in a very agreeable mood.


    The young man reciprocated the smile and took out a silver medallion with the Tang surname inscribed in the center. The surname on the medallion glowed and a strand of qi emerged. It filled the air, emitting an aura of power greater then that of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator before returning into the medallion.


    "This medallion is imbued with the true qi of elder Tang Wan. I hope that it is enough to show that we are taking this matter seriously." He threw the medallion over to her. Lady Yu caught the medallion in the air and gave it a thorough glance.


    "The Tang Clan does not ask for much. All we require is permission to occupy the Scattered Leaf Village as a base to help keep tabs on the outer regions. In exchange, we will guarantee that you and your people will be safe from the hands of the neighboring sects."


    "Yet by allowing you to hold a garrison in my Scattered Leaf Village, we will indirectly be declaring our allegiance to the Tang Clan." Lady Yu did not even look at the man when she responded, and simply fiddled with the silver medallion he threw to her.


    "The Tang Clan simply wishes to save as many villages as it can before the coming storm. When the battle begins, I''m afraid we will not have the time or willingness to differentiate friend from foe between the neutral parties. Therefore, out of consideration for the Scattered Leaf Village, we would like to spare you that trouble by reaching out with this offer."


    Knock Knock~


    Lady Yu was about to speak when a loud knock was heard from outside. The young man emptied his wine glass and stood up, still maintaining his pleasant and charismatic demeanor.


    "I know that this is a big decision for you Lady Yu, therefore I will give you some time to think. I shall return in a month to hear your final decision. Thank you for the meal."


    The young messenger walked towards the door and opened it. Bright sunlight filled the room as a young boy and a handsome youth stood at the doorway.


    "Hi there, lord messenger! Are you finished your meeting? If you are, we would like to see the village head now!" Yu Zhuwa said enthusiastically.


    The messenger chuckled and ruffled Yu Zhuwa''s dirty brown hair. He saw the wooden chest in Yu Zhuwa''s arms and grinned.


    "You must be the mischievous Yu Zhuwa that I''ve heard rumors about! I hear you have a knack for taking treasure off unsuspecting travelers. I don''t dare to try my luck against such skill, so I''ll just pay up willingly! Hopefully this way you''ll be merciful and spare me because of this!" Tang Bian pulled out a golden coin and placed it on top of the wooden chest.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Thank you lord messenger! I''m starting to like you already!"


    Yin Hui''s pupils shrank when he saw the man inside the village head''s residence.


    "Not good... It''s Tang Bian!" Yin Hui cursed in his heart.


    Tang Bian was the son of Tang Wan, one of the Tang Clan''s most influential elders. He was the same age as Tang Jiao and despite not being as physically strong as him, he was much more intelligent. Tang Bian preferred to take down his enemies through schemes rather then force, and was talented in the field of diplomacy. Yin Hui had never interacted directly with Tang Bian during his time as a slave. However, he knew that Tang Bian was on very good terms with Tang Jiao. They had such a close relationship that Tang Jiao treated him more like a brother then Tang Li. Therefore, whenever Tang Jiao went to torment Yin Hui, Tang Bian would sometimes be watching on the side.


    Despite his charismatic smile and pleasant demeanor, Yin Hui feared Tang Bian much more then Tang Jiao. While he was unsure of what Tang Bian''s cultivation was, Yin Hui was wary of his sharp mind and clever wit. If he were to take revenge on the Tang Clan some day, Tang Bian would definitely be one of his most difficult opponents.


    "And who might you be brother?" Tang Bian turned his attention to Yin Hui, still with a wide smile on his face.


    Yin Hui did not know how to respond. It hadn''t even been a day since he disappeared from the Tang Clan, yet he was already face to face with one of their shrewdest minds.


    "Oh that''s big brother Yin Hui. He saved me from some mountain bandits a while ago, so I decided to bring him back with me!" Yu Zhuwa answered eagerly.


    At this moment, Yin Hui wished he just left Yu Zhuwa at the hands of the bandits. If Tang Bian recognized him and reported him back to the Tang Clan, it would be a huge problem.


    "Yin Hui... You look familiar, especially your eyes. Have we met before?" Tang Bian narrowed his eyes. He studied Yin Hui a bit, noting his eyes, face, and build. The youth in front of him reminded Tang Bian of a slave Tang Jiao would frequently pick on in the past.


    Yin Hui felt a chill go down his spine. He could not explain it, but it was as if he was completely transparent before Tang Bian''s sight.


    Tang Bian withdrew his gaze and extended a hand towards Yin Hui.


    "Forgive me fellow daoist. You looked so similar to someone I know that I had gotten the two of you mixed up. While you do look alike and share the same surname, your a Spirit Waking cultivator while he is merely a mortal. I assume your from another clan who bears a similar name. After all, the main Yin Clan of this province had all its members crippled long ago."


    In order to maintain appearances, Yin Hui reluctantly shook his hand. Tang Bian then turned to Yu Zhuwa and ruffled his hair once more. He then gave each of them his trademark smile and began to fly into the air.


    "Fellow daoist Yin. I recommend changing your surname lest you attract unwanted attention from the clan''s old enemies. Some of those old monsters can really hold a grudge and you may get hurt for even reminding them of the old Yin Clan. Enjoy your meeting with the village head."


    A frown appeared on Yin Hui''s face as he watched Tang Bian fly away from the village.


    "With just a glance he could tell that I was a cultivator and what realm I was in. Not only that, but he could also fly. If that''s the case then that feeling of transparency I felt when he looked at me must have been his spiritual sense! Tang Bian must be a three aspect Spirit Waking cultivator, perhaps even a Spirit Manifestation cultivator like Tang Jiao!"


    Yu Zhuwa saw Yin Hui''s grim expression and gave him a small poke.


    "What''s wrong big brother Yin Hui? Do you actually know that lord messenger?"


    Yin Hui was silent. He was still in deep thought over their encounter with Tang Bian.


    Tap Tap~


    Suddenly, another pair of footsteps could be heard coming from inside. An old woman holding a wooden staff was slowly walking towards the door. Yu Zhuwa''s eyes shined as he ran inside to greet the woman.


    "Village leader!"


    Yu Zhuwa hugged the frail old woman in the residence. She wrapped her free arm around Yu Zhuwa with joy on her face.


    "Xiao Yu, welcome back! Who is this young friend you''ve brought with you?"


    "This is big brother Yin Hui! He saved me from the mountain bandits that stayed in the village the other day!"


    Yin Hui stopped thinking about Tang Bian and walked inside. The dim lighting of the torch-lit room combined with his fierce appearance made him look very intimidating.


    "Hello senior, my name is Yin Hui." Yin Hui clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.


    The village head eyes flickered and then nodded her head.


    "Nice to meet you Yin Hui. Welcome to the Scattered Leaves Village. I am the village head, Yu Mingxi. Please come inside, any friend of Xiao Yu is an esteemed guest in my eyes." Yu Mingxi kindly gestured towards Yin Hui to come inside.


    "Grandma Yu, how did your meeting with the Tang messenger go? He seemed like a very nice person!" Yu Zhuwa eagerly asked.


    "Haha... I''ll fill you in soon. You and young friend Yin Hui take a seat at the dining table and help yourselves for now. There''s still plenty of food left."


    Yu Zhuwa put on a silly expression and pulled Yin Hui over to the table where the meeting was held. There were still heaps of untouched food remaining and Yu Zhuwa started to take bits of everything.


    When Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui were out of hearing distance, a shadow cast over Yu Mingxi''s face.


    "Interesting... Yin Hui... The cursed child of the Yin Clan has grown up. Somehow, he has escaped the Tang Clan and made it to the outer regions of the province. However, what''s more surprising is that I can sense Spirit Waking cultivation within him!"

 Chapter 10: You Dare Disobey Me?

    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa took a seat at the dining table. As soon as he was seated, Yu Zhuwa began devouring the various delicacies he had put on his plate. There were meats of many different animals, as well as many exotic and juicy looking fruits. Beside him was Yin Hui, who simply had a few ordinary looking fruits and vegetables on his plate.


    "Big Brother Yin Hui! Why did you choose to eat those? There''s so much better to pick from! Here, take some Fanged Wilderbeast meat, its one of the best things you can get in the outer regions!" Yu Zhuwa reached over the table and put a large chunk of fatty meat on Yin Hui''s plate. The meat had its fur still attached, but this seemed to be intentional as Yu Zhuwa ate a piece completely whole.


    Yin Hui had never really had meat before in his life. As a slave, he was lucky if he even got fresh fruits and vegetables as part of his daily diet. As for a fat piece of meat such as the one Yu Zhuwa gave him, it was completely out of the question. Regardless, Yin Hui wasn''t one to waste food so he held his breath and put the piece of Fanged Wilderbeast into his mouth. An explosion of flavor the likes he had never experienced before entered his mouth. The taste was so great that Yin Hui lamented the fact that he had wasted so many years without eating such a delicacy.


    "Good right? Told you!" Yu Zhuwa chuckled and handed him another piece of Wilderbeast.


    "My my, you two are enjoying yourselves. Never eaten something like Fanged Wilderbeast in your entire life Yin Hui?" Yu Mingxi came over and took a seat neat the two of them.


    Yin Hui immediately stopped eating and straightened his posture. He had forgotten that he needed to act like a normal traveler. If anyone were to figure out he was a runaway slave of one of the strongest clans in the province, there was a good chance he would be reported immediately.


    "I was only joking. Fanged Wilderbeast is indeed a delicacy here in these parts. If you like it please help yourself to as much as you want." Yu Mingxi laughed.


    "What did you and the messenger from the Tang Clan talk about Grandma Yu?" Yu Zhuwa asked with his mouth full of food.


    Yu Mingxi revealed everything to Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa. She informed them of the rising tensions between the Tang and the Yan, the forced recruitment of children with cultivation potential, and how Tang Bian would return in one month to hear her final decision.


    "The Tang seem to be serious about wanting to pull us to their side. They even sent one of these medallions as proof of their sincerity." Yu Mingxi pulled out the silver medallion given to her by Tang Bian. She flicked the Tang surname inscribed in the middle and the aura of Tang Wan spread throughout the room.


    "Whoa... I guess we mind as well accept then right? After all, if they Tang come over here the sect''s in the outer regions won''t even dare to bother us right?" Yu Zhuwa was astounded by the power emitted from the medallion. He felt that if someone of that caliber was backing them, no one would dare to offend the Scattered Leaf Village.


    "Perhaps. Their offer does come with a lot of benefits. There protection could very well guarantee the safety of this village''s civilians." Yu Mingxi said with faint smile on her face.


    Yin Hui had a dark expression on his face. Hearing Yu Mingxi and Yu Zhuwa praise the Tang Clan so much nauseated him, and he needed to take a breath of fresh air.


    "Please excuse me Lady Yu. I''ve eaten a bit too much and need to take a step outside." Yin Hui stood up and walked towards the door. The door trembled slightly when he closed it, being shut with little too much force.


    Yu Zhuwa looked over with a surprised expression on his face.


    "That''s weird, brother Yin Hui seemed very hungry earlier. He even asked me for recommendations of other foods he should try."


    Yu Mingxi maintained her faint smile as Yin Hui left. As soon as the door closed, her smile vanished and a serious expression took over.


    "Yu Zhuwa how do you feel about young friend Yin Hui?"


    "Big Brother Yin Hui? He looks very scary and intimidating, but when you get to know him he''s actually a really nice person." Yu Zhuwa was puzzled. Not only did Yin Hui abruptly leave for no reason, but now Grandma Yu was speaking as if Yin Hui was an enemy.


    Yu Mingxi sighed and reclined back on her chair.


    "That boy is a member of the old Yin Clan, the former overlord''s of the province."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Really? I remember you told me that they angered the heavens somehow and were all crippled as a result. Afterwards, their enemies attacked and almost exterminated the entire clan. Big brother Yin Hui is a cultivator, I saw him use a demonic technique that could devour souls when he saved me. If he''s a member of the Yin Clan how come he can cultivate?" Yu Zhuwa was shocked. He never would of thought that Yin Hui was a member of such a famous clan.


    Yu Mingxi narrowed her eyes.


    "He uses a demonic technique that devours souls?"


    Yu Zhuwa turned around and covered his mouth, cursing his clumsiness. He wanted to prove to Grandma Yu that Yin Hui was not a bad person, but ended up revealing that he was a demonic cultivator.


    "Even if he uses demonic techniques he''s not a bad person Grandma Yu! After all, he saved me remember!"


    However, when Yu Zhuwa turned back, Grandma Yu was no longer in her seat. Yu Zhuwa got up and searched the entire residence, but she had completely vanished.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The overlord of the province was generally acknowledged and determined by who owned the capital. The capital of the province was not actually a real city, but an enormous estate the size of one which housed the ruling clan. It was built on top of the finest qi reservoir in the entire province, still maintaining that title even after countless years of use. Enemies of the overlord would often have to plan for years if they desired to invade the capital. This was because the entire estate was protected by many spell formations set by the various overlord''s that have ruled over the years. When a new clan takes over, it was often customary for the new ruler to add an additional formation of their own making. This was done to bolster defenses as well as secure their clan''s legacy within the capital.


    Tang Jiao had an irritated expression on his face as he dragged his brother''s bloody body through the Tang Clan''s estate. Many servants rushed to aid the injured Tang Li, but Tang Jiao dismissed them all. Afraid of provoking him, they silently watched as he left a trail of blood on his way to the main palace.


    The courtyard contained statues of great beasts such as qilin''s and kun peng''s. It was also surrounded by beautiful habitats of nature, ranging from koi fish ponds to well-kept willow trees. In the center was a giant statue of a middle-aged man wearing a suit of decorated armor holding a spear. The spear had a coil pattern around the entire weapon, and the traditional tip was replaced with a sharp golden pentagram with a small dragon head in the center.


    The main palace was positioned on a small mountain that looked over the entire capital. If one were to reach it, they would have to climb 1,000 steps worth of stairs. While most immortal''s could just fly to the top of the mountain, it was seen as a sign of great disrespect. Therefore, members of the Tang Clan usually walked, including elders holding high positions within the clan.


    Tang Jiao was in no mood to climb the 1,000 steps to the palace and directly flew over. A few elders who had their spiritual sense locked on to him ignored this, despite it being highly improper. This was because Tang Jiao was the son of the Clan Head. If the Clan Head did not care to punish his son for his behavior then they would not push the matter either.


    The two guards positioned outside the palace frowned when they saw Tang Jiao.


    "I wish to speak to Lord Clan Head. Open the gates." Tang Jiao said impatiently.


    "Young Lord Tang Jiao. Lord Clan Head has specifically given us orders not to let you in."


    Tang Jiao walked up to the guard and brought his face up close.


    "I said let me in. Are you disobeying the order of the future leader of this clan?" His voiced contained a threatening tone.


    "Lord Clan Head said that he is disappointed to see his sons fighting to such a degree in darkening times like these. Until Young Lord Tang Li is well again, you are not to take a step into the main palace." The second guard added. Both of the guards knew that if one person pushed Tang Jiao too far, he would possibly kill them. Therefore, they distributed the bad news equally in the hopes of preventing a falling out.


    The aura of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator emerged from Tang Jiao. When a cultivator had fully mastered the use of qi, their aura could be used as an oppressive might to suppress others and even injure them.


    "Stop!" A voice called out from behind.


    Tang Jiao turned around and saw an old man with long white hair standing at the top of the stairs. The elderly man had an extremely calm and dignified expression that made him appear very stubborn. On his right hand he wore a silver ring with a symbol containing the Tang surname on the top.


    "Elder Tang Wan." Tang Jiao''s anger immediately dissipated and he clasped his hands.


    Tang Wan nodded and slowly walked towards Tang Jiao.


    "Tang Jiao, you are causing your father excess stress with your behavior. Tensions between us and the Yan Clan are escalating yet your still picking fights within the clan. I have already received complaints from many in the younger generation that your temper is getting out of control." Tang Wan spoke softly, but his voice emanated absolute authority.


    "But elder, one of the slaves has--"


    Tang Wan raised his wrinkled hand in the air.


    "Unless this matter involves the life and death of the entire clan, it can wait. The sun is about to set and Young Lord Tang Li is injured. I will take him to the healers and when he is fully recovered you may present your case to Lord Clan Head."


    Tang Jiao begrudgingly lowered his head and dropped Tang Li''s unconscious body on the ground. He knew Tang Wan was very stubborn and would almost never take no for an answer, even when dealing with his father. However, his judgement''s were often always correct, which was why he was tolerated for such behavior and held the position of grand advisor.


    Tang Jiao turned his head back towards the guards and snorted. He rose into the air and flew back to his personal palace to rest. Tang Wan cast a meaningful look in Tang Jiao''s direction before pointing his finger at Tang Li. Tang Li''s body flew towards him and he began to descend the palace steps.


    "One day... One day very soon..." Tang Wan muttered.

 Chapter 11: Exposed

    The full moon shined brightly in the darkness covered sky above the Scattered Leaf Village. Yin Hui stood outside the village gate, regretful that he was going to leave without saying good bye to the energetic Yu Zhuwa. He wished that he could have stayed a bit longer, but did not want to take his chances. Even if Yu Mingxi rejected Tang Bian''s offer, Yin Hui had already shown his face. Once Tang Bian returned to the capital, the news about his disappearance as well as the secrets he held would be revealed. With Tang Bian''s intelligence, he would no doubt put the pieces together and post a capture order throughout the province.


    "Leaving so soon?"


    Yin Hui''s pupils shrank when he heard the voice. He turned around and was shocked to find Yu Mingxi standing only an arm''s length away. Yin Hui quickly clasped his hands and gave a deep bow.


    "My apologies Lady Yu, I didn''t see you there. Thank you for your hospitality, but I have something urgent to attend to and must leave."


    "You can drop the act Yin Hui. I know who you are and where you come from. The cursed child of the Yin Clan. Your birth was said to be the reason for the clan''s downfall." Yu Mingxi no longer had the pleasant smile she had when Yin Hui first met her. Right now her face was stern and completely focused.


    "Tch..." Yin Hui took a large leap back and touched his bag of holding. He pulled out the ball of incomplete demonic qi and aimed it threateningly at Yu Mingxi.


    "I was completely unaware of her presence until now. She''s a cultivator, but what is her cultivation base? She knows of my origin as well. Is she going to capture me and present me to Tang Bian as a sign of goodwill when he returns?"


    Yu Mingxi stood there silently, her gaze fixed on the black mass of darkness in Yin Hui''s hand. She sensed a very aggressive force within it, but it was held back by many seals.


    "Interesting, it really is demonic qi. It''s incomplete though, which makes it very unstable even by the standards of demonic qi. Those seals were probably placed by some expert so that it can be used as some kind of life saving treasure."


    A faint smile appeared on Yu Mingxi''s face.


    "Yin Hui. Putting that mass of incomplete demonic qi into account, how high do you think your chances are at escaping?" As soon as she finished speaking, a powerful oppressive might emitted from her body.


    Yin Hui stumbled backwards and coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    "What is this pressure? Is this just from releasing the power of her cultivation? Or is it some kind of technique?"


    After suppressing Yin Hui for few seconds, Yu Mingxi retracted her oppressive might.


    "Surely you now understand that you have no control over the situation. If I wish to take you in, you will not be able to resist."


    Yin Hui grit his teeth and spat out the remaining blood in his mouth.


    "Lady Yu, while I may not be able to escape form you directly, I can if you are distracted." Yin Hui raised the ball of incomplete demonic qi into the air.


    "I presume this village is made up mostly of mortals. If I were to release this mass of incomplete demonic qi inside, you will not have time to both catch me and protect the villagers." Yin Hui circulated some qi energy into his body and a black aura began to emerge. Combined with his fierce violet eyes, he looked like a demon who would truly massacre a village without hesitation.


    Of course, this was all an act. Even if Yin Hui had the opportunity to trade the lives of innocent villagers for his own life he would never do it. As someone who grew up at the bottom of the social ladder, he understood what it was like to be used by the powerful. However, in desperate times like the one he was in now, empty threats had it''s uses. After all, with his demonic appearance and fiendish aura, there was a chance he could persuade Yu Mingxi to back down.


    A loud cackle exited Yu Mingxi''s mouth. She tapped her staff on the ground twice and gave a nod of approval.


    "Very good, I can see how a young man such as yourself has gotten this far. You are quick-witted and decisive. Furthermore, you know how to maximize the use of your assets, even in the face of stronger opponents."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Yu Mingxi tapped her staff hard on the ground. A tremor could be felt within the earth as the ground beneath Yin Hui''s feet erupted. The dirt and rock surrounded him, forming a dome that sealed him inside. Yin Hui tried to break out, but the dirt and rock mix had instantaneously hardened.


    "This is a martial skill called Living Earth. It uses spiritual energy to manipulate the earth and instantly harden it."


    "If you can get out of that dome within an hour you may leave. However, you are not allowed to use that mass of incomplete demonic qi. If you cannot escape, then I will imprison you here with an even greater skill and hand you over to the Tang when they return." Yu Mingxi tapped her staff on the ground once more. A chair made of hardened earth formed behind her. She took a seat and silently watched to see what Yin Hui would do.


    Inside the earth dome, Yin Hui was completely enraged.


    "Not allowed to use the demonic qi?! What am I supposed to do then? I just became a cultivator this afternoon, I don''t have anything else!"


    Suddenly, it came to him. There was one technique that Yin Hui could try that he hadn''t had the time to practice until now. Even though Yin Hui couldn''t see a thing inside the earth dome it didn''t matter. He retracted his fist and got into the stance of the Wind Bullet.


    "While I haven''t actually seen the Wind Bullet itself, I know what it feels like. It seems that it is a martial skill that shoots a blast of highly pressurized air at the opponent. I assume the method is to condense air into your fist at high pressure using spirit energy. If Tao Shou could use it and I have his cultivation, I should be able to do it too!"


    Yin Hui closed his eyes and focused qi into his fist. The earth dome was almost air tight, so there wasn''t a lot of air to use. To compensate, Yin Hui had to condense the air multiple times. However, due to his inexperience, he couldn''t condense it enough to produce the true Wind Bullet. Whenever he punched out, it would come out as a qi-imbued strike, rather than the air cannon Tao Shou made.


    Normally, this would be fine as his attacks were strong enough to crack the hardened earth that comprised the dome. Unfortunately, whenever a small hole was made through the dome Yu Mingxi patched it back up.


    Yin Hui cursed under his breath.


    "That old hag! I guess I have to break all in one move. This technique involves condensing air. To get the desired effect, I need to either condense a small amount of air many times, or condense a large amount of air a few times. Since I can''t condense the limited amount of air in this dome enough times, I''ll simply get more air!"


    "Yu Mingxi! I''m running out of air, can you open a few tiny holes within the dome?" Yin Hui shouted.


    Yu Mingxi had a disappointed expression on her face. 45 minutes had already passed and Yin Hui barely made any progress.


    "Did I misjudge this boy? Even if he is a Spirit Waking cultivator with no aspects, I thought he would have some other hidden tricks up his sleeve. Oh well, times almost up. A few holes at this point shouldn''t change much." Yu Mingxi pointed towards the dome and multiple finger sized holes appeared on the surface.


    10 minutes of silence passed. Yu Mingxi sighed and stood up. It appeared that Yin Hui truly had no method of escape. She got up and was about to undo the earth dome when she heard sizzling coming from inside.


    Boom~~


    The sound of an air cannon echoed through the air as a large beam of wind blasted the earth dome open. The beam kept going, heading towards Yu Mingxi who was standing right in front of it.


    Yu Mingxi stuck out a palm with her free hand. The powerful pressurized air of the Wind Bullet split into two halves that diverged to the sides, leaving the village unaffected.


    Yin Hui walked out of the remains of the dome in triumph. Immediately after, he dropped to one knee. Utilizing so much spiritual qi in such a short amount of time was completely drained him, especially since it was his first time using it in such a manner.


    Tap Tap Tap~~


    "Well done! I assume that was the first martial skill you have ever produced. Once you''ve learned a spell as well, you will have officially become a First Aspect Spirit Waking Cultivator." Yu Mingxi praised.


    "In that case, I''m free to go right?" Yin Hui said between puffs of air.


    "If that is your desire then yes. You may rest in the village tonight and head out at sunrise tommorow. Let me ask you this though, do you know where you want to go next?"


    Yin Hui was silent. He had no map, no guide, and no plan. In his mind, he was just going to wander until he found another town, and hope that they were not affiliated with the Tang Clan.


    "I''ll have you know that with the current status of the province, all settlements are on alert. The chances are pretty low that you''ll find a village as accepting as ours again. Also, with your meager abilities and demonic cultivation that involves devouring souls, it will be very unlikely that you will be accepted into a sect."


    "What are you suggesting then?" Yin Hui asked.


    "From what I''ve just witnessed, I believe that you are someone special. Not only that, but Yu Zhuwa is quite fond of you. You need a teacher right? This old woman has a few tricks she can pass on to a capable youngster."


    Yu Mingxi extended a hand towards the kneeling Yin Hui. The pleasant grandmotherly smile had also returned.


    "What about the Tang Clan? Aren''t you going to accept their offer for protection?" Yin Hui was still cautious. Even if Yu Mingxi was strong, the reward of a capture order could attract many powerful experts.


    "I never said I would accept their offer. Based on what I''ve heard from other villages, their occupation comes with quite a few negatives I''m not willing to bear. I have a feeling I know why they want to recruit a small village such as ours, and it''s definitely not out of the goodness of their hearts." Yu Mingxi reassured.


    Yin Hui stared into Yu Mingxi''s eyes, trying to find the slightest hint of deception. He found none.


    "I accept..." Placing his trust on Yu Mingxi, Yin Hui sighed and collapsed to the ground. His consciousness fading into darkness.

 Chapter 12: What You Need Is A Dao!

    Yin Hui slept through the entire next day in the village chief''s residence. From having his entire body reconstructed to exerting almost all his qi reserves shortly after, it was a surprise he even lasted this long.


    On the second day, Yin Hui finally awakened. While he still wasn''t in top physical shape, he had recovered to the point he could walk again. During his days as a slave, he had trained himself to be able to trick his body into a false sense of brimming vitality. Since slaves had no breaks regardless of their condition, this was an essential skill to learn. He found a spare black hemp robe in the room he was resting and quickly swapped it with the one he was currently wearing.


    Knock Knock~~


    "Big Brother Yin Hui, are you better now?" Yu Zhuwa called out from outside the door.


    Yin Hui opened the door to see Yu Zhuwa standing in front of him.


    "Grandma Yu told me everything that happened last night. Although I don''t know what will happen a month from now, I''m glad you decided to stay!" Yu Zhuwa had a big smile on his face.


    Yin Hui laughed and ruffled Yu Zhuwa''s hair. The boy truly was endearing, no wonder he made such a good thief. He was lucky Yu Zhuwa was a friend, if he wasn''t, Yin Hui might''ve still been in the forest without even clothes covering his body.


    "Anyways, Grandma Yu says its time to cultivate so let''s head outside!"


    When Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa left the residence, they saw that Yu Mingxi was already outside. She stood at the edge of the hill where the residence was located, gazing over the entire Scattered Leaf Village. The sun shined brightly over the whole village, creating an exceptionally beautiful scene. Despite this, Yu Mingxi had a grim smile on her face. However, she quickly covered it up when the two youths came out.


    "Good morning you two. I''m glad to see you have recovered so quickly Yin Hui. To be honest, I thought you would need at least 3 days of rest before you were healthy enough to come out."


    Yin Hui clasped his hands.


    "I heal fast senior Yu, thank you for your concern. I''m ready for your instruction."


    "Why do you talk so formally all the time Big Brother? Grandma Yu isn''t that strict you know!" Yu Zhuwa laughed.


    A wry smile appeared on Yin Hui''s face. With so many years of his life being dedicated to serving others, formal speech was basically Yin Hui''s natural tongue at this point.


    "Xiao Yu your still at the Impurity Cleansing stage so your training is still the same. Go sit down somewhere and utilize the surrounding spiritual qi to purify your body. You have passed the bone stage, but now you must refine your blood as well. Yin Hui you will follow me."


    Yu Zhuwa complained about how his training was so boring while Yin Hui was being taken out of the village. Yu Mingxi slapped the back of his head.


    "You started cultivating 3 years ago. A normal person usually takes 2 years to reach the peak of the Impurity Cleansing realm. If you had cultivated diligently, maybe you would have reached Yin Hui''s level by now and I would''ve taken you too!" Yu Mingxi scolded.


    Yu Zhuwa stuck out his tongue and angrily trudged to the edge of the hill. He muttered a few curses as he sat down and began to absorb spiritual energy into his body.


    Yu Mingxi took Yin Hui back into the forest. They walked for about 15 minutes and ended up in a large open field next to a river.


    "Now then, Yin Hui, I want to you to tell me how you cultivate."


    Yin Hui revealed everything, the Wind Bullet, his fiend body, and the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique. Yu Mingxi listened to all of it with a serious expression.


    "Yin Hui. If you ever encounter any other cultivators of a sect or join one yourself, do not let them know about the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique. With that in mind, I don''t have to mention that you shouldn''t use the anything related to demonic qi either. Demonic cultivators are heavily frowned upon everywhere. If you are found using a technique as nefarious as the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique, you could very well be hunted down and executed." Yu Mingxi warned.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "I understand, but it really doesn''t matter. As long as I''m in this province I''ll be hunted down by the Tang and their servants anyways."


    Yu Mingxi let out a deep sigh.


    "In that case, ensure you leave no witnesses. When you walk a path as unsteady as yours, you need to be thorough." Yu Mingxi was not a cruel woman, but she was not a fool either. She knew that the cultivation world was one of great treachery and struggle. To those born into terrible circumstances like Yin Hui, they could only curse their own misfortune. The heaven''s were merciless, so to survive one needed to also be merciless.


    "Now that we have cleared that up, we can now start the lesson. Before we start learning martial skills and spells we first need to understand cultivation. Yin Hui, tell me what the main focus of cultivation is."


    "Cultivation is the mastery of qi to its highest peak. To become the strongest so no one can oppose you." Yin Hui answered.


    "Hahaha..."


    Yin Hui frowned. Was his answer incorrect? Given what he learned from his ancestor Yin Tou, qi was the basis of all cultivation.


    "Impurity Cleansing, Spirit Waking, Spirit Manifestation... All of these are indeed about the mastery of qi, but what comes after? Qi is the foundation, but it has restrictions imposed by the heavens. How do you go beyond the standard limitations of qi and break the chains the heavens have put on it, and by extension us? The answer is Dao!"


    This confused Yin Hui, who had a puzzled expression on his face. He had heard of the concept of Dao from the cultivators of the Tang Clan. However, he assumed it was a philosophical concept that had no real application to cultivation.


    "I don''t understand, how can something philosophical such as Dao be relevant to cultivation? Yin Hui questioned.


    "Yin Hui why do you cultivate?" Yu Mingxi did not answer his question, but asked a question of her own.


    "I cultivate to gain power. Power that will allow me to get revenge on the Tang Clan for enslaving me. Power that will allow me to destroy the heavens and the gods that took everything away from me." As Yin Hui continued speaking, he found himself getting angrier and angrier.


    "Then that is your Dao! Your desire for revenge, your resolve! Once you have mastered qi, the next step is to truly make it your own. Why do you think the true qi of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator is superior? True qi is simply the medium, the real power comes from your Dao. With your Dao as it''s guide, true qi can break the limits imposed by the heavens. It becomes a power that is no longer of the heavens, but of you, based on the strength of your Dao."


    Yin Hui shook his head.


    "I''m sorry Lady Yu. I''m afraid I still don''t understand this concept of Dao that you are trying to teach me."


    Yu Mingxi dropped her staff and walked towards to Yin Hui. She raised her index finger and put it at the spot between his eyebrows.


    "If you cannot see it on your own, then I will show you myself. If you still can''t understand it after this, then there really is no hope for you." Yu Mingxi closed her eyes and power began to swell from her finger.


    "What is this--"


    Suddenly, Yin Hui''s consciousness shifted. Countless scenes and images flashed around him. It was as if every conceivable thought was being rushed into his brain all at once. Within this realm of knowledge Yin Hui felt like he had the ability to solve every problem in the world.


    "Is this Dao??"


    Eternal peace, the end of the world, a long reign as an emperor, the life of a simple man. Yin Hui experienced all of these things in an instant, yet it also felt like an eternity at the same time.


    When Yin Hui regained his senses he dropped to his knees. It had only been a few seconds in the real world, but Yin Hui felt like he had just lived countless epochs. He now understood the significance of the Dao and why so many cultivators revered it. The Dao was endless and limitless. With the Dao one could achieve anything and everything.


    Yu Mingxi removed her finger from his forehead.


    "What I''ve shown you is the great potential of the Dao. It is up to you to find your own and develop it yourself." She picked up her staff and began to pace around Yin Hui.


    "My Dao... What is my Dao..." Yin Hui muttered


    "The first 3 realms of cultivation are about the mastery of qi. Above that are 2 more realms that work on refining the Dao. They are known as Virtue Seeking and Vice Taming. Each of them consist of searching for 3 concepts that compliment each other as well as your Dao. If the Dao is strong enough Dao that person can then take the final step forward and enter to realm of Immortal Treading! At this stage you fuse your 3 virtues and vices together, and with your Dao, summon the heavenly path and open the gate of immortality to become an Earth Immortal!


    With the knowledge Yin Hui obtained from Yin Tou, he thought he had understood most of what cultivation was. After listening to Yu Mingxi, he realized that he merely scratched the surface. In order to progress, you needed a Dao, your own way. With it, one could break the chains imposed by the heavens and become an immortal! Yin Hui understood and accepted this fact quickly. If he wanted to take down the heavens, he needed to rely on his own power, not theirs.


    "I understand. Dao does not lead to power. Power is simply a compliment of the Dao. In fact, power itself can be one''s Dao."


    Yu Mingxi nodded her head. Yin Hui had finally understood cultivation and the importance of the Dao.

 Chapter 13: First Aspect of Spirit Waking

    "In the Spirit Waking realm, the order in which you develop the 3 aspects does not matter. The reason most cultivate spiritual techniques first and divine sense last is simply due to the difficulty. Also, while having a large qi storage will make you more powerful, it is not necessary for advancing through the stages."


    Yin Hui nodded. While he may not be able to increase his qi amounts without consuming others, he could still overcome opponents with greater capacities as long as he was efficient.


    "You already possess a martial skill, so all you need to reach the first aspect is a spell. Martial skills mostly utilize the body, while spells are based on your comprehension and mental abilities. They share the same concept of manipulating qi, but how it is used between the two differs. Since your martial skill is offense oriented, I have chosen 3 beginner level spells that are more utility-based to complement it." Yu Mingxi continued.


    "First is the one you''ve already seen, Living Earth. Using this skill you can manipulate the earth around you into many shapes and forms. Out of the 3 it is the most versatile."


    "The second is called Blinding Light. If used properly you can disorient a large group of opponents with a flash of bright light. This spell is useful should you find yourself surrounded and need to escape. It can also provide a good opportunity to get in a decisive attack during a duel. Compared to the other two this is the most situational."


    "The third is Beast Subjugation. This spell allows you to extend your will upon animals and control them. However, you will need to develop your spiritual sense before you are able to practice it. Being the final spell, this one is the most difficult."


    Yin Hui thought about the 3 spells Yu Mingxi offered. Each spell was extremely useful, with various purposes fitting many different situations.


    In addition to practicing the Wind Bullet, Yu Mingxi gave Yin Hui the method of using the Living Earth Spell. Having already seen it in use once, along with Yu Mingxi''s tips Yin Hui grasped the fundamentals of the spell very quickly. Satisfied, Yu Mingxi left Yin Hui to practice on his own, returning back to check on Yu Zhuwa.


    After about 6 hours of practice, Yin Hui could form the dome that Yu Mingxi used to trap him. Whenever he was tired or low on spirit energy, Yin Hui would sit down a meditate. He found out that absorbing spiritual energy from his surroundings not only restored his internal qi storages, but relieved him of his fatigue as well.


    Content with his progress on the Living Earth spell, he began to practice the Wind Bullet. Qi swirled around Yin Hui''s fists as he assumed the stance of the Wind Bullet. When he first used it, one Wind Bullet took 10 minutes of condensing before it could be fired. As he practiced, the time it took to charge was cut in half. Yin Hui also experimented with using different amounts of air too. Although it took a whole 30 minutes, he was able to condense a palm sized amount of air into a full Wind Bullet.


    Yin Hui hypothesized what the complete mastery of the Wind Bullet would be like.


    "When the Wind Bullet has reached full mastery, I could probably take down a fully grown tree with ease! Also, by that point there should be no charge time regardless of the amount of air. At peak potential, I could probably condense a single breath of air into a lethal weapon in an instant!"


    At sunset, Yu Mingxi returned to check up on Yin Hui. She noticed that there were large holes in various trees as well as huge displacements of dirt. There was even a dome that was identical to the one she used to trap Yin Hui two days prior.


    Yu Mingxi found Yin Hui meditating on the ground. He was covered in sweat and dirt from all the hours of practice. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yu Mingxi standing in front of him.


    "Congratulations, you have comprehended the use of qi in terms of martial skills and spells. The mastery of those skills and spells will come with time and dedication. However, you have proven that you understand the usage of qi in this manner. Therefore, you can now officially call yourself a First Aspect Spirit Waking cultivator."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Yin Hui got up and gave a deep bow once more. Yu Mingxi''s tips and her words on the Dao had broadened his horizons. A single day of tutelage had already raised Yin Hui''s power exponentially. If he practiced for a couple more weeks, he could not imagine how much stronger he would become.


    "Not only am I happy about your progress. I am also happy that you seem to have motivated Xiao Yu as well. When I mentioned your progress to him, he began to cultivate more diligently. This one day alone was the equivalent of a week at his usual pace." Yu Mingxi had a wide smile on her face. Seeing her pupils advance so quickly gave her a deep feeling of satisfaction.


    When they returned to the residence, Yu Mingxi prepared a feast in honor of Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa''s hard work. A table of food that could''ve fed 6 people was completely devoured by the two boys. After dinner, Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui both immediately went to sleep. Both of them exhausted from cultivating so much.


    The next day was very similar to the last. At first light, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa would cultivate for the entire day. When the sun fell, they would return to rest. The routine of cultivating and resting repeated itself until 2 whole weeks had passed.


    Under Yu Mingxi''s instruction, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa made astounding progress within the last 2 weeks. Yu Zhuwa had completely passed the blood stage of Impurity Cleansing and began to work on his organs. Once he completed it, he would be at the peak of the Impurity Cleansing realm!


    Yin Hui on the other hand, worked on perfecting the two spells Yu Mingxi had given him, as well as the Wind Bullet. After a week, he had become quite proficient with the Living Earth spell. When he first started, using the spell would require deep concentration, as well as hand movements to help guide the earth. Now, a simple gesture and a thought was all he needed to mould the earth they way he wanted.


    The Wind Bullet also improved. If there was a large amount of air present, Yin Hui could fire it at moderate power with only 30 seconds of charge. Even if there was only a breath of air he could still use the Wind Bullet, but it would require 5 minutes of charge.


    Believing Yin Hui was proficient enough with the Living Earth spell, Yu Mingxi began to teach him the Blinding Light spell. Like the Wind Bullet, Blinding Light involved condensing qi. However, there was a twist. Not only did the qi have to be condensed, but it also needed to be converted into light. Normally, this transmutation would only be possible using the true qi of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator. To get pass this, Yu Mingxi taught Yin Hui to use the light from the sun as a substitute. This meant that the spell could only be used during the day, but the positives more than outweighed the negatives. For a Spirit Waking cultivator to be able to use a Spirit Manifestation level spell was an enormous advantage on its own, especially against others of the same realm.


    Back in the training field, Yin Hui was demonstrating his use of the Blinding Light spell to Yu Mingxi. To use the spell, the qi needed to be condensed evenly around the body. Afterwards, the qi would be converted into pure light energy that is released all at once. In Yin Hui''s case, he would use his spiritual qi to absorb the light from the sun instead.


    Yin Hui''s body glowed with a thin white as he channeled the rays of the sun around his body. As he condensed more light, the glow intensified. In one huge burst he released all the energy around him at once. Yin Hui''s body turned completely white as if he were transformed into a bright light.


    Yu Mingxi, who stood right in front of him was completely unaffected. She stared directly into the light, studying the technique for any flaws. When the light dissipated, Yin Hui was once again visible.


    "Not bad, but it still needs work. The intensity you emitted right there would only blind those who are directly around you. Anyone 10 meters away would be completely unaffected." Yu Mingxi criticized.


    Yin Hui let out a faint smile. The spell wasn''t perfect, but he had grasped the basics and just needed more practice.


    "Practice this on your own when you have time. It has already been two weeks, so I would like to move on to the flight aspect of Spirit Waking. Before the Tang return, I am hoping you will have already developed your spiritual sense. While your qi storages are lacking, you are talented. I am sure you will be able to comprehend it in the short time we have." Yu Mingxi said with a smile.


    "I am ready for the next lesson." Yin Hui said confidently.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Inside the Tang Clan''s main palace, Tang Jiao and a fully healed Tang Li knelt before a golden throne. A man wearing extravagant gold robes slowly paced between the two with his hands behind his back. The man looked to be in his mid-sixties, his long hair almost completely white with the exception of a few black strands. On his face was a large diagonal scar that went from his forehead to the bottom of his face, cutting through his left eye. The old man had a strict and serious expression, as if he had never known joy in his entire life.


    This man was Tang Jiao and Tang Li''s father, the Clan Head of the Tang Clan and the ruler of the entire province.

 Chapter 14: Kneel

    "I am disappointed in you Tang Jiao. Very disappointed."


    The Tang Clan Clan Head''s voice resonated off the walls of the throne room. Tang Jiao began to sweat as he kept his head down. His father''s very presence was akin to an oppressive might, and each word was like a weight being added on top.


    "Not only have you brutally beaten the juniors from our clan, but you also heavily injured your own blood brother. Surely you know that by doing so, you are indirectly injuring me."


    "Lord father I--" Tang Jiao tried to speak, but his entire body frozen.


    "Silence!" The Tang Clan Clan Head released his actual oppressive might.


    Tang Jiao''s body smashed into the floor, so hard that it was as if he fell from the roof of the palace. The difference between the imposing presence he felt earlier and his father''s real oppressive might was incomparable. His face bruised and his nose began to bleed, but other than that he was not critically injured.


    "Since you are my son, I will let you off easy. If you weren''t, you would be walking up the execution platform by now. With the Yan Clan starting to get more aggressive I need the entire clan to be unified." The Clan Head did not retract his oppressive might, he pinpointed it solely onto Tang Jiao, keeping his body pressed flat on the ground.


    After a short while, he lessened the pressure of his oppressive might. Tang Jiao still felt the pressure, but he was no longer on the ground and resumed his kneeling position.


    "Father, I wanted to tell you that I have found a clue to unlocking the secrets behind the jade pillar in the Yin Clan Ancestral Burial Grounds."


    The Tang Clan Clan Head''s eye''s lit up, but his expression did not change.


    "Speak." The oppressive might surrounding Tang Jiao decreased an entire notch.


    "That slave from the Yin Clan, Yin Hui. When he touched the pillar a golden light appeared and transported him somewhere. Approximately two hours after that, my servant was also pulled in. I have not seen them since." Tang Jiao explained.


    Tang Li who had his head down the entire time grit his teeth. The Clan Head shifted his gaze onto Tang Li and the oppressive might spread onto him. Tang Li''s pupils shrank as his entire body trembled. He felt like if the pressure was increased anymore his injuries would rupture.


    "Tang Li, I know you are close with that brat from the Yin Clan. However, is he really worth the endangerment of the entire clan?! If he received the full inheritance of that tablet, he could become a powerful enemy! Your actions are jeopardizing the clan just as much as Tang Jiao!" The Tang Clan Clan Head''s energy flared in anger.


    The oppressive might bearing down on Tang Li increased. Tang Li coughed out blood and his hands fell to the ground. He knew that their father would be like this. However, since Tang Jiao caused just as much trouble for the clan as him, the punishment would be reduced and split between the two of them.


    Seeing Tang Li receiving a taste of their father''s wrath Tang Jiao let out a wry smile, but it instantly vanished when the oppressive might increased on him as well.


    "Both my son''s have grown to be such disappointments. One is a traitor aiding a lowly slave. While the other causes strife and conflict in the clan wherever he goes. If I were to die right now and pass the throne onto one of you, we would have an internal rebellion by first light of the next day!" The Clan Head sighed.


    "Tang Jiao, Tang Li. The both of you are to be banished from the clan for a year. You have a single day to prepare your belongings. If you are caught in the capital at any time during your banishment, you are to be executed on sight. Furthermore---"


    Creak~~


    The Tang Clan Clan Head quickly turned his head towards the throne room doors. Killing intent surged in his eyes. Whoever interrupted him had better have a good explanation, or they would share in the punishment.


    An old man with a silver ring emerged from the doors, beside him was a youth around his early 20''s similar to Tang Jiao. It was Tang Wan and his son Tang Bian.


    "Forgive this intrusion Lord Clan Head. My son and I were simply minding our own business when we overheard something rather interesting." Tang Wan gave a respectful bow towards the Clan Head.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Tang Wan, can''t you see I am currently not in the mood... State your purpose!" The Clan Head boomed.


    Tang Wan did not respond to the question, instead he motioned towards his son. Tang Bian walked up to where Tang Jiao and Tang Li were and dropped to one knee.


    "I pay my respects to Lord Clan Head." Tang Bian said clasping his hands.


    A fire lit inside the Clan Head''s eyes.


    "Tang Wan... I do not have the patience to deal with anymore brats! Even if he is your son, if what he says does not peak my interest, I will not spare him!"


    Tang Wan stood with complete indifference. He looked at Tang Bian, but his expression remained unchanged.


    "I have taught the boy for many years now. If he is to bring shame to me by embarrassing himself in front of Lord Clan Head, I will not bat an eye to whatever punishment you cast upon him."


    An icy gaze appeared in Tang Wan eyes. The coldness in his face rivaled even that of the Clan Head.


    "Even if that penalty is death." Tang Wan finished.


    There wasn''t a single change in expression when these words entered Tang Bian''s ears. One would think that a person would be at least slightly affected if their own father made such a declaration, but Tang Bian continued to kneel solemnly before the Clan Head as if nothing was wrong.


    The Clan Head locked eyes with Tang Wan. To the kneeling Tang Jiao and Tang Li, it looked as if the two were currently in a mental confrontation with each other. After a few seconds passed, the Clan Head scoffed and closed his eyes. He walked up to the golden throne and took a seat, his eyes still brimming with a strong flame.


    "You may speak boy. For your sake as well as your father''s, this better appease me."


    Tang Bian clasped his hands and lowered his head.


    "Thank you Lord Clan Head. I apologise for eavesdropping, but I heard that we are missing a slave who goes by the surname Yin." Tang Bian spoke very clearly and decisively, as if he felt no pressure at all. Despite a drop of sweat leaving his forehead from the Clan Head''s imposing aura, his expression was calm.


    "What of it?" The Clan Head asked impatiently.


    "I recently encountered a young man during my negotiations with the Scattered Leaf Village in the outer regions. His appearance was very similar to a slave Tang Jiao used to pick on frequently. The man''s name was Yin Hui and be seemed to be similar in age to Young Lord Tang Li. However, this Yin Hui was not a mortal, and possessed the power of a Spirit Waking Cultivator with no aspects."


    Tang Li''s eyes widened when he heard this.


    "That must be him! How did he get as far as the Scattered Leaf Village? He even has Spirit Waking cultivation? Regardless of the details this is great news!"


    Beside him, killing intent surged in Tang Jiao''s eyes.


    "So the brat survived. Furthermore, he now has a cultivation base and is in the outer regions of the province. Grr... I assume Tao Shou is dead then."


    The Clan Head noticed the subtle fluctuation of emotions within his two sons. Therefore, he concluded that the person Tang Bian spoke of must be the missing slave in question. The fire within his eye''s diminished and his expression slightly softened.


    "Interesting. Well done boy. Unlike my son''s, your actions have always been to the benefit of the clan. You indeed honor your father." The tone in the Clan Head''s voice was very different compared to the one he had earlier. While it was still imposing and powerful, the coldness behind it was much lower.


    "When you return to settle things with the Scattered Leaf Village, I will assign a vanguard of some of the clan''s experts to accompany you. You will capture this brat alive and bring him before me."


    A smile appeared on Tang Bian''s face.


    "Of course Lord Clan Head. I shall depart soon."


    Tang Jiao rose to his feet. With his father''s calmed state, the power behind his oppressive might weakened, allowing him to stand.


    "Lord Father! Allow me to accompany the vanguard! That brat has most likely taken the life of my servant, I must seek justice!"


    "Sit down!" The Clan Head''s rage instantly peaked and his oppressive might was released once more, subduing Tang Jiao. He looked towards Tang Li with a serious expression.


    "I have decided to retract my earlier sentence for you two. Tang Li, this missing slave is your responsibility. Therefore, I want you to be the one to bring this boy before me. If you fail, I will be extremely displeased."


    Tang Li lowered his head, still kneeling.


    "Yes Lord Father." His voice was calm, but in his mind Tang Li was elated.


    The Clan Head returned his gaze to Tang Jiao, who''s body was shaking from the intense pressure being placed on it.


    "You on the other hand, will venture to all the branch families of the juniors you have bullied and apologize for your actions. You will then make amends by fulfilling one request of their desire. This can be anything, including the surrender of your personal treasures or torture. The only restriction is that they cannot take your life or cause permanent any damage."


    "Yes..." Tang Jiao accepted bitterly. He was a proud person. To him, banishment was a lighter punishment compared to catering to the whims of the branch families.


    The Clan Head retracted his oppressive might, leaving only the pressure of his imposing presence. While his expression was still the same, Tang Jiao and Tang Li could tell he was in a better mood.


    "You are all dismissed, fulfill the roles you have been given." The Clan Head waved his hand in a dismissing motion.


    All three kneeling juniors got up and bowed deeply to the Clan Head. When they left, only Tang Wan and the Clan Head were still present. Tang Wan looked towards the Clan Head''s direction, but it didn''t seem like his attention was on him.


    "Elder Tang Wan. The Clan Chief is right here."


    Tang Wan shifted his gaze to the Clan Head''s eyes, giving a short bow before leaving the room.


    When Tang Wan left, a frown appeared on the Clan Head''s face.


    "Hmph..."

 Chapter 15: Rapid Progress

    Yin Hui''s brows furrowed as he layered his body with spirit energy. In order to fly, one needed to use spiritual qi to create a barrier between the user and the environment. The layer of qi could make whatever was inside it absolutely weightless, which could then be adjusted mentally to produce flight. This was heavily taxing on the mind and required Yin Hui''s utmost concentration.


    "When you are sure your entire body has been covered in a thin layer of spiritual energy, begin gradually reducing your weight. This is your first time so take it slow." Yu Mingxi said.


    Veins popped out of Yin Hui''s head from the stress. Gradually, his feet began to rise from the ground. He rose about 10 centimeters before his concentration collapsed and he fell to the ground.


    "Maintaining the barrier strains my mind so much." Yin Hui thought to himself.


    "Normally, as one progresses through the cultivation realms their capacity for qi increases. Since that is not the case for you, the difficulty is much higher. Each bit of qi you exert from your body needs to be used with absolute efficiency, not a single bit should be wasted." Yu Mingxi lectured.


    Yin Hui plopped his back on the soft grass. To fully reach the second aspect, he needed to be able to fly effortlessly for two whole hours. Just now, it already took all he had just to lift a few centimeters off the ground for a second.


    "Keep working on it. Look at the river beside you. It flows in a continuous motion without a single wasted movement. Though it may deviate every now and then from a well-placed rock, it simply moves around it and resumes its course. Become like water, adapt until it becomes effortless."


    Yin Hui nodded and got back up. He imagined the qi circulating around his body like the river. Flowing freely and continuously without a single wasted effort. His mind relaxed and he began to levitate once more. This time, Yin Hui was now a full three meters above the ground!


    "The trick to flight is to make yourself like a river... I understand now!"


    Though Yin Hui was ecstatic that he now knew the secret to flight, he was also ashamed. All his achievements, including his recently learned spells were not from his own enlightenment. Every step of the way he required some sort of hint from Yu Mingxi. If she wasn''t there to give him advice he probably would''ve still been fumbling with the Blinding Light spell.


    Yu Mingxi saw Yin Hui''s glum expression and was curious as to why he looked sad despite his recent improvement.


    "What is wrong Yin Hui? While it is preferred that you learn flight as quickly as possible, I am not expecting you to master it in the first few hours. You must be thorough in understanding the applications of qi, or else it can cause great consequences in the future."


    Yin Hui turned to Yu Mingxi and clasped his hands.


    "Not to be rude Lady Yu. I am extremely grateful for your lessons and guidance. However, I feel ashamed that all of my growth has not been through my own comprehension."


    As a slave, Yin Hui had to learn much about life on his own. He did not have any formal education and simply learned through observation and intuition. The surrounding slaves taught him the basics of reading and writing, but most of his vocabulary was built from witnessing the interactions between other slaves and the Tang Clan.


    Therefore to Yin Hui, the act of having a personal teacher guide him in his training felt very odd. He had always been an independent learner. With knowledge being handed to him without any work on his end, Yin Hui felt like he was just stealing from Yu Mingxi own efforts.


    Yu Mingxi understood Yin Hui''s meaning and put her hand on his shoulder.


    "Yin Hui, there is nothing wrong with having a little guidance from a senior. A senior is one who has been in the same shoes as a junior, but learned to overcome the challenge. Though I have pointed you in the right direction, the act of putting those tips into practicality belongs to you entirely." Yu Mingxi comforted.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Yin Hui nodded and continued to practice.


    "She''s right, having a teacher does not lower my achievements. Instead, having one allows me to save time and know that my efforts are being put in the right direction. I need to utilize Lady Yu''s great experience as much as I still can. If the day comes where she can no longer instruct me, I need to be ready to progress myself."


    A whole week passed. Yin Hui had fully mastered flight and had completed the second aspect of Spirit Waking. Yu Zhuwa also made shocking progress, his organs were nearly completely refined and he was only a hair''s breadth away from the peak of the Impurity Cleansing realm.


    Initially, Yin Hui would not have mastered flight this quickly. However, seeing the sheer amount of effort he was putting into it, Yu Mingxi gave him a little help. She used her own spirit energy to allow Yin Hui to feel the full effects of flight in its completed state. When Yin Hui experienced what true mastery of flight was really like, his comprehension greatly increased. Yin Hui was naturally a perceptive person and quickly memorized how his body felt during the whole demonstration. With his newfound understanding, the speed of his progression skyrocketed, allowing him to master it within a single week.


    As the final week before Tang Bian returned began, Yin Hui was back at the training field. This was potentially his last seven lessons with Yu Mingxi. Yu Zhuwa, who had made immense progress with his cultivation, got bored of cultivating and decided to spectate Yin Hui''s lessons.


    "Since I''m almost in the Spirit Waking realm, its fitting that I''m here now right Grandma Yu?" Yu Zhuwa said in a playful tone.


    "Yes, I did say that what is covered in these lessons is only useful to Spirit Waking cultivators. Since your almost there, I''ll allow you to spectate this week''s lessons."


    Yu Mingxi turned towards Yin Hui.


    "Yin Hui! This is the final challenge you must overcome in mastering qi. You must develop your own spiritual sense!"


    Yin Hui stood with a confident expression. Spiritual sense was essentially the most useful skill one could learn in the Spirit Waking realm. The ability to extend your vision beyond what your eyes could normally see could be used for many different purposes.


    "Now then, the reason why spiritual sense is so difficult to learn is because it is a skill that is half a step into the Spirit Manifestation realm. It is essentially integrating your own soul and will into the qi within your body so that it acts as an extension of yourself. To others, it will feel as if another you was looking directly at them. When used on a weaker cultivator, various characteristics can be revealed such as their cultivation level. However, if a cultivator is of the same strength or stronger, your spiritual sense can actually be severed or destroyed. If this happens, you will be weakened for a short while until your spirit recovers." Yu Mingxi explained.


    Developing spiritual sense was already difficult for most cultivators. This was even moreso for Yin Hui. Because of the curse on his soul, incorporating part of his spirit into the qi was going to be extremely difficult.


    Yin Hui began attempting to integrate his soul with the qi storage in his body. Unfortunately, whenever he tried to merge his soul with the spiritual qi, the qi would always reject it immediately. Even when he tried using a tiny sliver, the energy would simply back away the moment it got close. Two hours had passed and Yin Hui had made no progress on developing his spiritual sense.


    "Damn it! I can''t merge my spirit with the qi! The curse on my soul restricts it from even being near spiritual energy!"


    Yu Mingxi sighed. She knew that this would be the most difficult aspect to overcome. Even with all her experience, she had no solution around this particular problem. One needed to be able to integrate a part of their soul into spiritual qi to progress their cultivation. This was especially true in the Spirit Manifestation realm, as this personal qi was the foundation for forming an ethereal spirit.


    An entire day passed and Yin Hui had still made zero progress.


    "I cannot allow myself to stop here. My goal is to climb to the peak and show the heaven''s the mistake they made when they cursed me. In order to do that, I need to make their power mine!" Yin Hui did not give up. If his years of servitude taught him anything it was resolve.


    Yu Zhuwa yawned. Watching Yin Hui struggle for an entire day had started to bore him. He looked at Yu Mingxi who had a hopeless look on her face.


    "Is there really nothing you can do to help Grandma Yu? You helped him learn flight last time didn''t you?"


    Yu Mingxi shook her head.


    "Spiritual sense is innate to each person, it''s not something I can just give. Even if I left a trace of my spirit sense in him only I would be able to use it."


    Yu Zhuwa''s face grew gloomy.


    "Sigh... The whole point of cultivation is to break the limits of qi by using our dao. However, one needs to use qi to give life to their dao to begin with. If only Big Brother Yin Hui wasn''t completely rejected by the heaven''s and given that curse. In fact, shouldn''t all cultivators at the Spirit Manifestation realm be cursed as well. They''re basically stealing the qi from the heaven''s and making it their own, which is essentially putting their own curse on the qi. "


    When Yu Zhuwa''s words entered Yin Hui''s ears his eyes lit up.


    "Yu Zhuwa, that''s it!"


    Yu Zhuwa had a puzzled expression on his face.


    "What do you mean?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    "Cultivators aren''t the only one''s who can be cursed. If given the right requirements, qi itself can also be cursed and cast out of the heaven''s! And that qi is what I''ll use to solve this problem!"

 Chapter 16: This Isnt Normal Spiritual Sense...

    "You''re going to form your spiritual sense using cursed qi? Where are you going to get some though? I was just joking about calling the true qi of Spirit Manifestation cultivators cursed. True qi of another cultivator can''t be used to make your spiritual sense because it possesses the will of the other person." Yu Zhuwa was confused. Even if cursed qi existed, how was Yin Hui going to get some? Not even an expert such as Grandma Yu could create such a thing.


    Suddenly, it came to him. Did Yin Hui already have cursed qi on him before they first met?


    The corners of Yin Hui''s lips rose.


    "Since the spiritual qi of the heaven''s rejects me, I''ll use qi that rejects the heaven''s! What I am using may not be cursed, but I guarantee that it is free from the influence of the heaven''s!" Yin Hui reached into his bag of holding and pulled out the mass of incomplete demonic qi.


    Yu Mingxi''s eyes widened.


    "I see! Demonic qi is qi that has been defiled, and by it''s very nature rejects the heaven''s. Therefore, it should be able to merge with his soul! Is he planning on creating his spiritual sense based solely off of demonic qi? Is that even possible?"


    Yin Hui released the seals on the demonic qi and absorbed it into his body. He immediately sat on the ground and began to meditate, his body turning completely black.


    "While I could use the demonic qi to form my spiritual sense, I have a better idea! Lady Yu said that the trick to breaking the limits of qi is to form my dao. Normally, people master the use of qi first before progressing their dao to gain greater power. However, I will do the opposite! I will use this demonic qi to form my dao, and with my dao, force spiritual qi to submit to me! Then I won''t have to rely on obtaining more demonic qi if my spiritual sense is destroyed. I will be able to force normal qi to integrate with me using my dao!"


    Inside Yin Hui''s body, there were two balls of light. One was pure white and was shining brightly, permeating with spiritual energy. This was Tao Shou''s soul, which Yin Hui had stolen when he became a cultivator. The other ball of light was grey and dull, as if all the life and vitality had been drained out of it. As the incomplete demonic qi seeped into Yin Hui''s body, the qi converged towards the grey ball of light that represented Yin Hui''s soul. Yin Hui''s soul began to emit a black aura and a faint red glow could be seen growing deep within.


    "If the spiritual qi of the heaven''s rejects me, then I will subjugate it by force! Using demonic qi, I will form my dao and make the power of the heaven''s submit to me! I already know what my dao shall be. My dao is vengeance! Unyielding! Unshakeable! A dao that rises up with greater power the more it''s struck down! A dao of evolution!"


    The red glow within Yin Hui''s soul grew stronger. Suddenly, a powerful red light emerged that completely absorbed the demonic qi. When the demonic qi was fully assimilated, all that was left was a red ball of light radiating an aura of aggression.


    Yin Hui stood up, his features were once again visible and his body radiated a blood red aura.


    "Impossible! Yin Hui didn''t use the demonic qi as a foundation to create his spiritual sense! Instead, he used it to form his dao! This red aura... is it killing intent? No... this is a lust for revenge! An insatiable desire for vengeance against all those who have wronged him. His dao is the Dao of Vengeance!" Yu Mingxi was shocked. Most cultivators waited till they were at the peak of the Spirit Manifestation realm before forming their dao. Even then, finding a dao that perfectly matched with them often took years of introspection. A two aspect Spirit Waking cultivator forming their own dao was something she never heard of her whole life. Not only that, but it seemed like Yin Hui''s dao was perfectly in sync with his soul, as if the dao he picked embodied the very essence of his character.


    Yin Hui closed his eyes and pointed towards the sky.


    "Spiritual qi come to me!" He commanded.


    Spiritual energy began to move once more into Yin Hui''s body. Like before, when it came into contact with his soul it started to back away. However, this time red hands extended from Yin Hui''s soul and grabbed onto the escaping qi. The strands of qi squirmed around trying to break free, but the red hands would not relent. They pulled the strands into Yin Hui''s soul, allowing him to imprint his will into the qi.


    "He''s doing it! Big Brother Yin Hui has created his dao and is now integrating his soul with the qi!" Yu Zhuwa was ecstatic.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Yin Hui! Once you have accumulated a substantial amount of qi imbued with your will, allow it to spread out while keeping it attached to you!" Yu Mingxi said.


    "Got it!" The spiritual qi inside Yin Hui''s body was already struggling to be released. Now that it was imprinted with his will, it could only go so far as it was now tethered to his soul as spiritual sense. Yin Hui let the strands of spiritual qi go and his spiritual sense expanded around him.


    Yu Mingxi and Yu Zhuwa, who were standing only a few meters away from Yin Hui suddenly froze. A cold aura filled with killing intent swept by them. The intent was so thick that it felt like someone was holding a sharp knife at their throats. The atmosphere turned dull and grim, as if all the joy in the world vanished.


    "Is that... Big Brother Yin Hui''s spiritual sense?" Yu Zhuwa shuddered.


    A drop of sweat fell from Yu Mingxi''s forehead.


    "This is not normal spiritual sense... What is this? His eyes are closed, but it feels like he is looking straight at me. This is proof that this is spiritual sense.. but there''s more than that! This cold and twisted atmosphere! Is this because of the combination of his fiend body and the demonic qi? Or is it because of his Dao? I''ve never experienced something like this before so I can''t say for certain! Countless theories were racing through Yu Mingxi''s mind.


    Even though his eyes were closed, Yin Hui could still see. The rushing water of the river, the lush green grass in the training field, and even the figures of Yu Mingxi and Yu Zhuwa. Yin Hui had never had vision like this before. It was like he was an omnipotent god. The sense was omnidirectional and he could analyze multiple things and their individual movements all at once. At the same time a cricket moved, he could also see a bear hunting a fox in the opposite direction.


    "So this is the power of spiritual sense?" Yin Hui thought.


    Yin Hui was completely oblivious to the cold and dark aura he was emitting with his spiritual sense. All he was feeling was a sense of pride in breaking past the most difficult aspect of the Spirit Waking stage. As of this moment, he was a Third Aspect Spirit Waking cultivator.


    Yin Hui experimented with the range of his spiritual sense, trying to figure out his limit. He found that his range was about 100 meters, which was equivalent to the size of the field he was training in.


    The only regret Yin Hui had in developing his spiritual sense was that it used up all the demonic qi Yin Tou gave him. However, he felt that it was a necessary sacrifice as progressing through the cultivation ranks provided a more stable source of power. Yin Hui retracted his spiritual sense back into his body and approached Yu Mingxi and Yu Zhuwa.


    "Thanks for the tip Yu Zhuwa. I don''t think I would''ve figured out the solution to this without you." Yin Hui said with a smile.


    Yu Zhuwa looked at Yin Hui with terror in his eyes.


    "What''s wrong Yu Zhuwa? Did the demonic qi I pull out scare you? Don''t worry I had everything under control. Besides, it''s gone for good now."


    Yin Hui looked towards Yu Mingxi, hoping that she would provide a better explanation than him. However, when he saw Yu Mingxi''s face, he noticed that it was also covered with shock and fright.


    "Yin Hui, did you not feel the change in atmosphere when you released your spiritual sense?" Yu Mingxi asked.


    "Hmm? No I didn''t. Was there an issue?" Yin Hui was confused. To him, his spiritual sense felt exactly as Yu Mingxi said it would, an extended sense.


    "When you released your spiritual sense, a dark aura filled the area. I can''t explain it, but it''s as if your spiritual sense was tainting the world around it. There was also this thick killing intent, as if a dagger was raised to my throat. Perhaps it has something to do with your demonic cultivation." Yu Mingxi hypothesized.


    Yin Hui released his spiritual sense again, but only in a small circle around him. This time, he also used his actual eyes to analyze the effects of his own spiritual sense.


    "What is this?"


    The grass covered by his spiritual sense was trembling. The strands closest to Yin Hui were pointing away from him, like they were trying to avoid his presence. He took a step back and found that the grass he was standing on had been cut in half. Yin Hui''s shoes were thin and made of bamboo, so there was no way they would be sharp enough to cut grass by standing on it.


    Perhaps, it really was his demonic cultivation that was causing this. After all, to form his dao, Yin Hui used demonic qi as the foundation. The innate nature of demonic qi was overbearing and cold, which was perfectly in line with the observed effects on the grass.


    "It is definitely spiritual sense, but there''s also something else. It wouldn''t be wrong to say that it is a different kind of spiritual sense, possibly unique to him." Yu Mingxi pondered. While she was extremely curious about Yin Hui''s unique spiritual sense, she was also extremely wary.


    "Did I make a mistake? Was it really a wise choice to train this boy? He has potential and a special cultivation path, but this feeling of unease." For a brief moment Yu Mingxi contemplated killing Yin Hui right there. There was something within him that she feared, but couldn''t specify exactly what. If Yin Hui was allowed to grow, he could possibly bring a great calamity upon the entire Tang Province, maybe even affect the surrounding provinces as well.


    Yu Mingxi quickly dismissed such thoughts.


    "Even if this ends up being a mistake on my part, I will not stop it. This boy''s life will be full of adversity and struggle anyways given his circumstances. If he is to truly rise above all that and carve a path of destruction then it will simply be fate."


    "Village Leader! Village Leader!" A voice called out.


    It was one of the villagers. A young man with an athletic build sprinted out of the forest clearing and stopped in front of Yu Mingxi. He gasped for air as if he hadn''t taken a breath since he started running.


    "What''s the matter young man? Did something happen to the village?" Yu Mingxi asked.


    "Village Leader... The Tang Clan has arrived early... They''re waiting for you in the village right now!"

 Chapter 17: Turning The Crowd

    "The Tang have returned already? They shouldn''t be here for another few days!" Yu Mingxi was shocked.


    "Yes chief! The young lord of the Tang Clan said he requests to see you immediately." The villager said urgently.


    Yu Mingxi cursed under her breath.


    "Damn it. I was planning on giving Yin Hui a few things back at the residence and sending him off before the Tang returned. They must''ve came early to capture him, but how did they know he was still in the village?"


    Yin Hui frowned when he heard the Tang had returned. Tang Jiao must''ve told Tang Bian about his disappearance when he returned to the Clan. With his keen intuition, Tang Bian probably made a connection between Yin Hui''s appearance in the Scattered Leaf Village and reported it. Since he carried secrets concerning how to unlock the ancestral tablet, they most likely came early with the intent of capturing him.


    "Lady Yu, I''m sorry for the trouble I''ve caused to you. If I leave right now, I could probably attract some of their attention away from the village."


    Yu Mingxi raised her hand.


    "No, there is something I need to give you before you depart. It is a very important item that could guarantee your safety for a long time. We''ll return to the village, but you need to stay hidden." Yu Mingxi pointed her finger towards Yin Hui and a thin purple ray shot out of her hand. When the ray made contact with Yin Hui his entire body disappeared.


    "This concealing spell will protect you from the eyes of others. However, you cannot get close as the spiritual sense of a cultivator can still trace your presence."


    "Is Big Brother Yin Hui going to be okay Grandma Yu?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    Yu Mingxi put her hand on Yu Zhuwa''s head.


    "Don''t worry, even if they brought an elder I will not turn in Yin Hui." Yu Mingxi reassured.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Back at the Scattered Leaf Village, Tang Bian was waiting patiently outside the village chief''s residence. Beside him was Tang Li, as well as 9 middle aged men and 1 woman all wearing blue robes bearing the Tang Clan crest. The villager''s all hid in their homes, taking occasional glances through small holes in their windows.


    "We''re almost a week early, won''t this hurt your chances of reaching an agreement with the village chief?" Tang Li asked.


    "Don''t worry about that. If we don''t succeed in establishing an outpost in this village we can always find another. On the other hand, the key to unlocking the Yin Clan''s Ancestral Tablet is far more valuable." Tang Bian replied. The Tang Clan had been trying to unlock the secrets of the ancestral tablet for years. If the clan could get ahold of the secrets within, it would exponentially increase their overall strength. After all, the inheritance of a former overlord with a history of an immortal ancestor was not something one could take lightly.


    "Ah, it looks like the village head has returned." Tang Bian turned towards the village''s main gate where he saw Yu Mingxi walking up to the residence. He gave a short bow and put on a very amiable smile on his face.


    "Welcome back Lady Yu. While I have returned earlier than expected, I assure you it is for a different matter. I will not go back on my words and you will still have a full month to make your decision."


    Yu Mingxi scoffed


    "What could this matter be for you to bring 6 Spirit Waking cultivators, 4 Spirit Manifestation cultivators, and the second son of the Tang Clan''s Clan Chief? Are they also here to influence my decision on whether my Scattered Leaf Village accepts your offer? If you truly want to give me face, tell your envoy to retract their spiritual senses. I do not like it when others are sniffing around my village like dogs."


    Tang Bian kept up his pleasant demeanor and waved his hands. When he did, all the spiritual senses surveiling the village dissipated.


    The four Spirit Manifestation cultivators growled as they took back their spiritual sense. According to the reports, the village leader of the Scattered Leaf Village was at the peak of the Spirit Manifestation realm. Each of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators Tang Bian brought with him were also at the peak stage. Therefore, they were extremely irritated that they had to obey the request of someone who was only of equal power to one of them. On top of that she also called them dogs, which was an insult they did not take lightly.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    When the spiritual senses were gone, Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui snuck into the village chief''s residence. Both of them were hidden by Yu Mingxi''s concealing technique and invisible to the eyes of the Tang Clan envoy. Yin Hui paused for a moment when he saw Tang Li, but knew that it was not the time to reveal himself to him.


    Inside the residence, Yin Hui collected some supplies that would aid him on the road. He took spare clothes, preservable food, and even a makeshift shelter that he found lying around. Yu Zhuwa also helped, providing Yin Hui with many useful talismans that Yu Mingxi created in case of emergencies. Some of these talismans had effects such as beast-warding or concealment, which would be very useful while on the run.


    "Big Brother Yin Hui, take this too!" Yu Zhuwa handed over the small chest he stole from the bandits when they first met. He opened it and inside were around 200 tiny glimmering white crystals. The crystals emitted rich spiritual energy that was much more condensed then the spiritual energy naturally existing in the air.


    Yin Hui was amazed. Just one of these crystals held enough qi to replenish his entire reservoir of qi many times over.


    "These are qi crystals. While useless to mortals, they have a lot of use for cultivators. Many sects use qi crystals as currency for crafting reasons or to stabilize formations. However, you can also use them in battles to replenish your qi and heal your wounds! This small box doesn''t have enough crystals to buy much, but I''m pretty sure you can use them to recover from tough fights!" Yu Zhuwa placed the box inside Yin Hui''s bag of holding.


    Yin Hui was speechless. He had only known Yu Zhuwa for a little under a month yet he was already giving him such a great gift. Yin Hui did not know how to respond, so he simply looked at Yu Zhuwa with the most grateful expression he could make.


    "Alright, looks like your all ready to go. Let''s go sneak out while Grandma Yu still has them distracted."


    "The reason I have brought these cultivators from my clan is because we are chasing after a missing slave. Actually, that missing slave was a young man I met on my way out from our last meeting. His name was Yin Hui. If Lady Yu would kindly hand over the person in question the Tang Clan will appreciate it greatly." Outside, Tang Bian was still negotiating with Yu Mingxi.


    "You people from the Tang Clan are just bullies!" A mortal youth got out from his house and shouted at the Tang envoy. At that moment, countless villagers opened their windows to take a look at the brave young man who dared to speak against the Tang.


    "Just because your the overlord of the province doesn''t mean you can do whatever you want! I''ve heard of countless villages who have been forced into slavery by the Tang Clan! Your a clan comprised of immortals yet you are shameless enough to use mortals as slave labor! One of your slaves has escaped from your cruel hands and you expect us to throw them back into your tyrannical arms once more?"


    Yu Mingxi let out a thin smile. She was proud of the boy for standing up to such powerful enemies and having the courage to speak his mind.


    "This brat needs to be taught a lesson." One of the Spirit Waking cultivators took a step forward. However, Tang Bian pulled him back.


    "Splendid speech my friend. Unfortunately, the slave we are talking about here is not just an escapee, but also a murderer. He murdered one of our attendants with such brutal and discrete means we cannot even find the body. Furthermore, I never said our clan would not compensate you for assisting us. In fact, if you help us, not only will I guarantee the safety of you all, I will also allow the entire village to relocate to one of the most fertile valleys in the province. To keep things simple, if you turn in this slave all of you will live in luxury for the rest of your lives."


    "Tang Bian! You dare spout lies of that sort in front of me?!" Yu Mingxi was exasperated.


    "Lies? I am the son of an elder and grand advisor to the Clan Head. I believe I am fully capable of fulfilling such a request if necessary." Tang Bian said confidently.


    "Lady Yu, the Tang Clan''s offer does seem reasonable." A middle aged man in one of the village houses voiced his approval at Tang Bian''s offer.


    "I agree, after all its only the life of one slave who is also a murderer. A promise of luxury for such a simple task may never come in one''s life again." A young woman from another house said.


    "You all..." Yu Mingxi''s face began to turn red with anger.


    "Yeah! The Tang Clan hold greater power then the Yan Clan already! Mind as well, join the winning side while we can!" Another shouted.


    The Tang vanguard behind Tang Bian all had wicked smiles all over their faces.


    "Elder Tang Wan''s son is truly a remarkable person." The female Spirit Manifestation cultivator praised.


    "Definitely, unlike Tang Jiao, he is respected by all the members of the Clan and doesn''t bully us of the junior generation using his status." One of the Spirit Waking youths added.


    "If Lord Clan Head is to pick a successor, I hope that he see''s the bigger picture and chooses Tang Bian."


    Yu Mingxi smashed her staff hard onto the ground.


    "Tang Bian! I will never reveal the location of Yin Hui! That boy has a future that will change the fate of this entire province! I will not let you take him!"


    "I agree. That is why I want to take him down now and prevent that future from occurring. In any case, I don''t need you to reveal his location. I already know where he is!" Tang Bian put two fingers on his forehead and let out a small grunt.


    A bright flash emitted from the top of the hill where the village leader''s residence was. When it subsided, the concealment spell hiding Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa was gone, revealing their figures to the Tang envoy.

 Chapter 18: Yu Mingxis Power

    Seeing Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui at the top of the hill, the ten cultivators Tang Bian brought with him flew up and surrounded them.


    "How?! I thought they retracted their spiritual senses!" Yu Zhuwa cried.


    "We did, however there was one that wasn''t retracted." Tang Bian walked through the encirclement and stood face to face with the two captives.


    Tang Bian snapped his fingers and Yin Hui''s bag of holding began to shine. A golden coin popped out of the bag and landed onto Tang Bian''s hand.


    "T-The golden coin you gave me!" Yu Zhuwa was aghast.


    "That''s right, this coin has my spiritual sense tied to it. So whatever was nearby the coin, I could sense it. That was how I knew Yin Hui was still in the village and how I knew you were hiding right here." Tang Bian twirled the coin in his fingers before putting it into the folds of his robes.


    Yu Zhuwa dropped to his knees. He really was clumsy. The coin was probably still in the chest when he gave it to Yin Hui. Now that one mistake has led to the both of them getting caught.


    "You may be a capable thief. But sometimes greed can have it''s consequences." Tang Bian ruffled Yu Zhuwa''s hair like he did before. Only this time, the smile on his face looked much faker then when Yu Zhuwa first met him. He pointed at Yin Hui and signalled to the cultivators around them.


    "Take him."


    Purple light began to emerge from the hands of one of the Spirit Waking cultivators. The light condensed into a set of purple chains laced with spirit energy. Just as he was about to throw them onto Yin Hui, a powerful oppressive might filled the area.


    "Tang Bian! Don''t act as if I''m not here! I will not let you capture Yin Hui!" Yu Mingxi''s voiced echoed throughout the entire village.


    With the exception of Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa, everyone at the top of the hill was trembling from Yu Mingxi''s oppressive might. Even the four peak Spirit Manifestation cultivators were unable to move freely under the suppression.


    "That old hag! Were the reports wrong? This power is clearly greater than that of Spirit Manifestation!" A Spirit Manifestation cultivator cursed.


    Tang Li, who was still at the bottom of the hill, stared at the enraged Yu Mingxi who was casually walking up towards Tang Bian and the others.


    "Lady Yu... I take it that this means you will be declining our offer of protection and luxury for you and the rest of the villagers..." Under Yu Mingxi''s oppressive might, Tang Bian found it difficult to even speak.


    "That''s right! If you come with terms, bring the golden medallion of your Clan Head instead! The silver medallion of an elder is not enough! You and your father are just servants of the Clan Head, unworthy of my attention! They call you young lord, but I laugh because you''re not even a member of the Tang Clan''s main family! Leave my village, future servant boy of the Clan Head!" Yu Mingxi threw the silver medallion back to Tang Bian.


    For the first time ever, Tang Bian''s amiable smile disappeared and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. The 10 cultivators he brought with him were surprised.


    "I''ve never seen young lord Tang Bian get angry before." A Spirit Waking cultivator said.


    "That''s true, even in the face of Lord Clan Head he never drops his charming smile." Another added.


    "Unfortunate. In that case, I take it that the Scattered Leaf Village has declared itself an enemy of the Tang Clan! Everyone attack! Eliminate the village chief and destroy the village!" There was a visible trace of anger in Tang Bian''s voice.


    "Yes young lord!"


    Immediately, all 10 cultivators rushed Yu Mingxi with martial skills and magic spells. One shot a ball of fire, another shot a bolt of lightning, while another just threw out a qi imbued punch.


    "Impudent." Yu Mingxi tapped her staff hard on the ground and a powerful repulsive force blew away all the techniques. The six Spirit Waking cultivators were also blown away by the force, crashing into different parts of the village. Along with Tang Bian, only the four Spirit Manifestation cultivators remained, 1 female and 3 male.


    "Amazing, she easily knocked away those 6 Spirit Waking cultivators with a single move." Yin Hui was stunned. It was as if the Spirit Waking cultivators were mere ants compared to Yu Mingxi. He now understood just how much she was holding back when they first fought.


    "That''s right! No one can defeat Grandma Yu! Whether it''s Spirit Waking or Spirit Manifestation it''s all the same!" Yu Zhuwa looked towards the Spirit Manifestation cultivators with a mocking smile on his face.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The female Spirit Manifestation cultivator clenched her teeth.


    "Summon your ethereal spirits! Use the True Qi Suppression Formation!"


    The three other men in the Spirit Manifestation realm nodded. All four of them quickly surrounded Yu Mingxi and summoned their ethereal spirits. Because the four of them were at the peak of the Spirit Manifestation realm, they could detach their spirits from their bodies. Four spirits emerged, their bodies were humanoid, but lacked traditional human features such as a face. The four spirits pointed towards Yu Mingxi and a grey beam of energy shot out of each of their fingers.


    "The True Qi Suppression Formation robs the user of all their true qi. Without true qi, a Spirit Manifestation cultivator cannot even summon their ethereal spirit. Even if she is stronger than us, without true qi she''s only as strong as a peak Spirit Waking cultivator!" The female cultivator sneered in her heart.


    "Interesting. A group formation that siphons true qi from the target. This is a truly frightening skill to all those in the Spirit Manifestation realm." Yu Mingxi said calmly.


    When the technique ended, one of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators ran up and threw a punch towards the weakened Yu Mingxi. This punch was imbued with true qi and sent Yu Mingxi flying into the village leader''s residence.


    "Hmph, without your true qi your nothing. Your arrogance in not summoning your ethereal spirit right away was your biggest mistake. Forget the four of us, I alone am enough to trample you with minimal effort now." The Spirit Manifestation cultivator said with contempt.


    "Grandma Yu!" Yu Zhuwa cried.


    Tang Bian who was watching the entire time clapped his hands.


    "Well done! The use of the True Qi Suppression Formation was magnificent. I hope that when I reach the peak of the Spirit Manifestation realm you seniors could teach it to me as well."


    The four Spirit Manifestation cultivators bowed towards Tang Bian.


    "You honor us with your words young lord. We will be happy to instruct you at any time at your convenience." The female Spirit Manifestation cultivator said.


    Wuah~


    The Spirit Manifestation cultivator who punched Yu Mingxi collapsed on the ground. A sword stuck out of his chest, piercing right through his heart. The attacker was not Yu Mingxi, but one of the other Spirit Manifestation cultivators!


    "What are you doing?!" The other male Spirit Manifestation cultivator shouted.


    The Tang cultivator holding the sword was silent. His eyes were dim as if he were in a trance. He pulled the sword out of the dead Spirit Manifestation cultivator and lunged towards the other two.


    In the blink of an eye, the female cultivator delivered a palm strike straight into the sword-wielding cultivators stomach. His eyes closed and he fell to the ground unconscious.


    The female cultivator looked back into the village residence. There was only one person who could have done this.


    "You! What did you do?! We robbed you of all your true qi, you shouldn''t be able to cast spells of this magnitude! How did you recover your true qi so quickly?!"


    "Your right, you did steal my supply of true qi. True qi is very valuable to Spirit Manifestation cultivators during combat. This is because it takes them a while to condense the spiritual qi around them into true qi, which makes it impossible to recover if lost during a fight."


    Yu Mingxi''s walked out of the village chief''s residence in perfect condition. It was as if the punch from earlier had not affected her in the slightest. She raised her hand and strands of spiritual qi began to converge into her body. However, as soon as the qi entered her body, it instantly converted into true qi!


    "Yes! Grandma Yu is okay!" Yu Zhuwa''s face beamed with joy.


    "Impossible! Instantly converting spiritual qi into true qi simply by having it enter your body?! No wonder you didn''t release your ethereal spirit! You''re actually a..." Fear could be seen in the female cultivators eyes as sweat began to leak from her forehead.


    Yu Mingxi let out a thin smile.


    "Those in the Virtue Seeking realm have completely fused their ethereal spirit with their very being. At that point you are now the ethereal spirit, and the spirit has a true corporeal body. Therefore, all spiritual qi is instantly turned into true qi simply by entering your body."


    The female cultivator staggered backwards. She never expected that they would be dealing with a Virtue Seeking cultivator. Even if she didn''t have any virtues manifested, just the ability to accumulate true qi at her convenience was enough to dominate them.


    "Virtue Seeking expert..." Her voice trembled.


    Suddenly, the remaining Spirit Manifestation cultivator beside her lunged at her with true qi imbued fists. Snapping out of her daze, the female cultivator blocked the attack and jumped back a couple feet away. The man who just attacked her had the same zombified look on his face as the one she knocked unconscious. At the same time, the Spirit Manifestation cultivator holding the sword regained consciousness and got back up. They both stared at the female cultivator with dimmed eyes like they were walking corpses.


    "This must be the power of virtue! The first step in breaking the limits of qi. Seeking virtues that compliment your dao and forming a domain!"


    The smile on Yu Mingxi''s face widened.


    "Correct. The dao I pursue is the Dao of Wisdom. I have also condensed one virtue into a domain, the virtue of knowledge! Using this domain, I have suppressed the intelligence of your companions, turning them into mindless servants!"


    Yin Hui watched the battle with admiration in his eyes. This was the power of virtue, merely a small step in the grand quest of completing one''s dao.


    "One day, I will also have command over such power." He swore to himself.


    Tang Bian stood on the sidelines with a grim expression on his face.


    "Virtue Seeking cultivator... This was unexpected, especially from a weak village such as this one." Tang Bian sighed.


    "Is it time to retreat?"


    Tang Li slowly walked up towards Tang Bian. He was passively spectating the battle the entire time and was ignored by both parties.


    "One Spirit Manifestation cultivator is dead, two have turned against us, and the last is fighting the other two. I have already tended to the six who were knocked away from the initial assault. Three are incapacitated while the other three are injured. The enemy is a Virtue Seeking cultivator, are you sure you want to continue this fight?" Tang Li asked.


    Tang Bian let out a short laugh.


    "While I did not expect to encounter a Virtue Seeking cultivator today, we have not lost yet. It looks like I might have to get my hands dirty this time."


    Tang Li stared at Tang Bian but said nothing. Tang Bian''s cultivation was much weaker than the four Spirit Manifestation cultivators that came with him. How was he going to defeat Yu Mingxi?

 Chapter 19: Tang Bians Strategy

    Even though the female Spirit Manifestation cultivator was the strongest in the vanguard sent by the Tang Clan, fighting the two cultivators mind controlled cultivators was troublesome. Not only did the two Spirit Manifestation cultivators not feel any pain from her attacks, they attacked with no regard for their own safety.


    "They''re taking damage, but they move as if they are completely fine!" The female cultivator clenched her waist which was sliced deeply by a reckless attack from the sword cultivator. The attack not only cut her, but also carved a deep wound in the other Spirit Manifestation cultivator''s chest. However, the scarred cultivator continued to fight as if he didn''t feel anything.


    "I''ll give you a chance to leave this village now woman! Even if you take down your two companions, you cannot defeat me. Withdraw and you will live to fight another day." Yu Mingxi recalled the two mind slaves attacking the female cultivator. The amount of Tang Clan cultivators who died would influence how much retaliation would ensue when they returned. No matter her strength, Yu Mingxi could not afford to kill Tang Bian or Tang Li. If either of them died, no where in the entire Tang Province would be safe from the Tang Clan''s wrath.


    "Regardless of the despairity in strength, the Tang Clan will never surrender! Especially not to a peasant village like this one!" The female cultivator shouted.


    "Wait!" Tang Bian walked over with a gentle smile on his face. He whispered a few words to the female cultivator and placed a pill in her hands. The woman''s eyes widened when she looked at the pill Tang Bian gave her.


    "But young lord! This pill is..."


    Tang Bian put a hand on her shoulder. On his face was an expression of need, as if the entire world itself was collapsing around him and she was the only one he could trust and rely on.


    "Your the only one I can trust with this enormous burden. I believe in you." He said solemnly.


    A single tear fell down the female cultivator''s face and she swallowed the pill. She screamed as her body ignited with purple flames that covered her entire body. However, even though she was suffering agonizing pain her cultivation began to increase.


    Yu Mingxi was enraged and sent the two mind controlled Spirit Manifestation cultivators after Tang Bian.


    "Tang Bian! What kind of forbidden medicine did you give her!"


    As the two mind slaves were about the attack Tang Bian, the female cultivator quickly moved in front of him. She grabbed the two of them by their necks and lifted them up into the air. The purple fire around her spread onto them, burning them until they were nothing but a pile of ash.


    "Why, the Soul Ignition Pill of course. In exchange for burning your soul, you obtain a large amount of raw power that allows you contend against those an entire cultivation realm above you. While it doesn''t give you the unique characteristics associated with the next realm, the strength of your techniques will be raised up to par."


    "Your despicable, using your charm and status to coerce members of your own clan into doing such acts." Yu Mingxi was exasperated. She knew that the Tang were a clan of foxes, but she didn''t expect them to be so cruel even to their own members.


    "Die you old hag!" The flaming woman rushed towards Yu Mingxi like a pouncing tiger. She didn''t have time to delay because once her soul was completely extinguished she would die. However, if she killed Yu Mingxi quick enough, there was a chance she could survive long enough to undo the effects of the pill.


    "Tch..." Yu Mingxi tapped her staff on the ground once more. The ground beneath the hill began to move and giant hands made of earth reached out to grab the female cultivator.


    "Useless!" The earthen hands could not stop the female cultivator at all. As soon as the hands made contact with her, she instantly burned right through them.


    Yu Mingxi jumped into the air, soaring 50 meters into the sky. The female cultivator followed her, shooting a torrent of flame towards Yu Mingxi. From the perspective of the villagers below, it was as if an enraged phoenix was chasing after Yu Mingxi.


    "Cyclone!" Yu Mingxi pointed at the phoenix in front of her and a large cyclone shot out.


    The cyclone overpowered the flames and sent the female cultivator spiraling downwards. She did not hit the ground, but the distance between them had widened. Yu Mingxi clasped her palms together, pointing her fingers towards the sky. As she did, dark clouds began to cover the sun around the Scattered Leaf Village.


    Rain descended from the clouds summoned over the village. As the drops of water hit the female cultivator, her flaming aura began to sizzle.


    She howled in pain. The flames around her were made through burning her own soul. So what the rain was slowly extinguishing right now was actually her flame of life.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The female cultivator surged forward once more into the sky. She had already endured so much pain, so why not endure a bit more. If Yu Mingxi was defeated, the rain would stop and her suffering would ease a little bit.


    "I admire your tenacity, but you are still no match for me." Yu Mingxi twirled her staff in the air and pointed it forward. A bolt of lightning struck her staff and channeled through it, sending it straight into the female cultivator.


    "Ahh!!" A shrill cry filled the air. Despite the pain, the female cultivator kept going and managed to deliver a hard tackle toward Yu Mingxi.


    Her staff snapped and the flames spread onto her body. Yu Mingxi flew a few feet back and suffocated the flames with her hands before they could spread too far. Even though her opponent was a Spirit Manifestation cultivator with pseudo Virtue Seeking power, the flames still did damage. A few areas of her legs and torso were burnt black, as well as a corner of her face.


    The female cultivator wasn''t doing too well either. That last attack drained most of her energy and she barely had the strength to stay afloat. Her skin was charred from the lightning and she was constantly twitching from the constant pain caused by the Soul Ignition Pill.


    "I''m not done yet... I still have one more attack. This time you won''t be leaving with just a couple of burns..." The female cultivator closed her eyes and the flames around her intensified, red cracks began to form all over her body.


    Yu Mingxi''s eyes widened.


    "No! She''s planning to detonate her soul like a bomb! If she succeeds, the entire village will be destroyed!"


    Tang Bian looked up towards the sky with a sinister smile on his face.


    "That''s right Yu Mingxi. If you want to save this village, your going to have to move her away before she detonates. However, even you won''t be able to escape such a blast unscathed."


    "Tang Bian, this is outrageous. Call her off now. If she detonates her soul, not even we will survive." Tang Li put an arm behind Tang Bian''s shoulder, urging him to issue the order to retreat.


    Woosh~


    Tang Li and Tang Bian dodged to the side as a beam of pressurized wind whizzed past them. The blast from Yin Hui, who shot a medium powered Wind Bullet at the two Tang.


    "I never expected you to be apart of this as well Tang Li. I thought you knew better then to participate in such crimes." Yin Hui had a look of disappointment on his face.


    "Yin Hui! It''s not what you think. My reason for coming is not the same as Tang Bian." Tang Li defended. His whole objective in coming was to make sure no unnecessary harm came to Yin Hui. In fact, if Yin Hui were to escape he would try to help him behind the scenes as much as he could.


    "Then don''t stop me as I leave the village." Yin Hui turned around and began to run towards the exit. Tang Bian''s main goal was to capture Yin Hui, so if Yin Hui left the village he would have to shift his attention on to him.


    "Big Brother Yin Hui! Look out behind you!" Yu Zhuwa shouted.


    Yin Hui turned his head. On his tail were three of the Tang cultivators who were initially knocked away by Yu Mingxi''s first attack.


    "Catch him! If the three of you succeed, I will grant all of you access to the qi reservoir in the capital for a day!" Tang Bian ordered.


    "Yes young lord!" The three shouted in unison.


    Seeing Yin Hui running out of the village, Yu Mingxi took off the village chief''s medallion from her neck and threw it down to Yu Zhuwa.


    "Yu Zhuwa! Take that medallion and follow Yin Hui! I''ve imprinted instructions on it with my spiritual sense! It will lead you to safety! Go!"


    Yu Zhuwa hesitated, but eventually went to chase after Yin Hui. The first order imprinted on the medallion was to tell the villagers to leave the village on his way out.


    "Everyone leave! That Tang cultivator is going to detonate her body and turn this village into a pile of ash!" Yu Zhuwa screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Panic spread across the villagers in the village as they quickly evacuated from their homes.


    "Our village chief has really gone senile over the years. Trading the village for the life of one slave." A bitter villager murmured.


    "Yeah, if she just accepted the young lord''s offer we would be living peacefully with riches right now..."


    Yu Zhuwa clenched his teeth. Even now Yu Mingxi was concerned about the villagers, but the villagers showed no appreciation. He suppressed the urge to talk back by focusing on the mission he was given, leaving the village borders and running into the forest where Yin Hui went.


    In the sky, Yu Mingxi held the self-detonating female cultivator in a bear hug as she soared higher into the air. Her goal was to bring the blast as far from the village as possible by bringing her up as high as she could. At this point, the female cultivators body was completely red and filled with cracks. When they got around 1000 meters, the female cultivator exploded, torching the sky in a sea of flames.


    Yu Zhuwa squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the massive explosion. He told himself that Yu Mingxi was a Virtue Seeking cultivator while her opponent was only at the Spirit Manifestation realm. He convinced himself that the disparity in their power was too much and that she would be fine.


    Because the blast was so high up in the air, the village received minimal damage. A few stray flames lit some areas of the village on fire, but otherwise the village was still intact.


    When the smoke cleared, Yu Mingxi was seen slowly floating back down. She was heavily injured and patches of her skin were burnt clean off. Her robes were shredded and half of her hair was gone.


    Clap Clap~


    "Congratulations Lady Yu. You are truly the unsung hero of this village. It is unfortunate that the villagers do not see you as such."


    Yu Mingxi was silent, right now she didn''t even have the energy to respond.


    "You may be wondering, how can an early Spirit Manifestation cultivator like me hurt you even if your critically injured? Well luckily for me you were gracious enough to give me back the medallion with my father''s spiritual sense on it." Tang Bian said holding the silver medallion.


    Yu Mingxi''s pupils shrunk, she knew what Tang Bian was implying.


    "That''s right. A small manipulation by me and this sliver of divine sense can turn into a single attack backed by my father''s cultivation." Tang Bian crushed the medallion and the sliver of spiritual sense emerged. It turned into a giant sword made of qi that thrust itself into Yu Mingxi''s chest.


    Yu Mingxi coughed out a mouthful of blood. The sword possessed a power far greater than her Virtue Seeking cultivation. She lost the strength to fly and began to descend from the sky like a heavy boulder.


    "Good bye Yu Mingxi. You were much more than I had expected, I wish things could have gone differently."

 Chapter 20: Beast Suppression

    Yin Hui sprinted through the forest as fast as his feet could take him. He heard the enormous explosion in the sky, but had no time to worry about Yu Mingxi at the moment. Behind him, the three Spirit Waking cultivators were hot on his tail, using various techniques in an attempt to capture him.


    "Take this! Crater Palm!"


    One of the Spirit Waking cultivators aimed his palm directly at the ground in front of Yin Hui. A deep crater formed and knocked Yin Hui off balance.


    "Now! Use the qi chains!"


    Another cultivator clapped his hands together and formed a set of glowing purple chains. These chains were special and could suppress it''s victims ability to gather qi. However, before he could throw the chains, he was hit with a beam of pressurized air that knocked him hard into a tree.


    The whole time Yin Hui was running he was also charging the Wind Bullet at the same time. The Wind Bullet he fired was at high power and broke some of the cultivators bones.


    The leading Spirit Waking cultivator continued to fire Crater Palms all over the forest in an attempt to trip Yin Hui up once more. Luckily, Yin Hui had already grown accustomed to the cultivators timing, and dodged each one of the traps. He was trying to bait as many Crater Palms as he could, in order to deplete the head chaser''s qi before he counter-attacked.


    This continued for 5 minutes. Noticing that the cultivator using the Crater Palm seemed to be able to continuously fire without effort, Yin Hui abandoned his initial strategy and began to fly.


    "He''s flying! He must be a 2nd Aspect Spirit Waking cultivator! Everyone fly after him!" The head pursuer stopped using the Crater Palm and started to fly as well.


    As Yin Hui soared through the forest, he used the Living Earth spell to manipulate the trees around them to confuse the three Tang cultivators. Branches carrying thick bushes of leaves moved into their way and blocked their sight.


    "These damn trees! Burn them all!"


    The head cultivator shot a torrent of fire out of his hands. The flames burnt through the blinding leaves and even the entire branch itself.


    Yin Hui saw this and a thin smile appeared in his face.


    They eventually flew to a clearing that was a dead end surrounded with burning trees. The flames made by the flame cultivator had spread fast and caused a huge forest fire. The only route of escape was up, but Yin Hui knew it would be difficult to escape if he moved to such an open environment. Because he was pursued by three cultivators of the same rank as him, he had to use the environment to even the odds. Yin Hui looked up at the clearing and grinned.


    "Nowhere to run now! Get him!" A sinister smile appeared on the head chaser''s face when he saw Yin Hui at the dead end. However, what he did not notice was that Yin Hui''s body was glowing with a thin white aura.


    "Blinding Light!" A bright flash emerged from Yin Hui''s body, stunning the three cultivators. Yin Hui soared upwards through a clearing above and charged the Wind Bullet. This was his plan all along. With such dense flames surrounding the forest, he could use the Wind Bullet to magnify them and engulf all three cultivators in the inferno.


    "It''s over!" Just as Yin Hui was about to release the Wind Bullet, he heard someone calling out to him from below.


    "Big Brother Yin Hui! Where are you?" Yu Zhuwa saw the Blinding Light spell being cast and followed it while searching for Yin Hui. He came across the dead end where he saw the three dazed cultivators who were affected by the spell.


    "Damn it! That kid has got to have the worst timing." Yin Hui let go of the Wind Bullet and dived down to Yu Zhuwa. He picked him up and flew back into the burning forest. By now, the three cultivators had recovered as well and resumed their chase.


    Along the way, they passed by many animals who were fleeing from the fire. At this point, the Tang cultivators resorted to using only their chains. They feared that if they used martial skills or spells, the entire forest would collapse on them.


    "Hmm there are a lot of large beasts in this forest. Yu Mingxi said something about controlling them using the power of my spiritual sense. She called it the Beast Suppression spell." Yin Hui released his spiritual sense and a feeling of dread filled the area. He focused his attention on a pack of wolves running away from the flames.


    Yin Hui covered the pack with his spiritual sense, planting a portion of it into each wolf. The wolves stopped running and their eyes turned red, as if they were possessed. They moved towards Yin Hui and arranged themselves in an escort position, guarding all sides.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "It worked! Now let''s see how much they can slow down my pursuers."


    As the Tang cultivators got closer, Yin Hui commanded the wolves to attack. The pack of wolves pounced on the cultivators with killing intent.


    "You think a few wolves can stop us?!" The head cultivator slapped away one of the wolves with his hand. However, this just made the wolf angry. The wolf that was knocked away quickly jumped back up and bit the hand of the head cultivator.


    "Why you filthy mutt! Die!" This time, the head cultivator threw out a punch laced with spirit energy. His fist penetrated through the wolf''s body, causing blood to splatter all over his blue robe.


    Because of the wolves, the distance between Yin Hui and the three cultivators had increased slightly. Satisfied with the results, Yin Hui took over the minds of every single animal he could find and sent them after his pursuers.


    Throwing the corpse of a tiger into the flames, one of the cultivators noticed something strange.


    "Hey, aren''t these animals slightly stronger then they should be?" One of the cultivators asked.


    "Yeah... There''s a faint aura of qi in them and their bites hurt way more then they should. Also, do you guys feel this aura of dread in the atmosphere?" Another replied patting the blood off his robes.


    "Both of you shut up! It doesn''t matter if they''re slightly stronger, the most important thing is that we have lost speed and distance. If the animals are getting stronger just use stronger spells!" The head cultivator shouted.


    Yin Hui let out a faint smile, using his spiritual sense he heard everything. If appeared as if his possession of the animals had also increased their physical attributes somewhat. He wasn''t sure if this was because of his unique spiritual sense or the natural effects of the Beast Suppression spell. Regardless, such thoughts were currently irrelevant to him. What he really needed was a powerful beast that could severely injure his pursuers, enough for him to finish them off and devour their souls. He had already tried using a trio of bears, but even they could only halt them temporarily.


    "Big Brother Yin Hui how about that?" Yu Zhuwa pointed far into the distance, where a flaming boar the size of a bear was resting.


    "A spirit beast!" Yin Hui''s eyes shined.


    Spirit beasts were magical beasts that were similar to animals, but had unique properties and even had cultivation. They also possessed varying levels of intelligence, with some of them being able surpass human geniuses.


    While common animals could evolve into spirit beasts by chance, they could also appear randomly through nature. The flame boar in front of Yu Zhuwa pointed to was an example of such a phenomena. Perhaps the large forest fire somehow summoned, or even created the flame boar that laid before them.


    "I''m not sure if this spell works on spirit beasts, but I might as well try." Yin Hui extended his spiritual sense towards the flame boar and attempted to possess it. The boar immediately sensed the intrusion and shot qi-imbues fire towards Yin Hui.


    "Damn it! I can''t control it!" Yin Hui retracted his spiritual sense and flew the complete opposite direction he was initially going. The enraged boar got on its feet and went after him. It charged through the flaming forest at full speed, unaffected by the heat of the burning trees.


    Flying at full speed back from where he came, the three Tang cultivators came into sight once more.


    "Ha, has he gone mad?! He''s charging straight at us! Quickly, throw the chains!" The head cultivator commanded.


    The two cultivators beside him threw out the purple chains. Yin Hui weaved around one set of chains and used the Living Earth spell to block the other. He then created a giant hand that punched the three cultivators a few meters away. They were about to resume their chase when the sound of clopping was heard nearby. The head cultivator turned around and saw a bear-sized flaming boar running towards them.


    "It''s a spirit beast! Run!"


    But it was too late. The boar shot a blast of qi imbued fire at the three cultivators, setting them ablaze. Each of them screamed in pain as the flames seared their flesh. A few short moments passed and all three of them dropped to the ground, their corpses reduced to smoking black husks. However, the flame boar''s anger hadn''t subsided. It trampled over the corpses of the three Tang cultivators and continued after Yin Hui.


    "Well at least I don''t have those three chasing after me anymore." Yin Hui kept track of everything using his spiritual sense. He was saddened by the fact that the flame boar completely obliterated the bodies of the three cultivators. Without the physical body intact, Yin Hui could not extract their souls using the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique.


    Now that the three Spirit Waking cultivators were taken care of, Yin Hui planned to just fly into the sky and escape. However, the flame boar caught up fast and shot a wide blast of fire out of its mouth when he was about to make it through the clearing. The boar was intelligent and stopped Yin Hui every time with bursts of flames whenever he attempted to fly into the sky.


    "Don''t worry Big Brother Yin Hui. I packed a few beast warding talisman''s into your bag of holding in case of situations like these." Yu Zhuwa tapped Yin Hui''s bag of holding and took out ten paper talismans with the word ''Beast'' on them.


    "Take this!" Yu Zhuwa threw the talismans at the boar. They soared through the air like daggers towards the boar, but rapidly shriveled up and disintegrated due to the high heat of the forest.


    "Oh no! I forgot that these talisman''s weren''t enchanted with protection spells! Therefore, their durability is like that of normal paper!"


    Yin Hui sighed and shook his head. He now fully understood why the villager''s said Yu Zhuwa was as clumsy as a pig. On the other hand, he wasn''t sure how he was going to get out of this situation. None of his techniques could do anything to the boar and it was smart enough to counter all his escape attempts.


    "Big Brother Yin Hui! Look! There''s someone coming towards us!" Yu Zhuwa pointed ahead.


    There was a human figure closing in on them at a very fast pace. Yin Hui cursed under his breath. Was it an enemy? Yin Hui extended his spiritual sense to figure out the identity of the unknown person, but it was instantly severed by the flame boar behind him.


    "Damn it. In that case I only have one plan left." Yin Hui rushed to an area where there was a lot of open sunlight and prepared the Blinding Light spell. The boar followed and was momentarily stunned by a flash of bright light. Out of pure instinct, the boar ignited the sky above with a vortex of flame, leaving no gaps in between. When the light subsided, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa were gone, leaving a very confused boar in the well-lit clearing.

 Chapter 21: Loss And New Goal

    Tang Li covered his eyes as a flash of white light obstructed his vision. He held a half-melted Tang Clan crest in his hand, which he found on the ground while searching for Yin Hui.


    The light subsided and Tang Li moved towards the source. Up until that point, he was using his spiritual sense to track Yin Hui and the other three cultivators. When he picked up the medallion, he assumed that Yin Hui found a way to kill the cultivators pursuing him. However, he thought it was strange how there were no corpses in sight.


    Growl~


    When Tang Li got to the source of the light, he saw a giant boar covered in flames sniffing the ground.


    "Spirit beast!" Tang Li gasped.


    The boar snapped its head towards Tang Li''s direction and snarled. It charged after him at full speed, ejecting a blast of hot fire from it''s mouth.


    Tang Li slapped his bag of holding and took out a small gourd. He removed the cork and pointed it in front of him. Despite the flames fanning out in a wide radius, when they got closer to the gourd they began to narrow. The gourd absorbed all the flames in a clean manner, without a single ember touching Tang Li.


    The boar paused in shock when it saw this. With it''s intelligence, it knew that shooting more flames would be meaningless. Instead, the flame aura around it surged and it moved to tackle Tang Li.


    Channeling spirit energy into his feet, Tang Li drew his sword. As the boar charged forward, Tang Li ran as well and unleashed the Slicing Wind Strike. A large gash appeared on the side of the boar and it let out a loud squeal. However, Tang Li had no time to admire his handiwork as the wound instantly cauterized by the flame aura surrounding the boar.


    "Instant regeneration... This boar has the strength of a peak Spirit Waking cultivator, but even a Spirit Manifestation cultivator would have trouble getting through this regeneration."


    Tang Li braced himself as the boar came in for another tackle. Just as the beast was about to clash with Tang Li''s blade, a giant spectral sword shot out from the forest and skewered it. As the flames began to seal the wound, the giant sword pulled itself out of the boar''s body and sliced it into countless pieces. Afterwards, the sword turned into a mist of qi that flew towards a young man a few meters away.


    "Tang Bian..."


    Tang Bian casually walked towards Tang Li with his trademark smile. The giant sword which turned into a mist of qi surrounded him in a protective manner.


    "You''re lucky I came in time Tang Li. If I didn''t, who knows how long you would be fighting a stalemate with that spirit beast." Tang Bian laughed.


    "Why are you here? What happened back at the village?"


    "Yu Mingxi is dead. She suffered severe injuries from the soul detonation and I finished her off shortly after."


    "What of the villagers?"


    "The villagers have been dealt with. The rest of the Spirit Waking cultivators who were incapacitated earlier are escorting them back to the capital. With the village now vacated, we can bring in reinforcements from the clan and create an outpost. Once you tell me where Yin Hui is, it is safe to say we have achieved a complete victory." Tang Bian beamed. Everything had worked out the way he wanted. While he did lose four Spirit Manifestation cultivators, the gains far outweighed their deaths.


    Tang Li scoffed. From his perspective, it seemed like Tang Bian never planned for a peaceful resolution in the first place. Judging by how things turned out with Yu Mingxi, the villagers were most likely being returned to the capital as slaves. Considering how the village leader caused the deaths of four Spirit Manifestation cultivators, it was easy to accuse the rest of the village for rebelling as well.


    "Now Tang Li. If you would please tell me where Yin Hui is."


    Tang Li shrugged his shoulders.


    "I don''t know. I was following a flash of light which I assumed to be from him, but when I got here all I saw was that spirit beast. It seems that the spirit beast also killed the three cultivators you sent after him, as I found the family crest partially burned on the way here." Tang Li threw the crest at Tang Bian who caught it with his hand.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Tang Bian quickly scanned the area with his spiritual sense. He smile faded when he found no trace of Yin Hui at all.


    "I guess he really escaped... Fine, when we return to the capital I''ll put out a capture order. Once we have a lead on his whereabouts we will resume the chase. There''s no use in wasting time and energy searching for him aimlessly with so little manpower."


    Tang Li nodded and they flew into the sky, regrouping with the remains of the envoy.


    In a seperate area of the forest unaffected by the fire, the ground rolled as if a giant mole was burrowing underground. The dirt erupted and Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa popped out of the ground.


    "Huff... puff... Good thing we''re cultivators. If we were mortals, we would''ve died without having air for that long." Yu Zhuwa said exhaustively.


    Because Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa had refined lungs, they could hold their breath for much longer then normal people. In fact, once a person broke through to the Spirit Waking realm, they could hold their breath as long as they wanted using their qi. Even though Yu Zhuwa wasn''t a Spirit Waking cultivator, he was very close and had already refined his lungs to the point he could hold his breath for an hour.


    "That was a pretty good idea though Big Brother Yin Hui. Using the Blinding Light spell as a distraction and then escaping with Living Earth. I didn''t even know the spell could be used like that." Yu Zhuwa praised.


    "If it wasn''t for Lady Yu. I wouldn''t even have those two spells. So really we should be thanking her." Yin Hui smiled.


    Yu Zhuwa dropped into a depressive state when Yu Mingxi''s name was brought up. As much as he wanted to, he knew in his heart that it was unlikely he was going to see her for a long time. He took out the village medallion that Yu Mingxi gave him and passed it over to Yin Hui.


    "Grandma Yu''s final orders were to give you this medallion. She said it has a portion of her spiritual sense in it and that it would guide us to safety."


    When Yin Hui received the medallion, a strand of qi emerged and dove into his forehead. Yin Hui eyes dimmed and he entered a trance-like state.


    When he regained his senses, Yin Hui found himself in a black void similar to the one where he met Yin Tou. In front of him was Yu Mingxi, uninjured and completely healthy.


    "Lady Yu!" Yin Hui clasped his fists and lowered his head in respect.


    Yu Mingxi let out a faint smile, but Yin Hui could see that it contained nothing but sadness.


    "Yin Hui, Xiao Yu has probably already told you this, but I am only a strand of spiritual sense. I do not feel a connection to my original body anymore so it is very likely that I have died. Do not bother returning to the village, there is nothing for you there anymore. With my death, the villagers have probably been taken back to the capital and converted into slaves as punishment for my rebellion. By the end of the week, the village would have turned into an outpost occupied by the Tang Clan."


    Yin Hui clenched his palms. He hated how no matter what atrocities the Tang Clan committed, they always came out victorious.


    "A copy of all my geographical knowledge has been encoded in this medallion, which I will now pass over to you." The spiritual sense in the form of Yu Mingxi extended her finger. A strand of qi entered the space between Yin Hui''s eyebrows. Suddenly, Yin Hui knew the layout of the entire Tang Province, from the main capital to the many valley''s in the outer regions. It was as if his mind cleared and knowledge which had been kept hidden was instantly revealed.


    "Aside from the geography of the entire province, I have also given you my knowledge on the other provinces as well. The Tang Province is too dangerous to remain in for you and Xiao Yu. When Tang Bian returns, he will most likely put out a capture order for you. In order to avoid capture, I want the both of you to journey to the neighboring Storm Province. Seek out the Striking Thunder Sect and look for an old friend of mine called Master Tempest. Show him the medallion and he should protect you."


    Yin Hui nodded. He had already planned on moving out of the province to escape the Tang''s wrath. Now that he had the geographical knowledge to do so, he and Yu Zhuwa could set out immediately.


    "Safe travels Yin Hui, I do not know if I will be able to talk to you again after the connection breaks. Also, please do not tell Xiao Yu about my death until he is ready. After all that''s happened, breaking the truth to him now will do more harm then good." With those final words, Yu Mingxi tapped her staff and the whole space disappeared with a flash of white light. Yin Hui was back in the forest, holding Yu Mingxi''s medallion in his hand.


    "What did Grandma Yu say Big Brother Yin Hui? Is she alright?"


    To Yin Hui, it felt like half an hour had passed during his conversation with Yu Mingxi''s spiritual sense. To Yu Zhuwa, only a short moment had passed since the strand of spiritual qi entered Yin Hui''s forehead. Yin Hui shook his head furiously, even though this was his second time dilation experience he still wasn''t used to it.


    "She''s alright, she just needs time to recover on her own. Inside that strand of spiritual sense was her last instructions to us as well as a map. We''re going to travel to the Storm Province and seek out the Striking Thunder Sect. There we will find Master Tempest, one of Lady Yu''s old friends. He will protect us." Yin Hui''s voice trembled slightly, but Yu Zhuwa didn''t notice.


    As they walked through the forest trail, they came across an arrow sign that read "Scattered Leaf Village". Yin Hui used the Living Earth spell to fashion a staff that was an exact replica of the one Yu Mingxi used and rested it against the sign.


    "Why did you do that for Big Brother Yin Hui?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    "When the time is right you will understand." Yin Hui dodged the question and the two of them began their journey to the Storm Province.

 Chapter 22: The Girl In Purple

    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa were extra cautious on their journey to the Storm Province. The outer regions of the Tang Province were littered with small families and sects desperately looking for cultivators to recruit. Most of these factions were allied with either the Tang or the Yan, while some were independent.


    Often, those recruiting for the Tang and those recruiting for the Yan would meet in the same village. These encounters almost always sparked fights between the two sides, which usually left the village destroyed. Sometimes, both parties would leave empty handed due to accidentally killing the entire population by collateral. To avoid all this, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa stuck to the forests and occasionally roads. The only time they ever went to a nearby settlement was to stock up on food and supplies. This was only necessary in the more domesticated parts of the outer regions, where there were few wild animals for them to hunt.


    Yin Hui applied some salve to an infected injury he had on his leg. The wound was purple as it was poisoned by an arrow shot at him during one of their supply runs. Yu Zhuwa took out a few bandages and helped wrap them around Yin Hui''s leg to stop the bleeding.


    "Sorry Big Brother Yin Hui, if I didn''t accidentally drop that box of talismans when I stole from that minor sect cultivator this wouldn''t have happened." While Yin Hui was gathering supplies, Yu Zhuwa saw cultivators of a minor sect recruiting children with potential in cultivation. They showed off their usage of bomb talismans and concealing talismans to woo the children into joining.


    Seeing an opportunity, Yu Zhuwa pretended to be another mortal and joined the crowd. Because he hadn''t broken through to the Spirit Waking stage yet, his cultivation could only be determined by his physical strength. He simply adjusted his strength to be that of a mortal and instantly passed their tests. However, on the night before they were about to leave, Yu Zhuwa snuck into the head recruiters tent and stole the entire supply of talismans.


    Unfortunately, his clumsiness got the better of him and he accidentally dropped it on the way out. This alerted the entire group and Yin Hui had to go save him. The group was comprised of ten three aspect Spirit Waking cultivators, so Yin Hui could not fight them all by himself. Using the Living Earth spell and Beast Suppression, Yin Hui just barely managed to escape with both their lives.


    "It''s only been two weeks since we left the Scattered Leaf Village. To get to the border will require at least two months of travel time. We can''t get careless until we finally make it out, so don''t steal everything you find valuable okay?" Yin Hui advised.


    Yu Zhuwa nodded. At this point Yin Hui was the only person he could rely on. If he died because of his carelessness, he wouldn''t know what he would do.


    "Since we have some downtime until my leg heals, we should change our names to hide our identities. Your name is especially uncommon, so if we cause trouble somewhere and they find out your name you''ll be identified quickly."


    "Okay. I still don''t have my own name really so I guess you could just call me Xiao Yu like Grandma Yu did."


    "Alright, then from now on call me Li Feng." Yin Hui declared.


    "Li Feng? I mean it works, but how did you come up with a name so fast?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    Yin Hui shrugged his shoulders. He chose the character ''Feng'' because it stood for wind, which symbolized freedom. As for the surname Li, It just felt right to him, not to mention it was pretty common as well.


    "Whatever, sounds good to me. Nice to meet you Big Brother Yin-- I mean Big Brother Li." Yu Zhuwa corrected.


    Yin Hui rubbed his temples. It didn''t even matter if they had the most common names in the world. The names were only as good as Yu Zhuwa''s capacity to remember to use them.


    "Sigh, just try to remember as well as you can while I go find a place to set up camp." Yin Hui stumbled to his feet and went off to find a suitable area to rest before it got dark.


    Luckily for Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa, the road to the Storm Province involved passing through thick forests and steep mountains. Because of that, it was rare for them to see any travelers on their journey. However, those they did meet they had to be extra careful with. This was because those passing by were often cultivators belonging to a sect allied with either the Tang or Yan. While the Yan were not after them specifically, they would most certainly complicate matters if Yin Hui were to tell them that they were planning to leave the province. Cultivators traveling to other provinces without the authority of a major power was a very shaky situation, given the current circumstances. If one of the major powers found out, they could be executed for desertion or accused of being a spy for one of the rival provinces. Right now, the elites of the Tang Province needed as many cultivators in the land as possible to support their plays for power. They could not afford to let any escape, no matter the allegiance.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Yin Hui walked for about half an hour until he came across a flat clearing that was perfect for setting up camp. He took out a few protective talismans and applied them on the tree''s around the area. After finishing up the rest of the camp, Yin Hui took a step back to admire his handiwork.


    "Sigh... I envy the day my cultivation will be high enough that I won''t have to eat or sleep anymore."


    "Ahh!"


    Yin Hui heard a faint scream a decent distance east of his camp. He immediately ran towards the scream at full speed, wondering if it was from Yu Zhuwa running into some cultivators.


    As he got closer, Yin Hui heard the scream once more. While the scream was shirill, it did not sound like Yu Zhuwa. Instead, the pitch was a bit higher like that of a girl. Yin Hui swiftly dodged to the side as the body of an old man flew past him at blinding speed. He quickly hid behind a tree and peaked over to see two slightly injured men looming over an exhausted young girl lying on the ground. The girl was extremely pretty, having long tied up black hair and soft white skin covered by a purple robe. Her face was youthful and her eyes contained a mischievous cuteness to them.


    "You bitch! You''ll pay for injuring elder Luo Mo!" One of the injured men angrily said.


    "Damn it. Another battle between cultivators. They''re so close to my camp too." Yin Hui cursed in his heart. Whatever those two planned to do with that girl was not his concern. With his current situation, he had no time to play hero and risk his identity to save one helpless girl. In fact, who was he to judge if she was helpless or not? According to them, she had just killed one of their elders. Yin Hui backed up and was about to return to his camp when he heard a high pitched voice say the worse thing he could possibly hear under those circumstances.


    "My backup is hiding behind that tree! I''m just giving you a heads up because even if you know he will still clobber you!" The girl shouted at the top of her lungs.


    "Fuck. These guys are right. This girl really is a bitch." Words could not describe the amount of anger and spite Yin Hui was currently feeling towards the girl.


    The two cultivators turned around with a mix of surprise and anger on their face.


    "Backup?! In that case, he will die as well!" One of the cultivators slapped his bag of holding and took out a massive broadsword. He swung at the tree Yin Hui was hiding behind and cut it completely in half.


    Yin Hui used his spiritual sense to analyze the two cultivators he was up against. Disregarding the power of the broadsword, his opponents were only Spirit Waking cultivators.


    The two cultivators felt a chill go down their spine as Yin Hui''s spiritual sense enveloped them. It felt as if an evil demon was breathing down their necks with a knife held to their throats. Combined with Yin Hui''s dark aura and fierce eyes, the two cultivators trembled slightly. Eventually, the cultivator holding the broadsword couldn''t take it anymore and lunged at Yin Hui.


    As the cultivator came within a meter of Yin Hui, a bright flash blinded his eyes. While the cultivators were hesitating due to their fear, Yin Hui was charging the Wind Bullet and Blinding Light. With the small opening he created with Blinding Light, Yin Hui got up close and sent a max power Wind Bullet right into the man''s jaw. Cracking sounds could be heard as the cultivator''s neck dislocated from his head, killing him instantly. The remaining cultivator panicked and started to run away, but before he could get far Yin Hui trapped him by wrapping roots around his legs with Living Earth. He then picked up the broadsword and finished the last cultivator with a precise stab through the forehead.


    "Hmph. I hope your grateful girl. If I was merely a passing mortal, you would''ve killed me just now by sending those two on me."


    Yin Hui turned back to where the girl laid, but she disappeared. He was stunned for a moment and used his spiritual sense to sweep the area for her. However, even with his spiritual sense she was nowhere to be found. Believing that she was genuinely gone, Yin Hui took the bags of holding from the cultivators he just killed and activated the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique. His qi reserves expanded greatly with the addition of two more Spirit Waking cultivators, and he now had three separate souls housing qi for him.


    Just before he decided to return to camp, Yin Hui searched for the body of the elder the two cultivators were referring to earlier. He came across a large pile of blood on a tree a couple meters away, but there was no body. At that point, Yin Hui decided that it was too dangerous to stay in the area any longer. There was a chance that the elder of the two cultivators saw everything and was going to return with reinforcements.


    On his way back to the camp, he bumped into Yu Zhuwa who was collecting water at a nearby stream.


    "Oh Big Brother Li your back! Did you get lots of spoils from those cultivators you defeated?"


    Yin Hui was dumbfounded. He was sure Yu Zhuwa was not in the area when he fought the two cultivators.


    "How did you know I fought a couple cultivators?" Yin Hui asked.


    "Big Sister Su told me. She helped me fend off a couple bears I stumbled across. She''s really nice and said she owed you something so I offered to let her stay with us for the night."


    "What?! You revealed our identities and offered to let her stay?! Do you know how risky that is? I don''t even know an Elder Sister Su! Show me this girl at once!" Yin Hui was exasperated.


    "Don''t worry, I remembered to use our fake names. Why are you so angry?"


    By the time Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui got back to the camp, the sun had already set. At the camp, Yu Zhuwa pointed to a beautiful girl wearing a purple dress sitting near a small fire next to their tent.


    "There she is. A pretty one don''t you think?"


    Yin Hui almost coughed out blood in anger when he saw the girl. It was the same girl who schemed against him earlier in the day!

 Chapter 23: The Infuriating Su Jia

    "You!" Yin Hui shouted with visible anger in his voice.


    "Why do you sound so aggressive when you''re talking to me? I just came to thank my handsome savior for his help earlier." The girl said coyly.


    "You almost got me killed! If I wasn''t a cultivator, flies would be picking at my rotting corpse right now!" Yin Hui gnashed his teeth. He already had a grudge against this girl. Now that Yu Zhuwa invited her to stay for the night, he was even more displeased.


    Yu Zhuwa nudged him on the shoulder.


    "Psst, Big Brother Li. You seemed to have scored big time on this one. This elder sister is a real beauty and she seems to be around your age too, have you even asked for her name yet? Also, I think your face is turning a little red."


    Yin Hui slapped Yu Zhuwa on the back of the head, causing him to fall flat on his face. He was not reddening because of embarrassment, but rather because he was trying to contain his immense fury.


    "Anyways, I guess I was a little rude just now. My name is Su Jia. I came to pay you back for the trouble I caused you. Here." The girl threw a bag of holding towards Yin Hui''s direction. Inside the bag was a small fortune of qi crystals, medicines, and a short sword with a red string attached to it.


    "While you dealt with those two disciples, I finished off an elder I knocked away before you arrived. Because you helped me, I''ll give you the elders bag as compensation."


    Yin Hui accepted the bag emptied the contents into his own bag of holding. Combined with the loot he seized from the other two cultivators, he now had a decent amount of medicinal supplies should he ever be injured in a fight.


    "Hmph, I''ve given you a nice reward and dealt with a cultivator that could have called for reinforcements and I don''t even get a thanks? You truly are a shameless man." Su Jia pouted.


    Her comment struck a nerve in Yin Hui. He never dealt with a girl such as this before in his life. Back at the Tang Clan, most of the servant girls were soft spoken and constantly had an expression of worry on their faces. On the other hand, the female cultivators of the clan acted proud and arrogant, much like the men. Until now, Yin Hui had never met a girl with such an infuriating, bratty personality like the one before him.


    "First of all, I know you did not finish off that elder just to save me. You probably had to kill the elder anyways because if he called for help you would be in danger as well."


    "Second, I am certain some of the contents in this bag of holding have been plundered by you before you gave it to me. An elder of a minor sect or clan would definitely have much more on them than this. So this ''gift'' you have generously repaid me with is full of nothing more then leftovers."


    "Finally, I still haven''t forgiven you for using me as a distraction to escape from those two cultivators!"


    The girl played with her nails as Yin Hui ranted, it was obvious that she was intentionally making it look like she wasn''t paying attention.


    "Are you done? I still didn''t get my thanks. Even if I took some things I liked, isn''t receiving a gift from a pretty girl like me reward enough?" She said playfully.


    "You''re not getting one! Besides, I don''t even approve of you staying the first place! Get out!" Yin Hui snarled.


    Yu Zhuwa tugged Yin Hui''s arm lightly.


    "Big Brother Li, you got to have more class when speaking to a member of the opposite sex. Grandma Yu taught me to never leave a girl alone, especially in a dangerous forest like this one. Let''s just let her stay for one night." Yu Zhuwa whispered. He then turned towards Su Jia with a huge smile on his face.


    "Sorry about that Elder Sister Su. Big Brother Li Feng didn''t mean what he said. We''ve gone through some tough times recently so he''s a little frustrated right now. Your welcome to stay the night."


    Su Jia grinned.


    "It''s okay Xiao Yu. I''ll only stay a single night if it bothers you that much. For now, I guess I''ll trouble you to host for me tonight." Su Jia gave a warm smile towards Yu Zhuwa. Afterwards, she turned to Yin Hui and her expression went from warm and kind to outright mischievous.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "You hear that Li Feng? Xiao Yu says I''m an esteemed guest tonight! Fetch me the best cut of whatever you are eating! Also, pour me some water too! I''m thirsty!"


    Yin Hui''s veins bulged from anger. His rage had reached it''s peak and he was very close to giving in to violent tendencies.


    "What Xiao Yu says doesn''t matter! Unless you have my approval you are not staying anywhere! And just so you know, the answer is no!" Yin Hui said angrily. He took out a jug of water from his bag of holding and took a big gulp. His mouth was dry from yelling so much and he needed to cool down.


    Su Jia made a pouty, but endearing expression, puffing her cheeks and widening her eyes. She had done this many times in the past. While it worked on females as well, it never failed with men. As soon as she made this expression, they would immediately cave in to her demands to the best of their ability.


    "Is that your solution to all your problems? The answer is still no." Yin Hui said sternly. Given his upbringing, Yin Hui had seen countless people get through life relying on charm. Slaves used it to avoid punishment or receive better treatment, while weaker members of the Tang Clan used it to make friends with those in power and boost their own reputations. Seeing it so much led him to develop an immunity to such methods. In fact, Yin Hui had seen the ins and outs of so many charm tactics throughout his life that he could immediately recognize any attempt, and remain unfazed without the slightest change in expression..


    Su Jia frowned. She felt a bit insulted that her charm did not work on Yin Hui. While his handsome looks afforded him a bit of arrogance, the fact that he didn''t give her so much as a glance triggered her a bit. Su Jia knew that many people considered her a beauty, but seeing Yin Hui''s reaction made her question herself for a moment.


    "Tch. You truly have a heart of stone Li Feng. Or maybe you just have no interest in women. Are you one of those homosexuals?" Su Jia said coldly.


    Yu Zhuwa covered his mouth, trying to contain his laughter. Was that really the reason? Was the reason Yin Hui not batting an eye to a beauty such as Su Jia because he was actually a homosexual?


    That was the last straw. Yin Hui picked up Yu Zhuwa and threw him 20 meters into a tree in the distance. Because he was nearly a peak Impurity Cleansing cultivator, the impact did not cause any serious damage to him. However, his body was technically still mortal so it caused a bit of pain.


    "You. Leave now..." Yin Hui said to Su Jia gritting his teeth.


    Su Jia chuckled.


    "Okay, but if I do I''ll tell everyone that your a demonic cultivator."


    Yin Hui''s expression turned serious, his anger replaced with a cold and calculating demeanor. Without hesitation he took out the broadsword from the cultivator he killed and aimed it at Su Jia''s throat.


    "How much did you see?" Yin Hui asked coldly.


    "A dark aura. Black tendrils dragging those two cultivator''s souls out of their bodies. Your qi capacity increasing as you devoured their souls. I saw it all." Su Jia''s expression remained calm and playful. Even with a sword pointed to her throat, she talked as if she was in no danger at all.


    "You don''t have backup do you? That''s the reason your staying with us. You also have a strong cultivation base, but you were weakened when you fought that elder. Weakened to the point you could not fight two mid-stage Spirit Waking cultivators. Fights like that only happen in the outer regions because of the war between the Tang and the Yan. Now, which are you? Depending on your answer I may let you live." Yin Hui threatened.


    "You''re a sharp one aren''t you Li Feng. But--"


    In the blink of an eye, Yin Hui''s sword was flung to the side. He moved his hands to his throat as Su Jia lifted him in the air by his neck. Yu Zhuwa came running after her, but she merely pointed a finger at him and he was instantly paralyzed.


    "I may be weakened, but I''m still strong enough to crush you like an ant. The reason I had you fight those two was because I was trying to get rid of all the witnesses. Initially, I thought your cultivation was only at the first aspect of Spirit Waking by sensing your qi capacity. I assumed that those two would kill you and I would return afterwards to finish them off."


    "However, you surprised me and killed both of them. Your spiritual sense and cultivation is strange, which I believe is a result of your demonic style of cultivation. Demonic cultivators are looked down upon in most provinces. I can easily turn you in right now and you will undoubtedly be executed." Su Jia said with contempt.


    Yin Hui struggled to break free of Su Jia''s grip, but her hand wouldn''t budge. Her hand was like a boulder, unwavering no matter how much strength he put into pushing her away.


    "You''re far to weak to be questioning me on my allegiances, I could kill you right here, but I find your cultivation to be quite interesting. Even though your a demonic cultivator, your personality isn''t bad either which I also like." Su Jia threw Yin Hui to the ground and undid the paralysis on Yu Zhuwa. Yin Hui coughed violently as he tried to regain his breath.


    "Spill it. Tell me what your future plans are and about your cultivation style. Most demonic cultivators go down the dark path because they can''t advance further cultivating normally. However, you seem to have done it from the very start. I will plant my spiritual sense into your bodies so I can tell if you''re lying. If you are I will kill you. Don''t bother trying to remove it either. Unless your cultivation is higher than mine, you''ll only harm yourself trying to get rid of it."


    Yu Zhuwa mouthed the words ''I''m Sorry'' to Yin Hui, but Yin Hui did not blame him. Even if Yu Zhuwa didn''t invite Su Jia to stay, she would''ve gotten to them anyways based on what she had said. Seeing no other choice, Yin Hui sighed and began to tell Su Jia the whole story.

 Chapter 24: Dao Oath

    Su Jia listened attentively as Yin Hui recounted the events at the Scattered Leaf Village. However, he did not mention the capture order or his status as a runaway slave from the Tang Clan. Because he technically wasn''t lying by not revealing these details, Su Jia''s spiritual sense did not detect anything.


    "I see. Given the Tang Clan''s nature, there''s no doubt that a capture order would''ve been placed on you two shortly after you escaped. No wonder you''re hiding out in forests rather than the nearby settlements." Su Jia''s playful demeanor vanished. Her cuteness, which was originally the foundation of her charm, was now replaced with a gentle elegance.


    Yin Hui kept a calm demeanor after telling the story of their previous exploits. The only thing he could do now was pray that Su Jia was not affiliated with the Tang Clan. Given their brief fight moments earlier, if she wanted to turn them in, he would not be able to resist.


    "So what''s your plan now that you''re on the run? Where are you going and what are you relying on over there to protect you?" She asked.


    "We''re planning to journey to the neighbouring Storm Province. Once there we plan to join the Striking Thunder Sect and stay under their protection." It pained Yin Hui how detailed Su Jia''s question was. Confessing to her that he was planning to join the sect of a neighbouring province was basically signing a death warrant. It didn''t matter if she was with the Tang or the Yan, neither of them would allow a cultivator from the province to turn traitor.


    "The Striking Thunder Sect? That sect is the ruler of the entire Storm Province! How do you have to qualifications to join them? Never mind that, a demonic cultivator like you would be spotted instantly!" Su Jia was shocked. These two weaklings were planning to join the strongest sect of the Storm Province.


    "The Striking Thunder Sect is the ruler of the Storm Province? What made Lady Yu think we would be able to get into a prestigious sect like that? Just what position does this Master Tempest have?" Yin Hui pondered. Yu Mingxi did not tell him any details concerning the Striking Thunder Sect. Now that he knew they were the Storm Province''s overlord, he was doubting whether they would be able to get in.


    "Yes we''re planning on joining the Striking Thunder Sect. Now that I''ve told you everything what is your decision?"


    Su Jia sat on a nearby log contemplating everything she had just heard. After a long pause, she came to a decision and stood up.


    "Li Feng, Xiao Yu, luckily for you two I''m not affiliated with the Tang Clan. You two seem to be good people and I have a feeling you will play a key role in this province someday. Li Feng, since you''re not satisfied with my gift, I''ll add a bit more to it and also help you get to the Storm Province!" Su Jia declared.


    Yu Zhuwa''s eyes widened. He could hardly believe it. Was Su Jia really going to help them escape the Tang Province?


    On the other hand, Yin Hui''s reaction was less obvious. To him, there was no such thing as a free handout in this world. Therefore, there must be some sort of catch in Su Jia''s offer.


    "I thank you for not turning us in, but why are you helping us. There must be something you need right? Something that you need our help with that is also on the way to the province''s borders." Yin Hui was extremely blunt with his response. He did not trust Su Jia, so while he thanked her for the offer he still questioned her intent.


    "Leaving the country will not be easy. The Tang have left some of their most loyal subordinates guarding the border. My goal is to flatten one of their subsidiary outposts and create some panic for the Tang in the outer regions. If you help me do this and we succeed, a gap will be opened for you to escape into the Storm Province."


    "Alright, we will help you. However, we are leaving right after the outpost is under your control okay?"


    "Not an issue. We''ll make a dao oath to seal the deal and prove our sincerity." Su Jia nodded and extended her hand towards Yin Hui.


    "Dao oath?"


    Su Jia rolled her eyes.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Sigh. I forgot that you were a new cultivator with no knowledge or experience. A dao oath is a promise using your soul as the foundation. If you break it you will leave a hole in your soul which will hinder your future cultivation. It can also leave an irreparable mark on your soul which will never heal if broken."


    "Very well, I accept this dao oath. My side is complete when the outpost is clearly under your control. Your side is complete once the both of us take one step into the Storm Province."


    "Deal."


    Yin Hui linked his hand with Su Jia and formed a dao oath. Wisps of qi swirled around their hands as a piece of their souls emerged and linked together. Afterwards, the qi dissipated and their hands disconnected.


    When they broke the connection, Yin Hui felt like a seed had been planted within his soul. Within that seed was the terms of his oath to Su Jia. Even now, he felt a subtle desire gnawing at him to go and destroy the outpost Su Jia mentioned.


    "Now that the oath has been made we can rest easy knowing we can trust each other. I''ll tell you the details of the invasion tommorow. There''s a couple things we need to do before we attack. Now that all the serious stuff is dealt with, let''s eat! I believe I have fully established myself as a guest now!" Su Jia returned to her mischievous and playful demeanor. It was as if her earlier attitude was merely a mask donned for the moment.


    Yin Hui sighed, but did not get angry. He cooked a few wild animals he caught earlier in the day and distributed it among the three of them. As they were eating, Su Jia began to make weird faces in between bites.


    "Hey Su Jia what''s wrong?" Yu Zhuwa asked. He no longer called Su Jia elder sister because he knew that their friendship was not as deep as he initially thought. He understood at that point that they were just associates with common goals and that he probably wouldn''t see her again if they manage to leave the province.


    "Mmm... Your food isn''t bad Li Feng, but is this really all you have? Don''t you have anything better." Su Jia complained.


    Yin Hui rolled his eyes.


    "This is all we have. If you don''t like it then don''t eat it, no one is forcing you to you know?"


    "So cold, so cold Li Feng. Is this really how you treat an esteemed guest such as myself?" Su Jia whined.


    "Don''t worry Su Jia. If your unsatisfied with Brother Li Feng''s cooking we have some fruits too." Yu Zhuwa tossed Su Jia a ripe red apple with a beaming smile on his face.


    Su Jia gave Yu Zhuwa a cute wink while sticking her tongue out at Yin Hui. Yin Hui merely scoffed and ignored her.


    "Anyways, Xiao Yu I''m afraid your cultivation is too low for you to be useful in the attack on the outpost. If you want to stand a chance you''re going to need to at least be in the Spirit Waking realm. Since you''ve been so nice to me, I''ll help you out!" Su Jia reached for her bag of holding behind her waist and took out a purple pill.


    "This is called the Body Tempering Pill. It''s very useful for Impurity Cleansing cultivator''s and can really speed up the progression of their purification. Here take it."


    Before Yu Zhuwa could receive the Body Tempering Pill, Yin Hui swiped it first.


    "Li Feng! What are you doing? That pill is useless to you, give it to Xiao Yu!"


    Yin Hui examined the pill with his spiritual sense. Only after he found no detectable traces of poison within the pill did he pass it to Yu Zhuwa.


    "Li Feng! We made a dao oath and you still do not trust me?!" Su Jia said angrily.


    Yin Hui gave a cold stare to Su Jia, the dao oath only involved raiding the outpost so a poisoned pill would not be breaking the rules. However, with his skill in recognizing emotions, he could tell that Su Jia was genuinely angry about what he did.


    "I''m sorry, I was just being cautious. Xiao Yu, you can take the pill." Yin Hui tossed the pill to Yu Zhuwa, who ingested it immediately and began cultivating. Yin Hui then turned to Su Jia with the intent of apologizing, but she jerked her head to the side and walked into their camp tent.


    "If you want to apologize then do it by sleeping outside for the night!" She called out from inside the tent.


    "What a pain..." Yin Hui muttered.


    zzt~


    After a short moment, Yu Zhuwa''s entire body trembled. Black liquid began to leave his body and he was covered in a warm golden glow. When the light subsided, Yu Zhuwa looked much healthier then he did before. His complexion was full of color, his body looked sturdier, and his overall presence was much more defined.


    "Whoa, that Body Tempering Pill was amazing. The speed I could purify my body was multiplied by 10 under its effects. Yes! Big Brother Li Feng, I''m now at the peak of the Impurity Cleansing stage!"


    Yin Hui was amazed. Although Yu Zhuwa''s body was already 90% purified, in such a short amount of time he already managed to purify the rest. With his spiritual sense he could determine that Yu Zhuwa''s body was 99% pure. While Yin Hui himself had a 100% pure body, it was not worth the effort for Yu Zhuwa to push that far. He remembered how his ancestor Yin Tou said that a person could dedicate their whole life to purifying their body, but still not reach 100% purity.


    "Elder sister Su Jia thank you! Now that my body is 99% cleansed, I could breakthrough to Spirit Waking at any time!" Yu Zhuwa was ecstatic. He was so grateful to Su Jia he started calling her elder sister again.


    "Big brother Li Feng, maybe sister Su Jia isn''t that bad after all!"


    Su Jia peeked her head out from behind the camp tent when she heard this. She had a very smug look on her face that was directed straight at Yin Hui.


    Seeing her expression, Yin Hui let out a deep sigh. As much as he wanted to deny it, the pill Su Jia gave helped Yu Zhuwa greatly.


    "I guess she''s a bit bearable."

 Chapter 25: Coiling Pass

    At first light, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa woke up and began their usual morning routine. Yin Hui would go hunt wild animals that hadn''t waken up yet, while Yu Zhuwa would pack up the camp. This involved removing all the protective talismans placed around the campsite, as well as erasing all traces that they rested there for the night.


    When the sun reached it''s full height, Yin Hui returned. He had killed a few deer for the day''s meals and stored them in his bag of holding. By the time he came back, Yu Zhuwa had cleaned up most of the camp with the exception of the tent Su Jia occupied.


    "She wants to plan an invasion, yet she''s still sleeping when the sun is at full shine..." Yin Hui shook his head. At this point, he assumed that Su Jia was either the daughter of a high status figure in a powerful clan, or the embodiment of the phrase wasted talent. There was no way a lazy, annoying girl like her with such a poor work-ethic could become so strong at such a young age without either of those two being the case.


    Yin Hui walked up to the front of the tent, but didn''t open it.


    "Su Jia! Are you up yet?!"


    "Elder sister Su Jia wake up! It''s already halfway through the morning!" Yu Zhuwa called out as well.


    "Ugh...wha?" A groggy voice answered.


    After about 20 minutes, Su Jia finally stepped out of the tent. She yawned as she stretched her hands high in the air. Her natural beauty was accentuated by the glow of the morning sun, making her look like a celestial fairy.


    "You guys are up early. If you''re that worried about other cultivators roaming around here don''t. With me here, no one will be able to touch you guys." She said confidently.


    "If someone did attack, I bet we would already be long dead by the time you came to help..." Yin Hui was sure not to say this out loud in front of Su Jia. Knowing her temperament, she would find some way to get back at him by the time they launched their attack on the outpost. Perhaps she cultivated the Dao of Vengeance too.


    "Anyway''s lets head out towards the outpost. If we''re fast, it''ll be within sight in about a week." Su Jia said while leading the way.


    The journey to the border was a calm one. They encountered no cultivators and there was always plenty of food and water to be found around the areas they traveled. Because they had Su Jia, obtaining supplies from nearby settlements was now also a viable option.


    Along the way, the three of them passed through forests, valleys, and rivers. Yin Hui was constantly contrasting Su Jia''s route with the map given to him by Yu Mingxi. While the path they were taking wasn''t necessarily the most secretive, it was indeed the quickest. Considering they weren''t running into any trouble, Yin Hui did not argue for pursuing a safer route. By the end of the second day, Yin Hui stopped comparing and began to blindly follow Su Jia''s sense of direction.


    On the third day, Yu Zhuwa broke into the Spirit Waking realm. To celebrate, Yin Hui passed down the instructions for the Wind Bullet and personally tutored him in its use. He was also going to teach him the spells he learned from Yu Mingxi as well. Since he was essentially Yu Mingxi''s foster child, those spells had more significance to him than anyone else.


    "Ha! You think those low-quality spells are a suitable gift for Xiao Yu?" Su Jia mocked.


    As a gift, and also to show up Yin Hui, Su Jia offered to teach Yu Zhuwa a spell as well. Given his thief-like nature, Yu Zhuwa asked Su Jia if she had any concealment spells. Su Jia did and decided to teach him the ''Lurking Shadow'' spell. The Lurking Shadow spell was a very useful, but difficult spell to learn. It allowed the user to hide within shadows and hop between them at blinding speeds. While it was near useless in wide open fields during the day, its capabilities at night and indoors were limitless.


    With both Yin Hui and Su Jia''s guidance, Yu Zhuwa began to show signs of improvement quickly. In two days he mastered the fundamentals of the Wind Bullet, and could fire one strong enough to kill a first aspect Spirit Waking cultivator with their guard down in a single strike. Although it took him a full two minutes to charge it even with a decent amount of air, his speed exceeded Yin Hui''s expectations. Given Yu Zhuwa''s age, Yin Hui felt a bit jealous that Yu Zhuwa was progressing almost as fast as he did.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    On the other hand, the progress of the Lurking Shadow spell was much slower. The spell had a very steep learning curve and Yu Zhuwa was only able use it with a 30% success rate. Furthermore, he could only blend into a single shadow and could not hop between them like the technique intended. Yin Hui also tried learning the Lurking Shadow spell from Su Jia. However, Su Jia was stubborn and rejected him every time. Despite the low success rate and minimal results, Yu Zhuwa was not discouraged. As they continued towards the border, he practiced jumping into shadow''s everyday.


    At sunset on the fifth day, the three of them arrived before a very large mountain range. The base of the main mountain had a single entrance that was completely dark inside.


    "This is Coiling Pass. It is this provinces greatest strength and greatest weakness in the event of an invasion from another province. That is because it contains a tunnel system so complex that it can easily confuse and lead astray even the most attentive of cultivators." Su Jia explained.


    Yu Zhuwa frowned and looked up at the clear sunset sky.


    "Then why don''t we just fly over it?"


    Su Jia shook her head.


    "The entire mountain range is protected by a powerful barrier controlled by the capital. Anyone that the capital has not approved will be unable to fly over the pass. Even an Immortal Treading cultivator would be forced to walk. That is how strong the barrier is."


    "You mentioned how this pass is also a major weakness. Why?" Yin Hui questioned.


    "Like I said, Coiling Pass contains an enormous network of tunnels. While it is very easy for one to get lost, that doesn''t mean its inescapable. Actually, its more accurate to say that there are exits of everywhere. Depending on the pattern of tunnels you take, one exit could take you to another area of the outer region, while another could put you close to the capital. The reason the pass is such a huge weakness is that if an invading army manages to get inside, it would be impossible to track them. While the tunnels will most certainly fragment their forces, there is still potential for a sizable threat to make it into the heart of the province without any resistance. Worse, multiple waves of enemies could attack different parts of the province at once and there would be no way to predict it."


    "Interesting, then how are we going to get through?" Yin Hui checked the map within his mind. To get to the Storm Province, which lay to the east of the Tang Province, Coiling Pass was a must. Coiling Pass stretched throughout the entire eastern border, so it needed to be passed before the Storm Province would be within sight. Unfortunately, the map he was given did not have any tips on how to navigate through the passage.


    "We''ll use this." Su Jia took out a golden compass with red runes inscribed on the surface.


    "While we won''t be able to know necessarily which network of tunnels will be the fastest. We will at least know whether we are going to right direction or not."


    Yin Hui gave a small nod. While he was wary about navigating through the cave with such an uncertain method, there really wasn''t much choice. Even if Su Jia did not go with them, he and Yu Zhuwa would''ve had to venture into the pass anyways. At least with the compass, their chances of making it through the pass had increased by at least 50%.


    "So are we going to rest for tonight and venture into the mountain tomorrow?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    "As much as I like that idea we can''t. The mountain is full of hidden dangers even at the entrance. We''ll need to push forward and be vigilant until the end before we have a chance to rest."


    "How? Even though we''re cultivators we still need food, water, and sleep. The inside of the mountain is also pitch black, how will we be able to see?"


    Su Jia took out four pills from her bag of holding. She gave one to Yin Hui, two to Yu Zhuwa, and kept the last for herself.


    "I have given each of us a nourishment pill. These pills will keep us at peak condition for about three days, after of which the effects will wear off. As for the darkness in the cave, it is easily resolved by the usage of spiritual sense. Xiao Yu, since you don''t have spiritual sense yet, I have given you that other pill. If you take it, it will allow you to see in the dark for about a day, so only use it when it is necessary. For the first bit of the way, the danger is not as extreme so you could probably get by through sticking close to me and Li Feng."


    "Alright, then lets get through this passage and destroy that outpost. The sooner we get out, the sooner we can rest." Yin Hui swallowed his pill and walked inside. When the pill entered his body, Yin Hui felt like the internal environment of his body had paused. All his bodily functions remained the same, but his physical needs such as rest, hunger, and thirst seemed to have froze in place.


    Seeing Yin Hui''s decision, Yu Zhuwa swallowed the nourishment pill as well. Much like Yin Hui, Yu Zhuwa felt his body freeze itself in a perfect state of homeostasis. He was neither hungry, thirsty, or tired, but he was also not satiated or energized either. Putting the remaining pill in his pant pocket, Yu Zhuwa adjusted his hemp tunic and ran inside.


    Su Jia smiled as she saw the eagerness within the two. She quickly popped the pill into her mouth, double checked the coordinates on the compass and followed after them.

 Chapter 26: You Mess With Me, Then I Will Mess With You Tenfold!

    When Yin Hui entered the mountain, he immediately understood just how complex Coiling Pass was. Using his spiritual sense he saw at least 30 different tunnels all around him. Some were even in the ceiling, requiring one to be able to fly to get into them.


    "Su Jia, which tunnel should we take?"


    "I don''t know. We have to choose randomly and adjust according to the compass. Stick together, if one of us gets lost we may never see each other again." She warned.


    They picked the tunnel furthest from the entrance. When they walked in, the compass needle did not turn, which meant that they were on the right track. Unfortunately, the tunnel they went into lead to even more options than the first one. Whereas the entrance had around thirty different tunnels to choose from, the tunnel they went into had triple that amount.


    "This is the gimmick of Coiling Pass. The deeper you go, the more tunnels you can choose. Some of them are home to many powerful spirit beasts that even I would not be able to fend off. By the time we get a fifth of the way in, we would probably have a thousand different tunnels to choose from."


    "How does one manage to escape from this place then without a tool like your compass?" Yin Hui asked.


    "A lot of it has to do with luck, especially those with weak cultivations. Those with low cultivations could wander from days to entire lifetimes before finding an exit. On the other hand, those in the Immortal Treading realm have nearly zero chances of ever getting permanently lost. To those old experts, it is only a matter of time before they find an exit, though it might not be the one they want. That is because the higher your cultivation, the further you can extend your spiritual sense, which makes navigation much easier."


    "I see. So those in the Immortal Treading realm could essentially check every single one of these caves with a single glance, perhaps even the ones within them as well." Yin Hui was consumed with feelings of lust and envy. His belief that power was the driving force behind everything in the world was solidified even further.


    The three of them moved through a few more tunnels, having to backtrack every now and then when they deviated from the path of the compass. Along the way, they came across the remains of countless cultivators and mortals who had lost their lives trying to make it through the pass.


    "Those with power choose their own fates. Those without power succumb to it. The strong are remembered and allowed to live. The weak are forgotten and die tragically. These corpses are an example of that fact..." Yin Hui clenched his fist. He swore that he would grow to become an exceptional person, one so powerful that nothing would ever hold him down again.


    When they approached the entrance to another tunnel, Su Jia suddenly took a giant leap back.


    "Not good!" She grabbed Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa and began flying in the opposite direction at full speed. A pack of six black sabertooths with glowing red eyes leaped out of the cave, chasing the three of them with murderous intent.


    "What''s going on? What are those?" Yu Zhuwa had not taken the extra pill Su Jia had given him yet. Therefore, all he saw were a bunch of glowing red lights that were slowly inching closer and closer towards them.


    "I think we can take them." Yin Hui said.


    Su Jia shook her head.


    "These spirit beasts all have late to peak Spirit Manifestation power. While I have the strength to defeat them, it would take some time. Furthermore, I wouldn''t be able to protect the two of you while fighting."


    "That''s not what I meant. You said the stronger a persons cultivation, the stronger their spiritual sense right? Can you extract some of yours and let me borrow it?"


    "What are you implying?" Giving another person full control of a portion of their spiritual sense was very risky. Many things could be exploited from it, ranging from tracking the users location to directly afflicting a serious injury. If the spiritual sense was strong enough, it could even be used as an attack and make it look like the owner of the spiritual sense was the one who did it. Worst of all, the owner would be unaware of everything that was done with that strand of spiritual sense until it returns to them. That was why cultivators rarely handed out their spiritual sense to another individual, doing so was essentially giving a bit of your life to the person.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I have a spell that will allow us to take control of those spirit beasts that relies on spiritual sense. Since mine isn''t strong enough, I need to use yours."


    Su Jia scoffed.


    "In that case, why don''t you just tell me how to use the spell and let me use it?"


    "Hmm. No thanks, I''ll pass." Yin Hui said casually.


    "Why you!" Su Jia realized that Yin Hui was doing the exact same thing she did when he asked her to teach him the Lurking Shadow spell.


    The sabertooths chased them all the way back to the entrance of the mountain. However, the sabertooths caught up quickly and blocked the entrance.


    "Teach me how to use the spell or I''m leaving you with these spirit beasts!" Su Jia shouted.


    With all the shouting and growling going on, Yu Zhuwa decided to take the pill Su Jia gave him. He understood they were in some kind of danger and wanted to see the situation for himself. When he swallowed the pill, his surroundings became clear. The darkness was still present, but he could see everything. Yin Hui and Su Jia bickering, the multiple tunnels, and even the murderous glares of the six sabertooths.


    "Hey Big Brother Li Feng, maybe you should just teach her the Beast Suppression spell."


    "See! Stop being stubborn before the two of you die to those sabertooths!"


    However, Yin Hui still had a calm expression on his face. His eyes were closed and he maintained a stoic and unwavering demeanor.


    "That''s it, I don''t care anymore. I thought we could cooperate, but I guess we can''t! I hope you die as painfully as possible!" Su Jia dropped Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa and began to fly away.


    "Don''t forget you made a dao oath! If both our feet don''t take one step into the Storm Province your cultivation will suffer!" Yin Hui called out.


    Su Jia stopped when she heard this.


    "Then I''ll take your feet off your bodies when the two of you die and throw them over the border!"


    "If you leave us here, I''ll cut off portions of my own feet and throw them into random tunnels! Good luck searching for each piece among the countless corpses in the Coiling Pass!"


    "You!"


    Su Jia''s face reddened with anger. The number of times she had been this infuriated in her entire life could be counted on her fingers.


    When Yin Hui saw Su Jia''s angry expression, he let out a faint smile of amusement and satisfaction. In truth, he knew the whole situation could''ve been easily resolved if he just gave her the spell. However, Yin Hui cultivated the Dao of Vengeance. If Su Jia was going to mess with him, he was going to give it back to her tenfold.


    "Alright fine! Take it, but I''ll be watching you carefully! I want it back right when we get through the pass and if I see you do anything suspicious I''ll kill you immediately!" Su Jia touched her forehead and a strand of qi came out. She flicked it towards Yin Hui and the qi merged with his body.


    When Su Jia''s spiritual sense entered his body, Yin Hui''s eyes widened.


    "This power... you are..."


    "Enough talk! If you require more tell me now! If not, hurry up and use that spell so we can get these beasts under control!"


    At that moment the spirit beasts had enough. They did not wait any longer and pounced at the three cultivators.


    Yin Hui clasped his palms together in a praying manner and activated the Beast Suppression spell. Su Jia''s spiritual sense spread around the area, surrounding and submerging itself into the sabertooths skulls. Because the sabertooths were spirit beasts, they had a degree of intelligence that allowed them to resist the effects of the spell. They began thrashing on the ground, struggling to retain their free will. However, Su Jia''s spiritual sense was simply too strong.


    After a couple minutes of futile resistance, the sabertooths began to calm down. They stood up and walked slowly towards Yin Hui. When they were within two meters of distance from him, every single one lowered it''s head as if they were bowing before their leader.


    Yu Zhuwa clapped his hands at Yin Hui''s performance. Back when Yin Hui refused to give Su Jia the Beast Suppression spell he was not worried. In the few weeks Yu Zhuwa had been traveling with him, he learned that Yin Hui was constantly thinking ahead. He was skilled at developing plans on the fly and knew just how to improvise them when necessary. Yu Zhuwa knew that his big brothers goal was to obtain a measure of insurance against Su Jia. With that strand of spiritual sense, he guaranteed that no matter what situation occurred, Su Jia would not betray them. If she were to abandon them, she would not only suffer the backlash of the dao oath, but also from the loss of a piece of her spiritual sense as well.


    Still hovering in the air, Su Jia was completely stunned. Given some time, she was certain she could''ve take care of all six sabertooths without issue. Yet with a single spell powered by her spiritual sense, Yin Hui subdued them all without the slightest bit of effort on his part.


    "Well that wasn''t so hard was it? Let''s get back on track, we''ve lost some time going back the way we came." Yin Hui smiled. Everything had worked according to his plan.


    "Where there is danger, there is also opportunity. And I, Yin Hui, have reaped greatly from this opportunity."

 Chapter 27: Loss

    "This Li Feng is a deep schemer. Even though I bear no ill intent, he is still so cautious against me... However, that spell he used to subdue those beasts... How did such a weak cultivator like him learn such a spell? He is definitely not ordinary. Perhaps it really was a good decision for me to recruit him for this mission." The more Su Jia learned about Yin Hui, the more curious she became. Everything about him was unique. She figured that there was still much more she didn''t know about him, even after she interrogated him back at the camp.


    Yin Hui let out a smug smile as he passed Su Jia on his way back deeper into the pass. Yu Zhuwa and the six sabertooths followed like loyal subjects behind him.


    "Tch, now that a portion of my spiritual sense is with him he''s acting all cocky and arrogant. Whatever, our goals are still the same. If having a piece of my spiritual sense hostage makes him feel better, then I''ll be the bigger man and let him have it." Su Jia was bitter, but didn''t show it. Yin Hui was not like most of the young men she encountered. Unlike them, he did not fawn over her as if she were a priceless jewel due to her beauty. Instead, he simply looked at her like an average peasant. This annoyed her, but also gave her a more favorable impression of him at the same time.


    With the six sabertooths at their side, the expedition went much smoother. Along the way, they encountered a few more spirit beasts such as, giant bats, bears with skills in martial arts, and even a few flame boars. However, none of them were a match for the sabertooths and were easily taken care of.


    "Hey, what did you do to these sabertooths? That last spirit beast they dealt with had power half a step into Virtue Seeking. Yet these peak Spirit Manifestation sabertooths tore it apart in a single breath of time."


    "It''s a side effect of the Beast Suppression spell. I don''t fully understand it myself. All I know is that any beast under my influence becomes stronger than it was before." Yin Hui explained. While it was true that he did not know the exact reason why the spell empowered the beasts, he felt it had something to do with his demonic cultivation. When he used the Beast Suppression spell, Yin Hui made sure to include a portion of his own spiritual sense in the technique as well. If he didn''t, then the technique would simply give control of the beasts over to Su Jia. As he did this, he also noticed that those with more of his spiritual sense ingrained within them were more powerful than those with less.


    "Interesting. So as long as you have a higher cultivation, any number of beasts can be put under your control?"


    "Possibly. I''ve never tried gathering an army before. Most of my uses only involved controlling small groups at a time." So far, the only times Yin Hui used the Beast Suppression spell was in the heat of battle. He hadn''t really taken the time to analyze the full capabilities of the technique at it''s peak.


    Yin Hui considered testing the idea of amassing a large army of spirit beasts given the abundance within Coiling Pass. An army of spirit beasts would be incredibly useful regardless of strength. If they were to encounter a spirit beast they were unable to defeat, the army would still be able to distract it long enough for them to escape.


    However, Yin Hui quickly dismissed the thought. If he lost control, all of the spirit beasts would turn against them. At that point, even Su Jia would not be able to fend them off.


    "Now is not the time to dedicate myself to refining my skills. Until I reach the Storm Province, my current level will have to do. Only after joining the Striking Thunder Sect will I finally be away from the Tang Clan''s reach. Then I can focus entirely on cultivation and strive to become an Earth Immortal. Once I do, I will return to this province and get my revenge! Tang Jiao, Tang Bian, it doesn''t matter, I will defeat them all!"


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    Suddenly, the entire mountain began to shake. Various caves began to collapse on top of each other, revealing others that weren''t present before. The sabertooths accompanying Yin Hui started to cower and whimper as the tunnels collapsed. Yin Hui didn''t blame them for having this reaction. After all, the cave they were dwelling in before being suppressed had probably just been flattened. Witnessing an unknown force display such terrifying power would frighten the heart of almost anyone.


    "Not good! It looks like the tunnels are rearranging themselves!" Su Jia''s voice contained traces of panic. She had been preparing to move through Coiling Pass for months already, but she never knew about this particular feature. Now that the caves had been rearranged, there was no way to backtrack towards the entrance in the event of an emergency.


    Crack~


    A large portion of the ceiling split and descended towards the three cultivators. Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa used the Wind Bullet to shatter the rock before it could fall on them, but one of the shattered pieces ricocheted towards Su Jia. She let out a cold snort and raised her palm. A powerful force emitted from her hand that crushed the piece of rubble into dust.


    After ten minutes, the cave-in still showed no signs of stopping. As a result, Yin Hui, Yu Zhuwa, and Su Jia were constantly darting back and forth. If the descending rubble was small, they would dodge. If it was large, they would attack. Eventually, the damage became too much for the floor to handle and it began to collapse in on itself. Yin Hui grabbed Yu Zhuwa and flew into the air, Su Jia following close behind.


    The sabertooths were not so lucky. They howled miserably as the ground collapsed, all six of them falling into the dark abyss below.


    "We have to flee into one of these new caves!" Su Jia shouted. She took out the compass and began to calculate the best possible tunnel to choose. However, this shifted some of her attention away from the oncoming rubble. While she was calculating, a large piece of rock eluded her spiritual sense and hit her arm, knocking the compass out of her hands.


    "No!!" Su Jia cried.


    Yin Hui''s pupils shrunk as he watched the compass fall. If they lost that compass, their chances at escaping were as good as over.


    "Su Jia catch!" Yin Hui threw Yu Zhuwa into Su Jia''s arms and dove downwards. He kept his body in a tight position, trying to gain as much speed as he could. In a few breaths of time, the compass was within his sight. When it was within arms reach, he extended his arm to grab it. He let out a sigh of relief as he took hold of the compass and threw it into his bag of holding.


    "Li Feng behind you!" Su Jia called out.


    Just as the warning entered Yin Hui''s ears, a chunk of rubble that size of a small hut smashed on top of his body.


    "Aghh!" Yin Hui coughed out a mouthful of blood. The compass flew out of his hands as he descended towards the chasm below.


    "Big Brother Li!" Tears streamed out of Yu Zhuwa''s eyes as he watched Yin Hui''s limp body fall into the depths of the mountain.


    Su Jia held Yu Zhuwa tight against her body as she flew into one of the tunnels. Once they were inside, she let out a silent curse. Not only did they lose Yin Hui, but they also lost the compass as well. Without it, she was not confident in navigating through the pass, especially after seeing how the tunnels were prone to changing.


    Gritting her teeth, Su Jia drew some blood from her finger and touched her forehead. A pained expression covered her face and she furrowed her brows. Shortly after, a strand of qi came out that formed into a mini replica of herself. The mini Su Jia made of qi merged with the blood, turning red. When the integration was complete, it shot into the walls of the mountain, passing through it and disappearing entirely.


    "What was that?" Yu Zhuwa asked between sobs.


    "A call for help, in case we don''t make it out on our own." Su Jia''s face was pale. She had severed a portion of her soul and sent it off to call for help. The replica was ethereal and could pass through solid matter. It also had its own awareness, sharing the same thoughts and intentions the original Su Jia had.


    Of course, removing a portion of your soul from your body came with a few risks. The most obvious one was that the cultivation of the original would be weakened due to the loss. The second is that if the soul fragment was destroyed, the user would never be able to get it back. Their future cultivation would be permanently affected and they would lose a portion of their life span.


    "Xiao Yu, let''s go. My spiritual sense hasn''t returned yet, which means Li Feng is still alive. Hopefully, if he survived, he picks up the compass and finds us. For now we have to keep going."


    Yu Zhuwa wiped away his tears and nodded. He held onto the belief that this was all within Yin Hui''s calculations.


    "Big brother Yin Hui has survived through tragedies way more dangerous than this. He''s got to survive. I know he will!"

 Chapter 28: The Egg

    The pit Yin Hui was falling through seemed to be endless. Fifteen minutes had passed and the bottom of the chasm still wasn''t in sight. He struggled to move his body to no avail. The upward force caused by the speed of the free fall kept him firmly pressed against the rubble behind his back.


    "This fall has got to stop eventually. If I don''t escape by then, I''ll be reduced to a pile of flesh and blood when I reach the bottom."


    Yin Hui tried using the Living Earth spell to manipulate the walls around him. He wanted to slow down his descent by forming some kind of net that was soft, but strong by adjusting it''s solidity. Unfortunately this was not possible, as the walls seemed to be protected by some kind of spell that made them immune to his power.


    "Damn it, the walls are enchanted with some kind of protection!" Since he couldn''t manipulate the walls, Yin Hui tried to control the rubble instead. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the enormous rock behind him. As he did, the shape of the rubble began to change.


    "Yes! It looks like the protection only extends to earth that is still connected to the pass! If I can reconstruct the rubble behind me into a thin spring-like sheet, then I''ll be able to float down gently like a feather!"


    Yin Hui began altering the texture of the collapsed rock so that it would become softer. However, due to the sheer size of the rubble, the process was very slow.


    "This is taking too long. I feel like I''ll need at least another hour before I can fully transform this giant rock. I also don''t know if I have that much time. The rubble is manipulatable so what else can I do?" Yin Hui pondered.


    "Hmm, the smaller the change, the faster I can do it. Manipulating the shape is much faster than manipulating the texture. In that case..."


    Gradually, the rubble behind Yin Hui began to part and it looked like he was being absorbed inside. This was Yin Hui''s plan. Instead of trying to slow his descent, he would ignore it completely. If he could burrow to the top of the rubble, it didn''t matter what happened to the rest of it. Once he was there, he would regain his mobility and could fly back up from where he came.


    After a few minutes, Yin Hui broke through the final layer of the rubble and reached the top. He stretched his limbs as he relished the feeling of being able to move his body again. Sadly, the feeling didn''t last long as more debris began to fall on top of him. Using Living Earth, he formed a shield above his head that protected him from most of the falling rock. Now the only thing he would have to worry about were the exceptionally large pieces.


    Yin Hui took out Su Jia''s compass from his bag of holding. The compass didn''t sustain any damage since it was kept safe inside the pocket dimension within the bag. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed that the route he needed to take wasn''t back up. Pacing around the still falling rubble, Yin Hui found the direction he needed to go and flew into the closest tunnel. When he entered the tunnel, he was met by a pack of snow leopards staring him down with preying eyes. With his spiritual sense, Yin Hui discovered that each leopard only possessed Spirit Waking power. He immediately activated the Beast Suppression spell and put all of them under his command. The leopards eyes turned red and each of them grew twenty five percent larger.


    "Hmm... Since my own spiritual sense is strong enough to suppress these leopards, let''s see if I can make them even stronger!"


    Yin Hui began to imprint more of his spiritual sense into the snow leopard''s minds. As he did, noticeable changes started to appear in each of one. Some had longer fangs, some had sharper claws, while one even grew a horn. Furthermore, each leopard was now double its original size.


    However, there was one leopard that caught Yin Hui''s attention the most. This leopard did not have the longest fangs, the sharpest claws, or even a special horn. Instead, all the fur on its body had turned pitch black.


    "With the power provided by my spiritual sense, each of these leopards should now have the strength of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator. It also seems like they evolved in their own unique ways as well. This thick aura of demonic qi radiating from each of them... I never knew demonic qi had such an effect on spirit beasts!"


    Pleased with the results, Yin Hui climbed onto the back of the black leopard. He took out the compass and pointed towards the tunnel it was telling him to go to.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Time to test out the abilities of my new companions. Into that cave over there!"


    The black leopard let out a terrifying roar and its body began to turn into black smoke. This ability spread to Yin Hui as well and his body also began to turn into smoke. However, despite turning into a cloud of smoke, Yin Hui was still himself. He knew that to others he was just a cloud of smoke, but from his perspective he still had his head, arms, and legs. Confused, Yin Hui ordered one of the other leopards to attack him. When the leopard pounced towards Yin Hui and the black leopard, it passed right through them as if nothing was there.


    "This..."


    Yin Hui was stunned. Wanting to test the capabilities of his new form, Yin Hui began to test his other spells and techniques. Living Earth, the Wind Bullet, every single skill was produced without a single deviation in effectiveness or power.


    "Haha! This is great! I have truly profited this time around!"


    Ecstatic, Yin Hui smacked the black leopard on the side and began to move. From an outside perspective, it looked like a giant cloud of black smoke with two red eyes was charging down the tunnel. Behind him, the other snow leopard''s were following at their own pace. While the others were not necessarily slow, the difference between them and the black leopard was very apparent.


    Despite the speed of the black leopard far exceeding the rest, Yin Hui felt that it was still holding back. Not wanting to waste the energy of the other leopards, Yin Hui put them all in his bag of holding. He was hesitant on whether this was possible, but after the first one went in without issue, the rest followed.


    "Alright, show me what you can really do! Hyah!" Yin Hui gave the leopard a small part once more. The pace quickened and leopard was now moving through the cave at the speed of a lightning bolt.


    Following the compass, Yin Hui and the black leopard passed through cave after cave. None of the spirit beasts they encountered were an issue, even those stronger than them. Any beast in their path would simply be passed through as if they were a gust of wind. They even arrived before another section of the pass that was currently experiencing a cave in like the one that almost killed Yin Hui. Once more, this was not an issue for the black leopard. As they approached the mouth of the tunnel, the leopard did not stop. It charged out at full speed and continued running on the air as if it were solid ground.


    Yin Hui let out a hearty laugh. He was really beginning to like this leopard.


    "Once we get out of Coiling Pass, I''ll be sure to give you a reward!"


    They continued moving throughout the pass with great speed until the compass started acting strangely when they entered a particularly large tunnel. Instead of pointing towards a single direction, it began rotating wildly.


    "There must be something within this tunnel that''s interfering with the compass..."


    Yin Hui got off the black leopard and began to search the area. As soon as he left the beast''s back, his body returned to normal. He told the leopard to join the others in his bag of holding, believing it deserved a good rest. Initially reluctant, the black leopard undid it''s shadow-like form and leapt inside.


    The tunnel Yin Hui was currently in was much longer and more spacious than the others he''d been in. The surrounding caves were all neatly aligned, as if they were intentionally dug with precision and intent.


    "What is this?"


    Yin Hui ran towards the clearing of the tunnel and found himself within a large catacomb, surrounded with even more uniformly aligned tunnels. In the center, a giant egg lay on a nest made of soft dirt, leaves, and tree branches. He approached the egg cautiously, wary of any potential spirit beasts guarding it. After all, an egg of that size must have been birthed from an even bigger mother.


    Making it to the nest without any apparent dangers, Yin Hui examined the egg and it''s home with great attention. Picking up a few leaves, he noticed that they were completely green, without the slightest hint of discoloration to them.


    "These are fresh leaves! This means I must be close to an exit! However, it also means that something is supplying this nest with new leaves as well."


    Yin Hui shifted his attention to the egg that lay in the nest. The egg was a whole head taller than him and wide enough to hide behind. Despite normally being very cautious, Yin Hui felt an urge to touch it. The egg gave off a familiar feeling, a kind of connection that he just couldn''t ignore.


    "Why am I feeling this way? Am I under some kind of spell?" Yin Hui tried to resist, but his body continued to move closer and closer towards the egg. When he was close enough, he lifted his hand and placed it on the egg''s smooth surface.


    As soon as his hand made contact, a giant yellow eye flashed within Yin Hui''s mind. He collapsed onto the floor, his entire body weakened to the point he struggled to maintain consciousness. Sweat dripped down his neck as he tried to regain control over his body.


    "What was that... some kind of spirit beast? Just its gaze was alone to paralyze my whole body..."


    Still immobile, Yin Hui began to hear rumbling coming from the tunnels around him. Suddenly, giant snakes the size of small trees emerged from the caves and began to converge towards him.


    "Shit! Not good! I have to move! Move!" Pushing his mind to the brink, Yin Hui mustered up enough strength to stand. However, the yellow eye flashed once more in his mind and his legs gave out. The second vision sapped all the remaining strength he had left and his surroundings began to dim.


    "No... no..." Yin Hui whispered before passing out.

 Chapter 29: Onyx Serpent

    "I''m... alive?"


    When Yin Hui regained consciousness, he was surprised to discover he was still in one piece. His body was stiff, but he mustered the strength to sit up.


    The surface he was sitting on was warm and dry. There was also a rough texture to it, similar to that of fine gravel.


    Yin Hui noticed that even though he was sitting down, he seemed to be moving. Still impaired by darkness, Yin Hui reactivated his spiritual sense to figure out what was going on.


    "This is..." Yin Hui''s pupils shrunk.


    He was resting on the back of a giant snake. Surrounding him were countless other snakes of various colors all moving in the same direction.


    One of the snakes noticed that Yin Hui had woken up and hissed at him loudly. Startled, Yin Hui immediately used the Beast Suppression spell on it. When his spiritual sense made contact with the snake''s mind it immediately severed the connection and slapped Yin Hui hard with it''s tail.


    Yin Hui was sent flying from the strike. He almost fell off the snake he was riding, but managed to barely hang on. The snake hissed at him repeatedly, in a manner similar to human speech. Despite no words coming out, Yin Hui understood the message.


    "Do that again and the next strike will take your life."


    Yin Hui climbed back onto the snake he almost got knocked off of. When he was back on, he clenched his stomach. That one casual tail strike had fractured a few of his bones. He could also tell by how fast the snake broke free of the Beast Suppression spell that it was holding back a significant portion of it''s power.


    After that first experience, Yin Hui did not dare to use his spiritual sense to gauge the strength of the rest of the snakes around him. Considering how they were all roughly the same size and moving together as a group, he hypothesized that they must''ve all had around the same level of power.


    "Despite being extremely angry that I tried to control it, that snake only injured me slightly. The way it stared at me with it''s eyes... Could it be that whoever they''re taking me to wants me alive?"


    Yin Hui noticed that the snake that attacked him had a very complex gaze in it''s eye. A gaze filled with contempt and hatred, but not completely towards him. It was as if Yin Hui was prey that it had been chasing for months, but right when it was about to catch him he was taken away by someone else. Because of this, Yin Hui felt that wherever these snakes were taking him he would be safe. If not, he would''ve been torn to shreds and eaten long ago.


    Knowing that there wasn''t anything he could do other then wait, Yin Hui took out Su Jia''s compass. He let out a sigh when he saw that they were moving the opposite direction of where he needed to go.


    The snakes seemed to know the layout of the pass well. There wasn''t a single moment of indecision during the transitions between one tunnel to the next.


    "These snakes are not only fast, but knowledgeable of the pass as well. Perhaps after I meet their master I could get him to let me ride one of these snakes to where I need to go."


    After about three hours of high speed travel through a complex network of caves, the snakes stopped at the mouth of the final tunnel. Each of them kept their distance from the exit, as if a single step outside would cost them their lives. The snake Yin Hui was riding on turned it''s head and hissed at him. The rest of the snakes did the same, a few of them gesturing to the exit with their heads.


    The space at the end of the tunnel was pitch black. Even with his spiritual sense, Yin Hui could not pierce through the darkness.


    Cautiously, Yin Hui flew off the back of the snake and through the mouth of the tunnel. As soon as he did, the sea of snakes slithered back into the pass.


    Wherever he was, the area was vast. Despite being senseless, Yin Hui could tell that he was within an enormous chamber of some kind. It was an assumption based purely on intuition, but one that he knew was correct.


    Suddenly, a small bright spot appeared on the floor of the chamber. This light was genuine, allowing Yin Hui to see with his eyes. In the center of the spot was the exact same giant egg from earlier.


    "Move... To the light..."


    The voice was ancient, and echoed throughout the entire chamber. Just these words alone carried so much power and authority that Yin Hui subconsciously began to fly towards the bright spot. When he broke out of his trance, he found himself standing right next to the giant egg in the center of the light.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "If I may ask, who are you your excellency?" Yin Hui clasped his hands.


    Yin Hui normally hated using such honorifics when addressing others. Those who demanded respect by using these titles were never good people in Yin Hui''s eyes. They were usually just narcissists who enjoyed bullying the weak to feel better about themselves.


    However, in the presence of this voice, Yin Hui felt neither shame nor anger in addressing it as such. For the first time in his life, he believed he found someone worthy of such a title. The ancient voice radiated power and authority, so much so it compelled Yin Hui to subconsciously lower himself.


    "Haha... You think you''re worthy enough to know me?"


    The laugh was dignified, and contained no traces of contempt or anger. It was as if it truly believed that Yin Hui was a lower being compared to itself.


    "Perhaps not, I''m sorry if I offended you. However, will his excellency please tell me why I have been summoned here?" Yin Hui did not take offense to the voice''s degrading words. From his point of view, he was indeed inferior in all aspects compared to this great being.


    "You have respect boy, but that''s only natural due to how limited your view of the world is. However, since you are so polite, I will grace you with my true form."


    Crack~


    In an instant, 10 giant torches lit up, dimly lighting the surroundings. Like he assumed, Yin Hui saw that he was within an enormous chamber. The chamber was essentially just a larger cave, but at least a hundred times bigger than the others. It was covered with ores containing precious metals and minerals, some of them exuding large amounts of spirit energy.


    "Are you done admiring my home?" The voice said.


    Mesmerized by the riches within the chamber, Yin Hui almost forgot that he was in the presence of an extremely powerful being. He turned around and was about to apologize when his entire body froze.


    "You... you''re... This is impossible..." Drops of sweat began to form on Yin Hui''s forehead. At that moment, he knew exactly where he was.


    Before him was the barely visible figure of a gigantic snake with pitch black scales. Even after coiling itself a countless number of times, it still took up 70% of the chamber. It''s yellow eye was the exact same as the one that appeared in his mind, though now he discovered that the eye alone was larger than his entire body.


    "This is Black Serpent Mountain... And you''re the Onyx Serpent..."


    From Yin Hui''s memory, Black Serpent Mountain was located in the inner region of the Tang Province. To go from the outer regions to the mountain would take at least a couple months, even by flight!


    Yin Hui now understood just how wise he was to not provoke the snakes who transported him further. If those snakes could travel months of distance in mere hours or days, he couldn''t imagine what cultivation they possessed.


    "Is that what you people call me and my home nowadays? Hmph, I thought I was all but forgotten by now. To think all that is known of me is the color of my scales."


    Yin Hui noticed that around the Onyx Serpent''s head were nine faintly glowing stars. Within those stars were what seemed like mini-worlds. However upon closer inspection, Yin Hui felt the power of dao residing in each star!


    "Your excellency... Are you an Earth Immortal?" Yin Hui was astounded. The ability to form a world using one''s dao, and nine of them at that! He believed only a legendary Earth Immortal would be capable of such a feat.


    The Onyx Serpent roared with laughter. His voice was so loud the entire chamber shook.


    "An Earth Immortal? An Earth Immortal?!" The serpent''s head slithered around Yin Hui with amusement in it''s eyes.


    "I would kill you right now for such an insult, if it just wasn''t so ridiculously funny." A trace of anger could be heard within the serpent''s tone. This minor change alone required all of Yin Hui''s willpower to keep himself from falling to his knees.


    "A mortal cultivator like you, who probably hasn''t even seen an immortal in his life, dares to compare me to a mere Earth Immortal?! You should choose your words more carefully."


    Yin Hui fell to his knees and prostrated himself. He was not afraid of death, but he feared the Onyx Serpent greatly.


    "Forgive me great Onyx Serpent. My knowledge is lacking so I was ignorant."


    "Hmph, an Earth Immortal is nothing to me. With my strength I could kill a thousand of them without lifting a muscle." The serpent scoffed.


    Yin Hui gulped down a mouthful of saliva. The Onyx Serpent did not seem to be joking, he felt like it was completely serious when it made such a statement.


    "Anyways, you asked why I have summoned you. Is that correct?"


    "Yes your excellency." Yin Hui replied, keeping his head on the ground.


    The Onyx Serpent nod its head towards the egg beside Yin Hui.


    "The snakes that escorted you here are all my children. However, that egg is the only one that bears my true bloodline."


    "I feel a connection has formed between you and my descendant. If that is correct, you should have met each other telepathically already."


    Yin Hui thought back to the yellow eye that appeared when he first touched the egg. Initially, he thought it was from the Onyx Serpent, but it turned out to be its pre-born child!


    "That massive power I felt enter my mind was actually from the egg?" Yin Hui stood up in shock.


    "Obviously, if it was me, do you think you would still be alive?"


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "Touch the egg once more. If it accepts you, it will integrate with your body until it is ready to hatch. Once it does, my child will fight along side you and act as your companion."


    "What if it doesn''t accept me?"


    "Then I will kill you so I can sever that measly connection and raise the child myself. I am only giving you this opportunity because a loose bond has already been established."


    A breath of cold air entered Yin Hui''s nostrils. Once again he had been put into a life or death situation. He needed to get this egg''s recognition or else he would die.


    "I''ve been through many tough times since I became a cultivator, and survived them all. This will be no different!"


    Mustering his courage, Yin Hui walked up and put his hand on the egg. A red flash of light appeared and Yin Hui''s body was sent flying into an ore deposit a few feet away.


    The Onyx Serpent shook its head.


    "You failed."

 Chapter 30: Stubborn

    "No! I refuse to believe it!" Yin Hui ran toward the egg once more and put his hand on its surface. Another red light emerged and he was sent flying away.


    The Onyx Serpent watched with great attention as Yin Hui tried again and again to receive the egg''s acceptance.


    "I really thought this boy would obtain my child''s recognition. Judging by the reaction, the degree of rejection is quite high. If that is the case, why would a loose connection be formed in the first place?"


    After ten more failed attempts, Yin Hui''s clothes were covered in dirt and dust. However he didn''t give up. There were only two paths in front of him, one was to obtain the recognition of the egg, and the other was to die forgotten in the desolate chamber.


    "My dao is the Dao of Vengeance! When I''m knocked down, I come back even stronger! My goal is to take down the heavens one day, I won''t be stopped by an overgrown snake egg!"


    The egg gave off a small fluctuation of spirit energy, when it heard Yin Hui''s proclamation. It was as if it were taunting him, saying that all his attempts would be futile.


    The Onyx Serpent''s eyes lit up when it saw this.


    "I see. While there is a connection, my child is too stubborn to accept it. He doesn''t believe that this weak Spirit Waking cultivator is worthy of it. Let''s see what this brat will do to overcome this."


    Irritated by the egg''s taunts, Yin Hui closed his eyes and began to condense the spirit energy within his body. He focused it all on his spiritual sense, filling the air with a thick aura of demonic qi.


    "Interesting, this brat is a demonic cultivator and even has a fiend body. To start off the path of cultivation by following the way of the fiend... I wonder what circumstances caused him to do such a thing."


    When his spiritual sense was raised to it''s absolute limit, Yin Hui opened his eyes. He condensed the power of his spiritual sense into his finger and pointed it at the egg.


    "If I can''t receive your acknowledgment the normal way, I will receive it by force! Beast Suppression!"


    With all his spiritual sense focused in his finger, a black ray of qi shot out. Because it was condensed to such a degree, the spiritual sense was actually visible.


    When the black beam of spiritual sense hit the egg, the red flash of light representing the rejection force appeared once more. This time the red light did not vanish immediately after it emerged and began clashing with the black qi.


    "Submit to me!" Yin Hui shouted.


    However, the egg did not relent. In response to the forced suppression, the red glow around it intensified. Slowly, but steadily, the light began to push Yin Hui''s spiritual sense back.


    Yin Hui cursed and slapped his bag of holding. He took out the chest of qi crystals Yu Zhuwa gave him and began absorbing their power. The extra qi contained within the crystals bolstered Yin Hui''s spiritual sense, changing the tide of the struggle.


    The Onyx Serpent watched the clash with great amusement.


    "A spell that allows the user to imprint their spiritual sense onto another and bind them to their will. What an interesting technique. However, this power I''m sensing from him. It''s very familiar..."


    The egg was beginning to lose ground against Yin Hui''s spiritual sense. The beam of black qi had already reached it''s surface and began penetrating the outer layer.


    Yin Hui did not hesitate to keep absorbing more qi crystals to keep up the pressure. At this point, he had already used up half the box just making it to the outer surface.


    "Just a little more! Once I force this stupid egg to submit, I will gain not only my freedom, but a powerful ally!"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The red glow from the egg intensified to it''s maximum power. Currently, the brightness of the light even exceeded Yin Hui''s Blinding Light spell. The tide changed again, causing Yin Hui''s ray of spiritual sense to leave the egg''s surface.


    "Damn it!"


    Yin Hui realized that the slow approach was not going to work. Emptying the entire chest of qi crystals, he absorbed them all at once. His body surged with spiritual power as the black beam of spiritual sense doubled in size.


    The spiritual sense immediately pierced through the egg''s defense and entered the inner layer. With his soul imprinted on the egg, Yin Hui walked up and placed his hand on the surface.


    At first, nothing happened. However, after a few moments a faint white glow began to appear. This white light was not violent like the red one, and radiated an aura of warmth and acceptance.


    "Yes! I''ve succeeded!" However, Yin Hui''s happiness did not last long.


    All of a sudden, the warm white glow was replaced with the red light Yin Hui dreaded. The power within this red light was several times more intense then it was previously, and sent a shockwave throughout the entire chamber.


    Yin Hui''s body was sent spiraling into a pile of qi crystals within the chamber. Enraged, he prepared to condense his spiritual sense once more and attack the egg.


    "Stop, I''ve seen enough." The Onyx Serpent interrupted.


    "I''m not done! I almost succeeded the last time. Give me another attempt and I will succeed for sure."


    The Onyx Serpent shook its head.


    "I know that there''s a chance you will succeed again and that''s why I''m stopping you."


    Yin Hui calmed his spiritual qi and stood still, glaring at the egg that gave him so much trouble. The egg flared it''s energy once more and Yin Hui knew full well that it was mocking him.


    "Based on what I''ve seen, my child really does not want to integrate with you. If you were to force it, you would only cause issues down the line for you and my offspring."


    "So does this mean I failed?"


    "What is your name boy?"


    "I am Yin Hui." There was no point in lying to a powerful existence such as the Onyx Serpent. If Earth Immortals were ants to it, Yin Hui knew he would only be courting death if he were to try and hide anything.


    "Yin Hui... Yin Clan... Yin..." The Onyx Serpent looked lost in thought. It was as if the name caused it to reminisce deeply about another time in the past.


    Yin Hui could not tell if the memories the Onyx Serpent was recalling were good or bad. He only hoped that the dealings it had with the Yin Clan in the past were positive enough to convince it to let him go. Then again, he truly wondered how great his clan was at it''s peak if they interacted with an existence such as the Onyx Serpent.


    "Hmm. The Yin Clan and I had a connection back then. Out of consideration for that, I will let you go. Tell me your destination and I will have one of my children take you there. The pass you came from is connected to many places and I am it''s ruler. Every route is known to me and I can ensure that you are taken through the fastest one."


    Yin Hui gave a deep bow towards the Onyx Serpent.


    "Thank you your excellency. I have a compass that guides me to the location I seek, which is one of the borders out of this province. Also, if it''s too much to ask, may I also pick up my companions as well? They are somewhere in the pass and may be lost."


    The Onyx Serpent nodded


    "Yes, I sense them within the pass. They have encountered a pair of very powerful beasts. I will deter them for you."


    A silent tremor was sent through the ground and out of the Onyx Serpent''s chamber. Afterwards, the Onyx Serpent let out a whistle like hiss that echoed throughout the cavern. A short moment of time passed and a giant white snake entered the chamber, lowering it''s head before the Onyx Serpent.


    "Take this little one back into the pass and pick up his companions. After, take them to the destination on that compass he''s holding."


    The white serpent nodded and gestured towards Yin Hui to climb onto it. Yin Hui gave one last bow to the Onyx Serpent before flying onto the back of his new escort. The Onyx Serpent ignored the goodwill and turned its head away, dousing the torches as the white snake to departed with Yin Hui.


    When Yin Hui left, the Onyx Serpent turned towards its unhatched offspring and let out a deep sigh.


    "You do not know how big of an opportunity you just let pass by."


    The egg ignited its red aura once more, but in a calmer way then when it was dealing with Yin Hui.


    "That boy has great potential, you''re simply too young and inexperienced to see it. I sensed a trace of ''his'' aura when that brat tried to suppress you with his spiritual sense. I''ve told you about ''him'' before haven''t I? Furthermore, the connection formed between you two was perfect in all aspects."


    The egg''s aura flickered slightly, turning a tinge redder.


    "How arrogant... I''ve told you many times that a spirit beast''s true potential is only unlocked through the life and death bond formed with a cultivator. Even I would not have reached my current level of power without the many trials I endured along with ''him''. Then again, I used to be just as haughty and narcissistic as you when I was young, so I will not blame you for your feelings."


    The red aura around the egg intensified, piercing through the darkness of the cave with a swirl of crimson. Afterwards, it calmed down and dispersed completely.


    The Onyx Serpent let out a small chuckle.


    "You''re right. If the two of you are really fated to be together, then he will return one day. When that time comes, I''m sure that brat will have met your standards and change your mind."

 Chapter 31: Regrouping

    During the time that Yin Hui was in the Onyx Serpent''s chamber, Su Jia and Yu Zhuwa were aimlessly wandering through the various caves of Coiling Pass.


    The pill that allowed Yu Zhuwa to see in the dark had already worn off, and he was now clinging close to Su Jia.


    "Elder Sister Su. Is Big Brother Li Feng okay?"


    "I can''t say he''s completely fine, but I know for a fact he''s not dead. My spiritual sense is still on him and I would know if it was--ugh."


    Su Jia fell to her knees and began coughing violently. A mouthful of blood came out and splattered onto the ground.


    "Sister Su Jia what''s wrong?!"


    "Damn it Li Feng... Just what are you doing right now?" Su Jia knew that what she felt was the backlash of something happening to her spiritual sense. She did not feel the connection between her spiritual sense and Yin Hui sever so it meant he wasn''t dead. Considering the degree of the backlash, Su Jia assumed that it was due to Yin Hui overexerting her spiritual sense. If her spiritual sense was actually destroyed, she would have lost a lot more than a mouthful of blood.


    "Grr..."


    Su Jia and Yu Zhuwa turned their heads towards one of the tunnels. A low growl could be heard getting closer and closer to them, accompanied with the sound of scraping on the ground.


    "Sister Su Jia, what is that?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    Su Jia hid Yu Zhuwa behind her and slapped her bag of holding. A pill came out and she swallowed it immediately. When the pill reached her stomach, a refreshing feeling filled her entire body, restoring her stamina and vitality.


    As the growl grew louder, the bodies of four half-wolf half-human hybrids entered the range of Su Jia''s spiritual sense.


    "Strange... Why can''t I sense their cultivation levels?"


    Once they were 15 meters away, Su Jia sent out a palm at one of the wolf-men. A giant projection of Su Jia''s palm shot out of her hand and completely vaporized one of the beasts on contact, reducing it into a pile of flesh and blood. Witnessing one of their own get taken down, the three remaining wolf-men stopped their advance.


    "Stay away! Or else you will end up reduced just like your friend!" She warned.


    The wolf-men turned their heads towards the remains of their fallen comrade and began to devour them. After they were done, they continued on their way to Su Jia and Yu Zhuwa.


    "Disgusting creatures. Die!"


    Su Jia shot another palm at the wolf-men, but this time one of them casually smacked it away. Shocked, Su Jia picked up Yu Zhuwa and took a giant step back, distancing themselves further from the beasts.


    The wolf-men approached the pool of blood Su Jia coughed out earlier and began to drink from it. As they did, their bodies began to grow.


    "They''re devouring my discarded blood and getting stronger? Is that how they obtained the strength to deflect my palm strike? By consuming the life force of their fallen comrade? Cultivation such as this mirrors that of demonic cultivators!"


    At this point, Su Jia knew that the best option now was to run. By consuming their comrade, the wolf-men became strong enough to withstand her palm. Now that they feasted on her blood as well, it was likely they were now even stronger than her.


    However, before Su Jia could plan out an escape route, one of the wolf-men snuck up behind her and attempted to slash her with it''s claws.


    Luckily, Su Jia was able to dodge in time, only receiving a small nick across the cheek.


    "If I hadn''t given away part of my spiritual sense and sent out that piece of my soul I would be able to take down these abominations easily. Li Feng, this is all your fault for holding a grudge over such petty things!"


    The three remaining wolf-men were now surrounding Su Jia and Yu Zhuwa. Because they were half-human, their intelligence was much higher than most of the spirit beasts within the pass. They poised to attack simultaneously, coordinating themselves in a tight formation in order to prevent any chance at escape.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "First you take a piece of my spiritual sense hostage. Then you fall into the abyss during the cave in with the compass, forcing me to sent out a distress signal using a fragment of my own soul! True it''s partially my fault since I dropped the compass, but you could''ve just thrown it to me as soon as you got it instead of putting it in your bag of holding! Ugh! If I survive this I''m going to beat you senseless the next time I see you!"


    "Roar!!" All three wolf-men attacked together, reaching out with their sharp claws.


    Rumble~


    Suddenly, the entire cave began to shake. The wolf-men stopped attacking and looked around in fear. Su Jia assumed it was another cave in and tightened her grip on Yu Zhuwa. They were currently in a very narrow tunnel, so there was not a lot of time to react if anything were to collapse. Understanding this, Su Jia focused all her attention towards her spiritual sense. If the ceiling crumbled she would be ready to destroy the rubble. If the ground collapsed she would be ready to keep herself afloat with Yu Zhuwa.


    The three wolf-men were acting strange. Despite the obvious signs of a pre-mature cave-in, the three beasts were not running or trying to get away from the area. Instead, they dropped to their knees and started to kowtow.


    "What is going on? Sister Su Jia, is it another cave-in?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    Su Jia noticed that despite the tremors within the earth, there was no structural damage happening to the tunnel they were in.


    "Lord... Please spare us..." A husky voice said.


    It was one of the wolf-men. One of the wolf-men who had a more human-like form kept smashing his head on the ground while constantly begging for forgiveness.


    Unfortunately, whoever the wolf-men were pleading to did not seem to care. In the blink of an eye, all three of them exploded into mists of blood.


    Su Jia felt a chill run through her entire body. The moment the three beasts were about to die, the image of a giant yellow eye flashed within her mind. She knew without a doubt that the owner of the eye was the one who killed the three wolf-men. However, what terrified her the most was that she felt like this all-powerful figure was still holding back significantly.


    The strongest beings she had ever been in contact with were Immortal Treading cultivators. Yet, none of them could compare to the power she had just sensed. It was as if this being while still suppressed had the power to exterminate the entire province with a mere flip of it''s palm.


    "Did you feel that Xiao Yu... Xiao Yu?" Su Jia looked down and noticed that Yu Zhuwa had fainted. She sighed, but didn''t blame him. The pressure exuded by their mysterious savior was simply too overwhelming, even for her.


    "I wonder though... Why did that expert only attack the wolf-men and not us?" As Su Jia contemplated the matter, she heard a low rumble out in the distance. As the sound got closer, she realized the answer to her question.


    "Li Feng!" She shouted.


    Now within the range of her spiritual sense, Su Jia could see Yin Hui riding calmly on top of a giant white snake. The snake was incredibly fast and reached her within a few short moments.


    "Su Jia, I''ve gotten us a one way escort to the border. This white serpent already knows where we need to go and will take us through the fastest route. Climb on."


    As soon as Su Jia hopped on the back of the enormous serpent they immediately took off. She was caught off guard by the sudden burst of speed and fell hard on her rear.


    "Pfft... Weak in the legs from wandering aimlessly for too long?" Yin Hui smirked.


    Su Jia''s face reddened.


    "You..." After securing the unconscious Yu Zhuwa with a couple of restraining spells, Su Jia walked up to Yin Hui and slapped him across the face.


    Yin Hui''s head turned slightly from the force of the slap, but he wasn''t really injured. He looked at Su Jia with a puzzled expression.


    "Did I do something wrong? Seriously, it was just a joke."


    Su His leaned in slightly and put her hands on her hips.


    "Of course you did! You were late! Did you know that before you got here Xiao Yu and I almost died to a group of spirit beasts? If it weren''t for the help of a powerful hidden expert, we would''ve been corpses by the time you showed up!"


    "Then shouldn''t you be thanking me? Considering how you two are alive and all your enemies are dead, how do you know I didn''t have something to do with it?"


    "Hmph. As if you could know such a powerful existence. That expert had power that would triumph over an army of Immortal Treading cultivators. I bet you haven''t even seen a power such as that before in your life. While I didn''t actually see who it was, I''m very sure that our savior was a hidden Earth Immortal who simply couldn''t stand by to watch a beauty such as myself be killed!" Su Jia flicked her hair in a prideful manner at the last statement.


    Yin Hui laughed bitterly. If the Onyx Serpent heard this it probably would''ve just left the two of them to die. In its own words, not even a thousand Earth Immortals would stand a chance against its might.


    "I could''ve taken those beasts out easily if I had my full power. However, you forced me to split a portion of it and give it to you! You want me to thank you? You should be thanking me for being merciful enough to not beat you senseless for making me go through all that! Hey, are you even listening to me?!" Su Jia watched angrily as Yin Hui shook his head and walked away from her. He sat down and began to cultivate his qi, ignoring Su Jia.


    "Why you... I''ll put up with this for now because you have gotten us transportation to the border, but don''t think you''ll always be this lucky." Su Jia sat down as well and also began to cultivate, trying to restore as much of her cultivation as possible before they got to the border.


    "What an infuriating girl..." Yin Hui sighed.

 Chapter 32: Prelude

    With the speed of the white serpent, Yin Hui and the others reached the exit after four days of travel. Along the way, they fed off sustenance pills from Su Jia and water stored in Yin Hui''s bag of holding.


    As the three of them got off, Su Jia and Yu Zhuwa ran towards the light almost immediately. It was as if they had just awakened from a dark nightmare and couldn''t wait to bask in the sunlight once more. Yin Hui was not as hasty and did not rush out like the others. Instead, he turned towards the white serpent and gave it a deep bow.


    "I am grateful to you for getting us through the pass. Please send my regards to Lord Onyx Serpent for me as well when you return."


    "Not at all young master, it was my pleasure." The snake hissed.


    Yin Hui was slightly shocked. The entire time they were traveling, the white serpent showed no signs of being able to communicate in human tongue. However, now it was able to communicate with great fluency.


    "Young master? Surely I''m not worthy of such a title." Yin Hui laughed slightly.


    "Maybe not now, but I have a feeling that you will be in the future. I''ve been one of the patriarch''s closest servants for a long time, so I know a bit about how he thinks."


    "Like him, I believe this won''t be the last time you will come here. I look forward to witnessing your growth when you return. Until then, I will pass on your kind words to the patriarch. As you know already, he takes respect very seriously. Good bye, young master."


    The white serpent lowered it''s head slightly towards Yin Hui and then slithered back into the pass.


    After the serpent left, Yin Hui went to rejoin the others who were waiting for him outside. He squinted his eyes as the light of the sun filled his vision for the first time in a while.


    "Who would have thought that a beautiful sunrise awaited us when we emerged from the pass. Such a warm feeling..." Yin Hui smiled.


    Yin Hui could not remember the last time he had such a genuine smile on his face. While his expression was quite pleasant, underneath it was a profound sadness. Under the gentle golden rays of the sun, Yin Hui briefly imagined a life where fate had been kinder. In this vision, his parents were alive and happy. They sat together at the edge of a palace balcony, watching the rise of the morning sun.


    The scene within Yin Hui''s mind was incredibly realistic. He became so engrossed with this alternate reality that he felt his consciousness slip into a dreamlike state.


    In the dream, Yin Hui had regressed into a younger version of himself. He stood no higher than four feet and his hair had shortened to its previous length. Beside him were two tall adults, a man and a woman. He could not see their faces, but he knew they were looking at him with love and affection. Despite being present in the dream as his younger self, Yin Hui had no control over his actions. Furthermore, he also felt himself spectating the entire scene from afar in his original body. Existing in two different body''s was an extremely odd sensation, yet also felt extremely normal.


    "Father? Mother?" The small Yin Hui asked.


    "Yes Xiao Hui?" His father smiled.


    "I want the rest of our lives to be as warm and beautiful as this sunrise!"


    The woman who was his mother laughed.


    "So do we Xiao Hui. Let''s go get some breakfast okay?"


    "Okay!"


    As soon as the younger Yin Hui was about to touch his mother''s hand, he heard a voice call out to him.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Li Feng? Big Brother Li Feng? Are you still with us?"


    The dream ended and Yin Hui saw Yu Zhuwa standing directly in front of him.


    "You look way happier than you usually do. Did something happen?"


    Realizing he was back in reality, Yin Hui shook his head and cleared his mind. He buried the feelings that had manifested within the dream deep in his heart. Once he did, his warm expression disappeared and he returned to his dark and empty demeanor.


    "It was nothing. I just thought the sunrise was especially pleasing and beautiful after being in those caves for so long."


    "Ha! A dark and gloomy person like you actually feels sentimental things like that? Li Feng, everyday you surprise me even more." Su Jia mocked.


    Yu Zhuwa let out a small chuckle.


    "Don''t take it to personally Big Brother Li. Sister Su is just playing around. We''re only one last step from getting to the Storm Province right? Let''s keep going!"


    "Right..." Despite burying the feelings deep into his heart, Yin Hui could not stop thinking about the scene he witnessed during his trance.


    "Why am I still thinking about it? That was just a dream. A wish. My destiny is a trial of blood and vengeance. My parents died when I was an infant and there is nothing I can do about that. All I can do now is get stronger so that they can finally be avenged."


    "Hmm?" When Yin Hui sobered up again, he noticed that Su Jia was now standing before him.


    "Do you need something?" Yin Hui asked coldly.


    "Damn right I do. Give me back my compass and the strand of spiritual sense I lent to you."


    Without hesitation, Yin Hui took out the compass and threw it over to Su Jia. Afterwards, he brought a finger to his forehead and extracted a single strand of qi. He stared at the strand for a moment before flicking it towards Su Jia.


    The wisp of qi soared through the air and into Su Jia''s forehead. When it entered her body, her spiritual energy surged by a significant amount.


    "Now there should be no excuses when we raid the border."


    Su Jia snorted.


    "Hmph! Even so, you should always return what you borrow. Didn''t your parents ever teach you that?"


    "No they didn''t." Yin Hui said in a casual tone.


    "You... I don''t know how to deal with you anymore..." Su Jia pouted. No matter what she did, she could never win a battle of words against Yin Hui. He would either find some clever way to reply back to her or say something completely shameless, yet make it sound normal.


    "Forget it, it''ll only be a little longer before we go our seperate ways. The border should be in sight after we pass through this valley. Let''s go."


    The three of them traveled across the valley primarily through flight. However, they would descend every once and a while and go by foot when they sensed a patrol passing by.


    The cultivators that patrolled the valley relied on their spiritual sense to scan the area quickly. However, its effectiveness was relative to their cultivation. With Su Jia accompanying them, it was mere child''s play for her to interfere with the patrolling cultivators spiritual sense without them noticing.


    By sunset, the border to the Storm Province was only three kilometers away. With his refined senses, Yin Hui saw the outline of a heavily fortified castle. Directly behind this castle was an enormous gate half it''s size, with walls extending endlessly in a horizontal direction.


    "Is that the outpost we need to takeover to get through the border? It''s practically a fortress!" Yin Hui turned his head angrily towards Su Jia.


    "I never said it would be easy. Sorry to say this, but out of all the outposts controlled by the Tang Clan this is the weakest one." Su Jia grimly said.


    "What are we up against?"


    "The reason this outpost is considered the weakest is because they prioritize quantity over quality. Most of the cultivators you''ll encounter will range from early Spirit Waking to early Spirit Manifestation. There might even be some peak Impurity Cleansing cultivators too, but you won''t have to worry about them much."


    "If that''s the case then even I''ll be able to take a few of them out!" Yu Zhuwa said enthusiastically.


    "Just because they''re weak it doesn''t mean you should let your guard down. A thousand peak Impurity Cleansing cultivators could quickly overwhelm an early Spirit Waking cultivator if they drop their guard." Su Jia warned.


    "So I assume our job is to take out all the weaklings while you go after the leader."


    "That''s right! It might be a bit of a challenge for you if you encounter a Spirit Manifestation cultivator, but I''m sure you''ll think of something." Su Jia said cheekily.


    "I''m glad you have so much faith in me..." Yin Hui sarcastically replied.


    "Other than the leader, the only other person you need to be wary of is his right hand man. The leader''s right hand is rumored to be a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator. If you are to encounter him, run immediately."


    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa nodded their heads. They had already seen a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator in action before. With their current level of power, trying to oppose such an opponent in a one on one battle would simply be courting death.


    "Anyways, we''ll rest for now and start the invasion tomorrow at first light! Sleep early tonight boys! I don''t want any of you sleeping in and giving them extra time to prepare!" Su Jia winked.


    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa looked at each other with blank expressions. They had a feeling it wouldn''t be them struggling to wake up tomorrow.

 Chapter 33: Discovered

    "Alright so does anyone have any questions before I tell you the plan?" Su Jia asked.


    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa shook their heads.


    They were currently hiding out in a forest three kilometers from the outpost. While three kilometers was a relatively far distance to mortals. To cultivators, it was considered extremely short.


    To Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa''s surprise, Su Jia was incredibly punctual when it came to waking up in the morning. When they got up, she was already outside scouting the area for patrols.


    Seeing this shift in work ethic, Yin Hui''s opinion of Su Jia increased slightly. Perhaps she was more diligent then he originally thought.


    "Our primary objective is to take out the leader of the outpost and his second in command. Once they are out of the way, the rest of the operation will be easy."


    "Easy for you, assuming you aren''t near death after fighting those two." Yin Hui retorted.


    "Unlike you, I am very considerate of the people around me. That is why I prepared this in advance."


    Su Jia held her hand out and opened her palm. A small ball of qi the size of an apple emerged, containing a complex array of circles and symbols within.


    "This is a spell formation!" Yu Zhuwa gasped.


    "That''s right. This spell formation has the power to suppress all those with cultivations below peak Spirit Manifestation. Of course, I adjusted it so that you two would be unaffected."


    Yin Hui''s eyes widened.


    "Formations like this really exist? I had no idea such a thing was possible! How did you do this?!"


    Su Jia laughed.


    "Haha! So you finally see me as a respected senior now? Tell you what, if you kneel before me, I''ll let you hold it in your hand and experience it for a bit."


    Yin Hui did not hesitate and immediately got on his knees. He even lowered his head and clasped his hands.


    Yu Zhuwa looked at Yin Hui with a confused expression. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t imagine a situation where Yin Hui would act in such a subservient manner the way he was now.


    On the other hand, a massive grin had formed on Su Jia''s face. She was delighted. Seeing the normally cold and detached Yin Hui bow before her in utter reverence was a very satisfying feeling.


    "Ah, that''s more like it. Since you were so nice about it here you go. Just be sure to keep it stable so you don''t accidentally activate it." Su Jia passed over the ball of qi containing the spell formation to Yin Hui.


    When he received the formation, Yin Hui began to examine it as if it were the most precious gem in the world. He was like a deranged fanatic, analyzing the ball of qi at various angles and even sniffing it.


    The confusion in Yu Zhuwa''s face grew as he continued to spectate Yin Hui''s strange behavior.


    "Did Big Brother Yin Hui go crazy? Maybe this is just an after effect from being in the caves for so long." Yin Hui''s antics were just getting too bizarre for Yu Zhuwa. It was as if he was looking at an entirely different person.


    After a few more moments, Su Jia took back the spell formation.


    "Okay that''s enough. If you like this formation so much, I can pass you the instructions to make your own after everything is over."


    "I''ll hold you to that." Yin Hui replied solemnly. When the spell formation left his hand, Yin Hui''s eccentric demeanor vanished and he returned to his normal self.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Putting the formation away, Su Jia took out a dozen paper talismans from her bag of holding. She divided them equally and distributed them to Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    "These talismans have been enchanted with a spell that will create a massive explosion when activated. They can cause great damage to structures and buildings, but will not affect cultivators. Use them to cause a distraction while I sneak in and confront the leader. After I''m done, I will activate the formation and you two can flee to the Storm Province."


    "Sounds good. We''ll head to the front gate now to set up an attack. Xiao Yu, let''s--"


    Boom~


    One of the talismans in Yu Zhuwa''s hands exploded. The force produced by the talisman uprooted every single tree within a fifty meter radius and sent them flying into the air.


    Outside the outpost castle, countless guards flinched as the sound of a massive explosion filled their ears.


    "What was that?"


    "An enemy attack?"


    "It came from the forest! Send a patrol to investigate!"


    Click~


    The castle doors opened and a squad of four cultivators emerged from the castle. These cultivators were not weak either, with each of them possessing early Spirit Manifestation cultivation.


    "To think that we are still being sent out on patrol duty despite being Spirit Manifestation cultivators."


    "Perhaps this will be the last. After all, we just broke through not too long ago."


    They were about to fly out towards the direction of the explosion, but stopped when they heard a pair of heavy footsteps approach them from behind. A middle aged man with a very ferocious looking face came out and joined the squad of Spirit Manifestation cultivators.


    The guards standing outside gasped in shock.


    "It''s Lord Kai! What is he doing out here?"


    "Is the situation really so severe that Lord Kai has to take action?"


    While the four cultivators were considered strong in comparison to most in the outpost, Lord Kai was in an entirely different class of his own. That was because unlike the others, he was not an early Spirit Manifestation cultivator, but a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator!


    "Lord Kai. With all due respect, we are fully capable of investigating this matter on our own. There is no need for you to get involved." One of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators said.


    "That''s right. It is probably just another minor band of rogue cultivators. There is no need for you to dirty your hands with such a lowly task." Another added.


    Lord Kai raised his hand.


    "This was a personal order from the overseer himself. Are you questioning the orders of our leader?"


    The two Spirit Manifestation cultivators who spoke earlier immediately lowered their heads.


    "Forgive us Lord Kai. We did not know that this was an order from Lord Overseer."


    "Indeed, we apologize for our ignorance."


    Lord Kai scoffed, but did not reprimand the two cultivators further.


    "For a band of rogue cultivators to get this close to the castle undetected is already enough cause for alarm. The strongest patrol squads we have in our ranks are lead by early Spirit Manifestation cultivators. If they could not detect the intruders then it is likely that we are dealing with an enemy with at least mid-stage Spirit Manifestation power."


    The four early Spirit Manifestation cultivators took in a breath of cold air when they heard this. They felt extremely fortunate that they did not take off ahead of time. If it truly was a mid-stage Spirit Manifestation cultivator they were dealing with, then they would simply be walking into their graves. That was because despite possessing Spirit Manifestation cultivation, they did not manifest their ethereal spirits yet. The ethereal spirit was a key component of a Spirit Manifestation cultivators power. In fact, if all four of them were to face an early Spirit Manifestation cultivator with an ethereal spirit, none of them would stand a chance even if they were working together.


    "Now that I am here, it no longer matters if it is a mid or even late stage Spirit Manifestation cultivator. Come, I want to see who would dare attack an outpost entrusted to us by the great Tang Clan!"


    "Yes!"


    With Lord Kai leading the way, the five of them took to the skies and flew in the direction of the explosion.


    Back in the forest, Yu Zhuwa was repeatedly kowtowing to Yin Hui and Su Jia.


    "I''m so sorry! I didn''t know integrating some of my qi into the talisman was going to activate it!"


    Yin Hui sighed. He knew Yu Zhuwa was clumsy, but he didn''t expect him to screw up this badly so soon.


    Su Jia on the other hand, seemed to be taking it even worse. Her face tightened and she seemed to be trying her hardest not to lash out at Yu Zhuwa for his mistake. She was about to speak when all of a sudden she jerked her head to the side with a look of shock on her face.


    "Su Jia what''s wrong?" Yin Hui noticed Su Jia''s change in expression and felt a bit of concern.


    "The enemy has discovered us! There are five cultivators heading in our direction!"


    "What? Who are they?"


    "There are four early Spirit Manifestation cultivators and the last... Peak Spirit Manifestation! It''s the leader''s right hand man!"


    Su Jia cursed under her breath. While these cultivators were of no issue to her, it was a big problem for Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa. With a portion of her soul missing, she could not handle a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator and protect the both of them at the same time.


    However, there was no trace of panic on Yin Hui''s face. Instead, the corners of his mouth arched up into a small grin.


    "Su Jia, ignoring the four early Spirit Manifestation cultivators, can you prevent the leader''s right hand man from getting anywhere near the two of us?"


    Su Jia nodded her head.


    "Of course, why?"


    "Then there is nothing to worry about. I can take out the other four myself."

 Chapter 34: Facing Spirit Manifestation Cultivators

    As they neared the section of the forest where the explosion occurred, Lord Kai released his spiritual sense around the area.


    "So there are three cultivators hiding in this part of the forest. Two of them are in the Spirit Waking realm while the other..." Lord Kai''s eyes narrowed.


    "Is something wrong Lord Kai? Have you identified the intruders?" One of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators asked.


    Lord Kai did not respond to the cultivators question. This was because he was in deep thought. While two Spirit Waking cultivators were irrelevant, the fact he couldn''t sense the power of the last one troubled him.


    "There are three cultivators around this area. One of them is a three aspect Spirit Waking cultivator, while the other only has a single aspect."


    The four Spirit Manifestation cultivators let out sighs of relief when they heard this.


    "In that case, they must be relying on a treasure that allows them to conceal their presence. You mentioned three cultivators right? Who is the third?"


    "That is the problem. I can''t pinpoint the exact power of the last cultivator. With that being the case, there is a high chance that the third cultivator might be a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator like myself."


    The faces of the four Spirit Manifestation cultivators turned ugly.


    "Peak Spirit Manifestation! Impossible! What is an expert such as that doing here?"


    "This is more serious then we thought. Could they be scouts sent by the Yan Clan?"


    Lord Kai exhaled deeply.


    "It is a very likely possibility. If these three really are a scouting party from the Yan Clan, we need to eliminate them quickly so they can''t report back to their leaders."


    Woosh~


    Suddenly, a jet of pressurized air shot out from the forest towards one of the early Spirit Manifestation cultivators.


    The Spirit Manifestation cultivator it was aimed against let out a cold snort. He stuck his palm out to meet the oncoming attack and dispersed it effortlessly.


    "Hmph... A mere Spirit Waking cultivator dares to attack me? You are simply overestimating your capabilities!"


    Looking towards the direction the blast of pressurized air came from, the Spirit Manifestation cultivator saw a handsome young boy of around fifteen years of age coldly smiling at him.


    "Giving away your position like that. Your arrogance has cost you your life!" The Spirit Manifestation flew after the handsome youth who attempted to attack him.


    However, before he could even get within a hundred meters of the boy, an illusory image of a giant palm emerged from the forest and grabbed the Spirit Manifestation cultivator mid-flight. He tried to break free, but the palms grip was too strong. The grip tightened and the Spirit Manifestation cultivator exploded into a pile of flesh and blood.


    "No way! That brat is merely a Spirit Waking cultivator! How could Brother Luo be killed so easily?! Was it the peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator?"


    The faces of the remaining early Spirit Manifestation cultivators were filled with fear at the sight of one of their own being killed so easily.


    Lord Kai''s expression darkened.


    "Fellow daoist, our leader is the overseer of an outpost under the jurisdiction of the Tang Clan. We are wondering why you have trespassed through our territory without authorization. If your answer is satisfactory we will trouble you no further."


    There was no response. Instead, an illusory palm even bigger than the one before shot out of the forest towards Lord Kai.


    Lord Kai furrowed his brows and two thin beams of light shot out of his eyes. The beams collided with the palm and both dispersed, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.


    When the smoke cleared, a young girl stood before Lord Kai and the remaining early Spirit Manifestation cultivators.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Was that a satisfactory answer? Indeed, I did not come to your outpost with authorization. That is because I don''t need permission if I want to trample it under my feet."


    Lord Kai frowned.


    "Unfortunate. If you were an ally, I feel like you and I would have gotten along quite well. A beauty such as yourself is a rarity in these parts. Alas, you are an enemy. Therefore I''m afraid I will have to put you down." Lord Kai tensed his body and released his full cultivation base.


    Su Jia let out a cold laugh.


    "Haha... You''re the overseer''s right hand man right? You don''t seem to have your bag of holding with you. Without any armaments or treasures, you don''t stand a chance against me. Once I finish dealing with you, taking the rest of the outpost is going to be that much easier."


    The Spirit Manifestation cultivators beside Lord Kai gasped as Su Jia released her cultivation. The aura that radiated off her body was the exact same as Lord Kai''s!


    "Peak Spirit Manifestation! This girl is actually a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator!"


    "She''s so young too! I''m certain she is only in her early twenties at most!"


    A peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator at Su Jia''s age was an extreme rarity within the Tang Province. Even in the Tang Clan, there were very few geniuses who would be able to match her talent.


    The three Spirit Manifestation cultivators accompanying Lord Kai were all in their late thirties. Reaching early Spirit Manifestation at this age with decent backing meant that they possessed average talent at best.


    Unfortunately, being blessed with talent wasn''t always a good thing. If one did not have the right backing, an aspiring genius could find themselves cut down by an overly paranoid sect or clan.


    Lord Kai signalled to the three Spirit Manifestation cultivators behind him.


    "I''ll deal with this girl myself. Her companions should not be far away. With your cultivations, you should be able to finish them quickly. Return to me afterwards."


    "Yes Lord Kai!" The three shouted in unison. They spread out in different directions and used their spiritual sense to search the area for Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    "You dare?" Su Jia released her oppressive might to restrain the three cultivators. However, her attempt was negated by Lord Kai, who countered by unleashing his own spiritual pressure.


    "I am your opponent and you don''t have time to worry about your friends."


    "A middle aged man like you who''s spent half his life to reach the peak of Spirit Manifestation? What makes you think you are my equal?" Su Jia sneered.


    Lord Kai kept a calm face and did not play into Su Jia''s taunt.


    "Don''t get too conceited girl. You may be more talented than me, but our cultivations are the same. In this situation, I am at the advantage due to having more years of experience."


    "Experience your mother! Instead of using such frivolous words, how about you show me this experience of yours in a fight!"


    Shaking his head, Lord Kai let out a small sigh.


    "Such a vulgar mouth for a girl. If you had a bit more tact and restraint you would''ve become a notable figure in the Tang Province someday. Very well! If it''s a fight you want then it''s a fight you will get!"


    ------------------


    Down in the forest, Yin Hui made no attempts to hide his presence as the spiritual sense of the three Spirit Manifestation cultivators locked onto him.


    A few moments later, the three cultivators descended upon Yin Hui. They surrounded him and began to pace around in a circle with scorn and contempt in their eyes.


    "How foolish. A third aspect Spirit Waking cultivator dares to challenge us? I''ll have you know boy that the difference between Spirit Waking and Spirit Manifestation is equivalent to the difference between Heaven and Earth."


    "He didn''t even try to hide his presence from us. I bet he has already accepted death in his heart."


    "Three moves should be enough to take care of this brat. According to Lord Kai, the second Spirit Waking cultivator is even weaker than this one. Once their dealt with, we can return to the lord and assist him against that girl!"


    Together, the three Spirit Manifestation cultivators shot orbs of fire at Yin Hui. Not to mention three, but just one of these blasts alone had the strength to incinerate him.


    Yin Hui smirked and a bright flash of light emitted from his body. He had not been sitting idly the entire time he was being tracked. While waiting for his opponents to arrive, Yin Hui spent all his time condensing solar energy for the Blinding Light spell.


    "Gah! What is this spell? I can''t see!" One of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators shouted.


    "Xiao Yu now!"


    While the three cultivators were disoriented, a blast of pressurized air came out from the shadows and smashed into one of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators.


    It was Yu Zhuwa. He had been hiding inside a tree shadow and was charging the Wind Bullet the entire time. After firing, he leapt into the shadow of another tree before anyone could notice.


    While Yu Zhuwa''s Wind Bullet wasn''t even close to being powerful enough to injure an early Spirit Manifestation cultivator, it still had the strength to send his target flying. Borrowing the momentum of the attack, Yin Hui took out his broadsword and swung at the spiralling cultivator.


    Unfortunately, the cultivator still had his spiritual sense and saw the attack coming. He dodged at the last second and at the cost of his left arm, managed to escape a fatal blow.


    The cultivator''s face turned red with anger at the loss of his left arm.


    "So the other was hiding nearby! You both will pay dearly for taking away my arm! We were originally going to give you two quick and painless deaths, but now that plan has changed!" He turned to his other two companions who had already recovered from Yin Hui''s spell.


    "Don''t hold back! These two juniors are crafty! Sever their limbs and take them back to the outpost! I want to take my time torturing these brats before they die!"


    Yu Zhuwa snuck into the shadow of a tree directly behind Yin Hui.


    "What do we do now brother Yin Hui? I don''t think the same trick is going to work twice." Yu Zhuwa whispered.


    There was no trace of panic on Yin Hui''s face. Instead it seemed as if he was hesitating about something.


    "I didn''t want to reveal my trump card so soon, but I guess if all of them die before they can tell anyone it won''t matter."

 Chapter 35: Feeding

    "Big brother Yin Hui, what do you mean by that? Is there something inside your bag of holding that can take these three down?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    Yin Hui responded with a slight nod.


    "That''s right. Yu Zhuwa, stay inside that shadow. If you expose yourself, you might get hurt when the fighting begins."


    Yin Hui tapped his bag of holding and seven demonic looking snow leopards came out. Each of them possessed red eyes and had a bloodthirsty expression. At the head of the pack was a leopard twice the size of the rest, with fur as dark as the night sky.


    The three cultivators took several steps back at the sight of the leopards.


    "Spirit Manifestation spirit beasts! Each of them seem to have some kind of unique mutation as well! How did this brat acquire such powerful servants?!"


    "Attack. The souls will go to whoever deals the killing blow." Yin Hui commanded.


    As Yin Hui gave the word, the seven snow leopards charged towards the three cultivators.


    "The two of you hold these beasts at bay! I''ll go after the boy! I refuse to believe a Spirit Waking cultivator can fully control these Spirit Manifestation spirit beasts! He must be using some kind of treasure given to him by that girl!"


    One of the Spirit Manifestation cultivators took out a small dagger and went straight for Yin Hui. He flew over the reach of the snow leopards and threw his dagger. As the blade soared through the air, it multiplied into a hundred copies of itself and descended upon Yin Hui.


    "Take that brat! Each of those daggers have enough power to take down a peak Spirit Waking cultivator! With a hundred of them flying towards you, dodging will be impossible!"


    Yin Hui did not move and instead raised his right hand.


    "Black leopard! Come to me!"


    In the blink of an eye, the black leopard rushed over to Yin Hui''s position and shielded him from the falling daggers. Afterwards, Yin Hui climbed onto the leopards back and both of their bodies began to sublimate into black smoke.


    The Spirit Manifestation cultivator who threw the daggers at Yin Hui gasped in shock.


    "What is this technique?!" He took out another dagger and threw it at the cloud of smoke. The dagger multiplied once more and descended upon the black smoke.


    However, none of the knives made contact and every single one of them passed through the smoke as if there was nothing but air.


    "Impossible!"


    "Charge!" Yin Hui shouted.


    The roar of a snow leopard filled the area as Yin Hui and the black leopard rushed toward the Spirit Manifestation cultivator. Unlike the others, the black leopard had the power of flight. Once it got close enough to the cultivator, one of its paws materialized and dealt a severe blow to the man''s torso.


    "Agh!"


    Falling to the ground, the cultivator took out a medicinal pill and popped it into his mouth. Immediately, the wound he received began to close, leaving behind only a tiny scar across his chest.


    "Be careful! This black leopard has a strange ability that allows it to turn itself and whatever is on it into a cloud of smoke! However, when it attacks it materializes! We need to coordinate our attacks in order to seize that opportunity!"


    Hearing no response, the cultivator angrily turned his head towards where his teammates were supposed to be.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Did you not hear me? Ignore those other leopards, we need to deal with this black one first--"


    The cultivator''s eyes widened as he saw the bodies of his two comrades being torn apart by the other six snow leopards. They seemed to have been killed before they could retaliate as their bags of holding were still unopened.


    "These leopards aren''t just consuming their flesh. They are also devouring their qi and soul essence as well!"


    Using his spiritual sense, the remaining Spirit Manifestation cultivator noticed that bits of qi would leave the corpses of his fallen allies with every bite the leopards took.


    "I must report this to Lord Kai! If these leopards make it to the castle and devour our men, they could become a threat to Lord Overseer!"


    However, before the Spirit Manifestation cultivator could take off into the air, the black leopard materialized and crashed hard on top of his body. The cultivator coughed out a mouthful of blood as his body was pinned down by the giant beast. He tried to reach for his bag of holding, but another hand had already reached down and snatched it.


    "Those multiplying daggers of yours are pretty useful. I''ll be sure to use them carefully when we raid the outpost." Yin Hui said with a smile.


    "Damn you... You don''t know who your dealing with. Lord Overseer isn''t just the person in charge of the border. He''s also an elder of the Tao Clan! One of the Tang''s most loyal allies!"


    "Tao Clan..." Yin Hui clenched his fists. As soon as the surname Tao was brought up, feelings of rage and anger that could only be surpassed by the Tang swelled within his mind.


    "That''s right. My suggestion is to hide somewhere in the outskirts and assume a new identity. While you have caused us some trouble, the damage isn''t completely unforgivable. We are preoccupied with the upcoming threat of the Yan Clan, so we will most likely not spare the effort to hunt you down should you choose to flee."


    "My feud with the Tang and the Tao is irreconcilable. Even if they won''t go after me, I will not stop until I exterminate every single one of them!"


    The Spirit Manifestation cultivator shook his head.


    "You don''t understand, the Tang Clan is unstoppable. If they want you dead, you will die. Within this province, the Tang control the lives of everyone. The rebelling Yan are no exception."


    "That girl who accompanied you may be a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator, but it is still not enough to defeat Lord Overseer. Even if you somehow manage to defeat him, you will no longer have a future in this province."


    Yin Hui had heard enough. He motioned towards the black leopard and the Spirit Manifestation cultivator''s head was torn off his body.


    "I know I don''t have a future in this province. That is why I won''t be staying for very long. However, I will return one day and when I do, the rivers will run red."


    Activating the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique, the soul of the Spirit Manifestation cultivator emerged from the corpse. Yin Hui did not absorb it himself and instead fed it to the black leopard.


    The snow leopards had so much demonic qi within them that their bodies were nearly identical to Yin Hui''s. Therefore, they also inherited the ability to absorb the souls of the cultivators they defeated. While they could naturally do this by consuming the corpse, the benefits were greater if the soul was properly extracted.


    After consuming the Spirit Manifestation cultivator''s soul, the leopard grew by ten percent. It''s energy levels flared and its cultivation increased. The other six snow leopards also got stronger after devouring the other two cultivators. With their appetites satiated and their task completed all of them returned to Yin Hui''s bag of holding.


    "Wow big brother Yin Hui, that was amazing!" Yu Zhuwa said as he exited the shadow he was hiding in.


    "Did you get those leopards during the time we were separated inside the pass? Now that you have them even Spirit Manifestation cultivators will not be an issue!"


    Yin Hui gave Yu Zhuwa a soft pat on the back.


    "Those Spirit Manifestation cultivators did not possess an ethereal spirit. I feel like even though they were defeated relatively easily, fighting a real Spirit Manifestation cultivator would be difficult. Even with the leopards it would be a lengthy battle and I would definitely not be able to contend against three at once."


    "I see. At least sister Su Jia said that the fortress is mostly comprised of weaker cultivators. With the amount of souls you can harvest there, the leopards are bound to get stronger!"


    "Alright alright, a little less optimism and a bit more realism. We don''t know for sure how things will go until they do. However, I got to say that your skill with the Lurking Shadow spell seems to be improving."


    Yu Zhuwa let out a beaming smile at Yin Hui''s praise.


    "I know! I may not be able to jump from shadow to shadow just yet, but my individual melding never fails anymore!"


    "I guess the best method of improvement is real life and death experiences." Yin Hui said


    Boom~


    An ear-shattering sonic boom echoed from the sky above.


    "That must be Su Jia."


    "Do you think she will be alright?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    "Her opponent is a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator. Even if a piece of her soul is missing, I''m certain she is going to win."


    "How are you so sure? Aren''t they both peak Spirit Manifestation cultivators."


    Yin Hui shook his head.


    "When I had obtained that sliver of spiritual sense back in the pass, I got a glimpse of Su Jia''s true power."


    "Then does that mean..." Yu Zhuwa gasped.


    A wry smile left Yin Hui''s face.


    "That''s right. Su Jia is a Virtue Seeking cultivator!"

 Chapter 36: Escape

    Clang~


    Su Jia and Lord Kai distanced themselves from each other after their last exchange,


    Holding an elegant looking short sword, Su Jia had some slight battle damage on her. Her purple dress was torn in a few areas and her hair was slightly scrambled. While there was a small bruise on the right side of her jaw, there was not a trace of blood on her body.


    Lord Kai on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The entire upper portion of his robes were completely destroyed, exposing his extremely bloodied chest. His topknot had been cut off during the fighting and his hair draped around his head in a messy pattern.


    Breathing heavily, Lord Kai was currently in a very sorry state.


    "You deceived us... To think that you were not actually at peak Spirit Manifestation, but Virtue Seeking! It is no wonder you came to us acting so cocky and confident."


    "Be grateful that I am not at my full power. If I were, you wouldn''t have been able to lay a single finger on me." Su Jia retorted.


    Lord Kai let out a wry smile.


    "I have said this before, but I''ll say it again. It is a shame that you are our enemy. If you were on our side, the Tang would''ve surely offered you a very prestigious position in the future."


    "I offer you one more chance to join us. Even if you''re a Virtue Seeking cultivator, from our duel alone, I know you are still not a match for Lord Overseer."


    Ting~


    Su Jia threw a vertical sword strike towards Lord Kai''s head. However, instead of hitting his head, it was blocked by two golden wrist guards attached to his arms.


    "What are those wrist guards made out of! My cultivation is greater than yours, but I can''t even put a scratch on them."


    "These wrist guards are a gift from Lord Overseer, given to him by the Tang Clan himself. All attacks against it will fail unless my opponent is an entire cultivation stage above me. With this being the case, I have confirmed that you are not a peak Virtue Seeking cultivator."


    Lord Kai staggered back slightly. Even though he could block Su Jia''s attack, the force behind it was still as strong as ever. Given his injuries, defending against just one of her attacks required all of his energy and effort.


    Seeing the amount of effort Lord Kai was putting into blocking her strike, Su Jia understood that even if her attack wasn''t getting through she was still doing damage. She pulled back her sword and began to deliver blow after blow with greater emphasis on power over speed. While Lord Kai fended every single one of them, his face twisted in pain with each one.


    "Give up! Even if you can block my attacks, the strain it will cause on your body will kill you eventually! If you surrender, I''ll hear your last words and give you a painless death!"


    "Tch... I really didn''t want it to come to this, but you leave me no choice!"


    Putt~


    As Su Jia prepared for another heavy strike, Lord Kai smashed his fist into his own chest. He coughed out a glob of black blood and qi began to pour out of his mouth. This qi was not like normal qi and contained Lord Kai''s essence. It was his soul qi!Stolen novel; please report.


    "Soul Escape..." Su Jia muttered.


    "That''s right. By sacrificing a portion of my soul, I can trade it for a massive increase in speed. My present and future cultivation will diminish, but at least I will survive."


    Su Jia swung at Lord Kai, but it was useless. Before her attack could make contact, he had already put two hundred meters of distance between them.


    "I will be reporting to Lord Overseer about this matter. If you are wise, you will take your comrades and leave as soon as possible. As for me, I sense that mine have all been killed. You are young and possess a lot of talent. Even on opposing sides, I don''t wish for a genius such as yourself to perish before reaching your full potential."


    After leaving those parting words, Lord Kai left the range of Su Jia''s spiritual sense.


    Shortly after, Yin Hui flew up to her position, carrying Yu Zhuwa on his back.


    "Sigh... I dealt with my four opponents, but it seems like you can''t even handle one. No doubt our invasion will be that much harder now that they are getting a heads up."


    "Hmph! Next time I''ll take the lackeys then and you can battle the peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator." Su Jia snorted.


    "Fine fine, I guess it couldn''t be helped. Should we attack before they have time to prepare then?"


    "Of course. If that coward thinks he can escape from me by hiding in his castle he is dead wrong."


    -----------------------------


    In a decorated palace, an old man with long white hair sat cross legged in the air. His eyes were closed as rich spiritual qi swirled around him, giving him an aura of power.


    Crash~


    Suddenly, the doors flung open and a young man of about twenty five ran into the center of the palace.


    "Elder! Elder!" The man got on his knees before the old man and clasped his hands.


    "What is it?"


    "We have received a soul message from the young miss!"


    The old man lifted an eyebrow, but didn''t open his eyes.


    "Interesting, what did she say?"


    "It appears... That she attempted to get through Coiling Pass and has gotten lost there."


    Silent, the old man stroked his beard.


    "I heard that the young miss wanted to weaken the Tang Clan''s hold on the border. However, the other elders were hesitant. I guess she decided to take matters into her own hands and raid the outpost herself."


    "What should we do my lord?"


    Letting out a sigh, the old man ceased his meditation and descended downwards.


    "Even though her actions violate our laws, it doesn''t change the fact that she is a talent that we cannot afford to lose. For our future plans, we need to make sure she reaches her full potential."


    The young man looked up with visible joy on his face.


    "Elder! Does that mean..."


    "I have an idea on which outpost she intends to attack. Putting into consideration her current cultivation, there are very few she can take on her own. However, the young miss has a very feisty and arrogant personality as well which narrows it down even further."


    "I will mobilize a team at once to come to the aid of the young miss!" The young man bowed deeply and turned towards the door.


    "Wait."


    Before the young man could take a single step forward, he felt his entire body freeze at the elder''s command.


    "Coiling Pass is a maze of tunnels filled with countless spirit beasts. If you were to venture there with a group of your peers you would become just as lost as her. Knowing the young miss, she mostly likely stole a compass before leaving. If even she could not get through Coiling Pass with one, do you think you would be able to?"


    "No sir..." The man said dejectedly.


    "Do not fret. I will accompany you and act as a guide through the pass. While I cannot guarantee that we will make it to her in the shortest amount of time, I assure you that we will not be lost."


    "Thank you great elder." The young man bowed his head.


    "Gather your friends, but keep the group small. We do not want the other elders to know about this. If they find out, it will only complicate matters once we bring the young miss back."


    Nodding his head, the young man left the palace quickly to search for the best cultivators suited for the rescue operation. After he left, the old man shook his head.


    "That girl... Constantly causing trouble for her grandfather. While she is incredibly talented and beautiful, she is also headstrong and brutish. If I wasn''t always there to save her from all the trouble she causes, she would most likely have been killed long ago."


    "She is right though. If the Tang are to be overthrown, the initiative needs to be taken. With all the benefits the capital provides them, delaying will only weaken our position. If my cultivation was just a bit higher I would be able to force those old men to see reason. Sigh... I''m sure that when we return, I''ll have to do a lot of explaining. Whatever, I''ll come up with an excuse on the way back."


    Despite the windows being closed, a gust of wind entered the palace. When the wind ceased, the palace was completely vacant and the old man disappeared.

 Chapter 37: Storming The Castle

    On the top floor of the overseer''s castle, Lord Kai kneeled before an old man wearing luxurious red robes. A black sash was wrapped around the robe that had a silver crest inscribed with the surname Tao.


    This old man was Tao Mu, elder of the Tao Clan and overseer of the border between the Storm Province and the Tang Province!


    "Tao Kai, what happened out there for you to return with such serious wounds? From the looks of things, you seem to have barely escaped with your life." Tao Mu said with concern in his voice.


    "Yes father, in order to escape I had to sacrifice a portion of my soul. Initially, I believed that the intruders were two Spirit Waking cultivators and a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator like myself. However, it turns out that one of them is actually at the Virtue Seeking realm."


    "Hmm... There are many Virtue Seeking cultivators in the Tang Province. Could you identify which clan they were from?"


    "I''m afraid not. All I know is that she is a female cultivator in her early twenties at most. However, for someone so young her battle prowess is unparalleled. Even if I had my bag of holding with me, I still do not think I would have won. If it wasn''t for the Golden Bull Wrist Guards given to us by the Tang Clan I would not have survived." Tao Kai had a grateful expression on his face as he gazed at the golden wrist guards fastened to both his arms.


    Tao Mu''s eyes narrowed.


    "A Virtue Seeking cultivator in their early twenties? Perhaps even younger? Talent such as this cannot be some unknown genius."


    "Tao Kai, use as many resources as necessary to find the identity of this girl. If a person such as this continues to remain unknown, there will likely be grave consequences for us in the future."


    "..."


    "What is it? Why are you so silent? Even though your cultivation has taken significant damage, I still hold a decent position with the Tang. I will make sure you receive the best treatment possible and ensure you maintain the respect and authority you have always had."


    "Father, we do not need to do anything to get that girl to reveal herself. In fact, you will probably be able to see her yourself."


    "Oh? What makes you say such a thing?"


    Boom~


    The entire castle shook as the sound of a massive explosion could be heard coming from the main gate. Shouts of panic echoed throughout the fortress as countless guards mobilized to investigate the cause.


    Tao Kai let out a deep sigh as if he knew this was going to happen.


    "Because she has come to us..."


    Veins of rage popped out of Tao Mu''s forehead.


    "Courting death! This girl believes she can take over my domain with the help of two Spirit Waking cultivators?"


    Spreading his spiritual sense over the entire fortress, Tao Mu sent out a voice transmission that was heard by every single cultivator in the area.


    "Everyone, this is command from your Lord Overseer! There are three intruders that have entered the castle, two Spirit Waking and one Virtue Seeking! I do not care how they are dealt with, you will be rewarded either way. If they are brought to me alive, the reward will be greater, but if not so be it!"


    At the front gate of the castle, bodies and rubble littered the ground as Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa made their way inside. Most of the guards outside were in the Impurity Cleansing realm and thus stood no chance against them. Once they were all dead, Yin Hui used the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique to extract their souls. Just from the front gate alone, he had already acquired fifty souls.


    "Aren''t Impurity Cleansing cultivators basically mortals still? Since we''re planning to leave the province do we really need to kill them?" Yu Zhuwa asked. He understood why the top figures of the outpost needed to die, but felt sympathy for the lower ranking members who were just following orders.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Yu Zhuwa, when fighting against an enemy you must be thorough. Immortals, mortals, men, women, children, they are all the same. Pull the weeds from their roots and you will never have to watch your back."


    Yu Zhuwa had a depressed look on his face.


    "It''s just so ruthless. Is there really no other way?"


    "This is the world we live in. The quicker you accept it, the better. Now come. We need to attract more attention for Su Jia. The inside of the castle is full of shadows for you to take advantage of. Even though the sun is still out, there are plenty of places for you to hide and ambush."


    "Alright..." Yu Zhuwa entered a large shadow cast over the ceiling and began to travel through it.


    "That''s right... This is how the world works. I am living proof of that. When my clan was brought to near extermination I can''t imagine how many innocence were slaughtered. They may have missed a couple roots, but I will not. When the time comes for the Tang Clan to fall, I will eliminate every single being born with the surname Tang." Yin Hui muttered. He pictured the faces of Tang Jiao and Tang Bian. No matter what, he declared in his heart that he would not be able to share the same sky as them. Either they would fall before him, or he would die trying.


    However, when thinking of Tang Jiao, Yin Hui also thought of Tang Li as well.


    "I forgot... Tang Li is also a member of the Tang Clan. When the time comes, what will I do..."


    Since they first met, Tang Li had always been Yin Hui''s sole friend and benefactor. If it wasn''t for him, he wouldn''t have even became a cultivator in the first place.


    "Will I really have to kill Tang Li...? What would that make me in the end?"


    "Big brother look out!"


    Hearing the warning, Yin Hui immediately ducked his head. A fireball the size of a large basket flew over him and destroyed a piece of rubble outside. Forty meters in front of him were three male cultivators, each carrying a different weapon. One had a sword, another had a bow, and the last carried a small fan.


    "It looks like his reflexes are pretty good." The cultivator wielding the fan said.


    "He was warned by someone. Considering how this person didn''t take action against us and called out to his friend instead, it is safe to assume he is not the Virtue Seeking cultivator." Said the man carrying the sword.


    "Strange. The intruder before us has spiritual sense, which implies he has achieved the third aspect. However, his actual qi reserves are that of a second aspect Spirit Waking cultivator." The bow cultivator said with a puzzled expression.


    "Don''t mind the details, this is a great opportunity for us! So what if the intruders have bizarre techniques and cultivation? They are still Spirit Waking cultivators! We are at its peak and should have no trouble taking down those in the same realm as us! Get them quickly before anyone else arrives! You two look for the other one, I''ll take down the one right in front of us!"


    The man with the sword broke off from the group and began charging down the hall towards Yin Hui.


    As the man approached him, Yin Hui took out the broadsword from his bag of holding. The sword cultivator swung down hard onto Yin Hui, who assumed a defensive stance and met the blade with his own. The attack was so powerful that the floor beneath his feet cracked when he blocked the strike.


    Due to the difference in qi reserves, his opponent''s attacks were much stronger and faster than his own. Therefore, Yin Hui was mostly on the defensive the entire time. Knowing that being on the receiving end of such powerful swings would eventually tire him out, he created some distance between him and his opponent.


    "Ha! I wonder why a Virtue Seeking cultivator would bring such trash with them. Did they really think that just because we are in the outskirts that all the cultivators would be weak?"


    Laughing, the sword cultivator tried to take a step forward, but found that his feet wouldn''t move. He looked down and noticed that the ground itself had transformed into vines that wrapped around his ankles.


    Woosh~


    A blast of pressurized air came from the ceiling above him, shattering the earthen vines tangling his feet and smashing the sword cultivator into the ground.


    "Gah!" The sword cultivator coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    "Now!" Yin Hui rushed toward his fallen opponent and aimed his blade at the man''s heart.


    However, before he could deal the finishing blow, Yin Hui saw a flurry of arrows fly at him. He parried the one''s closest to him and shot a Wind Bullet at the rest. The Wind Bullet deflected all the subsequent arrows and headed straight for the other two cultivators observing the fight.


    Opening his fan, the fan cultivator threw out a blast of air of his own. The force of the wind was no weaker than Yin Hui''s Wind Bullet and cancelled the attack completely. Afterwards, he created another gust of wind that carried the sword cultivator back to their position.


    Recovering from the initial attack, the sword cultivator clasped his hands towards the cultivator carrying the fan.


    "Thank you for your help. I got careless."


    The fan cultivator ignored the words of gratitude and looked up at the ceiling.


    "You saw that didn''t you?" The bow cultivator asked.


    "Yes. It seems that the other cultivator has some kind of technique that allows them to merge into shadows." The fan cultivator replied.


    "I trust you have a solution to this then? After all, even in broad daylight the castle is full of shadows. Letting someone with that kind of ability roam free would be disastrous." The sword cultivator added.


    The cultivator holding the fan smiled.


    "Of course. Follow this plan and our hidden enemy will have no choice but to reveal themselves."

 Chapter 38: Confronting The Overseer

    "You have all been informed of the plan. Now go!"


    "Yes!"


    The sword cultivator jumped in the air and swung his sword towards the ceiling of the castle. A crescent wave of energy came out of the blade and caused a significant portion of the roof to collapse. The bright light of the sun shined down from above, creating a divide between Yin Hui and the three cultivators.


    "This isn''t good big brother Yin Hui. I can''t travel through the shadows to get to their side anymore because of that split." Yu Zhuwa said.


    Rumble~


    A portion of the ceiling on Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa''s side of the castle began to fall apart. The cultivator wielding the fan was launching orbs of fire at the roofing above them, causing more light to shine down.


    Yin Hui cursed under his breath. He understood what the enemies strategy was. By creating a divide between them and the rest of the castle, they effectively blocked their advance. Now they were destroying the roof in order to lure Yu Zhuwa out of hiding.


    "I could just let out the seven leopards and end this right now. However, the entire fortress is on high alert so anything I do will be noticed."


    "Our job doesn''t necessarily require us to take these three out. In that case..."


    Reaching into his bag of holding, Yin Hui took out the talismans Su Jia gave him. He had already used one on the main gate which left him with five more.


    The bow cultivator''s eyes widened when he saw the talismans in Yin Hui''s hands.


    "Explosive talismans! So that''s how they caused so much damage to the main gate so quickly. If they manage to get deeper into the castle and ignite them, Lord Overseer will be furious!"


    Reacting quickly, the bow cultivator shot out a swarm of arrows aimed at the talismans. However, none of them got through as Yin Hui formed a shield of rubble using Living Earth. Afterwards, in conjunction with the Wind Bullet, Yin Hui propelled a single talisman past the arrows and into the three cultivators.


    The talisman detonated and a massive explosion blew up the hallway the three cultivators were in. The confusion didn''t last long as the fan cultivator produced a large gust of wind that blew away the smoke and debris. Unfortunately for them, by the time the dust cleared, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa were already gone.


    "Damn it!" The cultivator holding the fan gritted his teeth as he snapped the fan shut.


    --------------------------------------


    After escaping the three peak Spirit Waking cultivators, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa sped through the castle. Once they felt like they had entered a new section of the fortress, they would release an explosive talisman and cause severe damage to the infrastructure.


    Over the span of two hours, three more explosions, each in different parts of the castle could be heard by every single cultivator stationed at the border.


    Along the way, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa encountered another early Spirit Manifestation cultivator without an ethereal spirit. Believing he had generated enough chaos, Yin Hui released the seven leopards out of his bag of holding. The leopards quickly tore the Spirit Manifestation cultivator apart and began to rampage throughout the fortress.


    Screams from hundreds of Spirit Waking and Impurity Cleansing cultivators could be heard as Yin Hui and the seven leopards painted the halls with blood. The leopards benefited greatly from the slaughter and each of them now had true Spirit Manifestation power. While they may not necessarily win against a mid-stage Spirit Manifestation cultivator, they would still be able to put up a decent fight.


    Yin Hui himself also received great benefits from the massacre. Even after distributing the souls among the seven leopards, he had enough to boost his qi reserves from that of a first aspect Spirit Waking cultivator to what it should have been for his current level. Now he was a third aspect Spirit Waking cultivator in every respect, from qi control to actual qi reserves.


    Back on the top floor of the castle, Tao Mu was fuming with rage. He walked over to a wooden table nearby and smashed his fist against it, splitting it in half.


    "What is going on out there! Even without my spiritual sense, I can hear the sound of my castle being blown apart! Furthermore, I sense that these explosions aren''t even being caused by the Virtue Seeking girl you spoke of!"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "The other two that came with her are unique as well father. Despite being in the Spirit Waking realm, they managed to take out three early Spirit Manifestation cultivators who had yet to form their ethereal spirits." Tao Kai remained in a kneeling position facing his father.


    "Why is it that I sense the auras of seven beings with early Spirit Manifestation cultivation accompanying these two brats?! Not just that, but they are also growing stronger as our men are being slaughtered!"


    "Seven beings with early Spirit Manifestation cultivation? This I was not aware of." Because Tao Kai was so focused in his battle with Su Jia, he did not pay attention to what happened to the patrols he came out with. He was suspicious to how Yin Hui managed to defeat three early Spirit Manifestation cultivators himself, but he never would''ve expected it to be due to having seven companions of the same level.


    "Tao Kai. There is a high possibility that this Spirit Waking cultivator is a demonic cultivator. The way these seven mysterious beings are getting stronger through the slaughter of our troops concerns me. I want you to go down there and kill them. Even though your cultivation has declined, it should still be enough." Tao Mu reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a small green pill. He threw it to Tao Kai who swallowed it immediately. As the pill''s contents dissolved within his body, all traces of his battle with Su Jia faded away. His exterior wounds were healed, but the damage to his cultivation and soul was still present.


    Tao Kai stood up and clasped his hands.


    "As you wish father. Once I finish dealing with them, I will return and aid you against that girl."


    A few moments after his son left, Tao Mu let out a sigh. He straightened his robes and walked out of the room, taking with him a qiang with a jaded blade-head off the wall on the way out. Entering an empty foyer, Tao Mu stood at the center with the spear by his side.


    "You''ve been watching me for quite a while now. Is this an optimal location for our battle? Show yourself!"


    Tao Mu tapped his spear firmly on the ground and golden ripples began to appear. The ripples spread and Su Jia, who was hiding within a shadow cast by one of the support pillars was revealed.


    "Your instincts are sharp old man. Can''t say the same about the rest of your people here though." Su Jia said smugly.


    "While we are enemies, I am grateful that you did not kill my son on his way out. I cannot say I would do the same."


    "I don''t need to deal with that weakling. I''ve given him a beating already. The one I''m here for is you old man."


    Tao Mu chuckled.


    "What about your friends? Do you not care about them? Those two Spirit Waking cultivators may be able to take out an early Spirit Manifestation cultivator, but they are still no match for my son even in his weakened state."


    "Heh. Li Feng has always found ways to surprise me. No matter what I throw at him, he never fails to rise above it. I believe he will find some way to deal with your son. After all, I''ve already softened him up for him."


    "What a treacherous friend. I wonder how you manage to even have friends judging by the way you act."


    "Enough talk! It''s time to fight!" Pulling out her short sword, Su Jia leapt towards Tao Mu, aiming for his head.


    Grasping his qiang with both hands, Tao Mu clashed with Su Jia''s sword using the tip of his spear. Sparks flared as transparent ripples formed on the ground at the point of contact between the two weapons.


    Su Jia grunted as she tried to overpower Tao Mu. However, Tao Mu simply laughed as if he were having the time of his life.


    "Aren''t you a Virtue Seeking cultivator girl? Or have you just broken through and have yet to form one yet?"


    Tao Mu disconnected from the clash and delivered a swift kick into Su Jia''s abdomen. Su Jia was sent flying into a pillar nearby and crashed right through it.


    "My dao is not like most others. Instead of cultivating a specific principle, I focus my efforts entirely on my skill with the spear. This is my dao! The Dao of the Spear!"


    Twirling his spear at extreme speed, Tao Mu created a cyclone that swept Su Jia out of the castle and into the sky. Reorienting herself and just barely recovering from the earlier kick, Su Jia lifted her sword up just in time to block a devastating stab from Tao Mu.


    Despite blocking the attack, the internal force of the stab pierced through Su Jia''s defense and hit her hard in the chest.


    "Agh!"


    Below, the guards frantically moving about outside the castle suddenly stopped as they saw Tao Mu and Su Jia fight above them.


    "It''s Lord Overseer!"


    "Lord Tao Mu is actually fighting?"


    "Who is that girl! A girl as young as that is actually fighting with Lord Tao Mu?!"


    Borrowing the force of the stab, Su Jia backed several meters away from Tao Mu. She wiped the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth and assumed an aggressive stance. Tao Mu smiled and adopted a neutral stance, as if he was giving Su Jia a break.


    "It''s been a while since I enjoyed myself like this. A decent opponent is hard to come by in the outskirts such as these."


    "Isn''t this the time of the battle where you ask me to surrender and join your side?"


    "Hahaha! You are funny, girl. Unfortunately, I am not like my son. Even though you are a genius, you are simply too talented. Your talent rivals that of many of the Tang Clan''s younger generation. From what I know of the Tang, they would most certainly not accept a talent greater than their own. Therefore, regrettably, you must die."


    Tao Mu switched to a fighting stance and held his qiang in a stabbing position.


    "While my dao is more physical then ethereal, it still follows the same path. As a show of respect, I will utilize the power of my virtues to send you off."


    A slight pressure began to fill the area as Tao Mu''s body began to glow a faint cyan. The glow spread to his spear and his movements became blurred. He paced around Su Jia as if he were walking on solid ground. With each step he took, a clone of himself was left behind until a ring of clones surrounded Su Jia.


    "Behold, my first virtue. Speed!"

 Chapter 39: Trapped

    "Haha! Dodge girl, dodge! Be honored that you will fall to my Speed Duplication Array!"


    Tao Mu let out a flurry of attacks at speeds barely visible to Su Jia''s eyes. With each swing and stab he performed, a random clone within the ring would do the exact same thing. It was as if she were constantly fighting two Tao Mu''s at once!


    Su Jia cried out in pain as she received multiple cuts all over her body. Her purple dress was torn and her beautiful face was now covered with red scars.


    "Agh! You''ll pay for that!" Su His swung her sword violently at the clones surrounding her. Unfortunately, the clones were unaffected as her blade passed through them as if it was cutting air.


    "What? These aren''t actually clones?"


    Tao Mu let out a wry smile.


    "That''s right. Though it might not seem like it, the beings you see before you are not corporeal clones. They are merely afterimages formed through movements I can only perform when I have activated my virtue of speed."


    "This is... The virtue of speed...?"


    "Mmm... Over the years, I have refined my speed to the point my enlightenment of the concept itself reached a great height. After reaching that level of mastery I discovered that I could establish it as one of my three virtues."


    Simultaneously, every single afterimage pointed their spears towards the injured Su Jia.


    "Now that I have integrated it into my dao, my speed has ascended to even greater heights!"


    All together, Tao Mu and his clones thrusted their spears. Just as they were about to impale Su Jia, a translucent light came from out of nowhere and entered her body.


    Su Jia''s entire body began to glow orange and her cultivation skyrocketed. All the afterimages disappeared as she reached out and grabbed Tao Mu''s spear, which was mere inches from piercing her heart.


    "This power... It''s virtue!" Tao Mu gasped.


    Su Jia roared as she sheathed her sword and delivered a hard punch into Tao Mu''s face. Tao Mu was sent flying towards the castle like a wayward firework. His body crashed through the top floor and completely collapsed it.


    The guards spectating below were horrified.


    "Lord Overseer!"


    "Impossible! That girl actually injured Lord Overseer?!"


    -----------------


    "Well it looks like sister Su Jia is doing well." Yu Zhuwa said happily, hearing the commotion outside.


    He was currently hiding within the shadow of the black leopard who was currently being rid by Yin Hui. With the help of it and the other six leopards, they had already cleared out seventy percent of the cultivators inside the castle.


    At this point, the seven leopards could be considered as the third strongest beings in the entire fortress. The black leopard was the strongest, now having the strength of a mid-stage Spirit Manifestation cultivator that had just broken through. While not as strong as their leader, the other six were strong as well, with each of them being able hold their own against an early Spirit Manifestation cultivator.


    Yin Hui had gotten more powerful as well. His improvement wasn''t as great as the leopards, but nonetheless his strength had increased exponentially. By now, the amount of Spirit Waking souls he had consumed were well over 200. Not only did this result in his qi reserves reaching the peak of Spirit Waking, but he had actually surpassed it! At least in terms of base attributes, it was safe to say that Yin Hui was now the strongest Spirit Waking cultivator in existence!


    "I''ve never reaped this many benefits in my life before! What an amazing feeling! While my arsenal of techniques may be lacking, I''d say I am unmatched when it comes to Spirit Waking cultivators!"


    Suddenly, an enormous pressure filled the area. The seven leopards stopped in their tracks and gathered in a tight wedge formation. Despite reaching mid-stage Spirit Manifestation, the black leopard was on high alert, which meant that the opponent before them must''ve been at least that level as well.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Walking out of a dark doorway, a burly man wearing tattered robes that completely exposed his upper body approached them. On both of his arms were two golden wrist guards that stopped just before his elbows. Having had a glimpse of the finale between Su Jia''s fight back in the forest, as soon as Yin Hui saw the golden wrist guards he knew who the man before him was.


    "You''re the overseer''s right hand man are you not? The one they call Lord Kai." Yin Hui said coldly.


    "Most impressive. I did not think that a couple Spirit Waking cultivators like you would be able to cause so much trouble on your own. Then again, you are a demonic cultivator. I can tell just by looking at these beasts that they have been corrupted with some kind of terrible demonic spell. How impatient are you to submit to the demonic path at such an early point in your cultivation."


    "You don''t know anything about me." Yin Hui scoffed.


    "Indeed, I don''t know anything about you. In fact, I don''t need to know. You are my enemy and will be shown no mercy. My father will strike that girl down, just as I will be the one to strike you down." Tao Kai tapped his bag of holding and a set of gold armor appeared. The armor attached itself to him as if it had a mind of its own until he was covered from head to toe in gold.


    "The overseer of this border, and elder of the Tao Clan, is your father?" Yin Hui asked.


    "The defensive properties of this armor are lacking compared to the Golden Bull Wrist Guards from the Tang Clan. However, it is still at a level where your spirit beasts will not be able to penetrate it!" Tao Kai ignored Yin Hui''s question and assumed an aggressive stance. However, this alone was enough of a confirmation for Yin Hui, who clenched his fists tightly.


    Tao Kai charged at full speed towards Yin Hui and the seven leopards. As he advanced, every leopard with the exception of the black one sprung into action.


    "Futile!"


    The six leopards let out miserable howls as Tao Kai viciously beat them down. Protected by his golden armor, their claws and fangs were completely ineffective.


    After beating the last leopard into unconsciousness, Tao Kai turned around only to be hit by a full power Wind Bullet.


    With the amount of practice he had against the masses of cultivators throughout the castle, accompanied by his bolstered qi reserves, Yin Hui no longer required any charge up time to use the Wind Bullet at it''s maximum force.


    Unfortunately, no matter how many he fired, Tao Kai was completely unfazed. Charging through the Wind Bullet, Tao Kai threw out a strong punch towards him. However, just before his fist made contact, the black leopard activated it''s smoke ability, causing his body to turn into smoke and the punch to pass through him.


    "Interesting, an ability that turns the user and whoever is riding it into intangible smoke. Too bad this is not enough to stop me!"


    Reaching into his bag of holding once more, Tao Kai took out a gourd with five symbols engraved on the surface. Each symbol represented one of the five elements, with the fire symbol being a flame and the water symbol being a wave.


    Removing the cork at the top of the gourd, a strong suction force emerged and began to suck in all the black smoke.


    The black leopard howled as its smoke-like body was pulled into the gourd. It tried to turn back into its physical form, but it seemed like the gourd had some kind of spell that prevented it from doing so.


    "Damn it! No!" Yin Hui shouted in defiance, but it was no use. Jumping off the the leopards back, his body began to turn back into its normal form.


    Zap~


    However as soon as he materialized, Tao Kai shot out two beams of light from his eyes that pierced Yin Hui''s chest.


    "Gak!" Yin Hui coughed out a glob of blood as he fell back down onto the leopards back. Since his body was on the black leopard, he began to transform into smoke once more.


    "Yu Zhuwa... Run..." Yin Hui muttered before being completely sucked into the gourd.


    While Yin Hui and the black leopard were being pulled into the gourd, Yu Zhuwa took the opportunity to move into another shadow. He heard Yin Hui''s words and despite being reluctant, scurried away deeper into the castle.


    "I don''t think so." Smashing his foot hard on the ground, Tao Kai collapsed the ceiling, allowing light to shine on the whole area.


    Without any shadows to hide in, Yu Zhuwa was revealed.


    "A kid? I don''t enjoy dirtying my hands with children, but I''ll make sure your end will be quick and painless." Tao Kai picked up a giant piece of rubble with both his hands and slowly walked over to Yu Zhuwa.


    "Stay away!" Yu Zhuwa said fearfully. He fired a Wind Bullet at the rubble in Tao Kai''s hand, shattering it into many large chunks and spreading them onto the floor..


    "Bad choice boy. That rock could have smashed your head in instantly so that you would have felt no pain. However, if you want to be slowly beaten to death then that''s fine by me."


    Yu Zhuwa froze in place as Tao Kai approached him. It was as if fear had completely paralyzed his entire being. Within a few short breaths Tao Kai was right in front of him, bringing his fist back.


    "Any last words while you can still speak boy? Hmm?" Now that he was face to face with Yu Zhuwa, Tao Kai noticed that the child before him was actually glowing.


    "I''ve seen big brother Yin Hui use it many times. If I could master the Wind Bullet then I can do this as well. At this range and with this much light, I cannot fail!"


    In an instant, a bright flash of light erupted from Yu Zhuwa''s body. Tao Kai covered his eyes as he was blinded by the sudden flash.


    The distraction only lasted for a moment, but it gave Yu Zhuwa enough time to hide himself within one of the shadows created by the rubble he scattered with his earlier attack. When Tao Kai regained his senses, Yu Zhuwa was nowhere to be found.


    "What a clever brat..."

 Chapter 40: Using Ones Last Words As A Weapon

    Brushing the debris and dust off his robes, Tao Mu grabbed his qiang and flew back into the sky. He wasn''t injured, but it wasn''t like Su Jia''s attack didn''t hurt either.


    "So it seems that you were simply stalling for a piece of your soul to return to you. Now that you are a complete being again I presume that this is your full power?"


    Surrounded by an aura of orange, Su Jia radiated limitless vitality and power. Color was restored to her face and she looked like she was full of energy.


    "That''s right. My dao is the Dao of Youth and this is my first virtue, hot-bloodedness!"


    Tao Mu stroked his chin. It was obvious that he was impressed by Su Jia''s dao.


    "The Dao of Youth... A very fitting dao for you. The same goes for the virtue you selected. While your dao may not be one of the Great Heavenly Daos, its synergy with your character could be considered flawless."


    "Just because my dao isn''t one of the heavenly daos, it doesn''t mean I won''t be able to pummel you now that we are on equal levels of power old man!"


    "That was not what I meant. Many cultivators in this world strive to master the strongest and most complex dao''s they can find, thinking that power lies within the dao itself. However, there have been cases where this isn''t always true. Sometimes, the best dao is the one that correlates most strongly to the person. There is a legend that the first immortal from our world ascended with a very common dao, but the synergy was so great that not even those possessing heavenly dao''s were a match for him."


    "I''m sick of your rambling! Fight me once more!" Drawing her sword, Su Jia charged towards Tao Mu like a tiger pouncing on its prey.


    Tao Mu used his Afterimage Array once more, producing a line of afterimages that were so perfect others would think that they were solid clones.


    However, Su Jia did not show weakness in the face of the numerous clones that appeared before her. Brute forcing her way towards Tao Mu, she released a barrage of high-speed sword strikes at every single afterimage.


    Maneuvering into her blind spot, Tao Mu sent a piercing jab towards Su Jia''s stomach. The spear connected and Su Jia was pierced by the blade of Tao Mu''s qiang.


    "Too arrogant. In your mania you have left yourself wide open to an attack in your blind spot. Now you have paid with--- What?"


    Tao Mu''s eyes widened as Su Jia pulled herself out of the blade of his qiang. Immediately, the wound began to rapidly heal until there was no hint of damage at all.


    "My virtue of hot-bloodedness doesn''t just empower my attacks, it also fills me with vitality and energy! When my virtue is active, I can fight using my full speed and power for three days straight and any wounds I receive will instantly heal!" Putting away her sword, Su Jia rushed towards Tao Mu and gave him a hard tackle. She wrapped her arms around his waist and they began to descend downwards like a meteor.


    "You are crazy!" Holding his qiang in his right hand, Tao Mu tried to stab Su Jia with it. However, Su Jia grabbed his wrist and twisted it. He groaned in pain as his grip on the spear faltered and slipped out of his fingers.


    The guards below looked on in horror as they watched their leader descend towards the ground like a shooting star.


    "We must help Lord Tao Mu!"


    "Fool! What can we do? If that girl can fight on par with Lord Tao Mu, we wouldn''t be able to take two steps without dying first! All we can do is wait and hope that Lord Tao Mu has a trick up his sleeve!"


    Crash~


    A large cloud of dust formed as Su Jia and Tao Mu hit the ground. With her massive vitality reserves, Su Jia recovered from the impact quickly and rose back into the air. Her injuries weren''t heavy to begin with as it was Tao Mu''s body that took most of the hit.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Lord Overseer!" The soldiers cried out.


    "That girl emerged from that crash with next to no injuries! On the other hand, Lord Tao Mu has yet to reappear..."


    "Impossible! Did that girl kill Lord Tao Mu?"


    Looking down at the dissipating cloud of dust, Su Jia let out a snort.


    "I know that wasn''t enough to kill you. Stop pretending!"


    As the dust settled, Tao Mu''s body could be seen sprawled across a crater created by the impact. His eyes were closed and his robes were in tatters. Despite this, upon closer inspection it was clear that he was not injured at all!


    Letting out a sigh, he opened his eyes and slowly got up.


    "This old man hasn''t had this much fun in a while. Regardless, it is time for me to end this."


    -------------------


    "You can''t hide forever brat!" Tao Kai shouted.


    Whenever Tao Kai checked a piece of rubble for Yu Zhuwa, he would turn to see more displaced rubble suddenly appear behind him.


    Earlier, he had guessed correctly once, but before he could do anything he was hit with another Blinding Light.


    Tao Kai briefly considered an area spanning attack that would take out all the rubble out in one go. However, he quickly rejected the idea since there was a possibility Yu Zhuwa could escape in the middle of his attack. If Yu Zhuwa managed to flee back into the castle, tracking him down would be many times more difficult.


    Maintaining his position was the best choice to make. After all, he had a hostage.


    Watching Tao Kai within the shadow of a tiny pebble, Yu Zhuwa contemplated his next move.


    "I need to figure out a way to get that gourd and free brother Yin Hui. Think! With my strengths, what can I do?"


    Suddenly, the answer came to him.


    "Hey! Lord Kai!"


    Tao Kai turned around slowly. He didn''t want to be tricked into receiving another blinding flash of light again.


    "Have you finally accepted your fate and decided to come forward?"


    "If I come out. Will you listen to what I say and not attack me?"


    "Yes. I will hear your last words if you surrender now."


    Taking a deep breath, Yu Zhuwa stepped out of the shadow he was hiding in. He had initially been charging Blinding Light, but for his plan to work he had to discard it.


    Tao Kai''s eyes narrowed as he saw Yu Zhuwa walk harmlessly towards him.


    "This boy is too trusting and green. I shouldn''t be surprised though since he is still quite young. If I were not an honorable man, he would have been killed as soon as he revealed himself."


    "Now, what are your final words in this life?" Tao Kai asked.


    "I don''t have any final words. I want you to release my friend." Yu Zhuwa said sternly.


    "Are you mad boy? What makes you think that I''ll agree to such a request?"


    Yu Zhuwa let out a faint smile.


    "Judging by how you are keeping your word right now, it seems to me like you are an honorable man. A person such as yourself must feel disgusted at using such a cheap method to secure a win. Am I right?"


    "If your opponent was much stronger than you, then it would make sense that sealing them away would count as a victory. However, the strongest one on our side was just a mid-stage Spirit Manifestation spirit beast. You on the other hand, are a peak Spirit Manifestation cultivator."


    "My cultivation dropped to mid Spirit Manifestation due to that girl who accompanied you."


    "Still. Wouldn''t an honorable man such as yourself prefer a heated battle with a worthy opponent over a situation like this? Release my friend." Yu Zhuwa''s last words sounded more like a command rather than a suggestion.


    "I... I..."


    For some unknown reason, Tao Kai found it very difficult to refute Yu Zhuwa. Even though Yu Zhuwa had offered nothing that would compel him to release Yin Hui, he felt obligated to do so.


    "I should release his friend just because it would give me a decent fight? What kind of joke is this? I am an honorable man, but this is asking too much!"


    "Yet, I feel obligated to do so. Why?! This boy isn''t using any kind of spell or technique to move my mind either! I''ve already made sure of this using my spiritual sense! It''s as if his voice itself possesses some kind of hidden authority that is compelling me to obey!"


    Despite looking calm on the outside, Yu Zhuwa was actually very nervous. He had never tried using his unique persuasive abilities on someone much stronger than him. While his persuasion attempts had never failed before, he still felt uncertain.


    His eyes shined as he saw Tao Kai take out the gourd and hold it out in front of him.


    However, before he could reach out and take it, the gourd began to shake violently. The abnormal behavior of the gourd snapped Tao Kai out of his daze, and he immediately began to try and suppress the shaking.


    "What is going on?!"


    The cork popped open and large amounts of wind, coupled with strands of black smoke escaped from the gourd. The smoke gathered together and materialized back into Yin Hui and the black leopard.


    "Brother Yin Hui!" Yu Zhuwa said happily.


    Tao Kai''s face turned pale at the sight of Yin Hui and the black leopard.


    "How did you escape?! I didn''t even release you yet!" Tao Kai shouted in disbelief.


    Holding a small fan in his hand, Yin Hui fanned himself while looking at Tao Kai with a puzzled expression.


    "You didn''t release me yet? I released myself. What are you talking about?"

 Chapter 41: Blood Sacrifice Sword

    "How did you escape?!" Tao Kai asked aggressively.


    Yin Hui pointed at the gourd.


    "Seems like you weren''t checking the capacity of that gourd after sealing me. From what I saw inside, each element has a specific limit to how much it can seal. All I had to do was produce enough wind to surpass that limit and free myself."


    "I needed a lot of wind and none of my techniques actually produced new winds. Luckily, before we began our fight, I picked up quite a few of these."


    Tao Kai''s eyes widened. He had only now realized that Yin Hui was holding a small fan in his hand.


    "Wind and Fire Fans! So that''s how you produced enough wind to break out! You stole them off our soldiers when you massacred them!"


    "That''s right. By the time I generated enough wind to escape, I had already used up all the fans with the exception of this one. I also filled up your fire element as well, so you would not be able to stop me from doing this!" Yin Hui waved the fan and a barrage of crescent flames struck out at Tao Kai.


    Considering how the Wind and Fire Fans were only Spirit Waking level weapons, they didn''t do any damage to Tao Kai. However, the gourd was not as durable and burst into flames within his hands.


    "Hmph. You may have destroyed the gourd, but what about it? With my armor on, not even your mid-stage Spirit Manifestation spirit beast will be able to harm me."


    Putting the fan away, Yin Hui took out the duplicating daggers he obtained from the Spirit Manifestation cultivator back in the forest.


    He imbued the daggers with spiritual energy and threw them all at once. The daggers multiplied as they soared through the air until a total of six hundred daggers were produced.


    "Each of those daggers creates a hundred duplicates. However, it''s power is proportionate to your cultivation. With your Spirit Waking cultivation, these daggers will only be a minor irritant!" Channeling his Spirit Manifestation cultivation into his fist, Tao Kai let out solid punch.


    The strength behind this punch was so great that it created a shockwave with effects similar to that of the Wind Bullet. It deflected about a third of the daggers, while the remaining four hundred continued on course.


    "What? how were they not all deflected?!"


    Tao Kai raised his arms as he was bombarded with four hundred duplicating daggers.


    "This is nothing! These daggers only possess peak Spirit Waking power at most! You can''t possibly---"


    All of a sudden, a piece of Tao Kai''s armor cracked.


    Then another, then another.


    Once all four hundred daggers dropped to the ground, many holes could be found on Tao Kai''s armor. His helmet was completely destroyed and his head was fully exposed.


    "How is this possible? You are a peak Spirit Waking cultivator! How is your qi strong enough to pierce through my armor?!"


    "You don''t need to know why, especially when you are about to die!" Yin Hui reached back into his bag of holding and took out a bow. This was the exact same bow used against him by the three peak Spirit Waking cultivators at the gate.


    Yin Hui pulled back on the bowstring and manifested an arrow using his qi. As he fired, the arrow multiplied until a flurry of them shot towards Tao Kai.


    The bow''s abilities were the same as the duplicating daggers, but were not limited to one use. Unfortunately, the power was also limited to peak Spirit Waking and would not change regardless of cultivation.


    "This level of power is good enough. As long as I hit a part unprotected by the armor, it should deal a decisive hit."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Tao Kai moved like a seasoned martial artist, utilizing various stances and fluid movements as he repelled the arrows. Unlike the rest of his armor, the wristguards around his arms were completely undamaged. He revolved most of his defense around the wristguards and used them to deflect the majority of the arrows. As the final arrow soared towards him, he grabbed it and threw it back at Yin Hui. The black leopard saw this and caught the arrow before it could hit him.


    Frowning, Yin Hui continued to shoot more arrows. He figured that Tao Kai would get tired eventually, and that was when he would strike.


    "Enough of this." This time, Tao Kai did not dodge as the arrows sped towards him. Two long ethereal arms emerged from his shoulders and began to pick up the daggers that had fallen from earlier.


    Woosh~


    The ethereal arms formed by Tao Kai began to throw the daggers like rain during a storm. They had loss their duplicating abilities, but their power remained intact. The daggers easily cut through Yin Hui''s flurry of arrows and moved to skewer him.


    The black leopard roared and used it''s body to protect Yin Hui from the incoming blades. It was still recovering from being sealed in the gourd and did not have the courage nor the strength to turn intangible. The leopard howled as it''s body was continuously pierced by daggers.


    "So this is the power of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator''s ethereal spirit... While I''ve seen it before, facing it is an entirely different scenario. I guess I have no choice but to use my last resort then."


    After blocking all four hundred daggers, the black leopard gave out and collapsed. Yin Hui took out a few medicinal pills and fed them to it.


    "Thank you... Rest easy now, I''ll make sure your effort was not wasted." Yin Hui said while patting the leopard on the back.


    Once the black leopard''s condition stabilized, it slowly made its way into Yin Hui''s bag of holding. After it entered, Yin Hui took out a single item before walking over to face Tao Kai. This item, was the red stringed short sword that Su Jia gave him when they first met.


    Tao Kai''s eyes narrrowed.


    "So you''re finally going to use a weapon not stolen from my soldiers? I wonder what kind of treasure it is to give you the courage to face me like this."


    "Yes, this is my final ace. Actually, I didn''t know of its use until very recently. I learned the unique properties of this sword while slaughtering your guards. In its current state, this sword is no match for you, but with the right circumstances it can!"


    Yin Hui raised the sword above his head and a loud hum reverberated throughout the castle. Suddenly, large torrents of blood burst through the rubble blocking both exits and converged upon the weapon.


    The blade absorbed the blood like a bottomless pit and slowly began to turn red. As it did, an aura of power started to leak out, exerting a pressure that brought Tao Kai to his knees. Yu Zhuwa was affected as well. He clutched his head in pain as he slowly walked towards Yin Hui.


    "Yu Zhuwa. Hide in my shadow and you should be okay. Since this pressure doesn''t affect me, my shadow should also be unaffected!"


    Yu Zhuwa nodded and merged with Yin Hui''s shadow. Once he did, the crushing pressure was alleviated.


    The pressure created by the red stringed sword was even felt outside. Sensing the disturbance, Tao Mu and Su Jia turned their heads towards the castle.


    "What is this? No Spirit Manifestation or Spirit Waking cultivator could have this kind of pressure! What kind of treasure did you give your companions!"


    "Beats me. Not even I know what goes on in that guys head. I just had a feeling that he would be a great ally for this siege."


    After drinking the last drop of blood, the sword''s blade was dyed a deep shade of crimson. The overbearing pressure was at its peak and Tao Kai was using all his strength just to prevent himself from collapsing.


    The crimson sword flared with power and began to glow. Just by looking at the energy signatures, Tao Kai knew that all the blood the sword devoured was going to be released in one lethal attack. He retracted his ethereal spirit and clasped his palms together.


    "It seems like this is the end for me. Congratulations, the victory is yours." Even in defeat, Tao Kai did not lash out or act bitter. His opponent was stronger and that was all there was to it.


    "Forgive me father. Forgive me people of the Tang Clan. While I may not live to see the final battle, I wish you all the best."


    Hiding within Yin Hui''s shadow, Yu Zhuwa felt a twinge of sadness as he heard Tao Kai''s last words. To him, Tao Kai was not a bad person. He was honorable, loyal, and acted in a honest and straightforward manner. If they weren''t on opposite sides, Yu Zhuwa thought they could''ve become great friends and allies.


    As the sword''s energy reached its peak, Yin Hui stared at Tao Kai with a cold expression.


    "Death to all those with the surname Tao. Out of consideration for your honorable nature, I will ensure your father joins you as soon as possible. That will be my pity towards you."


    Tao Kai let out a grim smile. He could feel the hatred within Yin Hui''s voice. The boy had an irreconcilable grudge with his Tao Clan that he would never live to understand. He ignored the obvious insult to injury and lowered his head.


    The blood stored within the sword erupted into a massive pillar of red energy. This enormous ray of energy spanned the entire castle and disintegrated everything in its path, with the exception of Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    All the cultivators who were outside and spared from the destruction looked over in shock as the entire fortress was replaced with a pillar of red.


    Horror could be seen in Tao Mu''s eyes and he stumbled backwards in disbelief. Su Jia had a similar reaction. She knew that Yin Hui was cunning, but she never suspected he was hiding something like this from her.


    "Blood Sacrifice Sword!!" Tao Mu shouted.

 Chapter 42: Capturing The Outpost

    All that was left after Yin Hui''s attack was a giant crater where the outpost once stood. The sword had turned back to its normal steel color and no longer possessed the frightening aura it had earlier.


    Yin Hui felt completely drained after the attack. He put the sword back into his bag of holding and popped a large amount of medicinal pills into his mouth. Yu Zhuwa emerged from his shadow and looked visibly shaken.


    "Big brother Yin Hui... Are you okay? That last attack was.... Devastating..."


    "Yeah, I think my body is going numb. Those medicinal pills were enough to keep me conscious, but I still feel exhausted. Can you open my bag of holding again and take out the black leopard?"


    Yu Zhuwa unwrapped the string of Yin Hui''s bag of holding and the black leopard appeared. It was still covered in daggers, but had recovered enough to move.


    "That attack must have come from those two over there!"


    "They''re injured! Let''s get them before they have a chance to recover!" Replacing their fear with anger, the several hundred guards that were not affected by the blast charged towards Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    Gritting her teeth, Su Jia prepared to activate the formation she had constructed prior to the invasion. While Tao Mu was still alive, she estimated that she would be able to hold him off long enough for it to take out the remaining soldiers.


    However before she could activate it, Tao Mu''s qiang stabbed her in the wrist.


    "Agh!" Su Jia groaned.


    Tao Mu looked at her with a serious expression on his face. In the span of a few hours, he had already lost so much. His eyes were cold and there was a hint of fury behind them.


    "This is my second virtue, precision! It isn''t as simple as controlling my weapon using qi. Instead, the qiang and I have become one. The weapon has my eyes and will now hit exactly the way I want it to."


    "I have hit one of the main qi points in your arm. Not only will it severely impact the effectiveness of your spells, but it will also take much longer to heal even with your virtue of hot-bloodedness."


    Tao Mu remotely retracted his qiang and sent it back to his hand. As soon as the spear left, the wound on Su Jia''s arm began to close. However, the damaged qi point remained in critical condition.


    "My patience is at its end, but for giving me such a good time. I will use my full power to finish you off."


    A powerful pressure filled the area as Tao Mu''s cultivation increased many times over. If one were to compare his strength now to how he was at the start of their fight, it would be like an infant facing an adult.


    While Su Jia''s virtue of hot-bloodedness was enough for her to feel confident in contending against Tao Mu''s two virtues, this changed when Tao Mu released his full power.


    Su Jia didn''t even know when Tao Mu left the ground and appeared in front of her. He stared at her as if she were a toy that he had just lost interest in. Raising his finger, he pointed at Su Jia.


    "Slow."


    When Tao Mu said the word ''slow'', Su Jia''s body trembled. Her body started to stiffen and she began to feel sluggish.


    "This is vice...! You''re a Vice Taming cultivator!" Even her mouth movements became delayed.


    "That''s right. Did you really think the overseer of an outpost and a clan elder of one of the Tang Clan''s most trusted allies would be that weak? I am Tao Mu! A Vice Taming cultivator with three vices!"


    "The virtues and vices a cultivator chooses are linked. When one establishes a virtue, they will become subject to the corresponding vice. For example my virtue of speed. If I overuse the virtue too much, I will be afflicted with the exhaustion you are experiencing right now."


    "Raaa!" Su His energy flared as she lunged at Tao Mu. Tao Mu easily dodged the attack and delivered a swift chop to her collarbone, causing her to lose her balance slightly.


    "It seems your backlash has already started. Since your virtue is hot-bloodedness, I can guess that your corresponding vice must be recklessness."


    Su Jia glared at Tao Mu like a hungry animal. If she wasn''t afflicted by the slow, she would have already charged after him again.


    "For Virtue Seeking cultivators, virtues are their greatest strength and weakness. However, once you reach Vice Taming, you can learn to control those vices and remove the backlash. After removing the backlash, the vice is considered tamed and can be used against your opponents!"


    Extending his finger to Su Jia again, Tao Mu released his remaining vices.


    "Disorient! Daze!"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Su Jia''s body trembled once more. Her vision began to blur and her thoughts became scrambled.


    Tao Mu''s qiang vibrated as he imbued the weapon with the power of virtue.


    "My final vice is daze. With that being the case, it is quite easy to guess my final virtue."


    Positioning himself into a lunging stance, Tao Mu concentrated the strength of his final virtue into his qiang.


    "The opposite of daze is focus! With this one strike imbued with my virtue of focus, I will shatter your body and soul! Then I will go after that brat who destroyed my castle!" Tao Mu thrusted his qiang with so much force that it seemed like even a mountain would crumble from it''s strike.


    Unfortunately, Su Jia was still afflicted by Tao Mu''s vices and her senses were in complete disarray. How could she prepare a defense if she didn''t even know the strike was coming?


    "Stop." An elderly voice called out.


    The voice was neither stern nor commanding. However, it contained an air of power and authority that made Tao Mu stop his strike mere inches from Su Jia''s chest.


    Tao Mu turned around to see an elderly man with hair as white as his standing with his hands behind his back. The man wore a pristine white robe with a grey sash that contained a crest with the surname Yan written on it.


    "I should''ve known... How could a talented genius survive this long with such a reckless personality, and also remain relatively unknown? I knew she served the Yan''s interests, but I didn''t expect her backing to be the Yan Clan themselves."


    Behind the old man were seven others who looked to be in their late teens or early twenties. They all stood attentively and silently, as if they were mere servants awaiting a command.


    "Step away from my granddaughter." The old man calmly flew towards Tao Mu and Su Jia.


    "Slow! Disorient! Daze!"


    Tao Mu immediately cast all three of his vices on the approaching old man. Then, with strength that surpassed his earlier strike against Su Jia, threw his qiang towards him.


    The old man snorted. He waved his hand and a faint barrier that could barely be seen formed in front of him. Three thuds could he heard shortly after, which could only be from the three vices Tao Mu shot at him.


    Next was the qiang, however, it too was easily stopped by the old man who grabbed it with a single hand.


    "Courting death." Imbuing the qiang with his own spiritual energy, the old man severed Tao Mu''s connection with his own weapon.


    This alone revealed the massive disparity in power between the old man and Tao Mu. To remove Tao Mu''s virtues from his weapon, especially his virtue of precision which merged a part of him with the weapon itself, showed just how strong he truly was.


    With the qiang under his control, the old man threw it back at Tao Mu using twice the strength used against himself.


    The qiang impaled Tao Mu with so much force that it shattered into pieces along with his soul. His body then exploded into a mist of blood, which was dispersed by a gust of wind produced by the seven cultivators who accompanied the old man.


    After killing Tao Mu, the old man flew towards Su Jia and put his hand on her forehead. Su Jia felt a gentle warmth enter her body as her thoughts cleared and her senses were restored.


    When she saw the old man before her, Su Jia''s face reddened.


    "G-g-grandfather?!"


    Su Jia''s grandfather flicked her forehead.


    "Causing trouble again are we? This time you really went too far! Challenging a peak Vice Taming cultivator on your own?! If I hadn''t gotten your soul message and came here myself, you would''ve been killed!" He said sternly.


    "Hehe... Well... All of this was for the sake of the clan wasn''t it?" Su Jia said bashfully.


    The old man flicked her forehead with even greater strength.


    "For the sake of the clan my ass. Going against the other elders orders, running off on your own, and nearly getting killed is all going to benefit us right? Don''t forget you are one of the clan''s hidden geniuses. We want as few people to know about you as possible."


    "Don''t worry, I always use a fake name whenever I do things like this. Right now my two companions, Li Feng and Xiao Yu, know me as Su Jia. Oh right, I better activate that restriction formation for them right now."


    Back at the crater where Tao Mu''s castle once stood, Yu Zhuwa was on his last legs. He was surrounded by three mid-stage Spirit Waking cultivators and was running low on qi. On the other hand, Yin Hui was still recovering on top of the black leopard, who was using all of it''s energy to maintain it''s intangible smoke form.


    "Tire them out, but don''t kill them! We need to make them pay for what they did to the castle!"


    The hundreds of soldiers that surrounded Yin Hui, Yu Zhuwa, and the black leopard were all mid Spirit Waking and below. Therefore, they were completely oblivious to the fact that Tao Mu had already died.


    Bzzt~


    Suddenly, flashes of yellow emerged from the ground and turned into chains that wrapped around every single cultivator, with the exception of Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    "We''re stuck! Is this a restriction formation? When did they have time to activate it?"


    Yu Zhuwa turned towards Yin Hui who had put away the black leopard and materialized back into his normal form.


    "It looks like sister Su Jia has won." Yu Zhuwa exhaled.


    While Yu Zhuwa was relieved that the battle was over, Yin Hui was not as relaxed.


    "Yu Zhuwa, we''ve completed our side of the deal, grab onto me."


    Confused as to why Yin Hui was in such a rush, Yu Zhuwa hesitated for a second before climbing onto Yin Hui''s back.


    Popping the best medicinal pills he could find in his bag of holding, Yin Hui flew at the fastest speed he could muster towards the border wall.


    Pop~


    Yellow chains shot out of the ground and went after Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    "I knew it." Yin Hui said grimly. While recovering, he was spectating the battle between Su Jia and Tao Mu with his spiritual sense. He saw the arrival of the old man and knew that Su Jia was actually a member of the Yan Clan.


    Watching Yin Hui being chased by the chains formed by the formation, Su Jia turned to her grandfather.


    "Grandfather, what are you doing?! I made a Dao Oath to let them go free! Release your hold over the formation!"


    "You let them go, but I did not. On the way here, I saw a massive pillar of red energy soar into the sky. That boy possesses a Blood Sacrifice Sword. A treasure like that will be very useful in our war against the Tang. He will submit to us or perish. Letting someone with that kind of weapon roam free is far too dangerous."


    Woosh~


    Suddenly, yellow chains erupted from the ground beneath the old man and his seven companions feet. They wrapped around them tightly and restricted their movements.


    It only took a moment for the old man to break free of the chains, but it was enough for him to lose track of Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    "What a clever young man... You were careless my child. It looks like he tampered with your formation without you even knowing it."


    Su Jia recalled how Yin Hui was acting very strangely when she first showed him the formation. She let out a bitter smile when she realized that she had been a part of Yin Hui''s schemes once again.


    "You''re right grandpa, he is a clever one... I must admit, that man is always full of surprises..."

 Chapter 43: On All Fours

    Unlike the Tang Province, the Storm Province did not have any cultivators positioned near the border. That was because their side of the border was already naturally protected by the environment.


    Flight, the primary method of transportation for cultivators, was useless here. That was because the first three hundred kilometers into the Storm Province was ravaged with extremely dangerous storms. Lightning would constantly fall and the bolts were strong enough to kill all those below Virtue Seeking.


    Traveling by ground was difficult as well, as the landscape itself was merely a barren wasteland. The few sources of food and water were guarded by powerful spirit beasts, and rogue cultivators roamed about looking for travelers to prey upon.


    Unfortunately, despite the risks, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa had no choice but to travel by foot.


    "That was a close one. If that bolt of lightning didn''t descend on those three Virtue Seeking cultivators in the middle of their technique, we would''ve died!" Yu Zhuwa said.


    "Mmm. It didn''t kill them, but they were injured enough that we had time to take their bags of holding and escape."


    Within hours of entering the Storm Province, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa had already run into a band of rogue cultivators. These cultivators were all early Virtue Seeking and were much stronger than them.


    Seeing no way of winning in a direct fight, Yin Hui took the battle to the sky. The battle changed into a contest of survival in which he ultimately won. He didn''t even bother to finish off his injured enemies and simply left with their bags of holding.


    After an entire day of traveling, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa set up camp in an empty cave they found.


    Using the medicine found in the bags of holding, Yin Hui took out the black leopard and began to tend to it''s injuries. He removed each dagger one by one and mended it''s wounds with great care. Yin Hui spared no effort in trying to make the treatment as painless as possible. If it wasn''t for the black leopard, he might have not even survived Coiling Pass. He lamented the loss of the other leopards, but knew that there was nothing he could do about it now.


    Once every wound was patched up, Yin Hui took out a few medicinal pills and fed them to the leopard. At this point, he only had ten pills left and had to be very careful with their usage.


    Yu Zhuwa came over at sat beside Yin Hui.


    "I still can''t get over the fact that sister Su Jia would actually betray us last minute like that!" Yu Zhuwa bitterly said.


    Yin Hui shook his head.


    "I didn''t feel any fluctuation in the Dao Oath when we were attacked. So it''s safe to assume the change in the formation was not caused by her."


    "Then who was it?" Yu Zhuwa had not manifested his spiritual sense yet, so he was not aware of what happened between Su Jia and the overseer.


    "Her grandfather." Yin Hui said quietly.


    "Grandfather?! Su Jia got help from her grandfather?"


    "Su Jia was hiding things from us as well. Turns out her grandfather is an elder of the Yan Clan and she is one of their top geniuses."


    Yu Zhuwa could not keep still after hearing this.


    "Yan Clan?! The main enemy of the Tang?! No way!"


    Yin Hui nodded slightly. He was sweating a bit from just recalling the events back at the outpost. What he didn''t tell Yu Zhuwa was that when he was spectating the fight, he felt like Su Jia''s grandfather was watching him as well. Under her grandfather''s gaze, Yin Hui felt completely transparent. While he was sure he did not know about him being an escaped slave from the Tang Clan, he definitely noticed that he had a fiend body.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Su Jia''s grandfather is powerful. That overseer was a Vice Taming cultivator and he was defeated with a single move."


    Yu Zhuwa''s expression sank.


    "Do you think we will ever get to go home then...?"


    Putting his hand on Yu Zhuwa''s shoulder, Yin Hui let out a faint smile.


    "Don''t worry, now that we are here, we are going to focus on getting stronger. We will get so powerful that no one in the Tang Province will be able to stop us. When that happens, we can return home without worries."


    "Yeah... Let''s get out of this place as soon as possible and get to the Striking Thunder Sect..." Yu Zhuwa sobbed slightly.


    ------------------------------


    Back in the capital of the Tang Province, Tang Jiao was in a very pitiful state. He was dressed in rags, his face was swollen from what seemed like many beatings, and all his hair was gone.


    Currently on all fours, he was carrying a haughty-looking, but beautiful girl on his back. She stared down at Tang Jiao''s figure with her black phoenix like eyes in disgust.


    "I didn''t say stop moving did I?! Keep going! All the way to the main gate! Lord Clan Head said we could do whatever we want to you to appease our frustrations, but why did you come to me so late?!" She dug her heel into an open wound on Tang Jiao''s neck and twisted it.


    Tang Jiao bit his lip to divert the pain and started to crawl.


    As the two of them slowly moved throughout the capital, they attracted the attention of both the younger and older generations of the Tang Clan.


    "Isn''t that the eldest son of the clan head? Tang Jiao?" A member of the younger generation asked.


    "I heard one of his lackey''s was killed by a mortal slave. How embarrassing, a cultivator being taken out by a mortal?" Another adolescent said.


    "Haha! I know right? I heard the slave beat him and his younger brother shortly afterwards and escaped! The younger brother was beaten so badly that he was even hospitalized! No wonder Lord Clan Head is so bitter nowadays. In addition to the upcoming war against the Yan, he has to deal with his pathetic sons!"


    "Still, young master Tang Li may be pathetic, but at least he has a decent character. On the other hand, this Tang Jiao is as rotten as feces. Despite barely being considered a genius, he acts arrogantly and bullies the younger generation with his royal status."


    "Lord Clan Head has decreed that Tang Jiao owes every single member of the younger generation a single request. It seems that karma has finally come full circle for him. As usual, lady Tang Mei is as ruthless as ever."


    "Tang Jiao bullied me once during a drunken stupor. He stole my treasures and injured me greatly. After he sobered up, I confronted him about it and he merely laughed and beat me again. I can''t wait to settle the score with him!"


    The two clan members were intentionally speaking in a voice that was quiet, yet loud enough for Tang Jiao to hear. Veins bulged out of his face in anger.


    [Yin Hui... I''ll make you pay! When I get my hands on you, Hell will be but a mercy!]


    "Just you wait! Once I have fulfilled all these ridiculous requests, I will come for every single one of you!" He snarled at the gossiping clan members.


    "You still have enough strength to bark?! Settle down!" Tang Mei released her oppressive might, immediately subduing Tang Jiao.


    "It seems I was being too soft on you. I''m still angry, and hearing you speak is making my mood even worse."


    Unsatisfied with the amount of pain Tang Jiao was experiencing, Tang Mei decided to push things even further. Manifesting a pair of chains made of her own qi, she wrapped them around his neck tightly. After, she added a flame spell that would constantly burn him whenever she felt like it.


    "Aaagh!" Tang Jiao screamed in pain as his throat was seared. He tried to force the chains off of him, but no matter how hard he pulled they would not budge.


    Unlike Tang Jiao, Tang Mei was one of the Tang Clan''s true chosen. Despite being three years younger than him, her ethereal spirit had already reached the complete body stage. With such a massive gap in their cultivations and stripped of his royal protection, he was at Tang Mei''s mercy.


    "You had quite a few treasures stored up in that palace of yours that I had my eye on! I was going to have you give them to me, but they''ve already been taken away! Who did you fear more that would make you fulfill their request before mine?!" She demanded while pulling hard on Tang Jiao''s leash.


    Tang Jiao tried to respond, but all that came out were choking sounds.


    "Tang... Zhi... lei..." Tang Jiao knees gave out after saying the name.


    "Tang Zhilei..." Upon hearing the name, Tang Mei''s expression went dark. She loosened her hold on Tang Jiao''s leash, allowing him to breathe again.


    "Get up! You''re making my hair touch the ground!" As Tang Jiao struggled to get back into his original position, Tang Mei swung her gorgeous long black hair around, slapping him in the face in the process.


    Pondering for a moment, her face became stern and she tugged on Tang Jiao''s leash once more.


    "We are going to Zhilei''s palace! After our business is concluded I''ll let you go!"


    Cold sweat began to form on Tang Jiao''s forehead.


    "We are going to Tang Zhilei''s residence...?" Earlier, Tang Jiao''s face was painted with pain and anger. Now, all that could be seen was fear.

 Chapter 44: Tang Zhilei

    If one were to ask who the Tang Clan''s greatest talent was, it would be undeniably be Tang Zhilei. At the age of eight, he embarked on the path of cultivation. In that same year, he completed a perfect cleansing and became a Spirit Waking cultivator. Four years later, he formed his dao and manifested his ethereal spirit.


    Everyone expected Tang Zhilei to complete his ethereal spirit immediately, but for some reason he decided to take his time. It took six years for him to complete his ethereal spirit, much to the confusion of many. While forming a complete ethereal spirit in six years still classified one as a genius, many had higher expectations for the young prodigy. However, he shocked everyone once again when he broke through the virtue and vice realms in the span of twelve years!


    The virtue and vice realms were the stages that separated the pseudo cultivators from the true cultivators. With the exception of certain geniuses, most cultivators in this realm were old men or those reaching their late middle-ages.


    This was why Tang Zhilei was held in such high regard by not just the Tang Clan, but the entire Tang Province. Just reaching his thirties, he had already tamed two of his vices and was a hairs breadth away from mastering the third. Even the Clan Head gave him special treatment, bestowing upon him status equal to that of royalty.


    Tang Mei had a gloomy expression on her face as Tang Jiao crawled towards Tang Zhilei''s palace. Unlike the rest of the chosen who resided in luxurious palaces in the most scenic areas of the capital, Tang Zhilei lived near a dark and desolate mountain that isolated himself from the rest of the clan. This mountain was located behind the main palace and was solely inhabited by him.


    As the two approached the steps of Tang Zhilei''s palace, Tang Jiao stopped his advance.


    "What are you doing? This isn''t the first time you''ve come here. What''s the problem with seeing him one more time? Ah, forget it. I''ll walk in myself." Tang Mei got off Tang Jiao''s back and walked up the stairs towards the palace doors. She pulled the chain around Tang Jiao''s neck, forcing him to follow closely behind her.


    With the exception of the lanterns dimly lighting the area, the entire mountain was dark and murky. While Tang Zhilei''s palace looked quite clean and well-kept, it radiated a sense of dread that filled the atmosphere. It didn''t feel like the residence of a talented genius, but the lair of a powerful demon that could not be provoked!


    Once they reached the doors, Tang Mei clasped her hands and lowered her head.


    "Brother Zhilei! This junior sister Tang Mei has something to discuss with you!"


    After a brief moment, the doors opened and black smoke escaped from the widening crevice. It filled the air with a thick smell of incense mixed with the iron-like stench of blood.


    "I am in the meditation chamber on the top floor. You and the young lord may come see me. I''ll disable the defensive formations." The message was transmitted directly into Tang Mei and Tang Jiao''s minds through spiritual sense.


    The interior of the palace was pitch black. Nothing could be seen except the faint outline of stairs that led to the upper levels.


    As the two of them went up the steps, they heard faint screams that grew louder with every floor they passed.


    "What does he do in this place? Why is every floor filled with these miserable cries?" Tang Mei wondered.


    While the Tang Clan''s chosen were all fairly acquainted with each other, Tang Zhilei was an exception. Even the most talented geniuses did not know much about him, other than the rumors of his tremendous power.


    There was once a clan member who thought Tang Zhilei was merely a figurehead set up by the Clan Head to inspire the other chosen. He ventured off to his residence and openly challenged him to a duel. No one knew the details of the confrontation, but the challenger was never seen again. Seeing that the Clan Head did not pursue the incident, no one dared to challenge Tang Zhilei ever again.


    [I should not have come back. Especially not with Tang Mei. If she ends up angering Lord Zhilei, I will suffer greatly.]


    At the age of thirty, Tang Zhilei was still considered a member of the younger generation since he did not reach his middle ages yet. Out of respect, as well as a great deal of fear, Tang Jiao carried out the punishment set by his father starting with him.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    When Tang Jiao came previously, the screams were present then as well. At the time, he tried to use his spiritual sense to investigate the cause, but couldn''t detect anything. Whatever the cause of the screams, Tang Zhilei clearly did not want him to know about it.


    Reaching the top floor, Tang Mei opened the door to the meditation chamber and the figure of a young man could be seen sitting in front of a purple flame.


    "Welcome Junior Sister Mei, it has been a while. The same goes for you too young master Tang Jiao. It is my honor to see the future successor of the Tang Clan a second time." Tang Zhilei said with his back still turned.


    His voice was deep and powerful, but there was also a slight hiss in his tone, similar to that of a snake.


    Tang Jiao immediately got on his knees and bowed before Tang Zhilei, but Tang Mei stood firm.


    "You took all of this loser''s treasures when he came to you did you not? Some of the treasures he possessed were of great value to me! I don''t care what your status in the clan is or your power. I want a share of those treasures!" She said stalwartly.


    "Haha..." Tang Zhilei let out a crooked smile and turned to face the two visitors.


    Even with the poor lighting in the room, Tang Zhilei''s features were extremely defined and visible. His face was similar to that of a snake, and he had long black hair that extended halfway down his back. However, what stood out the most was his unnaturally pale skin and crimson eyes. If snake was the first word people would use to describe his appearance, the second one would undoubtly be demon.


    While handsome in all aspects, Tang Jiao noticed that Tang Zhilei looked slightly different since the last time he came. During his previous visit the day before, Tang Zhilei did not have the slight snake-like features he had right now. Even though his skin and eye colors were the same, he had the face of an ordinary human. Though it was barely noticeable, Tang Jiao found it odd that his appearance would change at all in such a short amount of time.


    "Xiao Mei, unlike the other chosen, you are strong-willed and fearless. That is why I have a much more favorable impression of you compared to the rest of the so called geniuses of the clan. Because of that, I''ll offer you one treasure of your choosing. Which treasure do you want? A treasure to help fuse your ethereal spirit into your body and break into Virtue Seeking? Life-saving protection?"


    "I want... The Twin Orchids."


    Tang Zhilei frowned when he heard Tang Mei''s choice.


    "How boring." He said with a displeased tone.


    Tang Jiao''s eyes widened when Tang Mei said she wanted the Twin Orchids.


    Out of all the treasures he had accumulated, the Twin Orchids could hardly be considered anything special. It was a defensive treasure for cultivation couples and its power depended on the strength of the bond between the two who possessed them. The ones holding the flowers needed to be in perfect sync and even the slightest waver in love could weaken the defensive properties of the orchids drastically.


    Tang Zhilei waved his hand and two elegant pink orchids the size of a thumb flew into Tang Mei''s open palms. She looked at them with affection before putting them into her bag of holding.


    "May I ask which dashing soul has caught your eye Xiao Mei...?"


    A cold shiver went up Tang Jiao''s back when he heard the word ''soul''. Whoever this person was, it seemed like they had already made an enemy of Tang Zhilei. This didn''t seem to be out of jealousy either. Tang Jiao felt no love coming from Tang Zhilei''s voice.


    "Love is only a temporary satisfaction Xiao Mei. I do not wish to see you lose your great inner strength for something so trivial. Tell me who this person is and you will remain the true beauty you currently are."


    "Forgive me Brother Zhilei. I cannot disclose that information to you. I believe we have disturbed your meditation enough already. We will be on our way." Tang Mei gave a quick bow before leaving the palace with Tang Jiao.


    Tang Zhilei stared at Tang Mei coldly as the two of them left. Afterwards, he let out a scoff.


    "Tch... Seems like all of the chosen really are just trash. I really thought you were different Tang Mei. Unfortunate..."


    Upon returning to the main area of the capital, Tang Mei released Tang Jiao.


    "Alright loser, you''re free to go. One warning though. If you tell anyone what happened at Zhilei''s palace, what you experienced today will be heaven compared to what I''ll do to you next."


    "Yes..." No matter what he was in the past, the current Tang Jiao was nothing. Before someone like Tang Mei who was above him in all aspects, all he could do was lower his head.


    After dealing with Tang Mei, Tang Jiao had no more energy to fulfill any additional requests. He returned to his palace to find a messenger waiting at his front door.


    "Sigh... I''m only taking a short break. At first light on the next day, I''ll head back out and continue fulfilling the requests of the younger generation." Tang Jiao said as he approached the messenger.


    "Young master Tang Jiao, that''s not what I''m here for."


    "Oh?"


    "Your father wants to see you. There is news about a missing slave---" Before the messenger could finish the sentence, Tang Jiao was already on his way to the main palace.


    [No matter what kind of news it is, if it concerns Yin Hui, I don''t care if I have to go through hell to hear it!]


    This time the messenger let out a sigh.


    "Apparently, the slave boy has evaded young master''s Tang Li and Tang Bian. Not only that, but a squad of peak Spirit Manifestation cultivators have been killed as well. Right now, Lord Clan Head is furious and is deciding their punishment. I hope he knows what he''s rushing into..."

 Chapter 45: Banishment

    "So not only did the slave brat escape, but all the Spirit Manifestation cultivators that came with you died as well?" The Clan Head said with restrained anger.


    Before him, Tang Li and Tang Bian knelt with their heads down.


    "My deepest apologies Lord Clan Head. The Scattered Leaves Chief was stronger then we anticipated. We did not expect her cultivation to be in the Virtue Seeking realm."


    "For your sake she better be dead..."


    Even though the odds of defeating a Virtue Seeking cultivator without another of equal power was extremely slim, the clan head did not care.


    While he may not kill Tang Li for this failure, the same could not be said with Tang Bian.


    It wasn''t a matter of being fair. As the patriarch of the clan, he had absolute authority to determine what was fair and what was not.


    "Yes, my lord. I had a sliver of my father''s spiritual sense on me at the time. With that, I was able to use defeat the Village Chief."


    "What a coincidence..." The Clan Head responded as if he expected that kind of answer.


    "As for Yin Hui. I believe his objective is to leave the province. However, since his cultivation is so low, there''s no chance that he will get past any of the borders. Even if he goes for the weakest border, he will need to get through Coiling Pass which will lead to his death without us needing to do anything.


    "Very well. Given the fact that you managed to fulfill your secondary objective I will be lenient. Tang Bian, you are sentenced to five years on the front lines. Until your time has been served, you are unable to take a single step into the capital."


    "Yes Lord Clan Head." He replied solemnly.


    The clan head then turned his head towards Tang Li.


    "You on the other hand, will not get off so easy. To think my son is so incapable that a slave who just started cultivating could evade him. No, I think you merely have your loyalties mixed up. With that being the case---"


    Bang~


    The doors opened and a glittering ball of light sped into the throne room. Stopping before the clan head, the light subsided and revealed a severely injured man.


    "Who dares to interrupt---" Before the clan head could finish speaking, the sound of another person approaching echoed from outside.


    Tang Jiao came in shortly after. He moved to where Tang Li and Tang Bian were positioned and dropped to his knees.


    "Father! I heard there is news about Yin Hui! Please allow me to hear as well!"


    "Tang Jiao... Is this your doing..." The clan head''s face was white with anger. Not only was he just getting over Tang Bian and Tang Li''s failure, but now Tang Jiao and an injured man had just barged into his throne room without authorization. Were it anyone else, they would have been immediately executed for showing such disrespect.


    Half-conscious, the injured man stumbled to his feet. His eyes swept around the room briefly and widened when he saw the old man standing in front of him. He immediately sobered and kneeled before the clan head with his hands clasped.


    "Your excellency Tang! Forgive this intrusion! I am Tao Kai of the Eastern Outpost! The outpost has been destroyed due to the efforts of three extraordinary individuals of the younger generation. Furthermore, my father Tao Mu has also been killed in a battle with an elder of the Yan Clan!"


    Tao Mu treasured his son dearly and planned for the worst case scenario when he was informed of the attack by Tao Kai. Within the medicinal pill that he took was a life saving spell that would instantly transport him to the Tang capital if his life was ever in danger.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It also contained a memory link that would share all of Tao Mu memories with Tao Kai starting from when he took the pill. That was why he knew of his father''s death and the arrival of the members of the Yan Clan.


    "Tell me... What were these three individuals like?" He asked quietly.


    "One was a girl who seemed to be in her late teens or early twenties. The other two were young boys of about twelve and fifteen. The girl is a terrifying genius, already possessing the power of Virtue Seeking. Apparently she is the granddaughter of one of the Yan''s elders."


    "As for the two boys. The younger one possesses a strange ability when it comes to talking. It seems like has the power to convince anyone to do just about anything even in the heat of battle."


    "The older one is even more special. He has long black hair, purple eyes and radiates a demonic aura. Not only that, but he possesses what my father believes to be a Blood Sacrifice Sword!"


    "Fortunately, those two don''t seemed to be affiliated with the Yan as they intended to head to the Storm Province after the invasion. They should be long gone by now and will likely not be a factor in the upcoming war against the---"


    The clan head pointed a finger towards Tao Kai, who was instantly reduced to a pool of blood without even being given a chance to scream. Waving his hand, the blood gathered and flew into a large bowl beside his throne.


    Afterwards, the clan head shot an ice cold glare at Tang Bian, who''s face was frozen in fear.


    This was the first time in his life that he had ever miscalculated to such a degree. Even now, Tang Bian found it hard to believe that Yin Hui was able to enlist the help of the Yan Clan to help him escape the province.


    Tang Jiao was panicking as well. At this moment, he wished he was back on all fours as Tang Mei''s personal mount.


    On the other hand, Tang Li merely knelt silently with a complex expression on his face.


    "Lord Clan Head! Please wait! I--"


    Tang Bian''s voice was cut as the clan head lifted him into the air by the throat. Using his spiritual sense, the clan head went through Tang Bian''s memories until he found a person that matched Tao Kai''s description.


    "So this is the slave we are looking for."


    The entire time the clan head was searching his memories, Tang Bian never stopped screaming. Every cell in his brain felt like it was being melted in a vat of lava. If given time to prepare and done gradually, searching through a person''s memory using spiritual sense was painless. However, the clan head was not in a merciful mood and drove his spiritual sense into Tang Bian like a knife cutting grass.


    After five whole minutes, the clan head loosened his grip on Tang Bian''s neck and dropped his body to the ground. He had already gotten the information he needed within the first few seconds of searching, but intentionally made Tang Bian suffer due to his miscalculations.


    "Words cannot describe the anger I am currently feeling. Not only has one slave caused us so much trouble, but the son of my Tang Clan''s greatest tactician and my own children could not stop him. Should I be laughing or should I be crying?"


    The clan head walked towards his throne and took a seat.


    "Tang Jiao! You are waived of your previous sentence! Instead, you and Tang Bian are banished! Not just from the capital, but from the clan and province as well! Also, neither of you are to take any of your belongings, save the clothes on your back. Your banishment will hold until you bring me this Yin Hui''s corpse!"


    Tang Jiao paused for a moment. However, seeing his father''s current mood he let out a sigh and picked up Tang Bian''s trembling body.


    Turning towards Tang Li, a small black flame ignited on the tip of the clan head''s finger.


    "You are also banished. The conditions are the same, but you will also have this."


    Tang Li grunted as his father shot the black flame into his chest. The flame passed through effortlessly and dug itself deep into Tang Li''s heart.


    "I know you did not give your full effort the last time I sent you to capture that brat. Since you didn''t obey me when I asked nicely, I''ll just have to force you."


    "If you are to ever encounter that boy during your banishment, the flame will know. When that happens, it will activate and slowly begin to kill you unless you attack him. Also, to motivate you further, I have an imposed a ten year time limit. Regardless of your intentions, if I don''t remove the spell after ten years your life ends."


    "All this fuss over a slave possibly holding the secrets to an old legend. I can see how the Yan Clan has become such a threat. Unlike us, they are living in the now while we are busy chasing the past." Tang Li mocked.


    "Silence!" The clan head activated the flame within Tang Li''s heart.


    Falling to the ground, Tang Li clutched his chest in pain as he tried to resist the burning within his heart.


    "There is plenty of evidence already that this inheritance is no mere legend. Destroying one of the eastern outposts? Obtaining a Blood Sacrifice Sword? It has only been a couple months and this boy has already caused so much trouble!"


    "Get out! I want you three out of the capital by first light of the next day. Don''t even think about hiding out somewhere in the outskirts either. If you do, I will personally come end your lives myself

 Chapter 46: Thundercloud City

    Thundercloud was the largest settlement in the Storm Province. It was the province''s capital and home to the Striking Thunder Sect.


    Like the Tang Capital, Thundercloud was built on top of a massive qi reservoir. However, unlike the Tang, the city was not solely inhabited by members of a single clan.


    Members of the Striking Thunder Sect came from a variety of backgrounds. The sect was not prejudiced towards those of lower status and allowed anyone in as long as they possessed talent.


    While ninety percent of Thundercloud''s population was comprised of cultivators, the remaining ten was filled with mortals. Even as a mortal, living near a qi reservoir had it''s benefits. Though they did not benefit the same way cultivators did, the mortals of Thundercloud were stronger, faster, and smarter then most other mortals due to constantly being exposed to the energies of the qi reservoir.


    Outside the main gate of the city, a young man wearing a white robe stood at attention as two figures walked towards him.


    One of the figures was a youth with a dark and terrifying appearance. He had long black hair, violet eyes, slightly pale skin, and radiated a menacing aura that sent shivers up his spine.


    Shifting his gaze onto the second figure, the white robed man''s eyes relaxed slightly.


    Beside the intimidating youth was a young boy who seemed to have not even reached his teens yet. The boy had a carefree smile and a warm expression that would put the hearts of most people at ease.


    The white-robed man subtly released his spiritual sense to gauge the strength of the two visitors. However, before his spiritual sense could analyze them, it dissipated as if it were canceled out by some external force.


    [[Damn! It must have been that scary looking fellow. To detect my spiritual sense and then negate it without any flare in spiritual pressure. What is his cultivation?]


    "You two! Identify yourselves! Judging by your appearances, you seem to be cultivators, but I do not recall seeing your faces before! State your business!"


    Yin Hui walked toward the white-robed man until he was only half a meter away from him. While the man felt slightly intimidated, he did not show it and kept a stern front.


    [From what I''ve learned from the other settlements on the way here, Thundercloud is the capital of the Storm Province. The Striking Thunder Sect is its ruler and every cultivator in the city is a member.]


    When the white-robed man released his spiritual sense earlier, Yin Hui intercepted it with his own spiritual sense. He couldn''t afford to let anyone scan him with their sense regardless of who they were. If anyone were to find out about his fiend body, he would be branded as a demonic cultivator and swiftly executed.


    Until he was strong enough to protect himself, he had to tread with maximum caution.


    [By my estimate, this man is only a peak Spirit Waking cultivator. There is no way the Striking Thunder Sect would only leave a person of this level guarding one of the gates. There must be a powerful expert nearby who has yet to reveal themselves.]


    "Greetings brother. My name is Yang Xiang and this is my younger brother Yang Yu. We come from a small town in the outskirts and wish to join the Striking Thunder Sect." Yin Hui clasped his hands respectfully.


    "I see... More hopefuls from the outskirts desiring to test their luck in the entrance test. However! You should know the fee for new travelers entering the city is a thousand qi crystals each!"


    "A thousand qi crystals? You have got to be joking. Even mortals visit this city. How would the general entrance fee be a thousand qi crystals?"


    "I''m sorry, but those are the rules. The fee is dependent on the person entering. Even mortals would need to take out a sack of gold just to get through the gate. As for cultivators, a thousand qi crystals is already considered cheap. Usually the price is five hundred more than that."


    [Country bumpkins... While there is a fee to enter the city, it only applies to merchants looking to start a business in the city. Normal travelers, especially cultivators hoping to join the sect don''t have to pay anything!]


    Yu Zhuwa pulled Yin Hui to the side and whispered into his ear.


    "Big brother, this guy is definitely lying. He probably is just taking advantage of us because we said we''re from the outskirts."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Then what should we do about it? We can''t force our way through him. The Striking Thunder Sect is bound to have someone much stronger than this guy watching from afar. If we cause trouble now, it will only hurt our chances of getting in."


    Yin Hui considered showing the man Yu Mingxi''s medallion and informing him about his search for Master Tempest, but in the end decided not to. The man at the gate did not seem to be a very high ranking member of the sect given his cultivation. So even if Yin Hui showed the medallion, there was no guarantee that it would help.


    Just as Yin Hui was about to take out treasures to substitute for qi crystals, Yu Zhuwa stopped him.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle this." He said with a smile.


    After a few minutes, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa were inside Thundercloud.


    "Heh, that was easy. In the span of a few minutes, we went from a fee of a thousand spirit stones each, to gaining free entry in addition to a map of the city!" Yu Zhuwa laughed.


    "You sure have a way with words... In your previous life you must''ve been an infamous swindler." Yin Hui joked.


    "No idea! I just know that from the moment I was born, I had a natural knack for persuasion and talking! That''s why even though I was an orphan from birth, I''ve never gone hungry or lacked shelter once!"


    "Didn''t you say that this skill also had a backlash?"


    Yu Zhuwa looked down on the ground in embarrassment while scratching his head.


    "Well yeah... Normally my clumsiness negates whatever fortune I''ve obtained shortly after. Even if it doesn''t, there is usually some kind of consequence that follows eventually. However! It''s never put me or anyone else in serious jeopardy before!"


    Yin Hui let out a sigh. He''d already experienced the ups and downs of Yu Zhuwa''s ''golden tongue'' before, and so far, what he said was true.


    "Let''s hope it stays that way... In the meantime, let''s check out the city for a bit. We are planning to stay here long term, so might as well get used to the area before we attempt to join the sect."


    Around seventy percent of Thundercloud''s land was used exclusively by the Striking Thunder Sect. Despite the rest of the population owning only the remaining thirty percent, this was not an issue at all. Even though there were about a million mortals living in the city, they only took up about twenty percent.


    The Striking Thunder Sect was quite benevolent towards the mortals and never made any attempts to seize the unused land from them. No one knew the reason for this behavior, but many of the other provinces saw it as a sign of incapability and weakness.


    It was a sunny afternoon and the main market district was crowded with people. The district was cut into two halves, one half belonging to the mortals and the other to the immortals.


    Moving straight to the immortal section of the market district, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa began to browse the various shops and stalls. The market was very loud as many vendors were shouting offers to attract customers.


    "Spirit pills! Two hundred qi crystals each! Guaranteed to boost your absorption of qi threefold with a single pill!"


    "Flying swords of varying qualities! Priced one thousand to ten thousand in price! A necessity for an experienced cultivator!"


    "Viewing Mirrors! Two thousand five hundred qi crystals each! Though you may think this is a scam, these mirrors have been imbued with a spell that will allow you to gaze upon beauties unobstructed and unseen!"


    After pushing past the crowd of people lining up at the Viewing Mirror booth, Yin Hui saw a small stall that was isolated from most of the others.


    There were no other stalls around it and the owner was not making any sales pitches to attract customers like the others. Instead, the owner, who was an elderly man with a head full of grey hair, simply sat in a wooden chair with his eyes closed as if he were in deep meditation.


    Nothing on the old man''s display were very eye-catching or appealing. There were swords, furnaces, and other various trinkets. However, everything looked quite old and rustic. Curious, Yin Hui decided to take a closer look.


    "Greetings senior, your stall has caught my attention. Do you have any recommendations or featured items for sale?"


    The old man did not open his eyes, but he seemed to acknowledge Yin Hui''s presence.


    "A thousand qi crystals for an appraisal. If you are deemed worthy of an item, I will give it to you free of charge. If not then you must leave."


    Yu Zhuwa, who had just caught up gasped when he heard the old man''s statement. Quickly scanning the spread of dusty items, Yu Zhuwa looked at the old man with disgust.


    "A thousand crystals for potentially nothing? Are you trying to scam my brother old man?"


    "Either give me the crystals or leave. My goal is not to make a sale, but to find these treasures a new owner. The only reason I require crystals is to replenish my energy after each appraisal."


    "All of these items you''re selling look like junk! Your entire collection probably isn''t even worth a thousand qi crystals!"


    Yin Hui held Yu Zhuwa back and gestured in apology.


    "Forgive my younger brother senior. I believe your words. Your personal temperament and the way you set up your stall is enough to convince me you are telling the truth. I do not have a thousand qi crystals, but I can give you treasures of my own that add up to the fee''s price."


    Reaching into his bag of holding, Yin Hui dropped a large assortment of weapons and accessories he had plundered back in the wastelands.


    The shopkeeper frowned at the collection of equipment before him. While the items Yin Hui offered were definitely equivalent to a thousand qi crystals, he still had to sell them first.


    "Hmph... Instead of payment, this is just giving me more work. How about this? I will appraise you and if you are acknowledged by any of my treasures then I will accept these. If not, you will have to pay me twofold in qi crystals."


    Yu Zhuwa smashed his fist against the old man''s table.


    "Are you out of your mind old man? What kind of deception are you trying to pull on us? Brother lets go! We don''t need to deal with this." Yu Zhuwa began to walk away, but stopped when he found out that Yin Hui was not following.


    "Yang Yu. I have a feeling that this senior has an item that will be very useful to me. Please be patient."


    Yu Zhuwa shook his head and let out a small sigh.


    "Alright... If you feel like its a good idea, then I won''t stop you..."


    Yin Hui turned back towards the shopkeeper and nodded. The old man pulled out another wooden chair and gestured for Yin Hui to sit.


    "Let''s begin."

 Chapter 47: Destiny

    ~Woosh


    Waving his hand, the shopkeeper formed a thin barrier around his entire stand. With this barrier, any actions that occurred inside would be hard to detect unless one was focusing specifically on them like Yu Zhuwa. The barrier also muffled the sound outside as well, so much that Yin Hui felt like they were the only two on the street.


    "For the appraisal to begin I need complete concentration. Now that all the distractions have been taken care of we can start."


    Yin Hui gave a short nod. At this point, he firmly believed that the old man was no con. Using his spiritual sense, he discovered that the barrier was composed entirely of true qi. True qi was the core of the Spirit Manifestation realm and every cultivator in it treated each strand as if it were a priceless treasure. Seeing the old man use some so casually without hesitation could only mean that the old man was at least in the Virtue Seeking realm.


    The various antiques on display started to glow white with different degrees of intensity.


    "If you are fated with one of these treasures, the glow will change from white to red. However, if none of them turn red in the next ten minutes then it means you are not fated for any of them."


    Immediately the old man said this, one of the antiques turned red. It was a cracked helmet with a ruby imbedded at the forehead.


    The power emanating from the helmet shocked Yin Hui. He felt that if he put it on, even an attack backed up with Tao Kai''s full cultivation would not be enough to faze him.


    "The appraisal has just started so don''t be hasty. There may be a better treasure that has yet to reveal itself."


    Just like the shopkeeper said, another treasured turned red shortly after. This time it was a dusty sword that seemed to be made entirely of jade.


    "Interesting. You may have some potential after all. The Emerald Saber is one of the higher level treasures here. It''s full destructive power is so great that it has tasted the blood of an Immortal Treading cultivator."


    ~Crack


    Suddenly, the table cracked and two more treasures emitted a bright crimson glow. This time the items were an ordinary looking wine gourd and a pendant with a tiger on it.


    The old man''s eyes widened when he saw the two newest options.


    "Earthen Dew Gourd and the Tiger Pendant! Kid! Forget slaying an Immortal Treading cultivator! You have the potential to become one!"


    ~Bzzt


    As the appraisal continued more and more of the old man''s antiques would begin to glow red.


    "Hmm odd, why are these lower level treasures reacting to you now? It doesn''t make sense for them to acknowledge you after the higher ones. Wait what?!"


    As the ten minutes neared it''s end, the number of treasures which converted increased exponentially. Soon, every single item the old man had in his stall was shining with a luminous bloody red.


    The old man collapsed in his chair after the appraisal ended. Sweat dripped down his neck as he stared at the young man before him.


    "Y-your..."


    Yin Hui stared at the various antiques that had supposedly chosen him. Strangely, despite what the old man said, he personally did not feel a connection to any of them.


    "Senior, I don''t mean to be rude, but I feel like none of these treasures suit me."


    "Don''t act smart with me! None of these treasures suit you? Preposterous! Some of these treasures have the potential to turn you into an Earth Immortal!" The old man shouted. His expression was a mix of anger and shock.


    Yin Hui clasped his hands and lowered his head.


    "I apologise for offending you senior, but that''s not what I meant. While I do not feel any particular connection to these treasures, I do sense that there is something here that is fated with me."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    During the appraisal, Yin Hui noticed that the items with the strongest connection to him were items that had traces of demonic qi. Spreading his sense around the shop, he found one item that was particularly high with demonic qi moreso than all the others.


    "Senior, may I have that treasure?"


    Yin Hui pointed to a round red jade that was displayed in an obscure position on the top shelf of the stall.


    ~Click


    Almost as if it had been called, the red jade broke through it''s container and flew towards Yin Hui. It penetrated through his body as if it were incorporeal and his body began to glow bright red.


    Yin Hui felt a rush of warmth as the energies within the jade coursed through him. He felt it overlap with the demonic qi composing his fiend body, masking it in a way that even spiritual sense would not be able to see through it.


    [This jade... It has completely masked all traces of demonic energy within me. I feel like even if Su Jia''s grandfather used his spiritual sense on me right now, he wouldn''t detect anything. How does this old man have a treasure like this?]


    When Yin Hui looked back at the old man, he saw that he was now kneeling at his feet.


    "Senior? Why are you kneeling?"


    "I am merely paying my respects to someone who will become a significant figure in the future someday." The shopkeeper said with deep respect.


    "This treasure... It is exactly what I need at the moment. May I have your name? In the future, I will pay you back tenfold for it."


    "You may address me as Hei Pu, young master. Please do not worry about payment, it is not my place to accept any from someone like you. The one who possesses the red jade is protected from the eyes of all. Even an Earth Immortal would not be able to see through you. It may not have any uses combat wise, but being untraceable has its uses."


    Yin Hui gave a deep bow towards the old man.


    "Thank you, sir. I''ll try to live up to the expectations you have of me."


    "Before you go, may you give me the honor of telling me your name young master?" Hei Pi asked respectfully.


    "Yang Xiang!"


    "I will remember it."


    Smiling, the Hei Pu snapped his fingers and the barrier around them dissipated.


    Yu Zhuwa, who saw everything, stood silently with shock on his face. While he did not hear what was said inside, the flashes of red and faint pressure that leaked from the barrier was enough to baffle him.


    "Brother Yang Xiang! What happened in there?"


    "Your senior brother has just received a massive fortune. We can now focus all our efforts on joining the Striking Thunder Sect."


    Yin Hui gave one last respectful bow to Hei Pu before walking away with Yu Zhuwa.


    As soon as they left, a wide grin appeared on Hei Pu''s face. All the antiques around him blurred and turned into identical white spheres.


    [One signifies potential. Five represents a trace. The more spheres that activate, the more pure the individual. This boy triggered all of them and was even selected by the the red jade!]


    [Yang Xiang... To think I would find the one the lord was looking for during a mere scouting. However, he has yet to mature. Right now, he is far too weak to be off any use to his lordship. Regardless, I must report this to him as soon as possible!]


    With all the commotion that was happening around the market district, no one noticed Hei Pu and his stall melding away into the shadows.


    [Grow and become strong young master. Once you are ready, you shall be presented before the lord. The Striking Thunder Sect is not where your true destiny lies.]


    "Interesting... So it seems I have a little mole in my city."


    Just as Hei Pu was about to completely fade away, a telepathic message entered his mind. This message was sent using spiritual sense, and whoever was sending it was so powerful that their voice alone paralyzed his whole body.


    "So I assume you witnessed everything then. Just so you know, I am indeed one of the Hei Pu. With your cultivation, surely you are someone who knows the consequences of killing one."


    "Of course I am aware. However, who said I was going to kill you?"


    "Gak..." Suddenly, Hei Pu felt his head begin to ache. The aching intensified quickly until it felt like a thousand swords were penetrating it. He then immediately set up the same barrier he used during the appraisal before shrieking in agony over the pain.


    "While I may not be able to kill you, I can still reset your progress back by erasing all your recent memories." The voice said cooly.


    "Heh heh heh... I know who you are now. Unfortunately, even you won''t be able to touch a single memory contained within this head of mine. That is because I have the protection of my master!"


    Both of Hei Pu''s eyes turned red and a red cross appeared on his forehead. An enormous pressure erupted from his body that repelled and nearly dispersed the spiritual sense that was trying to erase his memory. Afterwards, his body dissolved into multiple black sprites that dove into nearest shadow, vanishing completely.


    "He really is worthy of being the ruler of the strongest province. Even if I came here personally, I would need to spend some effort trying to release the spell protecting that Hei Pu''s mind. Now that he is gone, what should I do with the boy they are so interested in?"


    The strand of spiritual sense flew into the sky and focused on the strolling Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa.


    "Clearly this boy has some value to the Hei Pu and their lord, but in what way? Is there something in his body that they need? I didn''t take the time to analyze the boy before that red jade entered his body so I can no longer find out. He wants to join the Striking Thunder Sect so I see no reason to interfere now. If he is capable and makes it pass the entrance exam, I will have plenty of time to question him then."


    After watching the two for a few more minutes, the strand of spiritual sense faded away like a dying flame.

 Chapter 48: There Are Two Types Of People The Sect Does Not Need!

    "Who was that old man big brother?" Yu Zhuwa asked.


    "I''m not sure. All I know for certain is that he knows I cultivate some kind of demonic art. During the appraisal, I felt my demonic qi react with some of the treasures in his possession."


    "What?! What do we do now? If others find out, then won''t you be in danger?"


    Yin Hui shook his head.


    "If my speculations are correct, Hei Pu is a demonic cultivator as well."


    "For now Hei Pu is not an enemy, but a benefactor. As long as it stays that way, I will pay his kindness back tenfold once I get the chance. This red jade he gave me has the ability to conceal all the demonic qi in my body. Thanks to it, my body is now indistinguishable from any other cultivator''s. Even if Su Jia''s grandfather were to use his spiritual sense on me right now, he would see nothing."


    "I trust you... However, I still think that the old man has something he hasn''t told you." Yu Zhuwa was still extremely skeptic about Hei Pu. He didn''t know exactly what, but he felt like he was not someone to be trusted.


    "Everyone has their secrets and motives. If Hei Pu turns out to be an enemy, then we will deal with it then. In our current state, we need to make use of every weapon possible, even if it is a double edged sword. Come on. It''s time for us to head to the front gate of the Striking Thunder Sect."


    "H-hey you!" A voice shouted from behind.


    Hearing that the voice was directed at them, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa turned around. Behind them was an elderly man with one arm and a head white hair. He wore noticeably expensive silk robes, but radiated no air of class due to how sloppily they were draped around his body.


    Seeing that he got their attention, the old man pointed a wobbily finger towards Yin Hui.


    "Y-you! The brat with t-the fierce look on his f-face! I s-saw you at that s-s-shady booth a f-few blocks down! Your a d-demonic c-c-cultivator!"


    Yin Hui''s heart tensed, but he didn''t display an ounce of panic. The old man had a dazed look in his eye, which made it painfully obvious that he was drunk. Even if he had seen what transpired at the booth, he would most likely forget it the next day.


    "Sir, I don''t know what you''re talking about. You must have had too many drinks and need to rest. Come let me help you find a bench." As Yin Hui attempted to grab the old man''s hand, the old man slapped it away.


    "Don''t t-t-touch me d-demon! S-somebody call the S-striking S-s-sect..." Before the old man could finish, he lost his balance and passed out flat on his back.


    The other people browsing the market turned their heads briefly towards Yin Hui and the old man, but looked away shortly after. They clearly did not believe the old man and thought he was just some drunk lunatic.


    Yin Hui let out a sigh of relief. He told Yu Zhuwa to go on ahead and wrapped the old man''s sole arm around his shoulder. Bringing him to a bench outside the market district, he scanned the drunken senior with his spiritual sense.


    "I don''t detect any spiritual energy so he must be a mortal. That''s good. Since that is the case, it is likely he doesn''t even know what a demonic cultivator really is."


    Just as he was about to leave, Yin Hui noticed a small mirror that fell out of the old man''s robes. When he picked it up, he discovered that it looked exactly like the popular Viewing Mirrors that were being sold back at the market.


    Yin Hui looked at the unconscious old man with an expression of disappointment.


    "Why am I not surprised... Well, it''s not my place to judge so I guess I''ll just give it back to him."


    As Yin Hui leaned in to place the mirror within the folds of the old man''s robes, the old man''s eyes suddenly shot open. He grabbed Yin Hui''s arm with a firm grip and had a vicious expression on his face.


    "So! Not only are you a demonic cultivator, but you''re also a thief! Well, you messed with the wrong old man this time punk! For I am going to---Gak!"


    The old man passed out once more as Yin Hui delivered a swift chop to the back of his neck.


    "Alright, that''s enough of that. Hopefully, by the time you wake up you will have calmed down and forgotten everything."


    ----------------------


    An enormous crowd of people were gathered together at the front gate of the Striking Thunder Sect. All of them were cultivators of the younger generation, with the oldest ones being in their late twenties.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    They chatted amongst themselves, bragging about their past exploits and how they were the most talented cultivators in their respective villages.


    "Hmph, I assure you all. During the aptitude test, my score will not just warrant me a pass, but an immediate designation as a core disciple." One youth declared.


    The cultivator beside him let out a snort of contempt.


    "With just you? I am the number one genius of the Amethyst Pavilion. My talent is so great that I bet I will receive personal instruction by one of the elders!"


    The Striking Thunder Sect was always looking for new disciples. With their vast resources and large population, applicants did not have to wait long to be evaluated.


    While securing an evaluation was quite easy, getting in was another story. There were three ways an applicant could get accepted. The first was to pass the aptitude test. This involved completing a series of simple challenges that would be graded by an elder to measure the degree of talent in the individual.


    If one did not meet the required level of talent, then the second option was to challenge one of the listed disciples. The disciples on the list ranged from early Spirit Waking to peak Spirit Manifestation, and were also ordered by age.


    To challenge a disciple, there were two conditions. The first was that you could not challenge a disciple with lower cultivation than you. The second was that the disciple could not be younger. Often, hopefuls who chose this method were at a huge disadvantage. This was because although they could fight against an opponent of equal cultivation, they would still be outmatched by the various skills that were at the disposal of one trained by the sect.


    The final method of entry was to have a cultivation base of Virtue Seeking and above. This was a given as reaching the Virtue Seeking stage was already a mark of talent in itself, so cultivators of this rank were always welcome.


    Every year, the Striking Thunder Sect would receive thousands of applicants. However, the amount of people who would actually make it in never exceeded fifty.


    Yin Hui spotted Yu Zhuwa amongst the crowd near the gate and walked over to him.


    "Done tending to the elderly?" Yu Zhuwa smiled.


    "Yeah. Did you find out when the evaluations start?"


    "Apparently they''re going to start anytime now. I''m kind of nervous though. From the way these guys are talking, it looks we have some pretty fierce competition."


    Yin Hui shrugged his shoulders.


    "Don''t worry about it too much. In my experience, those who talk too much are usually more bark than bite. Besides, the sect does not have a limit on how many can pass. It''s just whether you are able to pass."


    "I guess so."


    Gong~


    Silence followed as the sound of the gong entered the ears of all the cultivators waiting to be evaluated. After the ringing subsided, the gates began to open, and a man who looked to be reaching his senior years stood at the doorway.


    The man''s hair was a mix of dull black and concrete grey. He wore a dark yellow robe and had a constant expression of dissatisfaction on his face.


    All the cultivators outside, including Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa, clasped their hands and bowed towards the aging man.


    "Greetings senior!" They shouted in unison.


    "Hmph. At least you hopefuls have decent respect... I am Mo Gang! An elder of the Striking Thunder Sect and your evaluator! All of you will follow me into the main courtyard! Anyone who is dawdles or wanders elsewhere will lose their qualifications and be immediately removed from the Sect!"


    As Mo Gang walked back into the sect, the prospective disciples began to follow in an orderly fashion.


    The main courtyard was enormous, easily capable of containing the hundreds of applicants that had just entered the grounds. Crystals balls which were perched on top of stands could be seen spread throughout the entire area.


    Mo Gang flew a few feet above the center of the courtyard and projected his voice towards the applicants.


    "The first stage of the aptitude test is to gauge your inherent talent! Each of you will put your hand on top of one of the crystal balls and allow it to assess your soul. A color will then emerge which represents your level of talent."


    "In ascending order, the colors are green, yellow, orange, red, blue, and violet. In order to qualify for the next test, you must have a talent level of red or above."


    "That''s bullshit!" One of the prospects shouted.


    The other applicants turned around and stared at the outspoken cultivator in confusion.


    "My cousin took the test last year! He said a passing mark was to make the crystal ball turn orange, not red! In fact, a grade of red represents a genius who has the potential to become a core disciple of the sect! Why are the standards so much higher this year?!"


    Unfazed by the cultivator''s outburst, Mo Gang descended from his position and put himself face to face with the protesting applicant.


    "Do you feel that the test is unfair?" He asked as he stood mere centimeters from the prospect''s face.


    The protester, who was a young man of around eighteen years, began to sweat as Mo Gang stared into his eyes.


    "Yes..." He responded nervously.


    "Do you also think that your talent is not enough to produce the color needed to grant you the passing mark I have established?"


    "Well... I''m not entirely sure, but what I''m trying to say is---"


    Before the young man could finish, Mo Gang delivered a hard palm toward his chest. The young cultivator fell to his knees and coughed out a large mouthful of blood. Immediately after, Mo Gang picked him up by his collar and threw him out of the sect like a hurled pebble.


    "There are two types of people the Striking Thunder Sect does not need! Those without talent and those who clearly intend to join the sect for the sake of relishing in its status! If you want to become a member of this sect, you must show that your acceptance will not be putting the sect at a loss! If anyone else has any objections I will be more than happy to send you off in the same manner as that piece of trash! Now the rest of you hurry up and pick a station! The evaluations will begin shortly!"


    "Yes elder!" The remaining applicants spent no more time dwelling on what had just happened to their fellow hopeful. They began to spread throughout the courtyard, gradually filling in the empty spots that contained a crystal ball.


    As Yin Hui strolled around the courtyard trying to find himself a crystal ball, he noticed that some hopefuls chose the first available spot they could find, while others took their time.


    [Strange... Why are some of them analyzing the crystal balls so meticulously? It''s almost as if they are looking for something...]


    Suddenly, a peculiar thought crossed Yin Hui''s mind. He spread his spiritual sense over one of the crystal balls and after analyzing the ball carefully everything was made clear.


    [So this indeed was the case.]

 Chapter 49: The Genius With Eyes Brighter Than Stars

    As Yin Hui covered the crystal ball in his spiritual sense, he noticed that there was a slight defect. Within the spell formations that allowed the ball to measure a person''s talent, he discovered that a few layers seemed to be missing.


    Spreading his spiritual sense onto another ball, he discovered that it too had gaps within the spell formations embedded within it.


    [This must also be part of the test. Not only are they looking for strong talent, they are also looking for those with foresight and a keen mind.]


    While every single crystal ball Yin Hui scanned was defective, the degree of flaw was different for each one.


    [I have to tell Yu Zhuwa about this. Even if he has talent, it will be meaningless if he picks the wrong ball.]


    Quickly running over to Yu Zhuwa, Yin Hui told him of his discovery. When Yu Zhuwa heard about the flaws within each of the crystal balls he was exasperated.


    "No way! So no matter what, some people are going to fail the test!" Yu Zhuwa whispered.


    "That''s right. That means we got to pick a good ball quickly before they''re all taken."


    The amount of crystal balls that surrounded the courtyard corresponded with the number of applicants. Seeing the amount of deficiencies within some of the crystal balls, Yin Hui knew that some would not turn blue even if the applicant was a heaven defying genius.


    Spreading his spiritual sense around the courtyard once more, Yin Hui found two relatively decent crystal balls. He directed Yu Zhuwa to one of them and took the other for himself. As he waited for the call to begin, he observed the other applicants around him.


    Quite a few of the hopefuls near him seemed to be blissfully unaware that some of the crystal balls were rigged. He could tell because the qualities of their crystal balls were abysmal, yet they still smiled as if they were completely confident in passing.


    Suddenly, Yin Hui heard an unfamiliar voice enter his ears.


    "Judging by the way you are observing all of us, you must have understood the true concept of the test right?"


    The message was sent using spiritual sense. Yin Hui could tell because he felt the aura of true qi as the voice spoke to him. He had tried to send messages of his own in this manner to Yu Zhuwa in the past, but always failed. Considering he was at the peak of Spirit Waking in terms of qi mastery, he hypothesized that sending messages through spiritual sense was accessed in the Spirit Manifestation realm. Now that he had received a message himself, he could tell that his assumption was correct.


    Yin Hui traced the transmission back to a young man who stood a few stands away. The man was older then Yin Hui, seemingly somewhere around his late-teens. He had an ordinary looking face, but he had eyes that shined as bright as stars.


    As the two made eye contact, another voice transmission entered Yin Hui''s ear.


    "The crystal ball you chose is quite good. From my estimate there are only around two missing layers. The amount of qi contained for the spell to operate is also quite high, around seventy percent."


    Yin Hui frowned. It seemed as if the bright-eyed man had already seen his crystal ball long before he took it. If he considered it good, why didn''t he choose it?


    Curious, Yin Hui decided to see the ball the bright-eyed man chose. His eyes widened when he discovered that the crystal ball the man chose was full of missing layers.


    The bright-eyed man smiled as he witnessed Yin Hui''s shock.


    "That''s right. With this many formations missing, you''d be lucky to even get a color. However, while it may be lacking in terms of functionality, this ball is at peak qi capacity!"


    Yin Hui''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the bright-eyed man. Combined with his dark appearance, he looked like he was threatening him.


    He was about to say something when a loud voice shouted from above.


    "Alright! Everyone has a station? Then I will now come by an evaluate each of you. When I arrive before you, inject some of your qi into the ball. Once the color appears you will receive a pass or fail score! Those who fail must immediately leave to courtyard. Those who resist, I doubt I need to explain what the consequences will be." Mo Gang announced.


    The bright-eyed man chuckled and turned back to his station. However, not before sending Yin Hui one last message.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "When the elder comes to my station, pay close attention. You''ll find that there is more than one solution to this kind of problem."


    Mo Gang cycled through the courtyard with varying speeds. For some he was very patient, pausing for a moment as the applicant channeled their qi into their crystal ball. However, there were also times where there was almost no break in his movements. It was obvious he knew exactly which crystal balls were rigged and which were not.


    In the span of ten minutes, a hundred applicants had already been evaluated. Out of those hundred, only four had managed to pass. Most of the ones who failed left with dejected looks on their faces. However, a small handful decided to test their luck against a listed disciple.


    "I want to challenge one of the inner disciples!" The most recently failed candidate said.


    Mo Gang let out a snort of contempt.


    "Then get in line with the others. Once the remaining applicants have been evaluated, we will begin the alternative test."


    The candidate nodded and walked over to a small group of people waiting at the edge of the courtyard.


    Yin Hui didn''t pay much attention to the other candidates as they were being evaluated. He already had a general idea of who would pass and who would fail given the quality of their crystal balls. Sure enough, as the results were called out, the ones Yin Hui thought would pass passed, while the ones he thought would fail failed.


    After ten minutes, Mo Gang was now three rows away from Yin Hui. It was at this moment that Yin Hui finally started to pay attention to the evaluations. This was because the current row had Yu Zhuwa in it.


    As Mo Gang approached Yu Zhuwa''s station, Yu Zhuwa began to sweat.


    "I don''t have all day! Infuse your qi into the crystal ball and be quick about it!"


    "Yes sir!" Yu Zhuwa responded with a startled voice.


    He closed his eyes and put his hand on the crystal ball. As he injected his qi into the ball, a faint yellow began to appear. The color deepened and then turned orange, then red!


    Mo Gang raised an eyebrow, but his expression remained stern.


    "The faster the color change the greater the talent. Your speed is above average, but it still means nothing unless you produce the color blue!"


    Drops of sweat fell from Yu Zhuwa''s forehead as he stared at the ball with anticipation.


    [I can do this! I have to! Brother Yin Hui is counting on me!]


    All of a sudden a twinge of blue appeared in the sea of red that filled Yu Zhuwa''s crystal ball. Yu Zhuwa let out a sigh of relief.


    "Mm. Only a glimpse of blue, not even a full faded shade. I am hesitant, but given your age I''ll be generous. Pass. Hold out your hand."


    As soon as Yu Zhuwa held out his hand, Mo Gang grabbed it and a yellow thunderbolt tattoo was imprinted onto his palm.


    After Mo Gang moved on to the next applicant, Yu Zhuwa cast a joyful smile in Yin Hui''s direction.


    A slight smile appeared on Yin Hui''s face.


    [Looks like this little kid has got some talent. He''s even considered a genius in a place like the Striking Thunder Sect.]


    The crystal ball Yin Hui chose for him was of a quality similar to his and not perfect. If it was perfect, there was no doubt Yu Zhuwa would have produced a full faded shade of blue, perhaps even a deep shade!


    However, this smile did not last long. As Mo Gang approached the row directly behind Yin Hui, Yin Hui''s eyes narrowed.


    That was because the next one to be evaluated was the bright-eyed man.


    Mo Gang did not pay much attention to the bright-eyed man as he approached his station, in fact he didn''t even say a word.


    "Greetings elder. My name is Zhang Shi. I believe that it will be a name you will remember." The bright-eyed man said while clasping his hands.


    "If you don''t hurry up, I''ll fail you right now without even giving you the chance to measure your talent." Mo Hang scowled. It was obvious he felt that there was no chance for Zhang Shi to pass with the crystal ball he chose.


    "My apologies Elder Mo. I assure you this will be well worth the wait."


    Zhang Shi began to perform a series of quick hand movements. As he did, strands of qi entered the crystal ball like a flurry of precisely aimed arrows.


    Mo Gang''s pupils shrank as Zhang Shi''s crystal ball began to glow. It emitted a faint aura that even Yin Hui could feel from where he stood.


    After the light settled, Zhang Shi put his hand on top of the ball and began imbuing it with his qi. During Yu Zhuwa''s examination, the crystal ball started at the lowest color and slowly passed through each level sequentially. However, as soon as Zhang Shi channeled his qi into his ball, it shockingly started off already at the red level. A few breaths of time passed and the deep shade of red began to transition into a faint blue. The color spread until it filled the entire sphere with a cloudy blue which then darkened into a deep azure shade.


    It didn''t end there. Suddenly, a tiny shred of purple formed in the center of Zhang Shi''s crystal ball. Yin Hui''s eyes widened when he saw this.


    "A sliver of purple..." Mo Gang said with a serious expression.


    This was Zhang Shi''s limit. After the speck of purple appeared he removed his hand and gave a short bow to the stone-faced elder.


    The surrounding applicants who had yet to be evaluated turned towards Zhang Shi with looks of jealousy and admiration.


    "Purple! That guy produced a sliver of purple within the crystal ball!"


    "Talent surpassing even that of geniuses! He has the potential to become a personal disciple of one of the four distinguished masters of the sect!"


    Mo Gang looked at Zhang Shi with an emotionless expression.


    "Not only do you have a good eye for crystal balls, it also seems like you have some skill in formations. Furthermore, your talent is nothing short of exceptional. Zhang Shi... I will indeed remember that name."


    This time, Mo Gang did not ask Zhang Shi to stick out his hand. Instead, Mo Gang was the one who offered his, holding it out as if he were requesting a handshake. Zhang Shi accepted and a tiny thunderbolt was imprinted into the palm of his hand.


    Once Mo Gang left, Zhang Shi turned towards Yin Hui who still had a look of disbelief all over his face. He gave him a faint smile before sitting down and entering a deep meditative state.


    [Zhang Shi... He is skilled in formations, such as the one Su Jia used back at the border. He used his expertise to repair the spell formation inside the crystal ball. I''m unsure if he considers me an enemy or ally. Regardless, I''ll need to keep an eye on him!]


    While Yin Hui was busy thinking about Zhang Shi and what he had just witnessed, he didn''t notice that Mo Gang had already cleared through the other applicants and was standing right in front of him.


    "It''s your turn. Activate the crystal ball."

 Chapter 50: Second Chance

    "Yes sir." Yin Hui did not hesitate and immediately placed his hand on top of his crystal ball.


    He was quite confident in passing the test. When Yin Tou possessed his body back in the world within the ancestral tablet, he commented how his body had the perfect foundation for cultivating.


    If his rumored all powerful ancestor thought this much, it was unlikely that the Striking Thunder Sect would think otherwise. Even though his crystal ball was not of the same quality as Zhang Shi''s, he believed that it would be good enough to merit a pass.


    Bzzt~


    The crystal ball glowed as Yin Hui transmitted his qi into it''s clean glass surface. However, for some reason, not even the slightest flicker of color appeared within.


    Yin Hui frowned as he began to pour more qi into the ball. He was sure that the ball he chose was at least as good as the one Yu Zhuwa used. Even if his talent was low, there was no reason why no color would appear at all.


    A few feet away, Zhang Shi had already awakened from his meditation and was watching Yin Hui''s evaluation attentively. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes, but his expression remained normal.


    Focusing the purest qi within his body, Yin Hui even merged a bit of his soul in an attempt to get a reaction from the crystal ball. It was at this moment that a tiny speck of yellow formed within the center.


    "Fail!" Mo Gang said sternly.


    Yin Hui was in shock. He did not believe his talent was lacking to such a degree that he couldn''t even produce at least a full shade of yellow.


    All of a sudden, one possible explanation came to him.


    [The jade! Not only did the jade conceal my demonic qi, but it also hid my talent! That''s the only possible reason why I could barely produce a color!]


    "I wish to attempt the combat test!"


    Mo Gang let out a cold snort.


    "Don''t bother. If you could barely produce a faint shade of yellow you will only embarrass yourself against a listed disciple."


    "Even if that''s the case I would still like to try." Yin Hui said solemnly.


    "Hmph, denied. You will merely be wasting the disciples time. The sect does not need trash like you in it''s ranks." Mo Gang started to walk away from Yin Hui. He did not want to waste anymore time on him and wanted to move on to the next applicant.


    "I have treasures I can offer you in exchange."


    Mo Gang let out a condescending laugh.


    "What treasures could a mere country bumpkin like you possess that would entice me?"


    Yin Hui began to take out multiple weapons and armaments from his bag of holding. He did not hesitate to even take out the few Spirit Manifestation treasures that he looted back at the border.


    The surrounding cultivators had mixed feelings as they watched Yin Hui take out treasure after treasure out of his bag.


    "How shameless can this guy be? Despite his ridiculously low talent he still tries to buy his way into the sect with treasures!"


    "That may be so, but my question is how did he get those treasures in the first place? With the level of talent he has, there is no reason he should have anything above low-quality Spirit Waking. Yet, he''s taken out Spirit Manifestation armaments like they''re nothing."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Unfortunately, even though Yin Hui took out treasures of the Spirit Manifestation level, Mo Gang was still unfazed.


    "Not good enough! These might be considered treasures to you, but everything you''ve shown me is something that can easily be obtained in the sect!"


    Yin Hui gritted his teeth. He knew that within his bag of holding was one item that would definitely catch the elder''s attention. However, he knew it would be very dangerous to let others know that he had such an treasure on him.


    [If I show him that item, I can probably secure a position in the combat trial. However, it will permanently mark me as a target of not only the other disciples, but possibly the higher echelons of the sect as well!]


    Hovering his hand over his bag of holding, Yin Hui hesitated.


    [Even with the risks, I have no choice! I can only hope that I will succeed and everything will pay off! If I can pass this trial and enter the sect, perhaps Master Tempest will be able to protect me!]


    "Elder Mo Gang. I have one more treasure. If this last one doesn''t interest you, then I will leave right now and never return. I only ask that you come closer and be the only one to view it."


    The crowd began to jeer at Yin Hui''s request.


    "Stop stalling you talentless nobody!"


    "The elder has seen enough of your inferior treasures already! Quit wasting his time and leave!"


    Yu Zhuwa watched on with a horrified expression. He was saddened that Yin Hui did not pass the test, but he now that sadness was replaced with fear because he knew what treasure he was talking about.


    Nearby, Zhang Shi continued staring at Yin Hui with careful attention. He did not expect Yin Hui to perform so poorly on the test. At that point he thought he had misjudged him, but when he started to take out treasures of the Spirit Manifestation level he interest was rekindled.


    [There is something strange about this one. When I scanned him with my spiritual sense earlier, I deduced that he was at the peak of Spirit Waking. However, he''s obviously stronger than he appears considering the treasures he has on him, but why is his talent so low? On top of that, what is so special about this final item that he is so afraid of showing?]


    Mo Gang did not spare so much as a glance at Yin Hui''s direction. Instead, Yin Hui felt a cold breath of air brush over his bag of holding.


    The draft quickly retracted and Mo Gang''s eyes lit up. He immediately turned around and rushed back to Yin Hui''s position.


    Yin Hui opened his bag slightly and Mo Gang peeked into the small brown sack. His eyes widened when he saw an ordinary-looking sword with a red string attached to the handle.


    He let out another laugh.


    "Impressive boy! You are absolutely correct. I am interested in this treasure of yours! However, this old man will not make things difficult for you. We''ll make a bet. I''ll allow you enter the combat trial. However, if you fail you will have to surrender the item to me."


    "There is one condition and that is you cannot use it in the exam."


    On the outside, Yin Hui''s expression was unchanged, but internally he was elated. His plan went better than he had expected. Initially, he believed that to even participate in the trial at all he would have to hand over the Blood Sacrifice Sword.


    The spectating hopefuls, as well as the other participants of the trial by combat had bitter looks on their faces. It was clear that their impression of Yin Hui was incredibly low, but they didn''t voice their opinions as they were afraid of disrespecting Mo Gang.


    Seeing that the evaluation was over, Zhang Shi went back to his meditation. On the other hand, Yu Zhuwa let out a sigh of relief. Although he knew that revealing the Blood Sacrifice Sword would lead to problems down the line, he was feeling content at the fact that Yin Hui had been given another chance.


    It took around twenty minutes for the remaining applicants to finish their evaluations. Out of the hundreds that initially filled the courtyard, only the ten applicants who passed and those seeking to challenge a listed disciple remained. The ten passing cultivators kept their distance from each other, though it was clear they were silently gauging each other''s strength.


    Most of the attention was on Zhang Shi, who was the only applicant to produce a sliver of purple within his crystal ball.


    Yin Hui stood off to the side, away from the main group of cultivators who were also attempting the alternative test. Every now and then he would get a few contemptuous glances, but he ignored them.


    "All right, those who passed come to me!" Mo Gang boomed from a short distance away.


    Yu Zhuwa and the nine others who passed walked over and clasped their hands respectfully.


    "In order to save time, I will wait until I have all the passing hopefuls gathered together before formally introducing you all to the sect! Therefore, the ten of you shall come and spectate the alternative trial."


    With the exception of Zhang Shi and Yu Zhuwa, the expressions of the other eight who passed darkened.


    "Don''t think that this is a waste of time. Getting to know your senior disciples will be an enlightening experience. You''ll find that the quality of your peers here will be of a far different caliber from what you are used to."


    Mo Gang then turned towards the small group of around twenty cultivators who wished to try their luck against a listed disciple.


    "Alright! All of you who wish to gain entry through a trial by combat follow me! We will now head to the dueling pavilion!"

 Chapter 51: Unfair

    The dueling pavilion was only a short distance away from the courtyard. Although it was only a third of the size of the former, it was still easily capable of taking in at least a hundred people.


    As Yin Hui and the other cultivators followed Mo Gang to the dueling pavilion they were completely silent. If mortals were to pass by, they would appear to be a group of determined individuals calming their minds before a storm. However, this could not be further from the truth. While the atmosphere seemed to be calm and peaceful around the applicants, they were actually sizing each other up behind the scenes.


    This was especially true for the ten cultivators who had already passed the aptitude test. Each of them knew that the ten of them were going to be peers. Therefore it was important to make note on who was competition and who was not.


    Given that Yu Zhuwa was relatively young and had the lowest talent among the ten, the other nine didn''t pay much attention to him. Most of the attention was on Zhang Shi, who possessed the greatest talent out of them all.


    "Zhang Shi correct? My name is Wu Fangli. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Zhang Shi furrowed his brows when he received the voice transmission. He turned his head around and traced the message''s qi-signature back to a lean young man of around eighteen years of age.


    The young man who called himself Wu Fangli was of average height and had a face that was only slightly handsome. He had a pale complexion that bordered sickly and was noticeably thin even with his robes on.


    "The pleasure is mine fellow Brother Wu. Perhaps we can have a proper introduction later over a jug of wine?"


    "Heh heh heh. It''s not everyday where you meet a genius who can produce a sliver of purple on the aptitude test. As for the rest of these so called geniuses, they are merely trash. You and I are different. Not just because the two of us are the only ones with Spirit Manifestation cultivation, but in terms of talent as well."


    "If I recall, you had the second highest talent out of the rest of the other applicants who passed didn''t you?"


    "Heh heh heh. I''ll let you in on a little discovery I made while sizing up these inferiors earlier. From what I have seen, every single one of these ''geniuses'' used a perfect crystal ball for their evaluation. This includes you, am I correct?"


    "What of it?"


    "The rest of these fools simply got lucky and managed to find a perfect ball. All this shows is that they have a good pair of eyes. You on the other hand, started with a deficient one and made it perfect yourself. This itself shows that you are different from the rest of them. However, what if I told you that I used a ball with only seventy percent efficiency?"


    Zhang Shi''s pupils shrank when he heard this, but he kept a calm demeanor as if he was unfazed.


    "Heh heh heh. Now I am not saying that I am necessarily better than you brother Zhang Shi. Not at all. In fact if nothing else I see you as an equal. I just wanted to introduce myself to you so that we can have friendly relations in the future. I look forward to accepting your offer on sharing a jug of wine once this lot has finished their pitiful attempts in the alternate exam."


    A drop of sweat ran down Zhang Shi''s forehead. Although Wu Fangli seemed to acknowledge him as a rival, it felt more like he had been marked for something far more sinister.


    There was nothing to really see on the way to the pavilion. No other disciples roamed about and the surrounding buildings looked abandoned. In fact, it felt like they weren''t in the sect at all.


    [Are we actually in the sect? If we are, it seems like they''re intentionally limiting our interactions with it as much as possible until we become full members. For a sect as large as Striking Thunder, I guess it doesn''t seem excessive at all to designate an entire towns-worth of land just for potential applicants.] Yin Hui thought to himself.


    Limiting one''s view of the bigger picture was something Yin Hui experienced back in the Tang Clan as well. During his days as a slave, he had lived his entire life in a desolate village of what he grew up believing was the capital. However, when he met Tang Li he learned that the village he lived in was a settlement exclusively set aside for slaves, barely making up five percent of the capital''s territory.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "We are here." Mo Gang said.


    The dueling pavilion had a very simple layout. It was a large open arena with a second floor set up for spectators. Spanning around a hundred meters in length and width, it seemed large enough to host many fights at once.


    "Those who have passed go up to the viewing platform while those who are attempting the test stay here."


    As soon as Mo Gang gave the word, Wu Fangli flew up to the second floor. He took a seat near the center of the platform and closed his eyes. The other applicants who had passed followed shortly after, filling up the seats around him.


    Before going up to the second floor, Yu Zhuwa cast a concerned look towards Yin Hui. Yin Hui acknowledged him with a simple nod. Afterwards, he turned towards Zhang Shi. who eyed him with a serious expression on his face. They locked eyes for a short moment before Zhang Shi averted his gaze and went up to the upper level.


    After the passing cultivators settled, Mo Gang looked up into the sky.


    "Chen Hong! We have a new batch of hopefuls! Exchange a few pointers with them to see if they are worthy of joining the sect!" Mo Gang''s voice was magnified many times louder than normal. If a mortal was in the vicinity, the strength of the voice would have deafened them permanently.


    "Yes Elder!" A confident voice called out.


    A young man who seemed to be in his early twenties descended from the sky. His body bordered a fine line between fat and burly and he possessed a chubby face. As soon as he landed onto the arena, an oppressive might was released that put pressure on Yin Hui and the other applicants.


    Wu Fangli smiled, but didn''t open his eyes.


    "Heh heh heh, Spirit Manifestation? This will be faster than I thought. After all, the strongest ones there are merely at peak Spirit Waking."


    "They get to choose from a list do they not? Where are the other disciples?" Another spectating cultivator wondered.


    The cultivators who were attempting to gain entry through beating a listed disciple also wondered the same thing.


    It was at this moment that Mo Gang let out a cold laugh.


    "There are no other disciples! The list changes all the time, sometimes there are more sometimes there are less. This year, the only one on the list is Chen Hong!"


    He pulled a scroll out of his robes and opened it in front of the candidates. Other than Chen Hong, there were no other names on the list.


    "Now then, who would like to face Chen Hong first?" He asked mockingly.


    The thirty or so cultivators who initially showed silent confidence in passing the combat trial were frozen. Even the ones at peak Spirit Waking didn''t step up. The disparity in strength between a Spirit Manifestation cultivator and a peak Spirit Waking cultivator was not small. Considering how Chen Hong was also a member of the Striking Thunder Sect, they doubted they could defeat him even if they could close the cultivation gap with treasures.


    A large portion of the applicants grit their teeth and began to walk out of the pavilion. They were smart enough to know that Mo Gang held all the power. If anyone were to make a scene, they would be made an example of the same way as the young man back at the courtyard.


    Mo Gang turned towards Yin Hui with a condescending look on his face.


    "I hope you don''t forfeit without so much as an attempt. If you pass, not only can you keep that treasure of yours, but you will also become a member of the sect. However, if you''re really not feeling up for it I can just take it now haha!"


    "Elder. I can use anything in my bag of holding with the exception of the treasure we are betting over am I correct?" Yin Hui asked.


    Mo Gang lifted an eyebrow. He recalled the treasures that Yin Hui removed from his bag of holding earlier, which included some that were of the Spirit Manifestation level.


    "Mm? Yes that should be fine. Because I didn''t want to make the test too difficult, Chen Hong has not brought any treasures along with him. He will be relying purely on his cultivation base and techniques."


    [Even if he has Spirit Manifestation level armaments, his cultivation is only that of peak Spirit Waking. Chen Hong is an early stage Spirit Manifestation cultivator with a manifested ethereal spirit. There is no way this brat can win.]


    "In that case, I hope brother Chen could teach this country bumpkin a thing or two." Yin Hui stepped into the arena and clasped his hands towards Chen Hong.


    Chen Hong let out a short chuckle.


    "I''d say you are fifty percent brave and fifty percent foolish for choosing to face me with such meager cultivation. Don''t take this the wrong way, but by the end of this duel that fifty percent of foolishness will turn into a hundred."


    The dejected applicants who were originally about to leave stopped when they saw Yin Hui step up to the arena. In the end, they all decided to stay for varying reasons. Some simply wanted to see Yin Hui fail, while others wanted to observe the techniques of a member of the sect.


    Wu Fangli sunk further back into his chair.


    "Heh heh heh. Merely a frog at the bottom of the well overestimating his capabilities. Judging by the oppressive might he let out earlier, I believe that this Chen Hong is at the early stage of Spirit Manifestation. This ant facing him on the other hand seems to only be at peak Spirit Waking. Isn''t that the guy who''s talent was so trash that the elder needed to be bribed just to let him compete?This will be over quickly."


    "You may be right Brother Wu, but I have a feeling there is more to him that meets the eye." Zhang Shi retorted from a couple seats away.


    "Oh? I assume this means you think that he might actually win. Then how about a small competition to see who has the better foresight Brother Zhang?"


    "Very well. Whoever loses has to buy the wine once we are in the sect."


    "Heh heh heh. Deal!"


    A small distance away from the rest of the spectators, Yu Zhuwa sat by himself, staring down at the arena with greater attention than the others. He did not say anything, but there was a determined glint in his eye.


    [Early Spirit Manifestation? If that''s the case, its not my brother who''s overestimating his capabilities, but this Chen Hong!]

 Chapter 52: Not A Challenge At All

    Yin Hui and Chen Hong stood a few meters apart from each other as they faced at the center of the arena.


    Mo Gang supervised the duel from above, floating about twenty meters from the ground.


    "The combat trial is very simple. You pass if your opponent surrenders, cannot continue, or I have determined that you showed adequate battle prowess."


    "Are both sides ready?" Mo Gang asked.


    "Yes Elder." The both of them replied.


    "Then you may beg--"


    Just as Mo Gang was about to formally start the match, Chen Hong sent out a quick punch in Yin Hui''s direction. A ball of fire shot out of his fist and hit Yin Hui''s chest, igniting his robes and sending him flying a couple meters back.


    Many of the spectating cultivators were shocked. They did not think that a disciple of the Striking Thunder Sect would use such underhanded tactics.


    Mo Gang gave a cold stare towards Chen Hong.


    "Chen Hong that was uncalled for. This will be your only warning. Pull something like that again and you will be punished."


    Yu Zhuwa grit his teeth at Mo Gang''s loose reprimand. It was obvious that his scolding of Chen Hong was only a formality.


    "Heh heh heh. It seems like the scales are already tipping in my favor Brother Zhang. I don''t mean to brag, but foresight is one of my strong points. I am quite picky with my wines, so I will make sure to send you a list of my preferences later." Wu Fangli said with amusement.


    Zhang Shi did not refute him and kept an attentive gaze on the arena.


    Removing the smoldering portion of his robes from his body, Yin Hui got back onto his feet. He was injured, but it was nothing too severe.


    "I didn''t think a disciple of this sect could be so dishonorable. I wonder if all of the members are as despicable as you."


    Chen Hong laughed.


    "We give our respect to those who we believe deserve it. Don''t say I didn''t give you face. If I put my full power behind that attack, you would be a pile of ash right now."


    "How generous of you. In that case, please continue going easy on me as I do this!"


    Yin Hui slapped his bag of holding and the black leopard leapt onto the arena. It let out a terrifying roar that sent shivers down the spines of the spectating cultivators.


    Wu Fangli''s eyes opened for the first time since he sat down. Shock was painted all over his face and his mouth gaped open.


    "S-spirit beast! Furthermore, it radiates the power of Spirit Manifestation!"


    Mo Gang''s eyes widened as well. He never expected Yin Hui to have a Spirit Manifestation level spirit beast with him.


    [He''s a Spirit Tamer! How could a brat with such poor talent have an affinity for taming spirit beasts? On that note, where did he get one with Spirit Manifestation power?! He himself is only at Spirit Waking!]


    Yin Hui hopped onto the leopards back and stroked it''s fur with affection. The black leopard was heavily injured during the battle at the Tang Outpost. Yin Hui treated it as best as he could with the medicines he looted from the cultivators he had killed, but it wasn''t enough for a full restoration. After navigating through the treacherous wastelands of the Storm Province, he found a settlement and the leopard made a full recovery thanks to the local remedies.


    The black leopard looked straight into Chen Hong''s eyes as if it were analyzing the features of its prey. A dark aura leaked out of it that made it look extremely intimidating.


    "I didn''t want to bring him out so soon. After all, if I did, this match would end too quickly and you would lose quite a bit of face. However, a person like you doesn''t deserve face. He hasn''t had much exercise for a while now so he''s more than eager for a fight."


    Facing the black leopard, Chen Hong felt a sense of fear and danger. Shaking his head, he buried these feelings deep within and put on a serious expression.


    "Spirit Manifestation spirit beast? So what? I am a disciple of the Striking Thunder Sect! I have techniques that could easily take down your overgrown cat!"


    Slamming his fists together, an ethereal aura began to surround Chen Hong''s upper body. Moments after, bones began to manifest around the parts covered by the aura, primarily around his arms.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Flaring his qi, Chen Hong charged towards Yin Hui and the black leopard with his fists raised. When the two clashed, a shockwave was produced that spread throughout the pavilion.


    Some of the cultivators watching, especially the ones that didn''t pass, began to sweat from the power radiating from the clash.


    A small smile crept up on Zhang Shi''s face as he nodded in approval over the fight''s recent development.


    "It seems that the scale has balanced Brother Wu." Zhang Shi chuckled.


    "This applicant is just relying on borrowed power. Once he is seperated from his spirit beast Senior Brother Chen Hong will crush him." Wu Fangli scoffed. Outwardly, he seemed to still be looking down on Yin Hui, but in truth he was was not. Even though Yin Hui was using a Spirit Manifestation spirit beast to close the power gap, having it at all was a testament to his strength. Whether it was bestowed upon him by an elder, or perhaps obtained by himself, Wu Fangli was wise enough to know that he could no longer look down on him.


    As Chen Hong and the black leopard traded blow after blow, cracks started to emerge in Chen Hong''s bone armor. From this it was obvious that while he could match the black leopard''s strength, there was still a small gap between them that favored Yin Hui.


    [Even with my strongest martial skill, Bone Bracer, I am still at a disadvantage! That leopard must be at the mid-stage of Spirit Manifestation! In that case, it''s time to switch strategies!]


    As the leopard came in for a swipe to the head, Chen Hong quickly ducked. Receiving a slight cut on his cheek, he channeled as much qi as he could into his right fist and delivered a hard punch into the leopard''s exposed side.


    The black leopard let out a painful grunt and jumped back a few feet.


    During this short ceasefire, Chen Hong flew into the air. He passed Mo Gang and stopped at about thirty meters above the arena.


    "Applicant! I admit you have me beat physically. However, your strength relies too much on your pet! Now your advantage is gone! Your pet cannot get me from down there. On the other hand..."


    The bones around Chen Hong''s body receded, but the strength of his qi did not decrease. Instead, the ethereal aura around his body grew stronger!


    [I need to take that spirit beast down, no matter the cost! Once its out of the way, it will not take much for me to defeat its master who is only a Spirit Waking cultivator!]


    Pointing both palms down onto the arena, Chen Hong''s qi flared until a visible teal color emerged from his body.


    Zhang Shi face became somber when he saw this.


    [A visible, colored aura of qi signifies the usage of true qi. This is going to be a problem. A spell that is powered by true qi is many times stronger than a spell that is not. Actually, you could hardly call spells that don''t use true qi as real spells at all. The heavens hoard so much of qi''s innate potential that its astounding how much stronger even the weakest spell using true qi is.]


    "Take this!" Chen Hong shouted.


    From his hands, countless thin beams of azure light began to rain down from the sky. If one looked closely they would notice that the azure beams were actually in the shape of arrows.


    Yin Hui felt immediate danger in his heart at the sight of the azure arrows descending towards him. Quickly, he manipulated the tiles compiling the arena. He fashioned an average sized shield and as soon as it was completed he threw it into the sky. The shield did not hold up for even a second against the bombardment above, shattering upon blocking a single arrow.


    As the arrows were half way from falling onto Yin Hui, Mo Gang called out.


    "I suggest you surrender now boy! Those arrows are the real deal. With your cultivation, you can only take around three at most before your body is completely destroyed!"


    Yin Hui did not respond to Mo Gang''s warning and instead looked up at Chen Hong, who seemed to be growing weary with each passing moment. Upon seeing the visible exhaustion on Chen Hong''s face, he let out a sneer.


    After firing around two hundred arrows, Chen Hong closed his hands. His reserves of true qi were completely spent and he was even struggling to stay afloat due to overexerting himself too quickly. However, he assured himself that it was all worth it. If he could take down Yin Hui''s spirit beast, even in his fatigued state he would be able to defeat him. He was confident none of the other applicants had aces of the same caliber as Yin Hui, and considering they were also only Spirit Waking cultivators, he was confident in winning any subsequent matches.


    "That should be enough. To think that I had to go so far to defeat a mere Spirit Waking cultivator. Whatever, in a few moments it will all be over."


    Looking down, Chen Hong noticed a black cloud of dust at the bottom of the arena that obstructed his vision.


    "Black smoke? I don''t remember the Azure Flurry producing any smoke or black dust the other times I used it. Perhaps there was some black sediment under the arena tiles. When the arena was devastated by my attack, it probably mixed with the dust."


    Believing he had won, Chen Hong began to slowly descend. However, he stopped when he noticed that the black cloud seemed to be spreading much more then it should have from normal dispersion. He rubbed his eyes, believing that he was simply hallucinating due to exhaustion. Unfortunately, he was not, Chen Hong''s eyes widened as he discovered that the black smoke was actually moving towards him at an increasing pace!


    "It can''t be him! Did he evade my Azure Flurry?! Just what is going on?!"


    As the cloud of dust approached Chen Hong, it slowly began to condense into the forms of Yin Hui and the black leopard.


    "Impossible!" Chen Hong exclaimed.


    "This fight is over." As Yin Hui and the black leopard got within a meters distance from Chen Hong, the black leopard lashed out with a series of clawing strikes towards the bewildered disciple.


    Fatigued, Chen Hong could not dodge and screamed as his body was mauled by the black leopard. Blood spewed from his body as he fell out of the sky, painting a line of red as he crashed onto the arena floor.


    The spectators were completely silent. They did not expect Yin Hui, a person who couldn''t even produce a faint shade of yellow in the aptitude test to defeat Chen Hong. Many of them had eyes of jealousy towards his Spirit Manifestation spirit beast, but fear put away all thoughts of hostility. The leopard looked fierce and unyielding, leading many of the cultivators to wonder how Yin Hui managed to tame such a beast in the first place.


    Seeing that the battle was over, Yu Zhuwa let out a sigh of relief. A few seats away, Zhang Shi turned to Wu Fangli with an amused expression on his face.


    "Brother Wu, it seems I have won our little wager. I don''t mean to brag, but foresight is not exactly one of my strongest points. Perhaps, I was just lucky this time. I am quite picky with my wines so I will make sure to send you my preferences later."


    Wu Fangli clenched his fists.


    [This guy... It seems like Zhang Shi isn''t the only one I''ll have to keep an eye on...]

 Chapter 53: Master Tranquil Wind

    Chen Hong''s entire body had been ravaged under the assault of the black leopard. He tried to move, but the only motions that came out were shakes and trembles.This once proud disciple of the Striking Thunder Sect had been reduced to an immobile bloody mess before the surrounding cultivators.


    "This isn''t over yet..." Chen Hong could barely say the words without choking. He coughed out a pile of blood, but since he couldn''t move it flowed back into his throat.


    "Hard to hear with you gagging on your own blood. I think you said something about not giving up? Normally, I would give you some face by helping you back onto your feet, but as you said respect should be given to those who deserve it. Therefore, I think I''ll just leave you down there."


    Once descending back onto the arena, Yin Hui gave the black leopard a pat on the head. The leopard let out a happy cry as it nestled it''s head against Yin Hui''s chest.


    The cultivators spectating on the lower level took several steps back. Despite Yin Hui and the black leopard sharing a gentle moment together, their outward appearances made it seem like the opposite. With the leopard''s demonic and ferocious features, even it''s joyful expression looked sinister. Yin Hui was no better. His pale skin, violet eyes, and dreadful aura gave him the air of a demon despite his low cultivation.


    Mo Gang silently flew over to Chen Hong and analyzed his wounds. He had a serious expression on his face that was enough to pressure the spectating cultivators into complete silence.


    Chen Hong was not in any mortal danger. While his wounds were serious, it was nothing a cultivator of his level couldn''t heal from. The Tang Clan were masters in dealing the highest possible amount of suffering without leaving any permanent injury. From his own personal experience and watching others face their wrath, he had a strong understanding of what was lethal and what was not.


    After receiving that sneak attack from Chen Hong at the start of the match, Yin Hui had resolved to end the fight as painfully as he could.


    Putting the leopard back into his bag of holding, Yin Hui was about to proceed to the second floor with the others who passed when a strong force held him back.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Mo Gang said meancingly.


    Yin Hui narrowed his eyes, but his expression remained calm.


    "Backing out of our deal? I defeated him without using the item we discussed. Therefore, I pass and also get to keep the item."


    "A spirit beast does not count as a treasure! It is the same as having another fight in your place, therefore it counts as cheating and thus disqualifies you! Ask the others whether my words are correct or not!"


    There was a brief moment of hesitation between the spectators before they began to nod their heads.


    "We side with the elder and believe that using a spirit beast should not be allowed." One of the passing applicants said.


    "I agree as well with the elder''s statement." Another added.


    Mo Gang nodded as if he expected this result.


    "Since you were disqualified the moment you pulled out that spirit beast, then this could not be considered a duel, but rather an assault on the sect!"


    "This old man would punish you here, but if you turn in the item in your bag I will be lenient."


    Yin Hui frowned. It was clear the Mo Gang was just making whatever excuses he could to get the Blood Sacrifice Sword.


    "Elder I disagree, I believe the usage of a spirit beast was no violation at all." Zhang Shi said while rising from his seat.


    Mo Gang snapped his head towards Zhang Shi.


    "Zhang Shi... Don''t think that because you have good talent I won''t punish you for interfering. Speak such lies again and your time in the sect will not be a graceful one." He threatened.


    Seeing that his word wasn''t enough, Zhang Shi sent a voice transmission to Wu Fangli.


    "Brother Wu, if you help me defend this applicant, I can disregard our little wager from earlier. Actually, in return, I promise to owe you a single favor."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Wu Fangli narrowed his eyes when he heard Zhang Shi''s request. He could not understand why Zhang Shi would go out of his way for an applicant that he obviously just met today. He didn''t even know the applicant''s name! However, the idea of Zhang Shi owing him was extremely tempting. In the end, he let out a sigh and stood up from his seat.


    "Elder Mo, I agree with Zhang Shi. Even if this applicant does not have good talent in cultivating, he has an affinity with spirit beasts. His talent for it is to the degree that he can even control a beast with much higher cultivation than himself. He has demonstrated decent battle prowess just now, so why not just substitute aptitude for cultivation with aptitude in spirit taming?"


    Mo Gang''s face darkened.


    Seeing that Yin Hui had the support of the two strongest geniuses of the group, Yu Zhuwa smiled.


    "Elder Mo, isn''t it your job as elder to further the sect as much as possible? It sounds like you''re acting out of your own self-interest instead of for the benefit of the sect."


    Boom~


    Suddenly, Zhang Shi, Wu Fangli, and Yu Zhuwa felt a massive pressure bear down upon them. They fell back into their seats with pained expressions.


    The cultivators sitting near Zhang Shi and Wu Fangli quickly distanced themselves from the two. Just feeling the residual pressure radiating off them was enough to cause sweat to run down their foreheads.


    "You dare slander me in such a manner?! Don''t forget you still have not been fully accepted into the sect yet. If you continue to anger me I will revoke each of your acceptances right now!"


    Mo Gang pointed at Yin Hui and directed the pressure towards him as well. Under Mo Gang''s spiritual pressure, Yin Hui was quickly brought to his knees.


    "I am the evaluator. As long as the test itself complies with sect regulations, I may judge as I see fit! You may have the battle prowess, but you are sorely lacking when it comes to understanding the structural hierarchy and politics! At this moment, my word is law! If I say you fail then you fail! Anyone want to object? If so, this old man will show you your place right now."


    Woosh~


    All of a sudden, a gentle breeze swept through the arena. As it did, the crushing pressure exerted by Mo Gang began to gradually dissipate.


    Mo Gang pupils shrank.


    "Is that so? Then please show this ignorant one his place Elder Mo Gang." A soft voice rang from above.


    The applicants below all looked up to see a kind looking man in a green robe descending gracefully towards them.


    "M-m-master Tranquil Wind!" Mo Gang exclaimed.


    "That''s Master Tranquil Wind?" One of the applicants asked in shock.


    "No way! One of the Striking Thunder Sect''s Four Winds!" Another said with admiration.


    Upon landing, Master Tranquil Wind slowly walked over to Chen Hong. Peace and tranquility radiated from his body, casting away the tense atmosphere that was set just moments ago by Mo Gang.


    Briefly analyzing Chen Hong''s wounds, Master Tranquil Wind took out a small bottle from the inside of his sleeve. Turning it over the fallen cultivator, a teal colored liquid splashed on top Chen Hong''s body.


    The blood that covered his body began to shine and slowly seep back inside. As it did, color returned to Chen Hong''s face and body. He was still covered in wounds, but Master Tranquil Wind quickly sealed them with bandages.


    After he was done, he walked over to Mo Gang with a gentle smile on his face.


    Mo Gang immediately lowered his head.


    "Master Tranquil Wind, please forgive me. This old man did not know that you were overseeing the examination. I am willing to accept any punishment you deem necessary."


    Everyone was not surprised at Mo Gang''s behavior. Master Tranquil Wind was one of the four distinguished masters that ruled the Striking Thunder Sect. If he were to give a command, no one but the Sect Master or the other three masters would be able to object.


    Master Tranquil Wind quickly scanned the crowd of cultivators gathered at the arena before letting out a sigh.


    "Elder Mo, your test was simply too difficult. In fact, this examination had some of the hardest conditions I''ve ever seen in the sect."


    "First of all, you changed the formation so that anyone who used it would score much lower. It was changed so much from the official standard that everyone potentially scored an entire color lower then they should have."


    Upon hearing this, the faces of the cultivators who did not pass the aptitude test turned red. Even the ones who did pass had dark expressions. Most of the applicants who came and did not pass had talent levels of red. This meant that there was a high chance they could''ve scored blue if Mo Gang used the proper formation. If Master Tranquil Wind wasn''t still speaking, they would have started denouncing Mo Gang at that moment.


    Mo Gang was silent and simply nodded.


    "Second, you dismissed the original list of disciples who were supposed to be part of the combat trial. Instead, you set your own disciple Chen Hong, who you''ve been grooming for years as the only available option for these juniors to challenge."


    The cultivators who were originally going to leave upon learning that Chen Hong was the only option clenched their fists. They were getting angrier and angrier as Master Tranquil Wind revealed more and more of Mo Gang''s changes to the test.


    Mo Gang did not refute and clasped his hands.


    "I have no excuses. You may punish me however you see fit."


    Master Tranquil Wind, who still had a gentle expression on his face shook his head.


    "It is fine. No one can keep their inner desires in check all the time. It is difficult for mortals, but even moreso for cultivators considering the nature of our world. Just don''t do it again."


    There was a flash of coldness within Master Tranquil Winds eyes as he said the last few words. No one except for Mo Gang noticed and his entire body trembled.


    "Y-yes... Master."


    After, Master Tranquil Wind turned his attention to Yin Hui.


    "You are quite the interesting one. That item you have in your bag is truly extraordinary. Keep it safe and don''t show it recklessly. Aside from that, I''m impressed with how you handled yourself in the combat trial. Would you like to become my disciple?"

 Chapter 54: I Strongly Urge You To Reconsider

    "He got an invitation to be a direct disciple of Master Tranquil Wind?"


    "Impossible! He just became an outer disciple! How can he skip straight to becoming a direct disciple of one of the four masters already?! He hasn''t even joined a branch and become an inner disciple yet!"


    The hierarchy within the Striking Thunder Sect was well known to the majority of the cultivators in the Storm Province. Upon entering the sect, the individual started off as an outer disciple. They would be given a monthly salary based on their contributions, which could be used to obtain basic techniques found in the library archives.


    Above the outer disciples were the inner disciples. All outer disciples who were promoted to inner disciple had to join one of the four branches within the sect. Each of them were run by one of the four masters and named accordingly. They were the Storm Branch, Tranquility Branch, Violet Branch, and Tempest Branch. To become an inner disciple, one needed to have a minimum cultivation of Spirit Manifestation and sufficient merit towards the sect. It was only at this rank that one was considered a true member of the Striking Thunder Sect.


    At the top of the hierarchy of disciples were the core disciples. Core disciples were disciples that the sect placed great value on. All core disciples received personal instruction from an elder or above and usually possessed something unique about them that made them stand above the rest. These characteristics ranged from rare bloodlines and abilities to simple pure heaven-defying talent. The status of core disciple could not be gained through contributions to the sect and was exclusively dependent on an elder''s own personal judgement and tastes.


    What Master Tranquil Wind was offering to Yin Hui was equivalent to a direct promotion to the status of core disciple. However, since he would not be under the tutelage of an elder, but rather one of the four masters of the sect, there was a considerable difference in prestige. If Yin Hui accepted this offer, his status would likely overshadow even that of the elders, as he would have Master Tranquil Wind as his backing.


    Yin Hui was taken aback by the offer and had a thoughtful expression on his face.


    "Master Tranquil Wind, I, Yang Xiang, am truly honored to be given this offer. However, if I agree to become your direct disciple now, will I be able to change my mind afterwards?" Yin Hui politely asked.


    The expressions of most of the cultivators around him darkened. Yin Hui was given such an enormous opportunity and he dared to ask whether he could leave if he so desired. This was especially true for the cultivators who had passed Mo Gang''s rigged aptitude test. Half of them clenched their fists in anger at Yin Hui''s disrespect and were suppressing the urge to punish him for his insolence.


    However, Master Tranquil Wind took no offense to this and let out a joyful laugh.


    "Haha! I guess I am rushing things too much. You haven''t even been formally introduced to the sect yet, so it is only natural that you want to settle in more before making such a big decision. Unfortunately yes, if you decide to accept my offer you will not be able to switch to a master of another branch afterwards. It is simply the law established by the Founder many years ago."


    When Master Tranquil Wind saw Yin Hui''s disappointed expression, he smiled and put his hand on the young man''s shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, you don''t have to make the decision right away. If you need to see me again in the future, just come by the Tranquility Branch and show them this." Master Tranquil Wind took out a small golden medallion and placed it in Yin Hui''s hand. On the front was a picture of a harp with a gust of wind blowing behind it.


    Afterwards, Master Tranquil Wind turned towards the rest of the cultivators who did not pass the aptitude test.


    "I am sorry that all of you had to experience such an extremely biased test from Elder Mo. To be honest, I was present for the entire evaluation, but did not intervene as I wanted to see how far he would go. From what I saw, everyone here has the qualifications to join the sect. So I am happy to say that every single one of you are now outer disciples of the Striking Thunder Sect!"


    The faces of the initially rejected disciples lit up and they all bowed deeply to Master Tranquil Wind.


    "Thank you Master!" They shouted in unison.


    Master Tranquil Wind then turned to Mo Gang, who stood silently beside the injured Chen Hong with shame and guilt plastered over his face. Thanks to Master Tranquil Wind, Chen Hong was mobile once more and was sitting up with a bitter expression.


    "Elder Mo, please escort these new disciples into the main section of the sect and give them a small tour. Tell them everything they need to know and answer their questions appropriately."


    Mo Gang nodded and bowed deeply. All the new outer disciples gathered behind him and he began to walk towards the main section of the sect.


    Just as Yin Hui was about to join the others, he heard Master Tranquil Wind call out to him once more.


    "Yang Xiang. Before you go, may I ask which of the masters you wish to study under? I can tell from your expression earlier that you wanted to accept my offer, but hesitated, most likely due to some past circumstance. Do you have a specific master in mind? If you would like, I can help you establish contact with the one you desire."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Master Tranquil Wind''s words confused Yin Hui. Never in his life had he met someone as honest and kind as he was. Given his harsh upbringing, he was usually extremely wary of people like this. However, even with his skepticism, it sounded like Master Tranquil Wind genuinely wanted to help him.


    Yin Hui clasped his hands and gave a short bow.


    "I''m apologize if I disrespected you earlier Master Tranquil Wind. The truth is I do have a specific master that I wish to make study under, Master Tempest. In fact, it was the final wish of my previous teacher before she died."


    When Master Tranquil Wind heard the name Master Tempest, his smile faded slightly.


    "Master Tempest? Are you sure that was the person your teacher suggested?"


    "I am certain."


    Master Tranquil Wind let out a sigh.


    "Yang Xiang, it''s not that I am telling you to disregard what your teacher said, but I strongly advise you to not seek Master Tempest. You will not gain anything under his tutelage."


    "Why is that?" Yin Hui was curious. During the short time that he knew Yu Mingxi, he felt that she was not someone who would purposely lead him astray. However, an honest and open man like Master Tranquil Wind was now saying that the one he sought was no good.


    "I don''t like speaking ill of one of my fellow masters, but Master Tempest simply a decrepit old man. He doesn''t care about anyone or anything besides himself and he hardly manages his branch."


    A frown appeared on Yin Hui''s face. If he had joined the sect without any pre-existing goal, he would have certainly accepted becoming Master Tranquil Wind''s disciple. However, Yu Mingxi''s dying wish was to find Master Tempest and give him her medallion. She told him that once he did, he would no longer have to worry about the Tang Clan.


    "Forgive me master. I know you are telling me this in good faith, but I still wish to study under Master Tempest."


    Yin Hui decided that he would be obey his former teacher and serve Master Tempest. Yu Mingxi knew that Master Tempest was a member of the Striking Thunder Sect, therefore she had to know about the other three masters as well. He had faith that even though he had to opportunity to join Master Tranquil Wind, Master Tempest would still end up being the best choice.


    Seeing Yin Hui''s determination, Master Tranquil Wind let out a sad sigh.


    "If that is your wish then I will not stop you. If you do not believe my words about Master Tempest, please just hold your decision until the welcome ceremony in a few days. You might change your mind once you meet him in person."


    With that, Master Tranquil Wind flew into the sky and away from Yin Hui''s sight. A fresh spring breeze filled the air as he departed.


    Afterwards, Yin Hui regrouped with the others who were still touring the sect with Mo Gang. Yu Zhuwa filled him in on the things that he missed. He learned that the majority of the facilities were open to all disciples, with only a select few being restricted. Also, everything in the sect revolved around merit, which was based on a disciples contributions towards the sect.


    There were two ways to acquire merit. The first was to complete missions and tasks for the sect. These tasks ranged from patrolling the city streets to delivering messages to other sects within the province. The other was to accomplish exceptional feats that demonstrated ones talent or prowess. This could be something as simple as placing within the top 10 of the dueling hall, or something extremely difficult such as eradicating an enemy sect.


    "If we want to access higher level skills and build useful connections, we need to gain merit. Maybe you should have taken Master Tranquil Wind''s offer to become his disciple big brother. With him as your backing, you could have probably ignored the merit system all together. Besides, I''ve never heard Grandma Yu talk about this Master Tempest before. How do we know if she knew him well enough to convince him to take us in? From what I saw, that Master Tranquil Wind seemed like a pretty good guy." Yu Zhuwa said.


    "I agree, but I trust her. Your Grandma Yu was a wise person. Even if Master Tempest doesn''t turn out to be as great as we expected, there are still benefits to not taking the easy route. I don''t know about you, but I''ve lived my entire life walking down the hard path. It may be painful, dangerous, and slow, but if you can get through it you will come out better then someone who took the easy way out."


    Yu Zhuwa was silent after hearing Yin Hui''s lecture. What he said made sense, if he wanted to become someone his Grandma Yu could be proud of, he needed to work hard and not take shortcuts.


    At the end of the tour, Mo Gang took the disciples to the outer disciples residence. The residence was one enormous palace that spanned several kilometers. Mo Gang informed the group that the quality of the room that they were given corresponded to their results on the aptitude test. Unfortunately, although most of the cultivators accepted by Master Tranquil Wind had skewed results, they were still assigned to the lower level rooms.


    After giving each disciple the command medallions to unlock their respective rooms, Mo Gang reminded them that the welcome ceremony for the outer disciples was in three days and left. Chen Hong, who had also been with them followed behind. Once they were gone, most of the disciples walked into the residence while some went to continue exploring the sect.


    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa decided to rest a bit and began to walk towards the residence. As they did, they were approached by Zhang Shi.


    "Brother Yang Xiang, I don''t believe I have formally introduced myself yet. I am Zhang Shi." Zhang Shi said while respectably clasping his hands.


    Yin Hui reciprocated the gesture with a smile on his face. He had a good impression of Zhang Shi as he was talented, but still possessed an upright personality.


    "It''s a pleasure to finally talk to you in person rather than through a voice transmission Brother Zhang. I admire your humble character despite possessing such immense talent. By the way, this is my younger brother Yang Yu."


    Yu Zhuwa clasped his hands respectably towards Zhang Shi.


    "Haha! Nice to meet you both. To be honest, I admire you as well Brother Yang. I feel that despite your score on the aptitude test, there is more to you then meets the eye. If you have time, both you and your brother should come by my room for a drink!"


    After Zhang Shi left, Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui made their way to their respective rooms. Due to Yu Zhuwa having a far superior score to Yin Hui on the test, his room was on an entirely different floor from Yin Hui''s. They parted ways and agreed to spend the rest of the day resting, to allow their minds to finally relax now that they were relatively safe within the sect.


    Even though Yin Hui was supposedly given the worse room possible due to his aptitude score, he was quite surprised with what he got. The walls and floorboards of the room were made of wood and it was very clean and tidy. He was given a bed, basic furniture, and a scrying mirror that allowed him to see live footage of different areas within the sect.


    Despite its simplicity, it wouldn''t be a lie to say that this was the best room Yin Hui had ever had in his entire life. In fact, he couldn''t even believe that this was all his property. Back in the Tang Clan, he would live in a room that was half this size with thirty other people. Forgetting the furniture, he was already content with just how clean the place was.


    Taking a seat on a wooden stool, Yin Hui took a deep breath.


    "I''ve done it. I''m safe now. I''m finally an outer disciple of the Striking Thunder Sect!"

 Chapter 55: Four Winds, Four Songs

    The next three days passed relatively quickly for Yin Hui. On the first day, he stayed in his room and rested. On the second, he and Yu Zhuwa took a stroll around the sect at their own pace. Because the Striking Thunder Sect was so big, even a full day wasn''t enough to see even a quarter of it. In the end, they just toured the most popular areas that were of importance to outer disciples like them. This included one of the dueling arenas, libraries, training halls, and most importantly, the Sky Pagoda.


    There was only one Sky Pagoda within the entire sect and it was located at the very center. It was the most populated building and disciples went in and out constantly. That was because the Sky Pagoda contained the merit rankings of every single disciple in the sect.


    Within the Sky Pagoda were countless tablets filled with names. Each name had a number beside it that represented the individual''s merit rank. The lowest were placed at the bottom while the highest could be found on the top floor. Needless to say, the names on the top floor were monopolized by the core disciples.


    On the third day, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa went to visit Zhang Shi. The room Zhang Shi was given was many times more luxurious then Yin Hui''s. It was triple the size and filled with high quality furniture and other decorations.


    "Brother Yang Xiang! Brother Yang Yu! Welcome! Please take a seat at the table. I was just about to pour the wine."


    Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa turned their attention towards a pristine jade table on the far side of the room. Already in one of the seats was a sickly pale young man who was as thin as a corpse. The man did not pay much attention to Yu Zhuwa, but his eyes flashed when he saw Yin Hui.


    "Yang Xiang was it? I am Wu Fangli. You may not have seen me, but I was one of the applicants who spectated your fight with Chen Hong."


    Wu Fangli extended his thin arm out towards Yin Hui to exchange greetings. Yin Hui accepted and shook his hand, but there was a cold glint within his eye. To someone like him who learned how to read people''s characters, Wu Fangli radiated an aura of treachery. He was definitely a person with his own agenda and one that Yin Hui felt he had to be wary of.


    Zhang Shi joined the table shortly after with a jug of wine and four tall glasses. As the four of them drank, they shared a bit about themselves and their aspirations.


    Zhang Shi was born to a family of mortals that lived in a mid-ranking settlement in the Storm Province. When it was discovered that he had talent in cultivating, he enrolled in a academy nearby and quickly became their best student. With his talent far exceeding the other students, the academy head recommended that he apply to the Striking Thunder Sect, as the academy did not have the resources to help him reach his full potential.


    Wu Fangli on the other hand, was from a distinguished cultivation family known throughout the province. Spending his entire life competing against his relatives, he joined the Striking Thunder Sect seeking greater power so that he could reign supreme once he returned.


    "Some of those fools may be better than me now, but with the resources in the Striking Thunder Sect I will soon rise above them all!" Wu Fangli said with a determined glint in his eye.


    "An admirable goal Brother Wu. I guess I can only say that I was lucky to have so many people supporting me in my pursuit of the dao. If I was born into your circumstances, I would not be sure if I could handle it."


    "The pursuit of power rests solely on the individual Brother Zhang. With your talent, I think that academy master of yours did you a disfavor by giving you so much help."


    "Fair enough Brother Wu. What about you two Yang brothers? Where are you from and what made you come to the Striking Thunder Sect? I''m especially curious about you Brother Yang Xiang, after all you managed to attract the attention of Master Tranquil Wind."


    "Indeed, you are also a Spirit Tamer as well. Out of all the clans my Wu Clan has connections to, I have not heard of a Yang Clan that specializes in spirit beasts in the Storm Province."


    Yin Hui dodged the question and fashioned a fake story based off of a mix of his and Yu Zhuwa''s past. He told them that he and Yu Zhuwa were from a mortal family living in the outskirts of the province until their village was destroyed by cultivators from another province. After a bunch of fortuitous encounters they became cultivators and sought to obtain the strength necessary to get their revenge.


    Surprisingly, the one that held the most sympathy for Yin Hui''s story was Wu Fangli.


    "I see... Revenge. I understand your struggle Brother Yang, but I must advise you that picking fights with clans from another province is very risky. You do not know how far the chain can lead and you may end up provoking more then you might think."


    Not wishing to maintain such a gloomy atmosphere, Zhang Shi quickly changed the topic and the four of them continued to talk amongst each other for the rest of the day. At sundown, they parted ways and returned to their rooms in preparation for the welcome ceremony the next day.


    The next morning, all the outer disciples were gathered in front of the main palace at the center of the sect. It was located near the Sky Pagoda and was rumored to be where the Sect Master and Founder resided. There were around three hundred disciples total, evaluated during different days and by different elders. They all stood at the bottom of the palace silently, waiting for the ceremony to begin.


    Gong~


    The sound of a large gong echoed throughout the area and four individuals emerged from the palace. One of them was an old man with a head full of white hair and a stern expression. He wore a black robe and had an air of command around him that made him stand out above the others.


    Beside him was an old woman with grey hair tied up in a bun. She wore a dark purple robe and held a long wooden staff. While she did not have the same presence as the black robed man, the sternness in her face was far above his.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Next to the stone-faced woman was someone Yin Hui was familiar with, Master Tranquil Wind. He wore a forest green robe and had the same gentle expression he had when they first met. Unlike the others, he did not look old at all and had the appearance of a man in his forties. Out of the four, he was by far the most appealing.


    The final individual was someone Yin Hui did not expect. Yu Zhuwa, who was standing beside him dropped his jaw when he saw the individual standing beside Master Tranquil Wind.


    [It''s him!]


    Sloppily dressed in extravagant flowery robes was the same one armed old man that Yin Hui saw in the market district a few days ago. Compared to the others who presented themselves with professionalism, the one-armed geezer was a complete mess. He was poorly groomed and his hair stuck out all over the place as if he had just got out of bed. Letting out an unnecessarily loud yawn, the one-armed man took a seat on the floor and closed his eyes.


    These four individuals were the four masters of the Striking Thunder Sect, also known in and out of the province as the Four Winds.


    The black-robed master cast a cold glare towards the master in the flowery robes before stepping forward towards the disciples gathered in before him.


    "Welcome new disciples, to the Striking Thunder Sect! I am Master Storm Wind, Master of the Storm Branch and one of the Four Winds! You have all been accepted due to your exceptional talents and abilities that surpass that of ordinary cultivators! Make the appropriate contributions to the sect and you will learn that no other location in the Storm Province is better suited to unlock your potential then here!"


    "To those who wish to join my Storm Branch in the future, be warned! My expectations are extremely high! However, if you do manage to get in, know that you will now be surrounded by the very best of the sect!"


    Below, countless new disciples had determined looks in their eyes. Master Storm Wind was the strongest of the Four Winds and acknowledged as the unofficial leader of the sect, second only to the enigmatic Sect Leader who never left the palace.


    "That''s enough arrogance from you old coot." The old woman who stood a couple feet away from Master Storm Wind furrowed her brows and walked forward.


    "Greetings everyone, I am Master Violet Wind. I will not spend time on flowery words and jump straight to the the point. Since Old Storm has already given you the welcome speech, I want to add some words of my own. Obedience to the sect is a must, anyone who does not follow the laws to the letter will be punished. My Violet Branch will make sure of that. At the same time, if you have a strong sense of justice and want to grow in a disciplined and steady environment, my Violet Branch is always looking for new members."


    On top of being one of the four branches, the Violet Branch was in charge of maintaining sect law. They had the authority to punish any disciple caught breaking the rules, including those in the other branches as well. While they didn''t always have the most talented disciples, members of the Violet Branch were formidable, even to the geniuses in the Storm Branch.


    "Sigh... If both of you are advertising your branches then I guess I should as well." A jovial voice called out.


    Master Tranquil Wind moved forward until he was at the same level as Master Storm Wind and Master Violet Wind.


    "If you find that you do not have the talent to enlist in the Storm Branch, or the dedication and diligence needed for the Violet Branch, my Tranquil Branch is open to disciples of all walks of life. Everyone learns at their own pace and my Tranquil Branch will allow you to spread your wings with the freedom."


    After Master Tranquil Wind was finished, Master Storm Wind addressed the disciples once more.


    "Now that the introductions are out of the way, we will now begin the Four Songs of---"


    "Ahem." A lazy voice interrupted.


    Master Storm Wind scowled and turned his head furiously backwards.


    "Do you wish to add something Master Tempest?"


    Master Tempest, who had been sitting the entire time, stood up and joined the rest of his fellow masters. He scratched his head and let out a rude burp while turning towards Master Storm Wind.


    "You said that the introductions were out of the way, but I don''t believe I had my turn yet."


    "Then do you have something to contribute? If so then please speak before the younger generation that has gathered before us."


    Master Tempest scanned the entire crowd briefly before looking back at Master Storm Wind.


    "No, I don''t have anything to say. I just wanted to make sure I didn''t get left out on anything the other masters do."


    Master Storm Wind snorted under his breath. Even Master Tranquil Wind seemed a bit annoyed at Master Tempest''s current behavior.


    "Very well... In that case, we will now commence the Striking Thunder Sect''s Four Songs!"


    Immediately after Master Storm Wind gave the word, Master Tranquil Wind formed a symbol with his hands. A calm wind began to fill the area and quickened at consistent intervals, creating what sounded like a beat.


    The next to go was Master Violet Wind. She tapped her staff on the ground and some of the winds produced by Master Tranquil Wind started to take on color. Streams of red, blue, green, yellow, and of course violet, could be seen blowing past the disciples gathered below the palace. Each colored gust of wind produced a different sound until a distinct melody could be heard.


    Master Storm Wind, who had taken to the skies, pointed a finger towards the heavens. Dark clouds formed as thunder roared and lightning descended. Like everything else, the thunder and lightning was controlled, roaring and striking at specific moments, adding further depth to the song.


    The three masters then turned towards Master Tempest with confused expressions. It was his turn to add the final portion of the song, but he merely stood still with a crooked grin on his face. He flew into the air and pointed a finger at the audience below.


    "Big Tornado!!"


    Suddenly, an enormous twister formed at the center of the audience. The disciples cried out as they were sucked into the tornado and started spinning around in circles uncontrollably. Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa were implicated as well. They tried to struggle against the tornado, but the wind was simply too strong.


    The tornado started to accelerate and all the disciples were flung into different parts of the sect. One disciple was even sent crashing into one of the palace windows.


    "Ahahaha!! Hope you juniors had a nice welcome ceremony!!" Master Tempest laughed like a lunatic before slowly flying away.


    Master Storm Wind was enraged.


    "Tempest you dare?! You will be punished for this!" Sparks flared within both of Master Storm Wind''s hands.


    "Really Old Storm? Don''t forget, according to the law there can be no fights between the masters unless there is clear evidence that they have betrayed the sect. Ask Old Violet, technically I haven''t broken any rules."


    Master Violet Wind grit her teeth, Master Tempest had indeed not broken any formal rules of the sect and thus could not be justifiably punished.


    "Now if you''ll excuse me, I''ve wasted enough time here. I need to get back to the city and chase after some more pretty ladies!''


    Letting out another maniacal laugh, Master Tempest casually left in the direction of the sect''s borders and towards the mortal''s domain in Thundercloud.


    -------------------------------------------


    Yu Zhuwa, who was still recovering from being flung hard into a nearby building, rubbed his injured head.


    "So that was Master Tempest...? I can''t believe Grandma Yu was affiliated with someone like him. That old man is crazy!"


    Beside him was Yin Hui, who had already recovered and was brushing off pieces of rubble from his robes. In contrast to Yu Zhuwa who was quite angry, he was merely confused. The power within the tornado was enough to kill every single one of the cultivators there, but everyone seemed to get off with just light injuries. This level of control shocked him as even a single misstep could have killed them all. In fact, it was more advanced then anything he felt from the other masters during their performances.


    [Yu Mingxi was right. If anyone can protect and help me reach a level where I can get my revenge on the Tang Clan, its Master Tempest!]