《The North Star》


 Chapter 0: Prologue

    In ancient times humans learned various mystical arts from the Gods. They learned how to form magic arrays that can protect entire mountains, cast spells capable of burning an empire, cultivate powerful martial arts, concoct pills that can revive the dead, and forge weapons with the power to split the sea. All of these abilities used a natural energy known as qi which is generated from the environment and within a person''s body. Learning these skills led to a power-based society where the strong rule over the weak and the law of the jungle sits above all. Only the masters that unlock the power of these mystical arts are able to live a truly free life.


    Humans praised the Gods for years and gave many thanks to them for teaching them these skills. The God they praised most was named Qing Shen, God of Gods. His powers were limitless and he was known as the first God to be born in the God Realm. He gave the various Gods that came after him their powers and led them as a fair king. However, Qing Shen was murdered during a coup led by the Dark God Siwang. This led to a war known as the "Great Darkness" in the Mortal Realm. Human practitioners of the mystic arts fought alongside the Gods in order to defeat Siwang and his armies. The war lasted for nearly a hundred years and resulted in countless deaths on both sides. Not only humans, but even many Gods were killed during the fighting.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Eventually Siwang''s coup was crushed and his soul was sealed in the King''s Amulet, a necklace created by Qing Shen before he died in order to imprison the Dark God. With him gone the Dark God''s armies fled in fear of punishment and the Great Darkness came to an end. Years passed and the King''s Amulet was stolen from the God Realm and brought to the mortal world by a group of human worshippers known as the Dark Pyramid. Their one goal was to resurrect the Dark God and finish the war that he had started. This led to the Gods punishing all of humanity by leaving the Mortal World forever. With the Gods gone humans began going to war amongst themselves using the powers that the Gods bestowed upon them, and the first target became the Dark Pyramid. After several long, grueling years of bloodshed the war came to an end with the Dark Pyramid being destroyed and its leaders executed. However, the King''s Amulet went missing from the Dark Pyramid''s possession at the end of the war and it was never seen again.


    Until now...


    Chapter end.

 Chapter 1: The Royal Envoy

    ¡°Father when can I start working in the mines? I¡¯m 12 years old now I should be old enough to work with the others!¡±


    A young boy sits in front of his father, the noble of the mining village which they live in. His name is Bei Xing, he is a boy with wavy black hair that dangles below his ears and red, fiery eyes filled with spirit. From the look of his outfit one might think the boy is the son of a commoner, not a noble.


    Despite being the noble¡¯s son Bei Xing does not act like he is from a noble family. He does all his required studies and practices whatever his father asks of him, but whenever he gets the chance Bei Xing goes out on his own. He enjoys going on adventures and exploring the forest around his village, and because of this his robes are constantly dirty or torn which annoys his father.


    ¡°Son how many times must I explain this to you. You cannot work in the mines with the rest of the village boys. Not only are you unable to use any mystical arts, but you are my son. The son of Luse Village¡¯s noble lord (Luse meaning ¡°green¡± in chinese). It is unbefitting to have my child working in the mines when he should be cultivating the mystic arts or practicing politics at my side.¡±


    Lao Xing is Bei Xing¡¯s father and the noble in charge of Luse Village. He is a middle aged man with long black hair and dark brown eyes. His face is very clean shaven despite being in his mid-thirties which gives off the impression that he is much younger. Lao Xing¡¯s deep voice and prideful posture make him look king-like as he sits atop his elevated chair with a guard at both his sides. The dark blue robes that rest on his body are well kept and very silky-soft. Their color pops out even more with the white clothing he has on below his robe.


    The boy rolls his eyes at his father and kneels down on one knee before dropping his head.


    ¡°To this day I have yet to have any talent in the mystical arts because my body does not generate qi nor can I cultivate it. And no offense but your politics do not interest me. Why will you not let me live how I want seeing as how the heavens have already cursed me?¡±


    Lao Xing hears the saddened tone in his son¡¯s voice and realizes just what exactly he had done. Rather than letting Bei Xing live his own life he had forced the child to adhere to his own expectations in order to keep his pride as the noble lord of Luse village.


    ¡°Rise to your feet Bei Xing and follow me. I think it is time we had an honest discussion.¡±


    Bei Xing stands up and makes eye contact with his father before nodding his head.


    Lao Xing returns the nod and rises to his feet before walking over to his sons as the two guards follow suit.


    The father and son exit the town center and begin walking south to the edge of town.


    As they are walking it is easy to see that Luse Village is somewhat of an oddball. Their village income is low yet the village itself is maintained very well. This is because Lao Xing is a fair and merciful noble lord. Rather than hoarding gold for himself he spends it on helping maintain and expand the village whenever necessary. His noble acts of kindness make him well respected by the commoners around the village, and many refuse to leave because he is their lord.


    Such virtues are rare in a world where those with power control and domineer everything.


    The pair continue walking after they make it to the edge of the village and go up a tall hill to sit on the ledge overlooking the town.


    Lao Xing waves off his guards and they bow before turning around and guarding the backside of the hill where they walked up at.


    Bei Xing sits on the ledge and begins swinging his legs. His father approaches from behind and sits next to him.


    From this view they can see the entire village and it¡¯s surrounding areas.


    The village has a small market in the middle of town where villagers and traders exchange goods. Bei Xing¡¯s favorite bakery, the White Loaf, sits across the street from it. Nearby is the town center, which is larger than any other building in town, but actually small in comparison to the town centers built by other nobles in their domains. On the far side of town closest to the hill they currently sit on is the training grounds where cultivators of the mystic arts practice their skills and train. Even their home is visible on the edge of town.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Around the village is a thick forest filled with lush green trees and a small lake where the villagers get water and fish from. Beyond the forest is a mountain range that forms somewhat of a natural barrier around the village. The only ways to enter this peaceful valley being from the north east and south west, where the mountains and forest part.


    ¡°Do you see all of this son? The village and it¡¯s people, the beautiful green forest, the tall mountains...All of it will be yours one day.¡±


    Bei Xing lets out a sigh.


    ¡°Yeah yeah yeah, I know father you¡¯ve told me this before.¡±


    ¡°Oops, have I?¡±


    He lets out a chuckle which causes Bei Xing to laugh a little too.


    ¡°Nonetheless my dear son, I mean it. One day my time will come and I will have to leave the duties as noble lord of Luse Village to you. Then all of this which you see before you will be under your leadership.¡±


    ¡°But father I have no interest in being the lord of the village. I just want to live a life free from responsibility. One where I can follow the wind as it leads me from one adventure to another.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, of course you do. Just like every other young boy in the village. But shall I let you in on a secret that no one else may know?


    ¡°What might that be?¡±


    ¡°Well when I was your age you and I were no different.¡±


    ¡°Ha! No way! You¡¯re so formal and uptight about your duties as the noble lord of the village. How could you be so lax and carefree like I am?¡±


    ¡°Simply put I was also a child, like you are now. My father did the same to me as I do you, by having me study the job of being noble lord and practicing basic martial arts.¡±


    ¡°At least you can practice basic martial arts. I have no talent in any of the mystic arts. I¡¯m a useless child with no future as the noble lord, can¡¯t you just let me be?¡±


    ¡°Do not be so harsh on yourself my son. The heavens have not gifted you their talents yet, but your day will come.¡±


    ¡°When will that day be? A day from now? A year? A decade? I¡¯ve waited for 12 years and watched as all the other children around town have been gifted with various skills and talents in the mystic arts. When will it be my turn father? Why must I be the village cripple?¡±


    Bei Xing becomes saddened by this and even lets out a tear.


    ¡°The heavens work in mysterious ways. This is all I can say to you for now. I am not an envoy of the gods or a fortune teller of any sorts. However, what I do know is that you are my son. And no matter what both your mother and I will love you for as long as you live, cripple or not.¡±


    Hearing this message from his father made Bei Xing smile and wipe his tears away. He then shoots up from his sitting position and clenches his fist.


    ¡°I appreciate hearing you say that father. Just know that the heavens may be punishing me right now, but sooner or later I will come into my own. I am Bei Xing, something as silly as fate can¡¯t even hold me back!¡±


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s nice to see you smile and act enthusiastically. But remember, if you do obtain power it is important to use it justly. Those that use their power to harm others and corrupt the world we live in are vile snakes that cannot be trusted.¡±


    ¡°Yes father, I swear on my life that I will live my life as fairly and justly as you do. Power or not.¡±


    ¡°That is good to hear. Now come, let us return home and see what your mother and sister are preparing for dinner.¡±


    As Lao Xing stands up and grabs his sons shoulder the two guards who were protecting them run over carrying a message.


    One guard bows and then conveys the message to his noble lord.


    ¡°My lord, your brother She Xing has alerted us saying the royal envoy has arrived at the town center and is awaiting your arrival.¡±


    ¡°Really? I wonder what they are doing here in our village. We live in the far north of the Empire and hardly ever receive envoys directly from the imperial capital.¡±


    Lao Xing turns and looks down at his son.


    ¡°Before we go home let us stop at the town center and see what the emperor has to say. This will be a good learning experience for you as a man and future noble lord.¡±


    Bei Xing laughs off his father¡¯s last remark and smiles at him.


    ¡°Yes father, as you say.¡±


    They then begin walking back to the town center while their guards follow on both sides of them.


    As they walk Lao Xing ponders why exactly the emperor would be sending an envoy to Luse Village of all places. This truly is a peculiar situation...


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 2: Do You Accept My Challenge?

    Lao Xing arrives with his son at the town center. Before he walks in the door the villagers have already gathered outside the building and began chatting about the arrival of the royal envoy. The only people allowed inside at this time are the heads of the Xing family and any village leaders.


    As he walks up the stairs with his son Lao Xing turns around to address the crowd of people who have gathered before him - a group of over a hundred people.


    ¡°Attention everyone, as your noble lord I shall speak with the royal envoy and relay the message of the emperor to you all once I have finished. In the meantime please wait patiently and act civilly while we are inside.¡±


    Hearing his confident voice that sounded like it carried the power of twelve men made everyone feel relieved.


    People within the crowd began nodding their heads in agreement that Lao Xing could handle whatever brought the royal envoy to their village.


    ¡°He¡¯s our noble lord, and a good one at that. There¡¯s no reason to worry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Lao Xing is a respectable man whom we all cherish as our lord. Let¡¯s leave him to his work.¡±


    Bei Xing watched as his father¡¯s one address to the people calmed their nerves and set them at ease.


    He looks up at Lao Xing who is already staring at him.


    ¡°Let us go inside and see what the envoy has to say.¡±


    ¡°As you say father.¡±


    Bei Xing follows his dad inside and the two guards that were with them stop at the door as it closes before turning around to guard it.


    The royal envoy is talking to She Xing, Lao Xing¡¯s brother and Bei Xing¡¯s uncle. The envoy is surprisingly fat for a representative of the emperor. He wears a crimson red robe with gold touches to it which signify that he is a royal envoy - one who carries the words of the emperor. Aside from the exquisite robe and his round shape nothing else sticks out about him. He has balding brown hair and a thin moustache as well as light brown eyes filled with glutinous intention.


    Lao Xing approaches the envoy who turns around after She Xing¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°Ah at last Lao Xing arrives. I was just talking to your brother here, he seems like a fine man.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your words of kindness dear envoy.¡±


    The envoy faces She Xing again.


    ¡°Of course, an outstanding man like you could even hold the position of noble lord!¡±


    The envoy pats She Xing on the shoulder as he laughs while She Xing lets out a smirk. He then turns around and faces Lao Xing again.


    ¡°Well then Lao Xing allow me to introduce myself. I am Wei Zhifang, the royal envoy of his excellence the Emperor.¡±


    Lao Xing bows to the envoy and greets him back.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir Zhifang. How was your journey to the village?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started on that story Lord Xing. Your little village is in a very remote area of the northern region of our grand Silver Empire. It took me weeks to get here without the royal horses. That carriage was less than suiting for the occasion in fact.¡±


    ¡°What might the occasion be Sir Zhifang?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right you people remain somewhat cut off from the rest of the empire.¡±


    Wei Zhifang chuckles and proceeds to walk toward Lao Xing before stopping a few steps shy of him. He then pulls out a scroll from his robe and hands it to Lao Xing.


    Lao Xing unravels the scroll and his eyes open wide with excitement as they meet the page.


    The scroll reads:


    [The time has come once again for the empire to begin enrollment into Silver Peak Academy. I understand the timing is odd considering we hold enrollment exams once every four years, but these are dire times. Our enemies continue expanding their power and I am afraid that our Silver Empire must respond. Hence the headmaster of Silver Peak Academy is working close with me to add new faces to the academy and imperial army. Because of this I am allowing every city and village within the empire to send their most talented youth to the academy in order to begin their studies in the mystic arts. Only in the case of special exceptions will we allow more than one applicant to be sent to the academy. The duty of selecting the applicant will be left up to the Noble Lords that oversee their respective domains. I look forward to welcoming in the next generation of exceptional practitioners. May the heavens bless you all. (followed by the emperor¡¯s mark of approval)]


    ¡°The Emperor is allowing us to send one of our youth to the prestigious Silver Peak Academy? This is amazing!¡±


    Lao Xing was usually a calm and relaxed figure, but this news was even too much for him to handle. His eyes were lit up with emotion and he spoke quickly.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Yes Lord Xing it is true. Our enemies to the West and East have begun expanding their militaries. It is only right that we respond and act quickly."


    Lao Xing became more composed after noticing his son tugging on his robe to calm down.


    ¡°Yes Sir Zhifang. It shall be my honor to send one of our youth to the Silver Peak Academy and have them learn the mystic arts from world class teachers.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, your cooperation is both ordered and appreciated. But before I go your brother She Xing said that your son is unable to practice any of the mystic arts. Is this true?¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s face turned red as he began boiling with anger. Seeing that his son was unhappy with the envoy¡¯s remark he grabs his son on the shoulder and shoots a stern look at him. Bei Xing sees his father¡¯s eyes full of determination and stands down.


    ¡°This is true, but it is not my brother¡¯s place to be mentioning such information.¡±


    ¡°What a shame that your own son will not be able to attend the academy. I feel bad for you.¡±


    ¡°My son is a courageous person. He has an indomitable will and incredible grit. Do not count him out yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh we¡¯ll see then shall we Lord Xing? Thank you for receiving the emperor¡¯s message. I will now be off.¡±


    Wei Zhifeng walks out of the town center while being escorted by the royal guards and boards his carriage again. The villagers look on with enthusiasm, wondering what the message he brought with him was.


    She Xing walks forward toward his brother and opens his mouth, unveiling a crooked smile. He¡¯s much older than Lao Xing and has long grey hair that is held up in a ponytail. Most of the villagers see him as a snake that cannot be trusted, which is odd considering Lao Xing is so highly respected.


    ¡°What a shame that my nephew the cripple will not be able to attend the academy. It looks like my son Duan Xing will have to be sent instead.¡±


    The tone of She Xing¡¯s voice is obviously sarcastic and meant to tease at his younger brother Lao Xing.


    ¡°You dare speak of my son in such a manner?¡±


    Lao Xing looks down on his brother with a killer stare.


    ¡°No no no, why would I ever? I just simply mean that sending a cripple to the academy would be preposterous! Therefore sending my son makes more sense than sending Bei Xing.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of sending Duan Xing. Bei Xing shall go to the academy and hopefully he can awaken a talent for one of the mystic arts.¡±


    ¡°Is this a joke to you?¡±


    She Xing erupted.


    ¡°My son is a martial artist that is already in the 3rd Layer of the Apprentice Realm at the age of 14! He has generational talent! How can you send your crippled Bei Xing in his stead?¡±


    For martial artists that cultivate the mystic arts their level of training is split up into realms which consist of five layers. The first realm is the apprentice realm which is followed by the novice, master, grand master, and deity realms.


    ¡°As the emperor said on the scroll, the noble lord shall make the final decision as to whom will be sent to the academy. And my choice has already been made.¡±


    ¡°You ignorant younger brother of mine! This is outrageous! The heavens will not sit idly and watch as you make such a terrible decision.¡±


    Just as She Xing¡¯s voice raises to the point where everyone outside can hear him Bei Xing steps in.


    ¡°Uncle I do not wish to take the spot from my cousin Duan Xing. If he wants to go to the Academy as well then I shall fight him for the spot a month from now on the training grounds.¡±


    ¡°How bold of you to make such a deal with me?¡±


    ¡°Son do not get out of line that is a bet which you cannot win.¡±


    ¡°I know father, but I do not wish to be fed on a silver spoon my entire life. You¡¯ve been there supporting me since I was born so now it is time to return the favor by bringing honor to our family name.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to do so my son then I shall allow it. I enjoy that fiery passion within your eyes. You truly are a strong young man.¡±


    Bei Xing bows to his father.


    ¡°Thank you father, I live to make you and the rest of our family happy.¡±


    He then turns and faces his uncle.


    ¡°Well, what will it be uncle? You aren''t scared now are you?¡±


    Bei Xing pokes at his uncle''s temper using his tone and that last remark.


    Realizing that his anger is getting out of hand She Xing lets out a deep breath.


    ¡°We accept your challenge. One month from now at the village training grounds you shall battle my son Duan Xing for the right to attend Silver Peak Academy.¡±


    ¡°It is done then. Don¡¯t chicken out now uncle!¡±


    Bei Xing winks and then returns to his father.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now father, our work here is done.¡±


    Lao Xing¡¯s face was locked on his son the entire time. Now it shows nothing but happiness and respect for his son.


    ¡°Indeed Bei Xing, let us return home and see what your mother prepared for dinner. You have done well today.¡±


    Lao Xing then wraps his arm around his son and leads him outside to address the people.


    She Xing is now alone in the town center as he let''s out a maniacal laugh.


    "It appears as though Bei Xing inherited his father''s guts. Too bad for him he cannot back up his words with his fists. I''ll make sure that Duan Xing punishes him during that challenge fight. That way he can never show his face in this village ever again."


    Lao Xing exits the town center and greets the massive crowd which is now larger than before.


    ¡°Attention villagers of Luse Village. The royal envoy has brought a message saying that the emperor will allow us to send one youth to the Silver Peak Academy in order to study the mystic arts.¡±


    The entire crowd now grew to over two hundred people compared to the one hundred that was there before. Their facial expressions lit up with excitement and pride in the fact that the emperor was giving them such an opportunity.


    ¡°Out of respect for the challenge, my son Bei Xing shall battle his cousin Duan Xing on the village training grounds one month from now. The winner of that battle will be given the right to attend the academy in the name of our village.¡±


    As he says this the entire crowd looks on in confusion.


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t Duan Xing already an Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer martial arts cultivator? Having him fight Bei Xing is like sending Bei Xing to his death!¡±


    The entire crowd was stunned by the words of Lao Xing, whose facial expression remains poised as he walks through the crowd with his son at his side.


    Bei Xing can hear the murmurs of the people around him and thinks to himself¡­


    ¡°I may not be strong enough now. But the heavens have given me a chance to prove myself. And I will not let my father down.¡±


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 3: The Dark God Awakens

    Bei Xing and his father get through the crowd with the help of their bodyguards and then begin walking home.


    Unlike most other noble lords Lao Xing does not live in a large fancy mansion, instead his family inhabits a house just large enough to fit them that sits on the edge of town.


    It takes the father and son duo around ten minutes to walk from the town center to their home. As they approach the grounds some of the building can be seen, but most of it is blocked from view by a white wall standing around two and a half meters tall. The wall surrounds the noble family¡¯s home which allows them to maintain privacy, but it was the villagers who wanted to give it to Lao Xing as a gift for his good graces.


    Their guards stop at the gate and hand off the duties of guarding the noble lord and his son to the sentries who are posted there. Those two original guards then return to their posts back at the town center.


    The large wooden gate opens up for Lao Xing and his son allowing them to walk into the grounds. Now the entire house and its surroundings can be viewed properly.


    For a noble¡¯s home it is quite basic, but still nicer than a commoner¡¯s. It has an ancient chinese style with both light and dark brown finishes that compliment the creamy white coloring of the house itself. There are two floors with multiple windows that allow those inside to view the nice courtyard in the front of the house and the area which surrounds the grounds. The courtyard is nothing too crazy; a dirt path leads from the gate to the steps of the home while symmetrical flower gardens follow along. To one side is also a dirt patch with a standing hay dummy that Bei Xing uses to train with.


    Lao Xing leads his son down the dirt path and as they step onto the front steps of their home he begins speaking to Bei Xing.


    ¡°Standing up for yourself like that is very noble. You must remember never to let others walk all over you and turn you into a door mat.¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s face lights up and he crosses his arms in a prideful manner.


    ¡°Of course father, a man must not let anyone look down upon him. Uncle She had it coming.¡±


    Lao Xing corrects his son with somewhat of a laugh.


    ¡°That is true, but you must remember not to let your pride get the best of you. Otherwise you become just as evil as those who seek to control you.¡±


    With that remark the two step into their home and are greeted by Bei Xing¡¯s younger sister Wei Xing who leaps forward and hugs her elder brother.


    ¡°Brother you¡¯re home!¡±


    Wei Xing embraces her brother with a bear hug. Despite being only ten she has a bit of strength to her grip. As she sits in her brother¡¯s arms her long black hair dangles below her shoulders in a ponytail, allowing her eyes to be visible. Despite having black hair Wei Xing was born with blue eyes, which is a very rare combination to have. She also wears a pink dress with a white floral pattern on it which was a gift from her father.


    ¡°Yes Wei Wei (nickname), we¡¯ve arrived home. And guess what? Something special happened today!¡±


    ¡°Oh really? What happened? Tell me! Tell me!¡±


    Wei Xing¡¯s excitable nature takes over so Bei Xing lets go of her and gets on one knee.


    ¡°The royal envoy came from the capital today. He said that I can go the Silver Peak Academy. You remember what that is right?¡±


    ¡°Of course big brother Bei! That¡¯s the place practitioners go to learn the mystic arts! There¡¯s lots of super strong teachers and students there. Are you really going to study there? That¡¯d be so cool!¡±


    Despite being young Wei Xing¡¯s vocabulary is very advanced thanks to her private lessons with her teacher, and her knowledge of the world is already as good or better than that of her brother¡¯s.


    Bei Xing shakes his head and scratches his neck.


    ¡°Well...not entirely¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean not entirely?¡±


    Bei Xing is cut off by a beautiful woman wearing the same color blue as his father, but on a long, silky dress. Her dark hair hangs to the middle of her back and her eyes sparkle like a star. The relaxed, peaceful tone which she speaks in instantly soothes anyone listening to her words.


    ¡°Mother - I didn¡¯t see you there!¡±


    Bei Xing sits up and turns around to bow for his mother out of respect, her name is Meili Xing.


    ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t my little Bei. Now come give your mother a hug and get ready to eat dinner. You can discuss this topic with me and your sister at the table.¡±


    Bei Xing smiles at his mom and walks over to her to give her a long hug. After a few seconds they let go of each other and his mother adverts her gaze to her husband.


    ¡°You¡¯re late Lao Xing.¡±


    Lao Xing corrects his posture and gives a nervous smile back to his wife.


    ¡°Yes honey I know, but as you heard from our son the royal envoy came to town bearing a message from the emperor.¡±


    ¡°Is the emperor more important than your wife?¡±


    ¡°Do not say such words of course not! But be careful, in the wrong ears those words can be heard as treason.¡±


    ¡°Yes dear, now come. Dinner is ready and we are already starved half to death.¡±


    The Xing family then walks from their entry area to the dining room and sits at the table.


    Meili has prepared a soup bowl with pork and rice for her family. Both the kids and their father begin salivating at the sight of the food before them. Lao Xing sits at the head of the table and is followed by the rest of his family. They say a prayer to the Gods and then begin eating.


    ¡°So the two of you mentioned the royal envoy. What happened?¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s mom is curious as to what made them late for dinner, and he can sense the urgency from her tone.


    ¡°We did meet the royal envoy, yes. Otherwise we would¡¯ve been home on time for this wonderful meal you prepared for us.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Meili Xing smiles and responds.


    ¡°Nice save son.¡±


    ¡°As I was saying earlier, the royal envoy came bearing the message that the emperor wants to invite one youth from our village to attend the Silver Peak Academy.¡±


    ¡°That is wonderful news little Bei, but what does this have to do with you? Since you were little you have not had any skill with any of the mystic arts. Sending you there would be like sending you to your grave.¡±


    ¡°Of course mother, but uncle She Xing embarrassed father in front of the envoy. It infuriated me so I challenged Duan Xing to a one-on-one match a month from now to see who would get the spot at the academy. I had no other choice!¡±


    Meili could sense the sincerness in her son¡¯s voice and closed her eyes before letting out a small sigh.


    ¡°You know you get that sense of courage and noble behavior from your father.¡±


    Lao Xing laughs and nods at his wife.


    ¡°She speaks the truth, afterall I do set quite a good example for you.¡±


    ¡°Do not get ahead of yourself my husband.¡±


    ¡°Of course dear¡­¡±


    The teasing back and forth between Bei Xing¡¯s parents ends and his mother returns her attention to him.


    ¡°Despite your courage, which I truly admire, this challenge is too dangerous to follow through with. I care about my son and will not watch him be beaten up in front of the entire village.¡±


    ¡°But mother you must understand. I will train my hardest over the next month and do anything in my power to defeat my cousin. Uncle She Xing must learn that his actions have consequences!¡±


    ¡°Ah, my son. Do not let hate cloud your judgement.¡±


    Meili Xing sturs her tea and takes a sip.


    ¡°Fine. If you are so dead set on participating in this challenge then there is nothing I can do. Just please, for the sake of your family, win it.¡±


    ¡°It shall be done mother. I will never bring shame upon our family name.¡±


    Happy with her son¡¯s determination and resolve Meili Xing decides to let the case rest. For the rest of dinner Wei Xing lets out a barrage of questions about the Silver Peak Academy and what¡¯s in store for her brother. The Xing family has a good time discussing the topic and spending time with one another.


    After dinner Bei Xing goes to bed in order to wake up early the next day and go to the mine in order to train for the challenge.


    Now laying in his bed Bei Xing is unable to sleep, his mind is too busy thinking about his careless actions earlier that day.


    ¡°What was I thinking!? I¡¯m just a cripple! Making that challenge is going to be the death of me.¡±


    He rolls over and lets go of a deep breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s hopeless¡­¡±


    Just as his thoughts of sadness begin taking over Bei Xing shakes his head in disappointment.


    ¡°No...I can¡¯t let that attitude get the best of me. Father would not want it. I told my family that I would win for them. Losing isn¡¯t even an option."


    Bei Xing then shoots up out of bed and looks out his window.


    ¡°No matter what I cannot lose to Duan Xing. Winning the challenge is just as important to me as it is my family. But what will I do in order to beat my cousin?¡±


    He begins pacing around his room thinking of what to do next. After a few minutes of drawing blanks he falls back on his bed and sighs to himself.


    ¡°Ugh, this is hard. I can¡¯t think of a method to beat my cousin.¡±


    Bei Xing begins fiddling with his fingers before an idea shoots into his head.


    ¡°Maybe some training in the hidden cave will clear my mind. After training I should be able to come up with a solution to my problem and sleep properly. Waiting until tomorrow will do me no good.¡±


    Happy with this idea he stands up and gets dressed in his training gi. The gi is all black and has a white dragon design across the back.


    In order to sneak past the guards outside Bei Xing tip toes out into the courtyard and hops over the back wall using a vine.


    Now in the clear he runs to the mines just south of the village in order to begin training for the fight against Duan Xing.


    Once at the mines Bei Xing has to take a complex path to get to his hidden cave which he uses for training and hiding from his mother. The hidden cave is on the lowest levels of the mines and technically speaking he is not allowed down there, but thanks to the complex path required to get to the hidden cave no one is able to bother him.


    Despite his father not wanting him to be a miner Bei Xing has explored the mines more than anyone else in the village. Hence his knowledge about the layout of the mine is second to none. In fact he knows every tunnel, cave, and cavern within the entire mine so well that he''s able to traverse the dark path with only a single torch.


    Bei Xing arrives at his hidden cave and begins practicing his punches and kicks for about an hour before leaning against the wall of the cave to catch his breath.


    ¡°Sheeeeesh! What a work out.¡±


    He wipes away the river of sweat leaking from his forehead.


    ¡°At this rate I¡¯ll never beat Duan Xing in that challenge a month from now.¡±


    He then falls back and lands on the ground which causes the dirt below him to give away, resulting in him tumbling down a small incline into a new cavern that even he did not know about.


    Inside the cavern there is no light so Bei Xing panics at first, but after relaxing and gathering his composure he begins searching for an exit.


    In the midst of his search Bei Xing comes across an amulet sitting on the ground. As he grabs the amulet the walls of the cave light up, unveiling a series of paintings which depict the Great Darkness that occurred thousands of years ago.


    Bei Xing studies the stories but is unable to comprehend them well enough to understand the meaning behind them.


    Thankfully though the amulet emits a red light which gives Bei Xing just enough lighting to find the incline he stumbled down and climb out of the cavern.


    Once back in his hidden cave he checks the ground for hollow points before sitting down again and letting out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°That was a close one. If it weren¡¯t for this amulet I would¡¯ve never gotten out of that cavern.¡±


    Bei Xing lifts the amulet up and inspects it.


    The amulet has a silver chain which reflects the light of his torch, and attached to that chain is an oddly shaped red stone covered in engravings. The stone is emitting a pulsing red light, almost like a heartbeat.


    ¡°What a strange necklace. I wonder what it was doing down there¡­¡±


    Just as he finishes his thought Bei Xing¡¯s eyes are blinded by a bright red light which spreads throughout the cave. As his eyes regain sight there is a mysterious man standing before him.


    ¡°Hello boy, are you the one who released the seal on that amulet?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes?¡±


    Bei Xing stares at the man in disbelief. He has short blonde hair and golden eyes that rival the sun. The man also has on black pants and an untied robe with no undershirt on which exposes his abs. The golden robe that sits upon his shoulders has red accents and patterns on it making him look like royalty.


    ¡°Apologies, where are my manners? My name is Siwang, God of Gods.¡±


    As if the shock of a man appearing out of an amulet wasn¡¯t enough, that same man was now claiming to be one of the Gods from legend.


    Somehow Bei Xing is able to let out a response despite the craziness unfolding before him.


    "Uhhh, hello. My name is Bei Xing."


    "That''s a nice name boy, where are we now and what empire is this?"


    "We''re within the mines my village owns and this is the Silver Empire."


    "The Silver Empire? They were a small faction the last time I heard about them. Who knew they''d become so prosperous?"


    Just then Bei Xing regains his self control and raises an eyebrow to the man standing in front of him.


    ¡°Wait a minute, I thought Siwang was the Dark God?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Dark God? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well according to the legend Siwang is the God of Darkness who murdered Qing Shen, the God of Gods. He wasn¡¯t the God of Gods himself."


    ¡°That bastard!¡±


    The man becomes visibly angered and clenches his fist.


    ¡°Qing Shen is a lying, manipulative piece of shit. That story is not true.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m Siwang, the real God of Gods.¡±


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 4: False History

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®real¡¯ God of Gods?¡±


    Bei Xing is standing at this point and remains somewhat confused.


    ¡°Boy are you slow?¡±


    ¡°No, but I am a cripple. My body doesn¡¯t naturally generate qi.¡±


    Siwang slaps his face and sighs.


    ¡°Of course you are¡­¡±


    He then continues.


    ¡°What I mean is Qing Shen was not the real God of Gods, that was the position I held as the first God to be born. Whatever stories you have been told about Qing Shen are false.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that the stories of the Great Darkness which have been passed down for multiple millennium aren¡¯t true?¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what I am saying. Qing Shen is my younger brother who was born after me. In the past when I was born my light reached every corner of the universe, and in order to create balance Qing Shen was born as my counter. His power is the darkness which eats away and overcomes my light.¡±


    Bei Xing is hooked now and looks into the eyes of Siwang showing his interest in the story.


    ¡°Mind you at first he and I were the only Gods in existence, and despite our opposite natures we got along quite well. He even looked up to me.¡±


    ¡°In that case what happened between the two of you?¡±


    ¡°The origin of our conflict began when the rest of the Gods were born. More and more Gods appeared not long after us and I granted each of them my power; which in turn made them grateful toward me. Qing Shen became wrought with jealousy because he missed the time when he and I were the sole Gods inhabiting the God Realm.¡±


    Bei Xing interrupts after Siwang finishes his sentence.


    ¡°Kind of like my little sister! She gets mad at me whenever I don¡¯t pay enough attention to her too.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously comparing existential level problems to your human relationship with your sister?¡±


    ¡°If you think about it your situation is no different than mine. Only it appears your brother went off the deep end in your case.¡±


    Siwang listens to Bei Xing¡¯s response and ponders to himself for a moment, realizing the boy has a point.


    ¡°Fair enough, but back to my story. Don¡¯t interrupt again child.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Why you little...ugh forget it. Let me continue.¡±


    Bei Xing laughs at Siwang¡¯s reaction and lets him continue speaking.


    ¡°As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted - my brother¡¯s jealousy toward the other Gods became too much for him to deal with at some point. So to get his revenge on me he used a spell to manipulate the other Gods into thinking he was the God of Gods. Once the other Gods were under his spell my brother faked his death and pinned it on me. At first I thought it was a silly plot that I could overlook, seeing as how he was the closest person to me in the universe. However I was too naive and I let my guard down. After he pinned the ¡®death¡¯ on me I approached him to get answers and he used the necklace I gave him, the King¡¯s Amulet, to lock away my soul.¡±


    ¡°If you really are the God of Gods then how could an amulet you gave Qing Shen seal your soul?¡±


    ¡°Boy the King¡¯s Amulet is not any old necklace, it is a divine treasure crafted using my own Godly qi and other precious materials only found in the God Realm. Combine that with my master craftsmanship and the King¡¯s Amulet easily had more power than any divine treasures that exist in the Mortal World. In addition to that the centerpiece of the amulet is a Soul Harnessing stone which is extremely hard to find even in the God Realm¡­¡±


    Siwang gestures at the King¡¯s Amulet which now sits on the floor of the cave.


    ¡°A normal Soul Harnessing stone has the ability to take qi and spirit energy out of a normal God¡¯s soul. Which means my brother probably reinforced this power using his dark arts so that it would work on me.¡±


    Note: Divine treasures are special weapons and items that are created by practitioners of the mystic arts known as magical blacksmiths. These blacksmiths use qi and forging materials in order to create them. In the Mortal World humans rank these treasures using grades that describe the power of them. The ranks are (from lowest to highest): yellow, green, red, blue, purple, and black. Black Grade divine treasures are extremely hard to craft and even top-tier craftsmen dream of making a single one in their lifetime.


    ¡°That makes sense now, thank you for explaining. But what happened after your soul was sealed in the King¡¯s Amulet?¡±


    Siwang smiles, unable to hide his surprised expression.


    ¡°You have manners? Shocking.¡±


    ¡°Hey old man don¡¯t tease me. I¡¯m the one listening to your story got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes I know child worry not. While my soul was sealed in the King¡¯s Amulet I could still catch glimpses of what was happening in the outside world. It appears that after my soul was locked away Qing Shen created an army of darkness using his powers and even made a fake me to lead them. Of course this imposter was nowhere near as strong as I was back then which was humiliating, but seeing as how Qing Shen has power levels similar to mine it was still a force to be reckoned with. Anyways, long story short is that he used his new army to cause the Great Darkness and get rid of some of the Gods he despised the most. In essence he used the war as a method to ¡®clean house¡¯ with the Gods and cover up the fake death to make it look like the response was real. My brother even took on a new name and became the new God of Gods so that no one would suspect him.¡±


    Bei Xing now stands there with his eyes wide and mouth partially opened. Normally he is able to remain calm and composed in crazy situations despite his rambunctious nature, but hearing such world-breaking news even blew his mind.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He gathers his thoughts and then takes a deep breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in, do you have any proof to show you are telling me the truth.¡±


    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t tell you this story without proof, come here boy.¡±


    Siwang begins waving to Bei Xing to get him to come closer. Bei Xing takes several steps forward and now stands close enough to closely inspect the man before him even with the low light emitted from the torch. Siwang has very clean features and perfect skin, not a single blemish or scar can be seen. He also gives off a warming aura that soothes Bei Xing¡¯s nerves.


    ¡°When my finger touches your forehead my memories will flow into your brain. Those with weak willpower tend to die when I do this because it overloads their mind, are you sure you want proof?¡±


    ¡°Do you take me for a fool? I¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    Siwang gently rests his index finger on Bei Xings head and lets his memories flow into  boy¡¯s mind. Bei Xing¡¯s eyes glow white as countless bits of information travel from the tip of Siwang¡¯s finger into his mind. Once the transfer is done Siwang removes his finger and Bei Xing falls to the ground.


    After a few seconds Bei Xing is able to gather himself and stand once again.


    ¡°You were telling the truth, this is crazy. All those stories about the Great Darkness...they¡¯re all fake.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it makes sense that my brother would fabricate a story about the war and share it with the mortals. He is a cunning and manipulative God so many would fall for his tricks very easily.¡±


    Bei Xing stands back up and dusts off his gi before letting out a big grin.


    ¡°I have an idea grandpa.¡±


    Before responding Siwang quickly hides his shock with the fact that Bei Xing is somehow able to stand at this point.


    ¡°How is this boy able to stand after I used the Mind Transfer skill on him just moments ago? A normal human would be reeling in pain right now due to the drawbacks of having so much information flow into their brain at one time. It would appear that this boy has some potential¡­¡±


    Bei Xing can tell Siwang is thinking about something so he questions him.


    ¡°Anything wrong? You look lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me nothing is wrong. I was lost in my thoughts as you mentioned. But what is your idea?¡±


    ¡°Well you see, my father is the noble lord of our village. So he wants me to learn politics and all this other stuff in order to inherit his position later on.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a sensible person, unlike someone I have recently come to know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point! I have no interest in becoming the noble lord, instead I wish to go on adventures and live my life free like the wind. Being trapped in this village for the rest of my life is the last thing I want.¡±


    ¡°You may want to go on various adventures, but is that a wise decision? You stated earlier that you are a cripple right now, meaning you cannot cultivate or practice any of the mystic arts. Going out on adventures requires you to be strong and dependable, which you are not right now.¡±


    ¡°Hence why I want you to help me get around that hurdle. With the God of Gods at my side teaching me the mystic arts I could become one of the strongest people in the world. Then I¡¯ll be able to go on adventures and protect my family without having to worry about them.¡±


    ¡°I can tell by the way you speak and conduct yourself that you mean this sincerely, but it is not wise of me to get involved in mortal affairs right now. My powers are drained from reawakening in a spirit form after all these years. It¡¯ll take a long time to regain my strength and form a physical body. Should my brother find out my soul was released then he would cause another war which no one wants.¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s face instantly grows sour with disappointment. He totally agrees with what Siwang is saying but that does not mean he likes to hear it.


    Not seconds later Bei Xing¡¯s face shoots up and his eyes lock with Siwang.


    ¡°It¡¯s purely theoretical, but since you¡¯re the God of Gods you should know various spells and martial arts right?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course, no one is my rival in any of the mystic arts to be honest.¡±


    ¡°In that case do you know of any skills to tie that amulet to my soul as well?¡±


    ¡°I do but why does that matter, such skills are usually dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Think about it old man! I have a physical body and can learn the mystic arts from you to end my life as a cripple. By cultivating the mystic arts I will reinforce my own soul and begin generating qi energy which will allow both of us to grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were slow but it appears you may be a genius, that method could work.¡±


    Bei Xing enjoys hearing himself get praised so he rests his arms behind his head and begins trying to act cool.


    ¡°A genius you say? Bei Xing the Genius...I like it.¡±


    ¡°Do not get ahead of yourself I merely mean you had one good idea.¡±


    Bei Xing tries hiding his laughs behind his hand as he knows Siwang is trying to tease him.


    ¡°Now in order to tie that amulet to your soul I will need to cast a spell on you. Grab the amulet from the ground and hold it to your chest with both hands.¡±


    Bei Xing nods his head and does as Siwang instructs him.


    Siwang then holds his palm out over the amulet and chants the words to the spell. As he does so the stone on the amulet glows red and its energy is absorbed by Bei Xing.


    ¡°In the name of the Heavens I command thy stone to become one with the soul of Bei Xing, let qi and spirit flow together as one in perfect balance and strengthen the bond between these two souls!¡±


    As Siwang finishes the chant the red energy that has been absorbed by Bei Xing is now overflowing. With the last word leaving Siwang¡¯s mouth all of Bei Xing¡¯s energy is released as he lets out a loud cry.


    ¡°Aghhhhhh!¡±


    The release of energy causes the mines to shine with a red light and Bei Xing¡¯s cry can be heard echoing throughout the cave. His cry carries a shock to it which shakes the caves, causing dust and rubble to stir up around him.


    When the dust settles Bei Xing is seen panting and secreting bucketloads of sweat. His body is now flowing with qi, which he was previously unable to gather or use. This feeling of overwhelming power causes a smile to form on Bei Xing¡¯s face as he begins laughing uncontrollably.


    In between laughs Bei Xing manages to let out a few words.


    ¡°My body is flowing with qi naturally now, it feels so good! I feel so good!¡±


    ¡°In all honesty I didn¡¯t expect the spell to have this high of an impact on your body.  Plus the qi flowing through your meridians is as pure as mine, who knew a human would be able to maintain qi like that? You have a natural talent with the mystic arts obviously!¡±


    ¡°Thank you Siwang, or should I say master now seeing as how we have a deal?¡±


    The tone of Bei Xing¡¯s voice is almost cynical, but it is meant in a good way.


    ¡°Yes Bei Xing, from this day forward I shall be your master and you my apprentice. I will teach you the ways of the mystic arts and make you strong enough to live out your dreams. In return you will help me regain my power and physical body.¡±


    Bei Xing bows to his master who returns it back to him.


    ¡°Yes master. Let¡¯s return to the village now it¡¯s late. Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll begin my training.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me. For now I will rest in the King¡¯s Amulet which is now hidden in your soul. If you need me then just call."


    Bei Xing nods to his master who then fades into the air as he returns to the King¡¯s Amulet. He then grabs his torch and runs out of the cave. Due to the qi flowing in his body Bei Xing¡¯s body has become more powerful. Not only is he faster, but his stamina drains much slower. Thanks to this he reaches the village in a matter of minutes.


    Once back in the house and laying in bed Bei Xing closes his eyes and goes to sleep right away. He sleeps like a newborn baby throughout the night with a smile frozen on his face. For when he walks up the next day, his first real adventure will begin.


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 5: Let the Training Begin

    The morning after Bei Xing meets Siwang he¡¯s full of energy. His face is visibly glowing with excitement and he speaks quickly during breakfast which makes his family curious.


    In the midst of scarfing down his food Bei Xing¡¯s mother Meili Xing inquires as to why he¡¯s so lively this morning.


    ¡°Son I do enjoy seeing you happy, but when you act this ecstatic it makes me wonder what the cause is.¡±


    Lao Xing adds on.


    ¡°Your mother is right son. What has you in such a good mood? Could it perhaps be a girl?¡±


    Lao Xing¡¯s tone is used jokingly and he smiles while nudging at his son who sits to the right of him at the table.


    Bei Xing¡¯s mouth is packed with food and hearing his father¡¯s question makes him nearly choke in his effort to swallow and get out a response. He coughs several times and slaps his chest before finally saying a word.


    ¡°No father it¡¯s not. I¡¯m only 12 years old so don¡¯t tease me like that.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! I met your mother when I was 13 and we got engaged a few years later. Soon enough you will be in the market for a woman as I once was.¡±


    Meili Xing butts in.


    ¡°He¡¯s right Bei Xing, I¡¯d love to see you bring home a girl one of these days.¡±


    ¡°Mom I said stop teasing me!¡±


    ¡°Alright then we¡¯ll stop. But if not for a girl then what has you acting so energetic this morning?¡±


    Bei Xing takes a drink from his cup before standing up to address his family.


    ¡°I wanted to keep this a secret for at least a little while but it appears I have no other choice as it stands.¡±


    He surveys the looks on his family¡¯s faces - his little sister Wei Xing stares at him with googly eyes wondering what will come out of her brother¡¯s mouth. Meanwhile both of his parents look on in anticipation of what he says next.


    Knowing he can¡¯t tell his family the whole truth as to why he¡¯s happy Bei Xing comes up with a different story to use.


    ¡°Last night I was cultivating in my room and my meridians were unblocked. My body is now able to generate qi and absorb it from the outside world. Meaning I can now begin practicing the mystic arts.¡±


    He steps back from the table and closes his eyes while striking a pose with both arms in front of his chest, palms touching one another. Bei Xing then gathers the qi around him and starts glowing with different colors to show that he is able to absorb the qi in the room.


    Both Lao Xing and Meili Xing¡¯s jaws drop to the floor and their eyes widen in shock. Wei Xing immediately shoots up out of her seat and runs around the table to interrupt her brother and hug him. Bei Xing is the one person in the world who she looks up to and respects most, so hearing this news and watching this demonstration makes her just as happy as him.


    ¡°Big brother Bei you¡¯re able to use qi now! You¡¯re not a cripple anymore!¡±


    Her arms wrap around her brothers waist as she squeezes him half to death to show her love and excitement. Bei Xing clings to life as he becomes short of breath trying to escape his sister¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Wei Wei please you¡¯ll kill me¡­¡±


    Bei Xing is barely able to get these words out due to the tightening grip of his sister¡¯s hug.


    ¡°Sorry big brother Bei!¡±


    Wei Xing releases her brother and takes a step back. He then pats her on the head.


    ¡°That¡¯s right Wei Wei, now I¡¯ll be able to train for my duel with Duan Xing. Mother and father now have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Bei Xing turns to his parents who are now statues stuck in their previous poses with their mouths still ajar.


    Weili Xing manages to collect herself and does the same as her daughter by getting up and rushing over to her son to hug him.


    ¡°This is wonderful news son! Thank the heavens for such wonderful timing.¡±


    She hugs him tightly, but nowhere near as tightly as Wei Xing had done moments before. Tears of joy run down her face as she¡¯s no longer able to hide her cheerful smile and emotions.


    Bei Xing lets out a devious smirk.


    ¡°Ha ha, you have no idea mother.¡±


    Bei Xing returns the hug and after a few seconds they let each other go.


    Lao Xing is finally able to close his mouth and stand up. He approaches his son and stops in front of him.


    ¡°My dear boy, I am so happy for you. Never since your birth have I been this proud of you. After all this time you never gave up and continued practicing in order to unlock your potential. No father could ask for a better son.¡±


    Lao Xing finishes praising his son and opens up his arms for a hug.


    Bei Xing steps forward and embraces his father, both of them now have small tears slowly crawling down their cheeks.


    ¡°Thank you father, your love and support means the world to me.¡±


    He lets go of his father and steps back to look at his family.


    ¡°Truly a boy such as myself could never ask for a better family.¡±


    With the energy of the room lifted and spirits high Lao Xing reaches back toward the table and grabs his wine before raising it into the air.


    ¡°Tonight we shall invite the whole village for a feast in honor of your hard work Bei Xing!¡±


    Bei Xing attempts to laugh off his father¡¯s idea.


    ¡°Father don¡¯t worry about bothering the village. I want to keep this a secret for now so that come the day of my match Duan Xing will underestimated me. Thus giving me a better chance at winning.¡±


    ¡°How could I overlook such a cunning plan? My apologies son. If you do not want a feast then I will not hold one for you, although the entire village could use the feast to lighten everybody¡¯s spirit...


    Meili Xing asks her husband what he means by that sentence.


    ¡°Why Lao? What happened?¡±


    ¡°As you know our village relies on collecting ores and magical materials from the mines in order to make money by selling them to traders. However the resources are beginning to run dry and our recent expeditions into the depths of the mine have turned up nothing. If we do not think of a solution soon then the mines will become empty and our village will have no reliable source of income.¡±


    ¡°Father this is terrible! What are we going to do?¡±


    Bei Xing knows just how important the mines are to Luse Village¡¯s survival, so hearing this makes him worry about both the villagers and his father who has to come up with a solution.


    ¡°Son do not worry about the affairs of the village right now this is your one free pass. Now that you¡¯re able to use qi you should train and prepare for your duel with your cousin. Leave running the village to me so that you can focus on developing your skills.¡±


    ¡°But I can help you!¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°My son Bei Xing wants to help me run the village? What a surprise considering just yesterday you told me that you had no interest in doing so. I am the noble lord of the village and it is my duty to handle this problem, not yours. Now do as I say and go train before I change my mind.¡±


    Lao Xing smiles and waves off his son to go off and not worry about anything.


    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Bei Xing bows to his father and turns to his mother and sister.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading into the forest today for my training and will return in a month before my duel. Is there anything you need of me mother?¡±


    ¡°No son just do as your father asks and begin practicing, it¡¯s what we all want for you.¡±


    Wei Xing nods her head in agreement with her mother and Bei Xing lets out a sigh to mess with them.


    ¡°All of you are ridiculous, but if this is what you want then our goals line up.¡±


    Bei Xing then runs back upstairs and puts on the same training gi from the night before. As he¡¯s doing so Siwang emerges from thin air and floats while laying down on his side.


    ¡°Your family loves you a lot my disciple, and they are right. As the noble lord your father must handle those kinds of issues with the adults in the village. Meaning your training should come first for you.¡±


    Bei Xing now kneels on one knee as he puts on his cloth shoes and ties them off.


    ¡°Just because they¡¯re right doesn¡¯t mean I should enjoy leaving my father alone to deal with these types of issues.¡±


    ¡°For now all you need to worry about is training young man. Otherwise you¡¯ll get killed in the fight against your cousin. What exactly are the two of you dueling for anyways?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday the royal envoy came from the capital bearing a message from the emperor. He said that Silver Peak Academy is allowing one youth from every village in the empire to join the academy for studying the mystic arts.¡±


    ¡°This Silver Peak Academy must be pretty impressive to be able to work so closely with the emperor of your empire.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is - going to the academy has always been a dream of mine so this is my best chance at getting in.¡±


    Bei Xing has finished tying his shoes and stands up before his master.


    ¡°In that case I will make sure you win that duel against your cousin.¡±


    Siwang then returns to the King¡¯s Amulet and Bei Xing sets out for the forest with nothing but the clothes on his back. His plan is to live off the land during his training.


    Once far from the village Bei Xing decides to set up camp in a clearing within the forest that will allow him to practice without restraint. He gathers materials to set up a fire pit and a place to sleep. Afterwards he locates the nearby river which he will use to bathe with and get water from.


    With his campsite complete and preparations set Bei Xing calls out to Siwang.


    Siwang comes out of Bei Xing¡¯s chest as if he were possessed and begins his teachings.


    ¡°Before we get started what mystic art does your cousin Duan Xing use?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a martial arts cultivator. At age 13 he¡¯s already an Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer.¡±


    ¡°Not bad for a human boy within a small village, he appears to have some talent. Too bad for him you are being taught by the God of Gods."


    ¡°True our deal has given me a huge advantage which I must utilise.¡±


    Siwang nods in agreement, but acts somewhat childish in a sense by boasting.


    ¡°My knowledge and power truly are remarkable. With me teaching you who knows how far you will get in life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself master, now let¡¯s get started I am eager to begin training.¡±


    ¡°Alright my disciple, since you will be facing a martial artist it only makes sense to start off by teaching you martial arts. However, because your body is touched by my divinity you will be able to learn all of the mystic arts later on. Something probably only a handful of humans have ever been able to do throughout history.¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s face lights up in delight.


    ¡°That¡¯d practically make me a God by human standards if I were able to practice all of the mystic arts well!¡±


    ¡°You are both right and wrong disciple. Just remember that being all around skilled is good, but having specialties is what will allow you to excel in combat. For now we will focus on martial arts but as time goes on we will practice more skills and see where your talents truly lie.¡±


    Siwang then holds out his hands and a scroll materializes in each of them.


    ¡°These two skills are Immortal-Level martial art skills. Are you aware of how these skills are ranked?¡±


    ¡°Yes master. Martial art skills are ranked as Low-Level, Mid-Level, High-Level, Immortal-Level, and Deity-Level skills. In that order.¡±


    ¡°Very good you seem educated. I should have expected that considering your father is the noble lord of your village.¡±


    Siwang then puts his hands down and the scrolls disappear.


    ¡°For now I will teach you several martial art forms and styles, as well as give you a suitable cultivation technique. In the past humans focused too much on learning skills as opposed to mastering basic fighting techniques. Once you master the basics I will reward you with those two skills and teach you how to use them.¡±


    Bei Xing bows.


    ¡°Yes master Siwang, I will try my best.¡±


    ¡°You have begun acting more mature and level headed recently, what seems to be the change?¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s face turns serious as his eyes narrow.


    ¡°For the past 12 years I have been a cripple that could not gather qi. Now that you have given me the opportunity to prove myself and make my goals a reality I must work hard to ensure the chance is not wasted.¡±


    ¡°Despite your typical behavior you are actually very mature when necessary. I can respect that. Now let¡¯s get started with your training. First let me give you this.¡±


    Siwang holds out his left hand a scroll appears from it, just like before. Only this time in his hand rests a cultivation technique for Bei Xing.


    "This is the Divine Coalescence Technique that I came up with. Since you have my own godly qi within you, cultivating it will allow you to progress faster."


    "Master Siwang, I have not heard of such a strange sounding technique before. Is this one a secret?"


    Siwang gives Bei Xing a prideful nod.


    "Indeed young pupil, this was never given out to anyone or even shown to another soul. You will be the first to cultivate it after me. This is a legendary cultivation technique by human standards, but in all fairness it does not begin to truly take effect until you reach higher realms."


    In the Mortal World cultivation techniques are ranked by their power to assist cultivators. Each technique is listed as common, rare, epic, and legendary in that ascending order.


    "Thank you master, I will treasure this dearly!"


    For the next month Bei Xing studied hard and practiced the techniques his master taught him. In order to catch up to Duan Xing¡¯s level of expertise Bei Xing was forced to train his body in the harshest of ways possible with little rest. Siwang made him climb mountains to build muscle, practice his fighting on trees to build endurance and learn technique, run around the forest while dodging attacks to build speed and agility, and he did this all in between cultivating his qi.


    Throughout the entire month Siwang watched as Bei Xing pushed through pain and suffering in order to embrace the true spirit of a martial artist. He was even stunned by the speed at which Bei Xing was progressing. In the span of a little under 4 weeks Bei Xing had risen his level from nothing to Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer. For a human Bei Xing¡¯s growth couldn¡¯t be judged as superhuman or even godly. One might have to call it demonic. And before long it was the day before the fight between Bei Xing and his cousin Duan Xing.


    Bei Xing falls to the ground panting and sprawls his body out. His breathing is heavy and sweat covers his body from head to toe. In the midst of his intense breathing he begins speaking to his master.


    ¡°Master Siwang, tomorrow is the duel between me and my cousin. I¡¯ve grown my foundation up to the Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer in less than 4 weeks and I nearly mastered all 3 fighting styles you taught me. Is it finally time to learn those immortal-level skills?¡±


    Despite his determination and hard work Bei Xing is still somewhat impatient which is understandable considering he¡¯s only 12.


    ¡°Not yet disciple. I have decided to give you a test in order to receive those skills.¡±


    ¡°What might that test be then master?¡±


    ¡°During tomorrow¡¯s duel I want you to only rely on your own strength and fighting styles, but I will not send in you entirely empty handed.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll give me a different skill!?¡±


    Bei Xing jumps to his feet and his eyes lock with his master¡¯s in the hope of hearing the right response.


    ¡°Yes Bei Xing I will give you a skill to use.¡±


    Siwang then summons a scroll which floats over his palm.


    ¡°This is the Destruction Fist Skill which allows you to focus all your qi into your fist and release it in a devastating punch. It is a mid-level skill that is used by many in combat. In order to use it your body must be strengthened to the top of the Apprentice Realm so that you do not harm yourself when using it.¡±


    ¡°But master my level is only at the Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer. How will I use this skill?¡±


    ¡°Boy do you think all this training was for nothing? I put you through such harsh conditions for a beginner because I wanted to harness that growth speed of yours. It is truly demonic even by my standards. Your body is already as strong as that of a peak Apprentice Realm martial artist.¡±


    Bei Xing looks at his body and compares it to before he began training.


    ¡°Master is right. When I first began training my body was still somewhat weak despite having his godly qi in it. Now I¡¯m able to uproot a tree with a single punch. It really only took me a month to reach this point? Duan Xing has been practicing since he was 7 and his strength doesn¡¯t match mine right now. This is all thanks to master Siwang¡¯s training.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for teaching me master. Your teachings have allowed me to reach this point today.¡±


    ¡°Although you would not be here without me you stand where you are today because of your own work. I merely coached you and gave you techniques; it was you who refined them and made yourself stronger.¡±


    Bei Xing bows to his master to thank him and takes the scroll from his hands.


    ¡°With this I will surely beat Duan Xing tomorrow and show the world that a new genius has arisen from Luse Village.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to watching your fight my disciple. Now let us return home before the sun sets so you can eat dinner. Otherwise your mother will deal with you and even I would not wish that on my worst enemy.¡±


    Siwang and Bei Xing both laugh at each other in agreement. Bei Xing then gathers his belongings and runs home to enjoy his last dinner before fighting his cousin for the spot at Silver Peak Academy.


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 6: Challenge Day

    A month has now passed since the arrival of the royal envoy in Luse Village and today is the day of the duel between Bei Xing and Duan Xing.


    The atmosphere around town is somewhat bleak as many fear for Bei Xing being injured severely or even killed during his fight against his cousin. Duan Xing is viewed as a generational talent as he was able to reach the Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer of his training in the martial arts by the age of 13. However, no one, not even Bei Xing¡¯s family is prepared for the spectacle that is about to unfold before their very eyes.


    Shops around the village are closed, the mines lay quiet and empty, and even the village center has been emptied of every living soul. All the villagers are gathering at the training grounds near the southern edge of town where the duel between Duan and Bei Xing is set to take place.


    At around noon the entirety of the village is now sitting in the stands and surrounding the training grounds as they await the arrival of the fighters who are set to do battle on stage. The grounds are a large plaza that sits on the edge of town which has a medium-sized wooden building where cultivators go to study and exchange goods. In the center of the plaza is a large stone stage with steps on each corner to allow fighters to rise up onto the meter high platform.


    Bei Xing¡¯s family can be seen sitting front and center on one side of the stage while Duan Xing¡¯s mother and father sit across from them on the other side.


    Before long Duan Xing enters the plaza and cheers erupt from the crowd as they praise the 13 year old genius. Despite his age Duan Xing is already around 1.5 meters tall and has a toned build. He also has short, brown hair and deep green eyes.


    As Duan Xing enters he waves to the crowd and flaunts the new gi his father gave him. The gi is all orange and he wears a blue undershirt as well as a blue belt that ties off the gi around his waist. Two symbols meaning strength (Ç¿¶È) sit on a patch that lay on the left side of his chest. He truly resembles a seasoned practitioner of the martial arts which earns him bonus points with the crowd.


    Duan Xing walks forward as the crowd parts to let him through and he ascends onto the stage using one of the steps. He bows to both Lao Xing and his father She Xing then begins speaking to the viewers in order to rile them up for the fight.


    ¡°I Duan Xing have come here today to fight for the right to attend Silver Peak Academy. My uncle Lao Xing thinks his crippled son is more deserving of a chance at the academy than I, a 13 year old genius. Here on this very stage you will all bear witness to my strength as I prove once and for all who is the best amongst the younger generations in Luse Village.¡±


    Once the words finish leaving Duan Xing¡¯s mouth the crowd begins going crazy in anticipation of the fight, however knowing that their noble lord¡¯s son is about to do battle keeps them in check.


    Nearly an hour passes and there is still no sign of Bei Xing. This causes many people within the crowd to whisper to each other and inquire as to why Bei Xing has yet to show. She Xing notices this behavior and stands up to address his brother in order to make use of their suspicions.


    ¡°Brother where is your son? Surely he would not run off in fear of my son crippling him in battle. Oh wait...he already is crippled!¡±


    Lao Xing bursts out of his chair and argues back at his brother.


    ¡°You have no right speaking ill of my son. As the noble lord of Luse Village I can have you arrested for using such words!¡±


    ¡°Using your position to defend your son¡¯s bad behavior now are we? That is low even for you brother.¡±


    Just as Lao Xing is ready to pounce at him Bei Xing arrives to the training grounds wearing a blacked out gi like before, but it now has his name sewn onto its back and a lone white star sitting on the chest region. Combine the fancy gi and tucked white undershirt with Bei Xing¡¯s confident walk toward the stage and one might think he has a shot at winning the duel based on appearances alone.


    ¡°See She Xing! My son has arrived to prove you and your son wrong. I admit my nephew has talent in the martial arts but today he shall be put to the test. Bei Xing has been training for a month straight in the forest to prepare for this fight. He will win for sure.¡±


    She Xing and his son begin laughing uncontrollably.


    ¡°Brother your son is a cripple! It doesn¡¯t matter if he looks like a warrior or if he has been training for a month. Nothing can help his condition!¡±


    Bei Xing begins walking slowly toward the stage picking up his pace step by step. His eyes narrow into slits as his face tightens to give off the impression that he is serious. Once he gets about 10 meters away from the stage he gathers qi in his feet and releases it to jump all the way up onto the stage, leaving the ground where he jumped from with a small hole.


    This is a technique he had taught himself using the same idea as the destruction fist skill. Bei Xing calls it the explosive leap and it matches the level of the destruction fist.


    Bei Xing lands on the stage with one knee and rises to face his cousin who¡¯s lost in the shock of what he had just witnessed. In fact Duan Xing isn¡¯t the only person who¡¯s confused; rather the entire crowd is speechless after watching Bei Xing jump 10 meters through the air and landing unharmed on the stage.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late I slept in.¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s tease causes Duan Xing¡¯s eyes to light up with a fiery hatred.


    ¡°You fool! How could you arrive an hour late to our fight? Is this a joke to you?¡±


    ¡°A joke? Come on now cousin even you know entering Silver Peak Academy has been a dream of mine for years now. This is a very serious matter, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll put up a fight anyways.¡±


    Duan Xing¡¯s unable to hide his rage now and he leaps toward Bei Xing in an attempt to catch him off guard with a punch. But little does he know that Bei Xing¡¯s now able to use qi, and he has been training for this day for a month straight now. The punch is easily dodged which causes everyone to begin talking about Bei Xing¡¯s sudden display of strength.


    ¡°The young master seems to have grown so much in the past month! He¡¯s no longer a cripple!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right did you see that just now? He dodged Duan Xing¡¯s punch like it was nothing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah but you can¡¯t win a fight just by dodging!¡±


    She Xing jumps out of his chair and begins yelling at his brother from across the stage.


    ¡°How could you not tell us your son is able to cultivate the mystic arts now? This is clearly an infraction of the rules!¡±


    Lao Xing smiles and tilts his head at his brother.


    ¡°Brother such rules were never established in the first place, and even I did not know my son had gone through such growth during his training this past month.¡±


    ¡°You liar! Clearly you hid your son¡¯s awakening to hold an advantage in the battle today.¡±


    ¡°You dare accuse me, the noble lord, of rigging the bet? That is low brother, even for you. Besides, did you expect Bei Xing to just come here unprepared and get beaten to death? You just wanted him to be humiliated in front of the entire village!¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Nonsense I would never!¡±


    ¡°Then sit back down and let these young ones continue their duel. I do not want to hear such ridiculous accusations from your mouth again.¡±


    She Xing bites his tongue and turns to face his son on stage.


    ¡°Duan Xing do not hold back. Defeat him now and show everyone who is truly the greatest!¡±


    ¡°Yes father I will not disappoint you.¡±


    Duan Xing faces Bei Xing again who¡¯s standing in a relaxed pose awaiting Duan Xing¡¯s next move.


    ¡°Prepare to be finished cousin. I will not hold back against you.¡±


    Bei Xing yawns and then gestures for Duan Xing to approach him.


    Infuriated by this taunt Duan Xing dashes forward and begins unleashing a volley of punches and kicks toward Bei Xing. All of which are met at equal speed and deflected by him.


    ¡°Is this all you know how to do cousin? Dodge and deflect?¡±


    Duan Xing¡¯s anger is now pouring out in his voice and eyes which throb out of their sockets.


    ¡°Of course not, but this is one of my best techniques: the Balanced Monkey King Style. With it I am able to hold my stance and both dodge and reflect my opponent¡¯s attacks easily.¡±


    The hail of attacks from Duan Xing does not stop during this word exchange which makes onlookers even more shocked at the talent of both fighters as well as Bei Xing¡¯s sudden growth.


    ¡°Quit meeting my fists and actually fight back you coward!¡±


    ¡°Duan Xing are you angry right now? Your technique is sloppy!¡±


    Bei Xing lets a cynical smile leak from his mouth and does several backward flips to escape Duan Xing¡¯s reach. He then mocks his cousin.


    ¡°You¡¯ll wish you didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Bei Xing gathers the qi throughout his body into his fist which now glows with a monstrous qi aura. He uses his explosive leap skill to close the gap between him and Duan Xing instantly and releases the punch onto his cousin.


    ¡°Explosive Fist!¡±


    The release of qi causes an explosion at the point of contact between Bei Xing¡¯s fist and his cousin¡¯s chest. Dust kicks up around them and all the viewers can see is Duan Xing¡¯s body fly out of the dust cloud and off of the stage.


    Moments later the dust settles and Bei Xing is seen left standing and unharmed.


    Cheers and applause explode from the crowd as they now shower Bei Xing in praise.


    ¡°The young master is truly a genius!¡±


    ¡°Duan Xing was no match for his cousin. He was just toyed with!¡±


    As the roars from the crowd grow louder and louder Bei Xing¡¯s little sister runs up onto the stage and hugs her brother around his waist. Now that his body is much stronger he can actually withstand Wei Xing¡¯s death grip, but perhaps just barely.


    ¡°Brother you did it! You beat Duan Xing! Now you get to go to the academy!¡±


    ¡°Thanks little sister, but I did this for more than my own goals. I did it to make you and our parents proud.¡±


    Lao Xing and Meili Xing watch their kids hug each other and soon get up to join in on it.


    She Xing and his wife rush over to their son who is bleeding from several spots on his body. Although he is not dead, he appears to have been knocked unconscious. She Xing lowers his head in shame for causing his son¡¯s downfall and then gets up to speak to his brother.


    ¡°It would appear as though Bei Xing has won the duel fair and square. The right to attend Silver Peak Academy will be awarded to him¡±


    Bei Xing and his family stop their group hug and Lao Xing steps forward to shake his brother¡¯s hand but gets denied.


    ¡°Duan Xing did great today, please do not be hard on him.¡±


    ¡°Obviously not great enough if he lost.¡±


    ¡°I understand that attending the academy was my nephew¡¯s dream as well. I am sure if we talk to the admissions office we could get him in as well under the special exception rule.¡±


    ¡°Worry not about my son. I will handle his training you have no say in the matter.¡±


    ¡°I merely want to help brother do not be so tense.¡±


    She Xing ignores his brother and hastily retreats back to his son before unleashing his rage.


    Lao Xing turns around and begins speaking to his son.


    ¡°Bei Xing you did so well today! I never expected you to grow this much in just a month. What realm of the martial arts are you in?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to my training I was able to reach the Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer, but thanks to that fight I think I¡¯m close to reaching the 4th layer now.¡±


    ¡°Such wonderful news! Words cannot begin to describe how proud me and your mother are. You never seem to disappoint us.¡±


    ¡°Father you speak too highly of me.¡±


    Bei Xing bows to thank his father who then returns the favor.


    Meili Xing looks at her son.


    ¡°Now that everyone knows you had your awakening it would appear a feast is in order, right honey?¡±


    Lao Xing¡¯s face explodes in cheer as he is unable to hold back, but he quickly collects himself and shakes off his robes.


    ¡°Yes my lovely wife. It is now time to have a bountiful feast to celebrate Bei Xing¡¯s victory and enrollment into Silver Peak Academy!¡±


    He raises his fist into the air and shouts at the top of his lungs, causing the villagers to begin dancing and blowing off steam with one another out of excitement for the coming feast.


    ¡°Son this was all thanks to you. Your awakening and show of strength here today really did good on the moral of the people. Plus with this feast everyone will be in a great mood for weeks to come.¡±


    ¡°As I told little Wei Wei, despite wanting to go to Silver Peak Academy for my own dreams I did this to make you all happy.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did. You are always trying to make us happy which is why we love you so much.¡±


    ¡°I love you all too father.¡±


    Lao Xing pats his son on the hand and shakes his hair before posing a question again.


    ¡°Out of curiosity son, why attend Silver Peak Academy? I get that it is the number 1 school for mystic arts in the empire, but I thought you wanted to go on adventures and live life freely?¡±


    ¡°I do father, but in order to live life freely a man must be strong and fearless. Hence learning from the best in Silver Peak Academy is the logical way to become strong fast.¡±


    ¡°Your logic cannot be argued with. Either way this is a monumental opportunity to be able to attend the academy. Soon enough we will receive more details about your admission into the school as well as when you begin your studies. Until then you should continue training to become stronger.¡±


    ¡°Yes father but let¡¯s talk about that later on. For now we should party and enjoy the feast tonight. In this very moment all I want is to enjoy some quality time with the people I love most.¡±


    ¡°Okay then I like your thinking!¡±


    Lao Xing wraps his arm around his son and Meili grabs her daughter''s hand. Then all 4 of them walk off into the streets to begin the festivities with the other villagers.


    For the rest of the day and long into the night the sounds of partying and feasting could be heard throughout the valley. Luse Village was very lively that night and nobody sat inside during the festivities. Bei Xing and his family were honored by the entirety of the village and fireworks were used to make the night even more memorable. It was truly one of the best nights Luse Village had ever experienced.


    When the village eventually died down Bei Xing sat by himself in the courtyard outside his house staring at the stars.


    Suddenly Siwang appears next to him and joins him in the stargazing.


    ¡°Master I can¡¯t thank you enough for all of your teachings this past month. Without you today wouldn¡¯t have been possible.¡±


    ¡°Bei Xing I told you before and I will tell you again. Your work ethic and determined mindset are what brought you here to this point. Hold onto those traits dearly as they will help you grow even further in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes master I promise to continue getting stronger for both our sakes.¡±


    ¡°That is what I like to hear young disciple. Now stand up I have a gift for you.¡±


    Bei Xing looks at his master in confusion and stands up wondering what the gift is.


    Siwang can tell Bei Xing is confused as to why he¡¯s getting a gift so he breaks the awkwardness in the air.


    ¡°You forgot about my promise from before your training started didn''t you?¡±


    Bei Xing giggles and scratches his neck before realizing what his master is talking about.


    ¡°Wait a minute..the immortal-level skill scrolls!¡±


    ¡°Ah so you do remember. I present these two skills to you as a gift for your hard work over the past month. Today you proved that you have what it takes to walk the path of a practitioner of the mystic arts. Seeing you grow thus far has me excited to see where you will go in the future.¡±


    Siwang holds his hands out and the same two scrolls that he showed Bei Xing a month earlier appear, one in each hand. Bei Xing grabs both scrolls and sets them down next to him.


    ¡°Master I¡¯ve grown on you haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Bei Xing leans toward his master with a crooked smile of sorts to tease him.


    ¡°A normal human boy like you becoming my friend? I am the God of Gods do not make me laugh!¡±


    Siwang¡¯s laughs and turns away from Bei Xing to act high and mighty; allowing him to hide his thin smile.


    ¡°Maybe this kid is growing on my after all¡­¡±


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 7: Qi Body Refinement

    After the night of the feast Bei Xing decides to head out into the forest once more in order to begin practicing the immortal-level skills his teacher promised him.


    Bei Xing kneels down to gather water in a container from the nearby stream and his master floats up behind him.


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    Siwang successfully scares Bei Xing causing him to scream and fall forward into the water.


    ¡°What a baby! You act like you saw a ghost.¡±


    Bei Xing shakes off his upper body while walking back onto land.


    ¡°In a way you are a ghost you evil spirit.¡±


    Bei Xing now stands on shore and shakes out his legs to try and dry off some more.


    ¡°Do not act like that disciple you will hurt your master¡¯s feelings.¡±


    Siwang imitates a baby to mess with Bei Xing.


    ¡°Whatever you say master. Now that I have my water container filled up can we start training with those two immortal-level skills?¡±


    ¡°Yes we can, but before we do so we will need to do some demon beast hunting in order to truly get the most out of your training.¡±


    ¡°Master I would love to practice against demon beasts, but the entirety of Heping Valley has almost none above 1-Star. We don¡¯t even bother hunting the 1-Star demon beasts because their cores are practically useless and their yield is quite low.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering why your training here in the forest was so peaceful. Talk about a truly odd place. As you know demon beasts are ranked based off their strength from 1 to 10 stars, and 10-Star demon beasts have power just below that of the Gods. My goal was to have you train against at least 3-Star demon beasts using these immortal-skills I want to give you.¡±


    Siwang crosses his arms and then uses one hand to stroke his chin in an effort to think up a new training strategy.


    ¡°If there are no demon beasts in Heping Valley then what about the surrounding areas?¡±


    ¡°Well Luse Village is the only village inside the entirety of the valley so I do not know much about the outside. All I know is from my father¡¯s teachings or chatter from merchants and traders.¡±


    ¡°Fighting demon beasts is absolutely necessary in your efforts to become stronger. Hence I think it best to travel outside the valley to continue your training.¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s eyes begin glowing with the desire to step foot outside the valley, something he had never done before.


    ¡°You really think it¡¯s time?¡±


    ¡°How will a young bird begin to grow if it does not leave the nest? Of course it is time to begin your adventure. For the time being though you should focus on meditating and practicing your fighting forms while you wait for the admittance letter to the academy. Spending time with your family would not hurt either. Once we know when it is time to go off to the academy we will leave early in order to train on the way there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great master!¡±


    Bei Xing bows and then rises.


    ¡°Should we head back to the village now then?¡±


    ¡°Actually I want to show you a new qi technique that will help you in the long run. It is something that you can practice non-stop that will slowly but surely help your cultivation in all of the mystic arts.¡±


    ¡°What might this technique be master?¡±


    ¡°The technique is called ¡®qi body refinement¡¯ and it is broken up into two stages. Stage 1 is about you taking control of the qi flow within your meridians and getting better at manipulating that flow. Once you are able to freely control the qi in your body you can practice stage 2 which is the actual qi body. A qi body is an aura of qi that surrounds you and protects you from extreme conditions and various attacks. Once you learn the qi body in stage 2 you will be able to use it constantly, allowing you to train your qi control and expand your energy reserves.¡±


    ¡°This sounds cool and all master but I want to learn some cool skills too. Maybe like a giant ice palm or a flaming fist!¡±


    ¡°Practicing qi body refinement is one of the best ways for young cultivators of any mystic arts to become stronger. Remember that power and moves are not everything in battle; by having a strong control of the qi within your body you will not only progress faster but also increase your overall potential in battle.¡±


    ¡°Really? I want to try it now then! How do I start?¡±


    ¡°Right here by this stream actually is not a bad place to begin. Go ahead and sit down then begin meditating.¡±


    Bei Xing follows his master¡¯s instructions and sits down cross legged next to the river to begin his meditation.


    ¡°Now you must reach deep within yourself and feel the qi that flows through you. Only by understanding your own energy will you be able to manipulate it. Is it dense? Thin? Blue or red? Does it flow fast or slow? These are all questions you must answer to understand your qi.¡±


    Bei Xing nods to acknowledge his master¡¯s words and begins focusing hard on his meditation.


    ¡°It feels...warm.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°That is good - my godly qi flows in you so I originally worried whether or not your body would reject it. However, it appears that not only are you able to maintain my qi, but the qi itself seems to have become one with you.¡±


    ¡°Master I¡¯m confused though.¡±


    ¡°Why are you confused?¡±


    ¡°Is my qi supposed to be one specific color?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the color of your qi shows the nature of it. Those with red qi excel in fire skills and blacksmithing, those with green do well with nature skills and healing, and so on so forth. Everybody has a speciality based off the type of qi their body naturally produces.¡±


    ¡°But master my qi does not hold one solid color.¡±


    ¡°Wait...what? Explain what you see.¡±


    ¡°My qi itself is warm but that¡¯s the only stable thing about it. The color of my qi is more like a radiating rainbow surrounded in a white aura. I see blue, red, green, black, orange, pink, purple, and more. The colors just don¡¯t stop.¡±


    ¡°This is amazing! I have only ever seen Gods with multiple qi colors, but none of them even had qi like you just described! Your qi is quite similar to mine in that sense. My qi is a pure white because it is the yang energy that balances out the universe alongside Qing Shen¡¯s yin energy. Due to its white color I have been able to practice any skills I want and have no drawbacks due to a lack of compatibility. Perhaps you had multiple qi colors due to your own qi nature, but thanks to the qi which I forced into you it has now grown even further and blended into one.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then does that mean I am able to use any skills I want too?¡±


    ¡°Right now it is too early to tell, but by learning this technique and expanding your skillset we will be able to see whether or not you can.¡±


    ¡°Awesome, this is great master!¡±


    ¡°Yes disciple it is, now get back to focusing on your energy.¡±


    Bei Xing again nods his head and stops talking in order to focus on his meditation. He continues cultivating for nearly 5 hours and stops at around mid-day.


    Bei Xing finally opens his eyes and an explosive wave of qi generates from around him. His eyes are glowing and have a red flare on their edges. He has finally advanced to the Apprentice Realm 4th Layer and made progress toward the 5th.


    ¡°Master I¡¯ve reached the 4th Layer of the Apprentice Realm in one go thanks to yesterday¡¯s fight with Duan Xing!¡±


    Siwang was napping moments ago but the burst of energy Bei Xing released woke him up. Now he rubs his eyes and yawns at his disciple before responding.


    ¡°That growth of yours is truly frightening. Most martial artists do not reach this level of cultivation until they are 16-18 years old, meaning you are ahead of schedule.¡±


    Bei Xing shrugs and smiles.


    ¡°What can I say other than I¡¯m a young genius.¡±


    ¡°I would argue that but it is true. Remember not to become arrogant due to your strength and growth though, otherwise it will lead to your downfall.¡±


    Bei Xing stands and bows.


    ¡°Yes master, I¡¯ve already promised my father to live a fair and just life in the name of the Xing family. With you training me I do not fear of overstepping.¡±


    ¡°It is nice to have a level-headed apprentice such as yourself.¡±


    ¡°Almost as nice as having a level-headed master, especially when that master is the God of Gods. You¡¯re getting used to being with me and around mortals aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Do not be silly, you are the only person who has even seen me since I was awakened. Although it would be nice to have other conversation partners.¡±


    The master and disciple duo laugh at each others'' remarks and then Bei Xing packs up his stuff to return home.


    ¡°Alright let¡¯s get back to the village and see how things are progressing at the town center. If I remember correctly then there should be a meeting going on about how to handle the current situation with the mines.¡±


    Bei Xing crouches down and uses his explosive leap skill to jump all the way home in less than 10 minutes. Before his training started it took him hours to arrive to the clearing in the forest where he trained, but now his progress was obvious.


    Before entering the town center Bei Xing stops at his favorite bakery called the ¡®White Loaf¡¯ to get a snack.


    As he walks in a young girl around the age of 8 greets him at the door. She¡¯s wearing a red cooking hat with the bakery¡¯s logo on it as well as some common clothes which are covered by an apron that¡¯s much too big for her. The girl¡¯s hair is jet black and rests on her shoulders while her eyes meet Bei Xing¡¯s with a great bit of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Bei Xing you¡¯re back! Coming to order some of papa¡¯s bread bites again?¡±


    Bread bites are the White Load''s signature menu item. They are small, bite-sized rolls that are steamed to perfection.


    ¡°You know me too well Wu Fan. I can never get enough of those bite-sized delicacies they¡¯re just too good.¡±


    Bei Xing begins drooling at the thought of eating the baker¡¯s bread bites which are his favorite snack. In the midst of his little daydream Wu Fan yanks him on his robe.


    ¡°Papa isn¡¯t here right now. He told me to watch the store for him while he goes to talk with the other grown ups.¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s daydream is cut short by a crash and burn as he realizes he won¡¯t be able to eat the snack of his dreams.


    ¡°All I wanted was some of Papa Fan¡¯s bread bites but no, of course he has to attend the meeting at town hall. Are there any premade batches?¡±


    ¡°Nope I finished the last one all on my own!¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s spirit is crushed and he falls to his knees.


    ¡°Little Wu all that bread isn¡¯t good for you, instead you should¡¯ve saved some for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly Bei I love them too and with papa gone I needed to eat!¡±


    ¡°How long has he been talking with the other grown ups?"


    ¡°Papa Fan left this morning and hasn¡¯t come back yet. He told me he¡¯d teach me how to make his famous white bread rolls today but he hasn¡¯t had the chance to because of the other adults!¡±


    Wu Fan is obviously annoyed by Papa Fan¡¯s attendance at the meeting and Bei Xing comforts her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry little Wu I¡¯ll go see why all the grown ups have been busy today. You just stay here and keep watching the place alright?¡±


    Wu Fan does a military style salute toward Bei Xing.


    ¡°Yes big brother Bei!¡±


    ¡°Thanks silly girl, and remember not to eat all the food while you wait.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Wu Fan stomps her foot on the ground.


    ¡°No fair I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    ¡°Just wait a little longer until Papa Fan comes back, then you can eat all the bread you want.¡±


    Bei Xing pats Wu Fan on the shoulder and she begins twirling around in excitement.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for papa to come back and make me bread! Yay!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, okay little Wu goodbye for now. I¡¯ll be back later after papa returns to get some bread bites.¡±


    Bei Xing then heads back outside and begins walking to the town center. As he approaches he can hear the shouts and cries within the building, signalling that something¡¯s wrong. He rushes inside and finds most of the village¡¯s adults arguing back and forth across the room. On the far back wall sits his father Lao Xing and the 3 village elders, all of which are obviously tired from all the arguing that has taken place.


    ¡°What did I walk in on this time!?¡±


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 8: Trouble With the Mines

    ¡°What are we to do if the mines run out of spirit stones and other raw materials? Our entire economy will collapse and everyone in the village will be forced to move!¡±


    These cries come from an eldery man sitting in the section to the left of Bei Xing. His face is wrinkled and long white hairs dangle from his chin to his chest. Just by looking at his appearance and hunched back one can tell that he¡¯s spent many years working in the mine.


    Since it¡¯s founding Luse Village had relied on harvesting spirit stones and other materials from within the mine. Spirit stones are extremely useful items for cultivators of the mystic arts that collect qi from the natural environment. Cultivators can use them to aid in their advancement into higher realms and even as a core component for many crafting recipes. This means even a small village like Luse could profit from them by selling them off to merchants and representatives from big sects.


    A younger, but still middle aged man replies back to the elderly gentleman.


    ¡°Old man you have no reason to be so worried about the current situation of the mines, you barely have a year left before you drop dead!¡±


    Hearing such disrespect to the elderly causes Lao Xing to jolt out of his seat and smack his hands on the table in front of him.


    ¡°Enough Yao Zhan! Disrespecting your senior at a public event? What is wrong with you, did your parents not raise you any better?¡±


    Lao Xing¡¯s voice carries the weight of thunder which causes Yao Zhan to retreat back into his seat. Such a reaction from Lao Xing is rare so this was the best option for him.


    ¡°Senior Pao, I apologize on behalf of Yao Zhan.¡±


    Lao Xing nods to the elderly man who smiles and attempts a bow in return despite his horrible back pain.


    ¡°Worry not Lord Lao, he¡¯s just as worried as I am about the current problem at hand. The village mines have kept us on our feet for countless generations. Without them I fear for the well-being of the younger generation.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is a dire problem senior. That is why I called you all here today, so that we can come up with a solution rather than bicker like children.¡±


    Having noticed his son now Lao Xing walks around the table and begins slowly going down the aisle of the town center which splits the two seating sections apart. As he walks he continues addressing the villagers.


    ¡°It is my duty as your Noble Lord to make sure this village lives on, and in order for me to do that job I need you all to be on your best behavior. If we are to come up with an answer to our problems then it must be together as one, not divided as many.¡±


    Hearing these words come from Lao Xing causes the adults that are standing to sit down and relax their hearts a little.


    Lao Xing¡¯s ability to relax the village commoners and put their minds at ease in such crucial times is what makes him such a great Noble Lord. Many would even say he is befitting to be an emperor, but he laughs off such remarks saying that the job of an emperor is much too difficult for even him.


    With each step taken Lao Xing speaks on as he approaches his son.


    ¡°Many of you have children who are being raised in this village; just as you were and your parents were before you. In order to keep that cycle going we must act now and act fast in order to save the village before our mines dry out.¡±


    After a few more steps Lao Xing reaches his son and sets his hand on his shoulder to acknowledge him. He then turns around once more and says to the villagers...


    ¡°Therefore, until we have an answer as to how we will fix the problem involving the mines I will be closing them off.¡±


    Gasps of shock and anger can be heard from both sections of seating. Never in the more than 200 year history of Luse Village had the mines ever been shut down.


    Suddenly a slender man rockets out of his seat and speaks to Lao Xing.


    ¡°Lord Lao, I believe I speak for everyone here when I say that closing the mines goes against our way of life. Our village has lived off the mines since it was founded and closing them would be a disgrace to our ancestors.¡±


    Despite having such heart-felt feelings about the mine this young man still speaks softly and honorably to Lao Xing¡¯s idea, displaying his respect for the Noble Lord.


    ¡°Young man this is not up for debate. The village depot and the mine storage house have plenty of reserves saved up to last us half a year in the market. Even then it will not take us that long to come up with a solution.¡±


    The atmosphere of the room was slowly thinning, before Lao Xing began speaking it was dense and full of emotion. Simply entering the town center could cause a youth to fall ill due to the intensity of it. But the more he spoke the more the adults in the room calmed their nerves, making Lao Xing look like a legendary beast tamer that could relax the mightiest of demon beasts.


    Bei Xing makes a mental note of his father¡¯s actions.


    ¡°My father is definitely an intelligent man. The way he speaks to the villagers is so soothing that it even relaxes me, such social skills are hard to come by for political figures! Hopefully one day I can reach the same level as him!¡±


    Satisfied with the reaction of the people Lao Xing returns to his chair on the other side of the building and sits down promptly.


    ¡°Now that we will be closing the mines we can talk about fixing the problem itself. Does anyone have any ideas that they would like to share?¡±


    Such democractic behavior from a Noble Lord is rare seeing as how many use their position to benefit their own needs, but Lao Xing is much different. He cares about the villagers and honestly wishes for their best interests.


    Not a moment is spared and a large man slowly rises out of his seat. The man¡¯s frame is gargantuan and he stands at an astonishing 2 meters tall. He alone takes up two seats!


    ¡°My name is Jin Zhung, as most of you know I oversee operations in the mines. In my opinion our only two options are to abandon the mines and look for new work or continue digging deeper in the hopes of finding anything of value.¡±


    Jin Zhung¡¯s deep voice and obvious experience in the subject makes people nod in agreement. After all, who else in the village would have more knowledge about the mine than him?If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Junior it is not wise to continue wasting our efforts digging deeper into the mines.¡±


    Lao Xing¡¯s reply is quick and calculated, but not in a disrespectful manner.


    ¡°Several parties have already attempted to explore the depths of the mine and none have been successful. In fact 5 young men have been injured during these expeditions! I understand your reliance on the mine but I do not want our decisions to lead to more injuries or even deaths amongst your mining teams.¡±


    Jin Zhung slowly lowers his head and understands what his Noble Lord means. It wasn¡¯t a matter of unwillingness to venture deeper into the mines, but rather an issue of safety.


    Bei Xing is now leaning against a pillar near the door and jumps up after hearing this exchange between his father and the miner.


    ¡°Father I have an idea!¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s voice echoes throughout the room and all eyes turn to him.


    ¡°What is it Xinger?¡±


    Bei Xing pauses for a moment and takes several steps forward in preparation to speak before the adults.


    ¡°This may sound crazy, but my knowledge of the mines is more complete than senior Jin Zhung¡¯s. I do not say this to sound arrogant or rude, but in my free time I explore the depths of the mine for fun. Thus I know about secret passages and caverns that most others do not. I propose letting me lead an expedition into the mine in order to find more resources within it.¡±


    The words coming out of Bei Xing¡¯s mouth cause the adults in the room, including his father Lao Xing to raise their eyebrows in confusion.


    How could this 12 year old boy know more about the mine than his senior who has worked there for more than a decade now?


    ¡°Son are you telling me that instead of studying you have been going into the mines against my will?¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s eyes bust open and he rubs his forehead, making him look more guilty.


    ¡°Yes father, but there isn¡¯t any reason to be mad over such trivial matters. My knowledge of the mines could be useful to solving the village¡¯s problems!¡±


    Lao Xing leans back in his chair and contemplates the words of his son for a few moments. If his son was telling the truth then his knowledge could prove vital in finding new veins of resources within the mines. Plus his son was now a genius who had cultivated his martial arts to the Apprentice Realm 3rd Layer in a month! This in itself was a feat because Luse Village was home to no martial artists above this level, even in the older generation. Perhaps trusting in his son would be beneficial for everyone.


    After thinking on his son¡¯s words Lao Xing opens his mouth once more.


    ¡°Even if what you say is true then it still is much too dangerous for someone at your level to venture that deep in the mines. You are not experienced enough nor strong enough to lead such a venture, and no one in the mining team is above the 3rd Layer of the Apprentice Realm so it still poses a great risk.¡±


    Bei Xing chuckles briefly after hearing this from his father. He had yet to mention that he had advanced to the 4th Layer already and was close to reaching the 5th.


    ¡°Father such issues are not a concern, just recently I advanced to the Apprentice Realm 4th Layer and made good progress toward the 5th. Therefore, by your standards I should be strong enough to carry out this task.¡±


    As if they weren¡¯t already stunned, everyone in the room immediately begins whispering after hearing Bei Xing speak. Was it possible for this boy who was a cripple little over a month ago to progress this much in such little time? Even the former village genius Duan Xing was still months away from advancing into the next layer of cultivation.


    Lao Xing lets out a cough to loosen his throat.


    ¡°Ahem, Xinger is this true? Have you really advanced again already?¡±


    ¡°Yes father, I would never lie to you about such things.¡±


    Being a 12 year old in the Apprentice Realm 4th Layer is a feat no one had ever heard of. Hence why should Lao Xing not let his son prove himself by leading the expedition? At this young age he was already stronger than anyone else in the village. Luse Village is home to few cultivators of the mystic arts, all of which are martial artists. However even Bei Xing¡¯s seniors had now been overtaken in cultivation level. Combine his strength and supposed knowledge of the mine and it would be totally unreasonable of Lao Xing not to approve of his son¡¯s idea.


    ¡°Jin Zhung¡­¡±


    The mining leader immediately snaps his head over to the Noble Lord.


    ¡°Yes Lord Lao?¡±


    ¡°If what my son says is true do you have the confidence to assist him in leading the expedition as his advisor?¡±


    Jin Zhung bows out of respect for Lao Xing.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure to help the young master in leading the expedition.¡±


    ¡°Alright then I only have one more question, are you also confident in the mining team¡¯s ability to carry it out? It will be more dangerous than past attempts.¡±


    With a look of determination Jin Zhung places one fist over his chest.


    ¡°I swear by my name that my men will carry out this expedition without a single hitch. In order to raise the odds of success I will lead a smaller team of my best workers alongside the young master. That way we can get in and out faster with lower risk of injury.¡±


    Content with these words Lao Xing nods to Jin Zhung and he sits down right away.


    ¡°Xinger, I am placing my faith in you. The fate of the entire village rests in your hands now. Tomorrow morning you will lead an expedition into the lower levels of the mine in order to look for more resources. Jin Zhung and his best miners will accompany you to make sure there are no issues in the process.¡±


    Bei Xing bows to his father as the edges of his mouth raise into a delighted smile.


    ¡°Thank you for this opportunity father! I will not let you down!¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t son, I believe in you.¡±


    Lao Xing then stands to his feet and grabs the small wooden gavel on the table. He pounds it on a round coaster several times, catching everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Now that we have established a plan for exploring the mines I will send the town guard to organize the mine storage house and village depot in preparation for the temporary closing. You are all dismissed to carry on with your daily routines!¡±


    Just like that the meeting came to an end. The large mass of people sitting on both sides of the town center begin walking out of the building in small groups to chat about the events that had unfolded today. Amongst them is the man Bei Xing wanted to find before coming to the meeting, Papa Fan.


    ¡°Papa Fan! Papa Fan!¡±


    Bei Xing shouts to the man and grabs his attention.


    Papa Fan then slips through the crowd and appears before Bei Xing.


    ¡°Hey there Xing Gongzi! What can I do for you?¡±


    Papa Fan is a highly respected figure in Luse Village. Despite being only a baker his influence reaches everyone, and many see him as a grandpa-like figure. Hence why people call him Papa Fan. He¡¯s somewhat round and wears basic white and black cloth for clothing. His grey hair and thick moustache show that he is aging, yet despite this his spirit is still quite young.


    ¡°I stopped by the bakery earlier and Wu Fan told me that you were here. Originally my plan was to get some of your bread bites, but Wu Fan ate all of them!¡±


    Papa Fan lets out a joyful laugh.


    ¡°Silly girl, she¡¯s always pulling some sort of stunt like that. Here¡¯s what I¡¯ll do for you Gongzi, since you¡¯re helping the village out by going on this expedition I¡¯ll prepare a whole batch of bread bites for you to take with you tomorrow!¡±


    Bei Xing¡¯s spirit leaves his body with the thought of receiving an entire batch of bread bites for himself, and for free at that!


    ¡°Thank you Papa Fan! I appreciate your kindness!¡±


    Bei Xing gives a half bow to his elder out of respect before taking off.


    ¡°I should get going now, father will want to discuss the details of tomorrow¡¯s expedition!¡±


    ¡°Run along then Gongzi, and feel free to stop by the White Loaf any time you want.¡±


    In a flash Bei Xing is out of site due to the crowds still leaving the town center. After a few minutes the entire building is emptied out aside from Lao Xing, Bei Xing, and Jin Zhung who stand together at the table where Lao Xing was sitting during the meeting.


    ¡°Now that it is just us we should discuss the details for tomorrow in order to prepare.¡±


    Both Bei Xing and Jin Zhung nod in agreement before grabbing chairs and sitting at the table across from Lao Xing to discuss their plans.


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 9: Time For A Cave Adventure

    For the rest of the day Bei Xing works closely with his father and Jin Zhung to create a plan for the exploration. In the midst of their planning Bei Xing mentions the cavern he found the amulet in, but does not mention finding the amulet. Lao Xing decides to let his son and Jin Zhung lead a 7 man team to find this cavern and explore the deeper parts of the mine from there.


    At this point, the mining teams in the village have only ventured roughly 1 kilometer deep using the various tunnels and cave systems. All the teams who tried going deeper were stopped in their tracks due to the labyrinth-like tunnel system at that juncture. Some were even severely injured or nearly lost within them which is why Lao Xing was so hesitant at first to agree on the operation. However, his confidence in his son was at an all-time high considering the incomprehensible feats Bei Xing was achieving in recent time. Surely he could place trust in his son to insure the safety and completion of such a task, but even then as a father it is not easy to just send his son into the mines like this willingly.


    ¡°Father this will work, trust us.¡±


    Bei Xing looks at his father who is obviously still distressed over agreeing to this idea. He¡¯s stroking his chin and tapping his foot at a rapid pace, making it sound like the pitter-patter of rain on a tin roof.


    ¡°It does not matter how many times you say that my son. I worry because of the risk this mission carries.¡±


    ¡°Lord Lao, between the experience of my mining team and both the mind and skill of your son, this mission is almost a guaranteed success! There¡¯s no need to worry seeing as how the young master says he knows the route well.¡±


    ¡°Jin Zhung you are too calm about this. As a father and noble lord I have a lot riding on your guys¡¯ success.¡±


    Bei Xing laughs at his father¡¯s intense look and worried face.


    ¡°These tunnels are nothing to me, a future adventurer!¡±


    His chin is held high and his hands rest on his hips.


    ¡°I¡¯ve explored far more than the village miners have and my knowledge of the deeper levels is more than enough. Add that to my new cultivation level and nothing can go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Being confident is good Xinger, but being overly confident is dangerous. Know your limits and act with humility.¡±


    Lao Xing always enjoys giving these types of life lessons to his son at the most ridiculous moments, but in this situation it fits the mood perfectly.


    Bei Xing bows to his father and asks to dismiss himself.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re done with this meeting I want to get a good night¡¯s rest before we go into the mines tomorrow morning. Is there anything else you need of me father?¡±


    ¡°No Xinger, go get some rest do not worry about anything else other than the success of tomorrow¡¯s mission.¡±


    Bei Xing nods his head and then heads home as he¡¯s followed by a guard, leaving Lao Xing and Jin Zhung alone in the town center.


    ¡°This may sound weird considering he has a higher cultivation level than you, but please protect my son and keep him safe tomorrow. If anything were to happen to him then it would¡­I can¡¯t even think such thoughts...¡±


    Lao Xing looks out a nearby window and into the night sky. His thoughts become lost in the cool breeze that pours in from the windows and rays of moonlight that follow. The North Star is shining brightly thanks to the clear sky and when Lao Xing¡¯s eyes meet the star he gazes onward emotionally.


    ¡°He has always been the best son a man could ask for, to me he is the North Star that guides me through life. With him around I have high hopes for the younger generation.¡±


    The soft tone that Lao Xing uses displays the love and emotion he holds toward his son, Bei Xing. Jin Zhung picks up on this vibe easily since his noble lord is usually calm and cool, so seeing him like this one could tell he was acting different.


    ¡°Nothing will happen to the young master on my watch Lord Lao. His life is more important than my own.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you saying such words, but please value your life as well. None of you can die or go missing tomorrow otherwise the mission is a failure in my eyes.¡±


    The fact that Lao Xing cares about the survival of more than just his son reassures Jin Zhung that he cannot fail in protecting everyone on the mission. Lao Xing¡¯s respect for the villagers is something no one in the village wants to betray. Thus if his noble lord asked he would even walk to the ends of the planet and fight the strongest of demon beasts should it be necessary.


    With their final thoughts exchanged Lao Xing and Jin Zhung depart from the town center and head home. The remaining guard outside of the building follows Lao Xing, leaving the entire area empty...or so they think.


    Lurking in the shadows outside the town center is She Xing who was listening in on the entire plan.


    A sinister smile creeps up She Xing¡¯s face and a maniacal chuckle can be heard bringing life to the shadows around him.


    ¡°Would you look at that? My nephew Bei Xing will be entering the mines tomorrow morning in an effort to save the village. What a noble boy, just like his father¡­¡±


    She Xing looks up at his brother Lao Xing who is still walking down the street on his way home, only visible thanks to the dim light emitted by torches on the path.


    ¡°It is such a shame that accidents happen all the time, it could be dangerous for Bei Xing to enter the mines...he could even be killed.¡±


    She Xing¡¯s low, evil laugh continues as he fades back into the darkness, leaving the streets of the village truly empty now.


    The next morning sounds off well thanks to the support from the villagers. Every man, woman, and child within the village is out waiting for the exploration team to set off. The air may be a little thick due to the complex emotions of all the people, but nonetheless it is still lively. Children play through the streets, the market is full of activity, and non-stop chatter can be heard across the village. For such a small, remote place, it did not feel as such on this morning.


    At around 9 in the morning people begin gathering outside the entrance to the mines as they await the arrival of Bei Xing and his team. Each person in the growing crowd speaks in high hopes of the mission succeeding, and not a single soul dare nurture any thoughts of bad possibilities or outcomes occurring.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Time continues to tick until Bei Xing arrives alongside the rest of his team. As they walk through the crowd they are showered with praise for their courage in taking on such a task.


    Bei Xing wears light weight cloth clothing and leather guards on his ankles and wrists. Upon his back rests a leather bag as well which houses some tools and other basic items.


    From the crowd one large man emerges and sure enough it¡¯s Papa Fan who¡¯s accompanied by Wu Fan. With him he carries a small package of bread bites for Bei Xing, just like he promised to give him the day before.


    ¡°Xing gongzi here!¡±


    He holds up the package and shakes it violently to get Bei Xing¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Huh? Papa Fan!¡±


    Bei Xing notices immediately and runs over to greet the old baker.


    ¡°Are these the bread bites you promised me?¡±


    ¡°Yes gongzi, in this package I have prepared a dozen bread bites for you to take on your adventure into the mine. Do not worry about paying me for them either because this is purely a gift from me to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Papa Fan, I am extremely grateful for your sincerity.¡±


    Just as Bei Xing is about to reach for the bread bites Wu Fan makes her presence noticed by letting out a large sigh, grabbing Bei Xing¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Little Wu, I didn¡¯t see you there!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Of course you didn¡¯t you meanie.¡±


    Wu Fan faces away from Bei Xing and stomps her foot to pout.


    ¡°Aw, what''s the problem?¡±


    ¡°I wanted some of those bread bites but Papa Fan insisted they be given to only you. Yet you call me meanie.¡±


    Bei Xing erupts in laughter.


    ¡°Ha ha ha! Little Wu you ate all of the bread bites in the bakery yesterday. Eat any more and you¡¯ll turn into one!¡±


    Wu Fan¡¯s eyes widen and she stares at her hands.


    ¡°I mean...that wouldn¡¯t be too bad.¡±


    Bei Xing realizes that Wu Fan is being serious about becoming a bread bite and reels her back in.


    ¡°Wait, what? No you silly girl that wasn¡¯t meant to be taken seriously.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, you better just take Papa¡¯s gift and go. The other big guys over there are waiting for you. Don¡¯t mess up in there or else!


    ¡°Yes Little Wu I promise.¡±


    Bei Xing nods his head to thank Papa Fan and pats Wu Fan¡¯s head before grabbing the package. Drool slips off of Bei Xing¡¯s lips due to the urge to eat the bread bites right away, but he is barely able to resist the temptation. He quickly puts the bread bites in his bag and returns to his team.


    Looking at the mining team one may be thrown off by the appearance of a young boy in the mix. After all, the miners on the team are all goliaths of men. Each over 1.5 meters tall and extremely strong, giving off an intimidating impression. No one in a million years would even begin to think that Bei Xing was actually the strongest and most formidable person in such a group.


    Bei Xing and his team approach the mine entrance which is covered with a wooden housing and stone finishes. It may look simple, but below this shaft entrance is one of the largest, most intricate cave systems in the world. Standing outside the entrance is Bei Xing¡¯s family as well as the 3 village elders who anxiously stand waiting for his arrival.


    ¡°Father! Mother!¡±


    Bei Xing calls out to his parents and they wave to him. Within a few seconds he reaches them while the other members of his team also greet their families and loved ones.


    ¡°Xinger, your mother loves you and is extremely proud. I never would have guessed you would grow up so fast! Just over a month ago you were still my little boy¡­¡±


    Meili Xing reaches out and caresses her son¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Mom don¡¯t embarrass me I¡¯m just now starting to get everyone¡¯s respect!¡±


    ¡°Yes honey leave him alone to let him save face.¡±


    Lao Xing laughs at his wife¡¯s tease toward their son and comforts him.


    ¡°Your mother is right though son, we are extremely proud of you and no matter what happens down there we will love you unconditionally.¡±


    Bei Xing smiles and hugs his little sister who now stands beside him tugging on his shirt


    ¡°All of you worry too much, I will succeed today no matter what by bringing back good news.¡±


    ¡°Yes you will Xinger, yes you will.¡±


    Lao Xing has a confident look in his eye while staring at his son who¡¯s playing with his sister and talking to his mother now.


    ¡°As your father I will always be confident in your abilities. You are a remarkable warrior and son, what did I do to become blessed by the Gods?¡±


    Lao Xing gathers himself and then projects his voice to gather everyone¡¯s attention. Despite only being an Apprentice Realm Layer 2 his abilities are shocking, being able to shout so loud without even using a technique.


    ¡°Attention villagers of Luse Village! My son and the mining team have arrived!¡±


    The crowd around explodes with chants and wishes of good luck. Each villager looks at Bei Xing and his fellow explorers who line up behind him with hopeful eyes.


    Should they fail today Luse Village would be doomed.


    ¡°My son Bei Xing has promised to find good news during his exploration today, so let us all pray to the Gods for their success and give thanks to them for showing such courage!¡±


    Many within the crowd begin praying in the name of Qing Shen to give Bei Xing and his team luck on their journey, but this annoys Siwang.


    ¡°Ridiculous, praying to Qing Shen when in reality it should be me. How unsightly!¡±


    Siwang speaks directly to Bei Xing in his mind, thus no one is able to them converse.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know any better so don¡¯t talk down on them. We¡¯ll expose your brother and shed light on the real history of our world in due time. Until then you¡¯ll have to live with this because it¡¯s pretty common.¡±


    Siwang sighs heavily and uses an annoyed tone to let Bei Xing know of his distaste for the situation.


    ¡°Well we better hurry up then because if I have to see this anymore I will begin throwing up¡­¡±


    Bei Xing lets out a laugh which his family hears.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny Xinger?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, nothing mother I apologize.¡±


    Bei Xing grabs a barrel from behind the shaft entrance and places it in front of the crowd. He climbs on top of it and addresses the many onlookers.


    ¡°Today my team and I will do whatever it takes to find more resources within the mines. This mission will be dangerous, but we have the will of you people backing us up. Have faith in us and we will return the favor soon enough!¡±


    Although not as experienced as his father, Bei Xing is obviously good at giving quick motivational speeches like this. His energy and eager look make people even more attentive and focused on his words.


    Satisfied with the effect of his words Bei Xing leaps off the barrel and signals his team to pack up and get ready to enter the mine.


    Each team member carries a leather bag with various materials and items in it for the cave. Their plan is to explore the labyrinth for 7 days tops and return no matter what should they not find any veins of resources. They have food, water, and other necessities that will last them that much time, so should they take longer than that they will begin risking their lives even more.


    After a quick bag check everyone in the exploration team is ready to go and gathers outside the shaft entrance.


    Bei Xing faces his family and the villagers.


    ¡°Goodbye everyone! We¡¯ll be back soon so enjoy yourselves!¡±


    The crowd begins waving goodbye and cheering them on, making Bei Xing feel like he¡¯s on top of the world.


    ¡°I can do this, WE can do this. Jin Zhung¡¯s team is talented, plus I have my skill and my master¡¯s. This will be a cake walk.¡±


    Bei Xing looks up and gives one last wave to his family before turning around and walking into the cave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go everyone, time to go on an adventure!¡±


    Chapter End.

 Chapter 10: Amethyst Qi Stone

    Bei Xing and his team walk through the entrance of the mine and begin heading down a long corridor. This entry path way sits at around a 45 degree angle running down into the ground. Since Luse Village does not have any magic users of the mystic arts they have to use torches on the walls to give light, giving a dim and erie look to the pathway.


    For the next hour or so Bei Xing leads his team on the path to get to his secret cave. Now that he let the cat out of the bag he will have to find a new secret spot, but since he¡¯s going to Silver Peak Academy soon this doesn¡¯t worry him.


    After navigating the labyrinth of tunnels deep in the mine they reach Bei Xing¡¯s hideout. The scene remains the same as when he left; various scuffle marks show in the dirt where he fell and climbed back up, and the small hole that sucked him down into the cavern is still there.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, just inside this hole is the cavern I mentioned to you and my father earlier.¡±


    Jin Zhung nods his head and sets down his gear bag.


    ¡°Alright team, light a torch from your bag and get ready to go down. I shall open up this hole as best as possible so we can fit in and out with ease.¡±


    All the miners accompanying Bei Xing and Jin Zhung quickly pull a torch out of their backpack and light it with their spark rocks. Each of them holds a serious face and dutiful gaze as if they are serving this mission out on the orders of the Emperor. Which in all fairness, Lao Xing is better than the Emperor in their eyes.


    Just by gazing at these miners one can tell they¡¯re very experienced. Each of them obviously has the body for it, but they also have scars showing their work in the mines as well as a confident aura. For most people, entering into a mine can be hard. Especially if they have never done it before. Mining is a scary and dangerous job, plus no one knows what they will find while mining in the depths of the world. Hence the only way to get rid of this fear and timid attitude is by doing the job for a while and gaining lots of experience.


    Jin Zhung begins digging out the hole with a shovel-like tool and expands the opening so that it can fit the larger men. It takes him around 5 minutes to both expand the hole and then reinforce it by using water to turn it to hardened mud. Should the hole collapse or close up again while they are inside the cavern below then getting out would be near impossible. This was a good measure for them to take.


    ¡°Young master I believe we¡¯re ready now, lead the way.¡±


    Bei Xing nods and then tosses his equipment into the hole before getting on his back and sliding down the dirt incline into the cavern. He is followed by the other miners who each repeat the same process.


    Now that Bei Xing has light he can actually see around himself in this cavern, and he finally realizes just how large it is. Each of the miners all look on in astonishment at the area they now sit in, which is roughly 3x larger than the town center building.


    ¡°Alright everyone, grab the bell from your bag and attach it to your waist. Begin searching for any tunnels or other openings in this cavern. If you find those or any resources then ring the bell once. If you get into trouble then ring three times."


    The miners all nod in agreement to Bei Xing¡¯s command and each of them begin attaching the small silver bell to their waist band. This bell is a special item that miners use because it has a magical effect that amplifies the sound of its ring. Hence in the mines where visibility is low sound is the best option.


    Once everyone is sure that their bells are attached they spread out and begin scouring the cavern for resources.


    Bei Xing walks forward only accompanied by the light from his torch, the torch gives him a circular area of lighting roughly 3 meters in diameter around him. Had he not seen the amulet¡¯s glowing red light then there would¡¯ve been no way for him to escape the last time he fell down here, but thankfully he has a torch this time.


    The group searches for around half an hour and finally one of the crew members shakes his bell once, signaling he found something. Everyone follows the sound of the bell until they can see the light of the miner¡¯s torch. Once the entire team is gathered there they look on at a truly beautiful sight.


    Resting between two large rocks is a small crack big enough for a skinny child to slip through, but beyond that crack the miners can see a group of glowing purple stones.


    Jin Zhung looks to Bei Xing.


    ¡°Can you fit through this crack young master?¡±


    Bei Xing shakes his head.


    ¡°Perhaps a month ago, but my body has grown since practicing martial arts and so I doubt it.¡±


    Jin Zhung begins thinking long and hard with a furrowed brow and his arms crossed.


    Bei Xing notices this and interrupts his train of thought.


    ¡°I can just break the rocks for us to pass through¡­¡±


    Jin Zhung jolts his head up in surprise.


    ¡°What do you mean young master? That would be incredibly difficult. Plus if you use such force on the rocks it could cause the cave to collapse.¡±


    ¡°Not really, these two large rocks are surrounded by many other dislodged ones. If you look at the structure of this pile you can tell they are not connected to the wall of the cave even in the slightest. Hence if we use the ample amount of force we can break them and not disrupt the actual cave walls at all.¡±


    Jin Zhung¡¯s look of shock is now gone and he closes his eyes and smiles.


    ¡°Young master was not lying when he said he knew the caves well, you are even more intelligent than this man.¡±


    ¡°Senior Zhung has his own intelligence, you¡¯re a great leader for the mining team and the only man we all trust to carry out the job well.¡±


    Each of the miners looks on in agreement, they¡¯d been working with Jin Zhung for years now and had the utmost confidence in his ability to lead the mining teams.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Jin Zhung laughs and pats the shoulder of Bei Xing.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness young master, shall we then?¡±


    Bei Xing nods and then gestures for the miners to step back. He strikes a pose with his body facing sideways and his face looking at the wall. He puts one foot out front and leaves the other to the back before raising his fists. In an instant he launches forward and uses the destruction fist skill to gather qi in his hand and unleash it on the rocks.


    A large dust cloud forms that blinds the miners from the scene for several minutes. A few rocks can be heard falling in the dust cloud alongside Bei Xing¡¯s coughing. He emerges from the cloud and sits to the side of Jin Zhung.


    ¡°It¡¯s been done, once the dust clears we¡¯ll head in.¡±


    After a few more minutes the dust cloud has dispersed and the miners enter the cave. As they do their eyes light up with a purple glint and large smiles grow on their face.


    Countless glowing stones can be seen around the area, all apart of the cave walls. The mining team spreads out and begins investigating the mysterious mineral.


    ¡°What is this? It¡¯s a beautiful stone and has stored qi inside of it...¡±


    Jin Zhung is gliding his hand across one of the stones and can feel the power within it.


    Before Bei Xing can respond Siwang jolts forward in his conscious and begins talking to him.


    ¡°Quickly my disciple, touch the stone I think I know what it is!¡±


    ¡°Okay master.¡±


    ¡°What was that young master?¡±


    Jin Zhung looks over at Bei Xing.


    ¡°Uh, nothing! Don¡¯t worry about it just me talking to myself.¡±


    ¡°Haha okay, but do you know what this stone is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure let me get a closer look.¡±


    He reaches out and touches the stone. Qi begins gathering where his hand touches the stone and Siwang lights up with excitement in his head.


    ¡°Disciple, this is the Amethyst Qi Stone. It used to be a normal amethyst crystal, but after gathering natural qi from the world it solidified into a glowing stone.¡±


    ¡°What uses does this have master?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? This stone is extremely valuable both for you and your village. Not only can you use it to help in your training, but merchants will pay hefty prices for it! Thus knocking out two birds with one stone!¡±


    Bei Xing becomes overjoyed and lets out a happy laugh.


    ¡°What is it younger master?¡±


    ¡°These are Amethyst Qi Stones, I remember reading about them in a book.¡±


    He has to lie about how he knew the name of the stone so as not to unveil his secret.


    ¡°They are extremely valuable for the village. Practitioners of the mystic arts can use them to increase their training speed, hence we can use them for training and even sell them for vast amounts of wealth.¡±


    ¡°How much would you say they are worth?¡±


    Bei Xing waits for his master to give him the answer.


    From within Bei Xing¡¯s head¡­


    ¡°I would say around 1,000 golden coins for a rock the size of your fist. Depending on how pure it is the stone will go for 1,000 to 2,500 in fact.¡±


    Over a thousand gold for a single stone the size of his fist? Bei Xing could not believe his master¡¯s words. With the sheer quantity of stones in this cave area the village could make millions of gold coins and still have more to use for training!


    In the Siver Empire the currency used is a set of coins. Bronze coins are the lowest valued, above them is silver, above those is gold, and above gold is jade. The value of a coin type is based off the previous coin before it. 10 bronze coins are worth 1 silver, 10 silvers are worth 1 gold, and so on so forth until reaching jade. 100 gold pieces are worth 1 jade coin, hence jade coins are very valuable and rare. In most of the empire gold is the most commonly used coin type though.


    ¡°Senior Zhung, for a stone the size of my fist it will sell for a minimum of 1,000 gold coins. If the stone is extremely pure it can sell for even more!¡±


    Not only Jin Zhung heard this, but the entire mining team. All of them now look at Bei Xing with their mouths ajar. Saying that they found a gold mine would be inadequate, rather it¡¯s like they found an emperor¡¯s treasure!


    With the stones here in this cavern the village would prosper for years to come, and no one would need to worry about leaving the village due to a lack of money.


    ¡°Young master we did it! Thank the heavens we did it! This is all thanks to you.¡±


    Jin Zhung rests his arms at his side and bows to Bei Xing.


    ¡°Really there¡¯s no need to worry about it, I needed your guys¡¯ help too. We did this together. Now quickly, this journey was faster than we thought it would be. Let¡¯s gather a few stones to bring back with us and return top side, all of you may keep 3 as a gift from the noble lord!¡±


    All of the miners erupt in cheers and begin mining out a few stones to bring back with them, the young master is truly kind for giving them such a gift!


    Just as everyone had gathered around 10 stones and placed them in their bags a loud BANG could be heard from the cavern which they entered from.


    All of the miners freeze in place and dare not turn around. What caused that bang? It didn¡¯t sound like rocks or shifting earth, but rather a stomp.


    Bei Xing¡¯s eyes grow large as he turns around to see a large creature standing on the other side of the rock formation he broke down. Its eyes are white and cloudy while its body stands in at over 3 meters tall. The fangs inside its mouth are sharper than daggers as it flashes them toward something below its large foot. No hair can be seen on its bare, pink body.


    Bei Xing thinks to himself, what is that thing!? Its massive and utterly disgusting!


    Siwang immediately begins yelling inside his disciple¡¯s head.


    ¡°Be very careful! It is a blind devil badger that lives deep inside caves. Unlike other badger species it lives underground and cannot see or smell because of it. Therefore it uses sound to hunt. Those claws can cut through rock like a blade through butter.¡±


    ¡°How strong is it master?¡±


    ¡°I would say it is a 3-star demon beast, and a formidable one at that. We are in his terrority.¡±


    Bei Xing relaxes a little and Siwang notices.


    ¡°Why are you relaxing child, you and your team could die right now!¡±


    ¡°Master it¡¯s only a 3-star demon beast, didn¡¯t you want to train me by fighting these types of monsters anyway?¡±


    Hearing Bei Xing¡¯s argument makes Siwang feel somewhat stupid. After all, it was his idea to train Bei Xing on the way to the academy by having him hunt 3-star demon beasts.


    ¡°Fine then disciple, do you think you are ready to take it on?¡±


    Bei Xing replies confidently.


    ¡°Yes master I do.¡±


    Siwang smiles deep inside, but hides it from his disciple. He¡¯s happy to have a student so willing to work hard and face adversity to grow stronger.


    ¡°The weakness of this demon beast is its over-sensitive ears. Since it relies purely on sound you can have your team distract it using noise in order to get an opening to attack it. The entire body is fleshy, so anywhere will do. However to get a clean kill you should obviously go for the heart or behead it so as to keep the core in tact.¡±


    Bei Xing replies to his master with a simple ¡°mhm,¡± then gets ready to attack.


    Just before he leaps forward he notices that the badger still hasn¡¯t moved. Why is that? Moments ago it was stomping on the ground. What caused it to remain still?


    Suddenly a moan for help could be heard coming from the direction of the blind devil badger. Under its foot that it stomped with was Bei Xing¡¯s uncle, She Xing!


    What¡¯s he doing down here!?


    Chapter End.