ã€ŠAscending The Heavensã€‹


 Chapter 1: The End

    Proofers/Editors: nick0 (Pascal)

    A blood red moon hung high in the sky, with its illuminating rays drifting down below. Underneath the moon''s gaze was a young man clad in bloodstained armor who looked no older than fifteen years of age.

    What was this young man doing outside at this hour? Why was he clad in armor soaked in blood?

    Simply by looking at his surrounding, anyone would be able to find the answer. All around this young man were thousands of lifeless bodies and a sea of blood, along with dozens of flickering flames. Many would call this a living hell while others would call it a battlefield.

    The young man continued walking through the battle without a shred of willpower in his eyes, while a blood stained sword was dragged along in his hand.

    It was not until he happened upon a mangled corpse that a sliver of emotion appeared on his face.

    Looking down at the lifeless corpse draped in the remnants of a flag with the word Shu on it, the man broke into tears. Soon the sliver of emotion on his face turned into a flood. Fear, anger, loss, mixed and were all on full display.

    "Dammit? Dammit all! You lied to me! You swore that even though we weren''t born on the same day of the same month of the same year, we would die on the same day of the same month of the same year! You lied to me Brother Xu Huang! You lied!¡± The young man cried in grief as his legs gave out and he fell to his knees before his lifeless friend.

    After releasing a bit of the sorrow that filled his body, exhausted the young man fell over. Lying amidst the countless corpses of friends and enemies, he fell into a deep slumber.

    In a death like sleep, visions of the past shrouded the young man¡¯s mind. Scenes of his mother, father, and sister would play over and over in his mind, reminding him of what he had and what he had lost.

    The large home that turned into cinders, the family that died, the life of the scholar that was tossed away. All of these things that he failed to protect.

    Soon the scenes mended together and created a lifelike dream.

    ¡°Bring him out here!¡± A muscular soldier yelled as he held a scroll in his hand.

    ¡°But milord our son is only fifteen this year.¡± A woman in her thirties plead.

    ¡°Bring Zhou Zhang out here! By orders of his majesty every male from the ages of fifteen to thirty five, who is of able body is to report to the front lines to repel the Zhao scum.¡± The muscular soldier said.

    With that Zhou Zhang was plucked from his everyday life filled of learning and joy and thrown into one full of death and despair.

    The state of Shu in the Wulin continent, located to the south of the Great Demon¡¯s Forest, was currently being invaded by the state of Zhao.

    Not long after his departure, Zhang''s hometown was attacked by an enemy force that snuck through the front lines and slaughtered everyone.

    Soon with their armies broken, the king of Shu in a last ditch effort ordered for all able men to be gathered and sent to the frontlines. In a futile attempt that resulted in the annihilation of the State of Shu. Every man, woman and child was put to the sword by the Zhao soldiers and the last battalion that Zhang was apart of was scattered to the wind in their last stand.

    Without proper training, men who have never even killed a chicken in their entire lifetime, stood no chance against the veteran Zhao soldiers.

    Zhang laid in the field of corpses until the sun rose high in the sky. Until he woke up screaming, due to the scene of him taking another person''s life appearing in his dream.

    ¡°Am I really the last one? The last of the Shu army?¡± Zhang asked himself as his gaze roamed the lifeless battlefield.

    ¡°That fool¡­ We should have surrendered when we were given the chance¡­¡± Zhang muttered as he remembered how his commanding officer went on about how they would certainly prevail if they fought on.

    ¡°Brother Shu Shang let me take you home. Those Zhao bastards are long gone, we have nothing to worry about.¡± Zhang said as he got to his feet and began dragging his friend¡¯s lifeless body along with him.

    He was heading toward the broken city gates that laid in ruin not too far from the battlefield.

    ¡°To think I would end up where I started.¡± He said in a mocking laugh.

    Zhang dragged Shu Shang`s corpse through the familiar streets which he once called home. The school where he once studied, in the hopes of one day becoming a government official, the broken remains of his ancestral home, everything left in ruin.

    ¡°Brother this is my home.¡± Zhang said as he and Shu Shang¡¯s corpse arrived at large plot of charred earth, with only the remnants of a gate still erected.

    He continued to drag his friend¡¯s corpse as he walked into what used to be a large courtyard with tens of servants running around doing this and that. Now all what is left were a few black charred trees and a stone table.

    Zhang¡¯s family had been the wealthiest family in this city for generations, his entire family''s fortune was said to worth more than the city itself. But what could money do when faced with arrows and swords?

    When the Zhao invaded they swept through the state of Shu in an instant and no amount of money could save anyone.

    ¡°Brother let me show you where I buried my family.¡± Zhang said as he walked up to the stone table. With a bit of strength he began turning the table. Two full rotations clockwise and then a half rotation counterclockwise.

    Soon a rumble sound began to sound and the stone floor beneath the table slid open, revealing a flight of stone stairs.

    At once Zhang began descending the stairs with Shu Shang in tow. Moments after he walked inside, the entrance to the staircase slowly closed and not a trace of it remained.

    ¡°Brother, sadly your home was burned to ashes too or else I''d bury you there. But if you''re not against it I''ll place you in my ancestral crypt. Well it''s not like you can refuse me.¡± Zhang said with a dry laugh.

    One could say that he was bordering on the edge of insanity because he was currently talking to a corpse. But it could be said that everyone had a few screws loose. Had he been perfectly fine with his family and friends being killed, then that would be truly insane.

    ¡°We are finally here.¡± Zhang said as he arrived at the front of a large pair of stone gates.

    From beneath his armor, Zhang produced a jade pendant which he placed in an opening in one of the stone gates. Acting as a key the jade pendant unlocked the stone gates.

    As Zhang pushed one of the gates open a dazzling light reflected onto his face. In front of him were mountains of gold and jade, that the Zhou Clan had collected for generations.

    But ignoring it all, Zhang dragged Shu Shang¡¯s body through the crypt. It was not long before he arrived in front of another set of gates. However unlike the other ones, these gates did not require a key because with a bit of strength, Zhang pushed them open.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    On the other side of them were hundreds of holes cut into the the rock beneath the mansion. In each hole laid a set of skeletons, deceased members of Zhang¡¯s clan.

    ¡°I''ll find a empty spot for you to rest brother.¡± Zhang said as he began looking for a vacant hole to place Shu Shang¡¯s body inside.

    But once he found a spot to place his dear friend in, an excruciating pain overcame his body as he hoisted Shu Shang`s body up. Blood began gushing out from his side, creating a small puddle beneath his feet and soon fell over in pain.

    ¡°Gahh¡­¡± Zhang yelled, a wound that he had received on the battlefield had just opened up and he was bleeding tremendous amounts of blood.

    ¡°Guess I''ll be joining you guys soon¡­¡± Zhang muttered with a smile, as his hand that he used to press against the wound was stained red.

    In front of him the sight of his friends and family waiting for him to join them popped up in Zhang¡¯s head.

    However that was when he heard footsteps other than his echo in the distance. Looking at the entrance into the burial chamber, Zhang spotted an elderly man with long floating white hair. This elderly man had a mysterious air emanating around him. that made him seem like a person not of this world.

    Without anywhere to hide and with no reason to, Zhang pulled himself up and drew his sword from it¡¯s scabbard.

    ¡°WHO ARE YOU!!!¡± He roared madly with his sword drawn, his voice somewhat strained due to how much pain he was in.

    The elderly man was currently invading Zhang¡¯s last sanctuary, his family¡¯s legacy. All of it was here and anyone who dares to trespass, be it man, demon or god, would be met with resistance.

    The current Zhang had nothing else to lose, so there was not even a hint of fear or hesitation in his eyes. Everything he held dear was snatched away from him, leaving Zhang without any shackles. His life was slowly but surely fading away, so even if he did nothing it would be the end of him. So as his final act he wished to protect the last place he could call home.

    Strangely when the elderly man turned his gaze toward Zhang, a brilliant smile was brushed on his face.

    As Zhang opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a single word, a glowing pellet shot out from the elderly man¡¯s hand and into Zhang¡¯s mouth. In an instant, Zhang felt every fiber of his body tingling, soon a raging burning sensation overcame him, causing him to drop to the ground and roll about in pain. After a few moments, unable to bear the pain, Zhang fainted ands was released from the excruciating pain.

    ¡°Benefactor, I¡¯m sorry I failed you. I, Lao Zhizhe, have failed you.¡± The elderly man said as he walked up to a altaer in the center of the crypt. On top of the altar was a large lifelike statue of a young aged man and in his hands was a wooden plaque with words that were scratched out.  Around this man¡¯s neck a necklace with a dragon carved on it could be seen. Of course this necklace was a part of the statue itself. This man happened to be the man Zhang was named after.

    ¡°Sadly I still don''t know your name, but that matters not. I''ll make sure to protect this last descendant of yours.¡± Lao Zhizhe said as he eyed Zhang, who was laying unconscious.

    Then after kow towing three times, the man stood up and with a wave of his hand, Zhang¡¯s body was sucked into a pouch hanging by his waist. Afterwards he began striding out of the crypt and soon enough sunlight shone onto his snow white hair.

    Once outside the man leaped into the air and from his pouch  that Zhang was sucked into a gleaming sword shot out. Then as lightly as a feather the elderly man landed atop of the sword, which was floating in mid air. Anyone who saw this scene would most likely fall to their knees and kowtow to him, thinking he was some sort of deity.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ll probably never be coming back here, I should pack your things for you.¡± Lao Zhizhe said as four talismans shot out from his sleeve and stuck themselves in a square atop the ground where the crypt was.

    Once the talismans were in place, Lao Zhizhe began chanting and the talismans began glowing. Soon a dazzling light enveloped the area that was in the center of the talismans and a rumbling sound became audible. In an instant a ray ofut light shot up into Lao Zhizhe¡¯s hand, and once it disappeared a ring could be seen in his palm, whereas a large crater could be seen down below where the talismans had been.

    ¡°Damn¡­ Not at a time like this...¡± Lao Zhizhe said as his ruddy face turned pale white, and moments later he coughed up a mouth full of blood.

    ¡°It seems I don¡¯t have much time left¡­ Must get him back to the sect before.. I run out of time¡­¡± Lao Zhizhe muttered as the sword he was standing on top of began piercing through the air. Like a shooting star the sword carried him over rivers and mountains.

    Soon he flew over a large waterfall with a giant statue etched into the face of the cliff behind it. Had Zhang been awake he would be able to tell that the statue a monument for the greatest king of the Shu Kingdom was,that was the statue a monument for the greatest king of the Shu Kingdom, the kingdom that had once been a force to be reckoned with. A kingdom that was ruled by a king that his dear friend was named after, King Shu Shang. Legends say that King Shu Shang ascended to the heavens and after he was gone his descendants sent the kingdom into ruin and over time a the mighty kingdom became a small city state.

    After flying pasts King Shu Shang¡¯s monument, Lao Zhizhe flew over countless mountains and dozens of lakes, without rest. What could take days to transverse, took him minutes. What would take a few months to travel, took him hours. In the blink of an eye, Lao Zhizhe left the borders of the state of Shu and entered the State of Zhao. But it did not take long for him to fly past it¡¯s borders too.

    He flew until the sunset before landing in the vast wilderness of some unknown forest.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take roughly another week''s worth of flying before we reach the sect, thankfully the pill''s effects will last for another ten days or else a mortal like him would never be able to survive a trip such as this.¡± Lao Zhizhe said, referring to Zhang who was fast asleep inside the pouch  hanging by his waist.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t have much time left, I¡¯ll make sure that at least you¡¯ll be able to live in safety. It¡¯s the least I can do for, benefactor¡¯s last bloodline. But who knows what¡¯s there to stop one from reaching for the stars and ascending to the heavens? Perhaps you¡¯ll use that pain and agony that¡¯s eating away at your very being and make something of it.¡± He said as he looked at the pouch ed in which Zhang was in.

    ===================================================================================

    The next 4 chapters have already been post on the other site and will be posted over onto here in a few days. Hope you all enjoyed the read :D

 Chapter 2: The Beginning

    Proofers/Editors: nick0 (Pascal)

    While old man Lao Zhizhe was taking Zhang away, something horrifying was happening elsewhere.

    The Zhao army, after scattering the last of the Shu army, had gathered every last person in the state of Shu in one place. Massive holes could be seen in the ground and thousands upon thousands of people could be seen bound and standing on the edge of the holes.

    ¡°Shu scum! We gave you the chance to surrender, but your buffoon of a king thought he could fight back.¡± A hulking giant of a man bellowed as he pointed to a head on a spike not too far from him. The head belonged to the previous ruler of the state of Shu.

    ¡°Now for your ignorance you will all die.¡± The man said as he motioned for his men to begin slaughtering the people lined up in front of the holes. In fact, these holes were dug to be mass graves for the poor folks who were gathered here today.

    Men, women, children, elderly, no one would be spared.

    However, as the soldiers of the state of Zhao raised their swords to the sky, black clouds began forming and a thunderous roar sounded out.

    ¡°Immortal upon death and worshipped upon birth. Any who spill the blood of my clan will be met with demise.¡± A voice rocked the skies. Soon from behind the black clouds, hundreds of massive fireballs began descending. The horrifying thing about these fireballs were that they were pitch black and seemed to embody death itself.

    Everyone present looked into the skies with despair in their eyes. There was not a single thing they could do to stop the hundreds of fireballs and all was left to do was accept their fates.

    Moments later the fireballs descended and smashed into the ground, however upon touching the ground they instantly began spreading and didn''t do any damage to the ground or vegetation they touched.

    Soon a sea of flames formed and enveloped everything within hundreds of miles. The soldiers of the Zhao army covered in flames, did not feel a thing because the instant the flames touched them they slumped over and fell to the ground.

    Strangely enough the people that were to be executed, although bathed in the flames, we''re not harmed. Upon realizing that the soldiers of the Zhao army were the only ones dying, everyone got on their knees and began praying to the heavens for its mercy.

    ¡°The innocent and the wronged shall be spared, but all who spill the blood of the innocent shall perish.¡± The thunderous voice rang out once more before the black flames disappeared in a flash and the black clouds above dispersed.

    ==================================

    In a place far away, atop a small mountain hidden by mist, Zhang can be seen lying asleep in a bamboo cabin. The light of the sun barely broke through the thick mist and shone onto his handsome but boyish face.

    The rays of the sun penetrated the veil of mist and struck Zhang¡¯s face, awakening him from his slumber. His eyes slowly opened, revealing a simply decorated room. There was a table fashioned out of bamboo, along with a few chairs and a set of drawers, other than that there was another bed across the room. But nothing luxurious or out of the ordinary.

    Rolling out of the bed, Zhang stumbled to his feet.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Zhang questioned in his mind as he looked around the empty room. The last thing he could remember was an unbearable pain and a mysterious elderly man.

    Zhang made his way to the door and unlatched it, soon he found himself atop a flight of stone steps that led to a large serene looking courtyard. Zhang was able to overlook a vast valley covered in mist from where he was.

    ¡°You''re awake.¡± A voice rang out. Atop a large boulder lodged into the ground in the courtyard was a lone figure. Oddly Zhang did not notice this figure the first time he looked over the courtyard.

    As he squinted his eyes, he saw what looked like a young man with distinguishing features looking back at him.

    ¡°Can you tell me, where this place is and why I was brought here?¡± Zhang yelled out as he made his way down the stone steps. Although he was still very depressed about the death of his friend Shu Shang and the destruction of his home, Zhang felt the needed to find out where he is and what¡¯s the current situation instead of moping around doing nothing. That would not be the way his dead friends and family would want him to live.

    ¡°How should I know? When I was assigned to this courtyard you were already here.¡± The young man sitting on the boulder said as he hopped off and headed for Zhang.

    ¡°As for where we are, we are in courtyard number ninety-nine in the northern region of the Mist Mountain Sect.¡± The young man said.

    ¡°Misty Mountain Sect? If you don''t mind telling me, where are we located in the state of Shu? ¡± Zhang asked, since he''s never heard of such a sect.

    ¡°State of Shu? Never heard of it. I''m from the Red Lotus Province in the southern region.¡± The young man replied as he neared Zhang.

    Similarly, the young man, Zhang has never heard of the Red Lotus Province at all.

    Suddenly the ringing of a bell echoed into Zhang¡¯s ears.

    ¡°What''s that?¡± Zhang muttered, however before he could say anymore, the young man he had been talking to this entire time grabbed his arm and began running toward the courtyard¡¯s exit.

    ¡°Quickly that was the assembly bell! We have to make it to the hall or else we will miss the orientation!¡± The young man yelled out, as he and Zhang exited the courtyard and began descending the mountain.

    As they ran, Zhang noticed how handsome this young man was, to the point where if he dressed in women¡¯s clothes he''d be able to make nations fall. But of course as a man with such features, he would be able to make many women fall for him. A natural born playboy, as some would put it.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Zhang asked as he and the young man sped down the mountain.

    ¡°To the sect¡¯s outer disciple hall! The orientation is today! Cultivation manuals will be handed out! If we don''t hurry, we won''t get any of them and might even miss out on the pill distribution!¡± The young man yelled in a hurry.

    But the word cultivation caused even more questions to pop up in Zhang¡¯s mind. But he figured once they reached the hall his questions would be answered.

    ¡°I almost forgot! My name is Zhou Zhang! What''s your name!¡± Zhang yelled.

    ¡°Cai¡­ Cao!¡± The young man yelled with a slight phase in between.

    ¡°Brother Cai!¡± Zhang yelled, although he was still confused about many things, he felt Cai Cao was not a bad person so Zhang choose to befriend him and of course it was best to make friends especially when you''re in a place you don¡¯t know.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Thus the two young men set off toward the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s hall for outer sect disciples. Soon they ran into dozens of others heading toward the hall, all of whom were new arrivals to the sect.

    Soon they arrived at the front of many massive buildings. This was the center for the outer disciples of Misty Mountain Sect. Zhang found out that despite all of the disciples of the sect being assigned to various courtyards spread throughout the mountains, they would all congregate here from time to time.

    A massive building which was the sect¡¯s outer disciple hall was surrounded by four beautiful towers that shot into the sky.

    Zhang and Cai Cao arrived at the front of the hall, so did thousands of other sect disciples. The gates of the hall were shut so all of the disciples were waiting outside.

    Zhang, not knowing anything chose to stand quietly by Cai Ca who did not converse with anyone else. Many of the other disciples were chatting away with each other and it was evident that various groups have been formed amongst the disciples, as people tried to form connections.

    Moments later dozens of rays of light could be seen streaking through the sky. The Rays of light descended and in a flash the gates of the hall disintegrated into light particles. The light particles then faded into nothingness, revealing the inside of the hall.

    Zhang stared, dumbfounded as this happened. In his entire life he has never witnessed something such as this. One could say that Zhang was a country bumpkin from the stone ages who has just step foot into a futuristic city that is thousands of years ahead in technology.

    ¡°Quickly, let''s go in.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang who had been staring in awe, as he and the rest of the disciples began entering the hall.

    As the disciples were entering the hall for the outer sect disciples, ten elderly man could be seen standing atop a stage at the very end of the hall.

    ¡°Look it''s the ten elders of the inner sect!¡± A young man in the crowd said excitedly.

    ¡°I heard that most of them are at the mid stages of the profound realm and a few are almost at the enlightened realm.¡± A young woman said with glee.

    ¡°Profound realm? Enlightened realm?¡± Zhang thought with curiosity evident on his face.

    Cai Cao could obviously see that Zhang had no idea what these people were talking about, so even more questions popped into his head. ¡°How can someone not know a single thing about the sect or cultivation be here?¡± He thought as he eyed Zhang.

    As Cai Cao continued questioning Zhang in his mind, an elderly man with a head full of snowy white hair standing on the stage at the far end of the hall began to speak.

    ¡°Welcome, new seedlings of the Mist Mountain Sect. I, elder Jiang of the inner sect would like to welcome to your new homes. As part of our tradition of welcoming new disciples, everyone will receive one essence supplement pill and a manual regarding sect rules, along with our sect''s beginner cultivation manual and lastly a Mist Mountain jade badge which will allow you access to certain facilities and areas within the sect. In a month¡¯s time the bell will ring once more and you are all to report here for a merit awarding.¡± Elder Jiang said and with a wave of his hand thousands of white streaks of lights shot into the air and arrived in front of each and every person present.

    Zhang had no idea what use he would have for the pill but he quickly tucked it into his robes. As for the two manuals he held onto them tightly because he knew they would possess the answers he wanted. Lastly the jade badge soon hung from his waist.

    After handing the manuals, pills and badges out, the ten inner sect elders flew out of the hall and turned into streaks of light.

    ¡°A merit awarding? What¡¯s that?¡± Zhang thought but before he could even finish his thoughts, Cai Cao¡¯s voice sounded out.

    ¡°Brother Zhou, let''s return to the courtyard quickly. Before anyone gets any funny ideas.¡± Cai Cao said in a whisper as he began heading back toward the direction they had come from.

    Zhang quickly followed Cai Cao because if he had to navigate his way back alone he might get hopelessly lost. However, as the two made their way back to their courtyard, prying eyes were out and about. Unbeknownst to Zhang, an essence supplement pill is worth quite a bit and each member of the outer sect would at most be able to receive four a year from the sect.

    Cai Cao knew that once the elders were gone, the other disciples who certainly knew the value of the pills would resort to thievery, thus he had told Zhang to leave in a hurry. True to his hunch once the elders were nowhere in sight, a few of the disciples began demanding their peers to hand over their essence supplement pills or else.

    Although some of the disciples who lacked confidence, immediately coughed up their pills, a vast majority of course retaliated. Soon after a massive brawl broke out between the new disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect. Actually this wasn¡¯t an unexpected occurrence, every year such a thing would happen. In a way this was the sect¡¯s way of sorting through their new batch of disciples to find gems hidden in the rough or bad seeds.

    Many disciples like Cai Cao and Zhang had fled the hall to avoid being caught up in the massive brawl and had dispersed throughout the forest. Some of which were hoping to get their hands on an essence supplement pill, some of which had caught sight of Cai Cao and Zhang.

    ¡°Brother Cai, can we stop for a bit? I¡¯m running out of breath.¡± Zhang asked as he was panting, running down the mountain to get to the hall had been exhausting and now to add to that exhaustion the two of them were running up a mountain.

    Unlike the rest of the disciples, Zhang was not a cultivator or well at least not yet, so he did not possess as much strength or as much stamina as the rest of them.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stop or the others will catch up or else we might get robbed.¡± Cai Cao said as he looked back at Zhang.

    ¡°Okay I¡¯ll see how much longer I can hold out. If anything leave without me.¡± Zhang said as he continued follow Cai Cao. He was very well aware of his limits and knew he would only drag down his new friend if they continued together.

    ¡°You two! Hand over your pills or else we¡¯ll have to rough you up.¡± A voice rang out.

    Looking toward the direction where the voice originated from Zhang could see a young man who happened to be shirtless with bulging muscles walking out from behind a bush.

    In an instant Cai Cao ran back toward Zhang and extended his hand. After moments a dozen strikes landed all over Zhang¡¯s body, sending him tumbling onto the ground with pain emulating from dozens of spots on his body.

 Chapter 3: Essence Points

    Proofers/Editors: nick0 (Pascal), Bobo, kana-chan

    As Zhang laid on the ground rolling in pain, Cai Cao¡¯s finger extended once more and pressed against his forehead. Suddenly the pain subsides and Zhang could feel a raging energy gush into his body.

    An overpowering sensation soon overtook him as a hand was extended to help him up.

    ¡°Let''s go!¡± Cai Cao yelled as he pulled Zhang up and began running.

    Now instead of feeling out of breath like before, Zhang felt that he could keep running for hours without stopping if he had to. His steps now felt lighter and his body felt like it was weightless.

    ¡°I temporarily opened up a few of your essence points, essence should be flowing into your

    body and you should be connected to the great flow now.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang.

    Like acupuncture points, essence points were located throughout the human body. The only difference was, while there are hundreds of acupuncture points in the body there are only forty-four essence points that fed essence into channels that circulated throughout the body.

    Regular people usually have their essence points blocked and only a small amount of essence could be found or produced in their bodies. But once the points are unblocked a substantial amount of essence fills the body, then the amount of essence produced inside the body would drastically increase.

    ¡°So is this what being a cultivator feels like?¡± Zhang thought to himself as he could feel the power swelling up inside his body.

    They continued running as their pursuer continued pursuing. The shirtless man with bulging muscles were still hot on their trails, had Cai Cao not temporarily opened Zhang¡¯s essence points then their pursuer would have caught up already.

    Although Cai Cao could probably hold his own against the man with bulging muscles in a fight, if he had to protect Zhang while doing so then he would probably end up at a disadvantage. It would take a bit of time before Zhang¡¯s body was used to being a part of the flow of essence and then perhaps they would be able to engage in combat.

    ¡°Tell me when you no longer feel the essence flowing into your body! That is when we strike.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang in a quiet tone, trying to not let anyone else hear his words. Once Zhang¡¯s essence points fill up and his body stabilizes then he and Cai Cao can face their pursuer.

    From the looks of it their pursuer was definitely not on the first level of the fragmented realm or else he wouldn''t be so confident as to chase after two opponents.

    ¡°If you two stop running and cough up your pills then I''ll let you off with a light beating!¡± The man with bulging muscles roared.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Cai Cao snorted as he continued running with Zhang.

    Zhang and Cai Cao continued running through the mountains at high speeds, dodging trees and jumping over bushes. As the chase continued signs of frustration began to show on the face of their pursuer.

    Although Zhang was not yet familiar with his new found power, if it was used solely for running then he was completely fine. But as the chase continued on, essence gradually seeped into every pore of his body until no more could flow inside.

    By now their pursuer was an arm¡¯s length away from the two and slowly closing in, had this man been armed with a sword then perhaps he would have been able to attack.

    ¡°Brother Cai! The flow stopped!¡± Zhang yelled out as he continued running.

    ¡°Good! Follow my lead!¡± Cai Cao yelled back as his body spun sideward with his fist out.

    Cai Cao¡¯s body did a one hundred and eighty degree turn and his fist swept right past the face of their pursuer. Had the man been an inch closer than Cai Cao¡¯s fist would have struck his nose.

    With his attack failing Cai Cao jumped backwards a few times to create some distance between him and the man with bulging muscles.

    All of this happened in an instant and while Cai Cal swung his fist back, tried Zhang to perform a sweep kick with his leg but the man with the bulging muscles after being nearly struck by Cai Cao¡¯s fist had jumped back causing Zhang¡¯s attack to miss.

    Having received some military combat training during his time in the Shu Army, Zhang was fairly familiar with hand to hand combat. Despite his lack of knowledge on the use of essence, if he simply relied on brute strength from his currently empowered body then perhaps he can be of some assistance to Cai Cao.

    ¡°You take the left I''ll take the right!¡± Cai Cao roared to Zhang as he charged forth with unbelievable grace and speed.

    ¡°Come at me!¡± The man roared as his already bulging muscles seemed to bulge even more.

    ¡°Eat this!¡± Cai Cao yelled as dozens of tiny needles shot out from his sleeve as he waved his arm.

    ¡°You think some shitty needles can do anything to me? Everyone in my clan practices the iron body technique and at stage two my body is as hard as stone!¡± The man yelled mockingly.

    However, when Cai Cao¡¯s needles closed in he noticed they were emanating a faint trace of essence.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡± He thought as he jumped back trying to dodge the rain of needles. However, by the time he noticed the essence emanating from the needles and the time it took him to respond, it was already too late to completely dodge.

    Although not every needle hit their mark, quite a few lodged themselves into the man¡¯s arm as he tried to shield himself with them.

    The needles that missed their mark were scattered about on the ground with their ends sticking up.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± The man with bulging muscles muttered as he felt a foreign energy invade his body causing it to go numb.

    ¡°Brother Zhang go!¡± Cai Cao¡¯s voice rang out.

    Zhang could be seen dashing forward and then performing a sweeping kick, but this time the man was distracted by Cao Cao¡¯s needles and could not evade. Zhang leg crashed into the man¡¯s ankle, knocking him off his center of gravity and causing him to tumble over onto the scattered needles on the ground.

    ¡°Gahhhh!¡± The man yelled out as his side was pricked by dozens of needles.

    That was when Cai Cao¡¯s hand extended forward and his fingers shot out at the man. Moments later the man¡¯s expression was frozen solid and his body stopped moving.

    ¡°I''ve sealed some of his pressure points, along with a few of his essence points. He shouldn''t be able to move for some time. Brother Zhang if you could please retrieve his essence supplement pill.¡± Cai Cao said as he gazed down at the man on the ground. Despite being inches away, Cai Cao showed no signs of wanting to retrieve the pill himself.

    Not thinking too much of it, Zhang walked over a few steps and began checking to see where the man hid the pill. Since he wasn''t wearing a shirt, it was fairly easy to find the pill because obviously it was in his pocket.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Zhang said as he tossed the pill to Cai Cao. However once the pill left his hand he felt extremely dizzy and the world around him began spinning.

    An instant later Zhang coughed up a mouth full of blood and tumbled onto the ground.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Brother Zhang! Are you okay!?¡± Cai Cao screamed as he caught Zhang in his arms.

    ¡°How could this be? I simply, temporarily opened his essence points.¡± Cai Cao muttered as he felt Zhang¡¯s channels.

    ¡°Damn¡­ I was too careless. His channels were too small and the strain of having all of the points opened caused them to rupture¡± Cai Cao muttered as a frown and creases appeared on his handsome face.

    Moments later he extended his hand and sealed Zhang¡¯s essence points and a few of his pressure points.

    ¡°First to stop the internal bleeding. Then I need to take him back to the courtyard.¡± Cai Cao mumbled.

    Once he stopped Zhang¡¯s internal bleeding, Cai Cao hoisted Zhang over his shoulder and slowly made his way up the mountain and toward their courtyard. Although at first there was a moment of hesitation as Cai Cao tried to pick Zhang up, it seemed that he did not want to come into contact with Zhang¡¯s body.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ If it wasn''t my fault that you were in this condition, I wouldn''t do this even if you paid me to.¡± Cai Cao complained as he gave Zhang a piggyback ride.

    While carrying Zhang on his back, Cai Cao¡¯s speed dropped to nearly a half of what it had been before. This meant that if other pursuers appeared he would definitely have to engage them in battle instead of trying to flee.

    As Zhang stayed unconscious his new friend continued up the mountain. Sweat flowed down his slender face and dropped onto the ground as Cai Cao continued to carry Zhang.

    Suddenly Cai Cao lifted his head and scanned his surroundings.

    ¡°Come out! There''s no use hiding!¡± He yelled as he placed Zhang into the ground.

    Moments later a young man or well a boy who looked no older than thirteen years of age walked out from behind a tree.

    ¡°Hand over your pill or I''ll use my family¡¯s heirloom sword on you!!¡± The boy roared as he lifted a short sword with a blood red blade into the air.

    The sword looked extremely deadly with a skull placed at its hilt. Two deep red rubies were embedded into the skull, as its eyes. This sword had emitted an aura not that of a fragmented realm but something higher.

    A scowl appeared on Cai Cao¡¯s face as he eyed the sword.

    ¡°If-if you don''t hand over your pill, I''ll be forced to attack!¡± The boy yelled.

    ¡°How can someone of the fragmented realm possess such a weapon¡­¡± Cai Cao thought as he jumped into the air and dozens of needles shot out of his sleeves.

    ¡°You think your sword alone can scare me!? A weapon is only as powerful as it¡¯s user!¡± Cai Cao roared.

    A look of surprise appeared on the boy¡¯s face as the needles began raining down upon him. He had shown his sword to dozens of people and they all obediently had given him their supplement pills without putting up a fight.

    ¡°If it''s just some needles then it should be fine.¡± The boy thought as raised his sword up in front of him to block Cai Cao¡¯s attack.

    Unlike the muscle man from before he did not notice the faint amount of essence being emitted from the needles. In mere moments the needles impacted the blood red sword and a boom sounded out.

    Cai Cao landed to see that the boy had been knocked back a few steps and the blade of his sword showed dozens of cracks on it.

    ¡°A fake elementary realm sword?!¡± Cai Cao yelled in his mind as he launched more needles toward the youth in front of him.

    Soon the cracks that appeared on the sword got longer and moments later the blade shattered into dozens of pieces.

    ¡°Give me all your pills or I''ll run you full of needles!¡± Cai Cao yelled as five especially long needles appeared in his hand.

    The boy stared blankly at the hilt in his hand and the shattered pieces of his blade on the ground. As Cai Cao¡¯s words entered into his ears, the boy¡¯s heart sank. The robber will soon become the robbed as the law of the jungle states, the strong shall step upon the weak.

    ¡°Here! Take it!¡± The boy said as he pulled out a small pouch from his robes and tossed it at Cai Cao.

    Catching the pouch, Cai Cao noticed that the pouch was empty and when he looked up he saw the boy running back away.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± He snorted as five long needles shot out from his hand and embedded themselves into the boy¡¯s leg.

    Once the needles connected the boy tumbled onto the ground and a karate chop soon came down and struck his head.

    ¡°Give me your pills or else next time the needles won''t be so shallow.¡± Cai Cao repeated as he looked down at the boy.

    ¡°Fi-fine you win.¡± The boy said as he produced another pouch and handed it to Cai Cao.

    After examining the pouch, Cai Cao found about thirteen essence supplement pills inside.

    ¡°It seems you''ve been busy¡­¡± He said as he his hand struck a few of the boy¡¯s pressure points and essence points, freezing him like the man with bulging muscles. Once the boy was disabled Cai Cao walked back toward Zhang and gave him a piggy back again.

    ¡°With this many supplement pills, your channels should be restored to normal.¡± Cai Cao murmured as he headed up the mountain once again. This time as he headed back toward their courtyard, no other disciples were encountered.

    ¡°We are here!¡± Cai Cao yelled out with glee as he reached the front door of the courtyard he and Zhang were assigned to. That was when the jade pendant that he had received from the inner sect elder along with the one Zhang received began emitting a dazzling light.

    Once the dazzling lights struck the door that led into the courtyard a series of runes appeared on the door and seemed to brand the door. Moments later when the dazzling light ceased, the twin doors that led into the courtyard swung open.

    ¡°Door sealing talismans, with this only the two of us can open the door and enter this courtyard. No one but those with the door talismans can enter now, even if they tried to fly over the walls an invisible barrier would send them flying.¡± Cai Cao said with a smile.

    Upon entering the courtyard and carrying Zhang up the steps leading to the house they were assigned, a small mirror attached to a necklace with dozens of mysterious runes on it fell out of Cai Cao¡¯s robes and hung from his neck.

    The moment they entered the house atop the stone steps, Cai Cao placed Zhang atop a bed and began feeding him the essence supplement pills.

    ¡°Not only do these things help increase one¡¯s store of essence, they also help strengthen one¡¯s essence channels. Since your channels bursted, once you take a few of these you should be all healed up.¡± Cai Cao said as he placed four pills into Zhang¡¯s mouth and a blue glow began emitting from his hand. The blue glow being his essence, traveled into Zhang¡¯s mouth and turned the four pills into liquid. Once the pills turned into liquid flowed it down Zhang¡¯s throat with ease.

    ¡°You should be fine now and wake up in a few days once the pills are fully digested.¡± Cai Cao said before walking to the opposite side of the room and climbed onto a bed and placed an essence supplement pill into his mouth and began mediating.

 Chapter 4: Cultivator

    Proofed: bobo

    At the center of the Misty Mountain Sect were a series of ten mountains that rose high above the sky and pierced the clouds. These mountains were forever covered in a thick layer of mist that added to their mysteriousness, the steep mountain faces meant that there was no one who could ever ascend these mountains unless they knew how to fly.

    But if one managed to see past the mist and the clouds they¡¯d be able to see a series of beautiful bridges that arched from one mountain side to the next, connecting the ten mountains together. Besides the bridges, hundreds if not thousands of lodges were built into the face of the mountains. Some big, some small, these lodges housed the inner sect disciples of the Mist Mountain Sect.

    But today our focus is on a large castle like building located atop the tallest of the ten mountains. Those who have been in the sect for a long time would refer to this place as the Inner Hall, where most of the activities of the inner sect occur.

    In the Inner Hall, in a place where not many people are allowed entry, nine men sat at a round table where there were ten seats. These nine men were all inner sect elders of the Misty Mountain Sect, in front of them and at the center of the round table were hundreds of small floating mirrors that levitated in the air and moved about in a cylindrical spiral.

    ¡°Elder Liu, what do you think of this young lad here?¡± One of the elders who did not seem old nor young said while pointing at a mirror that projected the image of a dashing young man engaged in battle with another man who was half his size. But the dashing young man was clearly in the advantaged thanks to his mobility. Once the elder pointed at the mirror it enlarging and became roughly ten times the size.

    ¡°Add him to the list, we will observe him for a while and see if he has what it takes to enter the Forest of Beasts.¡± A man with a head full of white hair and a drooping eyebrows said. This man was the one who was referred to as Elder Liu.

    ¡°Which one of the seedlings is the one that Elder Lao dropped off before disappearing again.¡± Another elderly man asked.

    ¡°This one right here.¡± Elder Liu said as he pointed to a mirror that projected the image of Zhang being carried on Cai Cao¡¯s back.

    ¡°He must have become senile in his old age to bring back someone who hasn¡¯t even managed to unlock their essence points¡­ From the looks of it that other brat tried to temporarily unlock them for him and his channels couldn¡¯t withstand the strain.¡± A balding middle aged man with a protruding belly said.

    ¡°Place the one carrying him in the list, as for that boy keep an eye on him, if Elder Lao brought him here then there must be a reason for it. Elder Huang, you best watch your tongue, before master went into closed door training he had given Elder Lao the power to manage the entire sect and our council is only temporarily taking over for him while he is away.¡± Elder Liu said.

    While the elders of the inner sect were busy discussing on who to add to their list, on the outskirts of the sect, where all of the new seedlings of the sect stayed, in a certain courtyard, Zhang had just awoken.

    Every fiber of his body felt as if it was on fire, his entire body was immersed in pain. The last thing he could remember was fighting the man with the bulging muscles and then becoming extremely dizzy.

    ¡°Stay still and don¡¯t move.¡± A voice sounded out from across the room. When turning his head over and looking toward the direction where the voice had come from, Zhang could see Cai Cao sitting in a mediating pose with his eyes closed.

    The sunlight had penetrated the mist that surrounded the mountain that their courtyard was in and a sliver of it had struck Cai Cao¡¯s face.

    ¡°If he were a girl, then I bet a line of men that wished for his hand in marriage would reach the foot of the mountain.¡± Zhang thought with a laugh but stopped due to a sudden spike in pain.

    Soon Cai Cao¡¯s eyes slowly opened and moments later arrived at Zhang¡¯s beside after hopping off his own bed.

    ¡°You should be fine in a few days; you¡¯ve been out for three days but the essence supplement pills should have healed up your ruptured channels. All you have to do now is rest up. I¡¯m going to go get us some food now, since the sect doesn¡¯t provide meals so don¡¯t wander anywhere and stay put until I get back.¡± Cai Cao said as he turned back and headed toward the door.

    After Cai Cao left the room a veil of silence covered it as Zhang laid on his bed. The pain was beginning to subside bit by bit as he laid in the room alone, left to immerse himself in thoughts. Although it had only been a few days since Zhang had arrived at the Misty Mountain Sect, so many things happened. He had been thrown into a brand new world full of new things such as essence and cultivation.

    His mind was being overwhelmed as so many things flooded into it, while the thoughts of the past were still haunting him. Although he did not show it, the memory of his family and his fallen comrades was forever etched into Zhang¡¯s mind. Perhaps one day he would use this as a drive to propel himself higher, motivation to prevent the past from repeating itself.

    Hours passed before Cai Cao returned to the room with a chicken in his hand. From the looks of things, he had a truly rough time trying to catch the chicken, his once pristine clothes were now soiled by dirt and his hair was disheveled.

    ¡°Wait I¡¯ll have food ready in a bit.¡± Cai Cao said after checking on Zhang¡¯s condition before disappearing once more.

    ¡°What a nice guy.¡± Zhang thought after Cai Cao had left the room. They had been total strangers but a few days ago, but now Cai Cao was taking care of Zhang and even cooking for him.

    Zhang did not have to wait long before Cai Cao returned with a tray, atop this tray was a bowl. Soon enough Zhang may feel the need to take back the words that he had thought earlier because moments later a bubbling bowl of black goo was placed on a table by Zhang¡¯s bedside.

    ¡°Poison?¡± Zhang thought as he stared at the black goo, while sweat began forming on his brow.

    ¡°I made you some chicken congee.¡± Cai Cao said, looking down on the bowl with a hint of shame evident in his face.

    Not wanting to turn down the goodwill of someone who has been helping him, and someone who could possibly kill him, Zhang pushed up his aching body and took the bowl up in his shaking hands.

    A gulped as he looked down at what might be his last meal, before picking up a spoon and digging in. As the spoon full of death inched closer and closer to Zhang¡¯s lips his life flashed before him.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Mother, father, I¡¯ll be joining you soon.¡± Zhang thought as the spoon finally reached his lips and the black goo flowed into his mouth, slide across his tongue and down his throat. That was when his eyes became wide and an expression of shock covered his face.

    ¡°This is surprisingly very tasty.¡± Zhang said as he turned to Cai Cao with a smile and began stuffing himself. Soon enough all that was left was an empty bowl, that looked as if it had just been washed.

    Zhang turned toward Cai Cao who had been sitting in the other side of the room, meditating. Feeling Zhang¡¯s gaze, Cai Cao stopped meditating to find two pleading eyes staring at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some more, if you want.¡± He said, a bit surprised by Zhang¡¯s facial expression. A slight smile soon became visible on his face as he left the room.

    =====================================================================

    After the incident with the chicken congee, Cai Cao had been designated as the one to cook the meals. A week had passed since and now Zhang was back on his feet and finally was able to begin his journey into the world of cultivation.

    Sitting outside atop a large boulder sticking out of the ground, Zhang had a ring in his hand, along with a letter. Zhang had found this letter addressed to him in a drawer where the armor, he had worn before waking up at the sect, was found.

    ¡°Treasure this ring for it holds what you have lost. Upon reaching the fragmented realm all shall be clear.¡± Was all the letter said.

    After tucking the letter into his robes and slipping the pitch black ring onto his finger, Zhang pulled out the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s beginner cultivation manual from his robes. He had opted to read this manual before even setting eyes on the sect¡¯s rule manual. Since he had nothing to go back to nor did he have any idea of how to get back to where he came from, Zhang decided to immerse himself in this new world that he had been thrown into.

    ¡°What is a cultivator? A cultivator is one who breaks away from the shackles of mortality and defies the will of heaven. A cultivator absorbs the essence of the world and strengthens themselves to one day be able to ascend the heavens and surpass them.¡± Zhang read from the cultivation manual.

    ¡°So there are forty-four essence points throughout the body that connect forty-four channels. For each point that a person manages to awaken they would gain two years of longevity, simply from the amount of essence that flows into their body.¡± Zhang mumbled as he read the book.

    A person generally lived to be about eighty years old, but if one were a cultivator who managed to open all forty-four of their essence points, then they would generally have a life expectancy of about one hundred sixty-eight years. Of course as they progress in their cultivation their longevity would further increase.

    ¡°To open one¡¯s essence points, one must circulate the essence in one¡¯s body and create a flow. Once the flow is created, direct at a point and have the stream unlock the point. Hmmm, if I follow these instructions I should be able to unblock my essence points, however brother Cai had said that my channels are incredibly small so if I unblock too many points then my channels will shatter. This time perhaps for good because last time brother Cai had only performed a partial unblocking and this time it will be a permanent unblocking, meaning I won''t be able to block it once it¡¯s open.¡± Zhang thought as he gripped the manual in his hand.

    Unlike everyone else who can simply unlock all forty-four points, Zhang can only unlock a portion of them or else he would end up killing himself. But the problem he is facing now is figuring out how many points he can open before reaching the point of no return.

    ¡°Well I guess I won¡¯t know until I try it out.¡± Zhang muttered as he closed his eyes and began meditating. Essence began swirling in his cultivation core, and started forming a stream that circulated through his channels. Soon essence flowed through every inch of his channels.

    ¡°The first point.¡± Zhang thought as he redirected the stream toward one of the forty-four points.

    Thanks to the fact that Cai Cao had temporarily unlocked Zhang¡¯s points before, there was a large volume of essence at his disposal inside his core and on top of that since the points had been partially unblocked before they would be many times easier to unblock a second time. He was also able to skip the step where one had to sense the essence flowing around them, because he had already been exposed to it.

    Had it not been for Cai Cao then perhaps Zhang would have to wait a long while to even sense the flow of essence around him.

    Not long after entering mediation did he notice a bit of essence from the great flow seeping into his body, soon the seeping turned into a trickling and not long after a small stream was adding to the river flowing inside his channels.

    ¡°On to the next point.¡± The first point hadn¡¯t really affected his flow very much so he decided to unblock another point and another and another. Only when he reached a total of twenty-two opened essence points did Zhang feel that his channels were full, little by little the channels had filled up.

    ¡°Guess twenty-two is my limit, but that would mean that in a fight everyone would be able to channel and use twice as much essence as me¡­¡± Zhang said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

    ¡°There''s got to be a way to overcome this difference¡­¡± He said as he began flipping through the beginner¡¯s manual in front of him.

    ¡°It says here that most cultivators, once connected to the great flow, have a constant stream of essence flowing into their channels through the forty-four points and attains equilibrium with the flow. The essence transfers from the forty-four points into the forty-four channels, where a cultivator will use it to nourish their core and increase the amount of essence that can be stored inside the core. Then there''s something similar to that one guy¡¯s iron body technique. Essence is absorbed into the points and instead of dispersing into the channels, the cultivator redirects it into their bones, muscles and the rest of their body. This would help strengthen one¡¯s body but it in the end doing this wouldn¡¯t be as good as strengthening one¡¯s core.¡± Zhang said.

    ¡°However in my cause, since my channels that connect to my core can¡¯t handle a large amount of essence, I should send only a small amount into the core while the rest should be dispersed throughout the rest of my body to strengthen it.¡±

 Chapter 5: Rainbow Lotus

    Proofers/Editors: nick0 (Pascal)

    Chapter 6 now on NovelsNao. Please give me input on how the story is going.

    ===============================================================================

    Zhang sat atop the boulder for hours on end, dispersing the essence that flowed into his essence points throughout his body. Although the effects were minimal, Zhang could feel that his body was slowly changing. But of course after only a few hours of doing this the changes weren¡¯t very noticeable. His vision was a tiny bit better, he could run a tiny bit faster, lift a bit more, but nothing that could be considered outstanding occurred.

    ¡°As things are, I can¡¯t even be considered a fragment realm cultivator¡­¡± Zhang sighed, thinking how the fragment realm was the lowest realm and as long as one can open up all of their essence points, they would be considered a fragment realm cultivator.

    While lost in thought, a rumbling sound echoed from his stomach. Reminding him that it had been hours since he had last eaten and it was time to fill his stomach.

    ¡°I wonder what brother Cai is cooking today.¡± Zhang mumbled as he jumped off the rock he had been sitting on and headed back toward the courtyard that he and Cai Cao have been assigned to.

    Once he reached the front gate, Zhang reached into his pocket and withdrew his door sealing talisman which was then used to open the gates into the courtyard. The instant the gates opened, Zhang¡¯s eyes scanned the place that he had been calling home for the last couple days.

    Walking up the now familiar steps and arriving at the place that he had been sleeping for the last couple days, Zhang pushed open the door and walked in.

    ¡°Brother Cai, I¡¯m back!¡± He said in a loud voice to announce his presence. However, there was no reply and when he arrived at the table where the meals are eaten, Zhang found a letter along with a few plates of inedible looking food. The funny thing was all of the food that Cai Cao prepared came out looking horrid but tasted heavenly.

    The letter simply said, ¡°going out will be back later tonight.¡±

    ¡°I wonder where he went.¡± Zhang muttered while scratching his head before sitting down and beginning his meal.

    ¡°I better ask if he has a sister who hasn¡¯t married yet the next chance I get¡­ Cause if she¡¯s half as good looking and good at cooking as he is then I¡¯ll be one happy guy.¡± Zhang thought as he continued wolfing down the food Cai Cao had prepared.

    Not long after finishing all of the food on the table, Zhang decided to head out and explore the mountain.

    ¡°If I remember right, brother Cai said that on pages ten through thirty in the sect rule book there is a list of medical herbs that should be growing within these mountains and if I collect enough of them we can trade them in for stuff at the outer sect hall.¡± Zhang thought as he withdrew the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s rule book and flipped through its pages for the first time as he left the courtyard after grabbing a basket.

    The Misty Mountains Sect could only be considered a small sect however thanks to the abundance of herbs and medicinal plants on the mountains, it is able to raise a fairly high number of inner sect disciples. It is also thanks to the efforts of the outer sect disciples who scour the mountains that this is possible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see here, this is a Red Dewdrop plant.¡± Zhang said as he plucked a red flower with three petals and tossed it into his basket. After leaving the courtyard and only walking but a few steps he had already spotted some herbs that he could collect and turn in.

    ¡°These mountains can be considered a pill maker¡¯s treasure trove.¡± He said as he looked at his half full basket that was slung over his back. The basket was half full already and a variety of plants could be seen.

    ¡°Although I have a bunch of herbs, most of these only count for one or two contribution points each¡­Wait what do we have here?¡± He mumbled to himself as he flipped the pages of the sect rule book and happened upon a picture of a seven colored lotus.

    ¡°The Rainbow Lotus, worth one hundred contribution points each, are said to grow only in places with high altitudes and only in bodies of still water.¡± Zhang read off the rule book.

    Thus began his search for a still body of water, of course he still plucked every single herb that appeared. Perhaps it was because he had nothing to do for the last few days, but Zhang found his hunt for the rainbow lotus and picking herbs very fun. It helped putting his mind into a tranquil state and wash away the setbacks that he was facing on the road to cultivation.

    ¡°If I remember right, Brother Cai said there was a waterfall and a lake somewhere near our courtyard. It¡¯s getting late so some more rare herbs might pop up too so I should keep an eye out, thankfully today there isn¡¯t a lot of mist and a full moon is out.¡± Zhang mumbled as he walked through the forest trying to hunt down herbs. He had been walking around and gathering herbs for hours and the basket slung over his shoulder was roughly seventy percent full. With the moon looming overhead, many nocturnal plants that gave off faint glows could be spotted. These plants were usually very hard to find since the mountain was normally cloaked by a layer of mist and the moon¡¯s rays were blocked.

    These plants that appeared during the night were generally worth ten points to the upwards of twenty points each. While an essence supplement pill was generally worth about two hundred contribution points, meaning that once Zhang turned in his basket of herbs then he might be able to trade for one or two essence supplement pills. That was to say that he did not come across any rainbow lotuses.

    ¡°That''s a Midnight¡¯s Glory flower! Fifty points!¡± Zhang said as he spotted a faintly glowing flower with pure white leaves and petals. Once he arrived at where this flower was, Zhang bent down and began digging at where it¡¯s stem was sticking out of the ground.

    ¡°The manual said that this flower¡¯s most value part was its petals that absorb the light of the moon.¡± He said to himself as he snapped the flower¡¯s stem and placed it into his robes as to not lose the petals in the basket.

    Once the Midnight¡¯s Glory was safely tucked in Zhang¡¯s robes he resumed his hunt once more. After yet another hour or two of herb hunting, the sound a rushing water of a waterfall echoed into Zhang¡¯s ears. The instant this happened a glimmer appeared in his eyes, the thought of rainbow lotuses filled his mind as he quickened his pace. It was already late out and the moon was in the center of the sky, Zhang was tired but the thought of finding a dozen or so rainbow lotuses melted his weariness away.

    The funny thing was the thought of someone else already harvesting the lotuses if there were any at all, never appeared in his mind. Maybe there were lotuses, maybe there weren¡¯t but in his mind he was certain that he would find some tonight.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    The sound of water became louder and louder until the sight of a pristine lake came into sight after he walked out of the underbrush. A calm, crystal clear lake came into view and to the far corner of it a small waterfall. The corners of a lake such as this was ideal for rainbow lotuses to grow, despite the moving waters of the waterfall the edges of the lake were calm and still.

    From the corner of his eye something caught Zhang¡¯s attention, a single seven colored lotuses were floating on the water''s edge a short distance away in a corner of the lake that was along the face of the cliff where the waterfall flowed down. It was partially covered by an overhanging tree whose leaves were draping over the waters. Had someone been standing at any other angle then perhaps they would have not seen the lotus at all since one side of it was totally blocked by the cliff.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s my lucky day.¡± Zhang said as a smile crept on his face and his eyes glimmered.

    Making his way toward the lotus floating above the water¡¯s surface, Zhang carefully treaded over a rocky path. But what can some rocks and a few trees do to stop Zhang when his prize was right in front of his eyes. Maybe even if some horrifying monster appeared he would fight to the death with it to retrieve that lotus.

    Arriving at the water¡¯s edge where the lotus was, Zhang was stupefied. There was not one lotus along the water¡¯s edge that was by rock face, but dozens if not hundreds. With so many lotuses Zhang could possibly accumulate enough contribution points to trade for something many times better than an essence supplement pill.

    ¡°I¡¯m rich!!!¡± He shouted in his mind as he walked into the water to begin collecting the rainbow lotuses.

    ¡°Wait¡­ Fuck¡­ the basket¡¯s almost full¡­¡± Zhang cursed in his mind as he realized the basket slung over his back was filled nearly to the brim. This meant that he would either have to dump out the bounty that he had been gathering for half of the day or leave and come back later and risk someone else coming along and picking them all. Although only a few disciples were assigned to each mountain, leaving lots of space between each courtyard, he couldn¡¯t be sure if a disciple from another courtyard would show up and take away the hundreds of rainbow lotuses.

    That was when a thought appeared in his mind. Moments later he walked out of the water and began disrobing, then tied his robes together to make a sort of bag. Once the bag was fashioned he walked back into the water and began collecting the lotuses with glee.

    Strangely enough Zhang had never felt so excited about something in his life, it wasn¡¯t because the lotuses had value but an odd sense of accomplishment filled his soul. He had been raised on a silver spoon and had little need for money, so he never felt what it was like to truly have to earn something through hard work. But now things were different, he didn''t have much besides the clothes and herbs on his back, quite literally.

    While Zhang was busy collecting lotuses behind the cover of the tree that draped over the water, he heard a sudden splash of water sound out not too far from where he was. This was not the sound of the waterfall but of something foreign entering the water.

    Peeking out from behind the branches and leaves, he saw something that perhaps he would never forget for the rest of his life. His jaw dropped as he gazed at what could be said to be the most beautiful women that he had ever seen before in his entire life. A young woman who had been favored by the heavens and granted unbelievable beauty.

    His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at this young woman, the moonlight seemed to focus solely on the spot where this young woman was, so a few of her features were visible. Long black hair that glistened under the moonlight and floated above the water¡¯s surface, snowy white skin that shone as light was reflected off the water and a figure that only a fairy could possess. Sadly, her silky long hair was partially covering her face so he could not make out all of her features, but from what he had seen so far, this young woman possessed enough beauty to make men raise armies to fight for her.

    Zhang¡¯s body unconsciously began moving forward and out from the curtain of leaves that were covering him. As his body threaded through the water while his eyes were focused on what was afar, Zhang stumbled on a rock that was underneath the water and fell over. Once he fell into the water a loud splash echoed through the night and attracted the attention of the fairy that was in the water with him.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there!?¡± A feminine voice rang out as Zhang was trying to help himself up.

    Not knowing what to say or do and somewhat embarrassed, Zhang began running like any man would when he was caught peeking. Of course even if he had announced his presence earlier on, the end result would still be that he saw something that he shouldn¡¯t have.

    Making his way out of the water, Zhang did not forget to grab the last few rainbow lotuses left floating in the water before speeding into the forest and disappearing. Leaving no evidence of his being in the lake, Zhang sped through the mountain toward his courtyard. With his heart pumping be it from something some people might call love at first sight or being caught in the act of peeping, he made his way through the forest.

    Will he ever meet this fairy again? He did not know but perhaps she will always be a part of his thoughts, for tonight was a night that Zhang might never forget. As a person who had just turned into a young man and never having experienced love but yearned to experience it, he will forever be reminded of this moment in his youth.

    It was midnight when Zhang had seen the beauty in the lake but by the time he returned to the courtyard it was three hours past midnight. He was unfamiliar with the terrain having only transversed it once and thick clouds and mist rolled in and blurred his vision causing his speed to slow down drastically.

    ¡°Finally! I¡¯m home!¡± Zhang yelled in his mind as he arrived at the front gate that led into his courtyard. The thought of the bed waiting put a smile on his face as Zhang used his door sealing talisman to open the front gate and entered.

    Once more walking up a familiar staircase and entering a familiar room, our weary herb hunter jumped into his bed and entered a deep sleep. Cai Cao was sleeping and Zhang did not want to wake him so a talk about what to exchange the contribution points for would have to take place when the sun rose and the roosters crow.

 Chapter 6: Herb Exchange

    Proofers/Editors: nick0

    :D Hope you guys enjoy this series O_O Thoughts? Please comment what you think so far O_O

    ===========================================================================================

    Cai Cao had returned to the courtyard roughly an hour, nearly two hours before Zhang with creases on his brow due to being lost in the thick mist that blanketed the mountain. Where he went, only he knows. Having come back very late in the night, he had crawled into his bed without a care for the world and fell into a deep slumber.

    But this deep slumber would be abruptly disrupted.

    ¡°Brother Cai! Wake up! Wake up!¡± Zhang''s voice sounded out by Cai Cao¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Ju-just a little longer¡­¡± Cai Cao mumbled while half asleep.

    ¡°Wake up we have to head to the outer sect hall, it''s already noon!¡± Zhang yelled trying to wake up Cai Cao. Although their courtyard was fairly close to the inner sect hall, it still took roughly an hour and a half for them to get there. So if they did not head out now than they would have to wait until tomorrow.

    But Zhang who was extremely hyped from his large harvest of Seven Colored Rainbow Lotuses had woken up a while ago and went about tallying the number of contribution points that he should be receiving. There was a total of eighty-eight Seven Color Rainbow Lotuses which totaled eight thousand and eight hundred contribution points, then there was about another seven thousand and two hundred contribution points from the rest of the herbs that Zhang had gathered.

    So if everything went well, he should be getting about sixteen thousand contribution points. He had decided to split his points with Cai Cao so in the end each person would have eight thousand points which they could possibly trade for eight essence supplement pills or a variety of other things.

    After a while, Cai Cao sat up on his bed with a head full of messy hair. ¡°Okay, okay I¡¯m getting up¡­Now get out of the room...¡± Cai Cao said as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll wait for you down in the courtyard.¡± Zhang said as he headed toward the door.

    Zhang did not have to wait long before Cai Cao appeared and descended the flight of stairs leading to the courtyard.

    ¡°So why are we heading to the Outer Sect Hall again? The meeting that the elders had said would take place won¡¯t happen for another few weeks.¡± Cai Cao said as he questioned Zhang.

    ¡°We are going to exchange these in for contribution points to the sect.¡± Zhang replied with a grin as he handed a sack full of herbs to Cai Cao.

    ¡°Where did you find all of this? I¡¯ve tried to find herbs around the mountain too and have yet to find more than a dozen¡­¡± Cai Cao said with amazement as he opened the sack and saw how many herbs Zhang had managed to gather. Thinking back to how Zhang had been bedridden and had only been able to get back on his feet a few days ago, Cai Cao was somewhat dumbfounded at how Zhang had managed to gather so many herbs.

    ¡°Eh guess I got lucky. Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang said as he headed for the front gate.

    Following behind Zhang, Cai Cao soon witnessed something amazing. As the two of them descended the mountain, Zhang would casually pluck various herbs and add them to the stash he had already gathered. Plants that Cai Cao had never even seen before were collected and named by Zhang with ease.

    Somehow Zhang had memorized what plants were in the rule manual and the number of points they were worth, which could be considered an amazing feat considering how many plants were listed in the manual. Although there weren¡¯t a lot, there had to be at least a hundred or two hundred different types of herbs and plants listed in the manual.

    ¡°Maybe this is why he was admitted into the sect despite having weak channels.¡± Cai Cao thought as he observed Zhang.

    A while later they had descended the mountain and arrived at the Outer Sect Hall, which could be considered a small city ran by Misty Mountain Sect disciples. Every year the sect admitted thousands of new disciples, so over the years the number of disciples staying in the sect grounds accumulated into a vast population. There were some disciples who left the sect to travel or were dispelled but for the majority of disciples, they would stay in the sect grounds to further their cultivation.

    Once one joined a sect they would stay with the sect for most of their lives. They would meet the love of their lives in the sect, they would then start families and have children who would join the sect. Making it so that there was a large amount of new disciples who had family already in the sect.

    Besides the main hall itself, there were various stores ran by sect disciples and outer sect elders where a large variety of trade and purchases took place. Most of the purchases here would require the exchange of goods or gold coins.

    Then there were a few places where goods could only be acquired by contribution points to the sect.

    ¡°According to the map in the manual the Herb Exchange Department should be over there.¡± Zhang said as he led Cai Cao through the bustling streets full of disciples trying to sell their wares.

    ¡°I had no idea that the sect had so many disciples, to think that the whole area was closed off on that day to initiate new disciples.¡± Zhang said.

    ¡°Yea, the longer one stays with the sect the deeper one moves into the mountains. Only newer disciples like us, stay on the courtyards that are close to the outer sect hall. Most of the disciples stay in the middle ring of the sect grounds, where there is a Middle Sect Hall. But a lot of people still travel out to the outer ring where we are to trade. There are even clans that live inside the sect, so when in the presence of others, it¡¯s best to try not to offend anyone.¡± Cai Cao said.

    Soon the two arrived at a two story building, where dozens of people carrying sacks of herbs could be seen walking in and out.  Upon entering the two were directed to one of the many counters, where a middle aged man with a large mole on his face stood. From his outfit, Zhang could tell that this man was a regular disciple of the sect and not an elder.

    ¡°Maybe he earns contribution points or a wage for working here.¡± Zhang thought.

    ¡°What do you have for me?¡± The man asked in a bored and dull tone.

    ¡°Sir we would like to exchange these for contribution points.¡± Zhang said as he placed a large sack filled to the brim with herbs on the counter. Cai Cao also placed the sack that Zhang had handed him earlier onto the counter.

    ¡°Is this your first time doing this?¡± The man asked.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Okay let me get you your tally jades.¡± The man said as he bent over and disappeared under the counter. A few minutes passed before the man popped up from underneath the counter with two small jade pendants.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°These will keep tally of the number of contribution points you have accumulated. Make sure not to lose them or else someone else may claim the points. I¡¯ll see what you have in the sacks and then add points to them.¡± The man said as he placed the jade pendants on the counter and began examining the contents of the sacks.

    He first examined the sack that Cai Cao had placed on the counter. This sack was filled with random herbs while the sack that Zhang had been holding was mostly filled with Rainbow Lotuses.

    ¡°Oh you have a Midnight¡¯s Glory in here, worth fifty points.¡± The man said as he was tallying points on an abacus.

    ¡°Seven thousand and one hundred points. You two sure brought in a good haul¡± He said once he finished tallying the first sack of herbs.

    Then he began tallying the herbs in the second sack. At first he only saw the regular herbs that Zhang had gathered on his way to the Outer Hall, but soon enough the man scraped pass that layer and laid eyes upon dozens of Seven Colored Rainbow Lotuses.

    Although he had a hint of amazement in his eyes the man did not say a word and continued tallying. He simply did not know what to say or what to ask so all he could do was continue counting.

    But once he reached the bottom of the sack he could no longer keep silent.

    ¡°Th-this is a Nine Colored Aurora Lotus!!! Worth ten thousand points!¡± The man yelled, causing everyone else in first floor of the building to look toward him.

    ¡°Wh-what!? Ten thousand points?¡± Zhang yelled as he looked at the lotus in the man¡¯s hand. Only upon closer inspection did he notice a few of the petals possessing a subtle difference in color.

    ¡°An Aurora Lotus? That wasn¡¯t listed in the manual.¡± A disciple a counter not too far from Zhang¡¯s said as he looked over.

    ¡°It¡¯s not listed because a single Aurora Lotus blooms every few hundred years. To acquire one of these would require years of searching or a tremendous amount of luck.¡± The man stated.

    ¡°You wait here, the elder in charge of the Herb Exchange Department needs to verify that this is truly an Aurora Lotus before I can give you the points.¡± The man said as he ran off toward a flight of stairs that led to the second floor with the lotus in hand.

    Not long after the middle aged man with the mole returned with a man who looked to be in his twenties but possessed a head of long white hair.

    ¡°We pay our respects to Elder Hao Lu.¡± The majority of disciples in the building said upon seeing the man. Cai Cao and Zhang also chimed in a bit after everyone else as to not be the odd ones out.

    ¡°This is indeed an Aurora Lotus! Worth ten thousand contribution points to the sect and on top of that I¡¯ll give the person who found it an extra five thousand points.¡± Elder Hao Lu said while holding up the lotus in his hand.

    Zhang stood dumbfounded as the amount of points he was receiving kept getting bumped up higher and higher. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what he could use the points to trade for, he knew the more he had the better so inside he was jumping with joy.

    ¡°Here are your tally jades my fellow disciples, I gave you a little extra on top of what the elder gave you, for a total of forty-three thousand points. Just don¡¯t tell anyone and remember to come back again with more herbs.¡± The middle aged man with the mole said with glee. It was clear that Elder Hao Lu had given him some sort of benefit for reporting on the Aurora Lotus.

    All eyes were on Zhang and Cai Cao as they departed the Herb Exchange Department and headed for the Point Exchange Department which was across the street. The point exchange building was many times larger than the herb exchange building as it was four stories tall and stretched out to twice the width of the herb exchange building.

    Once inside they noticed that there were dozens of counters, each with a different sign placed above head. Some counters were meant for exchanging points for weapons, some were for pills, some were to take up missions for points, and so on.

    Every counter had a long line of people waiting to exchange their points for goods, well all but one. There was a counter on the far end of the building without a sign and without a line of people waiting. There was a young man sitting behind the counter, clearly bored because he was not receiving any business at all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check that counter out, since there isn¡¯t a line.¡± Cai Cao suggested. It was his first time here like Zhang so he was fairly curious as to why that certain counter did not have a line.

    ¡°May we ask what we can exchange our points for at this counter?¡± Zhang asked the young man behind the counter when they arrived at the far end of the building.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have ten thousand points each then don¡¯t bother.¡± The young man said.

    Zhang pulled up his tally jade pendant and showed it to the man, who looked back at him in astonishment.

    ¡°Well since you have the points I¡¯ll tell you. This counter is where you can acquire a pass into a forbidden section of the sect. Everyone calls that place The Graveyard. If you¡¯re lucky you might be able to find some elementary or even profound grade equipment. If you''re really lucky and don¡¯t get mauled by demonic beasts, you might even acquire one of their eggs and get yourself a demonic pet.  But for the most part people tend to come back empty handed so not many are willing to part with five thousand points.¡± The young man said.

    Of all the words the young man said, Zhang only heard the words, elementary, profound, equipment, pet and last but not least mauled. Which caused a hint of excitement and thrill to appear in his mind.

    ¡°Also I forgot to mention that after the five thousand points are paid you can use your door sealing talismans to enter this forbidden area as many times as you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten thousand so we can both enter.¡± Zhang said without talking it over with Cai Cao. Although it wasn¡¯t Cai Cao¡¯s points to begin with so he did not complain over what Zhang spent them on. As for if he would join Zhang in exploring the Graveyard, that was another story.

    ¡°You sure about this?¡± The young man asked.

    ¡°Definitely.¡±

    While the young man was branding Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s door sealing talismans with the key for the Graveyard¡¯s entrance, everyone else gawked at the young man who just wasted ten thousand contribution points.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s go get some weapons, pills, and manuals.¡± Zhang said to his friend after retrieving their door sealing talismans.

 Chapter 7: Exchange

    Proofers/Editors: nick0

    As Zhang and Cai Cao were about to leave the counter where one paid five thousand contributions points to gain access to ¡°The Graveyard¡± the young man who was helping them called them back.

    ¡°Hey you two, I¡¯m not supposed to do this but sometimes people enter ¡°The Graveyard¡± and come back with small hand drawn maps which are collected by the sect. I¡¯m supposed to take a hundred contribution points for this but I¡¯m going to let you have it for free.¡± The young man said as he reached his hand out with a rolled up scroll in it.

    ¡°Many thanks, fellow disciple.¡± Cai Cao replied as he took the map in the man¡¯s hands.

    After obtaining the map, Zhang and Cai Cao got in line to exchange points for weapons. Afterward they wanted to trade for pills and cultivation manuals.

    For cultivators a weapon could mean the difference between life or death so for now it was their priority to obtain good weapons. Cai Cao has his concealed weapons but they were just regular needles that he focused his essence into, if he met someone with a fragment realm weapon then their power would be reduced to half.

    Behind the weapons counter Zhang could see hundreds of different weapons lined up on the shelves. Unlike the previous counter, at the weapons counter one only had to pay an admission fee to be allowed into the storeroom behind the counter. Once in the store room can everyone select one weapon of their choice. If they decide to take more than one weapon, then they must go back in line and pay for entry once more. This was because the sect did not want people to horde all of the good weapons in one visit. Since the lines for the weapon counter was usually long and not many people wanted to wait, people normally left with only one weapon.

    Once Zhang and Cai Cao reached the counter, Zhang handed his tally pendant to a young woman manning the counter. ¡°Entry for two please.¡± He said once she took his pendant and scanned it in front of a jade tablet on the side of the counter.

    ¡°A thousand points a person. One weapon each, if you want more than one weapon then you have to get back in line. If you have any questions, there will be some weapon experts in the storeroom to assist you.¡± The young woman said as she handed Zhang¡¯s tally pendant back and allowed them behind the counter.

    The counter was fairly small the storeroom that it opened up into could only be described as gigantic. Only a small section of the storeroom was visible from the counter so Zhang had no idea that it was so big. Tens of thousands of weapons lined the walls as piles of them were lying about on the ground. Regular weapons, fragment realm weapons, elementary realm weapons and maybe even profound realm weapons were everywhere.

    Although there were profound realm weapons laying around it did not mean that everyone who entered the store room would choose them. The higher tier a weapon was the harder it was to handle them, the higher the consumption rate would be for using techniques with them. It was said that the enlightened realm weapons possessed a hint of consciousness inside of them, which made it so not just anyone was able to use them. The same went for weapons of a higher realm than the enlightened realm, it was even told in legends that ascended realm weapons could even turn into living beings, but of course weapons of such a realm was only a thing of legend.

    In the end most of those who enter the storeroom generally select weapons of the same realm or only weapons they find themselves capable of using. Of course there have been idiots who choose to bite more than they could chew and end up killed in battle.

    After entering the storeroom Zhang and Cai Cao kept wandering around without spotting anything that appealed to them. When in the army Zhang had been trained to mainly use the long sword so he was looking for one but so far he only spotted short swords and a variety of other weapons.

    They walked around until something caught Zhang¡¯s eye. A pitch black hilt was sticking out of a pile of weapons in the middle of the storeroom. Walking up to the pile and gripping his hand around the hilt, Zhang pulled up a pitch black longsword. He noticed dozens of inscriptions written on the blade of the sword as he held it up.

    ¡°Brother Cai do you know what these inscriptions mean?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Hmmm usually only flying swords have inscriptions on them, from my knowledge flying swords are weapons at the profound realm and are only given to inner sect disciples. We couldn¡¯t get our hands on one unless we were inner sect disciples.¡± Cai Cao replied.

    ¡°You got a good set of eyes on you lad.¡± A voice rang out behind Zhang and Cai Cao.

    Looking back, they saw an elderly man with a head of white hair, drooping eyebrows and with a cane in hand behind them.

    ¡°Greetings senior.¡± Zhang and Cai Cao said in unison.

    ¡°You''re right that indeed is a flying sword, or well it should have been a flying sword but it is a defective one. That is why it was placed in the storeroom despite being a flying sword. Although it¡¯s not as strong as a regular flying sword nor can it fly, the blade is rather sharp and it is slightly better than any fragment realm weapon you can find in here. You¡¯re lucky to have spotted this because it was only dropped off today, except if you do not choose to take it, will the sword be gone by the end of today. Not very often do such things show up here.¡± The elderly man said with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Many thanks senior for the information. I think I¡¯ll be taking this sword.¡± Zhang said with a smile.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it you''re free to come back and exchange it for something else.¡± The elderly man said with a grin and walked off.

    After the elderly man walked off Zhang and Cai Cao resumed browsing the various weapons once more to select a weapon for Cai Cao.

    As the elderly man walked off a voice suddenly resounded into his mind. ¡°Elder Liu why did you give him a flying sword? You know those are only meant for chosen inner sect disciples don¡¯t you?¡± A voice said in the elderly man¡¯s head.

    ¡°Elder Qin, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I just happened to drop a flying sword into the storeroom and he happened upon it. Had someone else found it then they could have taken it for themselves. Also that sword is sealed and won¡¯t work properly for a while.¡± The elderly man who turned out to be the inner sect elder, Elder Liu thought in reply to the voice before exiting the weapon exchange storeroom.

    While Elder Liu disappeared, Cai Cao and Zhang had found a very interesting weapon.

    ¡°This looks more like a belt then a weapon don¡¯t you think?¡± Zhang said as he held up something that resembled a belt.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a belt sword before?¡± Cai Cao said with a smile as he took the belt from Zhang¡¯s hand. Moments later he withdrew an extremely thin and flexible sword from the belt like sheath.

    ¡°This is a type of concealed weapon. I think I¡¯ll be taking this.¡± Cai Cao added as he looked at Zhang who had glittering eyes.

    With weapons selected the duo departed the weapon exchange counter and headed for the line to exchange for pills. Unlike the line of people waiting to enter the weapon storeroom, the line for the pill exchange was twice as long.

    There was a wide variety of pills and people could exchange for as many as they liked which prompted for a longer line.  Also the fact that many people who went on missions for the sect to acquire contributions often got injured on the job, so they needed to prepare for pills before going on missions.

    ¡°How may I help you?¡± A young lady who worked at one of the pill exchange counters asked Zhang and Cai Cao.

    ¡°Elder sister, we are new to the sect, would it be possible for you to tell us what pills we can exchange for?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Sure, but I think it would be best if you look over the pill guide book instead.¡± The young lady said as she handed Zhang a thin book.

    ¡°Just look over the book over there and tell me when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll help you as soon as I finish up on whoever I was helping.¡± She added.

    Walking to the side of the counter and flipping through the thin book, Zhang saw dozens of descriptions of various pills along with the exchange rate.

    ¡°Essence supplement pill, one hundred contribution points. Minor replenishment pill, fifty contribution points. Cosmetic pill, on thousand contribution points.¡± Zhang read off of the book. Of all of the pills the cosmetic pill was the most expensive.

    ¡°I bet if I gave this to a girl I¡¯d be able to win her heart.¡± Zhang thought with a grin.

    ¡°Let me have a look. I¡¯ve learned a bit about pill concocting from my father.¡± Cai Cao said.

    After scanning the book Cai Cao told Zhang to exchange for minor healing pills, minor replenishment pills, fasting pills, and essence supplement pills. He said that it was possible to combine the minor healing and replenishment pills together to increase their respective effects and potency. The essence pills could be reworked to essence strengthening pills and as for the fasting pills, they might need a few if they plan on exploring ¡°The Graveyard.¡±  This was because finding food might be an issue if they happen upon danger.

    So after waiting for the young lady to finish helping a chubby young man, Zhang exchanged for two hundred minor healing and minor replenishment pills, along with forty fasting pills and lastly fifty essence supplement pills to the amazement of the young lady working at the counter. Usually people only exchanged for a few dozen pills at a time, but this pair of young men had exchanged for hundreds which was fairly odd.

    With pills and weapons scratched off their list the duo then waited in the line to exchange for cultivation manuals. Much like the weapon storeroom, one can only take out a single cultivation manual at a time. But unlike the weapon storeroom, you had to return the manual or extend the checkout date every few months depending on the popularity of the book.

    Upon paying an entry fee and rental fee of two hundred contribution points each, Zhang and Cai Cao were allowed entrance into the outer sect library where all of the cultivation manuals of the outer sect were stored. The library was three floors tall and housed thousands of different cultivation techniques and skills.

    Once inside Zhang spotted a line of people.

    ¡°Brother can you tell me what this line is for?¡± Zhang asked a young man at the end of the line.

    ¡°We are all waiting to test and see what elements we are have a higher affinity with. Since it¡¯s counterproductive to try and master skills that are related to elements that you have a low affinity for.¡± The young man replied.

    ¡°Ah is that so thank you fellow disciple. Brother Cai do you happen to know what element you have high affinity with?¡± Zhang asked Cai Cao who was beside him after thanking the young man.

    ¡°I have a high affinity with wind magic and water magic. ¡°Cai Cao replied with in a proud tone.

    ¡°Hmm then how about you go look for a cultivation book while I wait to see my affinity.¡± Zhang suggested.

    Thus the two parted ways as Cai Cao went to hunt down a suitable cultivation skill, while Zhang stood in line to find out what element he has a high affinity with.

    When it was finally his turn to take the affinity test he arrived in front of the elder in charge of the library, a middle aged man with eyes that seemed to contain a vast amount of knowledge. Perhaps even the meaning of life is somewhat in those eyes.

    ¡°Place a drop of your blood on the affinity crystal and I¡¯ll be able to figure out what element you have a high affinity with.¡± The elder said.

    Partially drawing out the black sword that he had exchanged for at the weapons exchange counter, Zhang made a tiny cut on his finger. As Zhang draw the sword a glint appeared in the elder¡¯s eye but he did not say a word and remained silent. Soon a drop of Zhang¡¯s blood dripped onto the affinity crystal causing it to glow a bright red.

    ¡°You have a one hundred percent affinity with the element of fire and a decent affinity with water.¡± The elder said, although he seemed not amazed at all, a few voices soon broke up behind Zhang.

    ¡°One hundred percent affinity with fire? That means that his bound to be a genius in regard of fire techniques! To top that off he even has affinity with fire magic?!¡± A few people broke out in conversation.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, father often told me tales about how our ancestor was some sort of manipulator of fire. Although I thought those were just made up stories, perhaps there is a hint of truth to them. Also how one of his wives, my great great great great great great great great great great great grandmother was able to bend water or something. Then there was something about how the ancestor left for a new land and a few people decided to stay behind.¡± Zhang thought with a shrug as he headed off to look for a fire cultivation skill.

    Scanning through the aisles of books he did not know where to even start. There were simply too many books and no clear indication of difficulty. He knew his channels were too weak to learn powerful skills because the consumption rate of such skills were too high, but he did not know where the weaker skills were placed in the library.

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go look for brother Cai and ask him to help me¡­¡±

 Chapter 8: Fire?

    Proofed:Bobo

    Roaming through the vast library, Zhang finally spotted Cai Cao who had an old looking gold colored book in his hand. From the size of the book alone, one could tell that it possessed a high level technique and would be difficult to master.

    Seeing this and not wanting to be a bother, Zhang decided to go look for a suitable technique on his own once again. As he continued walking aimlessly through the library he realized that not a single person was in sight any longer.

    ¡°What the¡­ Where¡¯d everyone go¡­¡± Zhang thought as he looked around and did not see a single soul. That was when a red colored book with golden thread binding caught Zhang¡¯s attention from the corner of his eye.

    It was as if the book itself was calling out to him as he made his way toward it. Once the book was taken out of the shelf and held in his grasp, Zhang noticed that the book did not have a name. The cover was completely blank, without any writer at all. Intrigued, he began flipping through the pages of the book.

    The contents of the book basically taught someone to harness the essence and power of fire. One can ignite their essence into a wide variety of flames, that range from the weakest orange colored flame to the strongest white colored flame.

    ¡°Anyone who masters this technique cannot be harmed by any kind of physical fire. Hmmm what does it mean by physical fire?¡± Zhang thought after reading a page from the book. After skimming it some more he found out the requirement to begin learning this skill was not very high at all. One only needed a decent affinity with fire and an actually fire to begin cultivating the skill.

    ¡°First one must get used to being immersed in fire, then be able to manipulate fire before being able to create one¡¯s own fire out of essence. Simple enough¡­ Guess I¡¯ll take this manual.¡± He thought as he closed the manual and headed back the direction he came from. He was fairly happy that this skill could be cultivated by anyone with an affinity to fire and there was no high demand for essence. If the user did not have a lot of essence, then the fire would just simply be smaller.

    Soon Zhang ran into Cai Cao and the two headed toward the checkout counter together.

    ¡°Did you find something suitable?¡± Cai Cao asked, knowing Zhang¡¯s situation regarding his essence points.

    ¡°Yup.¡± Zhang replied with a grin as he showed Cai Cao the nameless red book in his hand.

    As the two arrived at the checkout counter they were greeted by a middle aged lady who was one of the elders who acted as a librarian.

    ¡°This is a fairly difficult skill, are you sure you wish to cultivate this one?¡± The lady asked Cai Cao once she was shown a golden colored book with black binding. The title of the book read, ¡°Ice Demon¡¯s Prison.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, if anything I¡¯ll exchange it for another book later.¡± Cai Cao replied as he took the book off the counter.

    ¡°Alright if that is what you want. Now give me your door sealing jade so I can make a record that you have checked out this book.¡± The middle aged lady replied with a smile as she put her hand out and waited for Cai Cao to hand her, his door sealing talisman.

    Moments later the checkout of the book was recorded onto the talisman and a record was taken. Then came Zhang¡¯s turn to check out his manual. But unlike Cai Cao, when Zhang placed his book on the counter the middle age lady simply smiled and said, ¡°are you sure? This skill is one of the lowest ranked skills in the entire library and is one of the hardest to master.¡±

    This was obviously because the requirement to truly master the skill and attain fire immunity was extremely high. But Zhang did not pick this book because he wanted to master it, he simply needed a skill that had a low requirement. This was because he was going to focus on physically strengthening his body first before he would strengthen himself cultivation wise.

    If his body became stronger than his channels would become slightly stronger, then he would be able to unseal more essence points and not have them burst his channels.

    ¡°If I change my mind I¡¯ll be back to check out another manual.¡± Zhang replied with a smile. With a nod, the middle aged lady checked out the manual to Zhang.

    With weapons, pills and cultivation skills out of the way, the duo headed outside of the exchange center.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to pay.¡± Cai Cao said as he took the lead and led Zhang to a large store that sold items for gold instead of contribution points.

    Upon entering the store, a wide variety of things could be seen. Things such as clothes, pills, weapons, and a bunch of other things could be seen on display. Of course the pills and weapons here were very expensive compared to the ones one could trade for at the exchange center. This was because contribution points were not all too easy to obtain, so some more wealthy sect members opt to purchase what they need with money instead. Thus the stores possessed a higher variety than the exchange center, but in terms of quality the exchange center¡¯s items were somewhat superior.

    ¡°Welcome, fellow disciples. How may I help you today.¡± A young man who looked like he was about the same age as Zhang and Cai Cao said as the two stepped into the store.

    ¡°We¡¯ll call you if we need anything.¡± Cai Cao said as he and Zhang began browsing through the store¡¯s wares. It seemed that he had an idea of what he was looking for as the two made their way through the store.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be needing these.¡± Cai Cao said as he grabbed a few miniature statues of horses.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be needing horse statues?¡± Zhang asked, somewhat confused.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see when the time comes.¡± Cai Cao replied as he continued looking for things to buy.

    ¡°Take this and this and that.¡± Cai Cao said as he handed Zhang silk vest, a pair of boots, and a drawing with a chicken on it. Dumbfounded, Zhang kept quiet and simply carried whatever items that he was handed.

    He did not possess enough knowledge regarding cultivation and magical items to know what these things actually did so he thought it was best to leave it to someone who knew and keep quiet. A while later and a small pile of stuff later, the duo was ready to check out.

    ¡°That will be three hundred thousand gold coins please.¡± The young man who had greeted the duo earlier said when they brought everything Cai Cao picked out to the counter.

    ¡°Three hundred thousand gold coins!? That¡¯s what my entire clan made in a year! This is flat out robbery.¡± Zhang thought but did not voice his opinion as to not make a fool out of himself.

    Without saying a word Cai Cao withdrew a jade card from his robe and placed it on the counter, where the young man scanned it against a jade tablet. As he picked up the jade card his eyes sparkled as if he had found a fortune.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°We offer a free delivery service if you two would like these things delivered to your courtyard.¡± The young man said with a grin on his face.

    ¡°No thanks we¡¯re in a hurry.¡± Cai Cao said as he retrieved the jade card and began taking steps toward the exit.

    With an awkward smile, Zhang retrieved the pile of things that they had just purchased and followed Cai Cao out of the store.

    ¡°Brother why didn¡¯t you have them deliver all of this stuff?¡± Zhang asked as he tried to keep the pile of things from falling onto the group.

    ¡°Because  they might swap out what we bought with defective ones and we wouldn¡¯t know until we used them. Also I didn¡¯t like the look on that guy¡¯s face and didn¡¯t want him to know where our courtyard is located. Even though we are all in the same sect, there¡¯s no telling if someone has good or bad intentions toward us.¡± Cai Cao said as he led Zhang to a two story diner. The two had been out and about for most of the day and their stomachs had long since become empty. Thus the two had a long hearty meal before heading back home.

    As they headed back toward their courtyard, Cai Cao kept an eye out in case someone was following them. In the Mist Mountain Sect, every time a new batch of disciples were admitted, hundreds of courtyards were magically placed randomly in the mountains and there was no way for others to know where someone lived unless they were shown or stumbled on the location by chance.

    Although none of the disciples knew why things were this way, no one questioned it because it allowed everyone to have a bit of privacy. People assigned to the same courtyard could request a transfer if they did not like each other so everyone who stayed in the same courtyard became friends and looked out for each other.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like anyone is following us, but in the future we have to keep an eye out. Although killing is prohibited, robbery, extortion and crippling of cultivation is not.¡± Cai Cao said.

    ¡°Also if you want to go explore the graveyard, at our current cultivation we wouldn¡¯t be able to hold our own there, however if it¡¯s only for a quick look then the stuff we bought should be more than enough to keep us safe.¡± Cai Cao added as he looked at Zhang with a smile.

    The two of them had grown to be rather closer friends and if Zhang wanted to go visit a graveyard that is crawling with dangers, then Cai Cao figured he might as well come and keep his buddy safe. Also Cai Cao himself was a tad bit curious about the graveyard, and figured taking a look around wouldn¡¯t pose too much of an issue.

    Once the two of them arrived in front of their courtyard and produced their door sealing talismans, the pair of doors in front of them swung open. After they walked through, the two gates behind them shut close almost immediately. Now that they got back home safe and sound, after putting away the treasures that they had just acquired, the two of them split up and began cultivating the new techniques that they had gotten from the technique library.

    Soon Zhang could be seen sitting atop a boulder the courtyard.

    ¡°You must first be able to completely manipulate the essence in your body and focus it at one point of your body, releasing a steady stream of it from the tips of your fingers will then allow you to ignite it with your will.¡± Zhang said as he read off the manual in his hand.

    ¡°So the most important part is manipulating my essence and releasing it at one point.¡± He thought as he began circulating the flow of essence in his body.

    The tiny streams that made up Zhang¡¯s essence channels, and the few essence points that he had managed to open were pushed to the limit as Zhang absorbed the essence around him and circulated it around his body.

    Now that he knew his limit and had strengthened his body a bit, Zhang was certain that he wouldn¡¯t harm himself like he had done so when Cai Cao had opened up all of his essence points for him.

    ¡°Almost there¡­¡± He mumbled as he concentrated all of the essence he could muster into the tips of his fingers on his right hand. Not long after an invisible stream that was as faint as the thread was released from his middle and index finger.

    ¡°Okay all I have to do now is ignite it.¡±

    A raging fire soon formed in Zhang¡¯s mind as he tried to project the image on the stream of essence on his fingertips.  Sweat began flowing down Zhang¡¯s brow as he spent massive amounts of concentration on trying to ignite his essence.

    After an excruciating long time, Zhang could feel a change in the stream of essence that was being released from his fingertips. Moments later the tiny stream was ignited and turned into an orange colored flame.

    At the sight of the burning flame flickering about at the tips of his fingers, Zhang didn¡¯t know if he should be laughing or crying. This is because although he succeeded in igniting his essence, the flame that he managed to make was tiny.

    ¡°I guess now I won¡¯t even be afraid of being cold if I get lost in the forest because I can start fires¡­¡± He thought with a chuckle as he eyed the tiny flickering flame.

    With a single thought the tiny flame levitating into the air and swirled about as if it had a will of its own. After circling around Zhang¡¯s body a few times the flame faded into nothingness, leaving no trace that it had ever existed. This was because it had burned out the amount of essence that was used to ignite it.

    ¡°Guess I should stick to strengthening my body first before I can use this technique to its fullest.¡± He thought as he began circulating the essence in his body and dispersing it throughout his body.

    Normally if someone had encountered the same setbacks that Zhang did then perhaps they would have given up, but for him when a setback appears and blocks his path, all he has to do is find another path and a solution. There is no end to one¡¯s path, only slight detours that one must take to proceed onward.

    If he lost everything then he must become stronger in order to never lose anything again, if his channels are too weak then his body must be strong so he could fight his enemies, and if one technique did not work for him then there is bound to be another one out there. For him giving up means forsaking those who had died in order for him to live, all of the comrades that were lost in the war would have meant nothing if he were to give up.

 Chapter 9: Forbidden Zone

    Proofers/Editors: nick0 (Pascal)

    In the outer ring of the Misty Mountain Sect were a series of fenced off mountains that most disciples were forbidden from entering. Unless one was given permission by the elder council or had enough contribution points to trade them for a pass, no one was permitted to enter this forbidden zone, for it is sealed off by an invisible membrane all year round.

    A place where demonic beasts roamed and an ancient war had occurred. Along with countless remains of the dead and of course with countless amounts of treasures that were left behind. Most outer sect disciples lacked the contribution points to enter and those in the inner sect did not feel that the reward was fitting of the danger that entering the forbidden zone posed to them, because over the years most of the treasures that were left behind by the war have been scavenged and collected already.

    But for the few fortune seekers who did not fear danger, there was still a chance of unearthing some lost treasures that haven¡¯t been found yet.

    With that being said, on a day like any other day, early in the morning, two young men could be seen making their way through the mountains of the Misty Mountain Sect and toward the forbidden zone.

    ¡°The barrier into the ¡°Graveyard¡± can only be opened once every three days, so to make sure we don¡¯t run into any trouble, we should only explore the outer edge of it.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang.

    ¡°What treasures do you think we¡¯ll find in there?¡± Zhang asked excitedly, ignoring Cai Cao¡¯s words. Perhaps one could say that this was Zhang¡¯s way of forcing himself to forget, forget his past, his life before entering the sect. If he immersed himself in this new world enough, then perhaps the old world would fade away from his memories.

    But of course the more one tries to forget the more one remembers. Underneath Zhang¡¯s smile was a sea of pain and grief that he tried to mask away. It could be said that the reason he decided to go to the Graveyard was to immerse himself in danger and force himself to not have to remember the pain that was ever present in the back of his head. This would be his way of escaping and moving on because if there are enough chains from the past pulling you back, you will never be able to take a step forward.

    ¡°If anything we will find some demonic beasts.¡± Cai Cao said with a sight, still not sure as to why he¡¯s going with Zhang to a place that many people avoid.

    ¡°I guess this is what friends are for¡­¡± He thought as his vision gazed out afar, peering into the distance were a solid stone wall stood. A wall that stood as a reminder to those who walk past it

    that they are entering into another world, one where beasts lurk at every twist and turn.

    ¡°At least I now get to decide my own fate. No longer am I a caged bird.¡± Cai Cao thought as his mind began to drift back to a time where he could only watch as things around him unfold, without being able to take part or impend. A time not too distant from now, a time that he is still trying to escape from.

    While Cai Cao and Zhang were running away from their past, the two of them slowly made their way to the stone wall that surrounded the Graveyard. Unknown to them deep within the sect, atop a tall mountain, a group of inner sect elders were intently watching the two of them.

    ¡°If those two can last a day and a night in the Graveyard then put them both on the list to enter the Forest of Beasts.¡± A familiar old man who was usually referred to as Elder Liu said.

    Once Zhang and Cai Cao arrived at the front of a massive stone gate that would open up a path into the Graveyard, they both pulled out their door sealing talismans and raised their hands into the air.

    Moments later the talismans and the gate resonated as a bright ray of light shot out of the talismans and onto the gates. Soon enough hundreds of intricate carvings on the stone walls lit up as it receded into the ground, opening up a path in front of Zhang and Cai Cao.

    ¡°Danger will only serve to make me stronger. If there is no danger and only comfort, then one will never truly progress.¡± Zhang thought as he peered out into the path in front of him.

    ¡°Our first priority is setting up a camp and after that is taken care of we can have a look around.¡± Zhang said to Cai Cao, although his knowledge regarding cultivation was lacking, his knowledge about surviving in the wilderness was rich and abundant.

    During his stay in the Shu Army, there were many times where he had to live off the forest while being pursued by enemy soldiers.

    ¡°This here should be a good spot to set a camp up.¡± Zhang said as he held up the map of the Graveyard that he and Cai Cao had acquired at the exchange counter and spreading it on to the ground in front of himself.

    ¡°Good choice, we would have the stone wall to cover our backs and there will be plenty of open space to keep an eye out for anything that approaches the camp. There¡¯s also a small stream for drinking water.¡± Cai Cao said once he looked at the spot that Zhang was pointing at after crouching over. With their campsite picked out the two young men soon began moving alongside the stone wall.

    Zhang looked with awe as he saw the countless runes that were etched into the side of the wall that faced the interior of the Graveyard. These countless runes were the very runes that kept the barrier around the Graveyard active.

    As his gaze admired the ancient runes that helped holding up the walls, Zhang noticed that some of these runes were riddled with claw marks, most likely from the beasts that are kept within the barrier. Thinking about the strength required to leave a scratch on the wall, while the barrier is active, shows how strong some of the creatures lurking within the graveyard are. But this would also attest to the strength of the barrier and the wall.

    ¡°Let¡¯s quicken our pace, we need to make it to the campsite and set up camp as soon as possible.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang.

    ¡°Right.¡± Zhang said as Cai Cao, reminding Zhang of the urgent need to establish camp. For they are now in one of the sects forbidden zones, where they will have to fend for themselves.

    Their previous pace now quickened and the two sped along the wall, keeping an eye out for danger. The defective flying sword that Zhang had received prior, could now be seen tied to his back, with its black colored hilt reflecting the sun¡¯s light and glistening.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    The closer they got to the campsite they picked out and the further they got from the entrance gate, the thicker the woods to their right became and so did the activity of the creatures lurking within it. Although nothing lunged out at Zhang or Cai Cao they were clearly being watched by dozens of creatures who were peering out from within the dense woods.

    Of course since they were still in the outer ring of the Graveyard, the chance of running into something dangerous was very low, since the majority of the stronger demonic beasts would live deeper within the woods and closer to the burial site where the war that had happened countless years ago was. Only occasionally would some of the stronger monsters, leave the inner ring and attack the gate, trying to break out of the barrier.

    So for the most part the creatures watching Zhang and Cai Cao were not very strong and could be taken care of with some effort and teamwork between the two.

    ¡°The campsite should be a bit past that boulder over there.¡± Zhang said as he pointed at a large oddly shaped boulder in front of them. Perhaps there is no significance behind it but this boulder was shaped very much like a whale and was made a distinct landmark on the map that they were given.

    ¡°Do you see that?¡± Cai Cao said as he pointed over the tree line and toward the sky.

    Looking toward the direction where Cai Cao pointed, Zhang could see a pummel of smoke rising into the air, meaning that there are perhaps other people within the Graveyard, other than them.

    ¡°It¡¯s unwise to give off smoke like that, it¡¯ll attract the attention of the creatures that live within the forest.¡± Zhang said, remembering back to the war, when he and his unit had to construct a sort of clay oven to help disperse the smoke that their cooking fire was giving off, so their location would not be revealed to the enemy. There were often times when creature such as tigers approaching camps because of the scent given off by the food that was cooking.

    ¡°In places like this where there are monsters stronger than us lurking about and places where people rarely go and the beasts do not have any fear, it is safer to mask our presence.¡± Zhang added.

    Soon the two arrived at their chosen campsite and began setting up. Zhang got to making a clay oven with dozens of small holes in the side and a clay wall around it that connected to the over, the outer wall itself had dozens of smaller holes at it¡¯s bottom portion. This would drastically reduce the smoke that is released and also make it so that a lot more heat is retained within the oven. Normally such a task would take a lot of time but for a cultivator such a thing could be easily done within half an hour or an hour. The fact that a there was a river beside their camp also helped because there was mud ready for Zhang to take and use. While Zhang was making his oven, Cai Cao was pitching the tents.

    ¡°Now to light the oven!¡± Zhang said excitedly, as he found an opportunity to use the new skill that he had acquired.

    Gathering all of the essence that he could muster within his body, he focused the essence into the tip of his index finger and soon a flickering flame that looked like it could extinguish at any moment appeared.

    With a thought the flickering flame shot with lightning speeds into a stash of kindle that was within the oven and ignited a dazzling flame.

    ¡°Now to set up a perimeter.¡± Zhang muttered before setting out to begin the construction of a small fence around the camp. With a defined territory, animals would be less likely to come within the confines of the camp.

    Zhang couldn¡¯t help but smile as he saw that Cai Cao was still struggling with the construction of the tents.

    ¡°I guess no one is perfect. Maybe here I can be of some use.¡± Zhang thought as a smile crept onto his face. Up until now, a part of Zhang had always felt that Cai Cao was too perfect, in terms of cultivation it could be said that Cai Cao is leaps and bounds ahead of Zhang, in terms of looks Cai Cao could probably pass as a girl if he wanted to, hence Zhang had been slowly developing a sense of dependence on Cai Cao.

    ¡°Now which tree is a good one.¡± Zhang thought as he walked to the woods while eyeing the many trees the stood before him.

    A few steps later, Zhang arrived in front of a large sturdy looking tree and placed his hand on it.

    ¡°Overrun with termites.¡± He said before heading off to another tree. While later after going through a dozen trees, he finally selected one and withdrew his sword from its scabbard. The defective flying sword gleamed as it slides out of the scabbard.

    ¡°Although I should use an axe, there isn¡¯t one available so let¡¯s see what''s the difference between this sword and a regular sword.¡± He thought as he looked at the blade in his hand. Any swordsman who happened upon this scene would surely scold Zhang for using a sword in a manner in which it was not made for, and possibly ruining it.

    But in the end if he ruins this sword he could always go back to the weapons exchange counter and trade it for another one.

    So without another thought he gripped the two with both hands and began hacking at the tree. But to his amazement the sword slid straight through the tree upon his first swing as if the tree was made of paper. Dumbfounded by the sharpness of the sword Zhang stood there staring at the stump and the felled tree in front of him.

    Perhaps if another member of the Misty Mountain Sect saw Zhang slice through the tree with a single swing he or she too would be dumbfounded, because such a thing is regularly impossible for someone at the fragment realm of cultivation and with a regular weapon, especially impossible for Zhang who has yet to even reach the fragment realm. That goes to show how strong the sword in his hands truly is, although many would say that obtaining a sword such as this so early in his path of cultivation would hinder his growth, Zhang would more than likely disagree because with a weapon such as this he could make up for his lack in cultivation and in turn quicken his growth.

    Thus after a while of being dumbfounded he began cutting the tree apart into planks, to make his fence. But of course a single tree would not be enough to make the entire fence so he would soon have to cut down a few more trees and be stunned and amazed at his sword once more.

 Chapter 10: Danger

    Proofer/Editor: nick0 (Pascal)

    Once the tree was cut into planks and neatly stacked, Zhang began carrying them back to where Cai Cao was still erecting the tents. Cai Cao did not ask for Zhang¡¯s help and out of respect, Zhang did not offer to help. Thus each man did his own thing, Cai Cao continued to put up the tents, showing no experience at all, while Zhang began sticking the planks that he had cut out from the tree trunks one after the other into the ground.

    Although these planks wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back any demonic beasts, they would certainly help to establish Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s territory, this would help ward off regular animals and keep demonic beasts wary of them. There was also the added sense of security one gets when surrounded on all sides by walls. As the day went on a circular fence was slowly erected and two tents were eventually set up.

    When their tasks were completed and only a few more hours of daylight remaining the two men gathered by the warm oven that Zhang had constructed and began preparing their meal. Plenty of rations had been brought along in case no food could be found within the Graveyard. However it was decided that tomorrow when they go exploring the Graveyard, they would see if there were animals that could be hunted and become a sustainable food source for them since they will be staying here for a few days and eating dried rations the entire time would be very unappetizing.

    ¡°Rest early, we¡¯re going to have to get up early tomorrow and have a look at the surrounding area.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang before entering his tent and going to sleep for the night.

    ======================================================================

    Late in the night while Zhang and Cai Cao were fast asleep, elsewhere within the graveyard, underneath the moonlight, a group of six people were making their way through the woods, some with frantic expressions on their faces.

    ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± A handsome young man dressed in the standard robes of the Misty Mountain Sect screamed with a terrified expression on his face.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know!¡± Another young man also dressed in the standard Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s robes.

    ¡°This was all your fault! You idiot! Why did you suggest for us to go here!?¡± A muscular young man roared. He was so over the breaking point that his fear turned to outward rage.

    ¡°Shut up Kong Sun! You didn¡¯t have to come here with Brother Cheng!¡± A scholarly looking young man yelled, oddly enough of the group he was the only one who was able to remain calm.

    ¡°Yea Kong Sun, listen to brother Lu Gong. Everyone move quickly! It¡¯s ca-catching up!¡± Someone screamed as an enormous shadow emerged behind them.

    As they weaved through the labyrinth of trees, the enormous shadow continued to close in on them. Within the seemingly never ending darkness, countless blood red eyes emerged. It seemed that whatever or whoever this silhouette seemed to be without shape or form because the shadow itself moved through the woods with blinding speeds, without having to evade the trees at all.

    ¡°There¡¯s a clearing up ahead!¡± The muscular young man referred to as Kong Sun yelled to the others.

    Soon enough the group of six found themselves outside of the woods and in a clearing, but to their horror the shadow was no but a few steps away from them.

    ¡°Get ready to engage!¡± One of the young man roared as he drew his sword from it¡¯s scabbard. The others soon joined him and drew their weapons and prepared to make a final stand against their pursuer. Their auras bursted out and revealed the essence of those at the mid elementary realm.

    However unlike their expectations, where they fight to the bitter end against the silhouette turned out to be, once the moonlight struck the silhouette, nothing was revealed. It was as if the moonlight itself was absorbed, as only darkness darkness continued to be present.

    The darkness soon turned into a rage wave that encircled the group of six, leaving them without a path to escape. With all escape routes shrouded away in darkness, and no way of possibly escaping, the six disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect trembled in fear, well all but one who courageously stared fear in the eye and did not falter. Completely suppressed by an overwhelming pressure they resigned to their fates and stared blankly into the darkness.

    Like mist, the darkness enveloped the six and seeped into their very pores. From their mouths, ears, noses and eye, an endless amount of darkness gushed into their bodies.

    In a flash, the darkness receded and five corpses that could only be described as corpses were left on the ground, and a single standing figure could be seen standing. In the end only the young man referred to as Lu Gong was left, however his eyes now had an eerie red glow to them and a maddening look could be seen spread across his face.

    ¡°Incompatible¡­¡± Said Lu Gong as his very own shadow rose up from the ground and engulfed him and the five corpses laying on the ground, leaving nothing behind but six skeletons and some magical weapons.

    Situations such as this frequently happen within the Graveyard, which is mainly why it is called the Graveyard to begin with, so no one will come to investigate their deaths.

    ======================================================================

    Early in the morning as the sun peaked out from the horizon, a unbelievably pleasant smell entered into Zhang¡¯s nostrils and he found himself following his nose out of his tent.

    Outside was Cai Cao, who was hunched over by the stove that Zhang made. In front of him was a sizzling pan with succulent looking fish on it. From where Cai Cao got this fish, Zhang did not care because the only thing on his mind right now is when he can take a bit out of it. Thus he stood behind Cai Cao with drool dripping out of his mouth as he eyed the juicy looking fish that looked like it would be ready to be eaten at any moment.

    Once the fish was done and the two of them had their meal, Zhang and Cai Cao began their exploration of the Graveyard in hopes of stumbling upon rare treasures that would benefit their cultivation.

    Like most people who entered the Graveyard, few knew of the true dangers that lurk within, much like the group of six that had met their unfortunate end last night.

    However there is a saying that goes, ¡°those who do not know what lurks in the depths do not fear what awaits them.¡± Henceforth since neither Zhang nor Cai Cao knew of the true dangers within the Graveyard they do not have an ounce of fear within them.

    Rather they are somewhat looking forward to their little adventure that they are currently on. The thrill of exploring and possibly finding things and places that few have seen, is always an enticement for adventure seekers.

    ¡°We will only skim the outer perimeter of the forest today, once we get a good feel of how things are, we can move deeper in. I also saw that there were some very rare herbs growing in here and that we can trade them for a lot of contribution points if we stumble upon any.¡± Zhang said to Cai Cao. There had been times when Zhang was in the army, when his comrades became hopelessly lost because they rushed into unknown terrain. So he deemed that it was best to gain an understanding of what lays ahead before proceeding.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Since there was nowhere else that either of them currently needed to be, Zhang and Cai Cao could take their time here. Of course there was the assembly that they had to attend, but that was a while away and they did not need to worry about it.

    ¡°When did you become such the expert. I¡¯ll also keep an eye out for herbs.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he gently slapped Zhang on the back.

    With a grin, Zhang took the lead and the two of them made their way through the woods. Generally the animals in the outer ring of the Graveyard were regular animals that possed little to no threat to cultivators. Of course if a tiger or something of the sorts popped up it would be somewhat of a challenge for someone with Zhang¡¯s cultivation, but for someone such as Cai Cao, it would be only a matter of time for him to dispatch the tiger.

    That is to say, if Zhang did not have the defective flying sword that he obtained from the weapons exchange counter. Now armed with this treasure, he would be more than well equipped to slay a tiger, thus for the most part the two of them could consider themselves relatively safe for now.

    ¡°Oh yea it¡¯s time to use one of those magical items that we got from the shop.¡± Cai Cao said as he pulled out a scroll from his robes. This of course was the painting of a chicken that he had bought.

    Filled with anticipation, Zhang watched as Cai Cao tore the scroll into two and tossed it onto the ground. Once the scroll was ripped into two and tossed onto the ground, it began glowing and before long, a dozen or so chickens appeared on the ground.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early to be thinking of dinner?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Treasure seeking chicks.¡± Cai Cao said with a smile as he waved his hand toward the chickens. An instant later the chickens sped through the woods and out of sight.

    ¡°Those things seek out treasures?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Yup, once they find treasure they¡¯ll come back and alert whoever tore up the scroll. On top of that we can use them to scout out if there are any dangerous beasts in the area. They¡¯ll move within a 40 feet radius of where I am so we don¡¯t have to worry about anything sneaking up on us.¡± Cai Cao replied informatively while he pulled out another scroll from his robes and tossing it to Zhang.

    ¡°That scroll can temporarily summon a low tier golem. Keep it just in case.¡± He said to Zhang.

    With a nod, Zhang tucked the scroll into his robes and the two of them began walking through the woods once more.

    ¡°This please is a treasure trove for rare plants.¡± Zhang said as he plucked one herb after the other as they continued moving through the woods. They had not even made a total of fifty steps and Zhang and Cai Cao had both collected dozens of herbs already.

    ¡°According to that map that we were given, we should be nearing one of the ancient battle zones soon. If there is anything there, the chickens will alert us.¡± Cai Cao informed Zhang as he picked up a few herbs sticking out of the ground.

    It could be said that places like the one that they were going to enter soon have been combed through by other people countless times, but occasionally treasures would still appear and it was rare for people to bring magical items like the ones that Cai Cao had brought.

    It was not because these items were rare or anything but most people who enter here generally don¡¯t bring a lot of magical treasures with them. Things such as magical scrolls, cost a fair amount of money to acquire and it is generally deemed wasteful to use them here when there are a few other forbidden areas within the sect that would yield a better harvest. These other forbidden zones aren¡¯t as unique as the Graveyard of course, but the amount of treasures within them are many times greater than the ones here. Thus only a few people have ever come here and have brought Treasure Seeking chicks with them.

    Being the oldest forbidden zone within the sect, many people believed that most of the treasures within the Graveyard have already been taken anyway so few come here and even fewer bring magical scrolls to use. The few that come here are mostly made up of adventure seekers and hopefuls such as Zhang and then there are people who come here to train, such as the group of six that had meet their demise.

    Soon enough the lush green grass underneath Zhang¡¯s feet disappeared and only scorched barren earth was left.

    ¡°You could imagine the intense battle that happened here, the attacks were so powerful that the earth has remained scarred and barren for countless years.¡± Zhang said as they made their first steps into the ancient battle zone.

    ¡°Gather!¡± Cai Cao said as he made a handsign. Moments later the dozen or so chickens that were summoned earlier were huddled up in front of him.

    ¡°Search.¡± He commanded.

    The chickens sped through the scorched ground at amazing speeds. Only a few minutes had passed before one of the chickens began kicking at the ground.

    ¡°It seems that it has found something.¡± Cai Cao gestured to Zhang as he pointed at the chicken.

    The ground underneath the chicken soon became upturned and a solid looking object slowly saw the light of the day. By now Zhang and Cai Cao arrived at where the chicken was and were simply waiting for it to dig out whatever was buried in the ground.

    ¡°Wow¡± Zhang said as he saw the object gleam underneath the sunlight.

    The chicken crowed once the item was completely unearthened before it sped off once more and began looking for more treasure.

    ¡°It¡¯s an iron boot.¡± Zhang said as he picked up a rusty iron boot from the ground.

    ¡°Now we only need them to find the other boot and we¡¯ll have a set of rusty boots.¡± He laughed.

    ¡°I guess had we found this hundreds of years ago, it could be considered a treasure.¡± Cai Cao said with a sigh as he looked at the rusty iron boot in Zhang¡¯s hand.

    Before Zhang could say anything, another one of the chickens began digging into the ground, and the young men tossed the boot aside and made their way towards the chicken in hopes of truly obtaining something they could call treasure.

    Of course hopes are usually dashed and dreams were usually crushed because a while later, Zhang now had three rusty boots laid out on the ground in front of him.

 Chapter 11: Harvest

    ¡°How many rusty iron boots are we going to find here?¡± Zhang asked, dismayed by the sheer amount of rusty iron boots that they¡¯ve found. These iron boots were most likely worn by regular soldiers or people of little importance who took part in the battle, because they did not show any trace of being enchanted at all.

    ¡°Maybe we should move to a different area.¡± Cai Cao said as he eyed the small mound of rusty iron boots that they¡¯ve managed to collect.

    ¡°Yea, I never want to see another rusty iron boot again.¡± Zhang said as he tossed a rusty iron boot he was holding onto the top of the pile.

    Thus our two adventurers set out back into the woods in the hopes of finding treasure elsewhere. Although their spirits were somewhat dismayed, they continued forth.

    Roughly half an hour later, the two of them was well immersed in the woods since there were no long any more dirt paths to take. Trekking through the endless sea of trees, Zhang and Cai Cao continued to pick up whatever herbs they happened upon. If anything they would at least make a small harvest in regards to contribution points when they exchange these medical herbs.

    ¡°CHIRP! CHIRP!!¡± One of the chickens sounded out in the distance. This was a sign that danger was approaching and that they should be on high alert.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang said as he pointed up a tree.

    Not long after he could be seen climbing up the tree with Cai Cao following right behind him. Soon the two of them were high up in the canopy and were fairly well hidden from whatever was lurking down below in the woods.

    Minutes passed by before two large beasts come into view, a large bear with snow white fur was speeding through the forest as a pitch black leopard was in pursuit. Simply from the size and aura that there two gave off, one could tell that they were not ordinary animals, but were instead demonic beasts.

    This being the first time, Zhang felt the aura and saw a demonic beast, he couldn¡¯t help but have his eyes glued to them. The leopard sped through the woods at blinding speeds and soon closed in on the fleeing bear and sank its claws into the bear as it pounced.

    However, the beat¡¯s dense fur seemed to be able to hold up against the leopard¡¯s sharp claws, since not even a hint of blood could be seen from where the claws were clinging to the bear.

    With a mighty roar the bear slammed into a tree, smashing the leopard and the tree onto the ground.

    ¡°Shit, if they come here then we might get dragged into this.¡± Zhang thought as he poked Cai Cao and pointed to a tree a bit away from where the leopard and bear were fighting. With Zhang leading the way, our two adventurers crawled from one tree limb to the other and made their way away from the raging battle that was happening between the bear and leopard.

    ¡°That¡¯s a late fragment realm Blizzard Bear and that¡¯s a late fragment realm Shadow Leopard.¡± Cai Cao stated once they were a bit away from the two beasts.

    The battle below the canopy continued to grow fiercer as the two demonic beasts began using their innate abilities. He bear¡¯s claws turned translucent and gave off an ice air as they lashed out at the leopard, however the leopard seemed to mend with the shadows as it evaded the bear¡¯s attack. Resulting in an icy gouge mark on the trunk of a large tree. That tree soon tumbled over due to having half of its trunk missing.

    ¡°We might end up with a good harvest depending on how this fight concludes.¡± Zhang whispered to Cai Cao, who replied to him with a nod.

    If the battle resulted in the death of both demonic beasts then Zhang and Cai Cao would be able to scavenge their corpses, which can be considered small treasure troves.

    Although these beasts were only in the later stages of the fragment realm, their pelts, claws, fangs and other body parts can be used to make medical pills, weapons and armor, that can be considered treasures for people like Zhang and Cai Cao who are in the early stages of cultivation.

    As Zhang and Cai Cao waited for the battle to conclude, the leopard continued to pounce at the bear, unlike before when it was now aiming for the bear¡¯s under bellow that was now covered in their fur. Faint traces of blood could be seen trickling down onto the ground as the bear slowly became cornered by the leopard.

    But of course the battle was not entirely one sided because the blizzard bear managed to land a few hits on the shadow leopard at the expense of revealing an opening for the leopard to attack.  If the battle dragged on then the blizzard bear would definitely gain the upper hand, since it possessed an overall higher vitality than the leopard who possessed more explosive battle prowess.

    The leopard¡¯s sleek black coat of fur was now trickling with ice particles from the few hits that it received from the Blizzard Bear, it¡¯s speed had dropped by a fraction and it no longer moved like a blur like it was doing so before. Had it not been for the leopard¡¯s ability to blend in with the shadows then it would probably have sustained much heavier injuries then by now. But thanks to its agility the Shadow Leopard still had the upper hand against the Blizzard Bear.

    As the battle drew on the sun reached its peak and began to descend, with their eyes focused on the battle unfolding in front of them neither Zhang nor Cai Cao realized that the day would end in a matter of hours. If they left and did not see to the end of the battle then they would make it back to camp before the day ends, but they were too engrossed in observing the battle and waiting to claim the spoils to notice the time.

    When the battle finally neared conclusion, the Blizzard Bear¡¯s snow white pelt was stained red in blood and the Shadow Leopard was left with a broken hind leg and a few missing fangs.

    With a hand signal from Zhang, our two adventures leapt down from the tree they were hiding in with weapons drawn. The leopard and bear were both about to fall over from blood loss and exhaustion so now was the perfect time to move in.

    To begin their assault, a barrage of needles shot out from Cai Cao¡¯s sleeve and embedded themselves into the leopard and the bear. In the meantime, Zhang drew his sword and took lead in the charge. Of course they would not move in right away, rather they would stay at a distance while Cai Cao continues to barrage the leopard and bear with needles.

    ¡°The poison should be kicking in soon.¡± Cai Cao said as he continued launched needles out from his sleeves.

    Although Cai Cao was interfering with their battle, the Blizzard Bear and Shadow Leopard kept an eye on each other and did not charge toward where Cai Cao and Zhang were. They were too worry of being attacked by one another and too tired from the prolonged battle to deal with Zhang and Cai Cao, to them our two adventurers would seem like pests rather than threats this was because Cai Cao¡¯s needles were not made to inflict pain, instead they were made to interrupt essence flew within the body and disperse poisons.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    So even if the Blizzard Bear and Shadow Leopard wanted to attack Zhang and Cai Cao, they would not be able to due to their numerous injuries inflicted by one another and Cai Cao¡¯s poison kicking in. Soon the two formerly mighty demonic beasts fell to the ground and Zhang began his approach with his sword drawn.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take out the bear and you take out the leopard?¡± Zhang asked as they closed in on their prey.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Cai Cao said as he reached down to his belt and withdrew his belt sword. The sword flexed about in the air as Cai Cao lifted it up after withdrawing it from its scabbard.

    The bear and leopard eyed Zhang and Cai Cao as they laid powerless on the ground, wait for their end to come. Though Zhang felt a hint of pity for the bear, who was chased and attacked by the leopard, he knew that on a normal occasion if the bear was in tip top shape, he would be the one to his end.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a quick one.¡± He said as he lifted his pitch black blade up and plunged it into the back of the bear¡¯s neck. Likewise, Cai Cao¡¯s belt sword curved and gave the leopard a quick death by severing its carotid artery.

    ¡°Collect the blood, claws, fangs, pelt and some meat. Also check if either of them have demonic cores.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang, reminding him what parts to harvest. Demonic beast blood was rich in essence and would greatly promote cultivation, while demonic beast claws, fangs and pelts would be made into weapons and armor. Demonic beast meat, was like demonic beast blood and was also very rich in essence and would also greatly promote cultivation. Lastly there were demonic cores, which are only occasionally found within demonic beasts.

    These cores are condensed from pure essence that had accumulated overtime within the demonic beasts and could be absorbed by cultivators to further strengthen their cultivation.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhang said as he bent down and began cutting away at the bear, first removing its blood stained fur, then claiming it¡¯s claws and fangs. Once those were removed, Zhang pulled out a glass bottle from one of the sacks he was carrying and began collect bottles of Blizzard Bear blood, the blood itself contained the essence of the Blizzard Bear and seemed to freeze as it was collect inside the glass bottle.

    Once a considerable amount of blood was collected, Zhang began harvesting some meat from the Blizzard Bear, only taking what he and Cai Cao could eat because taking too much would only cause it to spoil and attract unwanted visitors. The meat much like the demonic core and demonic blood, contained traces of essence also, but it tended to spoil fairly quickly unless properly preserved and since they could not safely transport the two corpses back with them, it was best not to be too greedy.

    With his sword Zhang slit open the Blizzard Bear¡¯s chest looking to see if it had a demonic core, sadly there was nothing there for him to take. By now the sun was only peeking out of the horizon and was able to disappear until morning.

    ¡°We should be heading back now.¡± Zhang said realizing the time after he had finished collecting their spoils.

    ¡°Just a second let me get this thing out of the Shadow Leopard¡¯s chest.¡± Cai Cao said.

    When Zhang looked over, he could see that there was a shiny looking purplish crystal poking out of the Shadow Leopard.

    ¡°Odd how the Blizzard Bear which seemed to be stronger than the Shadow Leopard, didn¡¯t have a demonic core, but the leopard ended up having one.¡± He thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay I¡¯ll give you half of the core once we get back.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he finally managed to pull the demonic core out of the Shadow Leopard¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°We can celebrate back at camp, the scent of blood these two have been giving off should have attracted a lot of attention by now, we should really be on our way.¡± Zhang said with a grin.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s go.¡± Cai Cao replied.

    With a big harvest in tow, our two adventurers headed back to camp. True to Zhang¡¯s words, on their way back to camp, they spotted dozens of early fragment realm demonic beasts, heading toward where the corpses of the Blizzard Bear and the Shadow Leopard laid.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, I can see part of Whale Rock from here.¡± Cai Cao said as he pointed out ahead. Moonlight was currently showering down from above and partially lit the path for Zhang and Cai Cao.

    ¡°Wait¡­ I think I heard something.¡± Zhang said as he placed his hand atop of Cai Cao¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡®What?¡± Cai Cao said as he turned back toward Zhang, positioning his body so Zhang¡¯s hand could not rest on his shoulder. Although they could be considered very good friends by now, Cai Cao still seemed to avoid coming into direct contact with others.

    Before Zhang could reply, a heart wrenching screech reverberated in the air. Whizzing straight Zhang and Cai Cao was a small group of demonic beasts.

    ¡°Shit, we¡¯ve intruded into their territory.¡± Zhang said as he ran behind a tree, trying to stay out of sight. However, the demonic beasts did not turn back or even look at Cai Cao or Zhang.

    ¡°No, I think they¡¯re trying to escape from something.¡± Cai Cao pointed out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not stick around to find out what was chasing them then.¡± Zhang said as he signaled Cai Cao to follow him.

    A short distance away from where Zhang and Cai Cao were, there was an enormous silhouette lurking about. This silhouette of course was the very same silhouette that had slaughtered six Misty Mountain Sect disciples the night prior.

    As if it was following something¡¯s scent the silhouette closed in on the location where our two adventurers had been mere moments ago. Countless blood red eyes, glared into the darkness as the silhouette sped through the woods, unimpeded. All of the demonic beasts within the area had fled long ago, for they knew the terror of the silhouette.

    ¡°Bodies.¡± The silhouette said in an ancient hoarse voice that seemed older than time itself.

    While the silhouette stood in the dark woods, searching about, Zhang and Cai Cao were but a short distance away from their camp. From where they were they could spot Whale Rock under the moonlight and expressions of relief and glee were evident on their faces.

    Whatever it was that was in the woods, they had managed to slip away from it. With the harvest that they had collected earlier, it could be said that today was their lucky day.

 Chapter 12: Bear Meat

    Proofers/Editors: nick0 (Pascal)

    Once Zhang and Cai Cao made it back to camp, the Blizzard Bear meat was tossed directly on a hot iron cast skillet. The tender meat sizzled while giving off an otherworldly aroma. Besides frying the bear meat, Cai Cao also skewed it and grilled it over an open fire causing the juicy fat to drip into the dancing fires.

    Drool flowed out of Zhang¡¯s mouth as he watched Cai Cao skillfully preparing the bear meat. Although he was ready to stuff every piece of meat in front of him into his mouth, Zhang did not rush Cai Cao because over the time they''ve stayed together he had found out that Cai Cao hated to be rushed especially when he was focused on cooking.

    There was a time that Zhang had rushed him and that resulted in not getting to eat dinner and breakfast for two days.

    ¡°I bet you''re really hungry right now. But you can wait hehehe.¡± Cai Cao thought as he looked at Zhang from the corner of his glinting eyes as he purposely took longer to prepare the food.

    The longer Cai Cao took the more Zhang gulped as he imaged the Blizzard Bears meat melting in his mouth as he bit into it. It could be said that he was currently eating with his eyes while he waited to fill his stomach.

    It was not until he noticed that Zhang was about to go mad from hunger did, Cai Cao finally present Zhang with the perfectly cooked meat. Of course like always, Cai Cao¡¯s dishes came out looking inedible, but for those like Zhang who have tasted these dishes, they would know that the taste of Cai Cao¡¯s dishes are out of this world delicious.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Zhang cried as he picked up a charred looking rib and bit in it. Despite looking burnt and inedible, the meat was perfectly juicy and almost seemed to melt inside Zhang¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Maybe because it''s the meat of a Blizzard Bear, but after eating it my body feels cool and refreshed.¡± Zhang said as he continued eating the Blizzard Bear meat.

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Cai Cao said as he also ate the bear meat. But unlike Zhang who simply picked up the meat and bit into it, Cai Cao ate in a more refined manner. He would pull the meat off the bones and then eat the meat slowly with chopsticks, giving a refined and noble like presence as he ate.

    Although Zhang had somewhat lost his table manners after his brief time in the army, not much could be said about him because during times of war, especially for a soldier, eating in a refined like manner was a luxury they could not afford.

    With that being said, even before his time in the army, Zhang did not eat as elegantly as Cai Cao did.

    ¡°Although I miss my family and old friends, I can''t say that times like this are half bad. To be able to eat a delicious meal with a dear friend is wonderful.¡± Zhang said as he looked at Cai Cao with a smile.

    ¡°Likewise.¡± Cai Cao grinned.

    But like all perfect moments, they do not withstand the rest of time and often escape us like a gentle summer¡¯s breeze.

    As Zhang and Cai Cao continued their meal, the woods around them were filled with activity. Small animals were scurrying about, trying to find a place to flee or hide, larger animals and demonic beasts frantically trampled bushes and smashed into trees as they ran amok.

    The mysterious or rather devilish silhouette was slowly making its way through the woods and towards the camp that our two adventurers had built. Any poor animal, demonic beast or not that what was caught in its path was turned into a withered husk and left lifeless on the ground.

    ¡°B-o-d-i-e-s.¡± The shadowy figure repeated as it inched ever closer to where Zhang and Cai Cao were. The hundreds of blood red eyes that littered its shadowy body could be seen as it walked in and out of the moonlight.

    A cold tingle crept down Zhang¡¯s spine causing his whole body to shake as he was enjoying his meal. Soon an eerie coldness swept over the camp and the dancing flames receded and were barely able to maintain their existence.

    The wind began to howl as the clouds began to roll in, creating a shroud that obstructed the moonlight from sharing its brilliance.

    ¡°R-r-un!¡± Cai Cao tried to squeeze out as a horrid expression appeared on his handsome face. Of all the times together with Cai Cao, Zhang had never once witnessed such an expression, nor would he ever imagine Cai Cao making such an expression at all.

    Slowly as Zhang turned his head, a shadowy figure with hundreds of blood red eyes came into view. The figure swayed as if it did not possess a definite form while it inched ever closer to where Zhang and Cai Cao were. The fence that Zhang had erected did nothing to obstruct the figure as it walked through the wooden planks that were stabbed into the ground.

    Despite being told by Cai Cal to run, Zhang could not muster even an ounce of strength.

    The two of them could not even budge because their limbs had gone limp due to fear. Perhaps it was because their cultivation were lacking or their experiences were little but the sight of the shadowy figure made the very fiber of their being quake.

    ¡°Dammit why  can''t I  move!¡± Zhang cursed in his mind, he knew that if he did not run then some unspeakable horror would befall him and Cai Cao, but his body simply would not listen to him.

    It was not until the shadowy figure was but a few feet away did a light bulb light up inside of Zhang¡¯s head. Without a second thought, he bit down onto his tongue, causing blood to ooze out into his mouth.

    Thanks to the sharp pain, his body jolted and he was able to crawl up onto his feet and hoist Cai Cao over his shoulder. His feet began to move as the irony taste of blood and the painful sensation within his mouth kept his mind sharp.

    Of all things, Zhang was not brave nor courageous, however the nightmarish war that he was thrown into had given him an iron clad will that would allow him to do next to anything to survive.

    Swung over Zhang¡¯s shoulder, Cai Cao saw a barrage of boney white hands stretch out from within the shadowy figure and across the air.

    The fear even made Cai Cao¡¯s usually quick minded self become muddled, well at least until he came to his senses.

    ¡°N-n-no! I can¡¯t die like this. I was suppose to soar through the heavens, I was suppose to be free.¡± He thought, as the scene of a familiar courtyard and a tower that stretched into the skies released over and over inside his mind.

    With shaking hands Cai Cao reached into his robes and pulled out four miniature stone statues that he and Zhang had bought.

    Injecting a tiny bit of his essence into the statues, Cai Cao tossed them onto the ground. Where they began to grow in size and become life sized. Despite so much happening, all of this transpired within mere moments.

    ¡°Attack!¡± Cai Cao roared, as four life sized statues, two with swords and two with spears stood awaiting his commands.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The stone soldiers and the barrage of hint white hands clashed, but sadly within an instant the stone soldiers crumbled and turned into dust.

    What could have been used to deal with late level fragment realm demonic beasts did not even last a second against the shadowy figure. But it provided Zhang with just enough time to create distance between them and the their attacker.

    ¡°Use the scroll!¡± Cai Cao screamed to Zhang.

    ¡°Ye-yes.¡± Zhang replied as he pulled out the scroll that Cai Cao had given him earlier.

    Once he tore the scroll, it turned into a blinding light and the ground began to shake. From beneath the earth a pair of massive stone arms began to raise. Soon enough a golem with the size of a large house was standing between our adventurers and the looming shadow of death.

    ¡°Attack!¡±Zhang roared, after receiving a command the golems bellowed a deafening roar and charged at the shadowy figure.

    However the moment it smashed into the shadow, nothing happened. It was as if the golem has struck a wall of smoke because the shadowy figure dispersed and scattered around the massive golem in the form of a eerie black mist.

    Without bothering to stop, Zhang continued to run forward while still carrying Cai Cao over his shoulder.

    ¡°No, I can''t keep running endlessly like this. I must find a place to hide.¡± Zhang thought as a series of possible paths popped into his mind.

    ¡°Can¡¯t head to the gate, the area there has no cover.¡± He thought before changing directions and running into the woods. Although he knew the deeper they went into the woods the more demonic beasts they would likely run into, to escape their pursuer he had to take this gamble.

    After Zhang had ran a considerable distance, a loud rumble could be heard in the direction where their camp was.

    If Zhang was able to see the site where his camp was, he would most likely be flabbergasted because the fence and stove he had built, along with the tents that Cai Cao had erected were no where insight.

    This was because their entire camp was crushed underneath a pile of stones. The pile of stones being the stone golem that they had summoned.

    Unlike the stone statues, this golem was something that could combat those that are the mid stages of the elementary realm, which is an entire realm higher than the fragmented realm.

    Atop the broken golem was the ever fearful shadowy figure that roamed the Graveyard.

    After dismantling the golem with hundreds of bony white skeletal hands, the figure surveyed the area with its hundreds of eyes as it repeated the word ¡°B-o-d-i-e-s¡± over and over again.

    ¡°I think we lost it, you can put me down now.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang after he had been carried by Zhang for close to an half an hour.

    Moments later once his feet touched the ground, Cai Cao looked at Zhang with a somewhat embarrassed look.

    ¡° I think I spotted an entrance into a grotto over there, we might be able to hide in there for the night.¡± Zhang suggested as he pointed into the distance.

    ¡°Let''s go.¡± Cai Cao replied.

    A few minutes passed before they found themselves in front of a small hole that was big enough for a person to squeeze into, but thanks to the moonlight that was shining down from above they could tell that the hole opened up into a small chamber.

    They were currently located near one of the small hills that were located within the middle ring of the Graveyard and it would be dangerous to stay outside. Well regardless of where they were within the Graveyard it would be dangerous.

    Upon entering the small hole that pierced into the side of the hill, they found a fairly spacious area inside. Despite it being so dark due to the lack of light inside they could tell that the cave was as large as a small house.

    ¡°Let me go get some branches and leaves or something to cover the entrance. I''ll also bring back some firewood¡± Zhang said as he crawled out of the small entrance.

    ¡°To think something so dangerous was trapped in here.¡± Zhang thought as he picked dried leaves and branches off the ground.

    Once he returned with a bundle of firewood and a heap of dried leaves, Cai Cao started a fire while he covered the entrance into the cave and the two soon had a minor part of their sense of security restored.

    ¡°I''m sorry for dragging you into this.¡± Zhang said in a somewhat dejected tone as he looked over at Cai Cao with a sorry expression.

    ¡°No need to apologize, how could we have known that something so powerful was trapped in here. If it had just been only the demonic beasts then the items that we brought would be more than enough to safeguard our lives.¡± Cai Cao replied.

    ¡°Yea who would have known¡­We¡¯re also stuck here for another two days before the barrier can be opened.¡± Zhang said with a frown.

    ¡°Two more days¡­ we don''t have that many treasures left to use either¡­ But it doesn''t seem like that thing is active during the day though, so as long as we stay out of sight at night then we hopefully should be fine.¡± Cai Cao said as he pulled a scroll and a few miniature stone statues out from his robes.

    ¡°We can summon one more golem, a pair of stone horses and a pair of stone shield men. Here you take the golem summoning scroll and a horse statue.¡± He said, handing Zhang a scroll and miniature statue.

    ¡°I''ll take a horse and shield man instead.¡± Zhang declined, knowing that the golem scroll was their strongest magical item at hand.

    ¡°No, take the scroll. If it wasn''t for you then I''d be dead, so I will feel more at ease if you''d take it. ¡± Cai Cao said with a faint smile.

    After some back and forth, and a sigh from Cai Cao, Zhang stored away a miniature statue of a horse and one of a shield man.

    ¡°We should get some sleep, and go back and check our campsite in the morning.¡± Zhang suggested as he began spreading dry leaves onto the ground, creating a makeshift bed.

    ¡°Although it won''t be too comfy, it should make due for the night.¡± Zhang said with a slight chuckle as he laid atop the pile of leaves.

    ¡° What are you waiting for?¡± Zhang asked Cai Cao after a few moments passed.

    ¡°I''m good over here.¡± Cao Cao replied with a fake laugh.

    ¡°You sure?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Yea I''m going to sit by the fire for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Okay don''t stay up too late, we have a long day ahead of us.¡± Zhang said before shutting his eyes.

    However his eyes did not remain shut for the remainder of the night. Only a few hours had passed before a cold breeze made its way into the cave, causing Zhang¡¯s body to go cold, thus waking him.

    Half sleep, he saw Cai Cao who was leaning against the cave wall, shivering.

    Shaking his head, he got up and walked over to where Cai Cao was.

 Chapter 13: Lucky Day

    Sometime in the morning Cai Cao woke up and to his surprise, he found his body entirely covered in leaves. Right beside him was another mound of leaves, with Zhang¡¯s face peeking out of it.

    With a hint of hurriedness in his movements, Cai Cao reached his hand toward his chest.

    ¡°Phew, it¡¯s still here and working.¡± Cai Cao said with relief evident in his tone as his hand traced a pendant that hung around his neck was still there and working.

    ¡°As long as this is working they¡¯ll never find me and no one will ever know.¡± He thought as he crawled out from under the pile of leaves and made his way toward the dimming fire that was barely even burning anymore.

    As he stood in front of the fire, Cai Cao turned toward Zhang who was fast asleep and the words ¡°thank you¡± drifted out from his lips and reached Zhang¡¯s deaf ears.

    It was not until half an hour later did Zhang awake and joined Cai Cao beside the warm fire.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our campsite and gather our things.¡± Zhang suggested after sitting down beside Cai Cao who replied with a nod.

    After putting out their fire with some dirt, our two adventurers departed from their shelter and headed toward where their camp had been. While carefully making their way through the woods and hopefully avoiding any demonic beasts in the area, along with whatever was after them the night before, Zhang and Cai Cao were able to spot Whale Rock as they made their way out of the woods.

    At first they were hoping to be able to gather up dried rations and various things, however the moment the area where the camp was coming into view all they could do was sigh.

    ¡°MY SHADOW LEOPARD MEAT!!!!!!!! The demonic beast parts!¡± Zhang yelled at top of his lungs as he fell to his knees. The Blizzard Bear meat was heavenly, so from that he could only imagine how the Shadow Leopard meat would taste, sadly it was now beneath a massive pile of rubble along with the rest of their things. On top of all other things, the Blizzard Bear and Shadow Leopard pelts, fangs, claws, and blood that was lost only served to add to Zhang¡¯s misery.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get more. It¡¯s okay.¡± Cai Cao said as he patted Zhang on the back with a look of pity present on his face.

    After Cai Cao¡¯s words the sad expression of Zhang¡¯s face slowly disappeared, slowly getting back onto his feet he made his way toward the pile of rubble. A smile slowly crept onto Zhang¡¯s face as he spotted something sticking out of the debris.

    ¡°Thank the heavens!¡± Zhang cried as he reached his hand out and picked up a sack on the ground that was partially covered by rocks.

    Within this bag were the demonic beast fangs, claws, blood and even a large piece of Shadow Leopard meat. With a grin he lifted up the bag and showed Cai Cao who was following behind him, soon a smile also crept onto Cai Cao¡¯s face.

    Thus the two of them departed and headed back toward where they had come from. With their prizes reclaimed their current priority was to now stay under the radar and ensure their safety so they can exit the barrier when the three days had passed.

    ¡°At least we still have these.¡± Zhang said in a cheerful manner while patting the sack full of goodies slung over his shoulder as he and Cai Cao were navigating the woods to return to the cave.

    ¡°Shhhhh, do you hear that?¡± Cai Cao said as his hand pressed against Zhang¡¯s chest so that Zhang could stop moving.

    The faint sound of a dog¡¯s yelping could be heard not too far from where our two adventurers were.

    With a hand gesture from Cai Cao, Zhang withdrew his sword from its scabbard and they slowly moved toward where the sound was coming from. Despite the possible dangers, there was a chance of scoring another big harvest like they had done so yesterday.

    Also whatever was making the yelping sound was fairly close to them and their cave so even if they tried to avoid trouble and walk away, there was a chance that trouble would later find them.

    Rather than put things off for later and risk being attacked at night, they decided to try to deal with the issue when the sun was up and vision was not dimmed.

    Brushing aside the branches obstructing their path, trampling the plants on the forest floor and walking out into a small clearing they spotted a massive carcass that was roughly half the size of the golem they had summoned. The carcass was covered in a luxurious snow white fur, and from simply looking at it anyone would be able to tell that it was some type of wolf or dog, however besides the fur and a few other things the carcass could be described as a husk of its former self much like those who unfortunately encountered the shadowy figure.

    Despite being partially obstructed by the carcass¡¯s limbs, Zhang spotted a pair of wolf pups, although they both sported beautiful snow white fur like the massive carcass, one of the pups had icy cold looking blue eyes while it¡¯s sibling had fiery red eyes. These wolf pups were the size of small dogs and were gently brushing against the carcass of what was most likely their mother. From the bony look the two of them sported it was evident that they had not eaten for days.

    Generally, infants such as them would be taken care of by their mother until they could fend for themselves but since their mother is now gone it is certain that these pups would not last very long on their own.

    Spotting Zhang and Cai Cao the wolf pups began snarling furiously. To Zhang¡¯s surprise as they wolves snarled their eyes began glowing and the tip of their tails along with patches of fur on their feet began emitting fire. The white wolf now had beautiful blueish fire for a tail and legs, while it¡¯s sibling had fierce looking red flames in the same spots.

    ¡°Spirit Wolves.¡± Cai Cao muttered as his eyes were glued onto the wolves.

    Without saying a word, Zhang sheathed his sword and placed the sack slung over his shoulder on to the ground. From within the sack he pulled out the piece of Shadow Leopard meat that he had been craving to eat.

    With a sigh he also withdrew a small dagger from within his robes and slashed off two bite sized pieces of meat and tossed it to the wolves.

    Although they were fairly vigilant against Zhang and Cai Cao, their hunger got the better of them and the two pups pounced on the pieces of meat offered to them.

    Before long Zhang presented them with two most pieces of meat, purposely only giving a tiny bit so it would not satiate their hunger. This serve would to further increase their appetite.

    After giving the two pups three pieces of meat each, Zhang began leading the wolves to himself by tossing the meat so it landed closer to himself and Cai Cao. As if placing a trail of bread crumbles for the pups to follow.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Here, try to feed them some.¡± Zhang said as he handed some small pieces of meat to Cai Cao.

    He was trying to make the wolves less wary of them through food in the hopes of making them his pet. It''s easy to say that if given the chance then many people would kill to have demonic wolves as their pets.

    Although Zhang¡¯s knowledge regarding demonic beasts was lacking, he could tell from the size of their mother, how large these wolves would grow and from that alone he could tell that they could certainly be a force to reckoned with when they reach maturity. He also knew that demonic beasts were generally very hard to tame when they reach maturity, unless the person taming it vastly overpowers the beast.

    So for someone like him who hasn¡¯t even reached the fragment realm which is the most basic level of cultivation, acquiring a pet Spirit Wolf would be considered a gift from the heavens.

    Following Zhang¡¯s lead, Cai Cao reached out toward the wolf pups with a few pieces of meat on his hand. Moments later the wolf pups were practically eating out of Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s hands and most if not all of their wariness toward the duo was gone.

    ¡°Now for the final test.¡± Zhang thought as he reached out his hand and began petting one of the wolves. If the pup allows him to pet it then the meat that he had to give up was not wasted.

    The moment Zhang¡¯s hand brushed against the soft furry pup its hairs stood on end, but only for a fraction of a second before he turned around and licked Zhang¡¯s hand. With a smile Zhang looked toward Cai Cao, signaling for his friend to follow his lead.

    ¡°Good boy.¡± Zhang said to the wolf pup with red eyes that was in front of him as he placed a large chunk of meat onto the ground for it. Afterward he passed over a piece of Cai Cao who then fed it to the wolf pup with blue eyes.

    As the two pups bit at the pieces of meat Zhang and Cai Cao began discussing what to do with the massive Spirit Wolf carcass.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do it when they are here or else all of the trust that we built up until now would be wasted. How about you take them back to the cave and I¡¯ll work on gathering what I can.¡± Zhang said as he looked at the two pups.

    ¡°If so then you take the golem summoning scroll, and if trouble appears call out for help.¡± Cai Cao said as he picked up the two pups with the pieces of meat hanging from their mouths from the ground after handing Zhang the golem scroll and slinging Zhang''s sack over his shoulder.

    Once the wolves and Cai Cao were out of sight and after he had tucked the scroll into his robes, Zhang withdrew his sword and began harvesting the treasure trove in front of him.

    It was clear that this Spirit Wolf was stronger than the bear and leopard, meaning it¡¯s parts would make even better weapons and armor.

    ¡°First I should make something to hold everything.¡± Zhang thought as his sword was driven into the carcass and a large piece of the dead wolf¡¯s pelt was cut out and laid onto the ground.

    He began collecting the wolf¡¯s saber sized claws and its sword like fangs and placing them on top of the fur. Once the claws and fangs were collected, Zhang continued to harvest more fur.

    ¡°I wonder if it has a¡­¡± He thought as he walked toward the wolf¡¯s upper torso and drove his sword into it, cutting a large hole into the carcass. He was of course hoping to see if it had a demonic core or not. Lucky for him a crystal the size of someone¡¯s head began to radiant light as it was struck sunlight coming in from the outside. By the time Zhang finished extracting the demonic core, last rays of light coming from the sun before it hid beneath the horizon.

    ¡°Man I¡¯m starving.¡± He said as his stomach began to rumble. Most of the day had been spent trekking through the woods and cutting up the wolf carcass and did not allow him any time to have a meal.

    But he was very happy that they had stumbled upon this carcass because besides all of the valuable demonic beast parts they were able to get, both he and Cai Cao were able to acquire pet Spirit Wolves.

    ¡°Hopefully my luck keeps up and we don¡¯t run into any more trouble for the remainder of our time here.¡± Zhang said with a sigh as he hauled everything he harvested back toward where their cave was.

    When he had finally reached the cave and made his way inside, he could smell the Shadow Leopard meat cooking. The pups could be seen playing beside Cai Cao while he grilled the leopard meat over a swaying fire.

    Once Zhang tossed his haul into a corner of the cave, he joined them by the fire and a hearty meal was enjoyed.

    ======================================================================

    The remainder of their days in the Graveyard passed by like a breeze, without any troubling events occurring.

    The wolves were gradually named, Little Red and Little Blue, according to their eye color. Little Blue became very attached to Cai Cao while Little Red became very attached to Zhang.

    The moment the sun rose, Zhang and Cai Cao departed from their cave with both Little Red and Little Blue following behind them. Today was the long awaited day when they could finally exit the Graveyard.

    Sensing the excitement that Zhang and Cai Cao were giving off when they spotted the massive gates that led outside the two pups ran about playfully. Seeing that they were home free, our two adventurers could not help but smile.

    Once they reached the massive gates, they both pulled out their door sealing talismans and the barrier that had been keeping them trapped within, slowly opened a small exit within itself.

    ¡°We¡¯re free!¡± Zhang and Cai Cao said cheerfully in unison.

    ¡°Wait, you two don¡¯t go too far, if someone else sees you they might attack you.¡± Cai Cao said as he saw that the pups run out of the barrier.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going too, the barrier won¡¯t stay open for long.¡± Zhang said.

    However right before he was able to step outside the boundaries of the Graveyard, a barrage of bony white hands shot out from within the woods and gripped onto Zhang¡¯s body. Pulling on him with immense force.

    ¡°He-help!¡± Zhang screamed.

    Turning back in an instant, Cai Cao reached his hand out and grabbed onto Zhang¡¯s hand. However, his strength could not compare to the countless arms that were latched onto Zhang¡¯s body and both of them were being dragged toward the forest.

    ¡°Dammit! Go! Go get help!¡± Zhang said after he realized that there was no way for Cai Cao to free him from his predicament. After the words left his mouth, he released his grip on Cai Cao¡¯s hand and in an instant he was dragged into the woods and out of sight.

 Chapter 14: Horrid Luck

    Editor: @iamvectorious <<<<<<< MANY THANKS <3

    Hope you all liking the story so far :D, I''ll try to write a chapter of Dragon''s soul tonight after I rest up a bit.

    ================================================================================================

    ¡°Nooooo!¡± Cai Cao screamed as he watched his dear friend being dragged away into the woods. Had it not been for Zhang¡¯s final words, he would have most likely charged into the woods in the hopes of saving his friend.

    However Zhang¡¯s words reminded him a second option, a better option, one that would possess a higher chance of success. Thus with a heavy heart, he charged out of the Graveyard as the barrier slowly closed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s an elder they might be able to do something about this.¡± Cai Cao thought as he and the two wolf pups ran through the mountain and headed for the outer sect hall.

    A storm of thoughts swirled about in his mind as his legs kept moving forward through the rugged path. Overtime Cai Cao and Zhang¡¯s friendship had blossomed and for the first time in his life, Cai Cao could say he had a true friend, a friend that he prayed would be safe until he returned with him.

    Although he did not want to admit it, there was also a tiny piece of his mind that believed even if help did arrive, Zhang would already be dead. Despite dismissing the thought over and over again, it kept creeping back into Cai Cao¡¯s thoughts.

    As the thought seeped into the very core of Cai Cao¡¯s thoughts, two trails of tears began to roll down his cheeks. He did not know why but the tears continued to gush out of the corners of his eyes, as the thought of losing his only friend continued to recur in his mind.

    Before Cai Cao had gone to get help, as Zhang was being dragged into the woods, he looked out at Cai Cao with a smile as the words thank you drifted out into the air. Before, he had been afraid of death, however, now that he was within its grasp, Zhang truly felt fearless.

    Seconds had become minutes and minutes had become hours as time slowed within Zhang¡¯s mind. As countless memories raced through Zhang¡¯s mind, he had come to a realization.

    ¡°What is there to fear when death is the end, without a thing to lose, without a person to grieve, fear is nothing. ¡± He thought.

    ¡°However I do regret not being able to see that beauty again, and I won¡¯t ever get to eat brother Cai Cao¡¯s cooking again.¡± Zhang thought as he recalled the otherworldly beauty he had seen at the lake and the delicious food Cai Cao had prepared for him many times.

    After his final thoughts concluded, time sped up and became normal once more. Now Zhang was in front a wall of shadows as hundreds of blood red eyes stared at him, as if they were peering into the very fiber of his being.

    Without a hint of fear present, he stared at the blood red eyes and gave off a maddening laugh that echoed throughout the Graveyard. His laugh contained an eerie vibe to it that would send chills down even to the bravest man¡¯s spine.

    As Zhang continued to laugh, the shadows enveloped and flooded his entire body and flooded into his body through his mouth,nose,eyes and ears. There was no way to resist and no way to escape as a massive amount of black mist entered into Zhang¡¯s body.

    Zhang¡¯s maddening laughter soon ceased as an excruciating pain soon tore through every fiber of his body. While his body was wrapped in pain, his mind was bombarded by an endless stream of images that he could not piece together. A nearly endless amount of faces with horrified expressions appeared one after the other, showing before him how many victims had met their end at the hands of the shadowy figure.

    Unlike all of the people before him who were captured by the shadow however, Zhang was not visibly turning into a husky corpse. Despite being bathed by the black mist for many times longer than those who came before him, Zhang¡¯s body itself did not seem to undergo any changes at all.

    ¡°Assimilate...¡± A hoarse and ancient voice reverberated inside Zhang¡¯s mind as a bony white hand stretched out from within the darkness and pressed against Zhang¡¯s forehead before he lost consciousness.

    ======================================================================

    An unknown amount of time later, Zhang¡¯s consciousness finally awoken and he could feel every part of his body ache. As his eyes opened he found realized that he was no longer within the Graveyard.

    The countless trees were replaced by white marble bricked walls and the soily ground was replaced by slabs of white marble with flickering torches illuminated the white room.

    ¡°Wh-where am I?¡± Zhang muttered as he pushed himself up from the ground.

    Without any idea where he was, Zhang¡¯s eyes surveyed the room trying to find any possible hints. Sadly the room had nothing in it, however there was a pair of silver gates at the far end of the room that lead into the unknown.

    While rubbing his aching head, Zhang walked toward the silver gates as he observed the intricate carvings on it. Although the gate was beautiful from afar and full of magnificence, once one gets close enough to make out the carvings, they¡¯d be able to make out the horror that was depicted on it.

    The upper torso of two skeletons stuck out from each door and their hands formed the door handles, while hundreds of smaller carvings of slaughter and death littered the rest of the gates.

    Reaching his hand out and pushing the gates open, Zhang saw a long white marbled hall that scratched out as far as his eyes could see. Thus with one hand dragging against the wall, Zhang made his way down the seemingly endless hall.

    After walking for a considerable distance, time began to drift by as Zhang continued to move forward, he did not know how far he had walked or how long he had walked but to his dismay the end of the hallway was still nowhere in sight.

    ¡°Odd, even though I¡¯ve been walking for so long, I don¡¯t feel tired nor do I feel hungry.¡± Zhang mumbled to himself, finding his current situation very peculiar.

    Suddenly a lightbulb lit up inside his head and he reached into his robes to find one of the scrolls Cai Cao had given to him before they had entered the graveyard, a Treasure Seeking Chicken scroll. Although he had received on prior to entering the Graveyard he did not know its uses but now, he figured he could use it to possibly see how far the hallway went.

    ¡°Where did that thing go?¡± Zhang thought after reaching his hand into his robes and realizing that none of his things were there. The golem scroll, the miniature statues and a few other things were nowhere to be seen, that was when he realized that his black sword and the sack of demonic beast parts that he was carrying was also gone.

    ¡°Dammit¡­. I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about it...¡± He cursed and continued walking.

    Within the white marble hall, there was no telling whether or not it was day or night, the sense of time had long slipped out of Zhang¡¯s head as his mind was going insane. Seeing the same white marble hall alone for what seemed like or could be days would most certainly drive most people insane.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Fuck!!!¡± Zhang screamed as he smashed his fist into the wall. But besides hitting the wall and continuing to walk, there wasn¡¯t much that he could do so after punching the walls a few times, Zhang began walking once more.

    Perhaps weeks have passed or even months as Zhang continued walking without physically feeling fatigued or hunger. After he had walked for what seemed like a week, Zhang knew that if he continued to stare at the white walls any longer then he would most likely go insane, so he tore a piece of his sleeve off and covered his eyes with it.

    From then on his feet would continue to move by instead of looking at the white walls, Zhang¡¯s imagination ran wild. Scenes of his past would be reenacted within his mind to pass the time, at first these scenes were fuzzy but over time his mind became sharper and his memories clearer.

    Blank faces and forgotten names would slowly be recalled and forsaken memories were remembered. Over time he developed the ability to train within his mind; sword techniques and various martial arts that were taught to him in the army would be played over and over until they were perfected.

    Unbeknownst to himself, Zhang had reached what many would call a state of zen, where his mind were no longer disturbed by the outside world and was as clear as water. This perfect state of mind was pursued by many, for it would allow those who mastered it the ability to master various martial arts and techniques at lightning fast speeds. Many may call what Zhang was undergoing a blessing hidden within hardship.

    He also obtained what could be called absolute control of his body, usually when someone is blindfolded it would make it impossible to walk in a straight line. However over time Zhang developed the ability to do so, resulting in the perfect control of his body.

    Besides the scenes of martial arts to pass the time, there were other memories that was often played out within his mind. One particular memory was of the fateful night at the lake, the time he had experienced what was called love at first sight. There were also scenes of Cai Cao¡¯s cooking, although he physically did not feel hunger or thirst, his mind craved for food.

    While scenes of what happened at the lake was replayed within Zhang¡¯s mind, his body walked straight into something solid.

    ¡°Owww.¡± Zhang said as he pulled off his blindfold and rubbed his forehead.

    To Zhang¡¯s glee there was a large black gate in front of him. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation he pushed open the gates and entered. The room on the other side of the gate was made of white marble and looked identical to the room that Zhang had been in the beginning, however there was some different compared to the other room.

    There was a chair with a person sitting on it facing away from Zhang.

    ¡°You there, do you know where we are? Do you know how to leave?¡± Zhang asked. Countless questions had been building up in his mind the entire time.

    After hearing Zhang¡¯s voice the person sitting on the chair rose up and turned back.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Zhang mumbled once he saw the person¡¯s face.

    ¡°I am now you.¡± The person laughed maniacally in an ancient hoarse voice.

    This person, although dressed differently from Zhang, was the same height, had the same build and an identical face.

    ¡°Enough of this bullshit! Tell me who you really are!¡± Zhang roared.

    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ll be gone soon, I guess I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The person said with a grin as he waved his hand and a large mirror appeared on the marble wall.

    Soon, images and scenes began appearing on the mirror.

    ¡°Countless years, ago I took part in the great war, a war that shook the heavens and split the seas. Countless experts were killed and many more of their subordinates perished. Luckily although I was killed myself, I was able to preserve a piece of my soul, in the hopes of finding a suitable body to possess when I regained my strength after a few hundred years. However that bastard came along and placed that cursed barrier over the area, trapping me in here. Try as I may, the bodies of the people who entered this place were not compatible with my soul and all ended up perishing before the assimilation process was complete. At least that was before I found you. I knew for sure your little friend was incompatible so before you could leave I grabbed you, and to my pleasant surprise, your body was somehow able to withstand the assimilation process.¡± The person said with joy.

    ¡°So you took over my body and we are in my mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes I did and yes we are.¡± The person laughed.

    ¡°Then why the fuck did you make me walk around for all this time.¡± Zhang cursed.

    ¡°It was fun watching you, I wanted to see how long it took before you were driven completely mad.¡±

    ¡°You son of a bitch¡­.¡±

    ¡°Well now that I¡¯ve had my fun, you can die now. I¡¯ll use your soul to further nourish this body.¡± The person said as his shadow extended, enveloping the room in darkness, leaving only the flickering torches. Soon Zhang¡¯s body began to sink into the shadows, and to speed up the process, dozens of bony white hands extended from the depths and grabbed onto him, pulling him down.

    ======================================================================

    Outside of Zhang¡¯s mind and within the outside world, Zhang¡¯s body could be seen lying on the ground, enveloped in a layer of black mist. From the look of his haggard face, bony cheeks and long hair, it was evident that his body had been lying here for quite sometime, maybe weeks, maybe months.

    Although he would be an easy meal, no demonic beasts or animals dared to go near the black mist, allowing Zhang¡¯s body to go unharmed despite having been unconscious here for so long.

    Suddenly the black mist thickened, showing that the assimilation process was near completion, perhaps in a few seconds, Zhang¡¯s existence would be erased and his shoes would be filled by the person who hijacked his body.

    While the mist and the assimilation was nearing completion, something strange was happening elsewhere. Within Zhang¡¯s ring that contained his ancestral tomb, the eyes of the statue of the Zhou clan¡¯s ancestor began to light up. The light soon enveloped the entire tomb within the ring, by some manner of luck, the ring itself began to glow, sending out the same dazzling light that the ancestor¡¯s statue was radiating.

    The light, began to shine through the dark mist as if it was trying to disperse the mist.

    Soon Zhang¡¯s eyes suddenly opened, however his pupils were blood red much like the eyes of the hundreds of eyes that the shadowy figure possessed.

    ¡°No! What¡¯s happening?¡± A hoarse voice came out of Zhang¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°How could this be!¡± The voice yelled shrilly as the mist slowly began to dissipate. Painful cries soon echoed through the Graveyard as the light continued to disperse the mist and once all of the mist was gone, Zhang¡¯s eyes returned normal and his body went limp as he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 15: Ghost!

    Once the black must dispersed and after sometime passed, Zhang¡¯s eyes slowly opened.

    What was peculiar about them was that they still retained the blood red colored pupils that they had before he had lost consciousness.

    ¡°Damn it¡¯s bright out¡­¡± Zhang cursed in his mind as blinding light from the sun shone into his eyes.

    Although he tried to lift his hands up to shield his eyes from the blinding rays, they would not move. Perhaps if he saw what had become of his body then he would shriek in horror.

    For the past month after the remnant soul had pulled him into the woods and tried to snatch his body, Zhang had gone without food or drink, causing his body to burn whatever muscle and fat he had to sustain his life.

    It got to the point where he was only skin and bones and was surviving solely on the faint strands of essence they flowed into his body.

    While his body would not respond to him, his stomach began to roar in hunger. However, since he can¡¯t move, there is no way for him to possibly get food or to replenish his body¡¯s strength.

    ¡°%&$#?@! Why¡¯d this have to happen to me¡­ That bastard!¡± Zhang cursed, despite the state of his body, his mind was as clear as day and unhindered in anyway. This was of course thinks to his month long trip down the white marble hallway.

    As Zhang was laying on the ground, powerless, something was lurking within the woods. Unknown to Zhang, a large looking White Striped Panther was moving in on him. The black mist that had enveloped his body had deterred the demonic beasts from feasting on his body, but since it dispersed, there was nothing to hold them back any longer.

    The panther slowly made its way to where Zhang¡¯s body laid. Thanks to his clear state of mind, his senses were heightened, allowing him to know that something was approaching him, however since he could not move there was nothing he could do to protect himself. Soon trails of saliva began dripping onto his forehead.

    ¡°Well, fuck me¡­¡± He thought as he panther loomed over him.

    Seeing that Zhang was defenseless the panther widened its jaw, revealing rows of sharp fangs. With intense ferocity it bit down toward Zhang¡¯s face, going for the kill.

    ¡°Not the face! C''mon now....¡± Zhang cried in his mind, as he somewhat resigned to his fate and closed his eyes while the panther¡¯s fangs would so pierce his skull and send him on his way.

    While Zhang¡¯s eyes were tightly shut and as the panther was about to bit his head off, his body suddenly began to emit large amounts of black mist. This of course caused the panther to cease what it was doing to jump backward to distance itself from Zhang.

    The panther growled as the black mist danced in the air. After a few breathes had passed, the panther turned back and began to run away, this was because every living being within the Graveyard were all subconsciously conditioned to avoid the black mist. Having witnessed what, the black mist could do over generations the animals within the Graveyard all had a build in fear of the black mist, no matter how powerful they were.

    As the panther fled, the black mist shot forth at blinding speeds and wrapped around the panther. The panther roared as it¡¯s body slowly began to wither and become a dried up corpse that was practically a pile of skin and bones. It was then that the mist moved back toward Zhang¡¯s body while somehow extracting the panther¡¯s bones while leaving its withered corpse intact, soon after the mist faded and the bones were absorbed into Zhang¡¯s shadow.

    After sometime passed, Zhang finally opened his eyes. ¡°Somehow I¡¯m not dead...¡± He thought, somewhat confused. Although he had heard the panther roar he did not open his eyes due to the sense of helplessness that overcame him.

    However, after a long moment of silence he decided to see what was going on, because by now the panther should have ripped off his head and ate him.

    So after opening his eyes he noticed that he could feel his arms and legs once more, tilting his head for the first time in a month Zhang¡¯s bones made cracking as he examined his body.

    Now it was no longer skin and bones, but returned to the condition that it was a month ago. Unknown to Zhang when the black mist was causing the panther to wither, his body was slowly being restored.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know what happened but whatever¡­¡± Zhang said as he pushed himself up from the ground. Although he did not know how his body was restored, there was no use pondering over something that cannot be answered.

    Once he got up and saw the withered corpse of the panther, a shiver ran down his spine.

    ¡°That bastard is still around here somewhere.¡± He thought as his eyes scanned the woods around him.

    Only once Zhang was sure that there was nothing watching him from within the woods did he pick up the sack that he had been carrying while the black shadowy figure had grabbed him a month ago and left. Of course he did not forget to grab the panther¡¯s pelt and stuff it into his sack before leaving.

    While he made his way out of the woods and toward the massive gates that led out of the graveyard, Zhang was lucky enough not to encounter anymore demonic beasts, or rather no demonic beasts were unlucky enough to encounter Zhang because although the remnant soul was dispersed and destroyed by the light that came from Zhang¡¯s ring, he was somehow able to retain the power to control the black mist. Well subconsciously of course since he himself does not know he had such a power.

    The shadow had dragged him all the way into the middle ring of the Graveyard so by the time Zhang made it to the exit it was already nightfall.

    Pulling out his dirt encrusted door sealing talisman that had been hanging by his waist, Zhang opened the barrier and walked outside of the Graveyard.

    ¡°I¡¯m out!¡± He yelled at the top of his lungs with glee. But as soon as he made his first stops out of the Graveyard, water began to trickle down from the sky and it began to rain.

    ¡°I guess the heavens want to rain on my parade.¡± Zhang laughed as he began doing heading in the direction where his courtyard was.

    ¡°Once I get back, I¡¯m going to sleep and ask brother Cai Cao to cook up something tasty to eat.¡± He laughed while walking through the now muddy ground.

    Despite the rain and the long walk, Zhang would not seek shelter instead he continued walking because he very much wanted to return to the comfort of his room. Also what''s a little walking going to do to him now after walking continuously for an entire month without rest nor sleep.

    So with the thought of a comfy bed and tasty food driving him, Zhang did not rest and kept walking all the way until he reached his courtyard that he shared with Cai Cao. By now the rain had mostly subsided, however there were still clouds looming overhead.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Pulling out his door sealing talisman that is not cleaned thanks to the rain, Zhang opened his two courtyard gates and entered.

    Making his way up the familiar steps a smile crept onto his face because soon he would be home.

    Once he made it up the stone staircase, Zhang saw the door into his room was wide open and Cai Cao could be seen bent over in a bronze pail, burning something.

    ¡°I tried to get the elders to come and save you but no one would help and they even revoked my access to the Graveyard.¡± Cai Cao said with a sigh.

    ¡°So all I can do now is make sure you''re well off in the Underworld, I''ll make sure to burn you a lot of money, a big house and even some servants.¡± Cai Cao said as he picked up joss paper and placed them into the pail.

    Before long a large amount of joss paper, a miniature house made of paper, and a few paper figures were burned and offered to Zhang who Cai Cao believed to be dead.

    Just as Cai Cao finished burning the offerings, lightning flashed in the skies and snaked from one end of it to the other, while thunder roared down from above.

    The rain began to pour once more, extinguishing the fire within the bronze pail.

    ¡°Brother Cai Cao, you shouldn''t have.¡± Zhang¡¯s voice crept into Cai Cao¡¯s ears.

    Once Cai Cao heard Zhang¡¯s voice a shiver ran down his spine and when he looked up his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

    Zhang could be seen standing in the rain, his figure only visible as the lightning flashed. His hair hung loosely and his clothes were rags, and his pupils were blood red.

    ¡°Bro-brother Zha-Zhang¡­¡± Cai Cao managed squeezed out. Even if two people were very close friends, if one of them became a ghost it was obvious the they would frighten the other person regardless of how close they really were.

    ¡°Yo-you didn''t co-come back to haunt me did you?¡± Cai Cao stuttered.

    ¡°I appreciate the gesture but I can''t use that joss money or the house or servants.¡± Zhang said as thunder continued to rumble in the background while rain would not cease falling.

    ¡°How come?¡± Cai Cao asked, although he was a tad afraid of Zhang being a ghost, he was also fairly intrigued.

    ¡°Because we don''t use joss money in the underworld.¡± Zhang replied.

    ¡°But if you really want to do me a favor I have something in mind.¡± He also said.

    ¡°If it''s anything in my ability I would gladly do it for you.¡± Cai Cao said instantly as if his fear was no longer present.

    ¡°First I''ll need you to offer me a chicken because there just isn''t a lot of good food down there, only dirt and worms day in and day out. Then I''ll need you to help me find someone, a beautiful girl I saw a while ago, I would like you to confess to her for me. Lastly I would like you to join me, it''s a tad lonely down there.¡± Zhang said as his blood red eyes shone in the dark.

    ¡°The chicken I can do, the girl I can find, but the last request I can''t comply with, there''s still a lot of things I need to do.¡± Cai Cao replied.

    ¡°Then I guess I''ll have to hua-huachoooo.¡± Zhang tried to talk but before he could finish his sentence he sneezed.

    ¡°Wait a second¡­ Ghosts don''t sneeze¡­¡± Cai Cao said as he slowly stood up.

    ¡°How do you know ghosts don''t sneeze?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Ghosts don''t feel pain either.¡± Cai Cao said as he rolled up his sleeve and balled his fists.

    ¡°Wai-wait now, how do you know ghosts don''t feel pain? If they don''t they why would they bother with all of the torture down, there. Let me tell you I''m a very fragile ghost.¡± Zhang said as Cai Cao¡¯s fist swung at him.

    ¡°Ghosts don''t dodge either!¡± Cai Cao cried after Zhang dodged his swing.

    ¡°You''re alive!¡± He yelled happily as he jumped at Zhang with open arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± Zhang said equally as happy.

    ¡°I thought you were dead¡­¡± Cai Cao said while sniffing and wiping his eyes.

    ¡°C¡¯mon now none of that emotional stuff, I¡¯d be happy if you were a girl but we¡¯re bros we don¡¯t cry.¡± Zhang said as he patted Cai Cao on the back.

    So after an emotional reunion and preparing a chicken for dinner, our two adventures sat down within their room and ate. Cai Cao had many questions that he wanted Zhang to answer while Zhang had many dishes that he was craving to eat.

    ¡°So how do you know they don¡¯t use joss money in the Underworld.¡± Cai Cao asked with a laugh as he watched Zhang tear apart a steaming hot grilled chicken.

    ¡°Funny thing, there¡¯s a tradition in my clan that was established by one of our ancestors. Which state that all members of the Zhou clan are not to burn joss money to the deceased because the whole thing being a scam and that they don¡¯t actually use joss money in the underworld.¡± Zhang laughed.

    ¡°How would your ancestor know.¡± Cai Cao said with a grin.

    ¡°Well there¡¯s a story that¡¯s passed down in my clan that states our ancestor had once visited the Underworld and escaped, he even kidnapped one of the Yama¡¯s daughters and made her his wife.¡± Zhang said.

    ¡°Also you damn rascal you, trying to drag me down there with you and who''s this girl you were talking about.¡± Cai Cao said as he pinched Zhang.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯d take you with me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find a better friend in anyone else. As for the girl, I saw her one night at the lake and let¡¯s say it was love at first sight¡± Zhang said with a smile as he bit into a chicken drumstick.

    ¡°Girl at the lake¡­¡± Cai Cao mumbled.

    ¡°Yup, she was very beautiful, but sadly I never got the chance to talk to her.¡± Zhang said with a sigh.

    ¡°So how was that chicken.¡± Cai Cao asked.

    ¡°Tasted great, too bad there aren¡¯t any seconds, I haven¡¯t eaten in a month.¡± Zhang said with a cough as he eyed Cai Cao, hinting that he would like more food.

    ¡°Yea too bad there aren¡¯t any seconds. Time to get some sleep, we have to attend the outer sect gathering tomorrow.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he walked to his bed and crawled onto it.

    Shaking his head and with a grin, Zhang went out to clean his plate before going to bed himself.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Cai Cao mumbled once Zhang left the room, before long he shook his head and covered himself under his warm sheets.

    Once Zhang returned to the room he too crawled onto his bed which he had yearned for and covered himself under his sheets.

    Soon silence filled the room and dreams were the only thing Zhang and Cai Cao saw.

 Chapter 16: Chosen

    Hey folks heres a new chapter of Ascending, hope you all liking it so far.

    If you all can do me a favor and write good reviews for the story to attract more readers, and also liking the reviews that are already posted so we can end up on the top weekly reviews list on the front page of the site.

    =============================================================================

    Early in the morning, Zhang woke up, glad to be alive after his ordeal within the Graveyard and back in the comfort of his home. With a yawn, he slid out of bed and onto his feet, ready for the day to begin.

    After a good night¡¯s sleep his body felt invigorated and his mind relaxed, the torture that he had to mentally go through had taxed him and what Zhang had needed the most was a hearty meal and a good night¡¯s sleep.

    Now that he was fully recharged he made his way out of the room and climbed onto a large boulder sticking out of the courtyard. Cai Cao was still sleeping so when Zhang left the room he had done so as quietly as possible.

    Once he climbed atop the boulder and sat cross-legged, after closing his eyes he began to absorb the essence that was flowing within the air and circulated throughout his body. As the essence flowed into his channels and flowed through his vessels, Zhang¡¯s body slowly began to absorb it and use it to strengthen his bones and muscles.

    Of course, the effects were very minimal and would hardly show unless he continues to do this over and over again over a long period of time. But if Zhang manages to reach a certain threshold with what he is currently doing, his body will become as hard as iron and perhaps grow to be as strong as steel.

    Regular swords and spears wouldn¡¯t even be able to break through his skin at that point, but there is still a very long way to go before he reaches such a level.

    As Zhang continued to do what he was doing, light footsteps could be heard going down the stone staircase that led to his room.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take forever if all you do is try to absorb the essence within the air, have you tried refining those demonic cores yet?¡± Cai Cao¡¯s voice could be heard.

    ¡°Refine the demonic cores?¡± Zhang asked as his eyes opened, not long after his gaze was on Cai Cao who was walking down the stone steps.

    ¡°Here give it a try, all you need to do is hold the core in front of you and inject a tiny bit of your essence into it. Once your essence is injected the core will start to vaporize and all you need to do is to absorb the highly condensed essence that it releases.¡± Cai Cao said as he tossed one of the demonic cores that they had collected to within the Graveyard to Zhang.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Zhang said as he caught the demonic core and began to refine it. Moments passed before a palm-sized demonic core within his hand began to shrink and give off a purplish smoke.

    ¡°This is ten times more rich in concentrated than the essence that I¡¯ve been managing to take from the air.¡± Zhang thought as the purplish smoke was absorbed into his channels.

    It did not take long for the core to disappear within Zhang¡¯s hands and not long for him to notice the effects that had occurred on his body.  Although he was not at the point where he could repel swords and spears yet, Zhang¡¯s body was not as hard as stone.

    The palm-sized core alone had provided his body with enough essence to compare to what he would have been able to absorb over a span of a month or two.

    ¡°I wonder what would happen if I tried to absorb that huge core we got from Little Blue and Little Red¡¯s mother.¡± Zhang thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. If you absorb that huge core in one go then you¡¯ll explode. Demonic cores that belong to demonic beasts who are two or more realms higher have such a high essence density that they¡¯ll cause your body to overload and explode.¡± Cai Cao explained with a laugh after guessing what Zhang was thinking.

    ¡°The best thing we can do is either save it for later or sell it and try to buy demonic cores that could be used by those at our level.¡± He added.

    ¡°Where would we sell it?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°The Outer Sect Hall of course. We have to head there in a few hours for the gathering so afterward we can either directly sell it or place it in an auction.¡± Cai Cao said.

    So after an hour or so, Zhang and Cai Cao departed from their courtyard and headed down the mountain toward the outer sect hall. Along the way, they saw countless other outer sect disciples who were also making their way down the mountain also.

    There were even a few familiar faces mixed into the crowd of people descending the mountain, within the crowd Zhang had spotted a few people who had tried to rob him and Cai Cao the previous time they had gone to the outer sect hall.

    It did not take long for the Outer Sect Hall to come into view, as hundreds of buildings that were laid out on the valley floor could be seen.

    Although Zhang had been here before he couldn¡¯t help but admire the otherworldly feeling that the Outer Sect Hall gave off. Despite never having seen other places where cultivators gather, Zhang believed that the Outer Sect Hall was what a city of cultivators looked like.

    After making the last leg of the trip down through the mountains, our two adventurers arrived at the Outer Sect Hall. Like the first time they had gone to the Outer Sect Hall, all of the stalls and stores were closed. This was because, on days where disciple gathers were held, not business was to be conducted within the Outer Sect Hall until the gathering was over. Despite no business being conducted, the streets were crowded with people who were all heading to the gathering.

    Pushing and shoving their way across the sea of people, Zhang and Cai Cao soon reached the gathering hall whose massive gates were tightly shut, waiting for the sect¡¯s elders to arrive.

    ¡°What do you think the gathering is for?¡± Zhang asked Cai Cao.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± Cai Cao replied while shaking his head.

    Thankfully they did not have to wait long to find out because dozens of streaks could be seen cutting across the sky. These of course were the elders of the sect who were flying atop their flying swords.

    Once the elders appeared, the massive gates that lead into the gathering hall opened and the sea of outer sect disciples flooded inside. Some were hopeful that another pill distribution would happen while others were anticipating the possibility of some of them being promoted to the inner sect.

    Upon landing on a large stage at the far end of the hall, one of the elders began to speak.

    ¡°Disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect, I know that many of you are filled with questions as to why this gathering is being held and your answers will soon be given to you.¡± An elderly man said with a smile.

    ¡°Today a total of one thousand disciples will be chosen from the bulk of you and given the honor of representing our sect in the Crimson Sky Sects Grand Tournament. For those of you who do not know about the tournament, it is hosted by the Crimson Sky Sect and takes place every five years. Every sect within the southern region can send a total of one thousand outer sect disciples to compete with one another through a series of trials. The chosen who manage to make it to the end will receive a substantial amount of essence stones and magical treasures. While their names would also spread through the southern lands and be known as rising stars within the cultivation world.¡± The elder said loudly.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    After hearing this everyone present was filled with excitement. Although Zhang did not know what essence stones were he could tell they were fairly valuable if they were being given out as prizes. So without knowing what the prizes even were, Zhang was filled with excitement just like everyone else.

    ¡°I¡¯ll read off the names of the thousand chosen who will represent our sect within the tournament every name called will appear on this stone slab.¡± The elder said as he waved his hand and made a large stone slab to appear onstage. Afterward, a scroll appeared in his hand and he began reading off names.

    As the names were called off, the few who were chosen shouted out in joy. While everyone else stood hopeful, believing that it was a matter of time before they would be selected. Sadly, only one thousand people would be selected out of the many thousands of outer sect disciples present.

    So be to selected these one thousand individuals had to stand out amongst the rest and set themselves apart from the crowd. There were individuals who were expected to be chosen due to their fame and popularity while there were others who were chosen because the elders saw something in them that no one else saw.

    After roughly five hundred names were called, Cai Cao¡¯s name appeared on the stone slab that everyone had been keeping close attention on.

    ¡°Congrats!¡± Zhang said as he patted Cai Cao¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to bring you back a souvenir.¡± Cai Cao teased with a grin.

    ¡°Also brother Cai, what were those essence stones that the elder was talking about.¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Essence stones are like demonic cores and can be used to further one¡¯s cultivation or replenish their essence. Although they aren¡¯t used here within the sect, in the outside world they are used as a basic form of currency for cultivators. Besides gold of course.¡± Cai Cao explained.

    ¡°How much gold is a single essence stone worth?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°It depends on the grade of the essence stone but typically the lowest grade essence stone is worth at least a five hundred gold coins.¡± Cai Cao said.

    ¡°Five hundred gold coins for the lowest grade essence stone¡­.¡± Zhang thought as he imagination ran wild and a mountain of gold appeared in his mind.

    So while Zhang was lost in thought, hundreds of names were called out one after the other. As the number of spots available continued to decrease and the number of chosen rose, the tension began to rise ever so slightly until everyone was at the point where they were biting their nails.

    Everyone wanted to be chosen and given an opportunity at represent the sect while being able possibly obtaining essence stones and magical weapons. Once there were only ten spots left, the people who were not selected began eyeing one another, trying to guess which one of them could possibly be picked. There were even looks of envy toward the lucky few who had been picked.

    Soon the last name was called and all hopes were crushed for those who were not picked as they looked around in disappointment. But there was one person within the crowd who had a big smile on their face despite not being selected.

    Although he was not selected, Zhang was still happy for Cai Cao. There was no hint of envy in his eyes at all as he congratulated his friend.

    However, before the gathering concluded a ray of light shot in through the gates of the gathering hall and a jade slip appeared and floated in front of the elder who was reading the list of names.

    ¡°There appears to be a mishap regard the list of chosen comprised by the inner sect elders. It seems that the last spot of was supposed to be given to a disciple by the name of Zhou Zhang instead of disciple Sun Hai.¡± The elder said after grabbing the jade slip and reading its contents.

    ¡°You got selected!¡± Cai Cao said loudly in a happy voice as he looked at Zhang.

    ¡°Now I won¡¯t have to eat tree bark and twigs until you come back.¡± Zhang laughed.

    While our two adventurers were celebrating, there were dozens of unhappy gazes focused upon them. Of the dozen or so unhappy gazes, there was one that was especially fiery, this gaze, of course, belonged to the man whose name was called in place of Zhang¡¯s, Sun Hai.

    It''s one thing to not be picked at all and an entirely different thing to be picked and then to have your hopes dashed.

    ¡°Elder Jong, how could this be? How could the list be wrong? Has there been some kind of mix-up?¡± Sun Hai said, voicing his frustration.

    ¡°I understand your frustration but if the inner sect elders say there¡¯s an error then there''s nothing I could do.¡± Elder Jong said in a somewhat apologetic tone because he could understand how Sun Hai was feeling.

    ¡°Then why him?! Why him over me?!¡± Sun Hai yelled in fury as he pointed toward Zhang while his cultivation exploded and gave off the aura of someone in the late level of the fragmented realm.

    It was as if his rage blinded his judgment as Sun Hai withdrew his sword and lunged through the crowd toward where Zhang and Cai Cao were.

    Seeing the madness in Sun Hai¡¯s eyes, Zhang also withdrew his sword and prepared to defend. He knew that Sun Hai¡¯s cultivation was much higher than his, Zhang knew that if it came to it then he might be able to hold his own against Sun Hai.

    As Sun Hai closed in on Zhang and their swords were about to clash, a tremendous force exploded from the stage.

    ¡°Insolent! You dare to draw your weapon upon a fellow disciple in the gathering hall?¡± Elder Jong exploded as his cultivation level was revealed. Before he finished speaking a blast of essence traveled through the air and slammed into Sun Hai¡¯s body, sending him crashing into the floor.

    ¡°Drag him out!¡± Elder Jong roared.

    Soon after a few of Sun Hai¡¯s friends picked up his unconscious body and moved him outside of the hall. Faint trails of blood could be seen flowing out of the corners of his mouth while the shattered remains of his sword could be seen on the ground.

    ¡°All chosen are to stay behind while the rest of you are free to go.¡± Elder Jong said as his cultivation base receded and he returned to normal.

 Chapter 17: These Explode?

    Help me bring up the rating O_O and get more reader for this story please hehe, also how are you folks.

    =========================================================================

    ¡°Each and everyone of you have been personally selected by the elders of the inner sect  as those who stand above your peers so walk with your backs straight and your chests proud as you represent our sect in the tournament. In order to help strengthen your cultivation and prepare you for the tournament all of you will receive one hundred essence supplement pills, ten mid grade demon cores, ten low grade lightning talismans and a single channel nourishment pill. All of these items are only for your use as chosen and a spell has been placed onto them so that only the first people who touch them are able to use them or else they¡¯ll explode. The tournament begins in six months but since our sect is located too far from the Crimson Sky Sect we will be setting out at the break of dawn tomorrow. So if you have anything you need to do, I suggest you get it down and prepare for our journey¡± Elder Jong said as he waved his hand causing thousands of rays of light to soar through the air and arrive in front of each of the chosen.

    ¡°They explode?¡± Zhang mumbled as he grabbed the things that were floating in front of him and looked at them.

    ¡°Normally the lightning talismans already explode.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he pocketed the items that were given out.

    ¡°How big of an explosion.¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Those lightning talismans can probably bathe our entire courtyard in lighting for a few minutes. Although they are low grade talismans they pack enough power to turn early fragment realm cultivators to a char and can probably heavily injure those in the later stages¡± Cai Cao replied.

    With a gulp Zhang carefully tucked the talismans and other various things into his robes, causing Cai Cao to chuckle.

    ¡°They won¡¯t go off unless you inject your essence into them and splash some blood on them.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he watched how carefully Zhang was while putting away the talismans.

    ¡°Thank goodness¡­ I thought these things might go off on me if I wasn¡¯t careful.¡± He said with a sigh.

    Thus the gathering concluded and the elders took shot into the skies and disappeared into the mountains. Within the Misty Mountain Sect there were generally two types of elders, those who stay in the vicinity of the gathering halls and manage the various facilities of the sect and then there are those who do closed off training in the mountains that only appear when there was a task that needed to be done.

    Once the elders left the gathering concluded and the one thousand chosen departed from the gathering hall with wide smiles on each of their faces. To be selected from the many thousands of outer sect disciples was an honor in itself and on top of that before even taking part in the tournament they had already received a large reward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go sell off that demonic core. We can use the essence stones when we leave the sect and now that we both received low grade demonic cores from the sect we won¡¯t have to worry about lacking cultivation materials.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang as they made their way out of the hall.

    ¡°I wonder how much we can get for this thing.¡± Zhang said as he patted the large sack that he had been carrying.

    ¡°It should be at least a mid grade core so I¡¯m guessing if we directly sold it then we¡¯d be able to get about ten thousand essence stones? If we auction it then there''s a chance of getting about thirteen thousand?¡± Cai Cao replied with some estimates.

    ¡°Ten thousand essence stones with each essence stone worth around five hundred gold coins, so a total of fi-five million gold coins!¡± Zhang said as money signs appeared in his eyes. Although Zhang¡¯s family had been really well off and five million gold coins was something that he had seen before, it had been a long standing belief in his clan that if there was money to be made then there was no such thing as enough money.

    This belief had spawned from their ancestor and had been passed down from generation to generation, prompting ever member of the Zhou clan to be hoarders. Of course this did not mean they were stingy, the ancestor also taught that one must not let money control one¡¯s actions, but the more money one had the more one could do.

    So while they would be filled with glee from even picking up a single copper coin from the ground, the members of Zhou clan would still spend lavishly if they wished.

    Soon after walking out of the gathering hall a sea of people could be seen. Everyone was waiting to have a closer look at the one thousand chosen who would represent the sect. Some gazes were filled with admiration while others were filled with envy as the one thousand chosen made their way outside.

    Squeezing their way through the crowd, Zhang and Cai Cao headed to a place to sell their large demonic core. It did not take long for them to locate the outer sect¡¯s auction house and made their way inside. This auction house was entirely ran by the sect and made it possible for rarer items such as Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s demonic core to be sold.

    Regular stores would not have enough gold or essence stones to make large purchases such as these so to help sellers find the proper buyer the auction house was constructed. Of course the sect would take a small portion of the proceeds as a service fee but when dealing in such large transactions having sect¡¯s supervision was safest.

    ¡°We would like to place something up for auction.¡± Cai Cao said after he and Zhang arrived at a service counter.

    ¡°Welcome to the Misty Mountain Sect Auction House. The next auction will take place in three days at the end of the week, you can drop off your items now for inspection if you¡¯d like.¡± A young man who was working the counter said politely.

    ¡°I guess we will have to auction if off after we get back since we have to set out tomorrow.¡± Zhang said to Cai Cao.

    ¡°If we drop off the item we want to sell here, would it be possible for you to transfer the funds into a crystal card for us?¡± Cai Cao asked.

    ¡°Of course we can.¡± The clerk said with a smile.

    ¡°Here have the funds split between these two cards.¡± Cai Cao said as he placed two thin crystal cards onto the counter.

    After scanning the crystal cards with another crystal card the clerk returned the cards to Cai Cao and the demonic core was deposited.

    ¡°Here take a card.¡± Cai Cao said as he handed Zhang a crystal card.

    ¡°As long as we are within the southern region essence stones can be sent and stored within these cards magically.¡± Cai Cao said, giving Zhang a brief explanation of how the crystal cards work. Basically, essence stones could be sent directly to an account attached to the cards and stored in the Southern Region¡¯s central bank. This made it so that large transactions could be easily processed without the need to transport essence stones out in the open.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    So with the demonic core deposited, Zhang and Cai Cao headed back to their courtyard. Once they returned home they began to absorb the demonic cores that they had received.

    As Zhang and Cai Cao each sat atop a large boulder within their courtyard and refined one demonic core after another, Zhang could slowly feel his body become stronger. It was not until he had absorbed three demonic core did Zhang feel a sudden change in his body.

    He could feel an unexplainable strength coursing through his body, much like the time that Cai Cao had forcefully opened all of his essence points.

    ¡°Congrats on stepping into the fragmented realm.¡± Cai Cao said as he noticed Zhang¡¯s body was undergoing a transformation that happens to everyone when they first enter into the fragmented realm.

    Within Zhang¡¯s body, something that was similar to a demonic core was slowly forming, dozens of crystal like shards began condensing within his body. Thanks to the transformation that he was undergoing, Zhang¡¯s skin became clearer as the toxins within his body began cleared up. While his muscles and bones would slowly grow stronger until the transformational ended.

    The reason as to why the fragment realm was called the fragment realm was because of the countless crystallized shards of essence that would form within the cultivators body. The moment these shards come together and bind with one another the cultivator would have entered the elementary realm. As more of these shards form and bind together, they¡¯ll eventually form into a core which would symbolize a cultivator¡¯s ascent into the core realm.

    Once someone stepped into the core realm only then could they call themselves true cultivators simply because the difference between a elementary realm cultivator and a core cultivator was as far as distance between the heavens and earth.

    Sadly although Zhang had reached the fragmented realm, battle prowess wise he was still deemed inferior to his peers because some of his essence points were still blocked.

    ¡°To celebrate I¡¯ll cook you something good after we finish absorbing all of these cores and take the channel nourishment pill.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he continued to refine the demonic cores laid out in front of him.

    Like it¡¯s name states the channel nourishment pill is used to help enlarge and nourish essence channels which would allow cultivators to circulate more essence. Such pills although not rare are very pricey and usually only have miniscule effects, but nonetheless they are still helpful.

    So after the demonic cores were refined, the channel nourishment pill was taken, dinner was eaten and Little Blue and Little Red were fed, Zhang and Cai Cao crawled into bed in preparation for the long day that was to come tomorrow.

    =====================================================================

    Early in the morning both Zhang and Cai Cao were up and about. After packing away some clothes they ran out of front door with Little Blue and Little Red following behind. They had decided to take the two pups with them because they did not know how long they would be gone and there would be no one to take care of the pups in their absence

    So as Zhang, Cai Cao and their pups descended the mountain they spotted the other chosen moving together in large groups. It seemed that many of the chosen had banded together unlike Zhang and Cai Cao who kind of isolated themselves from the rest of the sect.

    Unlike the first time he descended the mountain, Zhang now felt invigorated as he made long strides through the rocky and densely covered terrain.

    Once they arrived at the Outer Sect Gathering Hall, an extravagant and majestic looking boat came into the view. But unlike any other boat, this one was floating in the air.

    ¡°We will board the airship once everyone arrives and is accounted for.¡± Elder Jong¡¯s voice could be heard as he appeared out of nowhere amidst the crowd of chosen.

    As people began to show up one after the other, the airship began to lower its elevation until it landed on the ground. Once everyone was accounted for, the chosen began to descend the airship.

    Everyone was assigned a separate room for the long journey to the Crimson Sky Sect. Although the airship moved at high speeds through the air, due to the distance from the Misty Mountain Sect to the Crimson Sky Sect the trip would take roughly five months.

    Over the next five months besides stopping to restock on supplies the airship would not stop or else the delays may cause them to miss the start date of the tournament.

    Thus after everyone had stepped aboard the airship took to the skies. Zhang looked down in awe as they flew further and further away from the sect. He had never thought he would get the opportunity to fly unless he somehow broke through to the core realm and was able to obtain an operational flying sword.

    The airship pierced through the shroud of mist that blanketed the mountains year round until finally it was outside the boundaries of the sect. Once they were outside of the sect, an abundance of warmth showered down from above. Since there was no more mist to hinder the sun, it was free to bathe everyone in it¡¯s warmth.

    ¡°This is wonderful.¡± Zhang thought as the sun¡¯s warm rays enveloped him and the cool breeze blew against his face while he took in the breathtaking view in front of him.

    ¡°Hey quit daydreaming, let¡¯s go check out our lodgings and get the pups settled.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he placed his hand on Zhang¡¯s shoulder.

    Before long they made their way into the lower decks and to their surprise they found out that their rooms were right next to each other. Along the way they passed through dozens of beautifully decorated halls that offered a serene feeling to those that walked through them.

    ¡°Well this sure is convenient, now I won¡¯t have to go look for you.¡± Zhang laughed as he pushed open a set of wooden doors that led into a small room that would be his home for the next five months.

    It was decided that Zhang would take care of Little Red while Cai Cao would take care of Little Blue for the trip since it would end up being too crowded if either of them took care of both of the wolves at the same time due to home small their rooms were.

    Thus began a new adventure, an adventure that will lead to new beginnings.

 Chapter 18: Starry Nights

    If anyone wants to support me on patreon :D patreon.com/iendwords :) ( THANK YOU STARGHOST69 for your pledge)

    If anyone wants to chat :D http://iendworlds.chatango.com/</a>

    =============================================================================================

    Weeks had passed since Zhang had departed from the Mist Mountain Sect¡¯s domain, after the first few days he has gotten used to life on the airship.

    Every morning he and Cai Cao would go to the mess hall and eat breakfast with the other chosen. Afterward, everyone would return to their rooms to cultivate. But unlike everyone else, Zhang would often walk out into the upper decks at night and gaze into the stars or down onto the scattered cities below.

    With a sea of stars overhead and sprawling cities full of life and warmth below, Zhang would look into the distance for hours on end until the sun peaked from the horizon and the night ended.

    He found that by either watching the stars or observing the cities below he would be able to free his mind from the endless stream of questions and stress that plagued him.

    ¡°What will become of me? What is there in store for me? Will these days of happiness last or will they be stolen from me once again? Will I ever be able to catch up to everyone else? Is this life a life that is for me? Do I have a purpose?¡± For him, every day presented a new question, some he had the answer to while others would reappear again and again.

    However, none of this mattered when he was gazing at the magnificence that was presented before him. It is often said that when one immerses themselves into nature, their spirits become uplifted and their minds free of the earthly bounds that plague us.

    Thus, Zhang would leave his room every night for most of the trip. Tonight was like any other night as he and Little Red departed from their room to go watch the stars. The Little Pup much like its master would also sit for hours on end to watch the stars.

    ¡°Shhhhh, let¡¯s not disturb anyone.¡± Zhang whispered to his furry friend who seemed to nod in reply.

    Walking through the nicely decorated halls and the long corridors, Zhang and Little Red arrived at a beautifully made flight of stairs. Without the use of support beams, each plank supported one another and interlocked to form a solid set of stairs that one could not help but admire. Undoubtedly such a thing could only be made from the use of magic or by a master of the arts.

    As Little Red jumped from step to step, following its master up the flight of stairs one couldn¡¯t help but all such a scene adorable.

    Soon they arrived at the upper decks and Zhang walked to his usual spot, the airship¡¯s bow. As he neared the bow, something caught Zhang¡¯s attention. There was someone else standing on the ship¡¯s bow.

    Shrouded in moonlight an otherworldly beauty stood quietly looking out into the distance, with her face slightly tilted to grace Zhang with its beauty, with her pure white robes flowing in the wind and her long silky black hair drawing attention away from the stars, Zhang could not help but stare.

    The instant he saw her he remembered the unforgettable night at the lake. The night he had found love at first sight, his heart began to thump while his body unconsciously began to move forward.

    Lost in a daze, Zhang inched closer and closer toward the mysterious beauty who had unknowingly stolen his heart. Unlike its master whose pace had slowed to a crawl, Little Red sped across the upper deck to where the otherworldly beauty was.

    Noticing Little Red, the girl of Zhang¡¯s dreams bent down and began petting the furry canine.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her song like voice could be heard as her jade like had brushed against Little White¡¯s snowy white fur.

    ¡°So-sorry to disturb you.¡± Zhang managed to say.

    Hearing Zhang¡¯s voice, the mysterious beauty looked up with a somewhat startled and cautious expression on her face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you. But I¡¯ve been coming here every night for the last month.¡± He said as he saw the girl¡¯s startled expression.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± The mysterious beauty said.

    If seeing only a glimpse of her had stolen his heart, then seeing her beauty in full view was slowly sapping away Zhang¡¯s courage. Thus, a slightly awkward pause was initiated.

    ¡°C¡¯mon now¡­ Another chance like this might not pop up again¡­¡± He thought over and over in his mind, trying to work up the courage to speak.

    ¡°My name is Zhou Zhang; may I ask what your name is?¡± He finally was able to say after he managed to work up enough courage talk.

    ¡°You may call me Wenji.¡± The mysterious beauty said. Her startled and somewhat cautious expression was gone after Zhang had introduced himself and asked for her name.

    ¡°Wenji.¡± Zhang repeated in his mind with a smile appearing on his face.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen him get so friendly with a stranger so quickly.¡± Zhang said as he looked at Little Red who licking the Wenji¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Maybe I remind him of someone.¡± Wenji said with a slight laugh as she continued to brush Little Red¡¯s fur.

    ¡°Are you here to watch the stars too?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m certainly not here to admire the boat.¡± Wenji laughed.

    Seeing that she was willing to talk to him, Zhang began to walk closer and arrived by Little Red. ¡°I¡¯ll be giving you some steak for this.¡± Zhang thought as he thought about the chance that this furry friend had given him. Had it not been for Little Red then he would have certainly not been able to begin a conversation with Wenji.

    Beginning with small talk Zhang was able to begin talking with Wenji. The two quickly became friends with each other as the night went on, both admiring the stars and observing the cities that the airship was flying past.

    Despite not learning much about her personal life, Zhang¡¯s understanding of Wenji had gone from zero to around twenty, this being out of a hundred. Compared to before he at least knew her name and a bit of her personality. Although it might seem odd that he had not run into her despite being on the same ship for nearly three months, it wasn¡¯t actually that unbelievable.

    There were a thousand chosen who each had their own rooms and cultivated for most of the day and only left to get food. There were even those who did not leave their rooms at all and had other people bring food to their rooms. So of course since it was impossible for everyone to go to the dining hall at the same time, there were still many chosen who Zhang had yet to recognize.

    ¡°I should get going now.¡± Wenji said as the sun began to rose and the other stars were outshined.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you here tonight? Also do you have a group for the tournament? You can stick with me and my friend.¡± Zhang asked, hoping to get another chance to talk to Wenji or possibly getting her to join him and Cai Cao for the tournament which would result in them being together for the entire duration of the tournament.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight. As for the tournament, I¡¯m already partnered up with someone.¡± She replied with a smile as she patted Little Red¡¯s head and headed for the staircase that led to the lower decks.

    Inside Zhang¡¯s mind, an image of himself appeared giving himself two thumbs up as a wide grin appeared on his face. Sometime after Wenji departed, Zhang too descended the stairs while being filled with glee.

    Once he arrived at his room and crawled into bed, he quickly fell asleep. Normally people who were in a state of mind similar to Zhang¡¯s would not be able to sleep due to being too excited. However, he had stayed up all night and had come to the point where he only needed a comfortable place to lay down on before falling asleep.

    It was not until noon did Zhang wake up and exited his room, heading toward the dining hall. Once he arrived, Zhang spotted Cai Cao who was seated at the far end of the hall. So after getting a few dishes from the cook, Zhang walked over to where Cai Cao was and seated himself.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Zhang said with a smile.

    ¡°Good morning, you sure seem happy today.¡± Cai Cao replied with a laugh.

    ¡°Of course, I am something wonderful happened last night.¡± Zhang said cheerfully.

    ¡°It that so?¡± Cai Cao asked.

    Soon Zhang began to recall the dreamlike events that had occurred. Describing Wenji¡¯s beauty, the various things they talked about and the possibility of meeting her again tonight, Zhang spoke without end. Throughout this recollection, Cai Cao would occasionally smile, blush and even laugh but for the most part he did not comment.

    So after finishing his story and his meal, Zhang and Cai Cao parted ways and each headed toward their own rooms to cultivate.

    After feeding Little Red, a small roasted chicken that he had taken from the dining hall and bolting his room¡¯s door, Zhang climbed onto his bed and sat crossed legged.

    Pulling out a small sack filled with essence supplement pills and placing one into his mouth, Zhang began to rotate the essence within his body while channeling in essence from the air. His goal was to strengthen his body from being as hard as bronze to iron before they arrived at the Crimson Sky Sect.

    While in a meditative state time began to become irrelevant and sped on without Zhang noticing. Besides occasionally placing an essence supplement pill into his mouth after the previous one had been entirely refined, Zhang continued to mediate for most of the day. It was not until the sun had settled and ten essence supplement pills had been consumed that Zhang open his eyes.

    ¡°After a few more days my body will become as hard as iron.¡± He muttered with a smile.

    ¡°Little Red let¡¯s go.¡± He called out as he departed from his room.

    Instead of heading to the upper decks he arrived at the room beside his and knocked.

    ¡°Brother Cai, can you keep an eye on Little Red for me? I have to go to my date.¡± Zhang said after knocking on the door, however there was no reply.

    ¡°Guess he¡¯s sleeping or meditating.¡± Zhang thought with a shrug before departing.

    So with Little Red in tow, Zhang arrived at the upper decks to see that Wenji was waiting for him at the ship¡¯s bow.

    A small part of him was afraid that she would not come, but as soon as he saw her figure under the moonlight this thought was instantly dispelled and joy filled Zhang''s soul.

    ¡°Sorry for coming late.¡± Zhang said as furry canine friend sped across the upper decks like it has done the previous night.

    ¡°It''s okay, I just came early.¡± Wenji laughed.

    Thus, the two of them would talk and watch the skies for the rest of the night and the following nights also.

    During the day, Zhang would train and chat with Cai Cao while during the night he would be graced with what seemed like a dream as he watched the stars with the girl that stole his heart.

    ==================================

    After a month that seemed like it had ended too quickly had passed, the Mist Mountain Sect¡¯s airship entered the domain of the Crimson Sky Sect.

    As they got closer m to their destination hundreds of airships just like theirs could be seen coming from all directions. With Each ship having a different banner symbolizing which sect it belonged to.

    But of all the ships, there were eight who caught Zhang¡¯s. This was because in terms of size they were double the size of the other ships and in terms of extravagantness they made all of the other airships look like toys.

    ¡°Brother Cai do you know which sects those ships belong to?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°That ship right there with the white liger on its banner belongs to the Enlightened Tower Academy. That ship with the spider on its sails is the Undying Night Sect. That one with the cauldron with dragons coiling around it belongs to the Immortal Pill Sect. That one with the lotus is the Golden Buddha Temple.  That one with the sword is the Divine Sword Sect. Those three ships belong to three of the four great clans the Huang, Wang and Li clans.¡± Cai Cao said while pointing to each ship.

    ¡°Our Misty Mountain Sect in terms of power is considered a small sect, while the Crimson Sky Sect is considered a midsized sect, then there are the five sects and four clans who stand above the rest. Of the nine great influences the Enlightened Tower Academy is the one with the most disciples, their disciples number in the millions this was because instead of a sect they are more like a school. While the Enlightened Tower Academy had the most disciples the Undying Night Sect have the least but is considered the strongest influence. The Immortal Pill Sect could be considered the weakest in terms of power but when it comes to influence and connections there is no one who has more than them, this is because they are the ones who supply the other influences with pills. The four great clans are not sects and do not accept disciples so there¡¯s not much to say about them.  As for the Golden Buddha Temple and Divine Sword Sect, I don¡¯t know much about them because they were relatively new additions to the influential forces within the continent. ¡°Cai Cao also said, informing Zhang of the various influences that basically rule over the continent.

    ¡°Which clan is the fourth great clan?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°That the Cai clan but they usually don''t come to watch the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s tournament.¡± Cai Cao said with a sigh.

    ¡°The Cai clan? So you are from one of the four great clans?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°No, we have no relation, just similar family names.¡± Cai Cao replied instantly.

    ¡°Also, I guess there''s a first for everything because that ship over there has the word Cai on it.¡± Zhang said as he pointed at a shop that was far off in the distance.

    ¡°^%$&^&*¡­.. why are they here¡­¡± Cai Cao said in an inaudible voice as a shiver ran through his body.

 Chapter 19: Strategy Meeting

    Please Check out my issth contest entry :http://royalroadl.com/fiction/6508 :D

    My Patreon if anyone wants to support me with a plegde :D : https://www.patreon.com/iEndWorlds?ty=h</a>

    ===========================================================================================================

    While Cai Cao was lost in thought due to the appearance of the Cai Clan¡¯s airship, the rest of Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s chosen all focused their eyes on a massive city that sprawled over dozens of mountain ranges.

    Every single building within this massive city had crimson roof tiles, helping to attribute to its name of Crimson Sky City.

    Compared to the small city that was built around the Mist Mountain Sect¡¯s Outer Sect Gathering Hall, Crimson Sky City is roughly a thousand times larger. The two cities could not even be compared to each other in terms of size and magnificence.

    Zhang and many of the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s chosen felt like country bumpkins who were going to the big city for the first time as they gazed in awe at Crimson Sky City.

    ¡°That over there is the Crimson Sky Sect.¡± One of the elders escorting the chosen said as he pointed to the center of the city.

    In the middle of the city was a huge fortress with dozens of towers that pierce into the skies. Besides the towers another noticeable thing about the fortress were the hundreds of black flags with red clouds swaying in the wind. The fortress was so massive that it took up roughly a fourth of Crimson Sky City¡¯s confines.

    ¡°Everyone go ready your things we¡¯ll be landing shortly.¡± Elder Jong said as he joined the chosen in the airship¡¯s upper deck.

    Before flying into the airspace above the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s fortress, Elder Jong waved his hand and a red colored scroll with golden letters appeared in his grasp. Opening the scroll, a brilliant red light shot forth toward one of the dozens of towers that rose into the skies, as the red beam of light struck the tower it began to turn into cinders and disperse into the air. Once the scroll had completely disintegrated a projection of a set of golden gates appeared in the sky.

    The two gates slowly opened up allowing the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship to pass.

    ¡°Careful not to move out of the air between the gates or else we will ram into the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s barrier. The lot of you keep your hands and feet within the airship, anyone below the core realm will be instantly disintegrated upon touching the barrier.¡± Elder Jong said to the helmsman who was steering the airship and the disciples on the upper deck.

    Although it was practically invisible there was a massive barrier that encircled the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s fortress. So unless someone entered through one of the gates below or was given permission to enter the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s airspace their airship and anyone on the ship under the core realm would be instantly burned to ashes.

    Upon entering through the golden gates in the sky and fly to a landing zone where dozens of airships were parked, the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship landed and the chosen began to disembark.

    ¡°Welcome fellow cultivators.¡± A young man wearing white robes with a red colored cloud emblem on his chest said as he greeted Zhang and the other chosen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been assigned by the elders to guide you all to where you¡¯ll be lodging until the end of the tournament.¡± The young man said with a smile as he gestured for everyone to follow him.

    ¡°You lot stay on your best behavior and do not disgrace our sect, I¡¯ll join you all shortly.¡± Elder Jong said from the upper deck of the airship.

    ¡°Brother Cai let¡¯s go or else we¡¯ll be left behind.¡± Zhang said as he tapped Cai Cao¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Ri-right¡­¡± Cai Cao said as he shifted his gaze away from the Cai Clan¡¯s airship that was currently landing not too far from where they were.

    After Zhang and Cai Cao caught up to the rest of the group a sharp gaze was focused on them. On the upper decks of the Cai Clan¡¯s airship was a middle aged man with streaks of grey in his long flowing black hair. After looking at Cai Cao for a bit the man shook his head and shifted his gaze elsewhere.

    While they were being led through the Crimson Sky Sect, Zhang¡¯s eyes wandered about in awe. Compared to the outer ring of Misty Mountain Sect which was secluded in the mountains and shrouded by mist year round which prevented most of it disciples from gaining a complete sense of unity, the Crimson Sky Sect was extravagant and close knit.

    Wherever they went Zhang could see dozens if not hundreds of the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s disciples walking together in groups. While individual growth was encouraged in the Misty Mountain Sect, in the Crimson Sky sect disciples were encouraged to work together.

    ¡°This here is the north wing lecture hall, there are a total of four lecture halls within our sect that can house a total of one hundred thousand people at a time. The topics that are taught range from cultivation techniques, pill concocting, demonic demon taming and a large variety of other things. If any of you wish to sit in on one of the four lectures that are held daily, then please inform one of your elders so they can request permission.¡± The young man guiding Zhang¡¯s group said.

    ¡°If you look over there you¡¯ll see the north wing training grounds where practical technique classes are held. Over there is the great pill hall which only disciples of the Crimson Sky Sect can enter.¡± The guide said as he led the group on what was basically a tour of the Crimson Sky Sect.

    As the tour continued on disciples from the other sects that were attending the tournament occasionally came into view. Some were friendly and waved the Zhang and the other disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect, while others snorted and did not even look in their direction. There were even a few young maidens who shot glances at Cai Cao, which prompted Zhang to tease him.

    Despite seeing people from so many other sects, none of them left a very deep impression on Zhang, well not until the group happened upon a group of people bearing black robes with a red colored lion emblem on them.

    ¡°Look at what we have here. Aren¡¯t these the country bumpkins from the Shitty Mountain Sect?¡± A youth laughed mockingly as he spotted Zhang¡¯s group.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± A few hot headed people within Zhang¡¯s group roared.

    Although there was a lack of unity and sense of belong in the Misty Mountain Sect amongst the disciples it was still nonetheless their sect and to mock it openly in their presence was basically a slap to the face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with them, those guys are from the Blood Lion Sect.¡± Someone within the group said as he placed his hand on one of the people ready brawl.

    ¡°The Blood Lion Sect? Aren¡¯t those the guys that crippled senior brother Li!?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Yea I heard Brother Li and a group of inner sect disciples were ambushed by some people from the Blood Lion Sect and had their cultivation crippled and their tendons severed. Brother Li had it especially bad since they also blinded him.¡± Someone said.

    The thought of having their cultivation crippled and their tendons severed caused many people who were going to confront the Blood Lion Sect disciples to sweat and feel shaky.

    ¡°So that bastard''s name was Li? Serves him right for acting tough and not giving us the table at the diner.¡± One of the Blood Lion Sect disciples laughed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what judges and grieves your two sects have with each other, but I would like to remind you all that this is the Crimson Sky Sect and any act of violence here will mean that you¡¯ll be disqualified from the tournament.¡± The young man who was guiding Zhang¡¯s group said while he looked at the Crimson Sky Sect disciple that was guiding the members of the Blood Lion Sect.

    ¡°A pipsqueak like you is going to threaten us?¡± A Blood Lion Sect member a large build and slanted eyebrows said angrily.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Brother Han you shouldn¡¯t, we¡¯re in their sect after all.¡± another Blood Lion sect member said, trying to stop his friend from acting stupid and getting everyone in their group in trouble.

    ¡°Hmph, the lot of you watch out. If we meet in the tournament, I¡¯ll make sure to kill all of you. To even bother competing when they have to send someone at the first stage of the fragment realm to represent them, what a shitty sect.¡± The man with slanted eyebrows said as he shot a glance at Zhang and walked off.

    ¡°Ignore him, the dog with the loudest bark is usually the one that doesn¡¯t dare to bite.¡± Cai Cao said as he patted Zhang¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhang smiled with a nod.

    Soon after the confrontation, the members of Zhang¡¯s group were led to a large courtyard with hundreds of rooms inside. A total of five hundred rooms were divided into five floors and built so they ran along the four sides of the courtyard in a square shape, leaving the center of the courtyard open.

    ¡°Each room has two beds so you¡¯ll have to share but there will be a few essence supplement pills for you all in your rooms as a gift from our sect.¡± The group¡¯s guide said before excusing himself.

    After Zhang and Cai Cao picked out a room on the second floor to stay in, they bolted the door shut and began refining the essence supplement pills that they were left for them on a table within the bedroom.

    A total of twenty essence supplement pills were split between Zhang and Cai Cao, some they stored away with the rest of their essence supplement pills while a few they began to instantly refine. Seeing the overbearing nature of some of the other contestants that they would eventually have to face only served to further encourage our two adventurers to try to grow stronger.

    While Zhang and Cai Cao were busy strengthening their cultivation, Little Red and Little Blue were playing with each other. The two pups either played tuggawar with a large fluffy pillow or ran around the room energetically.

    Although the airship was spacious the rooms they stayed in were tiny so neither of the pups were given enough space to stay together or play around but now that they were staying in the same place and with enough room available, they were gleefully playing.

    Hours passed as Zhang and Cai Cao refined essence supplement pills undisturbed while the pups continued to play with one another without rest. It was not until a knock could be heard on their door did our two adventurers cease refining and our two furry friends stopped playing.

    ¡°Brother Zhou, Brother Cai, Brother Ning has called for a strategy meeting for the first part of the tournament.¡± Someone said through the paper screen door.

    A few moments later the door leading into Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s room opened and they saw a large crowd of fellow chosen gathered up in the center of the courtyard while countless others could be seen lounging about against the wooden railing in front of their rooms, waiting for the meeting to begin.

    ¡°Brothers and sisters as you can see after today that we will be pitted against countless enemies for tournament, although some of them are weak and not worth mentioning, there are some who can defeat all of us without lifting a finger. But thankfully from information I''ve obtained from past participants the chance of obtaining victory is fairly equal for everyone.¡± A youth whose name is Ning Hao who many refer to as Brother Ning said with a projected voice.

    ¡°Like many claim, information and knowledge is power. From many past participants I''ve learned that for the first leg of the tournament we will head to one of the Crimson Sky Sect''s forbidden areas called The Forest of Beasts. Once inside the forest we are required to slay demonic beasts over the course of a month. The pelt of a beast in the fragment realm is worth one point, the pelt of a beast in the elementary realm is worth four points, while a beast in the core realm is worth ten points. Those who manage to accumulate the most points and present the pelts of the beasts they had slain as proof will be given a special prize but anyone who manages to collect a total of thirty points will be able to move into the second round. All communication from the outside world will be cut and we will only be able to rely on ourselves and those we trust. So for this first event I suggest they we all work together and make sure everyone is able to hunt down fifty demonic beasts.¡± Ning Hao said in a charisma filled manner.

    After a long pause Ning Hao began to list a few strategies that they could employ to capture and kill droning beasts.

    ¡°Couldn''t we just wait until the month is over and collect what the other sects have managed to gather?¡± Someone suggested.

    ¡°Yea if we can just work together and rob other people then they''ll be plenty of demonic beast pelts for all of us.¡± Someone else said.

    ¡°If we do that we will also decrease the number of people from the other sects who enter the second round also.¡±

    ¡°To do that we have to be able to overpower the other party but from what brother Ning just said, there are people who will be participating in this tournament who can take out all of us.¡± Zhang pointed out.

    ¡°Damn he has a point.¡± Someone else said.

    ¡°So since robbing other people is sort of out of the question, we should try to figure out a way to quickly hunt down as many demonic beasts as we can.¡± Zhang said.

    Although he was probably the weakest person present in terms of cultivation, his experience from surviving in the wild and surviving a war made his words have a little more weight to them. Each of the things he pointed out or suggested had a lot of thought behind them.

    ¡°If my hunch is right, everyone will focus on hunting down fragment realm beasts because they are the easiest and least dangerous ones to engage in battle. So if we bypass the outer ring of the forest where the weaker beasts generally live and go into the middle or maybe even inner rings we can work together and hunt the stronger beasts that are worth more points. Although the four or five or is can slay a core realm demonic beast, I''m sure a thousand of us can.¡± A young girl with snow white skin and beautiful blue eyes said.

    ¡°Sister Zhen, if we all have to work together then as a group we would need a total of thirty thousand points. Meaning we would have to at least get a thousand points a day, which means we would have to slay at least a hundred core realm beasts a day. I''m telling you guys we have to take from there if we wish for everyone to advance to the next round.¡± Someone said trying to persuade the crowd.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t even come to an agreement on what to do then why bother having this meeting.¡± Someone said with a hmph as they walked into their room and slammed the door.

    Following the first person¡¯s example many other people returned to their rooms while the remaining people splintered into two groups. One group that wanted to work together to hunt demonic beasts while the group wanted to rob other people.

    ¡°I guess we should go too.¡± Cai Cao whispered as he began walking back toward his room.

    ¡°Wait! Brother Cai and Brother Zhou.¡± Ning Hao could be heard saying.

    ¡°I know you two go everywhere together and brother Zhou won''t join my group unless brother Cai does, so how about both of you stick with us for the first round of the tournament?¡± Ning Hao asked with a sincere expression.

    ¡°Ha you want him? He''s barely even at the fragment realm.¡± One of the people in the group that wanted to rob other contestants of their demonic beast pelts laughed.

    ¡°It''s our job as disciples of the same sect to help each other. Because he is weak we must help him become strong.¡± Ning Hao said sincerely.

    With a nod from Cai Cao l, Zhang accepted Ning Hao¡¯s invitation and joined his group of fifty people.

 Chapter 20: Forgotten Thoughts

    Hi there folks, heres a new chapter of Ascending The Heavens.

    For those that read my other story, Dragon''s Soul. I might have a new chapter for you guys tonight but no promises because today my grandma passed to in her honor I''m cooking dinner and offerings and what not. So busy busy T_T.

    ==============================================================================================

    A day after Zhang had arrived at the Crimson Sky Sect the rules for the first stage of the tournament was disclosed. The rules turned out to be the exact same rules that Ning Hao had said during the strategy meeting and due to this a few more people decided to join his group for the tournament. With a total of seventy people in his group, with Zhang and Cai Cao included, Ning Hao seemed very confident on entering into the second stage of the tournament.

    After the rules were disclosed, Zhang and Cai Cao had spent most of their days either in their room or attending meetings with Ning Hao¡¯s group. Unlike the other chosen of the Misty Mountain Sect who were enjoying their stay in the Crimson Sky Sect by making friends with people from the other sects or attending various gatherings and demonstrations that were being held, Zhang and Cai Cao preferred to spend the majority of their time furthering their cultivation or playing with their two fuzz ball friends and only attending the group meetings when they have to.

    Over the course of two weeks after their arrival and through the refinement of many essential supplement pills, Zhang¡¯s cultivation had reached the mid stage of the fragment realm. Regularly this would be viewed as a miracle but if one considered the fact that every chosen were given a hundred essence supplement pills and ten midgrade demon cores even getting to the elementary realm was possible. With due time of course because refining midgrade demonic cores and a hundred or so essence pills would take quite some time.

    Even though Zhang stepped into the mid stages of the fragment realm he still had to work hard to catch up to the other chosen who were all at the later stages of the fragment realm or the early stages of the elementary realm. In Cai Cao¡¯s case, he was in the mid stages of the elementary realm and was nearing a breakthrough.

    After cultivating for nearly two weeks straight, today all of the chosen of the Misty Mountain Sect were gathered in their courtyard. Each chosen had a sack filled with their belongings slung over their backs and their swords dangling from their waists.

    Today, unlike any other day was the day everyone was to report to the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s central colosseum, today would be the day when the Crimson Sky Tournament began.

    ¡°Everyone please follow me; I¡¯ll be taking you all to the central colosseum.¡± The same young man that had guided the group when they landed said.

    Soon after the young man spoke, the one thousand chosen of the Misty Mountain Sect filed out from their courtyard. Every main walkway or street within the Crimson Sky Sect¡¯s grounds were now filled with people who were heading to the colosseum, some were participants while others were simply here to watch.

    Of the people who were simply here to watch, the people of the nine great influences stood out the most. Hundreds of disciples from each of the great influences whose cultivations ranged from the elementary realm to the core realm showed off the power that each of the great influences possessed.

    Each disciple from any one of the great influences could be said to be dragons among men, trained from young ages and given the best that there was, there was no way disciples from sects like Zhang¡¯s could compare to them. They did not even bother to enter the tournament but rather came just to watch.

    Besides the great influences, there were also a large number of sectless masters who often attend to join in on the fun.

    As Zhang and the others were lead through the Crimson Sky Sect, he could not help but look in awe at the splendor that was around him. Such splendor reminded him of his home before the flames of war burned it to ash.

    While being reminded of his old home as he admired the splendor and lavish buildings of the Crimson Sky Sect, a thought suddenly ran through Zhang¡¯s mind. He suddenly remembered about the letter that was left on the drawer by his bed and the black ring that he wore around his finger.

    The phrase written on the letter had slipped Zhang¡¯s mind after he had reached the fragment realm due to so many events happening one after the other.

    But from out of the blue, a certain phrase reappeared in his mind. ¡°Treasure this ring for it holds what you have lost. Upon reaching the fragmented realm all shall be clear.¡±

    Tracing his finger around the black ring Zhang could not tell if it was any different from any other ring, but as far as the little knowledge he had about magical items went, if you inject a tiny bit of essence into them they should activate.

    With that thought in mind, a bit of Zhang¡¯s essence flowed into the ring and a faint glow began to emit from it. Dozens of tiny runes began to light up and Zhang¡¯s consciousness seemed as if it was taken somewhere else, somewhere familiar.

    It was not until Zhang¡¯s consciousness saw a familiar stone statue that he realized this place was his family¡¯s tomb. Looking around, the bodies of many generations of the Zhou clan could be seen.

    Soon the memories flooded into Zhang¡¯s mind as he recalled all of the times he had been in this tomb to pay respects to his ancestors. However, there was something different about the tomb, the atmosphere inside had completely changed.

    Although Zhang was not able to describe it something in his mind was telling him that there was something out of the ordinary. While he couldn¡¯t put his finger on what was wrong, Zhang spotted the vast amount of gold that was left in the clan¡¯s tomb from the corner of his eye.

    However, it was only Zhang¡¯s consciousness that was within the tomb and not his actual body so he thought he could not move anything.

    ¡°If only I could take some of these. It sucks not having a dime to my name¡­¡± Zhang thought as he imagined himself reaching out and picking up a gold coin.

    ¡°Brother Zhang! Brother Zhang!¡± Cai Cao¡¯s voice rang out in his mind.

    With a jolt of Zhang¡¯s body, his eyes were soon gazing at the vast halls of the Crimson Sky Sect once more and runes on his ring went dim. Unknown to Zhang within his ring the stone spirit tablet that the statue of the Zhou Clan¡¯s ancestor was hold began to glow. Dozens of runes began to appear within the center section of the spirit tablet. Before long a jade medallion could be seen embedded into the stone tablet.

    ¡°Hurry up or else we¡¯re going to fall behind the rest of the group.¡± Cai Cao said as he pulled Zhang¡¯s arm.

    ¡°O-okay.¡± Zhang said as he and Cai Cao began trying to catch up the others, while a shiny gold coin could be seen from the cracks of Zhang¡¯s hand as he moved forward.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± He thought when he finally noticed the gold coin in his hand.

    ¡°Hey brother Cai, is there some kind of magical treasure that can house things?¡± Zhang asked while running alongside Cai Cao, trying to make sense of how the gold coin appeared in his hand.

    ¡°There are interspatial rings, but they are usually very expensive and rare because only people at the Enlightened realm or higher can make them. I don¡¯t have one but I heard interspatial rings that are made by an Enlightened realm cultivator¡¯s can hold up to about two cubic meters of space. The higher the cultivation the person who forged the ring the more space it will have. Unless you''re lucky and find an ancient interspatial ring, those things have infinite space inside of them.¡± Cai Cao said to Zhang.

    ¡°Infinite space¡­¡± Zhang thought.

    ¡°Alright everyone please make your way into the colosseum floor.¡± The group¡¯s guide said, breaking Zhang¡¯s thought train.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Cai Cao said as he stuck really close to Zhang, as if he was hiding from someone and was using Zhang as cover.

    ¡°Welcome honored guests and participants!¡± A voice rang out throughout the entire colosseum. At the far end of the colosseum, opposite of the entrance that Zhang entered from, up in a balcony was an elderly looking man dressed in a crimson colored cloak could be seen.

    ¡°In a few moments the first leg of the tournament will begin, and to prevent any unnecessary casualties or mishaps when the participants face off against the beasts of the forest, we have prepared a jade slip for each of you. If you find yourself in danger within the forest, simply break the jade slip and you''ll be teleported to safety. Of course it would also mean that you will be taken out of the tournament.¡± The elderly man said in a loud and dignified manner as he waved his hand and made thousands of rays of light fly through the sky.

    ¡°Pssst, brother Cai who''s that.¡± Zhang whispered as one of the many rays of light appeared in front of him and presented a floating jade slip.

    ¡°That man is none other than the master of the Crimson Sky Sect, Hong Chi. Now pay attention, we should be moving to the forest of beasts soon.¡± Cai Cao whispered as he grabbed the jade slip in front of himself.

    ¡°I would like to remind you all that once the tournament begins and your all in the Forest of Beasts, there will be no one to supervise you and no one to watch out for you so be vigilant.¡± Hong Chi said reminding everyone that whatever happens in the Forest of Beasts will not be seen by the outside world.

    ¡°Now the tournament begins! Grab onto your friends now or you¡¯ll get lost from each other.¡± Hong Chi laughed as thousands of glowing runes began to appear underneath the feet of the contestants.

    Seeing the runes and hearing Hong Chi¡¯s words, many of the tournament¡¯s contestants grabbed hold of their friends and teammates.

    ¡°Damn... Why did it have to be teleportation magic¡­¡± Cai Cao cursed as Zhang grabbed his hand while a ray of blinding light filled the colosseum. Once blinding light faded away, all of the participants were no longer in the colosseum.

    ¡°Everyone, I have a banquet prepared for all of you, please follow as your guides will lead the way.¡± Chi Hong said to the people who were present but no in the tournament.

    As Zhang opened his eyes and looked around, he found himself surrounded by trees and nature. As far as the eye could see there were no signs of civilization, nor people. Of all the things Zhang did not see, Cai Cao was included, which was strange because Zhang had grabbed his hand before they were teleported away. While Zhang was lost in thought, the bush in front of him began to move back and forth.

    ¡°Who''s there? Come out!¡± He said as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. However, before Zhang withdrew his sword from its scabbard, a furry beast emerged from behind the bush.

    ¡°Little Blue!¡± Zhang said happily as the furry wolf pup charged at him and jumped into his arms.

    ¡°That reminds me.¡± Zhang thought as he placed Little Blue onto the ground and let Little Red from the sack that he was being carried in.

    ¡°Little Blue where¡¯d your master go?¡± Zhang asked.

    However Little Blue simply barked once and rubbed itself against Zhang¡¯s leg.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll run into him eventually. I should go find shelter for us in the meantime.¡± Zhang said as he and his two fur balls headed off into the forest.

    ¡°You two bark if you sense anyone or anything coming near us.¡± Zhang said as he looked down towards the pups.

    With two barks, Little Red and Little Blue assumed the roles as the look outs while the group was moving through the woods.

    While Zhang was seeking shelter, the other participants focused their efforts elsewhere.  The moment they arrived in the Forest of Beasts, they all began scouring the area of demonic beasts.

    There were even a few people who were already engaging demonic beasts in battle. Then there were a few people who were unlucky and killed by demonic beasts because they either overestimated their own abilities or underestimated the abilities of the demonic beasts.

    Although everyone was given a jade slip which would teleport them out of the forest if it was broken, when considering how strong a demonic beast is compared to someone at the same level of cultivation, the chance of successfully being able to pull out a jade slip and break it in mid combat against one was slim to none.

    So for the most part, Zhang¡¯s approach toward this part of the tournament could be said to be the safest. Instead of looking for trouble he would find a position and fortify it, then only when he was certain he could over power his prey would he act.

    However, this also meant that there was a chance that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hunt enough demonic beasts to make it to the second stage of the tournament, but in the end one¡¯s priority should be one¡¯s life instead of the tournament.

    As Zhang and the pups walked through the forest they stumbled upon a tightly woven clump of trees and when they managed to crawl through the interlocked branches and vines, they found a small open space. With countless vines and branches to provide them cover, Zhang decided to set up camp here.

    After finding an ideal spot to stay, Zhang quickly began to dig a fire pit and gathering leaves and stuff to further conceal his location. Unlike the other participants who solely lived their lives cultivating and had little to no knowledge in regards to living in the wild, Zhang had obtained the perfect set of skills to survive in the wild thanks to the training he had received before.

    So if one viewed demonic beasts are mere animals then out of the group of people in the forest Zhang was the best equipped person to make it to the next stage of the tournament.

 Update

Heya folks sorry for the lack of updates for the past two days, I''ve had to take some midterms for my college classes and work so I haven''t had much time to write but hopefully after I finish my last mid term today ill have some free time. Hope you all have a great day and see you all soon.

 Chapter 21: Visitor

    While the moon¡¯s rays were blocked out of sight by the dense forest canopy, Zhang, and the pups kept each other warm in the clump of trees that they had found earlier. To be on the safe side Zhang did not start a fire and simply gathered a bunch of dried leaves to use as insulation to keep himself and the pups warm.

    As the cold night¡¯s wind howled through the twisting tree branches and the snaking vines the sound of snapping twigs awoke the two sleeping pups. With their ears perked up and their eyes glowing in the dark, the pups sprang to their feet and nudged at their master until he awoke.

    ¡°What is it, boy?¡± Zhang asked the pups before he too heard the sound of snapping twigs.

    While Zhang quickly grabbing his sword and placing his hand on its hilt, the two pups charged out from their clump of trees.

    Following their lead, Zhang also charged out of the clump of trees to find a shadowy figure lying on the ground with the two pups atop of it.

    As he got closer and closer Zhang¡¯s sword was withdrawn from his scabbard and he was prepared to attack. Without any doubt in his mind, he knew for certain that he could not trust most of the people in their forest and if he was not prepared to kill then he would be killed.

    ¡°Sto-sto-stop.¡± A voice drifted into Zhang¡¯s ears as he arrived in front of the shadowy figure pinned down by the pups.

    To his surprise, the pups were actually not attacking but instead were covering their victim in saliva. Once the faint glimmers of moonlight that managed to peek through the thick canopy landed upon the shadowy figure a familiar face came into view.

    ¡°Wenji! What are you doing here? Where¡¯s your group?¡± Zhang asked with a surprised look on his face as he saw the girl of his dreams appear before him in one of the most unlikely of places.

    ¡°I got separated when we were teleported here.¡± Wenji said as her eyes twinkled as a bright ray of moonlight acted like a spotlight and shone onto her. If one thought about it such a large ray of moonlight being able to pierce through the thick forest canopy was highly unlikely however Zhang was too mesmerized to bother with logic.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s not safe out here.¡± Zhang said as he helped Wenji up from the ground and handed her a handkerchief to wipe off some of the drool the pups had slathered her face with.

    To be honest, if the pups did not react the way they did to Wenji then Zhang would not have been certain if she was really who she appeared to be.

    So after leading Wenji through the twisting vines and branches to his not so hidden hideout, Zhang helped prepare a bed of leaves for her while trying to strike up a conversation.

    ¡°The pups sure have taken a liking to you.¡± Zhang said with a smile as he nudged Little Red who was lying beside him.

    ¡°They sure have.¡± Wenji laughed as she rubbed Little Blue¡¯s head gently.

    Since it was late and there was a long day ahead once the sun rose, after some chitchat Zhang and Wenji reach covered themselves in leaves and went to sleep. If anyone were to approach then their furry sentries will alert them and either attack or cover the intruder in salvia, perhaps both.

    So as the dried leaves provided them with a hint of warm, and while the twisting vines kept them safe as the night grew darker, Zhang and Wenji fell into a deep sleep. But once their faces were covered in saliva thanks to their two furry companions, Zhang and Wenji awoke to a beautiful morning sun that was just peeking into the forest through small gaps in the canopy.

    ¡°Would you like me to help you find your group? Or maybe we can just stick together like we are now?¡± Zhang asked Wenji once they were both awake, trying to guide her into staying with him.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll have me then I¡¯ll stick around.¡± Wenji replied with a smile after a moment of silence.

    ¡°So the first order of business is food and shelter, then we worry about hunting those demonic beasts.¡± Zhang said as he stood up from where he was sitting and picked up his sword.

    ¡°Okay, you work on getting the food and I¡¯ll build the shelter.¡± Wenji replied.

    With a nod, Zhang and the two pups headed into the woods to try to find out if there were any animals to hunt while Wenji stayed in the clump of trees, collecting wood and building shelter.

    First, she gathered dozens of long tree limbs that had fallen to the ground and then leaned them against each other and bound them together with small vines. Once the branches were tightly tied together, she proceeded to cover it¡¯s outside with an abundance of leaves and branches.

    Not long after as Wenji wiped the sweat off her brow, a hut large enough for two people and two furry canines stood erected in front of her. The hut came equipped with two beds of leaves and even a curtain made of vines.

    ¡°Now to make some finishing touches.¡± Wenji said with a smile as she continued constructing the hut.

    In the meantime, Zhang and the two pups were stealthily making their way through the woods, trying to not be seen or detected. Their objective was to either track down from regular animals or a fragmented realm demonic beasts, since any demonic beast that was stronger than the fragmented realm would give Zhang and the pups a hard time.

    ¡°You two keep your noses out, I want to make a good impression on her.¡± Zhang whispered to the pups as he imagined himself dragging back a tiger or something of the like back to camp and showing Wenji how strong and courageous he was.

    With a bark from the two pups are a reply Zhang continued to move through the forest. Before long the pups picked up the scent of some animal within the area and jolted into a bush.

    Before Zhang could draw his sword and run after them, Little Red jumped back out of the bush with a rabbit in its mouth. After it arrived at where Zhang was standing and dropping its prey onto the ground, Little Red gazed at Zhang with a triumphant look on its face.

    Not long after Little Blue returned and began barking at Zhang, signaling for him to follow him as it jumped back into the bush. With his sword still drawn and Little Red¡¯s rabbit safely stored away into a sack, Zhang followed Little Blue into the bush while Little Red scurried behind him.

    ¡°What is it boy?¡± Zhang asked as he made his way through the bush.

    With a bark, Zhang saw Little Red sit proudly beside the body of a freshly killed deer. Once it caught sight of its sibling, Little Red posed triumphantly by putting one of its paws atop the dead deer¡¯s body.

    ¡°Alright enough showing off, let''s head back to camp.¡± Zhang laughed as he looked at how silly the tiny pup was standing atop the deer that was roughly a dozen times its size.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    So after putting Little Blue and Little Red for a job well done, Zhang hoisted the deer over his shoulder and began heading back towards camp. With the deer and rabbit as their food source, Zhang, Wenji and the pups would have enough to feed themselves for the next few days.

    As they were moving through the woods the pups suddenly stopped in their tracks and their fur stood on end. Soon the sound of tumbling trees was audible and echoed throughout the forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what¡¯s happening.¡± Zhang said to the pups. Although the logical choice would be to return to camp and try to avoid stumbling upon trouble, Zhang felt it was best to observe the occurrences that happen around him so he knows how to deal with them when they happen to come his way.

    It did not take long for Zhang and the pups to arrive at the scene where all of the commotions wer originating from, while hiding within a bush and peeking out, Zhang and the pups saw a group of fifteen or so cultivators battling a sloth that towered above them.

    ¡°Everyone attack at once, catch the Snow Sloth off guard!¡± One of the cultivators yelled to his comrades.

    From the looks of things, Zhang could tell that the sloth was at least at the Elementary Realm and that the cultivators were struggling to overpower it, since many of them had large gashes that were visible through their ragged robes while the sloth itself only had some minor injuries.

    ¡°You two be quiet so we don¡¯t catch anyone¡¯s attention.¡± Zhang said in a soft whisper. Since the two pups themselves were demonic beasts, there was a possibility that people would possibly harm them to get points for the tournament. So for the most part Zhang and Cai Cao had kept them out of sight when they were out in public.

    ¡°Use the fire talismans!¡± One of the cultivators fighting the Snow Sloth said as he pulled out a red colored talisman from his robes and sent it flying toward the sloth.

    Moments later once the talisman struck the sloth a small explosion occurred as a coat of flames appeared on the Snow Sloth.

    Although it was coated in fire the Snow Sloth continued to attack the cultivators with a flurry of attacks, most of them missed but for the few unlucky people who were struck a massive amount of damage was dealt. There were even a few people who after being struck by the massive sloth losing consciousness and having streams of blood flow out of the corners of their mouths.

    ¡°They''re probably dead¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as he looked at a few of the people whose bodies smashed into trees and went limp.

    As the cultivators fell to the fury of the Snow Sloth, Zhang¡¯s anticipation continued to increase and his eyes began to shine. If everyone in this group of cultivators were killed then once the sloth left, Zhang would be able to loot all of their things or better yet if the sloth died too then he would be able to claim it¡¯s pelt. In the end, no matter the outcome he would not suffer any losses and only stood to gain.

    Before long the Snow Sloth¡¯s was charred black while half of the cultivators that were engaging in battle with it laying on the ground either dead of heavily injured. The pace of the battle moved so quickly there wasn''t even an opportunity for any of the combatants to think about pulling out their jade slips and withdrawing from the tournament.

    If there was even a moment of hesitation in their moments, then a single strike from the Snow Sloth would prove to be disastrous.

    ¡°Retreat! Pull the wounded out of here and retreat!¡± Someone yelled, prompting many of the combatants to flee.

    But of course sometimes fleeing wasn''t the best decisions, mostly because once someone started running away they would no longer have vision on their opponent, in this case, the Snow Sloth. As a few people were fleeing they had the misfortune of being pursued by the sloth.

    Like many people say, a person''s misfortune is another person¡¯s fortune because once the sloth and the other cultivators departed, Zhang made his way out of the bush and began checking the bodies of those who had been killed in battle for usable things.

    ¡°You two keep watch and tell me if anyone or anything comes around here.¡± Zhang said to the pups as he bent over and began searching one of the dead cultivators.

    ¡°I think this is a fire talisman.¡± Zhang thought as he found a few red colored talismans.

    Of the group of fifteen cultivators, a total of five of them had been slain by the sloth and from their bodies Zhang was able to recover a large variety of things. Some he could identify while others he could only guess their uses, but whatever Zhang could find he would stuff them into the sack that was slung over his shoulder.

    Upon checking the last body Zhang and the pups began heading back to their camp after retrieving their deer that had been left in the bush they were in when the fight was unfolding.

    Wary of being followed back to camp, Zhang had the wolves on high alert and on constant watch.

    Although the sloth was not slain and Zhang could not collect its pelt for the tournament, he had made a tremendous haul taking the treasures that the other contestants had.

    By the time the sun set Zhang and the pups had arrived in front of the clump of trees where their camp and Wenji were waiting.

    To Zhang¡¯s amazement, a large warm looking hut came into view after he pushed past the dense branches and twisting vines that kept their camp hidden.

    ¡°Welcome back.¡± Wenji¡¯s voice could be heard coming out of the hut.

    ¡°We¡¯re back.¡± Zhang said as he walked toward the hut while making sure the deer he hoisted over his shoulder was showing.

    Although he had no part in hunting the deer he would certainly not miss out on claiming credit for doing so to make a good impression on his crush.

    ¡°I''ll get to cooking if you can start us a fire in the meantime.¡± Wenji said before she began preparing the deer for dinner.

    With a nod Zhang started creating a fire pit by digging a hole in the ground and before long a fire small enough not to give up their location was lit.

    Afterward, a large flat surfaced rock was lodged into the sides the hole and began to glow red with heat.

    Since they did not have pots and pans, the rock would act as a natural frying pan that will be used to cook the deer meat.

    Once Zhang finished his task and Wenji arrived beside him with some deer meat, a sizzling sound could be heard as they placed the fresh deer meat on the fiery hot rock.

 Chapter 22: The Hunt

    As the deer meat finished cooking atop the fiery hot stone, it was placed on two plates that Zhang had kept in a sack. Upon being placed on the plates Zhang noticed how unappetizing the deer meat looked for some reason however once he took a bit of it, there was no doubt in his mind that Wenji¡¯s cooking was delicious.

    ¡°This tastes familiar... ¡°Zhang thought as he ate but couldn¡¯t quite straighten out his thoughts.

    After a hearty meal, Zhang poured out the sack of things that he had scavenged off of the bodies of the cultivators slain by the Snow Sloth and began asking Wenji about their uses. He felt there needed to be a sense of trust within their group so he did not even think of hoarding all of the treasures to himself.

    Rather than hiding things, since Wenji would definitely be more knowledgeable than him regarding the uses of the treasures he figured he should ask her because knowing the uses of the treasures would be much more beneficial to him than just lugging around a whole sack full of them.

    ¡°These ones here are fire talismans that will instantly ignite whatever they are stuck on once a bit of essence is poured into them.¡± Wenji said as she picked up on of the red colored talismans.

    ¡°These scrolls here will summon stone soldiers who will obey the summoner¡¯s every command, they are comparable to fragment realm cultivators.¡±

    ¡°These are Frost talismans that will instantly freeze what they are stuck on.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this copper plate here is able to block a single attack from a core realm cultivator, once a day.¡± Wenji said as she held up an ordinary looking copper plate.

    Once they had gone through every item that Zhang had collected, although Zhang insisted that Wenji takes half of the treasures in the end she only took a few talismans and told him to keep the rest, which served to improve her image in Zhang¡¯s mind even more.

    While stuffing the loot back into his sack, Zhang realized that he had totally forgotten about something. He had forgotten to attempt to store things away into the black ring that he wore, he knew that he could withdraw things out of it like the gold coin that he had previously taken out. But he was not sure if he was able to put things away.

    So while Wenji was busy cleaning the dishes, Zhang sat on the ground and imagined all of the things within the sack in front of him disappearing and reappearing within his clan¡¯s tomb, which is inside the black ring.

    After a few attempts, a small pile of things appeared within the space within the black ring while Zhang¡¯s sack was emptied.

    So with his things safely stored away and with the night growing colder, Zhang walked into the large hut that Wenji had constructed and sat down. As he sat down he suddenly realized that there was only a single hut and without counting the pups there were two people. That was when his heart began to beat quickly and his mind began to spin.

    ¡°We-we are sleeping together? In the same hut?¡± He thought as his gaze left the inside of the hut and focused on the otherworldly beauty playing with the pups outside. Generally, men and women do not even stay in the same room together alone let alone sleep in the same place, especially those who have only known each other for a short amount of time.

    When accounting for the number of times that Zhang and Wenji had met each other, Zhang couldn¡¯t even imagine what was going to happen.

    But of course, it did because not long after Zhang entered the hut, Wenji, and the pups made their way in too. Before long they were both snug underneath two separate beds of leaves while the pups curled up to stay warm. Silly as it was, Zhang could not fall asleep as his heart raced every time he saw the beautiful girl lying not too far from where he was.

    So for most of the night Zhang was wide awake and only was able to fall asleep once fatigue truly got the better of them and sent him to the land of dreams.

    =====================================================================

    Once the sun rose and the dreams ended, with a decent supply of food at hand, Zhang and Wenji decided it was time for them to actively go hunt Demonic Beasts for the tournament. Their plan was having the pups track down fragmented realm demonic beasts and hunt two or three a day until they both end up with thirty pelts since trying to go for elementary realm or higher demonic beasts would prove to be very dangerous with only the two of them and the pups.

    With the pups taking the lead, Zhang and Wenji departed from camp and walked off into the forest.

    ¡°Keep your eyes out for any signs of movement.¡± Zhang whispered to Wenji who was walking beside him. Not only did they have to keep an eye out for demonic beasts but they also had to keep an eye out for the other contestants of the tournament.

    After they had walked a considerable distance from camp the two pups caught the scent of something and began to quicken their pace, leading Zhang and Wenji through thick underbrush. The vines and bushes eventually became so thick that Zhang had to use his sword to hack away at them to create a path.

    Before long the group arrived in front of a hillside with a total of six small caves cut into its side. Peering inside one of the caves, Zhang could see something curled up in a brown colored ball.

    With a bark, Little Red and Little Blue charged toward one of the caves but before they could get very far out of from the tree line, the creatures living in the caves awoke and made their way outside.

    ¡°Diamond Tooth Rats¡­ They teeth are as hard as diamonds so be careful to not get bit.¡± Wenji said calmly as she pulled out a dagger that was hidden behind a stash that was tied around her waist.

    Perhaps it was because of the terrain within the forest or the number of predators because demonic beasts such as Diamond Tooth Rats generally live in massive hordes, but there were currently only six.

    ¡°Use the Frost Talismans.¡± Wenji said as a blue colored talisman shot out from her hand.

    Breaths later a similar looking blue colored talisman also flew out of Zhang¡¯s hand toward one of the Diamond Tooth Rats.

    Since they were currently outnumbered four to six, Wenji was attempting to freeze some of the rats to ensure that Zhang and herself would not be overwhelmed once the battle began.

    Although the rats were fragment realm demonic beasts, they were comparable to those at the peak of the fragment realm and neared the elementary realm in terms of power. Which meant if anyone in Zhang¡¯s group had to face more than one rat at a time they would be easily overwhelmed.

    Sadly, only one of the two talismans managed to hit its target while the other stuck to the ground and caused a layer of ice to cover the ground.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.¡°Damn¡­ I missed¡­¡± Zhang cursed as another blue color talisman shot out of his hand as the Diamond Tooth Rats began to charge once one of their kin was turned into an ice cube. Luckily for Zhang as the rats were charging blindly toward him one of them was struck by his second talisman after sliding on the layer of ice that formed due to the first talisman. Seconds after the talisman stuck onto it, half of the Diamond Tooth Rat¡¯s body was frozen solid.

    As the Diamond Tooth rats closed in, Zhang, Wenji and the pups also charged with weapons and claws ready to draw blood.

    Despite their small size the two pups were evenly matched with the rats in terms of cultivation and power, rather they were a tiny bit faster. However due to their small size compared to the rats who were about the size of a person, the pups had trouble dealing large amounts of damage.

    Their claws were too short and their fangs would not pierce too deep, making it difficult to slay their opponents.

    Zhang on the other hand had his black sword that was able to deal massive damage to the rats as he unleashed a wild frenzy of attacks. Sideward swings followed up by backhanded slashes made it so even if his attacks missed the next one would definitely hit.

    But of course despite the fact that Zhang was dealing a substantial damage to his opponent, it was nowhere close to meeting its demise.

    While Zhang and the pups were each dealing with their own opponents, Wenji was making quick work of hers. With her unnaturally sharp dagger she carved up the Diamond Tooth Rat that was fighting her. With a few quick slashes and skillful movements, she was able to cut the tendons on its hind legs, rendering its mobility obsolete.

    Without the ability to run or dodge the rat became a sitting duck and was quickly slain by a slash through the neck after its arms were disabled. Once she finished off her opponent Wenji set her eyes on the rat that was half frozen.

    Seeing how Wenji had already finished off her opponent, Zhang doubled his efforts causing his sword swings to contain double the force that it had before. After hacking off one of that rat¡¯s arms and a leg, Zhang was finally able to put it out of its misery by stabbing through the back of its neck as it laid on the ground.

    Making sure his prey was dead Zhang went to aid Little Blue who was the one nearest to him. The Diamond Tooth Rat that had been fighting Little Blue was covered in light wounds that caused its brown fur to drip with blood. The moment Zhang came to Little Blue¡¯s aid the Diamond Tooth Rat¡¯s fate was sealed and it was quickly killed by Zhang with a slash across its neck.

    Once it¡¯s opponent was slain, Little Blue quickly sped to where it¡¯s sibling Little Red was to lend its support. The rat that Little Red had been fighting was basically on its last limb by the time Little Blue arrived to help. With an eye missing and dozens of bite marks by its neck, the rat was bleeding profusely. Since it was already losing when facing only a single pup, now that there were two, the Diamond Tooth Rat was quickly killed.

    ¡°All done over here.¡± Wenji said as she pulled her dagger out of the block of ice that the last Diamond Rat was encased in.

    ¡°Let¡¯s collect the pelts, claws and fangs and get moving.¡± Zhang said to Wenji as he crouched down over the corpse of one of the rats.

    As quickly as the events seemed, quite some time had passed and it was best to not stay in one place for too long since the sound of fighting and the smell of blood was bound to attract unwanted visitors.

    After sheathing his sword, Zhang produced a short dagger from his robes and began dismembering the corpses of the Diamond Tooth Rats. Much like the time the Graveyard, after pelting and retrieving the claws and diamond like fangs of the rats, Zhang collected some of their blood and checked if any of them possessed demonic cores.

    ¡°Don¡¯t collect the meat. We aren¡¯t eating rat.¡± Wenji said with a laugh as she saw that Zhang was about to up off the hind legs of one of the rats.

    With a smile, Zhang wiped off the blood from his dagger before putting it away. After hearing Wenji¡¯s words Zhang felt a bit silly because the thought of eating rat meat had never occurred in his head until she reminded him.

    But what Zhang and Wenji do not eat, the pups were quick to enjoy. Each pup could be seen gnawing on a large bone and having their fill of Diamond Tooth Rat Meat while Zhang and Wenji were working on pelting the last few rats.

    Soon after with their loot in sacks slung over their shoulders, Zhang, Wenji and the pups headed back to their camp. The pelts were equally divided so that Zhang and Wenji would each get three points for the tournament, which is without a doubt a good day¡¯s hunt compared to what the other contestants could possibly have gone through.

    However, the day was not over yet and there were still many dangers lurking in the woods so Zhang, Wenji and the pups had to stay alert while navigating through the dense forest.

    If they happen to run into some strong demonic beasts or a group of contestants, then their harvest may be lost and perhaps their lives too. To an extent their fears were true because a while after the group departed from the caves where the Diamond Tooth Rats dwelled, dozens of other demonic beasts appeared to feast on the flesh that remained after catching the scent of free blood.

    ¡°We make a good team.¡± Zhang said as he and Wenji were walking through the forest.

    ¡°We do.¡± Wenji replied with a nod and a smile.

    With three points each they only needed to kill another fifty-four demonic beasts to make it to the next stage of the tournament, and with roughly twenty-seven days remaining all they needed to do was to hunt at least four demonic beasts a day. Well, to be exact they only needed to obtain four demonic beast pelts a day, since as long as they possess the pelts at the end of the tournament it did not matter if they killed the demonic beasts or not.

    So with that in mind, the last few days in the forest would be the most dangerous because everyone would try to find and rob those who have enough points to move onto the next stage of the tournament. However, there were still many days before the tournament would reach that point so Zhang¡¯s first priority is still to survive and not get in over his head.

    With prime examples such at the cultivators who attacked the Snow Sloth to show him what recklessness and ill planning resulted in, Zhang was sure to move carefully and only attack demonic beasts that he felt he could defeat.

    Had they not run into Diamond Tooth Rats but instead something stronger then he would have instantly fled while gripping the jade slip used to teleport out of the forest in his hand.

 Chapter 23: One Tent Please!

    For the next ten days, Zhang, Wenji and the pups continued to leave camp in search of fragment realm demonic beasts, on some occasions they would run what they were seeking while on others they would stumble upon situations where they had to run for their lives. Such situations included but were not limited to running into elementary or profound realm demonic beasts and almost running into other contestants.

    There was even one time where Zhang and Wenji witnessed members of the Blood Lion sect attacking other contestants and robbing them of their belongings, which prompted the two to be even more wary when out looking for prey.

    However today, the fourteenth day of the first stage of the tournament, everything changed for our two hunters. This was because while Zhang and Wenji were on their way back to camp after successfully hunting a demonic beast, they ran into one of Zhang¡¯s acquaintances.

    ¡°Brother Zhang!? Is that you!?¡± A voice rang out from behind a bush as Zhang and Wenji were following the pups through the woods. Looking toward the direction that the voice was coming from Zhang saw a familiar face.

    ¡°Brother Ning Hao?¡± Zhang asked in a surprised tone.

    Soon enough, Ning Hao and a dozen other silhouettes and people appeared from within the woods.

    ¡°Brother Zhang it¡¯s great to see that you are alright.¡± Ning Hao said with a smile.

    ¡°May I ask who this is and where is Brother Cai?¡± He asked after a slight pause once he laid eyes on Wenji. Soon after he reached his hand out and offered to shake Wenji¡¯s hand.

    ¡°This is my friend Wenji, as for Brother Cai I was separated from him when we were teleported here.¡± Zhang said as he introduced Wenji to Ning Hao. After which with a bit of reluctance, Wenji reached out her hand and shook hands with Ning Hao.  Strangely enough, when Ning Hao and Wenji began to shake hands Little Red and Little Blue began to bark angrily.

    ¡°Demonic beasts!¡± A few people yelled as they spotted the pups.

    ¡°Calm down boy.¡± Zhang said as he crouched down and rubbed the two pups as Wenji pulled her hand away from Ning Hao. While Zhang was calming the pups down a few of Ning Hao¡¯s followers had drawn their swords.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright they are friendly.¡± Wenji said with a bright smile as she picked up one of the pups and hugged.

    Soon after some talking and assurances, swords were put away and no one looked at the pups with hostility any longer.

    ¡°Brother Zhang if you don¡¯t mind me asking, how many beasts have you managed to hunt so far and how about sticking with us? We have a pretty good system going amongst the group and everyone is on a steady path to getting enough points for the next stage of the tournament.¡± Ning Hao said to Zhang.

    ¡°I think we are fine with just the two of us, as for demonic beasts we haven¡¯t had much luck and were only able to catch a single one.¡± Wenji said as she stood beside Zhang, shoulder to shoulder while pulling out the pelt of the demonic beast that she and Zhang had just hunted not too long ago.

    ¡°Only one? If so I insist that both of you stick with us, we¡¯ll be able to help each other.¡± Ning Hao said with a smile as he eyed the pelt.

    ¡°If you insist then we¡¯ll be happy to join you Brother Ning Hao.¡± Zhang said with a smile.

    ¡°Alright, follow me and I¡¯ll take you back to our camp.¡± Ning Hao said with a grin as he gestured for Zhang and Wenji to follow him and his people, not bothering to ask if Zhang or Wenji had to go back to wherever they had set up camp to retrieve their things.

    But had Ning Hao bothered to ask, Zhang would have told them that they have all of their belongings on their body and did not have a camp set up. This was because even after all of the time that Zhang had spent with Ning Hao, a part of him could never come to completely trust the person in question.

    This was because, from a young age, Zhang had always been taught that nothing in the world is free and that everyone has a hidden agenda. Had it not been for the time he and Cai Cao spent together and the situations they had gone through then Zhang wouldn¡¯t entirely trust Cai Cao either. As for Wenji, Zhang felt an unexplainable familiarity with her that allowed him to trust her wholeheartedly regardless of the fact of him liking her or not.

    After trekking through the forest for nearly an hour, Ning Hao led Zhang and Wenji toward a large cave that opened up on the side of a mountain that was located towards the center of the Beast¡¯s Forest.

    Upon nearing the cave, dozens of tents and people could be seen inside.

    ¡°Welcome to our camp.¡± Ning Hao said with a proud smile to which Wenji replied with a snort.

    Throughout the entire trip to the camp, she had noticed Ning Hao glancing at her and Zhang, which prompted her to stick even closer to Zhang then she had done before while at the same time causing her to dislike Ning Hao.

    ¡°The gaze of a lecher¡­¡± She thought as Ning Hao led the group into the cave where they were greeted by dozens of people who were inside.

    ¡°It appears the group expanded after entering the forest.¡± Zhang said as he noticed a bunch of new faces that were not a part of the Misty Mountain Sect.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been allowing people from other sects to join our group since it¡¯ll help strengthen the group as a whole. With so many hidden dangers in this places, numbers are surely needed.¡± Ning Hao said.

    ¡°If not for Brother Ning Hao I would have died to a group of demonic beasts.¡± Someone nearby said.

    ¡°You two must be tired, let me show you to where we keep the vacant tents for new arrivals are.¡± Ning Hao said.

    ¡°One tent will be enough for the two of us.¡± Wenji said.

    ¡°One tent?¡± Ning Hao asked with a perplexed look on his face.

    ¡°One tent please.¡± Wenji replied with a smile as she hugged Zhang¡¯s arm.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Ning Hao said with a smile, however for a second Zhang could tell that he was not very happy with the idea of Zhang and Wenji sharing the same tent.

    Once Zhang, Wenji and the pups were shown to their tent, Ning Hao dismissed himself and headed off.

    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining or anything but why are we sharing a tent?¡± Zhang asked in a whisper after he made sure there was no one around.

    ¡°Because I believe you won¡¯t attack me once the sunsets and I do not wish to give anyone else the opportunity of doing so.¡± Wenji replied with a laugh.

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Zhang said as he tied the flaps of their tent together and walked in front of Wenji.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure, now let¡¯s get some rest. You sleep here and I¡¯ll sleep there.¡± Wenji said while sticking out her tongue at Zhang and then moving began laying some sheets onto the ground.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    With a laugh Zhang began to help her lay out sheets onto the ground while the pups wrestled each other.

    After makeshift beds were made on the ground, Zhang and Wenji began to talk to one another about a large variety of things until they both fell into a deep slumber.

    Over the next ten or so days, Zhang got a grasp of the current situation within Ning Hao¡¯s group. The group consisted of nearly one hundred people, most of which were people whom Ning Hao or someone else in the group had saved from demonic beasts.

    As the whole the group had hunted enough demonic beasts for each person to have around fifteen pelts for a total of about one thousand and five hundred pelts and since only Ning Hao and a handful of other people have interspatial rings, all of the pelts are left in their safekeeping.

    What Zhang noticed was that the people who were holding on to the demonic beast pelts for the rest of the group were all really close friends with Ning Hao, which meant there was an inner circle within the group.

    However, the thought of Ning Hao possibly running off with everyone¡¯s pelts did not cross Zhang¡¯s mind because if he did there were plenty of people in the group who could overpower him and his inner circle.

    Besides observing the group, Zhang and Wenji had also taken part when they set out to hunt. With deadly efficiency, they were able to split up large groups of demonic beasts apart and hunt down dozens of beasts at the same time.

    The group of one hundred had split into two teams of fifty, one team would hunt throughout the day while the other team comprised of the stronger members of the group would hunt throughout the night. With the two teams hunting day and night, the group would be able to maximize the time allocated to them until the end of the first stage of the tournament.

    Of course since they were traveling in groups of fifty which could be considered a fairly large group, a lot of attention was attracted and many battles broke out due to it. Most of the time the teams would run into rival contestant teams and a brawl would break out, however these brawls usually did not result in death or heavy injuries because there were only so many days left for the first stage and no one wanted to lower their groups battle capacity by fighting to the death.

    So generally after some verbal warfare and some light punches the two groups would break off and go their separate ways.

    ¡°With only six days left should we go back to our original camp and collect those pelts we left there?¡± Wenji asked Zhang after they had both returned to their tent after an entire day of hunting demonic beasts.

    ¡°If anything we¡¯ll go back the day before the first stage ends. But if we manage to collect thirty before then, then we won¡¯t have to bother.¡± Zhang said in a soft voice as he laid down on some sheets that were laid on the ground.

    ¡°For the past few days, we¡¯ve been getting two pelts every day, so if the pace keeps up and nothing goes wrong then we are set.¡± Wenji said as she laid atop some sheets that were laid out beside Zhang while Little Red and Little Blue snuggled up beside her.

    As Zhang and Wenji laid down in their tent a shadow could be seen standing outside.

    ¡°Brother Zhang and younger sister Wenji, brother Ning Hao is calling for a meeting.¡± The person outside of the tent said before moving on to the next tent.

    Moments later Zhang and Wenji emerged from their tent with the two pups in tow as they headed toward the group¡¯s gathering place. By the time they arrived a large number of people had already gathered and Ning Hao had already began speaking.

    ¡°Brothers and sisters there are but a few days remaining for the first stage of the tournament. As we are nearing the end and are on track to meeting the minimum to move forward I would like to offer you all a toast.¡± Ning Hao said as a few people began to distribute cups of wine.

    ¡°Cheers!¡± Many people in the group yelled as they received their cup of wine and gulped it down.

    Soon enough a cheerful mood filled the cave where the group was staying and everyone began to drink. At first, Zhang and Wenji were reluctant to join in because Zhang did not enjoy drinking very much while Wenji did not enjoy the aftereffects of drinking.

    But after from insistence from the others they too have in and began to drink.

    ¡°I would like to thank you all.¡± Ning Hao said with a smile.

    ¡°Thank us? What for brother? We should be the one thanking you.¡± Someone in the crowd said as he gulped down a cup of wine.

    ¡°I would like to thank you all for helping me get first for the first stage of the tournament.¡± Ning Hao said while his smile was elevated to another level where it made some people feel chills run down their spines.

    While many confused looks appeared on everyone''s faces, a few people began to fall over onto the ground with bubbles foaming out of their mouths.

    ¡°Yo-you¡­ What have you done!?¡± Someone screamed as they drew their sword. However once the person had drawn their sword, their feet became wobbly and they tumbled onto the ground.

    ¡°We-we are from the same sect; how could you do this to us!?¡± A few of the members of the Misty Mountain Sect yelled in fury as they charged toward Ning Hao with swords drawn. But much like everyone else they soon tumbled over also.

    Since Zhang and Wenji were practically the last ones to drink the wine that was given out and since they drank only a few sips they witnessed as everyone else fell over while Ning Hao and his inner circle drew their swords and begun to systematically kill one person after the other.

    ¡°Run¡­¡± Zhang said as he grabbed Wenji¡¯s hand while feeling his feet become slightly unsteady.

    ¡°There¡¯s no getting away.¡± Ning Hao¡¯s voice could be heard as Zhang felt an excruciating amount of pain appear on the side of his torso before tumbling over to the ground where his blood soaked the floor.

    ¡°Ke-ke-keep going.¡± He managed to squeeze out as tears stream out from the corners of her eyes while she bent over and tried to lift Zhang up from the ground. But her body soon lost strength also and she too fell over onto the ground.

    ¡°Kill everyone before the drug wears off. Tie up that girl there for me.¡± Ning Hao¡¯s voice rang into Zhang¡¯s ear before he blanked out.

    While Zhang and Wenji laid on the ground motionless, a slaughter began as a sea of blood formed because the ground could no longer soak any more blood.

 Chapter 24: Black Mist

    ¡°Make sure to kill them before you touch any of their belongings or else you might trigger some binding spells. Not only will you get yourself killed, you¡¯ll get the rest of us in danger also.¡± Ning Hao said as he plunged his sword into an unconscious disciple of the Misty Mountain Sect.

    Besides roughly ten people, the rest of the group was scheduled to be killed one by one by Ning Hao¡¯s inner circle. Had it not been for the poisoned wine that everyone drank then even with ten elementary realm cultivators, Ning Hao¡¯s group would definitely not be able to kill the other ninety people in the group so casually.

    Members of the same sect or not, everyone was being killed and had their belongings plundered afterward until it was finally time for Zhang to meet his untimely end. Of all the people present it is simply to say that Wenji¡¯s fate would be far worse than everyone else¡¯s if the plans in store for her came to fruition.

    ¡°To think besides the things that the elders gave out, you would also bring to me another gift.¡± Ning Hao said with a laugh as he stood in front of Zhang after glancing toward Wenji who was now tied up.

    As Ning Hao raised his sword into the air, blood from the dozens of lives that had been taken not too long ago dripped onto the ground. With a savage smile on his face Ning Hao plunged his sword into Zhang¡¯s back.

    It could be said that those with the kindest smiles and the friendliest words are often the ones that we have to keep our eyes on, and without a doubt, Ning Hao is one of these people.

    While Ning Hao¡¯s sword plunged into Zhang blood began to ooze out and flow onto the ground, adding to the sea of blood that was already present.

    After stabbing Zhang through with a sword, Ning Hao flipped Zhang¡¯s body over to search for the lightning talismans and essence supplement pills that were distributed before the tournament. Since most cultivators often travel and did not really stay in one place for too long, it is common knowledge that all of their valuables are kept on their person.

    ¡°Damn, where are the talismans and pills! There¡¯s no way you could have used them all already¡­¡± Ning Hao yelled as he wasn¡¯t able to find anything on Zhang¡¯s body, that was of course until he noticed the black ring on Zhang¡¯s finger that his expression brightened and a smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°An interspatial ring.¡± Ning Hao muttered as he lifted Zhang¡¯s hand and began to pull off the black ring on Zhang¡¯s finger.

    As the ring slid off Zhang¡¯s finger, Zhang¡¯s hand balled up into a fist and his body rose up from the ground. In a flash, Zhang¡¯s fist had buried itself in Ning Hao¡¯s face and sent him flying into a row of neatly pitched tents.

    Seconds passed as black mist exploded out from underneath Zhang¡¯s clothes and shrouded the floor of the cave.

    ¡°Wha-what''s happening?!¡± Ning Hao¡¯s followers yelled as the sea of blood underneath their feet was replaced by a sea of fog that rose as up to their knees.

    Before long, countless bony hands extended from the sea mist and began to drag down the corpses of those who were slain and the bodies of those who had done the slaying. Of course, Ning Hao¡¯s followers did not stand still and allow themselves to be dragged down into the abyss, so with swords drawn they began to hack and slash at the bony skeletal hands that latched onto them. The ground had become like mud and one would slowly sink if one stayed in one place for too long, that is to say, if the bony white hands did not have their way first.

    But since the swords they were using were made of iron while bone is roughly five times stronger than steel, there was little to no damage delivered toward the bones at all.

    ¡°Strike the joints! Strike the joints!¡± One of Ning Hao¡¯s followers yelled as he was successfully able to break free of the bony hands that latched onto to him after performing a few skillful strikes.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Ning Hao roared as he snapped out of the daze that had overcome him after being punched by Zhang. With blood dripped out of one of his nostrils and a cut lip, Ning Hao produced a silver-colored talisman in his hand.

    After a bit of Ning Hao¡¯s essence was injected into the silver talisman it was shot toward Zhang. While in midair the silver talisman began to morph into a white lightning bolt that caused the air to reverberate.

    In a flash the bolt of lightning had shot through the air as was able to impale Zhang but just as quickly as the lightning bolt moved, a wall of bones shot up from the black mist and took the blunt damaged that would have turned Zhang¡¯s body to ashes.

    Once struck by the lightning bolt, countless pieces of broken bones shot through the air and even embedded themselves into a few of Ning Hao¡¯s men, showing the power that the lightning bolt carried.

    With a click of his tongue after seeing the lightning bolt being blocked by the bone wall, Ning Hao produced yet another lightning talisman, however, moments before he could use it, Zhang had risen up from the ground and with a flick of the wrist sent dozens of sharp bones piercing through the air.

    ¡°You think someone in the fragment realm can beat me!?¡± Ning Hao roared as he shot not one but two lightning talismans into the air.

    Unlike the first time when there was only a single bolt of lightning, the two lightning talismans seemed to elevate each other¡¯s powers and soon not one, not two but four bolts of lightning crackled through the air.

    ¡°Manipulation!¡± Ning Hao yelled as he performed a hand sign and clasped his hands to together. The four bolts of lightning were soon bent to Ning Hao¡¯s will through his manipulation of essence and combined together to form the shape of a dragon.

    ¡°The Lightning Dragon technique!? Isn¡¯t that a core realm technique!?¡± One of Ning Hao¡¯s followers yelled out in amazement as he watched the dragon comprised of lightning dance through the air within the cave.

    ¡°Fools! Stop watching like an idiot and keep an eye out for the hands!¡± Someone yelled, reminding everyone that they were still in immediate danger due to the black mist and skeletal hands.

    Of the remaining people within the cave, Wenji could be considered safe because the black mist avoided her and no skeletal hands tried to drag her down into the abyss. Ning Hao was fairly safe also because all of the skeletal hands that had latched onto him were turned to ashes by the lightning talismans that he had used. Besides Zhang, Wenji and Ning Hao the others were being constantly assaulted and under great peril.

    Once Ning Hao¡¯s dragon comprised of lightning, neared where Zhang was standing, the black mist with a mind of its own receded and condensed into a sphere that enveloped Zhang¡¯s entire body and the area around him. As the black sphere kept him out of sight, walls of bones began to form a protective layer around the sphere.

    The bones surrounding the black sphere began to meld with one another until they formed what looked like a human skull, with mix-matched fang-like teeth and glowing red orbs in what seemed like eye sockets.

    With black mist flowing out of the gaps of its fangs, the huge demonic looking skull widened its jaws. The moment the lightning dragon closed in, the hinged on skull''s mouth widened even further before clamping shut after the lightning dragon has flown into its jaws.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Upon consuming the lightning dragon, the skull¡¯s white bony surface acquired a glossy sheen. It¡¯s glowing blood red eyes became brighter, and its fangs seemed to have become sharper than before.

    Soon enough while Ning Hao and his followers were set in an awestruck daze, the huge skull began to deform back into individual bones as the black sphere turned back into the mist. Once the black mist covered the ground and rose upward and shrouded everyone¡¯s knees once more, countless bony arms began to raise up and latch onto their victims once again.

    However unlike before, the situation for Ning Hao and his followers were not entirely different because now Zhang was playing a more active role in the fight. After reaching his hand into the dark abyss beneath the black mist Zhang pulled up a terrifying looking long sword made entirely out of bones. With the eerie looking sword in hand, he made a mad dash toward one of Ning Hao¡¯s men as his eyes shone in a crimson red color.

    Moving at speeds that no fragment realm cultivator is able to, Zhang arrived in front of a chubby looking young man who by now had eyes filled with fear. Not too long ago this chubby young man had been mercilessly killing one unconscious person after the other, however after witnessing the strange and eerie black mist at work he had just about reach the point where he would soil his pants.

    ¡°Get the fuck away from me!¡± The chubby young man shrieked as he wildly swung his sword as panic filled his mind and dulled his judgement because anyone who had a clear state of mind would toss down their weapons and try their best to escape.

    Like a deathly specter Zhang extended his hand and grabbed onto the chubby young man¡¯s head while miraculously not being hit by any of the wild sword swings that the chubby young man had preferred.

    With abnormal strength that he did not possess when he was conscious, Zhang lifted the chubby young men off the ground with one hand as the black mist coiled around his body.

    ¡°Le-let go! Let go of me!¡± The chubby young man yelled as the black mist snaked from Zhang¡¯s body onto his own and entered into his nose, eyes, mouth and ears. Before long an empty husk that was once a person was casually tossed onto the ground before Zhang moved onto his next victim. Once the corpse landed on the ground beneath the black mist, it sank into the black abyss and did not leave a single trace behind.

    Although many words were used, only a few minutes had actually passed and there was not enough time for Ning Hao or anyone else to try to stop Zhang nor try to flee. Only when Zhang reached his second victim did Ning Hao and the other people present begin to act.

    ¡°Retreat! Everyone Retreat!¡± Someone screamed.

    ¡°Fool! You think you can run away!? Don¡¯t you see how fast he¡¯s become!? Our best bet is to try to kill him. Use the talismans that we just got.¡± A tall man with a broad forehead and freckled cheeks said as a red colored talisman appeared in his hand.

    Soon enough the rest of Ning Hao¡¯s followers, with Ning Hao included shot talismans out of their hands. Bolts of lightning accompanied by a mix other talismans shot through the air toward Zhang who was lifting yet another person into the air with one hand.

    Just like the first lightning talisman that Ning Hao used, all of the talismans that were shot toward Zhang were all intercepted by walls of bones or remarkably sharp looking shards of bone while a few talismans were casually struck away by Zhang with the sword made of bones in his hand.

    ¡°If we had higher realm talismans¡­¡± Ning Hao clicked his tongue because he and everyone else present only had fragment realm level talismans in hand.

    ¡°Everyone let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Ning Hao yelled to his followers.

    ¡°How!? Do you not see how fast he is!?¡± One of Ning Hao¡¯s followers, a man with a rat like  face said with a panic stricken expression on his face.

    ¡°Simple¡­¡± Ning Hao said as he raised his sword and slashed across the rat faced man¡¯s legs.

    ¡°Once I return to the sect I¡¯ll be sure to tell the elders of your bravery and self-sacrifice.¡± Ning Hao said as he kicked the rat-faced man to the ground and sped for the cave¡¯s exit.

    Without a moment''s hesitation, three other people followed Ning Hao¡¯s example and disabled the person nearest to them and began to flee from the cave believing that in Zhang¡¯s current state of mind as long as he has someone to kill he would be preoccupied.

    However, there was a miscalculation in their plan because unknown to them, the black mist had slowly begun to dissipate after the bone walls sheltered Zhang from the barrage of talismans. Meaning if they had continued to stand their ground and barrage Zhang with attacks there was a chance that the black mist would entirely dissipate.

    But now that they had basically offered living sacrifices for the black mist to replenish itself with, the hope of escape is slim to none.

    By the time Ning Hao and his last three followers made it out of the cave, the black mist had already dragged the disabled sacrifices to their untimely end and used their flesh and essence to strengthen itself.

    With a deafening howl that did not belong to anything human, Zhang bolted outside of the cave in pursuit of Ning Hao and Ning Hao¡¯s followers.

    ¡°Split up! If anything at least a few of us will get away!¡± Ning Hao yelled back toward his men as he splintered off from the group. After nodding in agreement, Ning Hao¡¯s three followers also separated into separate directions.

    But for the unluckiest of followers, a bulky young man with a grim expression on his face, happened to find himself in the worst possible situation possible. In the rush of trying to flee, he had accidentally stumbled over a tree root that was sticking out of the ground and sprain his ankle.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± He cursed as the burning pain in his ankle sealed his fate.

    Before he could even help himself off from the ground, dozens of long sharp bones appeared from nowhere and pierced through his body, impaling him and pinning him to a nearby tree.

    With enough time Ning Hao¡¯s other two remaining followers would too meet the same fate, leaving only Ning Hao in the vast forest filled with dangers.

    ¡°I can feel it, he¡¯s around here somewhere¡­¡± Ning Hao thought as he ran through the forest. Suddenly Ning Hao¡¯s eyes glinted and a broad smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°The heavens have truly helped me this time.¡± He mumbled as he caught sight of a group of cultivators not too far away from where he was through the twisting trees and vines. These cultivators were of course in the middle of fighting a demonic beast and would have no way of truly escaping if Ning Hao led Zhang to where they were.

    With a glimmer of hope ahead of him, Ning Hao quickened his pace.

    ¡°Once I run through here I¡¯ll be safe!¡± He thought as he faces was now filled with glee. Despite the dragging others into his own mess at the chance of possibly able to get away, Ning Hao was delighted.

    But when Ning Hao was only a few steps away from entering the clearing where the group of cultivators was fighting the demonic beast, dozens of sharp bones embedded themselves into his back while bony white arms latched onto his clothes and body, dragging him back into the woods.

 Chapter 25: Loot

    After the darkness had consumed Ning Hao, Zhang returned to the cave where the camp was and stood towering over the body of a certain unconscious beauty. It is simple to say that whatever power the fragment soul in the Graveyard had accidentally granted him was also overwhelming him.

    Zhang¡¯s mind appeared to be dormant as he stood motionless with tens of boneless husks that used to be people laying on the ground all around him. As the mist danced and coiled around Zhang¡¯s body his blood red eyes focused on Wenji. It was as if he had lost his sense of self as he continued to watch her as seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours.

    Time continued to flow as Zhang¡¯s grip tightened on the sword made entirely of bones in his hand, for some unknown reason he did not do a thing and simply stood watch over the beautiful maiden in front of him.

    It was not until many hours later did Wenji¡¯s eyes slowly open and before she could catch a glimpse of his fearfulness, the black mist that coiled around Zhang¡¯s body began to dissipate and with it the dark abyss on the ground also began to disappear. Sword of bones in his hand also broke apart and shattered to pieces before falling into the fading abyss.

    In but a flash all traces of the black mist was erased and Zhang was restored to his regular self. At the same moment, Wenji regained her consciousness, Zhang¡¯s mind slowly began to clear and he awoke from what appeared to be a hazy dream.

    As if cold water had been splashed onto his face, Zhang shuttered before the memories of the events that transpired after Ning Hao stabbed him flashed before his eyes.

    ¡°Ar-are you alright?¡± He managed to squeeze out as his psyche tried to process the events that had occurred.

    ¡°Wha-what happened?¡± Wenji said as she tried to get up but found out she couldn''t due to be bound by ropes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I just woke up moments ago.¡± Zhang said.

    Like many powerful people before him with strange powers, Zhang did not want others to know that he was different. He did not want the girl of his dreams to see him as a monster, so he decided to foreign ignorance.

    ¡°Let me help you out of those.¡± Zhang said as he pulled out a small dagger from his robes and began to cut Wenji loose of the ropes that were constricting her.

    ¡°Whatever happened here doesn¡¯t matter, all that does is that we are safe.¡± Wenji said as she got up from the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s gather whatever we can and get out of here.¡± Zhang suggested.

    With a nod from Wenji the two of them began to collect various magical treasures off the bodies of the deceased. Compared to Zhang¡¯s initial harvest this one was dozens of times bigger, there were things such as cultivation and medical pills, to magical weapons, talismans, and interspatial rings filled with demonic beast pelts and demonic beast parts.

    They had also found out what had happened to Little Red and Little Blue, the two pups had been drugged like everyone else and were fast asleep. Glad that the pups were unharmed, Zhang placed both of them in a small sling which he tied to himself.

    ¡°I think you have to bind the rings with blood before you can use them.¡± Wenji said as she withdrew a small dagger and pricked her finger. Once a drop of her blood dripped onto a blue interspatial she had picked up and held in her hand, the intricate carvings on the interspatial ring began to light up.

    ¡°Here you try.¡± Wenji said as she handed a red interspatial ring to Zhang.

    Due to Wenji¡¯s insistence, Zhang prickled one of his fingers and also binded an interspatial to himself. Thanks to his experience using the black interspatial ring that contained his clan¡¯s tomb, Zhang was able to quickly search through the contents of his newly bonded ring.

    ¡°This ring contains about five by five meters¡¯ worth of space inside of it.¡± Zhang said after scanning the contents of the ring.

    ¡°Mine too.¡± Wenji said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to our old camp and see what we managed to pick up there.¡± Zhang said to Wenji.

    With interspatial rings filled with loot on their fingers and the two pups cozy in Zhang¡¯s sling, Zhang and Wenji left the cave that might have led to their demise and headed toward their old camp.

    Luckily for them, they did not happen across any more misfortune and were able to safely make their way through the forest unhindered by demonic beasts and people.

    Upon making their way to a familiar clump of trees and making their way through twisting branches and vines, Zhang and Wenji arrived at their old camp. The camp had basically no changes to it and seemed to have been left untouched since they had left, even Wenji¡¯s demonic beast pelts that she had kept at the camp was still in their hut.

    ¡°So there¡¯s at least two thousand and eight hundred of them total, you take half and I¡¯ll take half.¡± Zhang suggested after all of the demonic beast pelts inside the five interspatial rings that they had picked up were counted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take enough so that I have thirty, I don¡¯t want to attract too much attention to myself.¡± Wenji said with a wary smile.

    ¡°Also I only need thirty to move on to the next stage, but if you keep the majority of the pelts then you¡¯ll more than likely get the first place prize for this stage of the tournament.¡± Wenji added.

    ¡°But you¡¯ll take half of these treasures, won¡¯t you?¡± Zhang said as he pointed to a mound of magical items that they had also collected.

    Once the magical treasures were divided and the pups awoke, the next five days went by in a breeze since neither Zhang nor Wenji needed to hunt demonic beasts and any more and whatever food they needed could be found Ning Hao¡¯s interspatial ring.

    By midnight on the last day of the first stage of the tournament, all of the jade slips that every contestant had received began to glow in a brilliant white light.

    ¡°Hold onto my hand.¡± Zhang said underneath the moonlight with a big smile on his face.

    ¡°This is where we part ways if fate will have it we will meet again.¡± Wenji said with a smile as she began walking backward and disappearing into the woods and the white light from the glow jade slips enveloped Zhang and every other contestant.

    ¡°Congratulations everyone!¡± A loud voice rang into Zhang¡¯s ears as the sound of many thousands of people applauding soon followed.

    As his vision was restored Zhang found himself in the Red Cloud Sect once against with countless spectators present in the stands while hundreds of torches drove away the darkness and granted light.

    ¡°Now all contestants please have your demonic beast pelts tallied so we can announce the winner of the special prize for the first stage of the tournament. Everyone will receive a small jade slip with the number of pelts recorded on it so they can use it as their pass into the next stage of the tournament¡± The master of the Red Cloud Sect, Hong Chi said in a cheerful tone.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°How many did you get?¡± A whisper flew into Zhang¡¯s ear as he felt a hand pat him on the back as he was looking at Hong Chi who was standing high up on a balcony at the far end of the stadium.

    Looking back, he could see his missing friend, Cai Cao with a broad smile on his face.

    ¡°I got enough.¡± Zhang laughed, not telling Cai Cao how many pelts he got and saving the surprise for when they have their pelts counted.

    ¡°How many did you get?¡± Zhang asked Cai Cao.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Cai Cao said with a laugh as they two of them walked toward a row of tables set up to help contestants tally up the number of pelts they managed to collect.

    ¡°Contestant Meng De, thirty-one pelts!¡± A disciple of the Red Cloud Sect announced as the name Meng De appeared on a large crystal screen underneath the balcony where Hong Chi was standing.

    ¡°Contestant Chen Ma, three hundred and thirty-one pelts!¡±

    ¡°Contestant Zhen Yu, thirty pelts!¡±

    ¡°Ha you little bastards might as well give up, my brother here has a thousand and five hundred pelts!¡± Someone yelled as Zhang looked over he could spot a group of people from the Blood Lion Sect crowding together in front one of the tables.

    ¡°Contestant Wang Fu, one thousand and five hundred pelts!¡±

    Three hundred pelts had been astounding and had the crowd talking but once it was announced that someone had one thousand and five hundred pelts the crowd went nuts.

    ¡°Contestant Fang Yu, two thousand pelts!¡±

    Looking toward where the announcer¡¯s voice came from, a young girl would be seen amidst a crowd of stern looking uniformed men.

    ¡°Two thousand pelts!? Who the Fuck!?¡± The men from the Blood Lion sect cursed.

    After it was announced that someone had two thousand pelts, all of the following numbers could not come close to comparing. For some time as the thousands of remaining contestants had their pelts tallied, the crowd was sure that Fang Yu was going to be the winner of the special prize.

    That was of course until a familiar name was added to the large crystal screen that recorded every contestant¡¯s name and score.

    ¡°Contestant Zhou Zhang, Two thousand eight hundred and ninety-two pelts.¡± An announcer said, adding Zhang¡¯s name to the top of the list on the crystal screen.

    ¡°It¡¯s that kid! He¡¯s only a fragment realm cultivator how the hell did he manage to get so many pelts!¡± The men from the Blood Lion Sect yelled in anger. Unlike Fang Yu who was an elementary realm cultivator and was surrounded by followers, Zhang was a mere fragment realm cultivator who was standing with only Cai Cao beside him.

    Although many people were skeptical that Zhang was able to collect all of those pelts once they saw his level of cultivation, but there was nothing to complain about because the rules simply stated that as long as one had the pelts at the end of the tournament then points will be credited.

    ¡°Of the tens of thousands of contestants who had entered the first stage of the tournament, about three thousand and two hundred made it to the second stage of the tournament. However, I would like to thank all contestants for their participation. If any of you wish to turn in your demonic beast pelts and parts for essence stones, then a disciple of the Red Cloud Sect will be more than happy to help you.¡± Hong Chi said.

    In a way, the tournament was a way for the Red Cloud Sect to keep the population of demonic beasts in the Beast¡¯s Forest at bay. If demonic beast populations grew too high then they would leave the forests and attack human settlements, but thanks to the tournament thousands of demonic beasts would be slain.

    The Red Cloud Sect could also use the tournament to gather demonic beast pelts and parts to create weapons and armor for their disciples, overall the ones who benefited the most from the tournament was the Red Cloud Sect.

    Once every contestant¡¯s pelts were tallied, Zhang was ushered up the balcony where Hong Chi was after he handed Cai Cao the sack that he had kept the two pups in.

    ¡°Congratulations on being the winner of the special prize.¡± Hong Chi said once Zhang arrived in front of him.

    With a wave of his hand, Hong Chi produced a jade box which he lifted up and showed to the audience in the stadium. As Hong Chi¡¯s image was projected onto the large crystal screen, the jade box opened to reveal a red colored medallion.

    ¡°That¡¯s a Teleportation Jade!¡± Someone in the audience yelled as they caught sight of the contents of the jade box.

    ¡°Here you go little friend, this will allow you to escape whatever dangers you face three times. After three uses it¡¯ll crumble and turn to ashes.¡± Hong Chi said as he handed Zhang the jade box with the Teleportation Jade in it.

    Once activated the teleportation stone would teleport its user a considerable distance away from the location he or she had previously been, generally such stones are considerably rare and very useful for cultivators.

    ¡°I¡¯ve set an inscription on this Teleportation Jade so that it can be binded to its master and if anyone besides its master uses it; they will be ripped to threads as the space around them is tears apart.¡± Hong Chi said so that no one would get any funny ideas and try to rob Zhang.

    With a wave of his hand, Zhang stored away the jade box into his interspatial ring. Perhaps if he had stored all of the pelts that he had gotten in his black interspatial ring then when he withdrew them Zhang would have noticed the glowing pendant that was a part of the statue of the Zhou Clan¡¯s ancestor.

    ¡°Now that the first stage is complete we will move directly to the second stage.¡± Hong Chi said after handing Zhang the Teleportation Jade.

    ¡°For the second stage of the tournament will be tested for their ingenuity. Everyone will be placed into the Marble Maze where they will have to use their smarts to find a way out. Only the first three hundred who make it out will be able to move onto the next stage so decide your path carefully.¡±

    ¡°Marble¡­ Maze¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as he recalled the horrid memory of walking through the white marble hall for a month in his mind.

    ¡°Sect Master Hong¡­ Is this marble maze made of white marble?¡± Zhang asked in a low tone.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Hong Chi replied with a smile.

    ¡°$%#%$#$.¡± Zhang cursed in his mind.

    ¡°Let the second part of the tournament begin!¡± Hong Chi said with a clamp a massive gate rose out of the ground in the center of the stadium.

    ¡°Best of luck to you.¡± Hong Chi said as his essence wrapped around Zhang causing him to levitate into the air before gently placing him back in the stadium.

 Chapter 26: Paths

    Once the massive gate rose up from the colosseum floor, the remaining contestants all stormed in at top speed. However, the disciples of the Blood Lion Sect had arrived at the gate first and blocked the entrance while allowing their leader to charge in first.

    ¡°Man am I tired, I think we¡¯ll rest here for a few hours before going in and whoever dares to go in before me will have their legs snapped.¡± One of the Blood Sect disciples said with a yawn as he and his comrades stood in a line blocking the entrance into the maze.

    Upon landing on the ground after receiving his prize, Zhang grouped up with Cai Cao and headed to where the gate was.

    ¡°Loan me that jade box you got earlier.¡± Cai Cao said with a devious grin.

    Moments later while a few people decided to try to force their way through the line of Blood Lion Sect disciples while others resigned to their fate and sat down to wait.

    ¡°My friend here is feeling a bit generous and has decided to share his prize from the first stage of the tournament.¡± Cai Cao said in a loud voice that carried itself across the stadium.

    Instantly all eyes were focused on Zhang and Cai Cao.

    ¡°Whoever manages to get it will get to keep it.¡± Cai Cao as he tossed Zhang¡¯s jade box into the air.

    ¡°Teleportation jade!¡± Someone roared as they leaped into the air to try to catch the jade box.

    ¡°Oh no, you don''t!¡± A disciple of the Blood Lion Sect bellowed.

    Soon enough a massive brawl broke out as everyone attempted to claim Zhang¡¯s jade box as their own.

    Of course, while everyone was preoccupied, Zhang and Cai Cao snuck into the gate and entered the maze underneath the colosseum. However, they were not the only ones who used the chaos to sneak into the maze, roughly three to four hundred contestants charged into the gate after Zhang and Cai Cao while the rest remained to try and snatch the jade box.

    The brawl had gone out of proportion as some of the participants drew their weapons while others began to use spells.

    It was only after about half an hour I did the fighting cease when one of the disciples of the Blood Lion Sect managed to grab hold of the jade box.

    ¡°Who the fuck bit my ankle!¡± The young man roared as he looked down to see someone grabbing hold of one of his legs.

    With creases eyebrows, he sent the perpetrator flying and lifted up the jade box triumphantly.

    Before anyone else could move in and try to snatch the box away hundreds of other Blood Lion Sect members gathered around to create a human shield.

    ¡°Hahaha if I give this to the boss then I''m same sure he will be happy. ¡°The young man in red robes said with a laugh as he proceeded to open the box so he could show off the Teleportation Jade to everyone else.

    But of course Cai Cao was not a fool and when considering the one of the mottos of Zhang¡¯s clan being a copper coin found is a copper coin more than you had before, it was obvious that the Teleportation Jade was by in the boss.

    ¡°You think they found out yet?¡± Zhang asked Cai Cao with a laugh as they sped through a long corridor.

    Before Cai Cao could even reply a massive boom echoed through the corridor, causing the two to break out into laughter.

    When the disciple of the Blood Lion sect opened the jade box he found that although the box was not empty, it was filled with lightning talismans.

    The instant the lid of the box was lifted; dozens of lightning talismans were triggered. A blinding light and a massive explosion soon followed and engulfed a small part of the colosseum.

    Everyone in the stands were speechless as they saw hundreds of contestants laying on the ground injured, most of which were the disciples of the Blood Lion Sect who were covered in wounds.

    A few of the sect masters were filled with rage as they saw their disciples injured. It was one thing to die in battle against demonic beasts but it was another thing to be booby-trapped.

    But regardless of their feelings, no one dared to act rashly because this was the Red Cloud Sect and the nine great influences were present.

    ¡°Very cunning those two.¡± Hong Chi said with a laugh.

    Underground, Zhang and Cai Cao found themselves in front of three massive gates made of white marble that led into different directions.

    In the center of the room was a large marble column with dozens of words etched into it:

    ¡°A man must know which path to choose for this path shall lead him to the end, but for which end he does not know because there is only one path he can go. For if he strays from where he must go then only defeat awaits.¡±

    After a quick pause to read the riddle, both Zhang and Cai Cao nodded and sped into the gate on their right. They did not need to discuss their choice because of the possibility of others hearing their discussion and heading in the same direction.

    Although the riddle was not very perplexed, of course, there were some people who wouldn''t be able to figure it out. Then there were people who did not even bother to read the stone column and charged into one of the gates without thought.

    Soon after entering the gate and moving through a white marble corridor, much to Zhang¡¯s disdain, our duo found themselves at a crossroads without any stone column or hint to follow.

    ¡°Should we just go right again?¡± Zhang said as he scratched his head.

    ¡°I guess so.¡± Cai Cao said as both he and Zhang began to move once more.

    Not long after Zhang and Cai Cao, a group of contestants arrived at the very same fork in the road where some decided to go left while some decided to go right. Some of these people continued to move forward while others were teleported to the stone column and had to retrace their steps back to the fork in the road. There were also others who were slightly unlucky and found themselves attacked by various traps built into the maze.

    There were even a few people who were much unluckier and ran into a few of the demonic beasts that were captured and released in the maze also.

    ¡°I hate white marble hallways¡­¡± Zhang murmured as he and Cai Cao made their way through the maze unhindered.

    ¡°You think we taking the right path?¡± He asked Cai Cao since there was really no indication of whether they were going the right way or not.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, guess we have to leave things to luck I guess.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he pointed up ahead where the path splits into eight paths.

    Atop seven of these paths were signs that listed the seven things that led a person off the path of righteousness, lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride, while the last sign was blank.

    ¡°Your choices have taken you thus far but the path of a cultivator is filled with temptation, pick a path that you believe is your greatest flaw. If you believe you are pure of heart with a mind still as water then pick the last path, the path of virtuous.¡± A voice rang out into Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s minds.

    ¡°I guess this is where we split up.¡± Zhang laughed as he looked at Cai Cao before walking toward the path with the sign with the word greed on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious it¡¯s this path¡­ Sort of runs in the family I guess.¡± Zhang thought with a laugh.

    As Zhang headed for the path labeled by the sign greed, Cai Cao began to ponder which path to take and after a long time decided to pick the path labeled with envy.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Zhang was greatly influenced by how he was brought up in his clan while Cai Cao was greatly influenced by his thirst for freedom. He envied others because he lacked what they all had.

    Upon walking into their separate paths, Zhang and Cai Cao found themselves in plain looking white marble corridors with beautifully decorated gates at the end. They both arrived in front of their gates and with a gentle push opened them, however, what happened next was rather unexpected.

    Neither Zhang nor Cai Cao found themselves thrust into some sort of trial or danger however they found themselves in a different situation.

    ¡°You''re here.¡± Zhang said as he looked at Cai Cao with a startled expression.

    ¡°And you¡¯re here.¡± Cai Cao said with a smile.

    ¡°Only those who are willing to accept and acknowledge their faults and embrace them can truly walk the path of a cultivator, for there is no one without desire and no one who does not have a hint of selfishness in their being.¡± A voice rang out into Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s minds.

    ¡°So I guess as long as you don¡¯t pick the eighth path then you can move forward.¡± Zhang said with a laugh.

    ¡°As long as one is willing to admit one¡¯s faults, one can move on.¡± Cai Cao said with a grin.

    True to their thoughts, a few contestants who arrived shortly after our duo had chosen the nameless path for the virtuous and were sent all the way back to the beginning of the maze.

    Zhang and Cai Cao were making it through the maze at a quick pace however they were still not in first place despite not encountering any traps or setbacks. The disciple of the Blood Lion Sect who had charged in first had been able to force his way through the maze with sheer power, all traps, and beasts that appeared in front of him were cut down without distinction.

    Lucky for our duo they did not need to obtain first, all they needed to do was make it to the finish line among the top three hundred contestants.

    ¡°Sect Master Hong Chi, isn¡¯t this maze of yours a tad too easy? There are traps and demonic beastsare at a level where even a fragment realm cultivator would find it easy to get through them.¡± A middle-aged man said to the master of the Red Cloud Sect as they watched a massive screen located in the center of the colosseum. The screen had appeared shortly after all of the contestants who weren¡¯t heavily injured by the blast from Zhang¡¯s jade box entered the maze and had been showing scenes of what was happening down below.

    ¡°Sect Master Yu Yang, this first part of the maze is only a warm up and a trial of luck and character, the last leg will prove to be highly perilous and I¡¯m not sure if we''ll even have three hundred contestants who are able to make it to the end.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi laughed.

    ¡°Oh, may I ask what you have in store for our seedlings?¡± Sect Master Yu Yang asked with intrigue.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said with a grin.

    As hours passed Zhang and Cai Cao arrived at a large hall where they saw a young man in the standard blood red robes of the Blood Lion sect meditating while sitting cross-legged on the ground.

    There was a massive gate made of black colored metal behind him with extremely intricate carvings of skulls and bones on it. The gate itself looked like it would lead to the underworld or some dark forgotten place where monsters lurk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to open the gate¡­¡± The member of the Blood Lion Sect said with a sigh as he pointed to a large crystal column in the right corner of the room.

    ¡°Two hundred and ninety-seven¡­¡± Zhang read off of the crystal column.

    ¡°Have to wait for another two hundred ninety-seven people before you can move on¡­¡± The member of the Blood Lion Sect said in an unhappy tone. This was simply because he had made his way through the maze at record speed and was unhindered in his path but upon arriving in front of this gate he could not proceed forward and had to wait for more people to arrive.

    ¡°Stupid gate couldn¡¯t even be scratched¡­¡± The man mumbled while Zhang noticed dozens of traces of sword cuts on the walls beside the gates.

    ¡°Let¡¯s meditate also.¡± Cai Cao said as he sat down beside the gate.

    Joining Cai Cao, Zhang also sat down and began to meditate when he noticed the essence in the surrounding area was slightly thicker and more plentiful than the essence outside.

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll make the best out of this situation.¡± Zhang thought as he began to rotate his cultivation base and absorb the essence floating in the air around him into his channels.

    After Zhang, Cai Cao and the man from the Blood Lion Sect mediated for roughly half an hour a group of ten contestants appeared.

    ¡°Xue Shi!¡± One of the new arrivals roared as they spotted the man from the Blood Lion Sect.

    ¡°Xue Shi you bastard we finally caught you alone without all of your guards! Now you¡¯ll pay for what happened to our brothers!¡± Another one of the new arrivals roared.

    ¡°Who are you? Not that it matters to me, if you''re looking for a fight I¡¯ll be more than happy to comply¡± The young man named Xue Shi asked as he opened his eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯re from the Silver Wing Sect! My senior brother challenged you to a duel and not only did you beat him, your men broke both of his arms and legs!¡± One of the new arrivals yelled.

    ¡°That fool who bit more than he could chew? I do remember beating him to a bloody pulp but I did not order for his arms and legs to be broken. What my fellow disciples do have nothing to do with me. Those idiots always go overboard regardless of being ordered to or not.¡± Xue Shi said with a sigh as if such confrontations occur a lot.

    ¡°Enough talking, you¡¯ll die here today! Brothers fall into formation!¡± One of the new arrivals yelled as he withdrew his sword. Soon enough all ten of the new arrivals from the Silver Wing Sect had their swords drawn and surrounded Xue Shi.

    ¡°More fools who bit more than they can chew.¡± Xue Shi said as a blood red spear appeared in his hand.

    Xue Shi¡¯s spear pierced through the air as he skillfully engaged in battle with the ten disciples of the Silver Wing Sect. At the battle raged on, the aura of eleven elementary realm cultivators exploded causing Zhang and Cai Cao who did not wish to be implicated in another person¡¯s battle to distance themselves.

    Although they were all at the same level of cultivation, it was clear that Xue Shi held the advantage despite being outnumbered. Each and every one of his movements had a purpose and would always result in dealing damage to his opponents.

    Before long one by one, the members of the Silver Wing Sect began to fall. With his spear Xue Shi made sure to immobilize his enemies by jabbing at their legs.

    Once all ten of his opponents were defeated Xue Shi began to walk back towards the black gate and sit down, however before he could a dagger shot through the air and shot past his head.

    ¡°You dare to attack me behind my back after I showed you mercy?¡± Xue Shi said with fiery eyes as he turned back and gripped his spear.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry... Please don¡¯t kill me.¡± The member of the Silver Wing Sect who tried to attack Xue Shi with the dagger said as he realized his grave mistake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him or else the counter may go up again and we¡¯ll have to wait longer¡­¡± Cai Cao said with a sigh.

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Xue Shi snorted as he arrived in front of the man who tried to sneak attack him and drove his spear into the man¡¯s leg.

 Chapter 27: Gate of Chains

    With a snort, Xue Shi plunged his spear into the legs of every one of his attacks, making is impossible for any of them to walk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get any more funny ideas or I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± Xue Shi said before he stored away his spear into his interspatial ring and walked toward the black gate and sat down cross-legged.

    ¡°This guy is dangerous, best to not provoke him.¡± Zhang thought after he saw Xue Shi¡¯s battle conclude.

    ¡°However it serves them right for fighting ten on one¡­¡± He also thought as he began to meditate once more.

    Before long small groups of contestants began to appear, all of whom were astonished once they caught sight of the ten disciples of the Silver Wing Sect, who were laying on the ground with blood stained clothes.

    Some overly righteous people even tried to reprimand Xue Shi for what he had done but with creases on his eyebrows, he either ignored them or sent them smashing into a wall once they had managed to successfully make his blood boil. But overall, Xue Shi was able to restrain himself and no one was killed or crippled.

    After roughly a hundred people were present, and after being pestered by a few dozen people, Xue Shi withdrew his blood red spear from his interspatial ring and stabbed it into the ground beside where he sat.

    ¡°Anyone looking to pick a fight¡­ I won¡¯t hold back anymore! If any newcomers arrive and pick a fight with me, I¡¯ll have to kill everyone here and simply wait for another two hundred and ninety-seven people to arrive.¡± Xue Shi declared.

    ¡°Phew, we¡¯re not included in his possible kill list.¡± Zhang thought with a flash of relief on his face.

    Although Zhang did not know if Xue Shi was serious or not, the declaration gripped everyone in fear and when new arrivals came they would be told to mind their own business and not pester Xue Shi.

    When there were finally three hundred people in the room, the black gate suddenly began to glow and change colors. From its previously pitch black color the gate turned into a pure white color as it opened to allow the contestants inside.

    ¡°A cultivator¡¯s purpose is to always stride forward, however sometimes we must overcome the past before the future can arrive. Overcome the shadow that haunts you and move forward and you will that you have triumphed.¡± A voice rang into everyone¡¯s ears once the gate was fully open.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang said to Cai Cao before the two of them sped into the gate while everyone else was still a tad dazed.

    Seeing our duo rush into the gate the other contestants soon followed one after the other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause me any more trouble¡­¡± Xue Shi said with a click of the tongue once everyone was gone, and only the ten disciples of the Silver Wing Sect and himself were remaining in the room. With a wave of his hand, Xue Shi sent ten red colored pills flying toward the ten injured people lying on the ground.

    ¡°Recovery dans¡­¡± One of the members of the Silver Wing Sect said as he the pill landed in his hand. Unlike Zhang who had luckily amassed a large number of contribution points in the Misty Mountain Sect, for regular members of the Silver Wing Sect like these ten, recovery pills were things they simply did not possess.

    After giving out the ten recovery pills, Xue Shi charged into the gate.

    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this you bastard¡­¡± One of the members of the Silver Wing Sect said despite Xue Shi¡¯s goodwill toward them.

    Upon entering the gate, Zhang and Cai Cao and the other contestants found themselves in an endless looking white room or rather a white world that seemed to be borderless. However, a sudden flash of blinding blue light soon changed the white world into something entirely different.

    In a flash, the contestants found themselves no longer in the white world but on an open plain in front of a small city.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.¡± Zhang murmured as he saw recognized the city.

    ¡°This city was burned to the ground; this isn¡¯t possible¡­¡± He continued to mumble as he saw the city where he was born and raised, the city where his clan had thrived in for generations.

    While a flood of memories appeared in Zhang¡¯s mind, some of the other contestants were equally stunned, with Cai Cao being one of them.

    ¡°That tower¡­ Why is it here.¡± Cai Cao said as he recognized a familiar looking tower sticking out from behind the city walls.

    ¡°Mother! Mother!¡± One of the contestants, a young man in a set of white and violet robes yelled as he charged into the city gates.

    ¡°Brother Huang, what are you talking about? You said your mother had died many years ago.¡± A young girl who was dressed in white and violet robes said as she ran after the young man.

    ¡°What the fuck! I killed you! I killed you! How could you be here!¡± Another contestant roared as he spotted something in the distance.

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Th-the Three Headed Lava Viper that nearly killed me¡­ It-it¡¯s heading this way.¡±

    Soon after, all of the contestants broke out in panic as they each spotted something familiar to them.

    ¡°Shu dogs! Prepare to die!¡± A loud roar rang in Zhang¡¯s ears as drums began to beat in the distance and the thousands of flags with the would Zhao appeared.

    Before Zhang could react, thousands of soldiers clad in green armor carrying banners with the word Shu on them charged out of the city gates.

    ¡°Kill the invaders! Protect the city!¡± The soldiers carrying the banner of the state of Shu roared.

    ¡°It¡¯s them... The Zhao¡­¡± Zhang murmured as his pitch black sword appeared in hand before he ran off in the direction where the banners of the of the Zhao Army were coming from.

    As Zhang ran forward he soon found himself clad in the armor that he was given when he was forced to join the Shu Army.

    ¡°This time, I won¡¯t fail to protect you all¡­ This time, I won¡¯t be weak¡­¡± Zhang muttered as he looked back at the city as he charged toward the soldiers of the Zhao Army.

    ¡°Damn, Lava Viper! I¡¯ll have your head today!¡± One of the contestants roared.

    In a matter of minutes, all of the contestants had all ran off as they saw lost friends and family who they longed for or hated foes whom they wished to slay.

    ¡°Brother Hong Chi, this is interesting. Very interesting.¡± Sect Master Yu Yang said as he watched the large crystal screen in the middle of the colosseum.

    ¡°The Gate of Chains is an ancient treasure that we had acquired not too long ago with the power to allow a person to relive a moment in their past. I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of world everyone¡¯s past would create.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said.

    ¡°It seems like that youngster is dictating the majority of the things that the gate is showing.¡± Sect Master Yu Yang said as he watched Zhang charge into battle.

    ¡°That is simply because compared to the others his experience is more vivid and had not been dulled by time. If they can look past the events that had happened and find the exit, then they¡¯ll be able to move on to the last stage.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    While Sect Mater Hong Chi and Sect Master Yu Yang were conversing, elsewhere in the audience in a section closed off for very important guests, two other men were talking.

    ¡°Uncle do you recognize that?¡± A youth said to a middle-aged man beside him as he pointed toward the crystal screen.

    ¡°Definitely¡­ Report back to the clan that we¡¯ve definitely found the person we¡¯ve been looking for.¡± The middle-aged man said.

    With his sword drawn and his blood boiling, Zhang¡¯s cultivation base exploded as he began to open his channels and connect with the great flow of essence in the air.

    ¡°Now I have power...  Now I won¡¯t have to watch everyone die¡­¡± He mumbled as the black sword in his hand slashed through the armor that the soldiers of the state of Zhao like paper. Unlike his previous engagement with the Zhao army, Zhang was now a cultivator and possessed a high-level sword that couldn¡¯t even be compared to the weapons that regular people used.

    Soon enough rivers of blood began to flow as Zhang effortlessly cut down one enemy soldier of the other with no sign of stopping.

    Not too far from where Zhang was, many dozens of contestants were each battling their own opponents. Some were fighting demonic beasts while others were fighting hated foes. There were some who found themselves in the warm embrace of their loved ones only to have to witness the tragic events that had taken their loved ones away in the first place.

    Tied by the chains of the past, everyone immersed themselves in trying to prevent the past from repeating itself.

    Xue Shi was fighting a massive red color lion, Cai Cao was bound and brought back to the tower behind the city walls while Zhang was slaughtering the invaders who turned his home to ashes.

    While Zhang and the other contestants were immersed in the past, a strange occurrence was happening. Within Zhang¡¯s interspatial ring the glowing pendant that was a part of the statue of the Zhou Clan¡¯s ancestor began to glow even brighter as it flew into the air and sent an invisible pulse of energy into the air that reverberated from out from the black interspatial ring and throughout the Gate of Chains.

    Before long, black clouds began to form and thunder began to rain down from above as something massive appeared high up in the sky.

    ¡°Tha-that¡¯s a mountain!?¡± Someone yelled as something that appeared to be an upside down pierced through the clouds.

    Once dozens of upside-down mountains broke through the clouds, a terrifying roar echoed throughout into everyone¡¯s ears.

    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡± Some people in the audience yelled as the ground beneath them began to shake as they saw something scaly slithering in the clouds on the crystal screen.

    However, before anyone could get a good look, whatever was lurking in the clouds inside the Gate of Chains released a second roar causing the crystal screen shattered.

    ¡°What!? How could a mere illusion do this!¡± Sect Master Hong Chi yelled as the countless pieces of broken crystal rained down onto the ground.

    By now everyone inside the Gate of Chains had ceased what they were doing and focused all of their attention to the skies.

    Suddenly everyone felt an enormous pressure fall upon their bodies as a humanoid figure could be seen descending from the clouds while thunder continued to crackle in the background. As the humanoid figure levitated in the clouds Zhang could feel a piercing gaze scan over him from above.

    ¡°Return home¡­¡± The figure¡¯s voice echoed out into everyone¡¯s ears as everything in front of them began to slowly fade away.

    The chains that bound Cai Cao slowly faded away as if they had not been there in the first place as the tower he was locked in disappeared, the red lion that Xue Shi was locked in combat with turned into nothingness, the loved ones and hated foes were no more as everyone found themselves back in the white world they had previously been in.

    It seemed as if the Gate of Chains did not have enough power to maintain the world that had been conjured and deactivated.

    ¡°What just happened¡­¡± Zhang muttered before he felt something tug on his robes. Looking down he spotted Little Red.

    ¡°What is it, boy?¡± Zhang asked as he looked at Little Red. With a bark, the pup directed Zhang¡¯s attention to a small gate that appeared a short distance away from where everyone was standing.

    Of course, Zhang was not the only one to notice as a few dozen people began to race for the gate.

    As the people who noticed the gate raced to get to it, a blue light enveloped the white world once more as the Gate of Chains restarted.

    While the gate tried to fabricate a new world, Zhang and the few dozens of people before him all managed to run into the exit, which they found led them out into the colosseum. Before anyone noticed, Zhang placed Little Red back into his sack.

    ¡°Congratulations! You all pass onto the next stage of the tournament! You¡¯ll now be led to a resting area while we wait to see if anyone else passes onto the next stage.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said from his balcony.

    ¡°We did it.¡± Cai Cao¡¯s voice could be heard as Zhang felt a pat on his shoulder.

    ¡°There was probably some malfunction or something but if they say we move on then who am I to argue.¡± Zhang said with a laugh as he and Cai Cao and the other contestants were directed to the rest area.

    While they were leaving a large crystal screen could be seen floating into the colosseum from above as hundreds of disciples of the Red Cloud sect could be seen sweeping up the fragments of the crystal screen that had been shattered not too long ago.

    As our duo walked toward the rest area, an abundance of thoughts filled their minds. Despite showing no indication of being affected by the events shown to them in the Gate of Chains, both Zhang and Cai Cao were reminded by events that they tried to keep out of their thoughts.

    After briefly reliving what they had hoped to never relive again both of them couldn¡¯t help but ponder about the future.

    ¡°Investigate all of the contestants¡­ We must find out why the gate malfunction.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said to a disciple of the Red Cloud Sect as he watched Zhang and the other contestants walk to the rest area to watch the remainder of the second stage of the tournament.

    ¡°Right away master.¡± The disciple replied before walking off.

    ¡°To have relations to something that can interrupt the gate and shatter the crystal screen, it would be best to either become friends with this person or separate ourselves from them.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said.

 Chapter 28: Into the Sky

    Comments and good reviews are very much welcomed

    =============================================================================

    Although Zhang, Cai Cao and a handful of contestants were lucky enough to exit the Gate of Chains when it¡¯s magic was interrupted and did not really have to overcome the trail, those who were not so lucky spent hours in the maze and much longer in the gate.

    As the second stage of the tournament drew on for hours and hours, many of the spectators and contestants that managed to make it out of the Gate of Chains headed to their lodgings to rest. For the contestants who were thrown from one challenge to the next, rest and a good night¡¯s sleep was what they needed the most so after watching the crystal screen for about an hour, Zhang and Cai Cao decided to head back to their room.

    Upon walking through the halls of the Red Cloud Sect and finding their way back to the courtyard they were assigned to, then entering and locking their room, the duo emptied the two sacks they were carrying and released Little Red and Little Blue from their home away from home.

    Once they were released from the stuffy sacks, the two pups sped around the small room and only stopped after completing a dozen laps.

    ¡°Here boy.¡± Zhang said as he waved his hand and made a large juicy looking piece of demonic beast meat appear on the ground.

    ¡°You got your hands on an interspatial ring?¡± Cai Cao asked.

    ¡°I got you one too.¡± Zhang replied with a smile as he tossed Cai Cao a silver colored ring covered with inscriptions and weird looking runes.

    ¡°No need, I managed to acquire one myself.¡± Cai Cao replied with a grin as he lifted his hand and showed Zhang the ring in his hand.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice that there.¡± Zhang said as he recalled that when they were rigging the jade box with lightning talismans, Cai Cao had pulled out all of the talismans from his robes.

    ¡°No need to think too much about it.¡± Cai Cao laughed as he sat on top of his bed and watched the two pups devour the piece of meat given to them. In a matter of minutes, the large piece of meat was reduced to scraps and bits while the pups could be seen with plump looking bellies.

    ¡°Man I¡¯m tired¡­¡± Zhang said as he hopped on his bed without changing and pulled the sheets over his head.

    After spending an entire month in the forest of beasts, filled with dangers, want he wanted the most was a few good nights of sleep. Throughout his stay in the forest, Zhang only managed a few hours of sleep at best because of the constant fear of being attacked and because he had to spend the night in the same tent as Wenji and his heart was kept constantly racing.

    So with worried bodies and tired minds, both Cai Cao and Zhang fell into a deep slumber joining the two pups who had quickly fallen asleep after enjoying their hearty meal.

    While our duo and the pups were in the land of dreams, the Red Cloud Sect¡¯s coliseum was filled with clamor as they watched an epic battle occur on the crystal screen floating in the center of the arena. On the crystal screen, Xue Shi could be seen engaging in combat with a blood-red lion who was releasing a terrifying amount of blood lust.

    As the battle between man and beast drew on, the crowd was thrown into a frenzy as Xue Shi skillfully used his spear to keep the lion at bay while display his overbearing martial prowess by skewing the lion a dozen times over.

    ¡°To think that the Blood Lion sect which has such a terrible reputation could produce such a genius.¡± A few of the spectators said to one another. Even some of the people from the nine great influences were impressed by Xue Shi¡¯s display and thought about offering him a chance to join their forces.

    There were, of course, a few other shining stars still within the Gate of Chains who were also displaying their skills to the everyone in the audience as the second stage of the tournament drew on into the night.

    By the time the sun rose the night morning, Sect Master Hong Chi called for the end of the second stage of the tournament and assembled all of the contestants who had passed onto the third stage in the colosseum. For those who did not pass the second stage, they were giving a small complimentary gift of a few essence enhancement pills and made to watch in the stands with the rest of the spectators.

    ¡°Congratulations on making it to the fifth and final stage of the tournament!¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said in a loud voice that allowed for everyone within the colosseum to hear him.

    ¡°For the final stage of the tournament, we will have a show of skills between the contestants. But a simple one on one match is boring so I¡¯ve decided that the two hundred and fifty-six contestants who have passed onto the third stage will be split into teams of four. These sixty-four teams will fight each other until only two teams are left and at the end there will be an eight-person free for all.¡±

    ¡°Contestants are free to pick their own teams, so pick wisely because like in one¡¯s path to ascending the heavens, one¡¯s choices will determine the things that are to come. Once your teams have been created please step into one of these circles labeled with a number.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi added as pointed toward circles drawn into the colosseum floor, numbered one through sixty-four

    Of course, since they could pick their own teams, Zhang and Cai Cao would stick together, so all they needed to do was find two more people to join them and their team would be complete. However, this was easier said than done because for the most part, people tended to make teams with those within their sect and due to some odd circumstances no one in the Misty Mountain Sect, besides our lucky duo, had made it to the third stage of the tournament.

    Luckily they were not the only odd ones out because there was another sect who did not have enough members to form a team.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask him.¡± Zhang suggested as he pointed to Xue Shi, who was the only member of the Blood Lion Sect to advance into the third stage. Since most if not all of the Blood Lion Sect members were caught in the huge explosion caused by Zhang¡¯s jade box.

    ¡°You think he¡¯ll be okay with it? We did injure a whole bunch of people from his sect.¡± Cai Cao said, reminding Zhang of what they did.

    ¡°If no other team''s approach him then he has to join us.¡± Zhang replied with a smile.

    Although Xue Shi was praised as a genius, others were rather afraid of him due to the fact that he was a part of the Blood Lion Sect who was famous for being rascals and misfits. So in the end no one dared to approach Xue Shi despite having witnessed his battle potential.

    ¡°Brother Xue Shi, would you like to join our team?¡± Zhang asked in a polite manner. With a nod, Xue Shi was thus incorporated into the two-man team without much difficulty.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Now to find one last person to join us.¡± Zhang mumbled as his gaze shifted through the crowd of contestants.

    ¡°You there! Join us.¡± Xue Shi said as he pointed the tip of his spear towards a shirtless man with bulging muscles.

    ¡°Bro-brother Xue Shi, I think we should try finding people without teams already or else what will we do if they through the match when we run into their friends?¡± Cai Cao said, trying to convince Xue Shi not to force anyone to join the team.

    ¡°Very well¡­ I¡¯ll leave the recruiting to you two.¡± Xue Shi replied with a nod.

    ¡°No need to bother, since there are exactly enough people to form sixty-four teams there someone who will have to join our group.¡± Zhang said with a laugh as he proceeded to sit on the ground cross-legged andbegan to mediate. Moments later Xue Shi arrived beside him and also proceeded to sit cross-legged and meditate.

    With a sigh, Cai Cao also sat down beside Zhang and also began to meditate.

    Once they began to meditate it only took roughly twenty minutes before sixty-three teams were formed leaving a single circle empty circle labeled with the number sixty-four.

    In this circle was a single young man who sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. Like Zhang¡¯s group, this young man did not bother looking for a team be chase he figured in the end a team would be formed for him anyway.

    ¡°Since there are only four people left, you four will make up the last group.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said from his balcony as he gazed down at Zhang, Cai Cao, Xue Shi and the last contestant without a team.

    ¡°The name¡¯s Yu Hong.¡± The last member of Zhang¡¯s team said as he reached his hand out to shake hands with everyone once they were all in the circle for the sixty-fourth team.

    Shortly after Zhang¡¯s team finished introducing themselves to each other the circles that every team was standing on began to emit a bright blinding light and in a flash all of the contestants disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°If everyone would please focus their attention upward.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said with a smile as he pointed up into the sky.

    As everyone¡¯s gaze was focused upward, thirty-two levitating platforms could be seen moving through the clouds.

    ¡°The last stage of the tournament will now begin! Anyone who is knocked off of the platform and touch the ground will be considered disqualified from the tournament.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said as he signaled the beginning of a last leg of the tournament.

    A mere few moments after the tournament began and while everyone looking upward, a tiny speck could be seen falling from the skies. With enough time, this speck would, of course, turn out to be a person who was knocked off one of the levitating platforms and came crashing down into the ground.

    As cultivators, a fall from such heights would not kill the contestants but of course, they would be left would dozens of broken bones and heavy injuries that would require many days or weeks to recover from.

    Up in the skies, Zhang¡¯s team was locked in combat with another team comprised of two young men and two young women. The two women both wielded whips while the two men both used swords and shields.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you guys.¡± Yu Hong said as he sat down on the ground and began to meditate while Xue Shi charged forward with his spear in hand.

    Like the wind, Xue Shi crossed the platform in a matter of seconds and with a single sweep of his spear he sent one of the men holding a shield and sword playing off the platform and onto another platform not too far away where he collided with another contestant causing both of them to fall toward the ground below.

    Upon witnessing Xue Shi¡¯s fearsome might close up, the remaining members of the opposing team began to tremble as they tightened the weapons in their hands and moved back to create space between themselves and this fearsome foe.

    While all attention was focused on Xue Shi, a dozen needles shot out from Cai Cao sleeves.

    For the most part, these needles did nothing because they were met with a series of lashes that destroyed their momentum and caused them to scatter across l the platform.

    However, these needles were only meant to serve as distractions so Cai Cao himself could close the distance between himself and the enemy. Once Cai Cao arrived near one of the women who wielded whips, a thin and flexible blade gleamed through the air.

    As Cai Cao¡¯s belt sword sliced upward it was met with little resistance as one of the opponent¡¯s whips were cut into two. In a flash Cai Cao followed up by unleashing a series of kicks that launched his opponent off the platform and into the sky.

    ¡°Team twenty-three and team thirty-five have been eliminated, teams ten and forty-seven will now face off against each other.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi¡¯s voice rang into everyone¡¯s ears as two platforms began to move toward each other.

    Although it seemed like they were going to collide with each other, the platforms slowed and ended up fusing together to create a bigger platform.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be where your attention is!¡± Xue Shi roared as he closed in on the last two members of the other team and knocked them both off the platform while their attention was focused on the fusing platforms.

    ¡°Team thirteen and team twenty-one has been eliminated, teams sixty-four and eighteen will now face each other.¡±

    Before long the platform Zhang¡¯s team was on combined with another platform and new opponents were met.

    Unlike their matchup where Zhang¡¯s team took the initiative to attack, this time, their opponents were the first to act. A young woman armed with a bow and quiver released four arrows toward Zhang and his teammates the moment the who platforms combined.

    As if they had a mind of their own, the four arrows changed trajectory and homed in on Zhang¡¯s team as they tried to evade as best as they could.

    Since there was no way to dodge the arrow trailing him, Zhang withdrew his sword and in a spinning motion and a downward slash he was able to split the arrow into two.

    But before he could do anything else Zhang found himself forced to block a barrage of attacks from a young man who had managed to close in on him when he was preoccupied with the arrow.

    While Zhang sliced the arrow into two, Cai Cao sped around the platform at amazing speeds and engaged a bald youth wielding two maces in combat despite being trailed by the arrow.

    Once the bald youth charged at Cai Cao he found himself being used as a stepping stone as Cai Cao performed two front flips, one onto the youth¡¯s head and the other off the youth¡¯s head.

    The moment Cai Cao landed behind the bald youth, an arrow followed behind him and pierced into the bald youth¡¯s shoulder causing his temper to flare and his veins to bulge as he realized he was used as a human shield to block his own teammate¡¯s attack.

 Update

Since I''m almost done with the current Arc of Dragon''s Soul I''m going to try to finish that up then continue writing Ascending :D just letting you all know the story isn''t being dropped.

 Glossary

    Hello folks,

    I''m trying to create a glossary for the stories that I''m currently writing and was hoping to get a bit of help from the people who probably memorize and know the story better than I do.

    Stolen story; please report.

    If you wish to help me create the glossary please click the link below.

    Thank you

    http://goo.gl/forms/dOHSvQrAemhkezVI3</a>

 Great News!!!!!!!

    Hello folks,

    Great News!!!!  Dragon''s Soul will also be available on amazon for the kindle in a few days!! I''m planning to have chapters 1-93 for the first volume :D. Will mention it when I have the story uploaded to amazon :D. Please show some support >:D.

    More great news, school starts in 10 days! Which means much much much much more time to write! Hopefully I''ll be going back to writing 1-2 chapters of Ds a day and 1 chapter of Ascending a day :D

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Wish you all the best and thank you for sticking with me and the story.

    I know its been a long time since I''ve updated Ascending, but I''ve go a ton of ideas for it and just not sure how to get the story there. Once school starts and I dont have to work super long hours anymore, I''ll be able to update this story like I used to again.

 Chapter 29: Core Realm Armor

    Hello Everyone, been a while since I''ve updated this series but welp better later then never. Hope you enjoy this chapter that took me so so long to finish T_T I had dozens of ideas on where I want this story to head however no idea how to get there.

    Dragon¡¯s Soul is now officially available for the kindle on Amazon at

    Dragon''s Soul: An End''s Beginning

    https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B01M0KEGUI</a>

    If the link doesn¡¯t work for you then you do not live in the US. Just search Dragon¡¯s Soul: An End¡¯s Beginning and if you see my name, Tony Tran, then you have the right book.

    Join the discord channel undefined https://discord.gg/rMMkyrq</a>

    ============================================================================

    An angry roar echoed into the ears of the audience as the bad youth wielding two iron maces turned toward Cai Cao while swinging the two deadly weapons in his hand downward. However, all the iron maces managed to hit was the platform below his feet, sending shards of rock to fly everywhere because in the nick of time Cai Cao managed jumped out of the way.

    ¡°Too slow!¡± Cai Cao said as his sword snaked in the air as he slashed at the bald youth¡¯s hands, leaving two thin cuts across the youth¡¯s wrists before jumping back a few more times to create distance between the two of them. With a clang, the two iron maces fell onto the ground as blood gushed out of the bald youth¡¯s wrists.

    ¡°How dare you do that to Brother Bei!¡± The young woman wielding a bow and arrow said as she began to rapidly fire arrows at Cai Cao. Unlike the first four arrows that homed in on their target, the following arrows acted like regular arrows and either missed or stuck themselves onto the platform.

    There were a few extremely unlucky people on other platforms who were hit with arrows and knocked into the air by the people they were engaged in combat with before they could even complain.

    Finally joining the fray, a staff appeared in Yu Hong¡¯s hands as he smashed the arrow that had chased after him and began to battle a young man who was from the other team.

    While Zhang¡¯s team engaged their opponents in battle, the other teams also fought crazily as the audience watched. A fury of techniques and skills were put on display as people tried to defeat their opponents. Talismans were used one after the other as weapons slashed through the air and techniques were used to both attack and defend.

    ¡°Go for their weakest link!¡± The young woman who was wielding a bow and that was fighting Zhang¡¯s team commanded, prompting every one of her teammates to focus their gazes into Zhang.

    ¡°Hmph, you think you lot can just ignore me?¡± Xue Shi roared as a javelin appeared in his left hand and was throw at the bald youth who had his wrists cut by Cai Cao.

    Seeing the javelin speeding toward him, cold sweat began flowing down the bald-headed youth¡¯s brow as he tried ignored the burning pain in his wrist and tried to get up from the ground.

    ¡°Expand!¡± Xue Shi¡¯s voice could be heard as the tip of his javelin split apart and opened up, from a single tip into six of them, turning into a trident-like weapon.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± The bald youth mumbled in a low tone as the three of the javelin¡¯s six tips pierced through his clothes and into his skin all the while pushing him toward the edge of the platform.

    ¡°Off you go!¡± Cai Cao¡¯s voice could be heard as he sped past the bald youth and kicked the javelin after jumping into the air.

    Having been already standing on the very edge of the platform, coupled with Cai Cao¡¯s kick and the fact that he couldn''t use his hands, the bald youth was sent tumbling off the platform and toward the air.

    ¡°Wha-what the fuck!?¡± The bald youth yelled as he caught sight of another one of his teammates, the young man who had been engaged in battle with Yu Hong, also falling beside him.

    Looking back up onto the platform, Yu Hong could be seen seated on the floor nibbling on a rice cracker.

    ¡°Boy, this is tiring¡­¡± Yu Hong complained while a yawning.

    In a flash, the four on four duel turned into a three on two battle for supremacy as Yu Hong ceased participating in the battle after two members of the opposing team were knocked off the platform.

    Alone, Cai Cao and Xue Shi would have been more than enough to deal with the two remaining members of the opposing team, so with Zhang by their side, the battle soon concluded.

    ¡°Team sixty-four moves on to their third match!¡± A voice announced as the platform underneath Zhang¡¯s feet began to move through the air.

    Before long another furious battle erupted in the skies as Zhang¡¯s team engaged yet another group of opponents. Luckily for them, the opposing team had already lost one of their teammates and only possessed three members in total.

    Unlike Zhang¡¯s team, the opposing team was covered from head to toe in wounds and were in no shape at all to continue fighting. Thus the battle concluded fairly quickly and without any unexpected turn of events occurring. Xue Shi was able to quickly eliminate one of the enemy competitors while Zhang and Cai Cao took out the remaining two, all the while Yu Hong lazed about.

    Keeping up their momentum, Zhang¡¯s team continued to gain one victory after the other as they quickly defeated one after the other. Slowly but surely they began to attract the gazes of the onlookers down in the colosseum stands.

    ¡°Elder Cai Long, prepare for me a small team of core realm cultivators, after the tournament, there are things that need to be done.¡± The man who had stared at Cai Cao as he disembarked the Cai Clan¡¯s airship said to another man sitting beside him.

    ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± The man referred to as Elder Cai Long said respectfully.

    Back up in the air, the platform underneath Zhang¡¯s feet had grown exponentially large after fusing together with six other platforms, as a result of six consecutive victories against the other teams.

    ¡°Just two more teams to go and we reach the finally.¡± Xue Shi said as his chest heaved up and down.

    ¡°One battle after the other, man I wish they would give us a bit of time to rest.¡± Yu Hong complained as he fanned himself with a paper fan that he pulled out from within his robes.

    ¡°After this, you can rest all you want.¡± Cai Cao said in an unhappy tone, clearly unhappy about Yu Hong¡¯s attitude and laziness.

    ¡°Stay sharp, guys here they come.¡± Zhang said as he pointed toward another platform neared theirs and the two began to fuse together.

    As the two platforms combined together, new opponents quickly came into view. Unlike the previous opponents whom they had been facing as of late, this new team did not appear to be tired or worn out at all.

    ¡°Surrender and we will spare you a miserable defeat.¡± A proud looking young man clad in sparkling armor said in a haughty tone as he pointed the tip of his drawn sword toward Xue Shi who glared back with a face full of sworn, ignoring Zhang and the rest of the team.

    ¡°Surrender after making it this far? You couldn¡¯t possibly by joking.¡± Zhang said with an amazed expression on his face as if he had just heard someone attempt to crack a joke but miserably failed.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably too chicken to fight us, so he¡¯s trying to scare us into surrendering.¡± Yu Hong laughed as he continued to fan himself

    ¡°Cripple them.¡± The young man commanded his teammates, who responded by charging forward without uttering a single complaint.

    ¡°Rather than teammates, I think these guys are more like his lackeys.¡± Zhang thought as he readied his sword and prepared to engage the enemy.

    ¡°It seems like you need to be taught some manners by this young master.¡± Yu Hong laughed as he pushed himself up from the ground, Yu Hong withdrew his staff from his interspatial ring and dashed forth.

    ¡°No need to cripple them, kill them!¡± Xue Shi roared as he followed Yu Hong with his spear in hand.

    Seeing their two teammates charge forward, Zhang and Cai Cao nodded at each other before following suit.

    Back down in the colosseum, the audience was in an uproar as they watched the fight between Zhang¡¯s team and the armor-clad young man¡¯s team.

    ¡°Sect Master Yu Yang, what do you think of my son, Fei Chang, the next in line to be the Silver Scale Sect¡¯s master.¡± A chubby man who constantly had a crooked smile on his face asked, Sect Master Hong Chi as they and a few other sect masters were watching the fights unfold on the crystal screens.

    ¡°Sect Master Fei Gu isn¡¯t a bit excessive that your son and his friends come prepared with Core Realm armor. When the strongest competitor in this competition is merely an elementary realm cultivator.¡± Sect Master Yu Yang responded with a slightly unhappy tone.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a kidder, Sect Master Yu Yang, doesn¡¯t your foster daughter also possess core realm equipment? Also, there are no rules stating we can¡¯t give the representatives of our sects, core realm equipment. If their sects are too poor and can¡¯t afford to give their disciples even core realm equipment, then too bad for them.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu said, prompting Sect Master Yu Yang¡¯s tongue to be tied.

    ¡°Watch as my son crushes those poor bumpkins.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu laughed.

    ¡°Sect Master Fei Gu it seems you¡¯ve mistaken on who the poor bumpkins are.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said with a hearty laugh, prompting Sect Master Fei Gu to cease laughing.

    ¡°What do you mean, Sect Master Hong Chi.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see what that is in the hand of that young man? That¡¯s one of the Blood Lion Sect¡¯s, Blood Fang Spears. If my guess is correct, your son is only wearing low-grade Core Realm armor, while that young man that is wielding a weapon that is not too much weaker than a Profound Realm weapon.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said as he pointed toward Xue Shi.

    ¡°That is to be expected from the son of the Blood Lion Sect¡¯s current sect master, however, he doubts he will be able to achieve victory while being bogged down by his team.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu stated.

    ¡°You are mistaken again, Sect Master Fei Gu, that young man right there is the son of the sect master of the Heavenly Staff Sect and if I¡¯m not mistaken he is currently in possession of one of their sect¡¯s Dragon Smasher Staff, a Profound Realm Weapon.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said while pointing at Yu Hong.

    ¡°Heavenly Staff Sect? I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu said.

    ¡°Nor have I.¡± Sect Master Yu Yang said solemnly.

    ¡°That is because their sect has lived total seclusion for the last thousand or so years, only having been accepting a handful of disciples every year. It has only been in recent months that their master has attempted to reconnect their sect with the outside world, by sending his only son to attend this tournament.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi stated.

    ¡°Even with a Profound Realm weapon, how can done kid from some sect that has lived in seclusion for a thousand years compare to my son and my disciples. Two against one, they have no chance.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu said in a prideful manner.

    ¡°You see that young man over there? Do you see the black sword in his hands? Although it powers have been slightly sealed, I''m sure a man of your caliber can figure out what it is after closer inspection.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said as he pointed to Zhang.

    ¡°It can''t be¡­ What sect is that kid from? What kind of sect gives a Profound Realm Flying Sword to a fragment realm cultivator? Even in my sect, only a select few Profound Realm Cultivators are given such swords.¡± Sect Master Fei Gu said.

    ¡°I believe he''s from the Misty Mountain Sect.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi with a chuckle as he saw Sect Master Fei Gu¡¯s facial expressions.

    ¡°What about the last kid? What kind of equipment is he using?¡± Sect Master Fei Gu asked with a sigh.

    ¡°Nothing extraordinary in particular, however, I noticed that he was in possession an Enlightened Realm treasure.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said as he glanced at Sect Master Fei Gu to see his reaction.

    ¡°Fragmented Realm, Elementary Realm, Core Realm, Profound Realm, Enlightened Realm¡­.  In a mid-sized sect, the resides in the outer ring of the continent such as ours, there are countless thousands of Fragment Realm and Elementary Realm items, a few hundred Core Realm items for inner circle disciples, a few hundred Profound Realm treasures for concave disciples and elders and only a dozen or so Enlightened Realm treasures for grand elders and ourselves¡­ What kind of background does this kid have¡­¡± Sect Master Fei Gu said as he stared at Cai Cao with a face full of shock and awe.

    ¡°I believe he was from the Misty Mountain Sect, but I¡¯m sure he has a very powerful backer so don''t get any funny ideas.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said with a chuckle.

    Although to the majority of the audience, the armor worn by Sect Master Fei Gu¡¯s son, Fei Chang, and his teammates appeared very impressive, in actuality it was Zhang¡¯s team that possessed the most impressive arsenal.

    To most disciples of small sized sects and forces, the thought of obtaining a profound or even core realm item was but a dream, and for those in mid-size sects, a task that requires completing a long list of demanding tasks.

    As the battle in the flying platform progressed, blades were crossed and moves were exchanged. At first Fei Chang and his teammates were brimming with confidence as they believed they held and absolute advantage over Zhang¡¯s team thanks to their Core Realm Armor, however, once Xue Shi was easily able to leave large gaping holes in their armor, their confident demeanor was quickly taken down a level.

    ¡°Focus your attacks on him! I want his spear!¡± Fei Chang commanded as he pointed toward Xue Shi.

    ¡°What about me?!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s voice rang into Fei Chang¡¯s ear as he appeared out of thin air.

    ¡°Heavenly Staff Art first move! Earth Splitter Strike!¡± Yu Hong roared as his Dragon Smasher Staff slammed into Fei Chang¡¯s armor, shattering it to bits and pieces, causing a wave of murmur to sweep through the audience down below.

    Despite receiving a heavy blow from Yu Hong and having his breastplate shatter, Fei Chang avoided being knocked out of the run by stabbed his sword into the platform before coughing up a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 30: Talismans

    Gazing down upon the blood-soaked grounds for his hands that were stained red, Fei Chang was filled with disbelief.

    ¡°Ho-how could this be? Father has said that this was a set of core realm armor when he had given it to me. How did he manage to shatter it with a single swing?¡± Fei Chang thought as his teammates gathered around him and created a protective human wall.

    ¡°Like a frog in a pond, whose eyes are shrouded by self-deluded strength.¡± Yu Hong said as he swung his staff into the ground, creating a large crack in the platform that quickly made its way toward where Fei Chang and his teammates were.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hog all of the fun for yourself!¡± Xue Shi¡¯s roar could be heard as his spear could be seen soaring through the air and embedding itself into the crack the Yu Hong had created, causing a portion of the platform to begin to crumble and fall down from the skies.

    Sweat began to stream down Fei Chang¡¯s brow as he witnessed the section of the platform he was atop of break away from the main platform and fall toward the ground.

    ¡°I was saving this for the last round¡­ But it¡¯s now or never¡­¡± Fei Chang murmured as he bit his lip, while a gray colored orb appeared in his hand. With a bit of force, Fei Chang shattered the orb in his hand, releasing a swirl of gray colored smoke into the air.

    In next to no time at all, the swirling gray colored smoke began to slightly solidify as it formed into a large puffy gray colored cloud, underneath Fei Chang¡¯s feet.

    ¡°That has to be cheating¡­¡± Zhang mumbled with wide eyes as Fei Chang and the opposing team rose up into the air and gazed down upon him.

    ¡°Use the Lightning talismans that father had given you all.¡± Fei Chang commanded as he flipped his hand and a talisman with lightning bolts drawn into is appeared clamped between his fingertips.

    ¡°Scatter!¡± Cai Cao ordered as a storm of lightning bolts began to descend down upon the platform.

    One after the other, Fei Chang and his comrades activated dozens of lightning talismans, causing lightning bolts to rain down upon Zhang, Cai Cao, Xue Shi, and Yu Hong, each of whom took a different approach to maintaining their well-being.

    Cai Cao agilely dodged all of the lightning bolts that came his way in what resembled a beautiful dance, showcasing his agility and speed. Xue Shi had quickly withdrawn a dozen spears from his interspatial ring and stuck them into the ground around himself, using them as lightning rods and a defensive array. Yu Hong had withdrawn a dozen or so, blue colored water talismans from his interspatial ring and used them in quick succession, making a dozen jets of water shoot toward Fei Chang while nullifying any lightning bolts that came his way.

    Much to Zhang¡¯s dismay, he did not possess Cai Cao¡¯s frightening agility, Xue Shi¡¯s abundance of weapons, nor could he come up with as many water talismans as Yu Hong. Without many options at his disposal, and due to the sheer number of lightning bolts descending from the skies, Zhang quickly charged toward the ledge of the platform with his sword in hand.

    Despite being gripped by fear as he caught sight of the ground below, Zhang leaped over the edge of the platform and quickly plunged his sword into one of the cracks created by Yu Hong and help on for dear life.

    Seeing Zhang leap off the side of the platform, Cai Cao¡¯s attention and rhythm were interrupted for a fraction of a second, causing him to be struck by one of the many lightning bolts showering onto the platform around him.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Fei Chang roared as he saw that Cai Cao had been knocked to the ground and become vulnerable.

    ¡°Young master, we¡¯ve run out of lightning talismans!¡± One of Fei Chang¡¯s teammates said upon receiving his commands.

    ¡°Use the fire talismans! Torch him!¡± Fei Chang said, invoking a hail of fireballs the size of a person¡¯s head to fall from the sky, toward Cai Cao.

    With slightly charred robes, an aching body, and a numbing sensation enveloping his body, Cai Cao attempted to push himself up from the ground, however, due to the aftereffects of the lightning bolt that struck him, his body would simply not listen to him and laid motionless on the ground.

    As countless fireballs descended down upon Cai Cao, countless people in the audience cheered at the spectacle while a scowl appeared on the faces of a few of the Cai Clan¡¯s elders.

    Contrary to everyone¡¯s belief, mere seconds before a fireball could even come as close as to single the tips of Cai Cao¡¯s hair, a few jets of water shot across the sky, extinguishing them.

    ¡°You think you''re the only ones with an abundance of talismans in your possession? Before I left the sect, my father had given me hundreds of them!¡± Yu Hong¡¯s sneering voice could be heard as Cai Cao¡¯s life or death situation was temporarily relieved.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°So what if you have hundreds of low-grade talismans! I have this!¡± Fei Chang snickered as he resolved himself to use the strongest item in his arsenal.

    ¡°Young master! If you use that now, then we won¡¯t have a chance in the last round! Master had specifically said to not use the mid-grade fire talisman until the last round!¡± One of Fei Chang¡¯s underlings said as he saw a crimson red talisman with beautiful golden runes clamped between Fei Chang¡¯s fingertips.

    ¡°Rubbish! If we don¡¯t beat them then we won''t even, make it to the last round!¡± Fei Chang said angrily as the mid-grade fire talisman shot out of his hand and ignited in midair, turning into a massive blazing fireball.

    ¡°Damn it... Even I don¡¯t have any of those¡­ Curse my luck...¡± Yu Hong mumbled in a low voice as he recalled asking his father for a few mid-grade talismans but was sadly rejected, while he scooped Cai Cao up from the ground and sped for the edge of the platform. Like Yu Hong, Xue Shi had abandoned his array comprised of spears and fled toward the very edge of the platform.

    Unlike low-grade talismans that could be found in the hands of even the lowliest of cultivators, mid-grade talismans were quite rare and were usually only in the possession of elder rank individuals. Of course, this was not the case for the nine great influences or the various large sects scattered throughout the land.

    Much like Zhang, Yu Hong who had Cai Cao slung over his shoulder, and Xue Shi leaped off the side of the platform and soon found themselves dangling off its side.

    ¡°Now that they are like sitting ducks, kill them!¡± Fei Chang ordered as the gray colored cloud that he was standing atop of began to lower itself onto the platform.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I took a few of those when I left.¡± Cai Cao¡¯s voice could be heard as it made its way into Yu Hong¡¯s ears before a deafened thunder made everything irrelevant everything moments afterward.

    Much to Fei Chang¡¯s misfortune, the moment he had stepped foot back atop the platform, he found two black colored talismans with golden letters written on them, stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

    ¡°Midgrade lightning talismans¡­¡± Fei Change muttered in a lifeless tone as the talismans began to glow and turn into countless lightning bolts that streak across the sky, striking a few of the other platforms and other contestants.

    The two midgrade lightning talismans looked similar to blooming chrysanthemums as they coated the sky in a blinding display of both power and beauty which shocked the audience down below into utter silence.

    For many of the contestants and those in the audience, seeing a single mid-grade talisman go off was already a spectacle but after seeing three, it was simple to say they were mesmerized.

    ¡°Sect Master Fei Gu, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Sect Master Hong Chi could be heard as his hand reached out and halted Sect Master Fei Gu from taking into the air.

    ¡°My son¡­¡± Sect Master Fei Gu mumbled as he felt a wave of essence belonging to Sect Master Hong Chi envelope his body.

    ¡°If you wish to interrupt the tournament then let me remind you, your sect will forever be banned from attending again. I will not for any outside forces to possibly affect the outcome of this tournament¡­ Be it you, any of the other sect masters present or even the representatives of the nine influences...¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said in a stern voice as his gaze was directed not at Sect Master Fei Gu, but across the colosseum, at the Cai Clan¡¯s Elder, Cai Long and the man sitting beside him. Surprisingly enough as Sect Master Hong Chi¡¯s gaze was focused on them, Elder Cai Long and the man whom he had referred to as his lord, gazed back at Sect Master Hong Chi with smiles plastered on their faces, as if they had heard what he was saying.

    ¡°Also your son will be fine, and even if he weren¡¯t he was the one to use a mid-grade talisman first.¡± Sect Master Hong Chi said with a chuckle as Sect Master Fei Gu sat back down with eyes glued to the screen showing the events happening up above them.

    Back atop the platform where Zhang¡¯s team had been battling Fei Chang¡¯s team, a curtain of dust and smoke had risen, obscuring all visibility.

    ¡°You guys, I can''t hang on much longer¡­ The three of you are too heavy...¡± Zhang could be heard saying.

    ¡°Whose heavy!?¡± Cai Cao¡¯s angry roar could be heard following Zhang¡¯s.

    ¡°Cai Cao, just shut up and climb up before we all end up falling down¡­¡± Xue Shi said in an unhappy tone as he could be seen tightly gripping onto Zhang¡¯s leg while Yu Hong could be seen gripping onto his leg.

    Basically, if Zhang were to lose grip of his sword, his entire team would be disqualified.

    After Xue Shi¡¯s angry remark and a few unhappy grumbles, Cai Cao began to climb up the human ladder comprised of Zhang, Xue Shi and Yu Hong.

    ¡°Hey! Watch where you''re stepping!¡± Yu Hong yelled as Cai Cao used the top of his head as a stepping stone.

    Shortly after Cai Cao made his way back up to the platform, Yu Hong, Xue Shi and Zhang followed in succession, one after the other.

    ¡°I''m amazed this thing hasn''t crumbled to bits yet¡­¡± Yu Hong said as he laid eyes on the massive cracks left in the platform by Cai Cao¡¯s midgrade lightning talisman.

    With dozens of craters and large cracks that branched throughout the entire platform, it was truly a miracle that the platform was still keeping afloat in the air, however, what truly made Zhang and his teammates amazed was the sight of Fei Chang.

    Lying amidst scattered debris, Fei Chang and comrades could be seen lying stark naked on the ground, covered with a layer of black soot.

    Their core realm armor had long since been broken to bits and their clothes had been burnt to ashes in the storm of lightning. But by some stroke of luck, Fri Chang and his comrades were actually all alive, of course, they sustained heavy injuries, but nonetheless, they were alive.

    ¡°Looks like we won.¡± Xue Shi said as his eyes scanned the platform.

    ¡°What are you guys waiting for?¡± Zhang asked as he made his way toward Fei Chang, prompting confused and curious looks on his teammate¡¯s faces.

    ¡°The first and most important rule passed down in my Zhou Clan has always been, the wealth of an enemy is wealth wasted.¡± Zhang said recited with a laugh as he arrived in front of Fei Chang and reached for a glittering interspatial ring.

    Being the only thing intact on Fei Chang¡¯s body, Zhang quickly retrieved it.

    Seeing what Zhang was doing, his teammate''s quickly joined in and retrieved the interspatial rings belonging to Fei Chang¡¯s subordinates, much to the displeasure of Sect Master Fei Gu.

    ¡°Brother Zhang, if only we can meet your ancestor who came up with these clan rules of yours. I bet he was an out of this world character.¡± Yu Hong laughed as he pocketed a yellow colored interspatial ring.

    Perhaps it was because Zhang and his teammates had run out of luck after looting their opponents or the heavens had other plans for them, but shortly Yu Hong spoke, before the victor of the match was declared, the platform finally gave way and began to fall from the sky.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Yu Hong cried as the platform began to break apart into large chunks and descend toward the colosseum.

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as he quickly scanned through Fei Chang¡¯s interspatial ring. Much to his joy, he was able to locate a two of the gray colored orbs stored within the interspatial ring.

    With a flip of his hand, the gray colored orb appeared in Zhang¡¯s hand and with a bit of strength he smashed it to bits and caused gray smoke to swirl around him.

    ¡°Everyone, gather around!¡± Zhang said in an urgent tone as the ground beneath his feet began to split apart, separating him from the rest of his team.

    Upon hearing Zhang¡¯s words and seeing the swirling gray smoke, everyone''s eyes lit up.

    As they were now, even if they survived the fall to the ground and weren''t crushed underneath a hill of rubble, they would still be severely injured.

    Dashing toward Zhang at top speed, Cai Cao, Xue Shi, and Yu Hong soon found themselves safely floating atop a gray colored cloud. Sadly, their efforts were for not because moments before the pieces of the platform smashed into the ground, Sect Master Hong Chi waved his hand and made all of the broken bits fly back up into the air and form into a solid piece once again. He even lent a helping hand to Fei Chang and his teammate who were unconscious.

    ¡°Your saying I wasted this thing for no reason?¡± Zhang said in a voice full of disbelief.

    ¡°You have my gratitude, Brother Zhang.¡± Yu Hong said with a laugh while Xue Shi nodded. As they saw it, Zhang had offered them a helping hand during a dire situation, regardless of whether it was needed or not, the mere fact that he had helped them was something they felt needed to be repaid.

 Chapter 31: Blunder

    Slightly dejected because he had just needlessly wasted a possible life-saving treasure, Zhang made the gray cloud underneath his feet descend toward the colosseum floor.

    Moments later, while caught up in a storm of thoughts which caused him to zone out all everything that was happening around him, Zhang made the gray cloud beneath his feet fade away.

    ¡°Team number five is no longer able to compete! Team sixty-four has been disqualified for touching the ground!¡± A voice reverberated into Zhang¡¯s ears, bringing back to reality.

    ¡°You dumbass! What are you doing!¡± Xue Shi¡¯s voice could be heard as Zhang felt someone grabbing onto his shoulders and shaking him.

    ¡°Brother Zhang! Snap out or it!¡± Yu Hong could be heard, while Cai Cao could be seen with a worried look on his face.

    ¡°Wha-what happen?¡± Zhang said in a confused voice as he was surrounded by his teammates.

    ¡°You got us all disqualified!¡± Xue Shi yelled as he continued to shake Zhang back and forth angrily.

    ¡°Disqualified? Disqualified!? What?!¡± Zhang yelled in response as he brain was processing the current situation.

    ¡°^{^}*#*%{^\*~%{%.¡± Zhang cursed as he realized his blunder.

    ¡°Oh father, please forgive me for teaming up with an idiot.¡± Yu Hong said as he pretended to wipe away tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief.

    ¡°I won''t hear the end of this when I return to the sect¡­ All of the people I have to silence...¡± Xue Shi grumbled as he glanced at where his father the other disciples of the Blood Lion Sect were currently seated while facing his face with his hand and shaking his head.

    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± Zhang said to his teammates as he prostrated himself on the ground. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours as Zhang¡¯s teammates gazed down upon him in utter silence.

    Luckily the final match had begun and the audience spectating the tournament had focused their attention elsewhere or else Zhang would have made a spectacle of himself once again.

    ¡°We probably wouldn''t have won anyway if Brother Zhang had not acted, and to top things off, the last match is a free for all, meaning only one of us if any could have won. So let''s not be too hard on him.¡± Cai Cao said as he tried to persuade Yu Hong and Xue Shi to forgive Zhang.

    ¡°Fine, since we would have been disqualified anyway. We can''t blame him for what happened. Also looting those four was a very good idea.¡± Yu Hong said after a long silence with a sigh.

    ¡°I guess it can''t all be blamed on him¡­¡± Xue Shi admitted as Yu Hong and Cai Cao stared at him intently.

    ¡°Thank you, you guys. One day I''ll make it up to you there somehow.¡± Zhang said in an apologetic tone with his hands clasped together while performing a half bow after he got up from the ground.

    Soon after Zhang¡¯s apology was accepted, the team of four split up and headed toward different sections of the stands where their respective sects were currently seated.

    The tournament continues on as the final twelve contestants met atop a massive platform and went toe to toe in a free for all match.

    Magical treasures with all sorts of mystical abilities were used while dozens of different fighting styles were put on display.

    As breathtaking as the final match was, it was still quite lacking when compared to the midgrade Lightning talismans that Cai Cao had used. Hence it was rather lackluster for Zhang and he quickly zoned himself out his surroundings until a thought ran through his head.

    ¡°I should transfer everything in that interspatial ring into mine just in case they come demanding it back.¡± Zhang thought.

    ¡°Brother Cai, come with me and try to not attract too much attention.¡± Zhang whispered into Cai Cao¡¯s ear in a low tone while grasping hold of his hand.

    ¡°Wha-wha are you doing?¡± Cai Cao asked with a perplexed expression on his face, however, Zhang did not reply and simply continued tugging on his hand and moving through the countless rows of seats.

    ¡°Hold onto your questions for a bit.¡± Zhang said as he led Cai Cao away from the crowd of people who were intently watching the tournament¡¯s finale and toward a fairly empty area.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Cai Cao asked, as he tried to figure out where Zhang was taking him.

    ¡°If I remember right, it should be over here.¡± Zhang mumbled to himself while ignoring Cai Cao¡¯s questions.

    ¡°What should be over here?¡± Cai Cao continued to ask but to no avail.

    ¡°Found it!¡± Zhang yelled in a cheerful tone as a somewhat broken down shack came into view in front of him.

    ¡°Outhouses?¡± Cai Cao asked with an even more perplexed look on his face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang said as he pulled on Cai Cao¡¯s hand once more only to find himself unable to move forward.

    Looking back Zhang could see Cai Cao with a somewhat frantic expression on his face while grasping onto a sword that he had stabbed into the ground.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhang asked as Cai Cao held onto his sword for dear life.

    ¡°You you scoundrel! Why are you taking me to such a place!?¡± Cai Cao roared frantically as he pulled his sword from the ground and began to wave it about.

    ¡°Calm down man! Calm down!¡± Zhang cried as he tried to distance himself from Cai Cao who was swinging around a dangerously sharp sword.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you tell me to calm down! Not after what you tried to do to me!¡± Cai Cao said as he was caught up in a sea of delusions.

    ¡°Do what to you? I just wanted you to go in there with me.¡± Zhang spoke in a confused tone that only served to put Cai Cao more on edge.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you before you can get me in there!¡± Cai Cao roared as he continued to madly swing his sword about.

    ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to do it in there then since there aren¡¯t too many people here we can do it out here.¡± Zhang said as he reached his hand into his robes.

    With shaky hands, Cai Cao dropped his sword and began to run away at top speed, catching Zhang entirely off guard.

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to go into the dirty outhouse, we can inspect the contents of the interspatial rings out here. Why are you running?¡± Zhang yelled, prompting Cai Cao to stop in his tracks and look back with at him with a confused look.

    ¡°Interspatial ring?¡± Cai Cao asked in a perplexed tone.

    ¡°Yea, the ones we took from that one fella who was wearing fancy looking armor.¡± Zhang replied.

    ¡°What do you think we were going to do in an outhouse together?¡± Zhang asked before a sudden thought came to his mind.

    ¡°$%$#$@$#... You can¡¯t possibly think I swing that way¡­¡± He said after an awkward silence.

    ¡°No, of course not¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to go into the dirty outhouse stall¡­¡± Cai Cao said in an extremely low tone with an obviously ashamed expression on his face as he slowly walked back to where Zhang was after putting his sword back into its sheath.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly before anyone comes by, before that guy comes demanding his belongings back.¡± Zhang said as he observed how slowly Cai Cao was moving.

    ¡°Okay¡­ Okay¡­ I¡¯m coming¡­¡± Cai Cao said as he quickened his pace and arrived beside Zhang before the two of them walked to the side of the outhouse where they began to examine the things within the interspatial rings that had taken earlier.

    Before long a small mound of things was gathered in front of Zhang and Cai Cao as they emptied out the contents of the interspatial rings, and after a bit of examining roughly sixty percent of everything was stored away into different interspatial rings while the remainder was stored back into the interspatial rings that originally belonged to Fei Chang. This way if anyone were to try to retake Fei Chang¡¯s interspatial rings, Zhang and Cai Cao could simply hand over forty percent of the things they had taken and escape while the enemy examines the contents of the rings.

    Thus an end to an entirely unexpected and awkward situation ended and our two young heroes began to head back to where their seats were.

    As they were on their merry way, Zhang suddenly felt a piercing gaze focus upon him, causing a shiver to run down his spine and prompting him to scan his surroundings.

    ¡°What wrong?¡± Cai Cao asked as he noticed that Zhang had stopped walking.

    ¡°No-nothing¡­¡± Zhang mumbled before catching up to Cai Cao, shrugging off the feeling he had gotten earlier.

    Little did he know, as he and Cai Ca departed, a pair of men could be seen watching them from the roof of one of the buildings nearby.

    ¡°Do you think that one noticed us?¡± One of the men said with his eyes locked onto Zhang.

    ¡°I doubt it; how can a fragment realm cultivator notice the presence of core realm cultivators such as ourselves. However, tell the others to keep a close eye on him just in case.¡± The other man said before the two of them disappeared out of sight.

    Soon after Zhang and Cai Cao returned to the stands just in time to witness the finale of the tournament.

    After a grueling free for all, only three contestants remained and the platform that had been their battlefield was littered with craters, cracks, and cuts serving to help immortalize their fierce struggle into the minds of all who were present. Unlike before when Zhang and Cai Cao had departed to organize their new belongings, the current battle now was no longer lacking in comparison to their battle. Although the imagine of two mid-tier lightning talismans going off would be engraved into the minds of those present, the current fight was now on an entirely different level.

    Regardless of who became the sole victor, all three of the people remaining on stage would make a name for themselves in the world of cultivators. After displaying their skills and hard work, the final three contestants were now like shining stars.

    ¡°One day, perhaps if I¡¯m lucky enough and work hard enough, just maybe I¡¯ll be able to stay up there too.¡± Zhang thought with a smile as he saw countless others just like him who were sitting at the very edge of their seats. Countless individuals who were only making their first steps into the path of cultivations, countless individuals who would all one day carve out a name for themselves, countless individuals who would all surely make ripples what could only be called a sea of cultivators.

    With the audience mesmerized, the final three contests, Fang Yu, Wang Fu and Shu Hao who happened to the same people who Zhang had beaten in the pelt collecting part of the contest, continued to fight each other for a hundred rounds before a victor was decided.

    In the end, Fang Yu, who happened to be Sect Master Yu Yang¡¯s foster daughter was crowned the victor of the Red Cloud Sect¡¯s tournament and a large banquet was held in her honor before the various sects and clans attending the tournament began to depart, with the Cai Clan being the first to do so while on the other hand, the Misty Mountain Sect was one of the last sects to depart.

    ¡°Brother Yu Hong are you sure you don¡¯t want us to ask the sect elder to give you a lift?¡± Zhang asked Yu Hong who was standing beside a tiny raft of an airship that looked like it would capsize if more than one person was to board it.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯m actually not returning home. Who knows what my old man will do once he finds out that I lost in such a way. I heard that there are many places to see in the north, so I think I¡¯m going to go sightseeing for a bit.¡± Yu Hong said with a laugh while scratching his head.

    ¡°Well, then I wish you safe travels.¡± Cai Cao with a chuckle.

    ¡°Too bad I can¡¯t take these little guys with me.¡± Yu Hong said with a laugh as he petted Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s two furry friends, Little Red and Little Blue.

    ¡°You can''t take them with you but next time we run into each other you can pet them as much as you''d like.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Alright, I should be on my way now. I wish the two of you the best of luck in your love lives.¡± Yu Hong said with a chuckle while glancing at Zhang and Cai Cao before boarding his tiny airship and flying away, before Cai Cao could even utter a response.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never get that guy¡­ I guess it¡¯s time for us to board our airship also.¡± Zhang said while shaking his head and heading toward where the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship was parked before noticing a familiar figure gazing down at him.

    ¡°Brother Xue Shi, until the day we meet again!¡± Zhang yelled up at Xue Shi who was aboard the Blood Lion Sect¡¯s massive airship.

    ¡°Safe travels.¡± Xue Shi muttered before disappearing from sight.

    ¡°That guy definitely isn''t a talker.¡± Zhang chuckled as he, Cai Cao, Little Blue, Little Red continued to walk toward where their sect¡¯s members were congregating.

    Although a number of the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s disciples had perished in the tournament, no one seemed depressed or saddened at all, rather the current atmosphere was very uplifted as everyone talked about the final match of the tournament.

    Before long the chosen of the Misty Mountain Sect boarded their sect¡¯s airship and began their long journey home.

    Retreating to their respective rooms with their respective pups in tow, Zhang and Cai Cao hopped onto what would be their beds for their journey home.

 Chapter 32: Uneventful Trip

    Although most were brimming with excitement at first, once the airship disembarked, most of the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect had gone into their separate rooms and indulged in much-needed rest. Simply said the tournament had been one hardship after the other for the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect, particularly Zhang and Cai Cao who had made the most progress.

    Sailing through the clouds, across mountains and rivers, the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect slowly came made their way home as a wave of calm swept across the airship as the banner of the Misty Mountain Sect fluttered in the breeze.

    The Red Cloud Sect¡¯s tall towers and spacious courtyards slowly disappeared from sight and with time, paved roads turned into dirt paths, beautiful towers turned into enormous trees and lavish castles were replaced with tall mountains.

    One had to say that as the trip back to their sect progressed, Zhang and Cai Cao were showered with admiration from their peers. On top of receiving a generous number of midgrade essence supplement pills, and a large number of low-grade talismans from the elders who were in charge of the trip, Zhang and Cai Cao also received an endless amount of praise and worship from the other members of the Misty Mountain Sect.

    The same people who had looked down upon Zhang for being a mere fragment realm cultivator were now praising him for making it so far in the tournament. Zhang had basically earned the recognition of all of the other chosen who had lacked faith in him. On the other hand, Cai Cao who had allowed everyone to bear witness to the awe-inspiring sight of two midgrade lightning talismans in action would be swarmed by a sea of people whenever he left his room.

    While all of the females who had been chosen to attend, the tournament fawned over Cai Cao and confessed their love to him one after the other, all of the males sought to become swore brothers with him. To them it was obvious that the usually reclusive Cai Cao was, in fact, someone who definitely possessed a shocking background, descending from a very influential family. Otherwise how else would he be able to get his hands-on midgrade talismans?

    Of course, Cai Cao was quick to decline the little beauties who were basically throwing themselves at him while ignoring the shallow offers of friendship from those seeking to benefit off of him.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to accept her confession? From the look of things, I¡¯m sure she will grow up to be a gorgeous beauty.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle to Cai Cao who had just decline the confession of a girl named Mei Li, a girl who happened to be able to captivate the hearts of many of the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s outer ring disciples.

    ¡°If you think she¡¯s so pretty then why don¡¯t you go court her yourself?¡± Cai Cao retorted in an unhappy tone as he sat cross-legged on his bed with Little Blue in curled up in his lap.

    ¡°Court her? I mean I¡¯m sure she will be very beautiful in a few years and many many people will wish to court her, but she can¡¯t possibly compare to my Wenji.¡± Zhang said in a proud tone while puffing out his chest as he rubbed Little Red¡¯s back.

    ¡°Your Wenji? Are you sure that she even likes you back?¡± Cai Cao asked with an intrigued look on his face.

    ¡°Of course she does! We did it!¡± Zhang said in a loud tone.

    ¡°Di-did i-it?! What-what?! Whe-n!? Di-d not!¡± Cai Cao said in a stuttering manner with a flushed face full of confusion.

    ¡°We shared a tent! Like my great ancestor said, as long you are able to get a woman to share a tent with you then you are on the right track to making her yours. There was also something about tricking the woman into letting you refer to them as your wife in public.¡± Zhang replied with sparkling eyes as he recalled a particular story passed down in his clan about how his ancestor had managed to trick two very beautiful young women into sharing a tent with him on a trip and eventually they both ended up becoming his wives.

    Caught off guard by Zhang¡¯s reply, Cai Cao was utterly stunned and did not utter a single word as a storm of thoughts arose in his mind.

    ¡°Just what kind of person was your ancestor¡­ What kind of person teaches their descendants this stuff?¡± Cai Cao mumbled as he tried to piece together an image of the exalted ancestor that Zhang kept mentioning.

    ¡°So Brother Cai since we are on the topic of beloveds, do you have someone in mind? I mean if you''re turning down all of these confessions then you surely have someone occupying your heart already, or you''re into men. I mean if you were to dress in women¡¯s clothing I¡¯m sure many young masters would instantly fall for you. Although you''d be a bit lacking in the chest area when compared to Wenji though.¡± Zhang asked with a chuckle, teasing Cai Cao.

    ¡°You rascal! How do you know I would be lacking if I was a woman!?¡± Cai Cao said while shaking his head and chuckling as he rubbed the pendant dangling from his neck.

    ¡°Also, my heart has already been taken.¡± Cai Cao replied in a low tone as he eyed Zhang, waiting for a response.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Oh! Do tell! Who is it? Is that person apart of our sect?¡± Zhang asked as a raging flame of curiosity ignited within him.

    ¡°My heart has been taken by the heavenly dao and the path of cultivation¡­ You should also refocus your time to furthering your cultivation and break free of the fragmented realm.¡± Cai Cao replied in a bland tone, prompting Zhang¡¯s the flames of curiosity in Zhang¡¯s eyes to be extinguished.

    ¡°After absorbing all of the essence supplement pills we got from this trip, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to break through into the elementary realm in no time.¡± Zhang said while puffing out his chest once again.

    ¡°After consuming those pills I should be at the fifth level of the elementary realm. You better be quick or that Wenji of yours might fall into the hands of someone stronger.¡± Cai Cao said with a chuckle as he saw the determination in Zhang¡¯s eyes.

    Thus, Zhang and Cai Cao continued to chat for hours on end as their journey home continued.

    Unknownst to Zhang and Cai Cao, however, the once blue sky outside became obscured by ominous black clouds, while the sprawling forest below was soon replaced by tall jagged mountain tops.

    Before long, curtains of rain drops began to descend while flashes of lightning, roars of thunder echoed about and a small banner less airship came into view.

    When compared this banner less airship was barely half the size of the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s ship, however from the beautiful carvings and intricate design it was obvious that this smaller airship was easy worth a dozen times more than the Misty Mountain Sect''s ship.

    ¡°Who goes there!? State your name or forgive this old man for attacking without reason!¡± A thundering voice echoed out from the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship as a well-built man with a long beard came into view while the aura of a core realm expert was extruded into the air, alarming everyone in the vicinity and disturbing Zhang and Cai Cao¡¯s chat.

    ¡°Elder Cai Long of the Cai Clan requests permission to board.¡± A voice rang out in response.

    ¡°Elder Cai Long? What is an elder of the Cai Clan doing here?¡± The well-built man a long white beard murmured as a hint of confusion appeared on his face.

    ¡°Pardon my rudeness, but how can we be certain that you are Elder Cai Long of the Cai Clan? Also, what business would an elder of one of the greater powers have with an insignificant force such as ours?¡± The well-built man with a long beard responded in a loud but polite tone.

    ¡°Insolence! A minor character in an insignificant sect dares to question us?¡± A haughty voice not belonging to Elder Cai Long rang out through the air.

    ¡°I-l apologize but I will not risk the lives of those aboard this ship by letting those with unclear identities board as they please.¡± The man with a long white beard responded in an adamant tone despite having second thoughts in the beginning.

    One should know that for small sect like the Misty Mountain Sect, the Cai Clan was a lofty existence that they didn''t dare to offend under normal circumstances.

    Had it not been for the fact that Elder Cai Long¡¯s airship as banner less than the elders of the Misty Mountain Sect would have possibly even invited them aboard. However, since that was not the case, the fear of inviting trashed on board had made the elder of the Misty Mountain Sect a bit apprehensive.

    ¡°You want proof?¡± Elder Cai Long¡¯s voice reverberated through the air as a dozen or so silhouettes atop large flying swords shot through the air and surrounded the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s ship.

    ¡°Open your eyes! Here''s your proof!¡± A scrawny looking individual clad in black colored leather said in a hostile tone as he flashed a Jade medallion with the symbol of Cai Clan¡¯s disciplinary squad carved onto it for all to see.

    By now, the majority of the people aboard the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s ship had gathered on the upper deck and were staring at the Jade medallion in the scrawny man¡¯s hand, wide eye and with gaping jaws.

    ¡°By orders of the Grand Elder of the Cai Clan¡¯s disciplinary hall, you are to hand over the one named Cai Cao to us!¡± The scrawny looking man said in a loud demanding voice.

    ¡°Cai Cao? What did he do?¡± A sea of murmur and babble soon swept across the upper deck of the ship as a storm of questions arose.

    To be honest the majority of the disciples who lived in the outer ring of the Misty Mountain Sect had little to no interaction with each other so they did not know much about each other, but it could be said that Zhang and Cai Cao were the only ones to be shrouded in complete mystery when compared to everyone else.

    Their courtyard was especially secluded, their past and origins were unknown and besides each other they had little relation to any of the other disciples. They did not have distant relatives, neighbors or anyone who had knowledge of their lives prior to joining the sect.

    ¡°The Grand Elder explicitly said that if Cai Cao is not handed over to us then blood will be spilled and lives will be taken.¡± Elder Cai Long said while a friendly smile was plastered on his face while a heavy pressure was unleashed from his body, the pressure of a profound realm cultivator.

    Upon hearing Elder Cai Long¡¯s words, an eerie calm enveloped the upper deck of the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s ship as a shiver ran down everyone¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Where is Cai Cap?¡± An elder of the Misty Mountain Sect asked.

    ¡°I think Brother Cai was in his room earlier!¡± Zhang¡¯s voice echoed into the air.

    ¡°Go bring out Cai Cao!¡± The man with a long white beard said in a resigned tone, prompting a handful of disciples to make their way down into the lower decks of the airship.

    ¡°Elder Liang, we are really handing over Cai Cao just like that?¡± Another elder of the Misty Mountain Sect protested in a low tone.

    ¡°What can we do against them? We are the strongest elders on this ship and we are but at the later stage of the Core Realm, while they have a Profound realm expert with them. If we don''t comply with their demands, then only death awaits us. If we all die here, then no one will be able to demand justice for us¡­¡± Eder Laing whispered in a low tone.

    ¡°I''m glad that the lot of you are reasonable people, and that we didn''t have to needlessly spill blood.¡± Elder Cai along said with a grin as he waited for disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect to bring Cai Cao to the upper decks of the airship.

    Charging down into the lower decks, tens of disciples hurriedly headed toward Cai Cao¡¯s quarters while discussing amongst themselves.

    ¡°Did you see how haughty those bastards were acting?¡± A young girl who had confessed her love to Cai Cao complained.

    ¡°Are we really going to hand over Brother Cai Cao just like that? I''m not sure what kind of relationship he has with the Cai Clan but are we just going to hand over one of our fellow sect members just like that?¡± A young boy asked with a hint of dissatisfaction on his face.

    ¡°We else can we do? Didn''t you see? Even Elder Liang who is said to be at the later stage of the core realm gave in to them. What can a few elementary realm cultivators like us do?¡± A timid looking boy said.

    ¡°Hmph! I say we tell Brother Cai Cao and help him escape instead.¡± Another disciple said.

    ¡°Let''s do that!¡± Someone else said as they arrived in front of Cai Cao¡¯s quarters, only to find that both the doors to Cai Cao and Zhang¡¯s room were wide open and neither of them was in sight.

    Moments later minutes, the team of disciples who had left to apprehend Cai Cao returned with a mix of emotion of their faces.

    ¡°Reporting to Elder Liang, Cai Cao had disappeared from his chambers!¡± The young girl who had suggested to aid Cai Cao in escaping reported while a faint smile was on her face.

    ¡°Disappeared!?!¡± Elder Cai Long roared as a scowl appeared on his face.

    ¡°What are the lot of you doing!? Search the ship! No one is allowed to leave until our target is found!¡± Elder Cai Long commanded, before the dozen or so core realm experts stormed into the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship without regard and began looking Cai Cao.

    Hastily making their way through every nook and cranny within the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship in search of Cai Cao, the core realm experts of the Cai Clan made sure to not leave any room unchecked.

    However, despite their efforts, they were still unable to locate Cai Cao at all and reluctantly made their way back to the upper deck of the airship to report back to Elder Cai Long.

 Chapter 33: Soul Shrouding Necklace

    ¡°Elder Cai Long, the others are continuing their search, however so far we¡¯ve yet to locate the target.¡± A young man clad in black robes reported while kneeling on one leg.

    ¡°No need to continue¡­ With a high-grade illusion type, Enlightened Realm Treasure such as the Shrouded Soul Necklace, even if you''re standing in front of her, you won''t be able to detect a thing. Even someone at the Profound Realm such as myself would have trouble overcoming that treasure¡¯s power. That is to say if you didn''t have something like this.¡± Elder Cai Long said as he flipped his hand and a strange looking mirror appeared on his hand.

    Lifting the strange looking mirror over his head, Elder Cai Long unleashed a powerful pulse of shimmering light that slowly began to sweep across the entirety of the Mist Mountain Sect¡¯s airship.

    ¡°Dispel!¡± Elder Cai Long roared as the pulse of light enveloped one person after the other, causing a tingling feeling to run down their spines.

    Although the elders of the Misty Mountain Sect were fairly bewildered and unhappy about the current situation, they did not dare to act. The Cai Clan had simply brought too many experts along with them.

    Simply said, the Misty Mountain Sect did not send nearly as many experts as it should have to guard the disciples attending the Red Cloud Sect¡¯s tournament. Had they sent a proper envoy, then even the difference in power between the two groups wouldn''t be so great since Cai Long had only brought along a small group of his closest confidants.

    ¡°Brother Zhang, we need to leave¡­ Now¡­¡± Cai Cao whispered into Zhang¡¯s ear as the shimmering pulse of light quickly approached. Sadly, before they could act or come up with a proper plan, the shimmering pulse of light was already upon them.

    As Cai Cao¡¯s body was enveloped and wrapped in the shimmering light, the necklace hanging from his neck began to unleash a magnificent glow.

    ¡°Quickly let¡¯s go!¡± Zhang said in an urgent tone as he grabbed Cai Cao¡¯s hand and tugged on it while gripping an ordinary looking piece of jade that was dangling from his waist.

    ¡°It''s over¡­ I should have known that they''d find me sooner or later¡­¡± Cai Cao said in a dejected tone as the glow emitting from his necklace slowly began to diminish.

    ¡°Nothing is over! Brother Cai Cao, I may be lacking compared to you in terms of cultivation, I may be considered a country bumpkin who doesn''t know too much about the world, but I can tell you that I''m definitely not someone who gives up without trying and you shouldn''t either.¡± Zhang said as he pulled Cai Cao along.

    ¡°Where do you two think, you''re going? A fragmented realm cultivator and an elementary realm cultivator, neither of which have the power to take flight. Where do you think, you can go while on an airship that''s flying over a mountain peak?¡± Elder Cai Long¡¯s domineering voice could be heard as the crowd of people around Zhang and Cai Cao slowly backed away and created a ring around them.

    As the crowd slowly parted, and the glow from Cai Cao¡¯s necklace slowly gradually, faint changes began to appear on his body.

    His slightly tanned skin began to become white and glossy, his hair became sillier and smooth, his hands became slimmer and more delicate looking, his flat chest began to bulge and two mid-sized mounds soon came into view. In a matter of seconds, Zhang became completely lost in disbelief, Cai Cao¡¯s handsome face was replaced by Wenji¡¯s goddess-like features.

    ¡°Brother Cai Cao was a woman?!¡± A few of the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect yelled out in disbelief.

    ¡°No wonder! No wonder he didn''t fall for my charms!¡± A young girl said in a low tone.

    ¡°Cai Cao¡­ Cai Wenji¡­ If-if Brother Cai Cao is Wenji then that means I have a crush on Brother Cai Cao, who happens to be a girl. If he is a she and she is the one I have a crush on, doesn''t that mean I''ve been telling my crush about my crush!?¡± Zhang thought as he felt his head spin. Memories that he had shared with a dashing young man named Cai Cao for the past year began to overlap with the time he had spent with a beautiful young girl named Cai Wenji.

    Some may wonder how it was possible for Zhang to live with Cai Cao for almost an entire year and not realize the latter with a woman, however, that only serves to prove the power of the Shrouded Soul Necklace.

    Thanks to the Shrouded Soul Necklace¡¯s power, it would have been impossible to link Cai Cao to Cai Wenji, coupled with the fact that both Cai Cao and Cai Wenji had always acted somewhat mysteriously at times, Zhang couldn''t possibly have figured things out had it not been for Elder Cai Long.

    ¡°Young miss, you look as lovely as ever.¡± Elder Cai Long said with a chuckle as he walked through the crowd and appeared in front of Cai Wenji and Zhang.

    ¡°The clan deeply misses you and have sent me to personally escort you back.¡± Elder Cai along added.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°No! I''m not going back to the clan until grandfather finishes his secluded meditative training! Until then I''ll never return to that horrid place!¡± Cai Wenji yelled angrily.

    ¡°Young miss, if you don''t come back, how will explain to the Wang Clan? There can''t possibly be a wedding without a bride. The Clan head wouldn''t be too happy if he had to apologize to the Wang Clan because you didn''t return home.¡± Elder Cai along said as his subordinates slowly formed an encirclement in the air.

    ¡°Regardless of whether you want to return or not, there is not on here capable of stopping us.¡± Elder Cai Long said while reaching his hand out toward Cai Wenji, after glancing at the elders of the Misty Mountain Sect, who remained expressionless.

    As Elder Cai Long¡¯ hand inched ever closer, Cai Wenji felt a suffocating pressure envelope her, making it hard to breathe. Like the coming of death, Cai Wenji felt the hairs on her body stand, while a shivering cold wrapped around her.

    ¡°She said she isn''t going with you. Isn''t it unsightly for someone of your stature to pressure a junior like that?¡± Zhang¡¯s thundering voice rang into everyone¡¯s ear, shattering the eerie silence that had surfaced as a gleaming black colored blade swung downward in front of Cai Wenji, causing Elder Cai Long to instinctively withdraw his hand.

    Standing in front of Cai Wenji with his sword in hand, Zhang could be seen glaring at Elder Cai Long, which in turn caused a wave of awe and respectful gazes to appear on the faces of the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect.

    The matter of fact is if a fight ensued and even if Elder Cai Long¡¯s did not take action, against so many core realm cultivators, no one dared to make even a sound. Stiffened with fear, the chosen of the Misty Mountain Sect could only tighten their fists and watch on without the will to speak up or intervene on behalf of Cai Wenji.

    Perhaps it was because he had experienced the atrocities of war, perhaps it was because he had lost all of his closest of kin, perhaps it was because of the maddening experience that he had suffered at the hands of the fragmented soul, perhaps it was due to all of these past experiences, or perhaps it was because he was in front of a girl whom he deeply treasured, despite standing face to face man many times stronger than him, Zhang did not show an ounce of fear.

    ¡°Haha, to think a mere fragment realm cultivator is actually standing in my way. Young miss, it seems like you have made quite a loyal friend. Sadly, to me and my men, he is nothing more than a pest.¡± Elder Cai Long laughed in a maniacal manner as he glanced at Zhang for a fraction of a second before redirecting his gaze back at Cai Wenji.

    ¡°If you value your loyal friend¡¯s life, it would be a wise decision to return to the clan with us. If not, then the loss of a lowly fragment realm brat won''t even cause a ripple in the cultivation community. Don¡¯t even think of pulling off any tricks, if you even so much as attempt to flee, I¡¯ll personally snap this brat¡¯s neck.¡± Elder Cai Long threatened, causing Cai Wenji to fall into deep through as she stared at the broad back of the young man who standing in front of her.

    As she continued to gaze at Zhang, as a storm of emotions was whipped up in her heart, causing her to fall into turmoil.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I''ll go with you¡­ if you don''t harm anyone here¡­¡± Cai Wenji said in a stutter as she felt a hint of resolve surface within her.

    ¡°Don''t listen to him! If you leave with him in order to protect me, how do you think I''ll feel? I''d rather die for a friend then live knowing it was because of me that my friend had to trade away their freedom.¡± Zhang said in a resolute voice as he recalled carrying the lifeless corpse of his sworn brother, Shu Shang across a blood-soaked battlefield.

    Even if Zhang did not have a big crush on Cai Wenji, he felt that the friendship they had alone was enough for him to risk his life.

    ¡°For someone who can''t even be considered a cultivator, you sure have guts.¡± One of Elder Cai Long¡¯s subordinates, a man garbed in black robes said with a sneer.

    ¡°Cultivator or not, she is my friend and I don''t have too many of those left to lose to people like you.¡± Zhang retorted while gripping his sword tighter before heading a brown colored sack to Cai Wenji. Within this sack was none other than Little Red who was soundly sleeping and unaware of what was currently happening outside. After taking the sack, Cai Wenji quickly slung it over her shoulder where a similar looking sack that held Little Blue could be seen.

    ¡°If you think stalling for time will help you, you''re sorely mistaken. You think we don''t know that you are in possession of a Teleportation Jade? Unfortunately, before that talisman can activate its power, you''ll have taken in your last breath.¡± The man garbed in black robes said as a crooked grin appeared on his face and his body flickered.

    In but a flash, the man in black robes appeared in front of Zhang. Before anyone could even react, a powerful slap impacted Zhang¡¯s face, sending him flying like a rag doll across the airship¡¯s upper deck and crashing into a group of spectators.

    Although one of the elders of the Misty Mountain Sect tries to intervene, the man in black robes was simply too close and had dealt Zhang a heavy blow before the elder could arrive.

    ¡°Miss, since he is your friend, I''ll leave him with half his life. However, if you do not make up your mind soon he may wake up to find that he was turned into a futureless cripple.¡± The man in black robes said as he slowly walked over toward where Zhang was.

    Despite being knocked unconscious, Zhang could still be seen tightly gripping onto his sword while a stream of fresh blood oozed out from the corner of his mouth.

    Seeing the wretched state Zhang was in, all of the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect couldn''t help but feel pity, while streaks of tears began to roll down the Cai Wenji¡¯s delicate looking face as she arrived beside Zhang.

    ¡°Young miss, have you made your decision yet? If not I may have to finish what I had started.¡± The man in black robes threatened as he loomed over Zhang and Cai Wenji.

    ¡°Sires, if you can please spare the young lad. Although we don''t have a say when it comes to your clan¡¯s internal matters, Zhou Zhang is a disciple brought in by one of our sect¡¯s grand elders. If he were to lose his life under my watch, I fear that this old man wouldn''t have the face to return to the sect any longer.¡± Elder Liang of the Misty Mountain Sect said as he saw the man in black robes readying himself to finish off Zhang.

    Injuring someone for acting insolent was one thing, but killing a disciple while they were under the watch of a sect¡¯s elder, not something that even a small sect such as the Misty Mountain Sect would simply stand by and allow. To standby idle would only serve to tarnish the sect¡¯s reputation and cause then to be ridiculed by the world.

    ¡°Hmph, you think that because we haven¡¯t killed the lot of you, we are somehow friends now? You think that you can ask us for favors now?¡± The man in black robes said in a haughty tone as he proceeded to pull Cai Wenji away from Zhang¡¯s unconscious body and deliver a powerful kick that was surely going to help hasten Zhang¡¯s trip to the afterlife.

    ¡°Stop! Stop! I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡± Cai Wenji cried as she saw what a sorry sight her dear friend had become after standing up for her.

    ¡°Cai Kang, it seems the young miss has come to her senses. There¡¯s no need to stay here any longer, stop playing with that brat.¡± Elder Cai Long said as a bored expression was present on his face.

    With their objective complete, Elder Cai Long and his black-robed subordinates began to depart, with Cai Wenji in tow.

    ¡°Quickly, give him a few lesser grade bone mending dans! If anything happens to him, we will be in for it!¡± Elder Liang said as he instructed a few of the other elders to quickly heal Zhang before the latter departed from the world of the living.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Cai Wenji mumbled in a low tone as she inched ever further away from Zhang, with a heavy heart and cheeks stained with tears. Although she had a few very effective medical pills, Cai Wenji didn¡¯t dare give Zhang any, because she knew the more she interacted with him the more problems and pain he would have to endure due to her.

    So, despite gripping a small jade bottle of medical pills, she simply continued walking forward while cursing her horrid fate and blaming herself for the harm that had come to the young man whom she had spent night and day with for what seemed to be the happiest and brightest time of her life.

 Chapter 34: Proposition

    ¡°Elder Liang! He''s not responding! His pulse is becoming extremely faint! The low-grade bone mending dan won''t have much of an effect at this point. We need to use a mid-grade revival elixir or else he''s done for.¡± An elder of the Misty Mountain Sect yelled frantically as he found out the extent of damage on Zhang¡¯s body.

    ¡°A mid-grade revival elixir? He''s but a mere fragmented realm cultivator, his body won''t be able to handle the after effects! His channels will burst!¡± Another elder said with a grave look on his face.

    ¡°Give him the elixir and move aside! I will help channel the excess essence within the elixir and prevent it from harming him.¡± Elder Laing said.

    Although her heart was still plagued with worry, Cai Wenji knew that Zhang was in good hands after she heard Elder Liang speak.

    ¡°Little Red, I''ll take good care of you and when you''re strong enough you can go look for him.¡± Cai Wenji murmured as she patted the brown sack she was carrying.

    With Zhang in his current state, even if he life was spared, he would undoubtedly not be able to freely move around for many months, so Cai Wenji though it would be best for her to care for the pups and spare Zhang the trouble, believing that was the least she could do for all of the trouble she had caused him.

    ¡°Young miss, let us be on our way.¡± Elder Cai Long said as he and his subordinates who were levitating in midair began to depart when a shriek suddenly sounded into everyone''s ear.

    ¡°Ho-how can this be!?¡± Elder Liang¡¯s frantic voice could be heard, drawing in everyone''s attentions toward two figures seated in a crossed legged position.

    Seated behind Zhang, Elder Liang could be seen sweating profusely as his veins bulged and brow furrowed.

    Moments ago, after giving Zhang the midgrade revival elixir, Elder Liang had channeled his essence into Zhang¡¯s body to help guide and regulate the influx of essence within Zhang¡¯s channels. However, after sending a hint of his essence into Zhang¡¯s body, Elder Liang found himself in a peculiar situation.

    Instead of being overwhelmed by the high concentration of essence within the midgrade revival elixir, Elder Liang found that Zhang¡¯s channels were void of essence.

    All of the essence from the mid-grade elixir had actually been absorbed at an astonishing rate and surprisingly enough before Elder Laing could figure out what had happened, a powerful auction force began to eat away at the strand of essence he had sent into Zhang¡¯s body.

    Like a hungry beast, the suction force continued to grow stronger and stronger and no matter how hard Elder Liang tried to break free, he simply could not.

    As Elder Liang felt the essence being drained out of his body, Zhang¡¯s injuries were gradually fading. In most cases, they would be a good thing, however, Elder Liang felt that if he allowed the current situation to continue, Zhang may end up even absorbing his base foundation.

    One should know that a cultivator¡¯s base foundation is something that takes many years to build up within one''s body and losing it would cause one¡¯s power to drop exponentially, possibly endangering one¡¯s life.

    ¡°You two! Help me!¡± Elder Liang roared as he felt his power waning away.

    Seeing the serious look on Elder Liang¡¯s face, the other two elders instantly rushed in and pressed their palms onto Zhang¡¯s back.

    ¡°What the¡­ How can a mere fragment realm cultivator¡¯s body absorb so much essence!¡± One of the elders said in a stern manner as he felt the powerful suction force within Zhang¡¯s body devouring his essence at an alarming rate.

    ¡°What kind of monster did the grand elder being back¡­¡± Another elder murdered as a pained expression appeared on his face. To be able to render the combined efforts of not one but three core realm cultivators while only being in the fragmented realm was something entirely unheard of and extremely fearful.

    While the three elders of the Misty Mountain Sect grew paler and weaker, Zhang¡¯s previously tattered body was restored to its peak and a rosy complexion was present on his face, not only that, but it appeared that Zhang¡¯s power was actually steadily increasing.

    ¡°Let go!¡± Elder Liang roared as his palm smashed into Zhang¡¯s back, causing a torrent of black colored blood to spray into the air and Zhang¡¯s body to tumble forward.

    After being released from the heavy suction force, the three elders looked at each other as they breathed heavily.

    ¡°It looks like that strike of yours not only released us from that fearful suction force but it also helped expel the accumulated bad blood that had gathered in his body.¡± One of the elders said as he tried to channel in the essence in the air to replenish his powers.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°If he is allowed to continue his cultivation, I¡¯m sure it won''t take long for the name of our Misty Mountain Sect to resound across the heavens once again.¡± Elder Liang said as a faint smile appeared on his face as he gazed at Zhang.

    Unbeknownst to everyone, as Zhang laid unconscious on the ground, dark forces were churning within him.

    Deep within Zhang¡¯s mind, within a vaguely familiar looking white marble room, two identical figures stood face to face.

    ¡°Yo-you!¡± One of the figures said in a stutter.

    ¡°I''m back! Did you miss me?¡± The other figure said as a maniacal laughter echoed within the marble room.

    One of these figures of course was Zhang and the other was the mysterious fragmented soul that had appeared within Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s forbidden zone, otherwise known as the Graveyard.

    ¡°Hey now, don''t give me that look!¡± The fragmented soul said as it saw a frown appeared on Zhang¡¯s face.

    ¡°Last time we met, you tried to take over my body and desires my soul¡­ you can¡¯t possibly expect me to greet you with a smile¡­¡± Zhang muttered in an unhappy tone as he eyed his lookalike.

    ¡°I have a proposition for you.¡± The fragmented soul said as a crooked grin appeared on its face.

    ¡°A proposition? If you want my body, then that''s out of the question¡­¡± Zhang replied as his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Hahaha, after my last attempt and failure, I don''t think the current I is capable enough to try again.¡± The fragmented soul said.

    ¡°Here''s my proposition, since taking over your body won''t work, I propose that we work together. I''ll lend you my power and allow you to cultivate my Heavenly Devouring Technique and you aid me in obtaining a body.¡± The fragmented soul said.

    ¡°Aid you in obtaining a body?¡± Zhang said in a low tone.

    ¡°Not a bad proposition, right? You have nothing to lose and all to gain. You should know that if not for my current predicament, I wouldn''t even consider teaching someone the Heavenly Devouring Technique even if they got on their hands and knees and begged me for a hundred years. You can¡¯t possible find a technique as powerful as this one in a lower plane such as this one.¡± The fragmented soul said as it tried to convince Zhang to cooperate with it.

    ¡°Think about it kid, without my Heavenly Devouring Technique, you would have been a goner on more than one occasion. Although I''m not sure if you remember it or not but I must tell you that without this technique you would have gone to greet your ancestors a long time ago.¡± The fragmented soul added as it waved its hand and made a few square-shaped screens appear along the marble walls showcasing the times that the Heavenly Devouring Technique had saved Zhang¡¯s life.

    ¡°While only being able to utilize a tiny portion of the first stage of the technique, you were able to overcome so many life or death situations, imagine would it would be like if you could master such a technique. With my help, you''ll be able to contend against those guys in the black robes and possibly save that girl.¡± The fragmented soul said as Zhang stared at the screens.

    ¡°By helping you obtain another body, would I have to end up harming someone innocent? If so then I will have to pass.¡± Zhang said after contemplating

    ¡°Of course, not, with a bit of outside help I can occupy the body or a demonic beast or the corpse of a recently deceased. As long as I can prevent my soul from completely dispersing then that is enough. So how about it?¡± The fragmented Soul said as it reached out its hand toward Zhang.

    ¡°As long as I don''t have to harm someone innocent then it should be fine.¡± Zhang said as he reached and shook hands with the fragmented soul.

    ¡°To a lasting partnership!¡± The fragmented soul said with a laugh.

    ¡°Even if you might be that bastard¡¯s descendant.¡± The fragmented soul murmured in a low inaudible tone as it continued to shake hands with Zhang.

    Back in the world outside, from the disciples of the Misty Mountain Sect and their elders, Elder Cai Long and his subordinates dress in black robes, everyone stood in silence while all gazes were focused on Zhang.

    Moments after Elder Liang had broken free from the terrifying suction force from within Zhang¡¯s body, something even more terrifying occurred.

    As if it came to life, Zhang¡¯s shadow had expanded and snaked about across the upper deck of the airship. Moments after, dozens of honey hands rose out from the darkness and lifted up Zhang¡¯s body in a creepy manner.

    Then like a demonic deity, Zhang slowly opened his eyes, revealing glowing blood red colored pupils while columns of black mist swirled around him.

    ¡°Let her go.¡± Zhang said in a slow and menacing voice that caused everyone¡¯s spines to tingle.

    ¡°Hmph, instead of counting yourself lucky and not cherish your life, your courting death once again.¡± The man garbed in black robes named Cai Kang said as he glared at Zhang.

    ¡°I said let her go.¡± Zhang repeated himself as he gazed at Elder Cai Long, disregarding the man named Cai Kang.

    ¡°Insolent pest!¡± Cai Kang roared in rage once he saw that Zhang was actually ignoring him.

    ¡°Don''t harm him!¡± Cai Wenji yelled as she saw the furious look on Cai Kang¡¯s face.

    ¡°Cripple him, but don''t kill him.¡± Elder Cai Long said in a calm tone. Although the rate at which Zhang¡¯s injuries had healed could be considered monstrous, Elder Cai Long could still sense that Zhang was still at the fragmented realm. Perhaps he had arrived at the peak of the fragmented realm, but he hadn''t even broken through to the elementary realm.

    Having not experienced what the three elders of the Misty Mountain Sect had experienced, Elder Cai Long still believed that Zhang couldn''t possibly amount to much with his current strength.

    ¡°You should thank, Elder Cai Long¡¯s good grace!¡± Cai Kang said as he disappeared in a flash and appeared in front of Zhang with his hand balled up into a fist.

    Like a speeding arrow, Cai Kang¡¯s fist shot through the air toward Zhang¡¯s face as a power aura swept across the upper deck of the airship.

    ¡°First Art, Devour the Flesh¡­¡± Zhang said in a soft and casual tone as Cai Kang¡¯s fist was inches away from his face.

    ¡°Wha-what?!¡± Cai Kang yelled in an astonished tone as he felt something wrap around his body. Looking downward, dozens of white bony hands could be seen rising up from the massive shadow that had expanded from Zhang.

    ¡°What kind of trickery is this!?¡± Cai Kang roar as he tried to break free from the dozen or so bony hands, binding him, but of course, he''s attempts would prove to be useless as more and more bony hands grasped onto his body and began dragged him downward into the dark abyss.

    ¡°He-help! Help me!¡± Cai Kang shrieked as he felt an excruciating amount of pain originating from his legs that had now sunk into Zhang¡¯s shadow and out of sight.

    Seeing Cai Kang acting contrary to his usual demeanor, his comrades quickly sped through the air, some coming to his aid while others charged directly toward Zhang while releasing a suffocating amount of killing intent.

    Of course, before anyone could land a blow, dozens of bony hands reached into the sky and many found themselves in the same unfortunate situation as Cai Kang.

    Seeing his subordinates screaming in terror, Elder Cai Long¡¯s brows furrowed and with a wave of his hand, countless ropes shot out from his sleeve and wrapped themselves around all of the men garbed in black robes.

    With a light tug from Elder Cai Long, all of the black robes men were pulled out from the abyss and into the air where a sense of true terror began to take grip onto everyone¡¯s heart.

    Many of the black robes men found that large chunks of flesh had actually been bitten off of their bodies, with the most horrifying example being Cai Kang, whose legs no longer had any skin or flesh remaining. From his toes, up to his knees, Cai Kang¡¯s legs were made up solely of white bones covered in bite marks.

    Seeing the horrific injuries inflicted upon Elder Cai Long¡¯s subordinates, everyone couldn''t help but shudder as they imagined themselves suffering the same fate.

    ¡°I said let her go!¡± Zhang repeated as he continued to glare at Elder Cai Long.

    Disregarding the injuries on the bodies of the men garbed in black robes, Cai Wenji stared at Zhang with a warm expression on her face.

    Although she wasn''t exactly sure how he had become strong, she simply did not care, because to her the most important thing was that he was willing to fight and perhaps die for her and there was not much else a woman in her situation could ask for.

    ¡°You may be able to handle core realm cultivators, but let''s see how long you can hold out against a profound realm cultivator.¡± Elder Cai Long said as he tossed Cai Wenji into the air where a few of his subordinates were waiting to catch her.

 Chapter 35: Outmatched

    ¡°All of you, return to our airship before you exhaust too much of your strength and can''t maintain a flight.¡± Elder Cai Long said after handing Cai Wenji over to his subordinates and freeing them from the ropes he used to pull everyone out from Zhang¡¯s shadow.

    Although core realm cultivators were considered true cultivators and were granted the ability to soar through the sky, their ability to keep in the air was still slightly limited by the amount of essence they could store within their bodies.

    Since flying consumes a massive amount of essence, core realm cultivators could only fly short distances, hence the reason for Elder Cai Long¡¯s reminder.

    In no time at all, all of the men garbed in black robes headed toward the Cai Clan''s airship while carrying Cai Wenji and the heavily injuries Cai Kang as Elder Cai Long retrieved a gleaming sword from his interspatial ring and pointed it toward Zhang.

    ¡°Prepare yourself, just because you¡¯re a mere fragmented realm cultivator won''t mean that I will go easy on you.¡± Elder Cai Long said as launched himself through the air toward Zhang.

    Seeing Elder Cai Long spring into action, a serious expression surfaced on Zhang¡¯s face. Although all of the men in black robes were core realm cultivators, they were far from the peak of the core realm, at most they were either low-level or mid-level core realm cultivators, coupled with the fact that they were caught by surprise by Zhang¡¯s technique, these men could hardly offer up a threat. While on the other hand, Elder Cai was a Profound Realm cultivator who has obviously would not be caught in the same trick as his men.

    Thus, even though both Cai Kang and Cai Long possessed a much higher cultivation then Zhang, the two could hardly be compared with one another.

    In a flash, Elder Cai Long appeared midair beside Zhang with his gleaming sword ready to slice apart whatever was in its way.

    With a wave of his hand, Zhang conjured a wall of bones from within his shadows to black Elder Cai Long while a dozen bony hands were used to pull his body backward and away it away to safety.

    So regardless of whether or not the wall of bones was successful in defending against Elder Cai Long or not, Zhang would not come into harm''s way.

    Like slicing through paper, Elder Cai Long¡¯s sword split apart the wall of bones with little to no resistance at all, moments before he charged forth at Zhang once again.

    ¡°Bone Shard!¡± Zhang commanded as his hand balled into a fist and the countless fragments of broken bone scattered into by Elder Cai shot pierced through the air, hoping to embed themselves into skin and flesh.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Elder Cai Long snorted as a power wave of essence was released from his body, making the shards of bones under Zhang¡¯s control scatter and become useless once more.

    ¡°Fist of the Mad Lion!¡± Elder Cai Long roared as his fist shot forward while be wrapped within what appeared to be a lion head made of essence.

    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Zhang cursed as he clicked his tongue, it was obvious that the despairing between him and Elder Cai along was too wide and if he were to be hit by the Fist of the Mad Lion, he would be done for.

    ¡°Second Art, Devour the Bones!¡± Zhang roared as he performed a strange looking hand sign causing the shadows underneath his feet to swirl and what appeared to be skeleton beasts to charge out from the abyss.

    Unlike the slow and feeble skeletal hands, these two skeleton beasts moved at high speeds and were filled with strength.

    With their sharp fangs bared and talons in full view, a pair of skeleton beasts pounced toward Elder Cai Long.

    ¡°Begone!¡± Elder Cai Long roared as his fist smashed into one of the beasts, causing a part of its skull to shatter.

    Ignoring the damage dealt to it, the skeleton beast proceeded to bit into Elder Cai Long¡¯s hand while its compatriot but into his leg, piercing all the way into his bones. All the while, Zhang could be seen panting heavily as streams of sweat flowed down his brow.

    At Zhang¡¯s current level of cultivation, using the second art of the Heavenly Devouring Technique simply took too much of a toll on his body and not move that could be used repeatedly.

    ¡°Pierce!¡± Zhang roared as he made a lone skeleton hand rise from out from his shadow while gripping a glittering black colored blade in hand.

    With his attention focused on the two skeletal beasts, Elder Cai Long failed to detect Zhang¡¯s sneak attack until the profound grade flying sword was mere inches away from impaling him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Tsk!¡± Elder Cai Long clicked his tongue as rotated his body in an attempt to dodge Zhang¡¯s sword. Although he was unable to completely dodge Zhang¡¯s sneak attack, resulting in a long gash across his shoulder, it could be said that Elder Cai Long had avoided the worst possible outcome that could have occurred.

    ¡°Brat! I will skin you alive!¡± Elder Cai Long roared angrily as he saw the streams of blood gushing out from his arm, however, when he looked toward where Zhang had originally been, not a soul could be seen.

    From start to end, Zhang actually did not ever have the intention of fighting Elder Cai Long seriously, his true goal had always been to distract the latter and find a perfect opportunity to rescue Cai Wenji. So, using the two skeletal beasts and his sneak attack both as distractions, Zhang made dozens of bony hands erupt from his shadow, lifting him into the sky and over into the Cai Clan¡¯s airship.

    Once Zhang arrived on the Cai Clan¡¯s airship, the massive shadow that had covered the upper deck of the Misty Mountain Sect¡¯s airship disappeared without leaving a single trace of its existence as a new shadow was deployed.

    ¡°Stop him...¡± Cai Kang, muttered in a weak manner. Despite having stopped the blood flowing out from what had once been his legs, the current Cai Long was basically a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, without the ability to muster any strength.

    Without uttering a single word, Zhang waved his hand and made a sea of skeletal hands shot up from the shadows and gripped onto everyone¡¯s feet, before charging toward Cai Wenji who was gazing at him teary-eyed and with a vibrant smile on her face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhang yelled as he could see Elder Cai Long speeding toward him from behind. After using the Heavenly Devouring Technique¡¯s second move, Zhang was utterly exhausted and was in no way to face a profound realm cultivator, so the only option left to him was to obviously run.

    Running like a madman, Zhang quickly arrived in front of Cai Wenji and without a moment¡¯s hesitation scooped her up from her feet and continued running.

    ¡°You old fogey, you best not attack me again or else you may end up injuring Wenji!¡± Zhang yelled as he could sense that Cai Long was quickly closing in on him.

    ¡°From the way, your body is moving I can tell that after putting on that little display earlier, you¡¯re on your last leg. Sooner or later you¡¯ll have exhausted yourself and become a fish on a platter! So, let¡¯s stop this farce, head over the young miss and cut off one of your arms and I¡¯ll leave you with your life.¡± Elder Cai Long said while a crooked grin appeared on his face.

    ¡°Cutting off one of my arms? Are you crazy? Also, the future has yet to be written, how should I know whether or not you''re capable of catching us.¡± Zhang retorted as he continued full speed ahead.

    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere for you to run, so just give up. Without any core realm or higher cultivators to aid you, the only thing you can do is fall to your deaths or into my grasp.¡± Elder Cai Long said as he stopped chasing after Zhang and levitated in midair.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where we may end up, but as long as we get away from here I doubt you would complain.¡± Zhang said with a cheerful laugh as he arrived at the edge of the airship with Cai Wenji in his arms, moments before propelling himself into the air and off the side of the ship.

    ¡°You old fogey! It seems you forgot about something!¡± Zhang laughed mockingly as an ordinary looking piece of jade that just so happened to be hanging from his waist began to release a blinding light.

    ¡°Shit! The teleportation jade!¡± Elder Cai Long cursed inwardly as he recalled a tiny piece of information that he had inadvertently forgotten.

    ¡°Tell the clan head I¡¯ll return home once grandfather finishes his secluded training! That is of course if you are able to walk all the way back to the clan headquarters!¡± Cai Wenji said as a black talisman with golden letters stuck to the side of the Cai Clan¡¯s airship began to glow profusely.

    These of course were none other than lightning talismans, the same type that had caused a great stir at the Red Cloud Sect¡¯s tournament.

    As Zhang and Cai Wenji plummeted toward the ground, a thunderous explosion that could be heard from many miles away roared in the sky as the Cai Clan¡¯s airship was turned into a ball of lightning and fire.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Cai Long roared as he could be seen piercing through the air with murderous-looking eyes filled with killing intent. Without a doubt, if Zhang fell into his hands, death would only serve as an easy way out.

    ¡°If pray that we do not ever meet again.¡± Zhang said with a laugh as the shining ray of light released by his teleportation jade flashed and both Zhang and Wenji disappeared into thin air.

    Seeing what had occurred, and fearful of being implicated, the elders of the Misty Mountain Sect hastily departed, effectively leaving Cai Long and what remained of his forces, stranded in what could only be called a vast wilderness.

    ¡°Serves that haughty bastard right.¡± Elder Liang laughed as he saw the fiery remnants of the Cai Clan¡¯s airship raining down upon the forest below, igniting the sea of trees into a blazing inferno and creating a natural death trap¡­

    =====================================================================

    Elsewhere, many many many countless miles away, Zhang and Wenji found themselves in a strange and new place. No longer were they soaring through a vast sky, nor were they looking down upon an endless forest, they duo were actually dropped into a crystal-clear lake.

    ¡°I wonder where we are¡­¡± Zhang mumbled while he and Wenji swam toward the shore while surveying their surroundings as two furry balls of fire could be seen waddling through the water beside them.

    In spite of being able to sleep through what could be described as an epic battle, Little Red and Little Blue¡¯s nap was cut short once they fell into the lake along with Zhang and Wenji.

    ¡°We can figure that out after we get to shore. But just like you had said, regardless of where we are I won¡¯t be the one complaining.¡± Wenji said in a cheerful tone as the previously morbid and dreadful atmosphere she was extruding was replaced by an uplifting and happy one.

    ¡°So, shall I continue to call you Brother Cai Cao?¡± Zhang said in a joking manner while a slightly pained expression appeared on his face.

    ¡°Is now a good time to be cracking jokes? Save your breathe for when we reach the shore, I don¡¯t want to have to drag you all the way there like when we first met.¡± Wenji retorted with a giggle as she tried to mask her concern for Zhang.

    Without needing to question, Wenji knew that Zhang must be extremely tired after accomplishing the impossible and did not want him to tire himself as he tried to put up a front in front of her.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll make fun of you once we get to shore.¡± Zhang chuckled as he swam beside Little Red.

    Before long the group of four made their way onto a sandy shore where they sprawled out on a bed of clean white sand.

    ¡°You really should take an essence supplement pill to replenish yourself or I might really have to drag your unconscious body around again.¡± Wenji said in a slightly concerned tone as she waved her hand and made a small pill appear in her palm.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Zhang replied as he took the small pill from Wenji and placed it into his mouth. Soon after a soothing sensation gushed throughout his body as a steady influx of essence seeped into his channels.

    ¡°I feel much better.¡± Zhang said as he gave a long sigh of relief.

    ¡°Hey you two what are you doing over there? My mother said it¡¯s not good too lazy about in this neck of the woods because a lot of bandits live around here.¡± A voice belonging to what sounded like a small child could be heard, causing Zhang, Wenji and the pups to jolt and look into the distance where a young boy who looked to be roughly eight years in age could be seen.

    ¡°Little brother, might I ask what your name is?¡± Zhang said as he pushed himself up from the ground and looked at the young boy with a vibrant smile on his face.

    ¡°My name is Li Ming, what are your names, big brother and big sister? Why did you swim in the lake with your clothes on?¡± The boy asked with a curious look on his face.

    ¡°We were rowing a boat in the lake and accidentally fell in.¡± Wenji said in a calm tone moments before a dozen or so voices sounded out in the distance.

    ¡°Young Master Li Ming, where are you? It¡¯s time to go!¡± A mixture of voices belonging to people of all ages and genders could be heard as a group of six men and six women dressed in uniform, followed by a pair of middle aged women dressed in fairly expensive silk robes could be seen from afar.

 Chapter 36: Li Family

    ¡°Mother! I''m over here!¡± Li Ming yelled while waving his small hands about as he saw the group of people who were searching for him.

    ¡°Young master! Don''t run off like that! Did you know how worried you made the two madams?¡± A young woman roughly in her twenties said as she arrived beside Li Ming as she straightened out his garments and fixed his slightly messy hair.

    From how Li Ming and the two middle-aged women were dressed Zhang could deduce they were of fairly high social standing. That is of course if one were to judge by a regular person¡¯s standard sincere he had never had the chance to truly go out and explore the world of cultivators.

    ¡°Young master, I apologize if my son has been bothering you.¡± One of the middle-aged women said in an elegant manner while the group of what seemed to be twelve servants gathered beside her and gave Zhang cautious looks.

    ¡°Madam, rather than bothering us, Little Brother Li Ming was actually going to be a great help to us. My fianc¨¦e and I had gotten hopelessly lost and I was hoping to get directions to the nearest city.¡± Zhang said as he glanced at a subtly blushing Wenji.

    ¡°Thank you, great ancestor.¡± Zhang thought as he recalled his clan¡¯s teachings in regards to capturing a woman¡¯s heart.

    After hearing Zhang¡¯s words and refocusing their gaze off from Zhang and onto a beautiful girl with silky white skin and delicate features.

    ¡°Discrimination¡­¡± Zhang thought with a chuckle as he saw his everyone''s expressions instantly softened upon looking at Wenji.

    Their previously guarded and cautious looks were replaced with gazes of admiration mixed with slight hints of envy.

    ¡°I guess that''s one of the perks of being beautiful.¡± Zhang thought as a crooked grin appeared on his face.

    ¡°We had been separated from the group we were traveling with in the woods and a certain someone suggested we take a small joy trip on a small boat we happened to find on the shore of the lake¡­ a certain boat the happened to have sunk to the bottom of the lake¡­¡± Wenji said as she proceeded to pinch Zhang playfully after arriving beside him.

    ¡°Hey, you were the one that said that the scenery was beautiful!¡± Zhang complained as he pinched Wenji back, causing the two middle-aged women to slightly chuckle.

    ¡°ACHOO!¡± Wenji sneezed as she could be seen shivering while her wet garments stuck to her body, revealing her both skin and plentiful figure.

    ¡°Poor girl, let''s go get you a change of clothes before you get sick. Our camp is just over there.¡± The women who identified herself as Li Ming''s mother said in a gentle tone.

    ¡°Madam, are you sure it is wise to bring back a pair of strangers to our camp?¡± An elderly man dressed in red robes said.

    ¡°Uncle Pang, my husband said to be wary of strangers because they may turn out to be bandits. Do you think these two children look like bandits? Even if they were, do you think they could come up with such ridiculous circumstances as to how they ended up here?¡± Li Ming¡¯s mother said in an authoritative tone.

    ¡°Uncle Pang, we know that you always strive for the best for our family, but throughout all of these years do you recall a time when elder sister ever misjudged a person?¡± The other elegantly dressed middle-aged woman said with a laugh.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s, settled. If anything, I will talk with my husband and none of you are to be blamed.¡± Li Ming¡¯s mother said as she gestured for Zhang and Wenji to follow her.

    Glancing at Wenji who gave a small nod in response, Zhang proceeded forward as his two furry companions who had remained out of sight ran up alongside him.

    Spotting the two pups, Li Ming who had remained silent upon his mother''s arrival became energetic as he chased after Little Red and Little Blue.

    ¡°Madam if you don''t mind us asking, could you possibly tell us where we are?¡± Wenji spoke, seeing that it would be easier for her to extract information then Zhang.

    ¡°We currently are in a place that the locals call the Forsaken Forest. The two of you are quite lucky to have run into us instead of one of the roving group of bandits that lurk in these parts. Had they spotted you first, perhaps then both of you would have ended up with a fate worse than death.¡± Li Ming¡¯s mother said while giving Wenji a gentle smile as she spotted her son playing with Zhang and the two pups before giving off a tone full of concern.

    ¡°Young miss, might I ask what household you are from?¡± Li Ming¡¯s mother asked as she tried to figure out Wenji¡¯s background. Someone with Wenji¡¯s looks and demeanor was without a doubt someone with an extraordinary background.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Like the old sayings go, one can not confuse a Phoenix with a chicken.

    ¡°Household? Madam, it''s said to say but upon my birth, my parents had all passed away and I''ve been an orphan ever since. Drifting from place to place, without a home until a kind elderly man took me as his disciple. Sadly, good things and good people don''t last and my master passes away not too long ago. Ever since then, I and my junior brother have been traveling to broaden our views.¡± Wenji said as a slightly sad expression surfaced on her face as she said a mixture of truths and lies.

    Believing that she had brought up a sore subject, Li Ming¡¯s mother no longer tried to pry into Wenji and Zhang¡¯s background as she led them and the rest of her group through the woods toward a large clearing where dozens of people could be seen busily packing things away.

    Upon seeing Li Ming, his mother, and the other elegantly dressed middle-aged woman, regardless of how busy everyone was, they would stop what they were doing and bow respectfully.

    It was not until arriving in front of a chain of carriages and a valiant looking middle aged man who was cradling carrying a small girl who looked roughly six years of age, did the group stop.

    ¡°Who might we have here?¡± The middle-aged man asked as he spotted two extra additions to the group that had departed in such of his son.

    ¡°My lord, my name is Zhou Zhang, and this is my unmarried wife.¡± Zhang said in a respectful tone as he introduced himself.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, my lord, my name is Cai Wenji.¡± Wenji said as she saw that Zhang was slightly hesitant in giving away her name.

    Seeing that her Soul Shrouding Necklace had been destroyed and considering how many people there are out there with the surname Cai and the name Wenji, she felt there wasn''t any need to go by an alias any longer.

    ¡°These two had been separated from their travel companions are have become lost in the woods. I was hoping to allow them to tag along with us until we get to Twin Blade City. Also, this young miss is in desperate need of a change of clothes.¡± Li Ming¡¯s mother said with a chuckle to her husband.

    ¡°Since they are already here, I guess there''s no harm in letting them travel with us. Also, no need for such formalities, call me Uncle Li.¡± The middle-aged man said with a smile.

    Thus Zhang, Wenji, and the two pups began their journey to Twin Blade city with the Li family.

    Quickly befriending their benefactors, Zhang and Wenji were able to gather a substantial amount of information in next to no time at all.

    They had found out that Li Ming¡¯s father, Li Yang, Li Ming¡¯s mother, Yue Yu, his stepmother Xiao Ka and her daughter Li Ling, along with the rest of their family were relocating their base of business to Twin Blade City. With Twin Blade City being the largest city within ten thousand miles, they were hoping to expand their business ventures.

    They also found out that geographically they were located on the opposite side of the continent in regards to the location of the Misty Mountain Sect, at the very rim of what is perceived as the world of cultivators.

    Meaning there wouldn''t be any large or mid-sized sects in within many thousands of thousands of miles of where they currently were. At best, there would be a small sect or two, and at best these sects still wouldn''t be able to compare to the Misty Mountain Sect.

    It was safe to say that the Cai Clan wouldn''t possibly find their way toward such a mundane place, making it a perfect place for Wenji to avoid being captured and forced to return to the clan to be married off.

    ¡°We will make camp here for the night, everyone.¡± Li Yang said as pulled his horse¡¯s reins after locating an ideal spot to set up camp.

    ¡°Uncle Li, is there anything we can help with simply say the word.¡± Zhang said after he disembarked from the carriage that had been assigned to him and Wenji as he arrived beside Li Yang¡¯s horse.

    ¡°Little friend, I''ll keep your words in mind, but for now you are my guest and we have servants to carry out any menial tasks that are needed to be done, so you can simply sit back and relax. If anything, you can help me by keeping Little Ming and Little Ling company. There are many despicable bandits around these parts and it would be best if someone can keep an eye on the children at all times.¡± Li Yang said to Zhang with a smile.

    ¡°Alright, I''ll help the two madams keep an eye on those rascals for you.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle before heading toward the carriage where Madam Yue Yu, Madam Xiao Ka, and their kids were.

    From what little time that he had spent with this family, Zhang could tell that they were good people. Unlike many businessmen, Uncle Li had used solely hard work, good luck, and straightforward business ethics to accumulate his wealth.

    Coming from a family that focused on business also, Zhang and Uncle Li almost instantly clicked, thus Zhang had a fairly favorable impression of this family.

    As night arrived and the day came to an end, the Li Family¡¯s servants had erected a makeshift camp by positioning all of the carriages in their caravan into a large ring and setting up dozens of tents inside.

    Since no one in their family were cultivators, the Li family had hired a group of escorts called the Silver Guard Brigade? who were rather famous to the locals.

    With roughly two hundred regular guards, twenty fragmented realm veterans, and five low-level elementary realm cultivators, to regular people the Silver Guard Brigade had quite an impressive lineup.

    Had Zhang not witness the grandeur of the Red Cloud Sect and the might of the eight great powers, he may have thought the same, however with the powers granted to him through the Heavenly Devouring Technique, the Silver Guard Brigade did not amount to much.

    Within a weak sect like the Misty Mountain Sect, fragmented realm cultivators were a dime a dozen while elementary realm cultivators not are rare as one would think.

    In all honesty, if he wished, Zhang was now more than capable of culling as many groups like the Silver Guard Brigade as he wished.

    But of course, he was not content with his current capabilities in the least.

    To these people, he may be the equivalent of a soaring dragon but compared to a great power like the Cai Clan he couldn''t even amount to a fish in a pond. With that in mind, Zhang continually reminded himself that he needed to get stronger, the stronger the better.

    ¡°Although, the people here don''t seem very strong, along the way I was actually able to spot quite a few herbs that could be used to concoct a wide variety of pills that are very beneficial to one''s cultivation.¡± Wenji said in a soft whisper as she and Zhang gazed into the sky toward a beautiful full moon while two fluffy fur balls could be seen cuddled up beside them.

    ¡°At least we won''t have to worry about having to fight for a while. Once we get to Twin Blade City, we can quickly establish ourselves there using the gold left in my interspatial ring.¡± Zhang said after making sure no one was paying attention to his conversation with Wenji.

    With the wealth stored inside the Zhou Clan¡¯s ancestral tomb housed within Zhang¡¯s black interspatial ring, the two of them wouldn''t need to worry about living expenses for quite some time.

    Although Zhang didn''t know the true extent of the wealth inside the ancestral tomb, he was sure that it was an astronomical sum.

    Using the teachings passed down by a certain ancestor, with every passing generation the hoard of treasure within the Zhou Clan¡¯s ancestral tomb continued to grow until there was enough wealth within it to buy a city or five.

    ¡°It seems the night had been too peaceful.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle as he sensed four large groups of people approaching from afar.

    ¡°Too peaceful?¡± Wenji asked with a perplexed look on her face.

    Although she was still currently an entire realm higher than Zhang in terms of cultivation, within the cover of night, thanks to the Heavenly Devouring Technique, Zhang¡¯s power, and senses was amplified many times, allowing him to detect the presence of people who were roughly half a mile away.

    ¡°I''ll be right back. Seeing as they are good people I''ll go make surrender no problems make their way here.¡± Zhang said in a slightly excited tone as he got onto his feet and sped into the woods, leaving Wenji in a slight daze.

    ¡°Hey, Uncle you''re not leaving me behind!¡± Wenji yelled after snapping out of her daze.

    ¡°Keep up to me if you can.¡± Zhang laughed as he stuck his tongue out at Wenji in a playful manner.

    ¡°Wai-wait! Where are the two of you going?!¡± Uncle Li¡¯s voice could be heard as Zhang and Wenji dashed out of the ring of carriages with Little Red and Little Blue in tow.

    ¡°I''ll be right back! I need to use the bathroom!¡± Zhang replied with the first excuse that came to mind.

    ¡°Bathroom!? Why are you two going together!?¡± Uncle Li asked as a confused expression surfaced on his face.

    ¡°Kids these days¡­¡± Uncle Li mumbled.

 Chapter 37: Damsel In Distress?

    ¡°Hey, kid! I can sense the presence of someone at the peak of what you would call the Elementary Realm nearby. Although the current you can only absorb a bit of essence from those who are devoured by the shadows, if you are able to kill and absorb their strength, you''ll be able to break through and reduce the strain caused by the Heavenly Devouring Technique¡¯s second art.¡± A voice rang in Zhang¡¯s mind as he and Wenji speed through the woods under the cover of night.

    ¡°Once you break through, and reach the mid-level of the Elementary Realm, you''ll be able to utilize the second art without over straining your body. On top of things, you''ll be able to use a bit of the third art of devouring which would allow you fully absorb the essence of your victims.¡± The fragment soul residing within Zhang said.

    ¡°I need you to reach the Profound realm as soon as possible so you can help me consolidate a soul wisp and obtain a new body. Sadly, my last attempt had dispersed the soul wisp I had already consolidated and shattered a hundred years¡¯ worth of effort.¡± The fragmented soul added.

    ¡°I''ll try my best to break through as soon as possible.¡± Zhang replied as he and Wenji closed in upon a group of men lurking within the woods.

    ¡°Let''s wait and see what they are up to first before acting.¡± Wenji suggested upon spotting a group of roughly a hundred men. While nearly half of these men were regular people, the rest of them were all fragmented realm cultivators.

    Nodding in response to Wenji¡¯s suggestion, Zhang hid behind a bush as the moon up above revealed a group of a hundred mounted men clad in a mix match of armor.

    ¡°The lot of you listen up! When the boss gives the signal, we are all to swoop in and engage those Silver Guard Brigade bastards. Once we have their attention, keep them as occupied as possible so the other three teams can flank them and kill the members of the Li family.¡± A middle-aged man with a murderous look on his face and two braided ponytails said.

    ¡°Commander, even the maids and young girls? Wouldn''t it be better if we could keep them alive for some fun? If anything, we can sell them off once we are done.¡± A man with a few missing teeth said while a lecherous grin said while rubbing his hands and licking his lips.

    ¡°Yuan Yuan, that''s not a half-bad idea.¡± The middle-aged man with braided ponytails said with a laugh.

    ¡°I think it would be best if you stayed hidden behind this bush. Else if they catch sight of you, they''ll fight twice as hard.¡± Zhang joked in a soft tone.

    ¡°Hmph, it seems to me that because I decided to go with them to save your life, you think that you''re somehow stronger than me.¡± Wenji snorted and spoke in a half angry and half joking tone as she got up from the crouching position she was in and pushed through the bush in front of her.

    ¡°Who''s there!?¡± One of the bandits yelled as the sound of snapping twigs could be heard as Wenji made her way through the underbrush.

    ¡°Death¡­¡± Wenji said as a ray of moonlight acting as a spotlight, shone down upon her as she emerged from the bushes and caught the attention of all of the bandits.

    ¡°Death?¡± One of the bandits murmured in a confused tone after being mesmerized by Wenji¡¯s beauty for a long moment.

    ¡°Little miss I don''t know where you come from, but for you to run into us, The Death Blade Bandits, here means that you won''t be leaving until we¡¯ve all had a turn.¡± The man with braided ponytails said with a laugh as he licked his lips.

    ¡°Anyone who dares talk to my woman like that has a death wish.¡± Zhang¡¯s voice rang into everyone''s ears as a pair of glowing red eyes could be seen from within the dark woods.

    A flicker of a moment later an ominous snaking shadow slithered across the ground and latched onto the shadow belonging to the man with braided ponytails and his horse.

    Moments after which a dozen bony skeleton hands emerged and dragged other the man and horse into the dark abyss, before receding back toward Zhang and leaving a pile of bones, some articles of clothing and a horse saddle behind for all to see.

    ¡°Who is your woman?¡± Wenji''s asked after a moment of pause as she charged forward and began to execute a dance of death. Using the shock and fear invoked by Zhang¡¯s attack, Wenji''s draw her sword belt and with graceful movements began to cut down one bandit after another.

    With a gentle stroke, Wenji''s would be able to maim the hind legs of the horses the bandits were riding on, causing them to topple over onto the ground, leaving their riders vulnerable and ready to be slaughtered. Before long wherever Wenji went, a rain of blood and gore followed, causing fear to seep into the hearts of even the most hardened bandits.

    ¡°De-demons!¡± One of the bandits cried as his feet went wobbly causing him to tumble off his horse and onto the ground.

    ¡°Mo-mo-monsters!¡± Another bandit cried as his hands shook uncontrollably and his sword fell to the ground moments before he pulled the reins on his horse and began to flee.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    In a flash, morale was but a thing of the past, resistance was but a thing for the fool hearted as the bandits began to scatter, ignoring friend or foe alike.

    ¡°If you''ve come here with ill intentions don''t even think of leaving!¡± Wenji''s yelled as three silver needles slid out from her sleeves and into her grasp before being launched into the air and embedding themselves into three fleeing bandits.

    ¡°Don''t let any of them escape or the other bandits might be alerted!¡± Wenji yelled toward Zhang as she continued to embed long deadly needles into the backs of the fleeing bandits.

    ¡°Kid stop wasting time and go kill that peak stage Elementary realm cultivator! Although that initial stage Elementary Realm cultivator from a moment ago, proved to be a bit helpful after being absorbed, he alone won''t be enough for you to break through! You should head toward the north and kill that Peak Elementary Realm cultivator!¡± The fragmented soul yelled out in Zhang¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Fine, let''s finish things here¡­ time to see how powerful this technique has become after I''ve successfully opened all of my channels.¡± Zhang mumbled as ten small flames ignited at the tips of his fingers, causing a smile to appear on his face.

    Compared to before when he could barely ignite a single sickly looking flame that seemed like it could be extinguished by a gentle breeze, the ten flames dancing on Zhang¡¯s fingertips looked vibrant and full of life.

    ¡°Burn!¡± Zhang roared as the ten dancing flames shot into the air, forming into what appeared to be ten small sparrows before splashing onto and setting ten mounted riders ablaze.

    All the while, Zhang¡¯s shadow fanned out in a tentacle-like manner and claimed victims of their own.

    Little Red and Little Blue also occasionally sprang out from the woods and claimed a life or two or maybe five.

    Under the combined efforts of a young demon like man, a young goddess like woman and a pair of fluffy fur balls, a quarter of the men under the banner of the nefarious group known as the Death Blade Bandits perished. Regardless of whether they were ordinary people, fragmented or elementary realm cultivators, everyone was slaughtered.

    One may wonder who two people and two pups were able to slaughter one hundred horsemen without letting a single person escape, but the answer was actually quite simple. Due to the nature of their surroundings, being littered with numerous trees, the bandits found it quite difficult to maneuver their steeds. Logically speaking, dismounting and then fleeing would have definitely allowed quite a few bandits to keep their lives, however

    ¡°I think their leader is this way! If we can get rid of them before they attack the caravan, then that would be for the best.¡± Zhang said as he gestured for Wenji and the pups to follow him, listening to the directions the fragmented soul had given him.

    ¡°So... If you keep talking to me as if I''m always some kind of damsel in distress, I''ll be forced to give you a proper beating.¡± Wenji''s said as she stuck her tongue out at Zhang and raised her fist into the air in an angry manner.

    ¡°I''ll make a note of that.¡± Zhang replied while a silly smile surfaced on his face.

    After their ordeal with the Cai Clan, Zhang felt that he and Wenji had become much closer than before, many times closer than when Wenji was still known as Brother Cai Cao.

    The two of them could now crack jokes and tease each other without reserve and there were no longer any secrets between the two of them. Zhang was also delighted that when he told everyone Wenji was his fianc¨¦e, she didn''t openly reject it, which according to the guidance left behind by his clan¡¯s exalted ancestor was a step in the right direction.

    As Zhang and Wenji raced through the dark woods with only the brilliance of the moon to light their path, a most unwelcome event occurred. Mere moments before the duo and their trust pups located their target, a red colored flare was shot into the sky, signaling for the remaining bandits to attack.

    ¡°The camp!¡± Zhang yelled as a storm of hooves began to cause the ground to rumble not too far from where he stood.

    ¡°Those guys from the Silver Guard Brigade will have to earn their keep. If we can kill enough of the bandits in this group, they should have enough manpower to deal with the situation.¡± Wenji said as she continued to dash through the woods and toward the sound of stampeding horses with her sword in hand.

    ¡°You two go keep an eye on her.¡± Zhang said as he looked at Little Red and Little Blue who responded through a series of barks before jolting after Wenji.

    ¡°Their leader should be the one who is at the peak of the elementary realm and he should be located at the very front of this group of riders.¡± Zhang thought as he charged through a thick bush and into the ensuing chaos that Wenji had ignited not too long ago.

    ¡°First Art, Devour the Flesh!¡± Zhang said as his shadow expanded and a fury of skeletal hands rose up and dragged a large number of unsuspecting bandits to their graves.

    Seeing Zhang¡¯s mysterious and frightening shadow, a man wielding a massive scimitar leaped off his steed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know which pit in hell you crawled out of but I¡¯m going to send you back down there, you monster!¡± The man roared in a confident tone as his scimitar smashed into the ground where Zhang was standing a mere fraction of a second ago. Having manipulated a few skeletal hands to pull him to safety, landed a short distance away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about hell but I¡¯m going to send you to a pretty awful place myself.¡± Zhang said as he flicked his hand and made a lone skeletal hand grasping onto a gleaming black colored blade rise out of his shadow.

    Gripping the familiar black colored blade, Zhang shot forward while skeletal hands sprang from the ground underneath, grasping and pinning the man wielding a large scimitar in place.

    With what seemed like no little to no effort at all, Zhang¡¯s blade cleanly sliced through skin, flesh, and bone, causing a severed head to roll onto the ground.

    While employing the power of the Heavenly Devouring Technique, killing an ordinary elementary realm cultivator who lacked even the most basic of fundamentals did not require too much effort at all on Zhang¡¯s part.

    Had Zhang went up against someone as capable and resourceful as Wenji for instance or someone as powerful as Elder Cai Long, then the fight would have definitely dragged on a much longer. Even someone like Cai Kang would have been able to put Zhang into quite a sore spot. If one thought about it, although Zhang was able to put Cai Kang into a fairly disadvantageous situation when they had fought thanks to the use of the element of surprise, had the two of them properly spared, the outcome of their match could have resulted in a devastating defeat for Zhang.

    As the bandit leader¡¯s corpse sunk into the dark abyss that was Zhang¡¯s shadow, he felt a surge of energy rush through his veins and seep into his bones, followed by a subtle stabbing pain.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Zhang thought with glass as he proceeded to go into a cross-legged seated position while four walls composed of white bone rose up and surrounded him.

    After having witnessed how effortlessly Zhang had dispatched of their leader, the surrounding bandits quickly fled and as the thought of confronting Zhang quickly disappeared from their minds. While a small number of bandits actually managed to escape, a good number of them were helplessly slain by Wenji and the two pups.

    Deep within Zhang¡¯s body, a mass of essence was swirling about, and signaling the beginning of his passage into to the Elementary Realm.

    Shutting his eyes, Zhang concentrated all of his attention towards guiding the swirl of essence within him, hoping to use it to construct his base foundation. Manipulating the swirling mass of essence, Zhang would have to do what every Elementary Realm cultivator before him had done, he would have to enlarge his cultivation core.

    ¡°Brat, sit back and let me give you a hand.¡± The fragmented soul within Zhang said.

    ¡°Give me a hand?¡± Zhang asked in a slightly unhappy tone due to being disturbed at a very crucial moment on his path of cultivation.

    ¡°Shut up and sit back, if I had any intention of harming you I would have done so long ago! I¡¯m only doing this so you can progress faster so I can get a new body faster!¡± The fragmented soul yelled as Zhang felt a strange force penetrate into his cultivation core.

    Moments after the strange force make its way into his cultivation core, Zhang could feel that it was beginning to manipulate the swirl of essence inside his body, sending countless streams of essence shooting to the walls of his cultivation core in an attempt towards expanding them.

 Chapter 38: Hidden Capabilities

    Seconds turned into minutes as the fragmented soul expanded Zhang¡¯s cultivation core. If anyone else was able to see how effortlessly and smoothly this process was progressing, perhaps they would cough up a mouth full of blood due to envy.

    Usually, when someone broke through into the elementary realm, a lot of pain and suffering would be involved. One could imagine the pain and odd sensations they¡¯d receive if one of their organs suddenly expanded a dozen times while pushing and exerting force on the organs surrounding it.

    Luckily, the fragmented soul not only allowed Zhang to progress without very much pain if any at all, it also stretched his cultivation core a good fifty percent larger than most regular cultivators. Meaning in the future Zhang could utilize powerful techniques without having to take the time to channel in a large amount of essence from outside. This would effectively allow him to gain an edge over most opponents.

    Roughly after twenty minutes, Zhang opened his eyes as the bone wall that surrounded him descended back into the darkness and his shadow receded back into its original form.

    ¡°You broke through?¡± Wenji¡¯s gentle voice drifted into Zhang¡¯s ear as a figure wrapped in what used to be a white dress stood in front of him with a curious look on their face.

    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m slowly catching up to you.¡± Zhang replied with a chuckle.

    ¡°You have a long way to go, sir, I¡¯m not too far from entering the core realm.¡± Wenji laughed as she stuck her tongue out at Zhang while two fluffy fur balls pounced onto him and licked his face.

    ¡°After everything is over, the two of you need a bath¡­¡± Zhang said as he saw how dirty the two pups looked. With blood trickling from the tips of their hairs and all sorts of gore stuck to their bodies, Little Red and Little Blue were filthy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back now, although we¡¯ve taken care of half of the bandits, I¡¯m not sure if the Silver Guard Brigade can prevent anyone from the Li family from getting hurt.¡± Wenji said in a slightly worried tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. With their leader and one of their commanders gone, I bet those bandits are in complete turmoil by now.¡± Zhang said as he jumped back onto his feet.

    While Zhang, Wenji and the pups raced back toward camp, the sound of battle soon reached their ears. It did not take long for a chaotic melody composed of the neighing of horses, the clanging of clashing swords and the cries of the wounded to echo throughout the forest.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the boss and those bastards from the fourth company?¡± A muscular man gripping onto a chain attached to a large iron ball yelled.

    ¡°Second head, if the boss and the fourth company don¡¯t show up soon our casualties will only continue to rise.¡± A bandit holding a rolled-up whip said.

    Despite only having half of their forces present, the Death Blade Bandits were not pushovers when matched against the likes of the Silver Guard Brigade. In the end, the Death Blade Bandits still had more than enough manpower to gain a slight edge over the silver Guard Brigade and if the two forces were allowed to continue battling each other, it would only be a matter of time before the bandits triumphed.

    ¡°Take a detachment and attack the members of the Li Family! That will force a few of those escorts break off from their main force and ease the pressure on our men a bit. Also, signal for the third company to maneuver over to where we are.¡± The Second head of the Death Blade bandits commanded, prompting a team of roughly twenty riders to charge toward the encirclement of carriages where Uncle Li and his family were.

    ¡°Arrows!¡± Uncle Li¡¯s voice could be heard as a barrage of arrows pierced through the air and homed in toward the bandits. Standing atop a carriage with a bow and arrow in hand while being surrounded by roughly twenty male servants who were also armed, Uncle Li looked as calm as a still lake.

    ¡°Protect the madams and the children! Kill the bandits! Compared to fighting them, the gambles we have to made during our everyday business ventures are much more terrifying!¡± Uncle Li yelled, trying to energize his servants as he nocked an arrow.

    ¡°Hmph! Not even at the fragmented realm amongst the lot of you and you think you can stop me?¡± The bandit holding a whip laughed as he lashed out with his whip, latching onto the wheel of the carriage that Uncle Li was standing atop of.

    With what appeared to be a light tug, the whip-wielding bandit nearly pulled the carriage out from under Uncle Li¡¯s feet, causing him to tumble onto the ground while opening an entry way through the defensive ring of carriages.

    ¡°Charge! Kill them all and grab whatever riches you can!¡± One of the bandits roared as he waved his sword about in the air.

    Soon enough, like a raging wave, the group of twenty mounted bandits swept into the encirclement of carriages and began to slaughter everyone in sight.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°I knew it! Those two definitely had something to do with these bandits!¡± An elderly man who everyone referred to as Uncle Pang said with eyes brimming with hatred as he saw the bandits charging toward him while releasing murderous intent.

    ¡°We have something to do with the bandits?¡± Wenji¡¯s soft voice drifted through the air as she appeared beside Uncle Pang. pulling him back, saving him from being decapitated.

    ¡°Quickly! Run!¡± Wenji yelled while making a slightly frantic expression as she pulled Uncle Pang to his feet.

    ¡°You think you can get away?¡± The bandit laughed mockingly as he signaled for his horse to move forward and chase after Wenji and Uncle Pang.

    ¡°So-someone! Help!¡± Uncle Pang cried as the mounted bandit inched ever closer and closer.

    Luckily upon hearing Uncle Pang¡¯s cries for help, a few of the male attendants of the Li Family rushed over with spears and swords in hand. With the combined might of three people, they were able to swiftly deal bandit.

    ¡°If we had ill intentions, we would have kidnapped Little Brother Ming the instant we caught sight of him¡­¡± Wenji said while pretending to wipe tears from the corner of her eyes, tugging at Uncle Pang¡¯s heart strings and prompting him to feel bad for his previous allegations.

    Elsewhere within the encirclement, Li Ming could be seen wrapped within his mother¡¯s arms as the two of them were being chased by the bandit wielding a whip.

    ¡°Die!¡± The bandit wielding a whip laughed manically as his whip snaked through the air toward Madam Yue Yu¡¯s back.

    ¡°Not on my watch!¡± Zhang¡¯s roar sounded out, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. Appearing out of nowhere Zhang pushed Madam Yue Yu and Li Ming to the ground, out of harm¡¯s way, while jumping in front of the snaking whip.

    ¡°Uncle Li! Quickly!¡± Zhang yelled as blood oozed from a long but shallow gash that ran along his back.

    Hoping to keep a low profile and their strengths hidden, Zhang and Wenji decided it would be best for them to pretend to be just as helpless as everyone else. Zhang even went as far as having the two pups leave numerous bite marks on the bodies of the bandits that he and Wenji had killed so that people would believe the bandits were slain by demonic beasts.

    Of course, if the members of the Li family were caught in a dire situation they would instantly act, but until things reached that point, Zhang and Wenji were simply going to play minor roles in the battle and allow the Silver Guard Brigade to earn the fees they had charged Uncle Li.

    ¡°Little brother, we got it from here!¡± A young man roughly in his twenties along with a group of men clad in silver armor could be seen rushing into the encirclement with weapons in hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Silver Guard Brigade! We¡¯re saved!¡± Someone cried.

    ¡°The Silver Guard Brigade are here! The Silver Guard Brigade are here!¡± Someone else yelled gleefully as the men clad in silver armor engaged the bandits in combat.

    ¡°Had they bothered to leave a few of their men as guards, the bandits wouldn''t have even been able to make it through the ring of carriages.¡± Zhang thought as he stepped back and helped Madam Yue Yu and Li Ming up from the ground. Despite feeling that Uncle Li had overpaid the Silver Guard Brigade, even though they were quite useless, Zhang did not voice his opinions.

    Once roughly fifty members of the Silver Guard Brigade arrived and took control of the situation the bandits quickly met their demise.

    ¡°Good job their kid, but next time leave the fighting to the experts like us.¡± The young man who had led the Silver Guard Brigade to aid the Li Family said in a slightly arrogant manner.

    ¡°Young Master Yin Wei, how is the battle progressing?¡± Uncle Li¡¯s voice interrupted before Zhang could reply to the young man.

    ¡°Mister Li, the battle isn¡¯t currently going as we would hope. However sooner or later the bandits will flee once they realize their possible gains outweigh the cost of losing so many men.¡± Yin Wei replied.

    ¡°But you need not worry, I will leave half of my unit here to keep you and your family safe, if anything were to happen they would lead you to safety. True to our reputation, we will ensure that no one in your family comes in harm''s way.¡± Yin Wei said while giving off a proud smile.

    ¡°With your men here, I feel much more at ease.¡± Uncle Li said before Yin Wei headed back to the battlefield.

    ¡°Little brother, I saw what you had done and I can¡¯t possibly thank you enough. Had you not appeared in the nick of time, Li Ming and his mother may have gotten injured or worse¡­¡± Uncle Li said as gave Zhang a gaze filled with appreciation.

    ¡°There is no need to thank me, Uncle Li. As promised in exchange for your hospitality I will continue to watch over Little Ming and Little Ling until we reach Twin Blade City, even if it costs me an arm or a leg.¡± Zhang said in a reassuring tone.

    ¡°Uncle Li, although we haven¡¯t known each other for long, to us you, the madams and the brats are close to family.¡± Wenji said while giving off a vibrant smile that could melt the iciest of hearts.

    Seeing Wenji¡¯s demeanor, Uncle Li couldn¡¯t help but smile in return before gathering up his servants and closing the gap opened up within the ring of carriages.

    True to Yin Wei¡¯s thoughts, after a substantial number of bandits were slain, the second leader of the Death Blade Bandits ordered his men to retreat. That is of course after news arrived from the scouts he had sent to check up on what had happened to the first and third company of missing bandits.

    Without a single survivor and only signs of a massacre to tell a gruesome tale of what had happened to their comrades, despite gaining an upper hand against the Silver Guard Brigade, the Death Blades Bandits felt that if they lingered any longer, calamity would befall upon them.

    Once the Death Blade Bandits departed, a victorious cheer rang into the heavens as the Silver Guard Brigade sounded their horns, signaling an end to a blood battle.

    Although there were numerous casualties amongst their ranks, the members of the Silver Guard Brigade were brimming with excitement. Believing they were successful in beating the infamous Death Blade Bandits, the members of the Silver Guard Brigade thought that it was only a matter of time before their already illustrious reputation soared even higher.

    With their spurted high in the clouds, the members of the Silver Guard Brigade began to tend to the wounded, bury the dead and scavenge whatever they could from the corpses of the dead bandits.

    Although most of the bandits were dirt poor, they were all equipped with decent weapons, armor and a horse which could all be sold for quite a sum of money.

    To ensure that they were prepared if the bandits decided to turn back and fight once again, the Silver Guard Brigade sent out teams of scouts to survey their surroundings.

    Just like the scouts sent by the bandits, the scouts belonging to the Silver Guard Brigade also stumbled upon a ghastly scene of gore and carnage. Taken back and unsure of what had occurred, the scouts quickly reported their findings to the superiors of the Silver Guard Brigade, who in turn urged Uncle Li to quickly depart instead of resting for the night.

    ¡°Mister Li, it appears that nearly half of the bandits we encountered had actually been slaughtered by some unknown entity. Since we don¡¯t know if this entity is a friend or foe I believe it would be best if we depart with due haste.¡± Yin Wei said as he eyed the surrounding woods as if he was expected someone or something to dash out at any moment.

    ¡°Is the situation really that dire? After such an extraneous battle, everyone is exhausted, shouldn¡¯t we at least rest here for a few hours?¡± Uncle Li asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the longer we stay here, the more dangerous things become. All of the blood that was spilled here tonight might even attract packs of demonic beasts. Once those things come out from the depths of the forest, we may all get slaughtered.¡± A middle-aged man who appeared to be brimming with experience said, as he tried to persuade Uncle Li to depart as soon as possible.

    Thanks to an employment contract the two parties signed and a large sum of money that had yet found its way into their hands, the leaders of the Silver Guard Brigade couldn¡¯t simply get up and leave. Else they would have more than likely fled the instant they stumbled upon Zhang and Wenji¡¯s handiwork.

    ¡°If you gentleman think it¡¯s unsafe to remain here, then I guess departing now would be for the best.¡± Uncle Li said as he saw the subtly frightened look on Yin Wei¡¯s face.

 Chapter 39: A Bargain

    After traveling through the night without much rest, Zhang and Wenji were currently being greeted by a beautiful morning sun and glimpses of a large city through the woods.

    They were also able to catch sight of a few peculiar looking mountains, call the Black Devil Range, off in the distance as they came closer and closer to the city.

    According to what Uncle Li had told Zhang, roughly one hundred years ago, Twin Blade City was but a small nameless village, like many of the other villages that were scattered throughout the surrounding area.

    Just like any other insignificant village, it was oppressed and exhorted by bands of traveling bandits that roamed the surrounding mountains. For years, the area that would one day become Twin Blade City was ruled by a local group of bandits called the Silver and Gold Sword Bandits.

    Tyrannical and cutthroat, these bandits killed whomever they wanted and took whatever they wanted, be it gold, silver, or even women. However, they all changed when they had kidnapped a certain village girl.

    In actuality this village girl did not differ very much from the girls that these bandits had kidnapped before, to them she wasn''t anything special, and her beauty could only be called average, however the one thing that set her apart from the rest, was that she was loved by a young man named Mang De.

    After having his beloved taken from him and being beaten a half step away from death, in a grief and rage induced state, Mang De charged into the Black Devil Range and was not heard from for five days and five nights.

    Believing her beloved had died and that no one could aid her, the young woman could only wallow in despair as she was forced to marry the leader of the Gold and Silver Sword Bandits six days after being captured by them.

    However contrary to what everyone thought, Mang De actually didn''t die in the mountains, rather he returned on the day that his beloved was supposed to be married off, with a pair of peculiar looking blades in hand.

    During his trip to the Black Devil Range, Mang De had actually fallen into a hole in the ground and just as luck would have it this hole was filled with gold and treasure. Amongst the treasures found in this hole were a pair of golden blades that were said to possess the ability to cut through anything.

    Using these blades that would be known throughout the land as the Twin Blades, the namesake of Twin Blade City, Mang De would rescue his beloved, slay the bandits and lay down the foundation for what would become Twin Blade City.

    ¡°Little brother, are you sure you don''t want to stay with us?¡± Uncle Li asked Zhang as the caravan arrived at the gates of Twin Blade City.

    ¡°Uncle Li, we appreciate your hospitality, but I think you''ve helped us enough. Not only do we not want to overstay our welcome, knowing brother Zhang, he''s already got a plan of what he wants to do once we enter the city.¡± Wenji said before Zhang could utter a response to Uncle Li¡¯s question.

    ¡°We will be sure to visit you and the others often, but for now I have a few things I wish to accomplish when we get into the city.¡± Zhang said with a smile.

    ¡°Are you two sure? If anything, I can at least provide you two with lodgings until you''ve got your feet on the ground.¡± Uncle Li said.

    ¡°Uncle Li I think you have other things to worry about rather than the two of us. I''m sure you have a whole bunch of business to attend. Like for instance bridging connections and such.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle as she saw how persistent Uncle Li was being.

    ¡°Fine, however, if the two of you ever need something, simply go to the Li Trading company located in the center of the city and I''ll do my best to help you. If it was not for the two of you, I don''t know what could have possibly happened to Little Ming and his mother.¡± Uncle Li said.

    ¡°We will be sure to keep that in mind, Uncle Li.¡± Zhang replied while clasping his hands in a respectful manner.

    ¡°Also since this is your first time traveling to Twin Blade City, let me remind you that there are a few people you can''t offend. If you meet anyone from the Jiang or Mang clan, as long as their demands aren''t too outrageous, simply comply. Then there are people from the Tiger Claw Dojo, I heard their leader, Tong Xi is a core realm cultivator and not someone you would want to trifle with. These three powers hold the city entirely in their grasp and it is best not to get on their bad side.¡± Uncle Li said as a reminder to Zhang and Wenji.

    ¡°I will try my best to avoid getting into trouble, Uncle Li. However, sometimes, it is not you who seeks trouble but it is trouble who seeks you.¡± Zhang said as he thanked Uncle Li, and departed with Wenji and the pups.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    After paying a small entry fee, Zhang and Wenji found themselves in front of a long snaking street filled brimming with liveliness.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s go find a place to stay before we start putting our plans into motion.¡± Zhang said before slyly grabbing Wenji¡¯s hand and pulling her along.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Wenji''s mumbled in a low tone but did not withdraw her hand and simply continued walking.

    Upon entering the city, Zhang had bought a map off of one of the guards and using it he was able to smoothly navigate through the complex alleyways and intersecting streets that ran throughout Twin Blade City.

    Instead of heading toward a small inn or a hotel, Zhang and Wenji continued to walk until they arrived at what was called the middle ring of the city.

    ¡°This place should be good. It''s far enough from the center of the city that we won''t be bothered by the so-called elites but close enough to where we won''t have to worry about the pesky hooligans that reside in the outer ring.¡± Zhang to Wenji as they arrived on a moderately quiet residential area.

    Believing it would be much wiser to buy a manner of their own instead of renting out a room in a seedy inn, Zhang had decided to stay in the city¡¯s middle ring.

    ¡°That one over there looks to be for sale. Just our luck.¡± Wenji said with a light chuckle and bright eyes as she pointed into the distance toward a manor with a for sale sign stuck to one of the stone lions situated in front of its gate.

    ¡°Manor for sale, please ring the gong if you are interested in purchasing, serious buyers only. Kids who live across the street stop ringing the gong, I know where you live and will give you a good spanking.¡± Wenji said as read aloud the sale sign.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Zhang muttered with a laugh as he gripped and pulled Wenji¡¯s hand forward once again.

    After a few dozen or so steps, the duo arrived in front of a moderately large gate that lead into what appeared to be a somewhat shabby looking manor.

    Although one couldn''t call it run down, this manor was in shambles. Roof tiles were missing or broken, many of the paper windows were riddled with holes and the place gave an all-around dirty presence. Upon seeing the state the manor was in, instead of being taken back, Zhang¡¯s eyes actually lit up.

    ¡°You seem rather excited.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle as she saw how bright Zhang¡¯s face had become.

    ¡°It looks like it is our lucky day. Let¡¯s go find out if there is anyone around.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle as he arrived in front of a mid-sized gong that was placed in the middle of the manor¡¯s gate. A second prior to striking the gong three times, Zhang noticed an odd puddle off at the corner of the gate but did not pay it too much attention to it.

    ¡°Coming!¡± A voice belonging to what sounded to be a middle-aged man could be heard after the sound of the gong rang through the air. Within the voice, one could sense eagerness and excitement mixed together to create anticipation.

    Before long a middle-aged man with a stern yet warm features came out from within the manor. As silly as it may seem, at first the middle-aged man looked extremely happy but the second he caught sight of Zhang and Wenji his eagerness was replaced with a trace of anger.

    ¡°Which one of those brats sent you! Was it that weird one that keeps coming here to take a piss in front of the gate?¡± The middle-aged man yelled angrily.

    ¡°Piss? Front gate?¡± Zhang mumbled as he suddenly realized what that puddle in the corner of the gate was, prompting him to instinctively move in the opposite direction while pulling Wenji with him.

    ¡°Mister, we were hoping to inquire how much the owner of this manor was hoping to sell it for.¡± Wenji asked as the middle-aged man arrived in front of her and Zhang.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your pranks! Tell me where those snot-nosed brats are, or else I¡¯ll give you a light spanking also.¡± The middle-aged man yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but we don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, we simply want to know how much this house is being sold for. If the price is right, we¡¯ll take it.¡± Zhang said in a calm tone.

    ¡°Chen Bao, you little bastard! Stop trying to prank me! Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll fall for your tricks again! What kind of fool would I be if I believe two teenaged kids could afford to buy a manor!¡± The middle-aged man yelled as he walked passed Zhang and angrily screamed to the manor on the opposite side of the street.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go look for a different place, it looks like he doesn¡¯t want to sell¡­¡± Wenji said with a sigh as she tugged on Zhang¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°Let me try one more time.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle as he flipped his hand and retrieved a single gold coin from his interspatial ring.

    ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t know who you think is trying to prank you but I¡¯ll give you this if you calm down and answer our question.¡± Zhang said as he lifted up the gold coin and presented it to the middle-aged man who looked back at him with a confused expression.

    ¡°Take it¡­ Before I change my mind and decide to buy another manor¡­ I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t the only one in the city up for sale.¡± Zhang said as he saw the middle aged man act somewhat hesitant.

    ¡°It¡¯s it¡¯s it¡¯s real!¡± The middle-aged man yelled as he took the gold coin from Zhang and bit into it.

    ¡°Young master! How may I, Zhong Cheng, be of service to you!¡± The middle-aged man said as sparkling gold coins appeared in his eyes.

    ¡°How much for this house?¡± Wenji asked in an impatient tone.

    ¡°Although this place holds a lot of sentimental value, however for a bargain price of ten thousand gold coins, I might be willing to let this place go.¡± The middle-aged man said while rubbing his hands while smiling.

    Hmmmm, five thousand gold coins.¡± Zhang said as he made his way into the manor, walking into a large courtyard.

    ¡°Five thousand gold coins for this place? Why don¡¯t you do rob a bank?¡± The middle-aged man yelled in an astonished tone.

    ¡°Many of the roof tiles are broken, meaning a lot of water must have made its way into the buildings, which could possibly result in the wooden beams holding the buildings being soaked by water and rotting. If I buy this place I may have to knock down all of the buildings and rebuild it from scratch. Good luck getting five hundred gold coins once the wooden beams snap and the buildings crumble in on themselves.¡± Zhang said in an insightful manner.

    ¡°Rotten beams? Topple over?¡± The middle-aged man mumbled as he fell into deep thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like waiting for I¡¯ll give you an extra five hundred gold coins if you make up your mind within the next ten seconds¡­¡± Zhang said with a yawn while Wenji looked at him with a face full of intrigue.

    ¡°Deal! Let me go get the deed.¡± The middle-aged man said as he stuck his hand out and shook hands with Zhang before running off into one of the dozen or so rooms circling the courtyard.

    ¡°So why did you want to get this place if it¡¯s going to fall apart?¡± Wenji asked with a slight giggle.

    ¡°You see that? That¡¯s sandalwood, and judging by its color, it should have come from a tree that had been around a thousand years old. Even if you allow the rain to batter it for a few hundred years, that wood would still not be even a tiny bit damaged. If we were to tear down the place and sell the sandalwood, we could probably hundreds of thousands of gold coins.¡± Zhang said in a soft whisper while chuckling.

    ¡°Should I be amazed at how you were able to spot the sandalwood from a mere glance or at how you were able to barter this place into a bargain.¡± Wenji laughed.

    ¡°Let me remind you, my family have been merchants for countless generations and spotting a good deal is what we are best at.¡± Zhang said with a grin while puffing out his chest.

    Although Zhang wasn¡¯t lacking wealth at the moment and could actually be considered very wealthy, after being taught the art of haggling for many years, he couldn¡¯t help himself.

    ¡°Young master, if you can sign here and give me five thousand and five hundred gold coins by the end of today, this manor is yours.¡± The middle-aged man said in a cheerful tone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you six thousand gold coins if you can help me gather a bit of information before you leave.¡± Zhang said as he pulled a sack filled with gold coins out from his robes.

 Chapter 40: Opening the Coffers

    ¡°Information? What kind of information are you looking for?¡± The middle-aged man named Zhong Cheng asked as the shimmering gold coins in his eyes grew twice as long.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve just arrived in this city and wish to start a few business ventures, I was hoping you could help me find out if there are any trade companies, medicinal supply stores, warehouses, and storefront property up for sale. The cheaper they are and the more manpower they possess the better.¡± Zhang said as he presented the bag filled with gold coins in his hand to Zhong Cheng.

    ¡°Young master although I can easily help you obtain that information for you, out of the goodness of my heart I must tell you if you are planning on starting a business within this city, you¡¯ll most definitely run into people from the two clans and the Tiger Claw Dojo. If you do just give them what they want, don¡¯t try to stand up to them, the previous owner of this manor tried and sadly whenever I want to see him I have to visit his grave¡­¡± Zhong Cheng said as a saddened expression appeared on his face.

    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t make any outrageous demands, I can spare a few gold coins to ensure the peace.¡± Zhang replied with a smile.

    ¡°Alright, let''s finalize the transaction and I¡¯ll have the list for you within a few hours.¡± Zhong Cheng said as he gestured for Zhang to sign on the deed.

    With few strokes of a brush, Zhang acquired his first property and placed his first foothold within Twin Blade City.

    Soon after, Zhong Cheng departed to make inquiries on the businesses that Zhang was looking to acquire, leaving a pair of teens and two fluffy pups behind to explore their new home.

    ¡°Although this place may look shabby on the outside, the interior is still sound and with a bit of cleaning it¡¯ll be restored to its full glory.¡± Zhang said as he and Wenji inspected the grounds. With two large halls, twenty odd rooms divided amongst three courtyards, a servant¡¯s quarters, a vast kitchen and small koi pond, Zhang was fairly happy with the size of his new property.

    ¡°Once we acquire adequate help and a sufficient number of herbs from the mountains, I¡¯ll be able to concoct pills for us to use to cultivate. Although we may need to knock down a few of the buildings to put up a pill concocting chamber.¡± Wenji said in a cheerful tone.

    Wishing to exploit the vast abundance of herbs growing in the surrounding mountains to further their cultivation, Zhang and Wenji were going to purchase a large number of warehouses in the hopes of quickly obtaining a large workforce without gathering unnecessary attention.

    Although they could simply openly advertise and employ fresh workers, the two of them figured that would attract the gazes of too many people, ignite too many questions and perhaps invite unwanted problems.

    One must know, the two of them were perhaps planning to employ hundreds if not thousands of employees and that in itself would stir a storm of questions that could result in some kind of conspiracy theory. For instance, people may think they were trying to establish an army or something and that would inadvertently lead to a confrontation with the leading factions within the city.

    However, if they bought many small businesses and redirect an already established workforce, the duo wouldn¡¯t attract very much attention. They could then openly recruit more workers if needed through the different business that would be under their control.

    Instead of jumping the gun and spreading their wings in the open, Zhang and Wenji were going to set deep roots within Twin Blade City before revealing themselves.

    Although the two of them didn¡¯t know why they were sure that there was a reason as to why no one was harvesting the herbs in the mountains on a large scale. Perhaps it was because of the fear of demonic beasts, or maybe there was some powerful entity in the city who was trying to create a monopoly on pills, but whatever the case, the duo felt it would be safer for them to lay down a foundation for themselves.

    ¡°Later, let¡¯s go next door and see if our neighbors are willing to sell. If we can buy all of the properties that surround this one, we can set up a small area of influence where we can act without worrying about prying eyes. Then we could build a pill concocting chamber, a casino or even had a large hole dug in the ground and no one would be around to bother us.¡± Zhang said upon hearing that Wenji wished to build a pill concocting chamber.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask but, are you sure you don¡¯t want me to pitch in some gold? If we are really going to do what we planned, a large sum of money will be required. The cost of employing hundreds of employees alone will be very taxing since we won¡¯t actually be making any income.¡± Wenji asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, with the gold left behind by my clan, we can carve out a fourth of this city for ourselves without a problem. The most important thing is for us to get stronger. Once we are strong enough, money won¡¯t be an issue. Money well spent will only bring in more money. With enough power and prestige money will flow in by the boatloads without either of us having to lift a finger.¡± Zhang said with a laugh as he recalled how vast the hoard of gold in his black colored interspatial ring was.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I should probably thank my ancestors for being treasure hoarders. If not for them, even if one of the three factions, that control the city, wish to do what we are doing, they''ll have a hard time securing sufficient funds.¡± Zhang thought with a chuckle.

    While Zhang and Wenji continued to grow accustomed to their new home, some time later in the day, Zhong Cheng returned with a large stack of paper in hand.

    ¡°Here are listings of businesses for sale, young master.¡± Zhong Cheng said after he found Zhang and Wenji enjoying a makeshift meal together in the manor¡¯s kitchen.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty detailed I might say.¡± Wenji said as she picked up one of the papers that Zhong Cheng was carrying.

    ¡°I organized then based on price, size and location. That number the bottom right is the number of employees these businesses currently have employed. For five hundred gold coins that''s the least I can do.¡± Zhong Cheng stated in a diligent tone.

    ¡°This is some good work. How would you feel if I offered to pay you to stay here and be the head steward?¡± Zhang said with a grin.

    ¡°Five hundred gold coins¡¯ annual salary, with sick leave, paid vacation and a yearly bonus and you got yourself a head steward.¡± Zhong Cheng said while rubbing his hands.

    ¡°I''ll give you six hundred if you can diligently manage all of the business dealings that we will need to be done.¡± Zhang said with a glint in his eye.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Zhong Cheng said as he jumped at the offer.

    ¡°Here¡¯s half of your wages for the year.¡± Wenji said as she casually tossed a sack of gold coins at Zhang Cheng.

    ¡°Alright as the first order of business I want you to contact all of these business owners and have them arrive here tonight. I would also like you for buy up all of the surrounding properties on this street.¡± Zhang said in a casual manner.

    ¡°Once the surrounding properties are ours, contact the city¡¯s best builders. I''ll be needing a few buildings knocked down and reconstructed. We will also need a large number staff to cook and clean. Contact a few of the locally based escort companies and have them come here tonight also. Lastly, I want everything done as discreetly as possible.¡± Zhang added.

    ¡°If you can finish everything in a timely manner, you may get a little bonus for your efforts.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle.

    Upon hearing, what Zhang wanted to be done, Zhong Cheng was utterly flabbergasted. At first, he had thought that Zhang was only going to buy and take over a store or two to set up a small footing within the city.

    He had never expected that instead of a store or two, Zhang had actually told him to go and buy up all of the stores listed within the stack of papers that he had brought back.

    ¡°Young master, you know there is a total of five warehouses, two trade companies, ten medicinal stores and at least twenty storefront properties within that stack, right? Also unlike this manor, the surrounding ones aren¡¯t cheap either.¡± Zhong Cheng asked.

    ¡°Yes, have all of the owners of these businesses come here tonight. Also be sure to talk to the owners of the surrounding properties. Money isn''t exactly an issue I almost forgot if you can look into purchasing some land near the base of Black Devil Mountain also.¡± Zhang said, leaving Zhang Cheng utterly bewildered.

    ¡°How can a man of his age to have the funds necessary to make all of these purchases¡­¡± Zhong Cheng thought as he went to carry out Zhang¡¯s orders. Regardless of the outcome, he had already taken Zhang¡¯s money and on top of things already sold the decrypted manor left behind by his previous master, so if anything, Zhong Cheng figured he could just up and leave if things went wrong.

    Thus, later in the day when the moon was high up in the sky, many people could be seen making their way to what would soon be known as the Zhou Manor.

    ¡°Everyone please form a line and wait your turn to see the young master. Rest assured, the master of my household is looking to expand his business ventures within the city and will be making many purchases for a long time to come.¡± Zhong Cheng said, after seeing a few people try to storm inside, like an angry mob after hearing that someone was willing to buy their rundown businesses.

    Considering most of the businesses that were up for sale were failing and were knee deep in debt, everyone who was present was extremely eager to sell.

    As a line began to form, one after another, business owners, owners of construction companies and leaders of various escort groups filed into the manor¡¯s large hall where Zhang and Wenji were waiting.

    ¡°So, I''ll leave all the talking to you then?¡± Wenji said to Zhang with a chuckle, prompting him to stick his tongue at her before the two of them broke out into laughter.

    One after the other, after entering the various business could be seen leaving with gleeful expressions on their faces.

    This was of course because, not only did Zhang purchase their failing businesses, but he also offered to hire them to work for him. This way no one would know which business was his since the original owners would still be around.

    Thus, in no time at all, Zhang had purchased a substantial amount of real estate within Twin Blade City and with them, he was able to acquire a large workforce, consisting of roughly three hundred men and women. If the men from the escort companies and construction crews were added to the mix, the number of people currently employed by Zhang would sum up to a staggering one thousand people.

    Most importantly was the fact that he had managed to buy a large piece of land at the foot of Black Devil Mountain, a piece of land that he could develop and use as a base of operations once the harvesting began.

    Of course, all of this progress had come at a large cost that depleted a small chunk of the treasury within the Zhou Clan¡¯s ancestral tomb.

    ================================

    In a flash, roughly two weeks had passed since Zhang and Wenji had arrived in Twin Blade City, and with the passage of time, the shabby manor they bought turned into a magnificent home that many envied.

    With much effort, Zhong Cheng was able to buy up all of the surrounding property for Zhang and in the end, walls were torn down and buildings were constructed at a blinding speed.

    Although construction was yet to be completed, the Zhou Manor was now located at the heart of what many would call a maze. Now if anyone wanted to go to the Zhou Manor they would have to enter through one of the eight properties mini fortress-like properties surrounding it.

    The once desolate manor was now brimming with life has numerous staff were hired. Atop of things, Zhang even had a few escort companies move into a few of the eight vacant properties.

    Besides the changes to their new home, Zhang and Wenji¡¯s herb gathering operations had also begun.

    After adding another two hundred people to their workforce and commissioning for the construction of a small fort on the land that had acquired at the base of Black Devil Mountain, Zhang and Wenji were now starting to receive a constant flow of herbs to use for pill concocting.

    Things were going so smoothly, Zhang even went ahead and had Zhong Cheng hire roughly fifty men who were fairly knowledgeable about plants and the practice of medicine to help Wenji when she was concocting pills.

    One could say that Zhang and Wenji were now similar to fish in water as their cultivation now started to progress at a steady rate. Thanks to the abundance of cultivation aiding pills that could now be obtained, given enough time, Wenji would break through to the core realm while Zhang neared the middle stages of the elementary realm.

 Chapter 41: Trouble Brews

    As the midday sun made its way to the center of the sky, while Zhang and Wenji were enjoying hearty lunch together near a serene artificial pond located in the center of the Zhou Manor¡¯s gardens, a sudden series of clamoring yells rang into their ears, shattering the peaceful atmosphere that the duo was very much enjoying.

    ¡°Young master! Young mistress! We have a problem!¡± Zhong Cheng¡¯s voice could be heard screaming frantically.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Wenji asked in a calm tone.

    ¡°Young mistress, terrible news! A group of roughly one hundred of our workers have been taken, hostage!¡± Zhong Cheng said frantically.

    ¡°Who dares?¡± Zhang asked as he placed the cup of tea in his hand onto a stone table in front of him.

    ¡°I believe they had a run in with members of the Mang Clan.¡± Zhong Cheng reported.

    ¡°Mang Clan? Didn¡¯t I instruct to steer clear of them?¡± Zhang asked as an unhappy expression appeared on his face.

    ¡°Young master, like you¡¯ve instructed, whenever we spot people from the three great factions we avoid them like the plague.¡± Zhong Cheng replied hastily.

    ¡°Give us a clear account of what had happened, from beginning to end and then we¡¯ll decide if we were in the wrong or if they were.¡± Wenji said in a gentle tone.

    ¡°Yes, right away, young mistress. According to reports sent back from the fort, our people had stumbled on a large patch of Crimson Speckled Roses hidden within a small ravine deep in within the Black Devil Mountains.¡± Zhong Cheng said as he tried to give a short accounted of what had happened.

    ¡°Crimson Speckled Roses? Wenji, weren¡¯t those the flowers are required to make midgrade essence supplement pills?¡± Zhang asked, interrupting Zhong Cheng.

    ¡°Yes, Crimson Speckled Roses are essential to making midgrade essence enhancement pills. But first, let give the man a chance to finish his account.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Uncle Cheng please continue.¡± Zhang said while scratching his head.

    ¡°After our people began harvesting the Crimson Speckled Roses, members of the Mang Clan appeared and demanded that our people hand over all of the herbs that they¡¯ve managed to collect. Which our people did in order to avoid a confrontation with them, however, once they were given an inch they wanted a mile and demanded that from now on we are to give them fifty percent of the herbs we collect as a tax or else they won¡¯t allow us to enter the Black Devil Mountains anymore. When our people tried to reason with them, everyone was severely beaten and taken away. They said that if we want our people back, not only do we have to agree to their terms but we also have to pay one hundred gold coins per a person.¡± Zhong Cheng said, causing anger to swell within Zhang¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Those bastards might as well be bandits!¡± Zhang roared angrily as the small cup in his hand bursted into bits, startling not only Zhong Cheng but the other people present also.

    Over the few weeks that they¡¯ve been working for Zhang, no one has ever seen him so as much as frown or even raise his voice, thus everyone was quite taken back when they saw that Zhang wasn¡¯t the young and weak scholarly businessman that they thought he was, rather the angry glare in his eyes belonged to someone who did not mind claiming the life of another.

    ¡°Where have they taken our people? I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t go back to the city with so many people in town.¡± Wenji asked as her eyes sharpened.

    ¡°According to our scouts who trailed them, the members of the Mang Clan took our people to a large outpost they have in a hidden part of the mountains.¡± Zhong Cheng reported.

    ¡°Gather a small group of our combatants... We are heading out... It seems that our efforts at keeping a low profile have ended up backfiring¡­They¡¯ve taken out passiveness for weakness¡­ Although I would prefer to avoid conflict for now, if they want a fight they¡¯ll be in over their heads.¡± Zhang said as he got up from his seat and walked toward the manor¡¯s horse stables.

    ¡°Young master! Is that a wise idea? The Mang clan have been ruling this city for a hundred years and they hold immense power, I heard they have a few core realm cultivators amongst their ranks on top of a dozen or so elementary realm cultivators. Although our production would be cut by nearly half, it¡¯s still better than facing them and possibly facing destruction.¡± Zhong Cheng said as he tried to persuade Zhang.

    ¡°Half our production¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as the rage inside his heart burned violently. If the herb operation¡¯s progress diminished to help, that would mean the rate at which Zhang and Wenji could further their cultivation would fall to half and that in itself would result in many disadvantageous situations.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, there¡¯s no point in trying to persuade him when he gets riled up.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle. After spending so much time together with Zhang, Wenji felt she had a really good grasp on his personality, he was the kind that would slowly scheme to ensure their success, in other words, a merchant to the very core, however, if push came to shove and the situation required it he could charge forward regardless of the consequences.

    If he could fight an enlightened realm cultivator and a group of core realm cultivators for her while disregarding his own life, there¡¯s nothing within Twin Blade City that could deter him if he wished to act. From beginning to start it hadn¡¯t ever been about whether or not they would clash with the three great powers, it was a matter of when and where, so Wenji wasn¡¯t too worried about having their plans hindered at this point.

    With a loud whistle, Zhang called forth a pair of fur balls that were now as tall as his knees, and in a flash, a group of roughly fifty horsemen departed from the Zhou Manor¡¯s.

    ¡°Young master shouldn¡¯t we bring more men?¡± Zhong Cheng asked as his horse galloped beside Zhang¡¯s.

    ¡°No, we will need them to remain in the manor and defend it in case anyone dares to attack while we are not home. If we need, we can call for the men stationed at the fort to come reinforce us.¡± Zhang said as he and Wenji led the group of horsemen through the city streets.

    Not long after departing, Zhang and his group of followers could be seen speeding out of the city gates and galloping toward the mountains, leaving a thick trail of dust in their wake.

    ¡°Uncle Cheng, lead the way.¡± Wenji said as she directed Zhong Cheng to take point. With the wind causing her long silky hair to flutter and a vibrant sun shining down above, Zhang couldn¡¯t help but pin his gaze on Wenji and allow his mind to drift, despite the current turn of events.

    After riding into the mountains for about two hours, Zhong Cheng pulled the reins on his horse, prompting it to come to a complete stop.

    ¡°Young Master, the outpost should be located about a mile from here.¡± Hong Cheng said as he pointed toward the northeast.

    ¡°You guys stay here and wait for our signal, we¡¯ll go and scout out the outpost. Little Red and Little Blue, keep an eye on them for us.¡± Wenji said as she glanced at Zhang who nodded in response before the two of them dismounted from their steeds and sped into the forest, without giving Zhong Cheng or anyone else the opportunity to protest their decision.

    ¡°Head steward, is it okay to let the young master and young mistress go off on their own like that? What if the people from the Mang Clan end up capturing them too, wouldn¡¯t that leave us as a dragon without a head?¡± One of Zhang¡¯s guards asked as a worried expression surfaced on his face.

    Having been recently hired by Zhang and offered much better pay and benefits than any other clans or factions within the city, the guard was very much afraid that if something bad happened to Zhang and Wenji, he may lose his bowl of rice.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s only been about a month since we¡¯ve work under those two, I believe that it is best not to underestimate them due to their age. If they were any other pair of teenage kids then we should be right to worry, however, those two were able to carve a place for themselves within Twin Blade City in a little under a month, they''ve been able to accumulate so much power in so little time that the usually passive Mang Clan is baring its fangs. If anything, ones that should be worried should be the people that dared to provoke those two.¡± Zhong Cheng said as he stared in the direction that Zhang and Wenji headed off in.

    ¡°So, what do you think we should do?¡± Zhang asked Wenji as he spotted a few guard towers peeking out from behind the forest canopy.

    ¡°Depending on how many people they have, just the two of us should be enough to rescue everyone. Even if they have one or two core realm cultivators stationed out here, which I doubt, we should be able to handle them ease. However, I¡¯m not sure if we should kill or not.¡± Wenji replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether we should kill them or not either, although they¡¯re intentionally provoking us, if we kill their people, things would blow out of proportion and turn into a blood feud. Although it can be said that we have a solid foundation within the city and that there are few people who can rival our individual power, they are after all the clan who had built the city up from the ground and I¡¯m sure they have quite a few allies. Things could get tricky.¡± Zhang said as he scratched his head.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, we¡¯ll just beat them to a bloody pulp and rescue our people.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle as she and Zhang found themselves but a few feet from a tall stone wall that stood about twenty feet tall.

    Channeling his powers and stretching his shadow onto the stone wall, Zhang made skeletal hands rise out from the darkness and form into footholds for him and Wenji to use to scale the wall.

    Using quick footwork, the duo stealthily arrived at the top wall while under the gaze of the last rays of the sun while vigilantly scanning their surroundings as a question popped up in their minds.

    ¡°Why did the Mang clan build such a large fortress out in the middle of the mountains.¡± Both Zhang and Wenji wondered as they both saw no real strategic or economic value to the fort and its location.

    With a few hand gestures, the duo signaled to each other and leaped off the wall before charging into the outpost without ever so much as stirring a single murmur.

    Like ghosts and shadows, Zhang and Wenji crept beside the side of a large hall and peered inside, hoping to find a clue in regards to where their people were kept. Inside the hall were a total of five men who were all clad in similar looking leather armor, hunched over a table and gambling with one another, these five men were oblivious to the two shadows lurking outside.

    ¡°I win! All of you pay up!¡± A young man with crooked teeth said in a loud tone as he tossed down a hand full of cards.

    ¡°Pay up? Mang Chang, I think you¡¯ve forgotten that you still owe all of us a few hundred gold coins each.¡± A chubby man with a potbelly said with a laugh.

    ¡°Yea, Mang Chang, don¡¯t think we¡¯ve forgotten that you owe each of us a thousand gold coins.¡± Another man said.

    ¡°Even if we total your winning¡¯s this time, you still won¡¯t have enough to pay even a fraction of what you owe us.¡± Yes, another man said.

    ¡°Hmph, once I find that treasure, I¡¯ll have more than enough to pay back you four saps.¡± The man named Mang Chang said with a snicker.

    ¡°You find the treasure? What makes you think out of all of the members of our clan who have been searching these mountains for the last one hundred years that you of all people would be the one to find the treasure?¡± The chubby man said in a slightly mocking tone.

    ¡°Maybe there isn¡¯t any more treasure left for us to find.¡± The chubby man added.

    ¡°How could there not be? Wasn¡¯t it said that our ancestor Mang De, had found clues to a larger treasure hidden somewhere in the mountains? If there wasn¡¯t any treasure what has our clan been doing for the last hundred years? Are you questioning our ancestors? Do you think they are all idiots?¡± Mang Chang said.

    ¡°Calm down, Mang Chang! I was just kidding. Of course, there is still treasure hidden somewhere in these mountains, if there wasn¡¯t why would we need to go to all the effort of keeping everyone far away from this place.¡± The chubby man said as he saw that he had riled up Mang Chang.

    ¡°Speaking of keeping people away, what are we going to do to those people we caught in the morning? Has the clan head decided on what to do yet?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the messenger we sent back to the clan hasn¡¯t returned yet. I hear their employer is a big shot that¡¯s recently come to our city. Although not much is known about him, I heard the guy was really rich, so if he¡¯s willing to fork over some money maybe we¡¯ll let those people go. If not, then they¡¯ll more than likely become slaves like the other folks we¡¯ve captured. The chubby man said.

    ¡°Ha, are you kidding? When have we ever let, anyone leave this place? If anything, maybe these guys will get to work alongside their boss and help us look for the treasure.¡± Mang Chang laughed.

    ¡°Treasure¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as his eyes glinted in excitement.

 Chapter 42: Devious Plotting

    ¡°Treasure!¡± Zhang thought as his eyes brimmed with excitement. Ever since he was a child, back as far as he could remember, after hearing epic tales about adventurers who explored the vast unknown and laid claim to lost treasures of ancient empires, mainly tales of the Zhou Clan¡¯s exalted ancestor, Zhang had always wished he could do the same.

    One could say that Zhang had always wanted to live out the fantasy like tales of the Zhou Clan¡¯s exalted ancestor who become a larger than life character, a legend of sorts within the clan.

    Of course, after some time he had buried these feelings deep within himself, believing that in the end, legends are but exaggerated bits and pieces of fact and fiction.

    However, after having become a cultivator, and immersing himself in what could be called another world, Zhang¡¯s childhood dreams began to surface once again, especially after hearing about a supposed treasure that has been hidden in the mountains for countless years.

    Only recently had he come to terms with the fact that all of those legends about his ancestor could possibly be true.

    ¡°There¡¯s treasure hidden somewhere in these mountains! There¡¯s treasure hidden in these mountains!¡± Zhang wanted to scream out in a crazed manner as he became so excited that he could not contain himself. Luckily moments before Zhang bursted, Wenji¡¯s gentle hand jabbed him on the side of the stomach, bringing him out of the little world in his mind that he had drifted to moments ago.

    Quite frankly for the younger generation of the Zhou Clan, the word treasure is considered a trigger word, while for the older generation of the Zhou Clan the words gold and money are considered trigger words. Upon hearing these words, regardless of how rational one thought they were, a tinge of excitement would take root they would sometimes drive them to do the impossible.

    ¡°Let''s go find out where these slaves that they were talking about and our people are kept. If we can free them, then maybe we won''t have to get our hands dirty. Actually, then we can really get our hands dirty and no one can put the blame on us.¡± Wenji whispered before lightly chuckling as a devious grin appeared in her eyes.

    ¡°I like your way of thinking. But since we aren''t going to have any blame pinned on us anyway, why do we have to go find out where are people are being kept?¡± Zhang said before snickering as an equally devious grin appeared on his face.

    ¡°We will just have to recruit a few guides to lead the way. I¡¯ll also show them that when even caning a dog, one must watch and see whose it¡¯s owner.¡± Zhang said he and Wenji began to laugh in a soft devilish manner.

    No longer attempting to remain hidden, Zhang stood up from the crouching position he was in and gently pushed open the window leading into the hall.

    ¡°An elemental realm cultivator and five fragment realm cultivators, it doesn''t look like you''ll be needing any help.¡± Wenji said as she watched Zhang leap into the hall through the window and swiftly arrive at where the five members of the Mang Clan were playing cards.

    ¡°Which one of you can lead me to where you''re keeping all of the slaves and captives?¡± Zhang asked in a calm voice as he appeared out of nowhere and caused small commotion filled with shock and confusion.

    ¡°Who are you!? How''d you get in here?¡± Mang Chang yelled in a perplexed tone.

    ¡°Answer me, which one of you can lead me to where the slaves and captures are kept? Answer carefully, in the end, I only need one guide.¡± Zhang repeated himself while adding a slightly chilling warning at the end.

    ¡°Where do you think, this place is?!¡± The chubby looking man asked while his brows furrowed.

    ¡°I guess I''ll just pick one of you to be my guide.¡± Zhang said as his shadow wiggled and the pummel of his black flying sword shot out into the air where he grabbed it and while using a single fluid motion severed the heads of two of the five members of the Mang Clan.

    After quickly dispatching a fragment Realm cultivator and an elementary realm cultivator with a crescent swing is his sword, Zhang lunged forward and stabbed another fragment Realm cultivator in the heart.

    By the time, Zhang had slain his third victim, the two remaining members of the Mang Clan had ample time to act, however after grasping their weapons as they tried to get onto their feet, they found themselves anchored to the ground by two pairs of skeletal hands.

    ¡°Do-do-don¡¯t kill me!¡± Mang Chang cried as a terrified expression appeared on his face.

    Seeing the pitiful manner in which Mang Chang was acting, the chubby looking man couldn''t help but sneer before glaring at Zhang.

    ¡°If looks can kill, that glare you giving me would be more than enough.¡± Zhang thought before lunging his sword across the table once again and claiming the chubby man¡¯s life.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Alright, if you value your life, you''ll lead me to where all of the slaves and prisoners are being kept.¡± Zhang said in a cold voice as he arrived beside Mang Chang and pressed the flat end side of his sword against the latter¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I-I will take you wherever you want¡­¡± Mang Chang said in a stuttering and panicked voice as he proceeded to move forward.

    Moments later, Zhang and his new guide ended up outside of the hall where they were greeted by Wenji who moved beside Zhang and promptly followed Mang Chang as he began to lead them to where the slaves and prisoners were kept.

    ¡°Hey, where''s all of the people?¡± Wenji asked as she found it fairly odd how there weren''t any guards roaming the grounds.

    ¡°N-no one ever comes or dare to cause trouble here so most of the guards should be gathered at the mess hall, passing time.¡± Mang Chang answered in hastily, fearful that a slow response would bring about unwanted consequences.

    ¡°Alright, quickly lead us to where we want to go and I can assure you that we¡¯ll let you go. If you try anything funny, I''ll make sure that you hoped that you were dead...¡± Zhang said he withdrew his sword from Mang Chang¡¯s neck and allowed it to sink back into his shadow.

    Without the cold sensation given off by Zhang¡¯s sword pressuring against his neck, Mang Chang was able to slightly calm down, allowing him to walk a pinch faster.

    Walking through the fortress under the remaining twilight glow of the sun, as he led Zhang and Wenji, a peculiar looking expression appeared on Mang Chang¡¯s face.

    Shortly after Zhang had withdrawn his sword, a hideous smile slowly crept onto Mang Chang¡¯s face.

    Moments earlier, believing that his fate was obviously already sealed and that it was not whether or not he would die it was rather when and where would he die, Mang Chang began to scheme and plot as a storm of thoughts raced through his mind.

    Before long two scenarios began to play out in Mang Chang¡¯s mind. The first scenario was what would happen if he tried to lead Zhang and Wenji, two experts who were capable of infiltrating the fortress without alerting anyone of their presence, toward the mess hall where hundreds of members of the Mang Clan were.

    The end result, of course, was that before he could even make it into the mess hall, Mang Chang would find himself stabbed to death by Zhang.

    The second scenario was somewhat different from the first, Mang Chang would lead Zhang and Wenji to the fortress prison where he would employ a series of hidden mechanisms to buy time so that he could rush to the mess hall and call for help.

    ¡°No¡­ That won¡¯t work either¡­ although I don''t know about the girl, that guy is certainly very powerful and is without a doubt an elementary realm cultivator. If anything, he might be really close to reaching the core realm. Although the traps in the prison would buy me a bit of time, before I could make it to the mess hall I would be killed¡­¡± Mang Chang, though, quickly labeling the second scenario a failure.

    With those two scenarios of the question, Mang Chang began to ponder once again, trying to find a way in which he could alert the rest of the fortress and hopefully be able to survive the ordeal.

    After wracking his brain for a while Mang Chang suddenly remembered the existence of a certain bell that was situated not too far from the fortress prison where all of the slaves and prisoners were being kept. A certain bell that has never once been rung ever since the fortress was erected a hundred years ago.

    A bell that would echo and could be heard throughout the mountains, all the way to Twin Blade City.

    Once this bell was rung, not only would all of the members of the Mang Clan within the fortress be alerted and instantly stop whatever they were doing and congregate, the members of the Mang Clan within Twin Blade City would also come running.

    This bell was solely meant to be rung when the clan had located the treasure that was supposedly still hidden within the mountains.

    Thus, with a third scenario began to play out in mind Mang Chang¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I''ll lead them into the prison, activate some of the hidden mechanisms inside, sound the bell and then try to hide in the nearest building. There''s bound to be a few people inside the prison or outside that would arrive on the scene instantly, they''ll keep those two busy while I wait for the rest of the fortress to gather. If anything, once the main forces of the clan arrive, those two will be done for.¡± Mang Chang thought as he felt that he had been able to concoct a foolproof plan.

    ¡°In the end, I might have to thank these two, because of them I won''t have to pay back all of that money I owed everyone.¡± Mang Chang thought as he accidentally let out a chuckle, prompting Zhang and Wenji to give him suspicious stares.

    ¡°Just a little bit further, once we get inside the prison, stick close to me or else you might get stuck in one of the traps.¡± Mang Chang said as he hoped to hint at Zhang and Wenji about the existence of traps within the prison, which would increase his usefulness and thus give him enough time to enact his plan.

    ¡°Is that so? Then we will be in your care.¡± Zhang said in a calm voice before looking at Wenji.

    ¡°We should kill this guy soon.¡± Zhang said to Wenji through the look in his eye and a few facial cues.

    ¡°Definitely, he needs to die.¡± Wenji replied by nodding and cutting a line across her throats with her finger while eyeing Mang Chang¡¯s back.

    Considering the fact that Zhang and Wenji were pretty intelligent and that anyone with a head atop their shoulders would have been able to deduce from Mang Chang¡¯s little accidentally chuckle that he was plotting against them, one could tell that Mang Chang¡¯s plot wasn''t as foolproof as he thought it was.

    So, while Mang Chang continued to muse over his plan and while Zhang and Wenji pondered on which means should they dispose of their guide, the trio inched ever closer to the fortress prison.

    ¡°That¡¯s the prison over, there. Remember to stick close behind me.¡± Mang Chang reminded in a clear tone void of the uneasiness and fear that he was plagued not too long ago.

    ¡°So, the prison is over there?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s right over there.¡± Mang Chang replied promptly as he pointed toward a tall tower situated not too far away.

    ¡°Well, then I thank you for guiding us this far.¡± Zhang said in a cold tone which sent a shiver running down Mang Chang¡¯s spin.

    ¡°But we haven¡¯t gotten into the prison yet!¡± Mang Chang said in a loud tone as he turned back toward Zhang and Wenji. However mid turn, Mang Chang felt a sharp pain pierced through his back, through his heart and out of his chest.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to guide ourselves now.¡± Wenji said as she and Zhang proceeded forward, leaving Mang Chang laying on the ground while blood gushed out from his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

    Walking up toward the prison tower and pushing apart a pair of iron gates, Zhang and Wenji saw hundreds of people crammed into ten large cells.

    ¡°It seems these people have been here for a while.¡± Zhang said as he saw the dead expressions on the faces of the people locked in behind the walls of iron bars.

    ¡°Our people are probably being kept in the upper floors where it should be much harder to escape from.¡± Wenji guessed as she and Zhang walked passed one prison cell after the other.

    ¡°What do you say we give these people a little bit of hope before we move to the next floor.¡± Wenji said in a mischievous tone as she eyed a set of keys eleven keys hanging off a hook at the far end of the aisle they were walking down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Zhang replied with an evil chuckle.

    In a matter of moments, Wenji could be seen with a ring of keys in hand and moments after that, the sound of clicking gears could be heard as cell doors were unlocked and allowed to swing freely.

    ¡°Freedom is now at hand, those who wish to walk with their heads held high and unbound by chains, here is your answer.¡± Zhang said as he took the ring of keys in Wenji¡¯s hand and placed it on the ground before grasping her hand and leading her onward to the second floor.

    With ten cells and only eleven keys, Zhang figured each floor had their own separate set of keys and the seventh key was meant to unlock the cuffs binding the prisoners.

    ¡°So, do you think those people will take the glimmer of hope we¡¯ve given them?¡± Wenji asked in a curious tone, hoping to hear Zhang¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure whether any of them still have the will to break free of their chains, once one person stands up the rest of them will. Once we return from the upper floors then you¡¯ll see their choice.¡± Zhang replied with a chuckle as he and Wenji made walked up a flight of stairs and toward the second floor of the prison.

 Chapter 43: Prison Break

    ¡°You there! Who are you!? I''ve never seen the likes of you before!¡± A thundering voice roared out as Zhang and Wenji stepped foot onto the second floor of the prison tower.

    After walking up a set of thirty or so steps, Zhang and Wenji found themselves face to face with a husky looking man who had been seated at a long table with his gaze focused on the staircase.

    ¡°We are no one.¡± Wenji said in a soft tone as two long silver needle shot out from her sleeve, piercing through the man¡¯s burly beard and his leather armor, and embedding themselves into his heart and throat, ending his life while preventing him to utter his last words. After a slight struggle, the husky man breathed his last breath.

    ¡°Keep your eyes sharp, there are bound to be more guards stationed on this floor.¡± Zhang said as he eyed the husky man¡¯s corpse, hoping to find a set of keys that wasn''t there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s quicken our pace a bit. It wouldn''t be too good if someone stumbled on the trail of corpses we left behind before we manage to free all of the captives.¡± Wenji said as she proceeded to retrieve the two silver needles she had used on the husky man, wiping the blood off of them back tucking them back into a leather arm brace covered by similar looking needles.

    In the short moments that followed after their arrival on the second prison floor and dispatching the husky guard, as Zhang and Wenji speedily crept through the shadows, they stealthily claimed the lives of nine more victims.

    With a few quick strokes of the sword, a few flying needles and a whole lot of stealth mixed with a hint of creativity, the devious duo swept the second level of the prison clean of everyone who could pose to hinder them.

    ¡°I must say, the prisoners here are way more proactive the prisoners on the first floor.¡± Wenji said while making her way to the third floor as the clanking sound of iron chains falling onto the prison floors could be heard.

    Soon after, as Zhang and Wenji were mid-way through the flight of stairs that led to the third prison floor, a storm of cheers and roars reverberated throughout the prison.

    ¡°It seems they are heading up to free their soon to be comrades.¡± Zhang said as the sound of countless footsteps could be heard making their way up toward the third prison floor.

    ¡°Then shouldn''t we just stick around here and let them take over?¡± Wenji asked while yawning lazily.

    Unless they have a few elementary realm cultivators up there, if all of the people from the second floor go up there, the guards won''t have a chance. Though I think we should still tag along with them even if it is just to observe, in the end, we should still ensure the safety of our workers.¡± Zhang said as he leaned against a wall while stretching his limbs a bit, waiting for the horde of escaped prisoners to make their way up the spiraling staircase.

    Thus, moments later Zhang and Wenji joined up with a large group of angry prisoners and resumed their charge toward the third prison floor. Where they were met with the rowdy cheers emanating from dozens rambunctious looking prisoners.

    Compared to the first floor and most of the second floor, a good half of the prisoners kept on the third floor hadn¡¯t yet been broken and still clung to their dreams of freedom. Dreams of freedom that burned ever so more passionately upon hearing the clamor from the second floor.

    ¡°Damned swine! If you knew what was good for you, you would have all stayed in your cells! As for you bastards cheering away in the cells, once I rid of these swine, I¡¯ll make your lives a living hell!¡± A man with a hooked nose leading a group of fifteen guards who were all clad in leather armor and wielding shields and spears roared furiously.

    ¡°Line up! Form formations! They are frail, weak and without weapons or armor, as long as we keep calm we can kill hundreds of these swine without even sweating!¡± The with a hooked nose yelled as he and the fifteen guards following him stood side to side while readying their shields and spears.

    Forming a wall of shields and spears, the prison guards caused a stir of emotions within the hearts of all of the escapees. Dressed in what could only be referred to as rags, without the tiniest bit of protection, the prisoners found themselves a crossroads. Do they fight for freedom or do they flee in the hopes of finding salvation?

    ¡°Every formation has a weak point to exploit.¡± Wenji¡¯s voice could be heard as a dozen silver flashes shot through the air, some hitting the iron cell bars and ricocheting in all directions, some flying toward the large shields the prison guards were holding.

    In a flash, four of the ricocheting silver flashes found their way into the necks of four unsuspecting guards while a few other guards screamed out in pain and horror as Wenji¡¯s silver needles pierced through their iron shields, through their arm guards, into their skin and were embedded into their flesh.

    ¡°Attack!¡± Zhang roared, signaling all of the escapees to charge forth as the wall of shields and spears were in disarray.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Although Zhang and Wenji had planned to simply sit back and let the escapees do all the work, the two of them had basically taken control of the situation, Wenji disrupting the enemy formation while Zhang led a sea of prisoners forward in a daring stampede.

    ¡°Take their spears and shields! Take their armor! Take their lives!¡± Zhang commanded as a dozen spears lunged at him and the escapees.

    Without a hint of fear on his face, Zhang quickly reached out and grabbed one of the incoming spears, and with a strong tug, he was able to make one of the guards fall over, creating, even more, gaps within the enemy formation.

    Thanks to the disparity in numbers, a numbing fear of Wenji¡¯s sneak attacks, and a hint of Zhang¡¯s powers, although a few of the escapees were injured, the guards were quickly overwhelmed.

    Had Zhang and Wenji not intervened and the guards remained at full strength with high moral, they would have more than certainly been able to hold out against a group of unarmed, and malnourished escapees, but after losing nearly a third of their comrades in but a flash, and having their moral dwindled, defeat was but inevitable.

    ¡°Arm yourselves, quickly! Free the other prisoners! We will storm the fourth floor and once everyone has been liberated, we will slaughter our way out of here!¡± Zhang yelled, taking command of the escapees.

    Following Zhang¡¯s lead, the escapees rushed to the fourth prison floor where they quickly overwhelmed the guards once again and as a result, their numbers swelled once more to a total of four hundred people.

    Although there was a total of six hundred prisoners, only half of them had the will to fight, while the others were either too weak or cowardly individuals who could only watch as the brave fight on their behalf.

    ¡°Young master, you¡¯ve come for us!¡± A large group of people cried as they surrounded Zhang with tears trailing down their cheeks.

    ¡°A good leader must take care of his people or else no one would follow him in the end. Also, if you all weren¡¯t working for me and collecting herbs in the mountains, none of you would have been captured anyway. So, in the end, I should take a bit of the blame also.¡± Zhang said with a bright smile while scratching his head, as the hundred or so workers that were captured earlier in the day looked at him with gazes filled with gratitude.

    ¡°Alright everyone, you all can have a heartwarming reunion and thank him after we tidy things up here.¡± Wenji said with a giggle, reminding everyone that they were still currently within enemy territory.

    Thus, armed with roughly forty spears and swords, shields and armor scavenged off the corpses of the deceased guards, Zhang, Wenji, and four hundred escapees began to navigate through the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress, heading toward the fortress gates.

    ¡°Kill them! Kill these bastards!¡± An escapee cried as a group of unsuspecting guards found themselves surrounded.

    Quickly finishing off one group of guards after the other and scavenging weapons and armor, the escapees swept through the fortress at an unbelievable pace. However just as they began to pick up momentum, the remaining guards within the fortress had caught wind of what was happening and began amassing in front of the fortress armory.

    ¡°Everyone quickly! Take the gates before the main enemy force arrives!¡± Zhang said as the group closed in on the fortress gates.

    Luckily for Zhang and his group of followers, the fortress armory and the main gates were on the opposite ends of the compound, meaning if Zhang acted quickly enough, he would be able to avoid a large confrontation and be able to initiate the second part of his plan much more smoothly.

    ¡°Release arrows! Shoot down anyone who dares to approach the gate!¡± A guard atop one of the guard towers yelled, moments before a barrage of arrows swept down from above.

    Clicking his tongue and pulling Wenji closer to him, Zhang parried three arrows in succession before resuming his charge toward the fortress gates. Although Zhang and Wenji were unscathed, many of the escapees were injured while a few others could be seen laying lifelessly on the ground.

    ¡°Overtake the gates or it¡¯ll be the end of us! The main enemy force is heading here!¡± A prisoner at the back of the ground cried as columns consisting of guards could be seen advancing from the rear.

    ¡°Aid the injured if possible! I will clear the guards defending the gate!¡± Zhang yelled as he and Wenji doubled their pace, arriving in front of a cluster of roughly ten guards moments later.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take to the right.¡± Zhang said as he dashed forward while gripping his sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take to the left.¡± Wenji said as three long silver needles slid out of her sleeve and into her hand.

    ¡°As long as we can hold out for a few minutes, the enemy will be sandwiched and victory will be at hand! Do not cower! Defend the gate!¡± A guard roared while readying his shield and spear.

    ¡°A regular shield and spear will do you no good in stopping me.¡± Zhang mumbled as he swung his sword, slicing the enemy spears that were aimed at him in half, before speeding forward, ignoring the now weaponless guards.

    ¡°Those things won¡¯t work on me either.¡± Wenji said as three silver flashes launched out from her hand and streaked through the air, embedding themselves into the feet of three guards, inflicting excruciating pain upon them and causing them to drop their shields and spears onto the ground, leaving them open for attack.

    ¡°Kill them! Kill them!¡± A swarm of escapees roared with bloodshot eyes as they closed in on the cluster of guards while Zhang and Wenji continued forward, striking down anyone who dares stand in their way.

    As the duo were now, with the strength they possessed, there wasn¡¯t a single person within the fortress that could even hinder them. Had the duo not wanted to keep their powers hidden, then perhaps all of the members of the Mang Clan within the fortress would have already lost their lives.

    Hoping to not alert the core realm experts within Twin Blade City, Wenji had to refrain from utilizing her true power and unleashing her aura, as for Zhang, he felt the fewer people that knew about the Heavenly Devouring Technique the better, thus the duo was only employing but a fraction of their true strength.

    ¡°Stop them! Archers! Fire!¡± The guards atop the guard tower cried as they saw Zhang and Wenji nearing the gates.

    ¡°Too late.¡± Zhang said with a grin as his sword swung downward and sliced a thick wooden bolt that was securing the gate in half.

    Moments later the sea of escapees arrived and the fortress gates slowly began to creak open.

    ¡°Freedom!¡± Someone cried as they caught a glimpse of the outside world for the first time in what seemed to be a lifetime.

    ¡°For some, freedom, for others, a blazing hell.¡± Zhang mumbled as ten flickering flames ignited on the tips of his fingers, then with a wave of his hand, the ten flickering flames swirled through the air and in a stroke of beauty, set parts of the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress ablaze.

    Since the fortress was constructed mostly out of wood, a sea of fire soon swept from one building to the next. In a blink of an eye, a fourth of the fortress was covered in flames. Under normal circumstances, things wouldn''t have progressed so quickly, however, that is to say, the flames that Zhang had conjured were not regular flames. Under the power of fire fueled by essence, regular materials stood no chance.

    Seeing the fortress up in flames, the members of the Mang Clan quickly scrambled as they fled toward the fortress gates, without a large enough water source the thought of subsiding the fiery hell that Zhang had unleashed was but a foolish thought that was quickly abandoned.

    ¡°Should we close the gate?¡± Wenji asked as a heartless expression surfaced on her face. Having been hunted for a good portion of her life, when it came to her enemies, it could be said that Wenji did not spear an ounce of mercy.

    ¡°I guess if one is to cut grass, one should do so by the roots.¡± Zhang said as he proceeded to walk toward a large tree not too far from the fortress gates. With a single slash of his sword, Zhang cut the large tree down, causing it to crash down in front of the fortress gates, before setting it on fire.

    ¡°This will do, let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang said as countless screams and horrifying cries echoed out into the mountains, along with the sound of a ringing bell that reverberated within the air, causing Zhang, Wenji and the escapees to stop in their tracks for a brief moment before resuming their escape.

    ¡°If I show mercy, in the end, it is only those around me and myself who will be harmed.¡± Zhang mumbled as he recalled horrors and atrocities many times worse that what had just happened.

 Chapter 44: Two Sides, Same Coin

    ¡°Young master, if I may ask for you name so that once we return to the dojo, I can tell my uncle who it was that who saved us from those bastards from Mang Clan¡­¡± A young man who was not much older than Zhang said with a voice filled with gratitude and his hands clasped.

    It turns out that out of the group of prisoners that Zhang had rescued, there was actually a small portion who belonged to the Tiger Claw Dojo.

    ¡°There is no need to thank me. It is only right that I lend a helping hand to those in need. If anything, please keep my involvement a secret for the time being.¡± Zhang replied with a lofty expression on his face.

    ¡°Then so be it, if there is ever an opportunity to do so, I Tong Meng, will repay this debt.¡± The young man said before leading a group of fought thirty people off into the woods.

    ¡°Since bringing so many people back to the city at once would attract too much attention, Uncle Chen, if you can arrange lodgings for them at our outpost. Also, I think it would be best if we make preparations to build another outpost deeper in the mountains.¡± Wenji said to Uncle Chen as she watched a blazing inferno that was once the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress, dancing in the air off in the distance.

    ¡°Don''t forget to cut down any trees near our outpost. Although the wind of currently blowing in the opposite direction from where our own fort is, it is best to be on the safe side rather being caught in a dangerous situation with your pants down.¡± Zhang reminded as the trees near the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress began catching fire.

    ¡°I shall depart right away and begin preparations, young mistress. I will also have our men prepare in case the fire happens to spread into the air where our outpost is.¡± Uncle Chen replied in a respectful tone as he and the horsemen that had arrived with Zhang and Wenji earlier in the day began to take command over the large group of escapees and head toward the herb harvesting outpost.

    For the most part, disregarding the group that belonging to the Tiger Claw Dojo that had departed with Tong Meng, the rest of the escapees had nowhere to go and choice to stick with Zhang.

    ¡°Let''s move out, I¡¯m sure the smoke and that bell ringing sound must have attracted a lot of unwanted attention by now.¡± Wenji said as she climbed onto her mount after petting Little Blue¡¯s head.

    ¡°Alright, move!¡± Zhang said as he and Wenji began to move through the mountain and toward Twin Blade City, while avoiding the main roads, hoping to avoid running into anyone who happened to be heading toward where the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress had stood.

    For now, although he probably had enough power to wipe out the Mang Clan, Zhang did not feel that it was the right time to do so.

    Wiping out the Mang Clan could possibly attract stronger forces which Zhang currently did not have the ability to deal with.

    Being the strongest clan within Twin Blade City for nearly a hundred years, who knows how many powerful connections the Mang Clan had managed to forge over the years.

    Perhaps within Twin Blade City, there wasn''t anyone capable of contending with Zhang, however that did not mean that there wasn¡¯t anyone within the region who was capable of doing so.

    There was also the fact that, if either Zhang or Wenji were forced to fight against large numbers of cultivators who were at about the same level of cultivation of them, they would obviously be at a huge disadvantage that would result in defeat or worse yet, death.

    ================================

    While Zhang, Wenji, the servants of the Zhou Manor and the prison escapees made their way out of the mountains, using a series of backroads and small passes, a large force was gathering outside one of the four gates of Twin Blade City.

    With thousands of armored men, hundreds of fragmented realm cultivators, dozens of elementary realm practitioners and a few core realm experts, and the flags of the Mang Clan fluttering in the wind, this group of people caught the attention of everyone within the city.

    ¡°Mang Lu, have you gathered the necessary supplies?¡± An elderly man atop a large steed asked a middle-aged man adjacent to him who was also atop a large steed.

    ¡°Patriarch, the bulk of our forces have been assembled and enough lumber and supplies have been brought so that we can establish a makeshift base around the area where the entrance into the treasure was discovered.¡± The middle-aged man named Mang Lu said in a respectful tone.

    ¡°Good! To think that after so many years and so many generations of searching, it was we who were the ones to discover the treasure.¡± The patriarch of the Mang Clan said with a face filled with excitement.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Patriarch! Patriarch!¡± A strained and horrifying cry rang into the ears of the members of the Mang Clan, moments before they began their trip to their mountain fortress.

    ¡°What is it!?¡± The patriarch of the Mang Clan asked as a stern expression appeared on his face, replacing the previously joyful grin that he had.

    ¡°Th-the mountain! It''s on fire!¡± A young man clad in leather armor reported after jumping off of his horse and arriving in front of the Mang Clan¡¯s patriarch.

    ¡°Fire?!¡± The patriarch of the Mang Clan asked as he finally noticed dozens of pummels of smoke rising up into the air off in the distance.

    Moments ago, he and the rest of the members of the Mang Clan were simply too caught up in what could be described as a blissful fantasy, so mesmerized by the dreams of vast riches that they failed to notice their surroundings.

    ¡°Ye-yea, patriarch, a large area around the foot of the mountain where our fortress is, has turned into a sea of flames!¡± The young man clad in armor said in a frantic tone.

    ¡°Mang Lu, you stay behind with a fourth of the men and watch over the supplies we''ve brought out from the storehouses. As for the rest of you, follow me!¡± The patriarch of the Mang Clan commanded as the severity of the situation seeped to the very core of his being.

    After a hundred years, for the first time ever, the ancient bell within the fortress had rung. However, instead of signaling of the Mang Clan¡¯s ascension to further greatness, it had alerted them of a calamity that could very well shake their very foundation.

    Due to how quickly the fire had spread, by the time they arrived at the foot of the mountain the members of the Mang Clan could only stand in wait with expressions of dread and anguish.

    This state of depression continued on for hours on end until finally three days and three nights had passed in a flash before the heavens decided to share its gift of rain, cloaking land in a curtain of water droplets.

    With the coming of water and rain, the beast like flames slowly subsided, and before long a barren and scorched earth was all that remained.

    ¡°Everyone! Search for any signs of survivors!¡± The patriarch of the Mang Clan said with a heavy heart, already knowing that the chances of someone escaping the hellish inferno that had enveloped the mountain was slim to none.

    Scattering into hundreds of small groups, the members of the Mang Clan began to scour the once luscious mountain side in the hopes of locating their kin or obtaining a clue as to what had occurred.

    But with each charred tree trunk and each inch of scorched land they walked passed, their hope began to wither and die until it became a reflection of the landscape surrounding them.

    ¡°What could have possibly happened¡­¡± The Patriarch of the Mang Clan mumbled as his horse strode past a pair of large iron gates that had fallen flat onto the ground.

    Of the once sturdy fortress that rooted the Mang Clan¡¯s control over the Black Devil Mountains, only a few collapsed stone buildings remained.

    ¡°Patriarch, it seems that none of our clansmen were able to make it out of the fortress and were all trapped inside.¡± One of the Mang Clan¡¯s members said as he could be seen standing in front of a large field of charred bones.

    ¡°Then there must have been some kind of foul play that had taken place¡­¡± Patriarch Mang said as a scowl appeared on his face while a storm of possible events played out in his mind.

    ¡°Check and count to see how many skeletons there are in the area where the prison was¡­¡± Patriarch Mang said after a certain scenario played out in his mind.

    ¡°Maybe the prisoners had gotten out and set fire to the fortress before escaping.¡± Patriarch Mang thought, shortly before his subordinates returned to confirm his suspicions.

    ¡°Patriarch! Besides piles of partially melted chains and shackles and a few dozen charred remains, there was nothing else.¡± One of the members of the Mang Clan reported after roughly ten or twenty minutes had passed since Patriarch Mang had given the orders to check the prison grounds.

    ¡°Search the mountains! Apprehend everyone you come across!¡± Patriarch Mang said as he swelled with anger and while twitching with rage, after listening to the report.

    ¡°Patriarch!¡± Another member of the Mang Clan yelled moments before arriving in front of Patriarch Mang.

    ¡°What is it!?¡± Patriarch Mang roared while the veins on his clenched fists bulged.

    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ We¡¯ve found it¡­ We¡¯ve finally found it...¡± The member of the Mang Clan yelled as he fell to his knees.

    ¡°Found what? What have you found? Have you found the ones who had set the fortress on fire?¡± Patriarch Mang asked in a perplexed tone, as he saw the mix of emotion on the face of the young man who had just arrived at the scene. While two streams of tears trailed down the young man¡¯s cheeks, and a smile that seemed to be born through a combination of immense joy and immense sorrow, it was heard to truly grasp the emotions the young man was currently going through.

    ¡°Pa-patriarch¡­ It was true¡­ After a hundred years, we¡¯ve found it¡­ The ancestor was right¡­ The ringing of the bell did symbolize the ushering of the Mang Clan¡¯s rise to prominence... But none of them will be able to partake in the greatness that is to come... ¡°The young man said in a broken tone as an immense struggle surfaced on his face.

    ¡°Found it? You couldn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Patriarch Mang said as he became at a loss for words.

    ¡°We found the treasure¡­¡± The young man said while with a pained expression.

    ¡°Th-the treasure!? Tell me the details!¡± Patriarch Mang yelled as the previously angry and unhappy expression on his face was replaced with astonishment.

    ¡°As my search party and I were looking for survivors, we had spotted a peculiar valley that had appeared to have been untouched by the sea of fire that engulfed the mountain. Believing it would be the ideal place for those who had been trapped within the fire to have gathered, we quickly made our way into the valley. Although there was not a single person to be found, we had stumbled upon a large stone temple. Etched across the stone gates that led into the temple was the same symbol etched onto the twin blades that have been passed down through the generations within our clan.¡± The young man retold as excitement began to appear in Patriarch Mang¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Di-did you check to see what was inside this temple?¡± Patriarch Mang asked while grabbing the young man¡¯s shoulders and slightly shaking him as a faint smile began to surface on his face.

    Unlike the young man and the people who had perished within the fortress, Patriarch Mang wasn¡¯t a part of a branch family, he was a direct descent. Meaning he was not very much attached to those who had perished within the fortress, so although he was somewhat saddened by the death of his kin, upon hearing news of the treasure hidden in the mountains, an immense joy overtook him.

    ¡°We tried to, however, the stone door was simply too heavy and did not budge even an inch.¡± The young man said in a resigned tone.

    ¡°Lead me to where the temple is. Send word for all of our people to cease searching for survivors, for now, the temple takes priority over all else.¡± Patriarch Mang said before following the young man roughly two miles to a small out of the way valley filled with lush green trees.

    With a large procession following behind him, Patriarch Mang eventually arrived in front of a pair of massive stone gates and a massive stone temple that appeared to have been cut directly out of the earth.

    ¡°If the fire didn¡¯t burn away most of the mountain, we would have never stumbled upon this place¡­ Maybe it is true that misfortune and fortune are but two sides of the same coin¡­¡± Patriarch Mang mumbled as he stared intently at the massive stone doors standing in front of him.

    Who would have thought the burning of the fortress and the death of hundreds of members of the Mang Clan could possibly have led to the discovery of the treasure that they had spent the last century searching for.

    Standing in front of the massive temple, Patriarch Mang and the members of the Mang Clan could not figure out whether they should laugh or cry at the current turn of events. One hand a large number of their kin had just perished in a sea of flame that also laid waste to their mountain fortress, on the other hand, they had possibly found the treasure that has eluded them for a thousand years.

 Chapter 45: Selling Miracles

    After turning the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress along with a large area of the Black Demon Mountains into a hello shade sea of flames, Zhang decided it would be best to suspend all herb harvesting operations and focus his attention solely to pill concoction.

    Knowing without a doubt that the Mang Clan would definitely notice that their prison was practically void of remains of the deceased, which would most than likely lead to an all-out manhunt and investigation, Zhang deem it would be in his best interest to lay low.

    With an ample supply of herbs to work with, Wenji and her helpers were more than able to continue concocting pills for two more months, without the need to replenish their stocks. By the time two months¡¯ past, Zhang believed that the Mang Clan would have given up on searching for the culprit responsible for the events that had transpired.

    As calculating as Zhang and Wenji were, however, they would have never been able to guess that instead of initiating a city-wide investigation, the Mang Clan could actually recall all of its members, close all of its businesses and disappear from the public¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Young master, it seems the Mang clan has no intention of investigating the forest fire.¡± Uncle Cheng said as he told Zhang about the daily happenings within Twin Blade City.

    ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­ it¡¯s been roughly a week, I¡¯m sure they would have noticed the lack of remains in the prison by now.¡± Wenji said before taking a sip of tea out of her cup and putting it back onto the stone table beside her.

    ¡°Uncle Cheng, if there¡¯s nothing further to report you are free to go. Keep an eye on the Mang Clan and report back to me if there is anything strange.¡± Zhang said, dismissing Uncle Cheng.

    ¡°They must be up to something.¡± Zhang said to Wenji after Uncle Cheng departed.

    ¡°Without a doubt¡­ Even if they were trying to secretly investigate, we would have caught wind of it by now and I¡¯m sure if anyone else were to fall into the same situation, they would have turned the city upside down in order for their secrets to remain secrets.¡± Wenji said while looking at Zhang.

    ¡°Maybe they no longer need to keep the treasure a secret¡­¡± Zhang said as after a short ponder.

    ¡°What do you mean they don¡¯t need to keep it a secret anymore? After searching for the treasure for a hundred years and keeping everyone else in the dark for so long, why would they not want to keep it a secret anymore? I¡¯m sure the only time they¡¯d allow news to get out if after they found the¡­¡± Wenji said before falling silent as she came to a sudden realization from her own words.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t mean they found the treasure¡­¡± Wenji muttered in a low tone while leaning in across the table toward Zhang.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve actually found the treasure yet. Else after a week, the news would have surely made its way to the city already. However, they might have found some kind of clue that would lead them to the treasure.¡± Zhang said while leaning in toward Wenji.

    Currently, since both Zhang and Wenji were leaning in toward each other, their faces actually ended up being so close to each other that they could feel each other¡¯s breath brushing upon each other¡¯s cheeks.

    Before long an awkward silence enveloped the gardens as our duo gazed deeply into each other¡¯s eyes, neither possessing of them wishing to be the first to speak.

    With a somewhat ambiguous relationship, Zhang and Wenji couldn¡¯t really be considered a couple nor could they be considered mere friends, thus as the two of them stared into each other¡¯s eyes many different thoughts and emotions flashed through their eyes.

    Having experienced life or death situations together and being partners in crime,the only word that could be used, to sum up their current relationship was the word complicated.

    ¡°Should I, do it?¡± Zhang wondered as a sudden thought popped up in his head, causing his cheeks to slightly redden, which in turn caused Wenji¡¯s cheeks to slightly redden for no reason.

    Gulping down a mouthful of air, Zhang slowly leaned his face in closer toward Wenji, while his heart began to race and his chest tightened.

    Seeing what Zhang was up to, Wenji too felt her chest tighten as her heart raced while a slight tinge of warmth surfaced and began to spread throughout her body, causing her ears to become bright red.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s backing away.¡± Zhang thought as he tried to give himself small boosts of confidence.

    ¡°Young master! Young mistress! There¡¯s great news! Something big is happening!¡± Uncle Cheng¡¯s voice rang throughout the ear, shattering the serene and ideal atmosphere that Zhang was taking advantage of.

    ¡°Damnit¡­¡± Zhang inwardly cursed as both he and Wenji leaned back to their original sitting positions moments before Uncle Cheng arrived in front of them, both with flushed faces.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhang asked in a slightly unhappy tone while glancing at Uncle Cheng.

    ¡°Young master, the Mang Clan has announced that they have located an ancient tomb deep within the mountains!¡± Uncle Cheng said in an excited tone.

    ¡°They did find it¡­¡± Zhang said in a soft tone as he shot a glance at Wenji who also shot a glance at him.

    ¡°How is the Mang Clan¡¯s discovery of an ancient tomb deep in the mountains, great news for us? Wouldn''t that bad news?¡± Zhang asked in an unhappy and stern voice, still slightly angry at Uncle Cheng for ruining his ideal moment to advance his relationship with the girl of his dreams.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°It is great news because they merely found the ancient tomb, but are not capable of entering it.¡± Uncle Cheng responded.

    ¡°Unable to enter it?¡± Wenji asked in a soft voice.

    ¡°There appears to be a very powerful barrier that is preventing them from opening the tomb. The Mang Clan is now calling for Tiger Claw Dojo, the Jiang Clan and any other able cultivator in the city to cooperate with them in opening the tomb, which will take place in three days.¡± Uncle Cheng said excitedly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Wenji asked with one of her eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Yea, there¡¯s always a catch. They wouldn¡¯t just give everyone the opportunity to benefit from their hard work so easily.¡± Zhang added.

    ¡°They are asking thirty percent of all of the valuables found in the tomb to be turned over to them as a finder¡¯s fee. Considering the strength of the Mang Clan and the fact that they are unable to open the tomb by themselves, I think it would still be a very profitable venture even after the thirty percent finder''s fee.¡± Uncle Cheng replied promptly while expressing his thoughts.

    ¡°Only thirty percent?¡± Zhang asked while making a questioning expression.

    ¡°Yes, young master, they are only requiring thirty percent of whatever is found in the tomb be turned over to them.¡± Uncle Cheng replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a trap. Thirty percent is too little.¡± Wenji said while slightly shaking her head.

    ¡°A trap? Too little?¡± Uncle Cheng asked in a confused tone.

    ¡°Asking the likes of the Tiger Claw Dojo and the Jiang Clan for thirty percent of whatever they find is reasonable, since those two forces basically control the rest of the city, however asking only thirty percent from people like us who have yet to make a name for ourselves is without a doubt too good to be true.¡± Zhang said, agreeing with Wenji.

    ¡°If your clan had been searching for something for the past one hundred years, would you be willing to allow some no named stranger to reap most of the rewards? Of course, you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Wenji asked Uncle Cheng, prompting him to slightly nod.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a trap I take it we won¡¯t be participating?¡± Uncle Cheng asked, showing hints of reluctance in his voice.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be participating; however, we will be.¡± Zhang replied with a chuckle.

    ¡°Instead I have a small business venture that I would like you to oversee for me.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle before leaning over and whispering into Wenji¡¯s ear, causing her to chuckle.

    ¡°Uncle Cheng if you can gather all of the ingredients on this list for me. As many batches as you can within a day.¡± Wenji said with a bright smile as she proceeded to wave her hand and withdraw a piece of paper, a brush, and ink from her interspatial ring and then jotting a few things down

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and make preparations right away.¡± Uncle Cheng said as he excused himself, walking out of the garden once again after tucking away the list that Wenji had just written into his robes.

    ¡°How many do you think can be made before the day the tomb opens?¡± Zhang asked with a chuckle after Uncle Cheng had disappeared from view.

    ¡°If we decrease the potency a bit by diluting the ingredients we can probably make a few thousand of them with little effort.¡± Wenji replied with a devious smile.

    =====================================================================

    Like a quick breeze, three days had passed since the Mang Clan had announced their discovery of the ancient tomb and ever since then a wide variety of people had slowly gathered within Twin Blade City.

    Spreading like wildfire, news of the ancient tomb¡¯s discovery made its way into the ear of nearly every single person who lived within a one-hundred-mile radius of Twin Blade City. From beggars to small sects to secluded villages and clans, upon hearing the news, everyone began to make their way to Twin Blade City with utmost haste, hoping to put their luck to the test.

    With so many people gathering within Twin Blade City, it could be said that the before the ancient tomb was even opened, all of the owners of the various businesses within the city had already struck gold.

    Inns and hotels were brimming with people to the point where people would pay to sleep on the ground in the hallways, restaurants were able to sell plain boiled and unseasoned vegetables that they would usually toss away for what could only be called extortion, and various supply stores found their previously stocked shelves to be empty.

    ¡°Come one, come all! We are selling heavenly healing dans! Only one hundred gold coins each! Hoping to join the great Mang Clan in exploring the ancient tomb? Afraid of the hidden dangers within the tomb? Fear not! With a heavenly healing dan in your possession, even if you''re already one foot in the grave you''ll still be able to escape death!¡± A certain middle-aged man named Uncle Chang could be seen yelling as he stood in front of a large stall located within the center of Twin Blade City¡¯s open-air market.

    You there! Yes you!¡± Uncle Chang yelled as he pointed at a beggar dressed in rags sitting in an odd position on the opposite side of the street.

    ¡°Me? What do you want?¡± The beggar asked with a confused look on his face. Upon closer inspection, this beggar, of course, was Zhang.

    ¡°Judging from the way you''re sitting, I take it both of your legs are cripple?¡± Uncle Cheng asked, as a small crowd of people had gathered around his stall.

    ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re looking to make fun of my disability the I beg you to find it in your heart to spare me the ridicule. Haven''t I suffered enough? Being born this way, and being abandoned by my parents was not something I asked for!¡± Zhang said as he pretended to wipe away tears from the corner of his eye.

    ¡°Although the heavens may have scorned you and given you that accursed affliction, I have a solution to all of your problems! Like with all problems, there is always a solution!¡± Uncle Cheng said in a dramatic manner as he raised his hand into the air while holding a brown colored pill between his fingers.

    ¡°Hmph, I don''t know if that pill you''re selling is heaven-defying or not, but do you think I can afford to buy one with a hundred gold coins?¡± Zhang said with a ridiculing laugh.

    ¡°Worry not! To demonstrate the wondrous effects of the heavenly healing dan, I will give you one for free. Once you recover the use of your legs, with those looks you¡¯ll be able to live a regular life like everyone else¡± Uncle Cheng said as he tossed the brown colored pill within his hand toward Zhang, who caught it moments before it fell to the ground.

    ¡°Take it and show the world that these pills are truly heaven-defying!¡± Uncle Chang said while laughing really loudly, attracting an even larger crowd to gather around his stall.

    ¡°I-I ca-can''t believe it!¡± Zhang said as he slowly rose to his feet, prompting the crowd that gathered around him and Uncle Cheng¡¯s stall to fall into silence and gasp moments before breaking out into a wild cheer.

    ¡°I can walk!!! I can finally tell her that I love her!¡± Zhang yelled as he ran toward a stall selling tofu not too far away, where Wenji could be seen standing dressed in ordinary looking clothes and with a peculiar looking bruise-colored smudge on her face.

    ¡°Miss, after begging here for months, I''ve come to fall in love with you! Please marry me!¡± Zhang yelled at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Marry you? Bu-but with this birthmark on my face, I don''t even dare look at other people in the eye.¡± Wenji said as she pointed to the weird looking smudge on her face, causing a few looks of disgust to surface on the faces of the people in the crowd.

    ¡°Worry not! Your love has touched this old man¡¯s heart. I''ll take a loss and not only give out one heavenly healing dan but two!¡± Uncle Cheng said as he tossed Wenji a brown colored pill that looked identical to the pill Zhang had taken moments ago.

    ¡°Th-this pill can even cure my ugly appearance?!¡± Wenji asked in an astonished voice as she held the brown colored pill in her fingers.

    ¡°Of course, it can!¡± Uncle Cheng said with a smile, as Wenji placed the brown colored pill in her mouth and swallowed it.

    ¡°It-it burns!¡± Wenji yelled as she covered her face.

    ¡°It''ll itch for a bit, but soon enough we will be able to see the wondrous effects of the pill.¡± Uncle Cheng said with a laugh, a few seconds before Wenji lifted her hands away from her face, prompting a few people in the crowd to fall over.

    ¡°Sh-she¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Someone yelled as the crowd became mesmerized by Wenji¡¯s beauty.

    ¡°Hahaha, do you all see now? With the heavenly healing dan, be it a disability, ugliness or grave injuries, everything can be cured! Even poverty can be solved!¡± Uncle Cheng said loudly.

    ¡°I''ll take ten pills!¡± A young man yelled.

    ¡°I''ll take twenty pills!¡± Another man yelled.

    Of course, these two men were a part of a group of people who all happened to be employed by the Zhou Manor, which meant they all worked for Zhang.

    ¡°I must apologize but it seems that I am low on supplies. Although I wish to sell a pill to everyone, the ingredients needed to make heavenly healing dans are very hard to come by. ¡°Uncle Cheng said after giving the two young men who worked at the Zhou manor, thirty brown colored pills.

    ¡°Low on supplies? I''ll pay one hundred twenty gold coins for five pills!¡± Someone within the crowd yelled.

    ¡°One hundred twenty? I''ll pay one hundred fifty for five pills! If it can make my wife look like that I¡¯ll pay two hundred gold coins if I have to!¡± Someone else yelled, sparking the beginning of a bidding war.

    As people tried to out but each other and obtain a heavenly healing dan, prices eventually climbed to four hundred gold coins for a single pill.

    Perhaps if these people ever found out that these pills cost Zhang and Wenji twenty copper coins each to produce, they would probably vomit blood. That is of course if they survive the initial anger when they discovered these pills were not as wondrous as they were made to believe.

 Chapter 46: Highway Robbery

    While leaving Uncle Cheng and the rest of their subordinates to make what could only be described as a fortune through the sales of heavenly healing dans, Zhang and Wenji mounted a pair of large steeds and rode off toward the base mountains with Little Blue and Little Red following closely behind them.

    ¡°Although we may get there a bit early, it¡¯ll be better than traveling when the road is littered with people.¡± Zhang said as he whistled and signaled for his horse to gallop faster.

    ¡°Arriving early should give us a bit of time to scout of the area and on top of things we¡¯ll be able to get a good look at the people who will become our competition.¡± Wenji replied in a yell as she also signaled her horse to gallop faster, chasing after Zhang.

    Seeing their masters speeding away toward the Black Demon Mountains, where everyone who was taking part in the opening of the tomb was to gather, Little Blue and Little Red both howled before energetically pursuing the.

    Despite departing from Twin Blade City as early as they did, Zhang and Wenji, surprisingly still spotted others who had left toward the mountains before them. Besides a few lone unnoteworthy individuals, Zhang and Wenji spotted three groups that stood out above the rest.

    ¡°Those guys over there should be from the Tiger Claw Dojo.¡± Wenji said to Zhang as she pointed toward a group of roughly two hundred men garbed in robes that had a tiger paw emblem sewn onto them.

    ¡°And those guys over there should be from the Jian Clan, judging by the banners they are carrying.¡± Zhang said as he pointed into the distance toward another group of roughly two hundred men, all of whom were clad in grayish colored iron armor.

    ¡°I wonder which force those people to belong to¡­ Of the three groups, they appear to be the most powerful.¡± Wenji said while gazing at a group of roughly one hundred young men who were all wearing matching black colored robes with a white lotus emblem sewn on the back.

    ¡°Eh, regardless of which force they belong to, we should keep out distance and not mix with any of these groups of people. I¡¯m sure at least a few of them had been there when we were setting up shop.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle as he withdrew a black colored scarf from his interspatial ring and wrapped it around his face.

    ¡°So, what if they recognize us? A previously disfigured girl and a beggar who recently regained the use of his legs can¡¯t go exploring ancient tombs? Is there some kind of list of requirements that I need to fulfill in order to put my life at risk?¡± Wenji said in a half serious and half joking manner as she retrieved a white colored scarf from her interspatial ring and wrapped it around her face like Zhang had done.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go let and let the horses and pups have a drink of water at that pond before we continue toward the mountains.¡± Zhang said before jumping off his mount and leading it to a small pond where the disciples of the Tiger Claw Dojo, the members of the Jiang clan, the mysterious group clad in black and other treasure seekers were gathered.

    Filled with water descending from small streams that flowed down from the Black Devil Mountains, the watering hole was crystal clear and void of impurities.

    With vigilant eyes and cautious steps, Zhang approached the watering hole, since everyone present could be all considered competitors it would be idiotic to not be on high alert.

    Bolting past Zhang and arriving at the watering hole first, Little Red and Little Blue bent forward preparing to take a few gulps of the crystal-clear water to quench their thirst, however, strangely after sniffing the air the two pups retreated and toward Zhang, not taking even a sip of water.

    Seeing something was off, Wenji handed Zhang the reins of her horse, briskly toward the watering hole and dipped her slim hand inside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just rest a bit by one of those trees before hitting the road once more. We have quite a long distance to travel and should leave as soon as possible.¡± Wenji suggested as she returned by Zhang¡¯s side and took back the reins of her horse.

    ¡°Alright, we haven¡¯t traveled the long anyway so they shouldn¡¯t be too thirsty yet...¡± Zhang said while nodding and rubbing Little Red on the head.

    While attracting as little attention as possible, Zhang and Wenji found an open spot underneath a tree nearby and sat down for a few minutes before jumping back onto their steeds and racing toward the mountains.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be wise for us to stop by anymore watering holes along the way. If needed, we can use some of the water stored away in our interspatial rings.¡± Wenji said as she pulled out a pitch black colored needle from her sleeve and showed it so Zhang.

    ¡°The water was poison?¡± Zhang said in an astonished tone. Although he already had suspicions, he still couldn¡¯t help but be slightly stunned once they were confirmed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who did it, but the poison they used is a very slow acting one that takes days for symptoms to show. The most frightening thing about it is that unless one actually tests the water or possess extremely keen senses, there is no way to normally detect it, even core realm cultivators would be left in the dark after consuming such a poison. Had it not been for these two rascals, I might not have noticed either...¡± Wenji said while eyeing the pups and smiling brightly.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was the Mang Clan who did this¡­ However as long as we don¡¯t drink from any of the water sources in the mountain, this is actually great news.¡± Zhang said after a slight pause as a devious grin slowly appeared on his face.

    ¡°Indeed, thanks to the contaminated water most of our competition will effectively be eliminated. Then when the time comes we simply need to act our part and wait for the right moment to strike.¡± Wenji said as an equally devious grin appeared on her face.

    Simply said, one¡¯s misfortune is another¡¯s fortune, in this case, not only will Zhang and Wenji¡¯s competition be greatly trimmed down but they will also gain the element of surprise as long as they pretend they are affected by the poison when the time comes.

    If they were facing the Mang Clan alone, this pair of partners in crime didn¡¯t have much to fear. With Zhang¡¯s mystifying powers and Wenji¡¯s unique skill set, the two of them along with the two pups were more than enough to deal with the few core realm cultivators that were a part of the Mang Clan.

    At the very least they were certain that if they wished to flee there would be few people within a hundred-mile radius of Twin Blade City who could stop them.

    Thus, while rejoicing over the misfortune of others, Zhang and Wenji continued up the mountain with Little Red and Little Blue. Taking a few stops along the way and avoiding the watering holes, Zhang and Wenji eventually arrived at the gathering point.

    ¡°These guys work quick.¡± Zhang said as he stared at a large and newly erected fortress.

    ¡°it''s only been about two weeks since the fire.¡± Wenji commented as and Zhang rode past a pair of large iron gates.

    ¡°Looks like we have to sign up over there.¡± Wenji pointed out as a few long lines of people came into view.

    ¡°I''ll take your horses to the stables for you, while you two go and register at one of the registers over there.¡± A young man said as he walked up toward Zhang and Wenji.

    Nodding and quickly dismounting, Zhang and Wenji turned over their horse to the young man, thanking him before heading off to one of the registration tables.

    ¡°Everyone who wishes to take part in the opening of the ancient tomb must sign up and obtain a registration badge or else they won''t be able to pass through the barrier that our clan Patriarch erected.¡± A member of the Mang Clan said in a loud and audible voice.

    ¡°One hundred gold coins for a copper badge that will allow you to enter through the barrier and enter the tomb an hour after it opens. Two hundred and fifty gold coins for a silver badge that will allow you entry into the tomb half an hour after the tomb opens! Five hundred gold coins for a gold badge, to be a part of the first group who are allowed to enter the tomb!¡± The member of the Mang Clan added.

    ¡°Th-this is highway robbery¡­ on top of thirty percent of whatever everyone finds they are also charging an admission fee¡­¡± Zhang thought as he clenched his fists.

    ¡°If only I had been the one to find this tomb¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as he imagined the amount of money the Mang Clan will be receiving from admission fees alone.

    Compared to the heavenly healing dans that he was selling, which was limited to the number of pills Wenji and her assistants could produce, there was no limit to the number of people hoping to enter the tomb. There were also no production costs, meaning everything was pure profit.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take two gold badges.¡± Zhang said to a middle-aged woman, in a pained tone as he reached into his robes and pulled out a mid-sized pouch after arriving in front of one of the registration counters.

    ¡°Will those two dogs be going with you also?¡± The middle-aged woman helping Zhang asked in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly mean¡­¡± Zhang mumbled in a low tone while a grave expression made its way onto his face.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be two thousand hundred gold coins total if you two and the two mutts want to enter together. If not instead of two gold badges you can get four silver badges, then there¡¯s always the option of not participating.¡± The middle-aged woman said in a snobbish manner as she saw Zhang¡¯s hand that was holding his pouch of gold coins slightly shake.

    ¡°I-I-I will take four gold badges¡­¡± Zhang said after a long pause as he tossed the pouch of gold coins in his hand onto the counter before reaching back into his robes and fishing out another pouch. Of course, these pouches were all stored in his interspatial ring, however, when considering how highly valued interspatial rings were within Twin Blade City, Zhang figured it would be best to avoid using them in public.

    ¡°The opening of the tomb will begin in half a day, be there on time else you¡¯ll have to enter with the second group.¡± The middle-aged woman said as she stored away Zhang¡¯s two pouches of gold and tossed four golden colored badges onto the counter.

    ¡°Once we get into the tomb and everything is over, I¡¯ll be sure to take back ten times much as what you bastards took from me today¡­¡± Zhang thought as his brows furrowed after grabbing four golden colored badges off the counter and walking off without uttering a word.

    Seeing how Zhang was acting and guessing his thoughts, Wenji couldn¡¯t help but chuckle slightly as she and the pups followed after him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure even if we manage to get a single item within the tomb, it¡¯ll be worth way more than four thousand gold coins.¡± Wenji said, trying to comfort Zhang.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me¡­ This isn¡¯t even real gold!¡± Zhang said as he came to a sudden halt.

    ¡°What isn¡¯t real gold?¡± Wenji asked before arriving beside Zhang and seeing him bite down on one of the four golden badges that he had just paid for not too long ago.

    ¡°These are just made of iron and glazed with golden colored paint¡­¡± Zhang said as he presented the badge he had bitten into to Wenji, pointing to the parts where the paint had chipped off, prompting her to shake her head before bursting into laughter.

    ¡°You''re too much sometimes.¡± Wenji said in a laugh while wiping away a fear tears of joy that had gathered at the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°They¡¯ll rue the day they did this to me.¡± Zhang said while raising his fist toward the sky, prompting Wenji to burst into laughter once again.

    ¡°Let''s go find a place to have a seat and perhaps eat a bit of food while we wait. I think they have a few stalls over there that are selling food and equipment.¡± Wenji suggested while playfully pulling down Zhang¡¯s fist.

    ¡°Alright let''s go.¡± Zhang said as proceeded to walk alongside Wenji who was walking with brisk joyful steps, showing the good laugh that Zhang had given her had given her a pretty uplifting mood.

    Hoping to profit further off the opening of the tomb, the Mang Clan had at up a small market that sold a wide variety of things, of course, everything was marked up and much more expensive when compared to prices within Twin Blade City.

    However, considering they were quite a distance away from the city and that there were no other vendors in the area, people either bought things or they kept their mouths shut, afraid of angering the Mang Clan.

    ¡°You''re kidding me¡­¡± Zhang grumbled as he stared at a sign which listed the prices of food sold at one of the Mang Clan¡¯s food stalls.

    ¡°Twenty gold coins for a fucken potato?¡± Zhang said in an unhappy tone.

    ¡°You didn''t read the sentence underneath.¡± Wenji said with a giggle as she tried to contain herself.

    ¡°Ten gold coins to bake a potato¡­ So, its twenty gold coins for a raw potato and thirty gold coins if I want a cooked one¡­¡± Zhang said with a frown.

    ¡°I''ll definitely destroy the Mang Clan¡­ Or at the least rob them¡­¡± Zhang thought as walked forth and bought four raw potatoes.

    ¡°We¡¯ll save forty gold coins by cooking them ourselves¡­¡± Zhang said to Wenji as he went about making a small campfire at a relatively unpopulated area within the Mang Clan¡¯s fortress.

    ¡°Sir! That will be five gold coins!¡± A member of the Mang Clan clads in leather armor said as he spotted Zhang making a fire.

    ¡°What?¡± Zhang asked with a confused look on his face.

    ¡°To make a fire within the fortress, you''ll need to pay five gold coins.¡± The member of the Mang Clan said as he put his hand out waiting for Zhang to give him five gold coins.

    ¡°I will definitely kill all of you¡­¡± Zhang thought as a scowl appeared on his face.

 Chapter 47: Fined for Disorderly Conduct

    After angrily tossing five gold coins at the man from the Mang Clan, Zhang was furious to find that he was actually fined for disorderly conduct.

    Apparently, because he hadn''t directly handed over the coins and tossed them on the ground, Zhang had to give the man another fifty gold coins.

    Of course, this obviously made Zhang, who was already extremely angry, furious. One could say the fine for disorderly conduct was the straw that broke the camel''s back, the arrow that started the war.

    ¡°So, that will be fifty gold coins. Else I will have to escort you off the premises.¡± The member of the Mang Clan said in a haughty tone.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhang mumbled in an angry tone, causing the haughty man standing in front of him to be taken back.

    ¡°Hey! What do you want!? Stay back!¡± The member of the Mang Clan said as a shiver of fear crept down his spine while Zhang inched closer and closer to him.

    ¡°If you''re going to do something, no need to hold back.¡± Wenji said as she felt the members of Mang Clan had gone too far. Judging by Zhang¡¯s attitude regarding money, she was certain that even if she wanted, she wouldn''t be able to stop him.

    Zhang was someone who could spend very lavishly if he wanted to, he was more than willing to use money to buy the better things in life, however, he absolutely hated it when people tried to extort him.

    ¡°It had always been my Zhou Clan that did the extorting¡­ To think there¡¯s someone trying to do the same to me¡­¡± Zhang said while clenching his fists as his brows furrowed.

    In a flash, before the member of the Mang Clan could even utter another cry, Zhang arrived beside him and with a single strike knocked the man unconscious.

    With a devious smile plastered on Zhang proceeded to strip the man naked, quickly retrieving a small bag of coins that was hanging from the man¡¯s waist.

    Moments later after leaving the unconscious man in only a pair of underwear, Zhang withdrew some rope from his interspatial ring. In a flash, the haughty man was tightly bound as Zhang proceeded to gift him with a hearty beating.

    ¡°This if for the expensive potatoes!¡± Zhang yelled as he kicked the unconscious man a few times.

    ¡°This is for all of the stupid fees and fines!¡± Zhang said while delivering a few more powerful kicks.

    In the meantime, Wenji and the two pups could be seen staring at Zhang with unblinking eyes, sometimes they would watch with intrigue, other times they would slightly cringe.

    ¡°I didn''t know a person¡¯s arm can bend at such an angle¡­ And that¡¯s coming from someone who¡¯s studied medicine and the human body for quite a few years¡­¡± Wenji mumbled in a soft tone as she continued watching the spectacle unfold in front of her.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I feel much better! With the amount of gold in his bag, we should be in the green again. To celebrate let''s go and pay someone to cook these damn potatoes for us¡­¡± Zhang said as a vibrant smile appeared on his face after wiping off the sweat that had collected on his forehead.

    ¡°Sometimes death can also be considered a gift¡­ it''ll take this guy months, maybe years to heal from all of these injuries.¡± Wenji mumbled to herself.

    ¡°But first, Little Red and Little Blue, dig a hole for me¡­It doesn''t need to be too deep.¡± Zhang said as he glanced at the unconscious man that he had beaten to a pulp.

    With a pair of barks as acknowledgement, the two pups proceeded to speedily scratch away at the ground with their sharp claws, quickly kicking away large quantities of soil.

    In a flash, a decent sized hole dug and with a light push from Zhang¡¯s foot the unconscious man rolled inside and in no time at all, the hole was filled in, leaving only the man¡¯s puffy and bruised face visible.

    ¡°Alright let''s go get some cooked potatoes¡­¡± Zhang said as he, Wenji and the pups walked off. But of course, not before the stuffed some cloth into the unconscious man¡¯s mouth.

    Tightly bound, gagged and buried, it''ll undoubtedly take some time before the unconscious man is discovered.

    With a jubilant grin on his face and a bag of new found wealth, Zhang went as far as buying four more potatoes, joyfully eating them with his party.

    In but a flash, the time to open the Rob had arrived and everyone apart of the first group of explorers gathered in front of the giant stone tomb.

    Walking past a nearly transparent bubble, Zhang, Wenji, and the pups situated themselves to the rear of the group. Wishing not to put their powers on display and being fairly certain that the tomb would be filled with traps and deadly trials, the duo decided it would be best to allow those in front of them to overcome the hardships within the tomb first.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°When can we go inside!?¡± Someone yelled impatiently as the sun continued to loom above and a piercing heat descended, causing everyone to be slightly fatigued and irritated.

    ¡°Everyone, please be patient, we will attempt to rule a hole in the barrier surrounding the tomb shortly. On top of all of the core realm cultivators within our Twin Blade City, we¡¯ve been graced with the presence of Master Tu Wong and a group of excellent young geniuses, from the Serene Lotus Sect, who had come to help us.¡± An elderly man, Patriarch Mang, said after arriving in front of the large group Zhang and Wenji were a part of.

    ¡°Serene Lotus Sect¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as a familiar group of cultivators wearing pitch black robes with embroidered white lotuses came into view. Moments later two other groups, comprised of members of the Tiger Claw Dojo and Jiang Clan, which Zhang has seen on his way toward the mountain also came into view. There were also a few other groups of people who of which Zhang did not recognize, however, from what he could tell, all of the elites within a couple hundred miles of Twin Blade City had gathered.

    ¡°Let us begin!¡± Patriarch Mang said as he leaped into the air and arrived in front of the pair of giant stone gates that lead into the tomb, pressing his palm which was enveloped within a golden glow directly onto it.

    Before long, without uttering a single word, other experts arrived beside Patriarch Mang and pressed their palms, which were enveloped within many varying glows, onto the stone gate also. A total of sixteen core realm experts congregated in front of the stone gate, while everyone else watched on with eyes brimming with anticipation, of these people was the man who was referred to as Master Tu Wong.

    With a carefree expression on his face, Master Tu Wong simply watched on, not lifting a finger to help.

    Surprisingly enough after a few moments passed, a previously invisible membrane that encased the entire stone tomb could be seen as countless ripples were released from the palms of the various experts.

    At the beginning, the ripples could only be considered minuscule, reverberating only a tiny distance away from each of the palms of the experts, however as time went on, the tiny ripples began to meld together and form into large waves that shook the entire barrier encasing the stone tomb.

    ¡°Although it may seem like the barrier is weakening these people are actually really struggling.¡± Wenji said in a soft whisper to Zhang.

    ¡°Those bastards charged us so much gold and yet they are struggling to open a hole in the barrier....¡± Zhang responded in a low and unhappy tone, causing Wenji to slightly snicker.

    ¡°Luckily we got all of our money back already and on top of things we even got a bit extra.¡± Wenji said with a chuckle, causing a tinge of change to appear on Zhang¡¯s face.

    Having been with him so long, Wenji had basically grasped the workings of Zhang¡¯s mind, being able to lighten his mood and cause a smile to appear on his face with little effort.

    ¡°I guess we did make a profit.¡± Zhang mumbled with scratching his head and grinning in a silly manner at Wenji, moments before a loud bang draw his attention back toward the ancient stone gates and the nearly transparent barrier.

    Laying sprawled out on the ground was a middle-aged man who had arrived with the group of cultivators from the Jiang Clan. With two faint trails of blood streaming out from the corners of his mouth, a grotesque looking hand where every finger was crookedly bent at weird angles, and a deathly pale white complexion, the man appeared to be in a horrible state.

    ¡°You think they''ll give us one if I asked for a refund?¡± Zhang asked Wenji with a chuckle.

    ¡°It looks like that man they called Master Tu Wong is going to act.¡± Wenji said as she glanced at Master Tu Wong who was standing like a statue.

    ¡°It looks like I''ll have to lend a hand.¡± Master Tu Wong said with a laugh as a powerful aura was released from his body moments before he leaped into the air and smashed his palm into the stone gate.

    ¡°A profound realm cultivator¡­¡± Wenji and Zhang both mumbled as they glanced at each other and back at Master Tu Wong.

    ¡°It''ll be best to avoid running into him for the time being. He doesn''t give me too great of an impression.¡± Zhang muttered to Wenji.

    ¡°Me either, he looks to be the kind of person who pretends to be righteous but is filled with bad intentions.¡± Wenji said back to Zhang.

    ¡°He waited until the very moment when the core realm cultivators expanded all of their strength before joining in, probably hoping everyone will feel like they owe him a bit of gratitude.¡± Zhang said as Wenji nodded in agreement.

    While Wenji had countless experiences with people similar to Master Tu Wong, people who appeared saintly on the outside by were abominations on the inside, Zhang had been taught from a young age to look past everyone¡¯s outer shell.

    As a clan comprised of businessmen, the elders of the Zhou Clan had made it a priority to teach all of their clansmen a very important skill, the ability to read body language.

    From everyday interaction with others to picking trustworthy business partners to make important business ventures with, the ability to read another person¡¯s body language was invaluable to a merchant.

    Through a person¡¯s body language, a lot of information can be obtained. Of course, this skill did not grant the members of the Zhou Clan the omnipotent power of reading another mind or something similar, however, with such a skill, Zhang''s can somewhat tell what kind of a person someone is after a bit of observation.

    The easiest type of person to spot was someone who was pretentious, hypocritical and fake.

    Had Master Tu Wong not acted at all or had acted at the very beginning, Zhang and Wenji probably would not have judged him as being someone with a poor character, however from the way he looked at everyone before arriving in front of the gate, the two of them could see through his fake smile in an instant.

    While Zhang and Wenji were discussing their impression of Master Tu Wong, countless ripples could be seen on the ancient barrier.

    ¡°Everyone get ready to enter!¡± Patriarch Mang yelled as a smile made its way onto his face while countless droplets of sweat trailed down his brow.

    Hearing Patriarch Mang¡¯s yell, everyone present readied themselves and moved ever closer to the stone tomb with weapons in hand, supplies slung over their backs and an air of excitement lingering around them.

    ¡°Deploy the talismans!¡± Patriarch Mang yelled toward a group of his clan members, moments before dozens upon dozens of white colored talismans shot through the air and stuck to the ancient barrier.

    ¡°Activate!¡±

    ¡°Activate!¡±

    ¡°Activate!¡± Many members of the Mang Clan yelled as the talismans that had shot out from their hands not too long ago began to light up and release a dazzling white glow.

    ¡°Those should be low level barrier breaker talismans. Just like their names implied, these white colored talismans are able to dispel low level barriers, I must say these guys are pretty smart to save them for the moment before the barrier collapses, this way the hole they tear in the barrier will remain open long enough for everyone present to enter.¡± Wenji said to Zhang, as she pointed at the white colored talismans.

    Working their magic, the low-level barrier breaker talismans amplified the powerful rippling waves released by the core realm experts and Master Tu Wong, and soon enough the moment that everyone was waiting for finally arrived.

    The thin membrane-like barrier that encased the ancient stone tomb shook and a small tear appeared where Master Tu Wong¡¯s palm was pressed against the stone gate, before long more tears in the barrier appear where the palms of the other experts were placed.

    As each tear began to expand and grow larger, they all eventually fused together to create a large opening within the ancient barrier.

    ¡°Everyone! Let¡¯s go!¡± Patriarch Mang yelled as he lifted his palm and smashed it into the stone gate, causing the previously immovable gate to be pushed back, creating a small gap wide enough for four people to enter at a time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in ahead and see if it¡¯s safe.¡± Master Tu Wong said with a laugh as he flew over Patriarch Mang¡¯s head and charged into the tomb first, with a few core realm experts from the Serene Lotus Sect charging in after him before anyone else could get the chance to do so.

    Not wanting to fall behind, the core realm experts of the Mang Clan, Jiang Clan and Tiger Claw Dojo rushed in soon afterward with the rest of the crowd, of course due to how small the opening was, how many people there were, and everyone¡¯s wish to enter before anyone else, a blockage of human bodies was formed, preventing people from entering.

    ¡°Tch¡­ If we don¡¯t get in soon the barrier will close.¡± Wenji clicked her tongue as she grabbed Zhang and leaped into the air, using a bit of her power to levitate the two of them into the tomb in a flash, while the two pups navigated through a forest of legs and boots, arriving in the tomb shortly after the duo.

 Chapter 48: Demonic Devil Spheres

    Charging into the ancient tomb, Zhang, Wenji, and the pups found themselves standing within a massive hall. Due to how dark it was within the tomb, everyone could be seen with a torch in hand.

    ¡°Are those coffins?¡± Zhang asked as he pointed to the ceiling of the hall where hundreds of wooden coffins could be seen nailed into the walls.

    However as eerie as it was for there to be so many coffins being hung on the walls, everyone¡¯s attention was focused elsewhere.

    At the far end of this hall was a large stone statue of a dignified looking elderly man, within this statue¡¯s hand was a massive sparkling diamond the size of someone¡¯s head. Upon closer examination, this diamond was covered in tiny inscriptions that extruded a faint purplish light, contrary to the diamond¡¯s clear and white color. Despite the minuscule amount of light shone upon it by the flickering torches within everyone¡¯s hand, the diamond shimmer beautifully in the darkness.

    ¡°Look at the size of that thing! I can probably sell it and get enough gold to live the rest of my life in luxury while surrounding in beauties!¡± A middle-aged man with a hooked nose said while licking his lips and eyeing the massive gem.

    ¡°With something like that, I can leave my ugly wife and buy a whole brothel full of women.¡± Someone else said as he allowed wild fantasies to surface in his mind.

    ¡°What are you both talking about? I¡¯ll be the one to get that gem!¡± A young man yelled while laughing in a haughty manner before jolting forward toward the massive statue.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try to get that?¡± Wenji, teased with a giggle, ignoring the hundreds of coffins that hung overhead and focusing her attention upon the large and less creepy diamond at the end of the hall.

    ¡°If we were anywhere else but an ancient tomb I would have probably already charged head first and grabbed that thing. However, when considering where we are, it is best to wait and let the fool hearted go in first.¡± Zhang said as he eyed the massive diamond that many of the treasure seekers were running toward.

    Surprisingly enough, the groups consisting of members from the Mang Clan, the Jiang Clan, the Tiger Claw Dojo and the Serene Lotus sect did not bother to move at all, only eyeing the large diamond with unblinking eyes.

    After a few short moments passed and the group of hotheaded adventurers had transversed nearly half of the large hall they found themselves in a horrid situation. Tangled in a mess of nearly transparent wire, the adventurers became helpless as the sound of ticking mechanisms found its way into everyone¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Kid, leave this place at once and head toward the third passageway located on your left. Of all of the treasures I could sense in this place that are worth mentioning, the one nearest to you is located there. Also, you wouldn¡¯t want to be here when things start to get interesting.¡± The fragmented soul residing within Zhang said as it¡¯s voice echoed in Zhang¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Wenji, let¡¯s go.¡± Zhang said as he silently led Wenji and the pups toward the passageway that the fragmented soul had directed him toward.

    Perhaps it was because they had seen Zhang and Wenji split from the main group or because the sound of ticking mechanisms grew ever louder, but before long a few other groups of treasure seekers also splintered off.

    ¡°There are bound to be more treasures in this place, no need to fight over the first thing we spot.¡± Someone said as he led his group of companions off into one of the many passageways that lead to other parts of the tomb.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to waste our time anymore over something as trivial as that.¡± Master Wu Tong said to his subordinates as he led them into one a passageway, despite previously eyeing the large gem at the end of the hall with greedy eyes.

    Leaving but the handful of people who were tangled in the invisible mesh of wire and a few other stragglers who could not bear to leave the massive diamond where it was, everyone else dispersed and began to search the tomb for other treasures.

    Roughly after walking a few dozen steps, a symphony of heart-wrenching screams rang through the air and the sound of large blades cutting through the air accompanied it.

    Back in the hall that everyone had first entered, only a mess of scattered gruesome looking limbs and a large pool of blood remained on the ground while four huge and sharp looking pendulum blades swung through the air.

    ¡°Ahahah! I did it! I¡¯ll trade an arm to live the rest of my life in luxury any day of the week!¡± The young man who had led the initial charge toward massive diamond said while laughing hysterically as he stood on the shoulder of the stone statue that had been holding the previous gem not too long ago.

    Although this young man had lost his entire lift arm and a large amount of blood, which caused his sight to slightly blur, he was currently in a state of euphoria as he held up the massive gem that everyone had been greedily staring at not too long ago.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    That is to say, his joyous expressions would be prompted to change a moment later, as the faintly glowing inscriptions that covered the majority of the large diamond began to glow ever so more brightly, enveloping the entire hall in a purplish hue.

    ¡°Wha-what is happening¡­¡± The previously ecstatic young man who was missing an arm cried as the large cracks began to surface on the gem in his hand, causing the diamond to break apart into bits and pieces.

    ¡°Dammit!!!¡± The young man roared in rage as spoils earned from all of his hard work and the sacrifice of his left arm was turned into a mound of dust. Maybe if that was the end of things, the young man would have been much better off, however shortly after the diamond crumbled to dust, the sound of creaking wood could be heard as the lids of the hundreds of coffins lining the walls of the hall began to open.

    From within these hundreds of coffins, countless partially decayed bodies could be seen as they slid out from their coffins and fell onto the ground.

    ¡°What the fuck is this¡­ Have I lost too much blood that I¡¯ve started to see things?¡± The young man mumbled while his legs trembled and his heart raced as he found himself surrounded by a horde of undead.

    It could have been due to his fear or the large amount of blood that he had lost, but after a brief moment of trembling, the young man¡¯s legs finally gave out causing him to tumble off the stone statue and onto the ground.

    ¡°Get back! Get back!¡± The young man yelled in a horrified manner as his only remaining hand scrambled to withdraw a dagger that was hanging from his hip out from its sheath. But all was too late by the time the young man had managed to pull and wave a gleaming dagger into the air, for by then, the swarm of undead had already descended upon him and bit into his warm flesh.

    ¡°My ankles! Argh!!!¡± The young man cried as he felt dozens of bites being taken out of him and what was left of the blood within his body flowing out onto the ground moments prior to when his soul departed for the afterlife.

    Unknown to the other tomb raiders, an ancient evil was unleashed upon them, as the undead finished their feast and proceeded to go search for more fresh blood and flesh to devour.

    Soon to join its new companions, the corpse of the young man who had just become the first victim of the undead, rose to its feet and proceeded to walk into the third passageway on the left side of the hall, the same passageway that Zhang, Wenji and the pups had walked into.

    ¡°Boy are there a lot of traps in this place¡­¡± Zhang said as he jumped past a large pit of spikes.

    ¡°Yea, if it wasn¡¯t for that strange power of yours, then I would have probably fallen down there.¡± Wenji said with a faint smile.

    ¡°Hehe, just stick with me and we should be alright.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle while holding a small torch as his shadow expanded and shot forth, searching for any hidden mechanisms that might lay ahead.

    Thanks to the power of the Heavenly Devouring Technique, Zhang was able to trigger all of the hidden traps in his path, clearing the way and making it safe for him, Wenji and the pups to proceed forward.

    ¡°We should still be careful, though, we wouldn¡¯t want to end up like the people who remained in the hall, judging from the shrieks and screams that we had heard earlier, things must not have ended well for them.¡± Wenji said, reminding Zhang to remain vigilant and not act carelessly. Despite not know what had truly occurred back in the main hall, Wenji couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of uneasiness surface within her after hearing the terrifying cries of the unfortunate tomb raiders who had met their untimely demise.

    ¡°Kid, move quicker, I can sense something approaching and it isn¡¯t something apart of the world of the living. Just to make things clear, it isn¡¯t a fragmented soul like me either¡­¡± The fragmented soul within Zhang¡¯s body said, urging him to quicken his speed.

    ¡°Something not a part of the world of the living?¡± Zhang mumbled in his mind as his steps moved a tiny bit faster.

    Making through way through the ancient tomb, Zhang and Wenji soon found themselves in a small chamber, roughly a third of the size of the large hall that they had started in. At the center of this chamber, floating in midair atop a tall pedestal was a red colored book and eight metallic spheres with skulls etched into them.

    ¡°I wonder what those are.¡± Zhang muttered as he stared at the eight-strange looking metallic spheres.

    ¡°Those should be hidden weapons, the kind you conceal on your body and launch at enemies, like the needles I keep tucked into my sleeves.¡± Wenji said after a quick glance at the eight floating spheres.

    ¡°Oh! Then I¡¯ll grab them for you.¡± Zhang said with a chuckle, thinking it would be better for Wenji who was better versed in the use of hidden weapons to obtain the eight spheres.

    ¡°No, my hands are too small to use those, I think it would be better for you to take them.¡± Wenji said with a smile.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Zhang said as his shadow expanded once more and encompassed a large portion of the chamber, scanning for any hidden traps that would be laying around.

    After a few short moments of scrutinizing and not finding any traps, Zhang proceeded forward, arriving in front of the pedestal at the center of the chamber and leaping into the air to retrieve the red colored book and eight metallic spheres.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Zhang mumbled as he landed on the ground while grasping the red colored book in his hand, as for the eight metallic spheres, he was not able to retrieve a single one. As if they were alive, the eight spheres all moved away when Zhang reached toward them.

    Clicking his tongue before leaping into the air again, Zhang continued to try to retrieve the eight metallic spheres, but sadly all of his attempts resulted in failure.

    ¡°Maybe that book will give you some clues on how to retrieve the spheres.¡± Wenji suggested after watching Zhang¡¯s multiple failures.

    ¡°Demonic Sphere Technique¡­ If you are reading this then you¡¯ve managed to enter my tomb and was lucky enough to find the chamber where the eight Demonic Devil Spheres and the manual to the Demonic Sphere Technique was kept. If you¡¯re an Enlightened Realm cultivator then you can skip through the last part of this letter and move onto directly cultivating the Demonic Sphere Technique, for you must have already obtained the eight Demonic Devil Spheres. If you are not a cultivator of the Enlightened Realm, then read the next part of this letter carefully or else you might as well put this manual back where you found it.¡± Zhang said aloud as he flipped to the first page of the red colored cultivation manual.

    ¡°To retrieve the eight Demonic Devil Spheres, one must master the first part of the Demonic Sphere Technique and be able to manipulate their essence and manifest its power outside of their body, a skill that most able Enlightened Realm cultivators have mastered.¡± Zhang read as Wenji arrived beside him and eyed the words written in the manual.

    ¡°Essence manipulation! To require the use of essence manipulation, the Demonic Sphere Technique must be at least an Enlightened Realm Technique at the very least. Once you¡¯re done with it, loan me this manual.¡± Wenji said as her eyes lit up.

    ¡°Sure, once I¡¯m done I¡¯ll give you the manual, that is if you¡¯re willing to give me a little favor¡­ As the exalted ancestor once said, for all benefits there must be some sacrifice.¡± Zhang said as a devious grin appeared on his face, causing a shiver to run down Wenji¡¯s spine.

    ¡°What would I have to trade for an Enlightened Realm Technique¡­¡± Wenji said as she instinctively covered her chest.

    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to¡­ Be the one to¡­ Bathe...¡± Zhang said in a slow manner, causing a few weird fantasies to run wild in Wenji¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Bathe???¡± Wenji muttered in a low tone as her face slowly became red with embarrassment.

    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to be the one to bathe Little Red for me next time the manual is yours, since being able to see that cute expression on your face is enough for me to give up half of the Zhou Clan¡¯s treasures.¡± Zhang said with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°To think I was just about to agree let you¡­ Bathe¡­ With... Me...¡± Wenji said in a slow and seductive manner, causing Zhang¡¯s ears to suddenly turn red as he stared at her while gulping down a mouthful of saliva.

    ¡°Not!¡± Wenji yelled while sticking her tongue out at Zhang and playfully jabbing him in the side of the stomach.

    ¡°Now hurry up and read the next part of the manual so we can explore another part of the tomb. Since you¡¯re able to utilize the first stage of that nameless fire manipulation skill, it shouldn¡¯t take you too long to be able to manipulate the essence outside of your body.¡± Wenji said.

 Chapter 49: Unwanted Guests

    ¡°Absorb the essence of the world into one¡¯s body, force it to submit to one¡¯s will, giving it shape and purpose before releasing it back into the world. Once one is able to freely make the essence in the air, earth, and area around one¡¯s body bend to one¡¯s will, enemies will tremble as the heavens watch in intrigue. Once one is able to give shape to that which does not have shape, weapons could be forged with a thought and shields could be conjured with a wave of a head.¡± Zhang read as he tried to understand the first portion of the Demonic Sphere Technique. As easy as it was to absorb essence into one¡¯s body, to shape it and bend it completely to one¡¯s will was another matter.

    For those at Zhang¡¯s level, merely absorbing the essence of the world and using it to strengthen their bodies or to add its power to their simple techniques was already something that many could not do, but to shape it into an objection, Zhang could only imagine how difficult that would be.

    ¡°As long as I can master the first step and forge strings of essence, I can retrieve the eight Demonic Devil Spheres, forging weapons and shields out of thin air can wait for later.¡± Zhang said he concentrated all of the essence within his body to the tips of his fingers and tried to sculpt them into tiny invisible strings.

    Despite being quite similar to when Zhang ignites essence flames on the tips of his fingers, the process of sculpting essence into something rather than using it as a source of fuel were two entirely different things. Due to this fundamental difference, the art of essence manipulation is many times harder than essence ignition.

    As Zhang was fully immersed in training, to the point where he zoned out from his surroundings, the sound of dozens of footsteps made their way into Wenji¡¯s ear.

    ¡°The treasure in this chamber has already been claimed, if you know what¡¯s good for you, it is best to leave before I get angry!¡± Wenji said in an intimidating voice as four long needles slid out from her sleeve and into the gaps between her fingers.

    Ignoring Wenji¡¯s warning, the sound of footsteps continued to draw near as the light released from the flickering torch danced about.

    ¡°You there! Stop! Or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Wenji yelled as a young man slowly walked out from the shadows, half of his face revealed by the light shared by the flickering torch.

    Much to Wenji¡¯s horror, as the young man continued to walk toward the light and out of the shadows the other side of his face came into view. With countless bite marks and blood covered bones showing, this young man caused the hairs on Wenji¡¯s arms to stand on end as an eerie cold seemed to drift into the room.

    ¡°I warned you!¡± Wenji yelled in a slightly shaken tone as four long silver streaks shot out from her hand, two embedding themselves in the man¡¯s knee joints and two into his shoulders.

    Under normal circumstances, having four needles invade one¡¯s joints would result in an unbearable pain that would cause even the most hardened of war veterans to stumble onto the ground and shriek in pain, however, the young man covered in bite marks continued forward without even showing an ounce of discomfort.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me¡­¡± Wenji mumbled as four more needles slid out from her sleeves while the two pups arrived beside her and began to snarl aggressively, baring their rows of sharp canines for all to see.

    ¡°Rip him apart!¡± Wenji commanded, prompting the two pups to charge forward while releasing another four silver streaks into the air.

    With utmost accuracy, Wenji¡¯s four silver needles all pierced through the young man¡¯s chest, in the general area where his heart was supposed to be.

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Wenji snorted as she saw her attack had no effect on the young man, however, none of that mattered because in but a few second the two pups had pounced and knocked their opponent onto the ground.

    Using their sharp fangs to latch on tightly to their opponent¡¯s neck and leg, Little Red and Little Blue had the young man pinned to the ground.

    Despite already realizing what was currently occurring could not be classified as normal, Wenji was especially surprised when the young man was able to push himself up from the ground and onto his feet.

    ¡°How is that possible? When someone¡¯s head, is pinned to the ground, it''s not humanly possible for them to get up¡­¡± Wenji mumbled in shock.

    ¡°Little Blue and Little Red, release him!¡± Wenji commanded as she arrived in front of the young man and the two pups who instantly unlatched their fangs and jumped away.

    Quickly grasping the hilt of her belt sword, Wenji drew a silver arc through the air, cutting off the young man¡¯s head and causing it to fall onto the ground.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°If he still gets up then I don''t know what to do¡­¡± Wenji said in a low tone as she cautiously locked her eyes on the headless corpse laying on the ground.

    Luckily after having his head severed from his torso, the young man did not get up again. That being said, an oddly colored purplish smoke did seep out from his mouth before fading away.

    ¡°You two be on high alert, we can''t let anyone or anything disturb him before he finishes comprehending the first part of that manual.¡± Wenji said to the pups after glancing at Zhang who had fallen into a meditative state.

    Waving her hand and withdraw a few low-level fire talismans from her interspatial ring, Wenji proceeded to set up a perimeter around Zhang before laying traps in the passageway leading into the chamber.

    Just as she finished sticking the last talisman in her hand onto the wall, the sound of footsteps once again drifted into Wenji¡¯s ears. This time instead of a single person, Wenji could deduce that there was at least a group of five heading toward where she and Zhang were.

    ¡°Is-is there anyone there!?!¡± A cry echoed down the passageway.

    ¡°The treasure here has already been claimed!¡± Wenji yelled, although she didn''t know what was happening in the other parts of the tomb, she felt the need to give everyone a fair warning in case anyone with bad intentions arrived.

    ¡°There¡¯s people here!¡± Someone cried after hearing Wenji¡¯s voice.

    ¡°We come in peace!¡± A voice echoed back toward Wenji.

    ¡°I''ve warned you, anyone who enters my sight will be slain!¡± Wenji warned once again.

    ¡°Pl-please, we mean you no harm! There''s nowhere else to go!¡± Another voice cries out as Wenji could see seven shadowy figures quickly approaching.

    ¡°Stay back! I''ve rigged this place with traps if you don''t want to be burned to char then don''t come any closer!¡± Wenji said as she saw seven faintly familiar looking people emerge from the shadows.

    ¡°These people should be from the Jiang Clan¡­¡± Wenji thought, recognizing the armor the group of seven were all wearing.

    ¡°Pl-please help us, those things are heading this way!¡± One of the seven cried.

    ¡°What things? Why do you think I can help you?¡± Wenji asked, hoping to obtain more information.

    ¡°There''s nowhere else to go, most of the other parts of the tomb have been overrun, please let us in. At least in this chamber, we can try to hold those things back.¡± An older man with a head full of gray hair said frantically.

    ¡°Where are the core realm cultivators that had entered the tomb with you?¡± Wenji asked as a red colored talisman appeared in her hand and ignited.

    ¡°We got separated from them and were told to go back to the main chamber to wait, however on our way back we stumbled upon those abominations and lost most of our group.¡± One of the members of the Jiang Clan said, hoping to persuade Wenji into letting them into the chamber she and Zhang were in.

    Without uttering a single word, Wenji raised her hand and to the horror of the members of the Jiang Clan, the fiery talisman previously clasped in between her fingers was released into the air, shooting toward them.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± They all yelled in unison as the fire talisman shot past them.

    ¡°What are you doing? Come in quickly before I change my mind¡­¡± Wenji said as a disfigured middle aged man that had crept up behind the group of seven was set ablaze.

    Disregarding the intense flames that had engulfed his body, the middle-aged man tried to grab onto one of the members of the Jiang Clan who were still trying to figure out what had just happened.

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Wenji snorted as she dashed past the group of seven and with a gentle sweep of her sword, decapitated the middle-aged man, or rather the corpse of a middle-aged man.

    ¡°What kind of talismans do you have on you? Take them all out and prepare in case more unwanted guests arrive¡­¡± Wenji commanded as she gazed down at the burning corpse while cover her nose, trying to shield it from the putrid smell of charred human flesh.

    ¡°Ri-right away!¡± The members of the Jiang Clan quickly responded as they pulled out whatever talismans they had from their robes and began to stick them onto the walls of the passageway just like Wenji had previously done.

    Much to Wenji¡¯s surprise, from what the members of the Jiang Clan had witnessed, more than likely half of the people who had entered the tomb in the hopes of finding treasure had joined the undead.

    Being attracted to where large groups of people were congregated, most of the undead had ignored the passageway that Zhang and Wenji had taken.

    Sadly, that was not the case now, due to the arrival of the group of seven. This, of course, made Wenji a tad unhappy, however, there was not much she could do since killing the members of the Jiang Clan would only increase the load of work she would have to do when more undead arrive.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done I guess¡­¡± Wenji thought as she released a long sigh before a sudden thought entered her mind.

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­ Soon that poison that everyone is infected with will kick in and the number of undead will swell once again¡­¡± Wenji though as she clicked her tongue and frowned.

    ¡°Miss is there something wrong?¡± One of the members of the Jiang Clan, a young boy who looked to be roughly twelve years of age asked in a concerned tone.

    ¡°Take these¡­¡± Wenji said as she tossed seven brown colored pills at the seven members of the Jiang Clan.

    ¡°Wha-what are these for? Miss, we already told you, we mean you no harm, you need to do this.¡± The young boy protested, thinking Wenji was asking them to consume poison pills to ensure they are not scheming against her.

    ¡°If you don''t take them, when the poison in your body takes effect you''ll all die, not only that but you''ll put my life in danger as well. So, you either take these pills or I''ll have to kill you¡­¡± Wenji said as Little Red and Little Blue began to snarl angrily.

    ¡°Poison? We¡¯ve been poisoned?¡± Someone asked in a confused tone, prompting Wenji to explain that the water sources throughout the mountain had been poisoned.

    After hearing a Wenji explanation, the seven members of the Jiang Clan obediently consumed the brown colored pills before proceeding to start a small campfire at the entrance of the chamber and taking up defensive positions in case more undead arrive.

    Taking turns, everyone but Zhang began to take on guard duty as they stared into the darkness watchfully.

    It was only a matter of time before the poison residing in the bodies of the rest of the adventurers within the tomb took effect and the undead began to head toward the particular chamber they were in.

    Some may wonder why Wenji did not wake Zhang from his trance like state and attempt to exit the tomb before the current situation became dire. The answer to this question is actually quite simple, armed with the Heavenly Devouring Technique and a Teleportation Jade, Zhang and Wenji could leave any moment they wished, however obtaining the treasures in this tomb was a one in a lifetime chance for people at their level of cultivation, so there was no way Wenji would be willing to leave within retrieving a few more treasures first. At the very least, she wanted to hold at until Zhang retrieved the right Demonic Devil Spheres.

    Like a drifting wave, time continued to flow as Zhang continued his attempts toward molding his essence while Wenji, Little Red, Little Blue and the members of the Jiang Clan stood guard.

    ¡°Just a little more.¡± Zhang thought as he fails his twentieth attempt at forming his essence into invisible strings. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned into hours as His twentieth attempt turned into his fiftieth attempt and so on.

    It was not until his hundred attempt did Zhang begin to figure out what he was doing wrong.

    ¡°Instead of manipulating all of the essence at once, I should just create a shell and leave the rest unchanged¡­ That way I won''t have to exert as much mental of physical energy.¡± Zhang thought as he tried to change his approach.

    Managing to formed invisible flexible tubes instead of wires, Zhang slowly opened his eyes and redirected his gaze toward the eight floating Demonic Devil Spheres.

    ¡°Now to test these out.¡± Zhang mumbled softly as he waved his hands and sent tiny strands of essence shooting out from the tips of his fingers, attempting to link them to the right floating spheres.

 Chapter 50: Human Nature

    While Wenji watched him in silence, Zhang waved his hands and moved his body with dance like movements, causing eight invisible strings of essence to whip about through the air.

    ¡°Hmmm, instead of chasing after and trying to latch onto them individual it would be better if I try something else.¡± Zhang thought as he noticed that moments before his essence strings would stick onto any of the eight Demonic Devil Spheres, they would move away and dodge.

    Rather than treating them as inanimate objects, he felt it would be wiser to view them as living beings, animals, capable of dodging and wiggling away.

    Changing his tactic, Zhang majestically waved his hands, causing the eight essence strings to overlap with one another and form two small nets. Manipulating his newly formed invisible nets of essence strings, Zhang honed in on the nearest sphere.

    Working in unison with each other the two nets quickly cornered the elusive Demonic Devil Sphere, blocking all of its paths of escape and allowing Zhang to retrieve it.

    ¡°Interesting, there''s a wisp of intent left inside of this sphere.¡± Zhang thought once his essence poured into the sphere and found that there was another source of essence within it

    Branding the sphere with his essence, Zhang became completely bewildered once something totally unexpected occurred.

    After his essence fused with the essence within the sphere after the branding process, the Demonic Devil Sphere lit up in flames. As if it amplified the nature of Zhang¡¯s essence, the sphere was engulfed within a bright dancing flame.

    ¡°Interesting! Very interesting!¡± Zhang''s laughed loudly while everyone else present stared at him and the floating sphere in amazement.

    ¡°What an amazing treasure.¡± A member of the Jiang Clan said in a low tone as his eyes shone with a hint of greed and envy.

    ¡°Yes, what an amazing treasure.¡± Another member of the Jiang Clan mumbled as his eyes also lit with greed and envy, much to Wenji¡¯s displeasure causing creases to form on her brow as she gripped the hilt of her sword belt, preparing to make an example of anyone who dared to act unruly.

    Luckily for the members of the Jiang Clan, before they could even make up their minds and decide whether or not they should fulfill the unrighteous fantasy conjured up in their minds, the sound of footsteps echoed down the passageway, signaling the arrival of more unwanted guests.

    ¡°Take up defensive positions! Brother, quickly retrieve the rest of the spheres!¡± Wenji said while commanding the members of the Jiang Clan while urging Zhang to quickly gather the remaining Demonic Devil Spheres.

    Withdrawing their swords and forming a semicircle around the entrance into the room, the members of the Jiang Clan along with Wenji and the two pups readied themselves for a bloody battle.

    In the meantime, Zhang quickly began gathering the Demonic Devil Spheres once again. One after the other as Zhang managed to grasp the Demonic Devil Balls with his net of essence strings, and made them into his own, they each began to light up in flames.

    ¡°Attack!¡± The members of the Jiang Clan yelled as their swords pears lunged forth, stabbing through skin, into flesh and causing blackish colored blood to drip to the ground.

    ¡°Sever their heads! Simply stabbing them won¡¯t do a thing.¡± Wenji yelled as she slid across the ground, slashing away at the legs of the undead, causing them to topple backward, falling onto the undead behind them.

    Once the undead were on their backs, the group of seven quickly hacked away at their limbs, causing severed arms and heads to roll onto the ground.

    ¡°Kill as many as you can and don¡¯t activate the talismans until we can¡¯t hold out any longer.¡± Wenji added as the seven men from the Jiang Clan charged forward once more.

    Hacking, slashing, stabbing and violently swinging their swords, the seven members of the Jiang Clan fought wholeheartedly as Wenji and the two pups swooped in and out, providing them with support and ensuring that the undead does not gain any ground.

    Much to the surprise of the seven men, unlike their previous encounter and struggle against the undead which resulted in their utter defeat, this time they were actually holding their own, rather they were able to push the undead back.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    This, of course, was thanks to Wenji, whenever she saw one of the seven begin to falter she would instantly lend a hand and help relieve some pressure. By doing this she ensured that none of them would tire out nor be overwhelmed by the undead, at least for the moment.

    ¡°My arms are going numb!¡± One of the men of the Jiang Clan cried as he used his sword to block a powerful strike from one of the undead.

    ¡°Brother Han hold out a bit longer! We have to cut down as many of these bastards as we can! Activating the talismans alone won''t be enough.¡± Another member of the Jiang Clan cried out.

    ¡°How many of them are there?¡± Another member of the seven yelled as he found no end to the number of undead clamoring down the passageway.

    ¡°Quit complaining and keep hacking away! We¡¯re getting outdone by those two dogs!¡± Another of the seven yelled.

    True to their reputation as demonic beasts, the pups employed their monstrous strength to tackle and bite off the heads of the undead. In a short span of time, the two pups had already managed to take down a total of eight undead.

    Before long roughly half an hour passed in an instant, the floor slowly becoming slick with blood and littered with limbs, the once clean and soft coat of fur that covered the two pups were no matted with gore, the seven strong and intimidating members of the Jiang Clan could be seen heavily panting, and Wenji¡¯s long silky hair was disheveled and her once tidy garments were ruffled and dirty. Compared to the initial confrontation, the group was now much more ragged, but also much more effective than before.

    After repeating the same motions over and over the group slowly got used to fighting against the undead, but at the same time, their stamina and strength was steadily being sapped away from them.

    As cultivators of the fragmented realm, the group of seven possessed a bit more strength and endurance when compared to regular people, however even if they were all core realm cultivators like Wenji, there was a limit to everything.

    If endless streams of enemies continued appearing and the situation was allowed continued on, the group would eventually succumb to fatigue and then the situation would become quite dire.

    ¡°I''m activating the first ring of talismans! Everyone stand back!¡± Wenji said as she shot a thin beam of essence from her finger at one of the talismans she has stuck onto the wall.

    A flicker of a second later, all of the talismans lining the passageway walls began to light up as a wild storm of essence took to the air. Fire talismans disintegrated as they released blazing rings of fire, lightning talismans discharged blinding bolts while ice talismans shot sharp spear-like shards through the air. In an instant, dozens of undead were reduced to char, dust, bits and pieces before being blown away by powerful winds unleashed by a few wind talismans.

    ¡°Use this chance to rest up a bit, there are probably more on their way¡­¡± Wenji said, reminding the group of seven that they had yet to overcome their current predicament, as she saw hints of joy appearing on their faces.

    ¡°Success!¡± Zhang¡¯s laugh rang throughout the chamber as eight flaming spheres circled the air around him.

    ¡°About time you finished collecting those things.¡± Wenji said with a snort, prompting a slightly apologetic expression to appear on Zhang¡¯s face.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s make our way out of here. Follow me!¡± Zhang said in an excited tone as he made his way toward Wenji.

    Although neither Wenji or the pups showed any sign of questioning Zhang¡¯s decision to leave the chamber they were currently in, the seven men from the Jiang Clan seemed somewhat reluctant.

    ¡°Is that a good idea? At least in here we can hold them back, or if anything we can collapse the passageway and wait until help arrives.¡± The man named Jiang Han said with a face filled with worry and fear.

    ¡°What Brother Han said, I don¡¯t think it would be wise to leave this chamber. Out there they can overwhelm us¡­¡± Another one of the seven said.

    ¡°You guys still think help will arrive? Did it not take the combined powers of all of the core realm cultivators within Twin Blade City for us to be able to barely enter the tomb? How long do you think it would take for another group of experts like that to gather? That''s to say they bother to gather in the first place. Who would want to enter a place where a group of core realm cultivators and all of the people who entered with them perished¡­¡± Zhang asked, bombarding the group of seven with questions.

    ¡°What Brother Zhang said is right. Even if we had enough food and water between ourselves to survive in this place for some time, there''s always the possibility that help with never arrive.¡± Wenji said.

    ¡°Even if help was to arrive, how can we know for sure if they¡¯ll come here before we die of starvation.¡± Wenji added

    ¡°Although I¡¯m sure between the nine of us we can probably last a while by rationing our food and water, however, I¡¯m not exactly sure about those two. I can¡¯t guarantee how they¡¯ll act once they start getting hungry.¡± Zhang said while glancing at the two pups who stared back at him with innocent eyes.

    Upon hearing, what Zhang said, the group of seven began to let their imagination run wild as they looked at the two innocent faced pups with expressions of fear and dread. After witnessing the two pups dismantle a dozen undead, they were quite sure how powerful these two fur balls were. If they had to choose whether or not to be pitted against the pups and the undead, the seven were sure they had a higher chance of survival against the undead.

    ¡°If I had to face these two monsters I¡¯d rather take my chances with the undead¡­ At least the undead are slow and I can out run them if I have to...¡± Someone thought as they remembered how fast to two pups could move.

    ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t be the two mutts who do us in, but it might be those two instead. They might kill all of us and then hoard all of the supplies for their own use. In times like this, even the kindest looking people will only look out for themselves.¡± Someone else thought as they glanced at Zhang and Wenji before gulping down a mouthful of spit.

    Surely if the pups were so powerful their owners would not fall too far behind, which stood to cast another shadow of fear within the hearts of the group of seven.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, everyone follow me.¡± Zhang said with a smile as he led the group into the passageway littered with the remains of the undead. Unlike previously, the group of seven followed suit without complaint.

    Knowing full well that they could not beat neither Zhang nor Wenji, the group of seven decided it would be best to contend against the undead.

    Truth be told, Zhang and Wenji could leave at any moment they wished, thanks to the Teleportation Jade they had in their possession. However, since Teleportation Jades had a limited to the number of times they could be used, Zhang did not want to use the one he had unless a life or death situation occurred.

    Also, Zhang felt it would be a pity to leave after only obtaining the Demonic Devil Spheres, he was sure that there were much more treasure lying around the tomb, waiting for him to retrieve them.

    Walking through the passageway and back toward the main chamber, Zhang¡¯s group quickly encountered more undead once again.

    ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Zhang said as he waved his hand and made the eight Demonic Devil Spheres fly through the air at a moderate speed, striking eight undead and lighting them up in flames.

    ¡°As long as I only manipulate the spheres to move through the air and use them to light the undead on fire I won¡¯t have to expend too much essence.¡± Zhang thought as he decided. Although it would take a bit longer for them to progress through the passageway, Zhang would not have to waste too much essence.

    Having taken a short glance at the first technique within the Demonic Devil Sphere manual, the Demonic Detonation Technique, and grasping a few of its basics, Zhang was sure if he were to attempt this technique he would at best be able to perform it twice before overextending his body and injuring himself.

    Overusing the Heavenly Devouring Technique was also out of the question since that too would cause a huge strain on his body.

    So, after weighing the benefits and the risks, Zhang choose so be slow and steady rather than risking failure.

 Chapter 51: Wenjis Fury

    Burning a path for himself and the rest of the group, Zhang steadily made his way through the passageway that led to the tomb¡¯s main chamber.

    Seeing how effortlessly Zhang was dealing with the undead, the group of seven concluded that the eight Demonic Devil Spheres were otherworldly treasures that possessed heaven-defying strength, which of course reignited the greed that dwelled in their hearts.

    ¡°If I were to get my hands those spheres I would be able to raise through the ranks of the clan in a heartbeat! Few people in the clan would be able to contend against me.¡± One of the seven thought while staring at Zhang¡¯s back enviously.

    ¡°Turning those spheres over to the clan head will definitely allow our clan to rule over Twin Blade City. Fuck the Mang Clan, with such powerful treasures we¡¯ll be able to uproot their influence and lay claim to the city.¡± Jiang Han thought.

    ¡°Once these guys run out of uses we should get rid of them as soon as possible.¡± Zhang gestured to Wenji through a series of glances, winks, and silly facial expressions.

    ¡°Yea, if we get surrounded by the undead, we can use them as bait to make our escape.¡± Wenji gestured back to Zhang in a manner that only he would understand. From a third party¡¯s perspective, it appeared as if Zhang and Wenji were flirting with each other but little did everyone know, the duo was communicating in a language of their own.

    While everyone was plotting against each other a peculiar looking undead appeared. Clad in an ancient looking suit of armor, with pale white skin and hollow reddish colored eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, this particular undead looked worlds apart from the undead that Zhang had been killing.

    Extruding a deathly aura that seemed to contain the screams and wails hundreds of people, the peculiar looking undead stared at Zhang and the others with gleaming eyes filled with malicious intent. Lit with dancing flames of the fury the undead clad in ancient armor roar deafeningly and rushed toward Zhang, readying it¡¯s long and sharp looking claw-like nails to rip whoever stands in its way to shreds.

    ¡°Ru-run-run!¡± One of the members of the seven cried frantically as his entire body was suddenly overcome with fear.

    With knees shaking, teeth chattering and the hairs on their body standing on end, the men of the Jiang Clan were overwhelmed by the intense killing intent given off by the peculiar looking undead.

    ¡°Everyone get back!¡± Zhang commanded, feeling that the seven men of the Jiang clan would only serve to hinder him from seeing how shaken they were, he also wanted to protect Wenji and keep her out of harm''s way thus ordering everyone to step back.

    ¡°Ye-yes¡­¡± The group of seven stuttered in unison as they almost instantly stepped back a few paces and created some distance from them and Zhang.

    ¡°Are you sure you want me to move back also? Now is not the time to play the hero.¡± Wenji spoke with a slightly worried expression on her face. Despite being a core realm cultivator, even Wenji felt a bit distressed when she saw the peculiar looking undead rushing over from afar.

    ¡°I went to see the extent of my control over these eight spheres, if I need assistance I will be sure to ask for it.¡± Zhang replied with a smile as he waved his hands and manipulated the eight demonic devil spheres to engage the armored undead charging toward him.

    Moving through the air and creating a circular pattern, the eight demonic devil spheres under Zhang¡¯s control, shot toward the armor undead at unbelievable speeds.

    In a flash the spheres collided with the metallic scale armor wrapped around the undead, igniting a few sparks before piercing through their opposition and leaving behind eight gaping wounds. Against a regular person these eight gaping wounds would have been more than enough to leave Zhang¡¯s opponent incapacitated, however since he was facing an undead, they only dealt minimal damage.

    Ignoring Zhang¡¯s attack completely the armored undead continued to charge forward while releasing fearful roars.

    ¡°If I pour my essence into them I can increase their penetrative capabilities.¡± Zhang thought as he quickly activated the Heavenly Devouring technique and withdrew his black flying sword from the shadows, using it to block the sharp claws of the undead from slashing away at his face.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ Without the will to live, without a reason to return home and without a purpose other thing killing the living, the undead are truly unworthy opponents.¡± Zhang thought as he stared into the eyes of the armored undead and felt its nauseating breath brush on his skin while recalled the time he had spent on the battlefield and the faces of the soldiers that he had against.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Compared to a soldier who was filled with the hope of returning home to his loved ones and fueled on by a burning will to survive, Zhang felt the undead were rather dull.

    ¡°Their movements are predictable; their thought process is simple since they do not care if they are injured and their strength is limited since they have no emotions to spur them on. Even though they are many times more powerful than those men I had met on the battlefield, these undead cannot compare at all. They are too weak...¡± Zhang thought as he manipulated the demonic devil spheres to come flying back and piercing into the armored undead¡¯s neck and its arm and leg joints.

    ¡°Demonic Detonation!¡± Zhang yelled as he jumped backward, disengaging from the armored undead. A flicker of a moment later a burst of Zhang¡¯s essence was released from the eight demonic devil spheres that were lodged into the armored undead.

    Due to the positioning of the spheres, the armored undead¡¯s head was blown clean off of its shoulders, while its legs turned to stumps and its arms were severed from its body in a gore filled rain of mesh that splatted across the air onto the bodies of all those present.

    True to Zhang¡¯s words, individually no matter how powerful an undead was, they lacked the fundamental properties that made for a worthy adversary.

    ¡°Eww¡­¡± Wenji complained moments after finding her clothes covered in a disgusting amount of rotten flesh and black colored blood.

    While Wenji obviously wasn¡¯t too happy about what happened to her clothes, the group of seven broke out in joyous cheers as they received a sudden boost in morale.

    ¡°Charge!!!¡± Zhang commanded as he waved his sword, prompting the energized seven, who had been the epitome of fear not too long ago, to run pass Zhang and into the group of undead in front of them with weapons raised.

    Not too long after the two pups also began to move once again, quickly taking down one undead after the other while utilizing their sharp claws and fangs.

    ¡°I should avoid eye contact for now...¡± Zhang thought while feeling Wenji¡¯s piercing gaze focusing on him.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be buying me a new dress after we get out of here mister!¡± Wenji¡¯s yelled in an angry force as she ran past Zhang and cut down three undead with a single stroke of her belt sword before pinning two more to the wall with the use of the long needles tucked into her sleeve.

    As if she was using the undead to vent her frustrations Wenji violently continued to swing her sword decorating the walls with the splatter of black colored blood.

    ¡°Note to self never dirty a woman¡¯s clothing, consequences may be dire if she is armed with a weapon.¡± Zhang thought as he gulped down a mouthful of saliva after seeing the horrid states the undead who were unlucky enough to be standing in front of Wenji were left in.

    Although Wenji left a grisly trail of terror in her quake, Zhang couldn¡¯t help but inwardly applaud her for the amount of skill employed in the manner of which she dispatched her opponents.

    Since attempting to cut through bone would require her to use a bit of effort on top of increasing the likelihood of damaging her thin belt sword, Wenji instead chose to sever the jaw muscles of all of the undead she fought before cutting through their arm joints and disarming them, quite literally.

    Once the undead lost their ability to inflict harm to her, Wenji would either proceed to ignore them and allow someone else to finish what she had started or casually smash their heads into the wall, causing brain matter to paint an image of pure brutality and death for all to see.

    Under the combined efforts of the seven valiant members of the Jiang Clan, the furry two pups, the demons like Wenji, and Zhang, the undead was quickly cleared away and the main chamber quickly came into sight.

    From what Zhang, could tell the bulk of the undead could be seen trying to funnel into two other passageways that were on the opposite side of the hall from the one that Zhang and his group were coming out from.

    ¡°That passageway is the one that the members of the Mang Clan and the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect took. The Tiger Claw Dojo and the rest of the people from our clan should be in the passageway over there.¡± One of the seven said as he pointed to the other side of the hall, toward the two passageways crowded with the undead.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°I should we go try and help out the Mang Clan and the people from the Serene Lotus Sect? They should be the strongest group in this place.¡± Another person within the group of seven said.

    ¡°Are you saying we should leave the people in our own clan to die and try to help out people from an opposing clan along with a few snooty bastards from some sect?¡± Jiang Han complained in a low tone, hoping not to draw the attention of any of the undead on the opposite side of the hall.

    ¡°If we manage to help out the strongest group within that entered this tomb, we can combine our strength with theirs and rescue our clan members. Also, if all else, our chances of survival will increase exponentially if we were able to join forces with them.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be helping out either group.¡± Zhang said in a soft and calm tone as he looked at the other members of the group who, besides Wenji, stared at him with confused looks.

    ¡°As powerful are you are, do you think the lot of us alone can fight our way out of here?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that our group alone would have too great of a chance at leaving this place alive. That is to say, we continue to work together and try to leave as a group if it¡¯s just us two and the pups then I¡¯m sure it would only be a matter of time for us to leave. With that being said, I also know that most of the other people in this tomb have been poisoned and it is only a matter of time before they succumb to death. Regardless of which group we aid, our chances of survival are slim since in the end the people we had set out to aid might join the ranks of the undead and attack us once we completely tire ourselves out.¡± Zhang said while somewhat implying that he was confident that he could leave the tomb but just not with the group of seven.

    By doing this and sending a subliminal message to the group of seven, Zhang was hoping to let them know that despite currently being in the same place with them, he was not playing by the same set of rules, he had a way out and thus he could abandon them if he wished. This would shatter the slightly equally footing that would have been placed upon the group, elevate Zhang¡¯s sway, giving him more leverage to lead.

    ¡°Yo-you''re thinking of leaving us?¡± One of the seven asked in a somewhat disheartened tone.

    ¡°No¡­ At least not for the time being.¡± Wenji said with an awkward smile, reinforcing Zhang¡¯s words and furthering his motives.

    ¡°Let me ask this¡­ Do you guys think the nine of us and the two pups can take on all of those undead by ourselves?¡± Zhang asked as he pointed across the hall, prompting everyone to shake their heads.

    ¡°Instead of trying to save everyone, I say we should try to find a way to escape. Maybe along the way, we might stumble upon something that can deal with all of the undead in one fell swoop.¡± Zhang added, pushing his agenda.

    ¡°There¡¯s probably still a lot of treasure left in this place for me to take, why should I waste my time and risk my life to save those people?¡± Zhang thought inwardly. Since he still had no idea who was responsible for poisoning all of the water sources near the mountain, he was not willing to lend a helping hand to anyone.

    Zhang also felt that if he prioritized saving the other people first, once everyone is out of harm¡¯s way, they would contest against him and decrease the number of treasures and riches he could obtain.

 Chapter 52: Pills, Pills and More Pills

    Not wanting to be abandoned and left to face the undead by themselves, the group of seven reluctantly followed Zhang and Wenji as the duo silently entered into one of the many passageways leading away from the main chamber.

    Figuring that most of the other people within the tomb beside the two groups comprised of the people from the Mang Clan, the Serene Lotus Sect, the Tiger Claw Dojo and the main body of the Jiang Clan, had already been killed by the undead Zhang was hoping to see if there was any more treasure laying around for him to take.

    ¡°Hopefully the people who entered this passageway before us died before they were able to take any treasure¡­¡± Zhang said to Wenji once he noticed trails of blood and signs of struggle all around him as they walked a considerable distance into the passageway.

    If the people that came before them were able to take the treasure before being attacked and slaughtered by the undead, any gains that could have been made by going into this particular passageway would have been long gone.

    ¡°On the bright side, it shouldn''t take us very long to reach the chamber at the end of this passageway since all of those pesky traps have already been tripped.¡± Wenji said with a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°I guess it''s good we don''t have to deal any traps this time.¡± Zhang said as he looked at Wenji with a faint smile also.

    So as the duo conversed with each other, while the pups took the lead and the group of seven trailed behind, a light at the end of the tunnel soon came into view.

    Coming closer, Zhang''s saw hundreds of shelves lined with countless jade bottles of all shapes and sizes.

    ¡°A pill chamber!¡± One of the seven cried out in disbelief.

    One must know that besides Zhang''s and Wenji whose core operations within Twin Blade City revolves around gathering herbs and concocting pills, the other forces had to expend a large amount of funds to buy expensive dans from either traveling medical practitioners or from other cities.

    Twin Blade City¡¯s history was simply too shallow and the families that ruled it did not have enough resources to entice a skilled pill concocter to stay and concoct pills for them. Which in part was one of the main contributors as to why there were so many untouched herbs growing within the mountains.

    So, when considering how scarce cultivation pills were for most people within Twin Blade City, one could only imagine the looks on the faces of the group of seven once they saw thousands of bottles of pills laid out right in front of them.

    ¡°With all of these pills at my disposal, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before I break through into the Core Realm like Wenji.¡± Zhang thought as he eyed the shelves that stood in front of him.

    ¡°However, what shall I do about those seven? For their sakes, I hope none of them get any funny ideas.¡± Zhang thought as he glanced at the seven members of the Jiang clan through the corner of his eye.

    Although they had their uses, Zhang already decided in his heart that if the group of seven even so much as think to plot against him, he would put an end to their lives. Once overcome with greed people often went to the extremes and Zhang was not willing to risk increasing the amount of danger within the tomb by allowing others to plot against him.

    ¡°There are so many pills here, everyone quickly grab what you can. But be sure to not take too many things or else when we come across even more valuable treasures you won¡¯t have space to hold your share.¡± Wenji said, interrupting Zhang¡¯s train of thought and prompting the group of seven to rush forward and begin grabbing bottle after bottle of pills from the shelves and stuffing them into their robes.

    ¡°None of them have interspatial rings, if we allow them to satisfy themselves and take as many pills as they can first, conflict can be avoided. One our way out, we can even take the shelves if we want to.¡± Wenji whispered into Zhang¡¯s ear with a giggle before walking up to one of the many shelves and putting a few bottles of pills into her robes, pretending to be doing what the seven were and soon to join her was Zhang who was accompanied by the two pups.

    True to Wenji¡¯s words, since none of the members of the group of seven possessed an interspatial ring even after they stuffed their pockets full only a tiny fraction of the bottles of pills were retrieved.

    Realizing the limit of things, they could carry the group of seven had decided to pick out pill bottles that looked out of the ordinary, thinking that they were retrieving the best and rarest pills in the chamber.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    However, to ensure that she and Zhang reaped the most benefits, Wenji who was moderately skilled and knowledge in regards to medicine and pills, the only person present that could tell which pills were rare and which were not, took the liberty of stashing away most if not all of the rare pills before the group had even come up with the idea of doing so.

    From the labels on the pill bottles and faint aromas emitted from them, Wenji was able to identify many of the pills stored in the pill chamber.

    ¡°Is everyone ready to leave? There are other parts of the tomb to explore, and more treasure to take. Also, an exit to look for.¡± Zhang said as he tied a sack full of pill bottles onto the backs of Little Red and Little Blue, turning them into his pack mules.

    ¡°I''ll give both of you a few big steaks once we get out of here.¡± Zhang chuckled, putting on a show for the seven to see at the expense of the pups who eyed him with silly expressions on their faces.

    Although they were quite envious of the number of pill bottles that Zhang openly took, the group of seven did not voice any objections because after a bit of comparison they realized that Zhang did not actually much more than they did.

    So, with everyone within the group of seven satisfied with their hauls and without sparking conflict Zhang and Wenji began to head back toward the main chamber. Of course, before leaving Zhang made sure to leave behind his interspatial ring, which he attached a strand of essence to, once they traveled a short distance back toward the main chamber Zhang used his essence to manipulate his interspatial ring and store away all of the shelves of pill bottles within the pill chamber.

    ¡°Thank goddess, I find those Demonic Devil Spheres first and learned how to mold my essence or else this wouldn¡¯t have been possible.¡± Zhang inwardly celebrated as he stealthily controlled essence string attached to his interspatial ring causing the ring to fly through the shadows and back into his hands.

    Like they had done before the group made their way back to the main hall before entering a different passageway to search for treasure.

    With a quick glance, they were able to deduce that the two other parties trapped within the tomb were still alive and well seeing as the undead were still crowding into the two passageways on the opposite side of the main hall.

    ¡°The poison should kick in soon¡­We should finish up we are doing and leave this place soon...¡± Wenji mumbled as she took a glance at the opposite side of the main hall before walking into a passageway with Zhang.

    Walking down the third passageway, Zhang noticed many more signs of fighting compared to the passageway prior. There were even a few grotesque looking corpses laying on the ground, with limbs missing and dozens of bite marks visible from head to toe.

    ¡°Everyone be on alert.¡± Zhang said as saw the number of bodies laid out in front of their path and how blood soaked the floors appeared to be.

    Oddly, rather than keeping an eye out for any undead that could pop out from the darkness in front of him, Zhang began to examine the corpses on the ground. From what he knew regarding undead, whomever or whatever they kill are also turned into undead. So, he found it very strange that there were corpses remaining on the ground.

    ¡°Should I burn them just to be on the safe side?¡± Zhang asked as he looked toward Wenji, hoping to gain her insight on things.

    ¡°Hmmm let me have a look first, although they may look like regular corpses I have a strange feeling that something is off.¡± Wenji said as she arrived beside Zhang and released a stream of essence from the tips of her finger into the corpse, examining it for any abnormalities.

    ¡°This person didn¡¯t die due to the injuries, but rather died because of a sudden loss of all of the essence within their body. In the early stages of one¡¯s cultivation base had yet to be established and solidified, the essence within one¡¯s body and the essence of the world floating about all around us is essential to maintaining one¡¯s livelihood. Only after passing through the fragmented realm would someone be able to survive losing or expending a large amount of essence from their bodies.¡± Wenji concluded and spoke after checking the corpse.

    ¡°So, what should we do with these corpses? Should I still burn them just in case?¡± Zhang asked.

    ¡°Hacking off their heads or disabling their jaws should be good enough, it is best to save up as much essence as we can in situations like this. Since we can¡¯t be sure if these people here simply used up too much of their essence and died or something attacked and robbed them of most of the essence within their bodies. The latter would fit the bill more since there are so many corpses here that seem to have all died under the same circumstances.¡± Wenji replied as she withdrew her belt sword and proceeded to sever the jaw muscles on the corpse.

    Following Wenji¡¯s lead, the others soon used their weapons to cut and slash at the dozen or so corpses that were lying on the ground before proceeding down the passageway again. Filled with questions and subtle fears they walked into the darkness.

    Little Red and Little Blue were situated at the lead with four members of the Jiang Clan with spears stood to their sides, then followed by Zhang and Wenji with the remaining three members of the group at the rear, the group was pretty much prepared to fight no matter which front an enemy appeared from.

    One could call it good luck or bad luck but once they arrived at the chamber located at the end of the passageway, Zhang found their destination empty. Within even a single gold coin to be picked up the chamber at the end of the passageway was totally void of riches. Of course, there were a few bloody corpses scattered here and there but besides those, there wasn¡¯t anything else that was noteworthy within the chamber at all.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m kind of bummed that there isn¡¯t anything here to take, I¡¯m also kind of glad that we didn¡¯t run into anything here either.¡± Zhang with to Wenji while softly chuckling.

    Back in the main chamber of the tomb, a reddish colored silhouette could be seen hopping up and down with its two arms pointed straight toward its front. Clad in blood red armor, armed with iron spiked gauntlets, and intimidating eyes full of malice and hunger, this silhouette released an extremely oppressive pressure with every single one of its hops.

    As the hopping silhouette neared one of the passageways crammed full of undead, a strange event began to occur. The previously brainless and unresponsive sea of undead cramming into the passageway actually began to disperse and open up a pathway for the silhouette to use. Serving to make things even more peculiar, many undead that were garb in the same armor that the armored undead that Zhang had previously fought would fall in line and follow behind this hopping undead as if it was their leader, their master. Like an emperor leading his subjects, the hopping silhouette inched ever further down the passageway toward where the members of the Mang Clan and the members of the Serene Lotus Sect were.

    One could only wonder what will become of the poor people who end up in the path of this hopping silhouette for only misfortune can come from such an encounter. Before long blood would begin to spill and anguish filled cries would ring out throughout the tomb once again.

    Meanwhile, in the outside world, many people who had paid to be a part of the second group to enter the tomb anxiously awaited their turn. Without knowledge of what had occurred inside, ignorant of the hellish nightmare that had been unleashed, many people patiently waited and continued to dream about finding riches and gaining prominence.

    Sadly, for them, only the possibility of death would be given to them if they were allowed to enter the tomb with so many undead present inside. Also by the time Zhang was done combing through the tomb, the possibility of obtaining treasure would drastically decrease if there was any possibility at all remaining.

 Chapter 53: Master Yu Tong

    After an unfruitful venture into the corpse littered passageway, Zhang, Wenji and the band of seven from the Jiang clan, decided to try to find a way out of the ancient tomb instead of searching for treasure that was most likely already in the possession of others.

    Having obtained the eight Demonic Devil Spheres and a treasure trove of cultivation pills, Zhang and Wenji were already somewhat content with their harvest. As for the seven members of the Jiang Clan, the dozen or so pill bottles they had each obtained could already be traded for an astronomical sum of gold that would allow them to live the rest of their lives in luxury. When taking into consideration the dangers still lurking within the tomb and the wealth they had already obtained, they entirety of the group felt it would be a wise choice to locate an exit to the tomb rather than seek more treasure.

    ¡°Everyone, stay vigilant and alert the rest of the group if you spot any abnormalities in our surroundings, else we may end up dead without even knowing how we were killed.¡± Zhang said in a serious tone before taking the lead and retracing the group¡¯s steps back toward the tomb¡¯s main chamber.

    Without a single clue nor idea as to how or where their chances of escaping the tomb lay, the group were hoping to stumble upon a means of survival by returning toward their point of entry into the tomb.

    With gentle steps and vigilant eyes, the group proceeded with utmost caution as they walked passed the dozen or so corpses that they had previously dismembered.

    Silence filled the air as a symphony of rhythmic heartbeats softly reverberated in the chests of the seven members of the Jiang Clan. Like most people who were thrusted into unknown peril, the members of the Jiang Clan were all donning brave faces all the while being utterly enveloped in fear and anxiety.

    Unlike Zhang and Wenji, who both possessed higher realms of cultivation and a teleportation jade which could bring them to safety whenever they wished, the members of the Jiang Clan felt that their fates were now in the hands of others.

    If Zhang and Wenji along with Little Red and Little Blue, decided to abandon them, the seven members of the Jiang Clans would be akin to fisherman stranded on a boat without a paddle.

    With every step they took, the group inched ever so closer toward the tomb¡¯s main chamber, before long the mind chilling silence that had enveloped the group was washed away by an orchestra of undistinguishable noises that caused everyone¡¯s hearts to race.

    The chatter of teeth against bone, the scraping of broken nails upon the cold hard walls that made up the tomb and the gut wrenching muttering of the undead.

    ¡°Bro-brother Zhang, should we turn back?¡± A member of the Jiang Clan asked.

    ¡°Ye-yea, from the sounds of things, there might be hundreds of them out there.¡± Someone else said as their legs began to wobble.

    Before Zhang could respond, a valiant cry accompanied by a loud boom rang throughout the ancient tomb.

    ¡°Everyone attack! If we fail to defeat this monstrosity, it¡¯ll be the end of us!¡± Master Yu Tong¡¯s yelling could be heard as a storm of battle cries and raging weapons soon followed.

    ¡°It¡¯s Master Yu Tong!¡± A member of the Jiang Clan cried in excitement.

    ¡°Shhhhh!¡± Wenji shushed, as someone else was about to cry out in excitement.

    ¡°Be quiet¡­ From the sound of things, even Master Yu Tong, who is a profound realm expert is struggling in battle against the undead. If you alert whatever he is fighting here, then it¡¯ll be the end of us.¡± Wenji said sternly, causing the rest of the group to instantly shut their mouths.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, if a profound realm expert hasn¡¯t been able to come out on top, then we would only serve as canon fodder if we were to make our presence known.¡± Someone in the group voiced.

    ¡°How about this, I will go observe the situation and if the opportunity arises, we will group up with everyone else and take part in battle.¡± Zhang suggested as he reached out and gently held Wenji¡¯s hand, reassuring her that he knew what he was doing.

    After a nod from Wenji, Zhang retrieved the eight demonic devil orbs from his interspatial ring, manipulating them to orbit around his body, before running further into the passageway.

    A short distance away from where Zhang and his group had split up, a hellish battle was taking place.

    Master Yu Tong could be seen locked in combat with a fully armored silhouette, while the core realm experts from the various factions of Twin Blade City and their subordinates stubbornly resisted the rest of the undead.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Vastly outnumbered and burdened with the task of protecting their subordinates, the core realm experts could not fully display their martial superiority against the undead, rather they were slowly being overwhelmed and from the look of things, their final stand would soon end in calamity.

    In hindsight, all of the undead appeared to be the same, consisting mostly of the foolhardy fortune seekers that had entered the ancient tomb alongside Zhang and Wenji, however upon closer inspection one would be able to spot distinct looking undead who were all clad in similar looking armor.

    When generally compared with the regular undead, these armor clad undead weren¡¯t as nimble and moved very rigidly, however their strength and resilience were at an entirely different level. It was because of these armor clad undead, that the core realm experts were being pushed back into a corner.

    ¡°Although slightly worn out and tattered, it is without a doubt, they are all clad in magical armor.¡± Zhang noted upon catching a glimpse of the armored undead and the battle currently occurring between the living and the undead.

    ¡°I might not be an expert, but if my guess is correct, their armor could be classed as core realm ranked armor.¡± Zhang pondered as he tried to assess the current situation.

    Having fought and witnessing first hand the difference between himself and a profound realm master, Zhang was slightly hesitant from jumping headfirst into battle alongside Master Yu Tong against the hopping undead which is also called a Jiangshi or a hopping vampire.

    There was also the issue in regards of Master Yu Tong¡¯s character. With little to no interaction with Master Yu Tong, Zhang felt he couldn¡¯t fully trust this seemingly righteous Profound Realm expert.

    For all Zhang knew, the instant he participated in battle alongside Master Yu Tong, he could be setting himself up to be a scapegoat.

    ¡°It would be best for me if he could triumph on his own. That way I won¡¯t have to worry about so many variables.¡± Zhang thought to himself as he silently watched the undead and living locked in a massive melee.

    Some may say that Zhang was acting too cowardly or heartless by watching from the sidelines as many were risking their lives in battle, however they must also remember that everyone within the tomb besides Wenji and the two pups could be considered Zhang¡¯s enemies in one way or another.

    Human nature is something that is forever changing, like the waves of a churning sea, one could not fathom nor comprehend the desires and thoughts of others.

    It was only after experiencing a few life or death situations with each other were Zhang and Wenji above to forge the relationship they currently had.

    And to some extent, one could even question how far the depths of their feelings for each other went. Zhang¡¯s knowledge regarding Wenji¡¯s background could still be considered minuscule, their time together but a short fleeting moment.

    Of course there were things that did not require time, nor logic, to forge.

    Blending into the shadows, Zhang continued to observe the fierce battle. The shattering of bones could be heard as well as the snapping of swords while the two sides fought eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

    ¡°Tch, although I looks like he¡¯s locked in a battle of life or death, that Master Yu Tong hasn¡¯t even suffered a single scratch. None of his disciplines seem to have taken any life threatening injuries either.¡± Zhang muttered to himself after clicking his tongue.

    It was obvious Master Yu Tong and his disciples still had a full deck of cards at their disposal and was simply waiting for the other practitioners to expend more of their strength and essence.

    ¡°They must be waiting for the others to be completely tired out before quickly finishing off the undead so that they can keep all the spoils in this tomb.¡± Zhang thought as a plan of action began forming in his mind.

    As the battle continued on, the cultivators of Twin Blade City grew more desperate, fighting with tooth and nail. Like cornered beasts, they mustered all the strength in their bodies, minds and souls.

    In such a chaotic battle, no one was able to notice eight palm sized spheres rolling across the tomb floor.

    From the shadows, Zhang was manipulating the Demonic Devil Spheres, using them to aid the cultivators of Twin Blade City while silently attacking the disciplines of Master Yu Tong.

    ¡°In an ideal situation, after a few more of his disciplines fall, Master Yu Tong would be forced to give his all and kill that undead he¡¯s been fighting. Hopefully by then the two sides will be left with about the same amount of fighting strength.¡± Zhang though as he plotted to lead the current situation into a favorable outcome for himself.

    Although Zhang¡¯s control over the Demonic Devil Spheres was not perfect, making it impossible to remain completely unnoticed by the core realm cultivators. But since none of the masters of Twin Blade City were oblivious enough to have not figured out Master Yu Tong¡¯s intentions, hence they did not say a word about this mysterious helper that had appeared from nowhere.

    On the other hand, rather then noticing Zhang''s meddling, Master Yu Tong disciple¡¯s began to become suspicious of the cultivators of Twin Blade City while the regular cultivators of Twin Blade City remained oblivious to what was occurring behind the scenes on this stage of life and death.

    ¡°Disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect! Deploy the Blossoming Lotus Formation! Push the undead back! I will finish off this monster soon!¡± Master Yu Tong¡¯s voice boomed throughout the tomb as he finally caught sight and tallied the number of disciples who had fallen in battle thus far.

    Leaping through the air while using the heads of the undead as stepping stones, the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect began to congregate.

    With sword in hand and dance like movements, Master Yu Tong¡¯s disciples filed into formation, forming what would look like a giant lotus from above.

    Agilely working in unison with one another, the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect separated themselves from the other cultivators while mincing every single undead that approached them into bits and pieces.

    ¡°Fellow cultivators of Twin Blade City, regroup! Give our friends from the Serene Lotus Sect space so they can better deploy their formation!¡± Patriarch Mang cried as he watched the members of the Serene Lotus Sect, worriness and murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

    ¡°Vile beast! Die!¡± Master Yu Tong¡¯s voice echoed throughout the tomb once more as a white colored talisman with a golden lotus drawn on it appeared in his hand after a simple flick of a wrist.

    Illuminating the poorly lit halls of the tomb, the golden lotus on the white talisman began to shine brightly, before it could be seen slowly peeling off from the talisman and change from something abstract to something physical.

    ¡°To think he would have a sealing talisman with a high level technique engraved upon it. From the looks of things, it was even an Enlightened Realm practitioner who has personally inscribed the talisman as well.¡± Wenji¡¯s soft voice could be heard as it drifted into gently into Zhang¡¯s ear.

    Hearing the words Enlightened Realm, causes Zhang¡¯s inner thoughts to slightly be disrupted. Although his understanding of cultivation was lacking and his timer as a cultivator was shallow, Zhang knew that Enlightened Realm cultivators were kings in their own right. Overlords who could trample cities such as Twin Blade City with but a thought.

    Compared to the forces of Twin Blade City, the Misty Mountain Sect could be considered a colossus that stood high above in the heavens, peering down from above. But even with such a drastic difference in power and influence, the number of Enlightened Realm cultivators in the Misty Mountain Sect probably numbered less than ten in total.

    From the little time Zhang had spent familiarizing himself with the Misty Mountain Sect, he knew for a fact only the very upper echoes of the sect had those within the Enlightened Realm. As for those who has surpassed enlightenment and reached the emperor realm, he was certain there were none, else the Misty Mountain Sect would not be considered a lower grade sect.

 Chapter 54: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

    ¡°How could there be an Enlightened Realm cultivator out here in such a remote city.¡± Zhang thought.

    ¡°Perhaps he has purchased it off of an Enlightened Realm cultivator, rather then there being one part of the Serene Lotus Sect.¡± Wenji said as if she could read the thoughts racing through Zhang¡¯s mind.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t strange for Enlightened Realm cultivators to craft sealing talismans and auction them off for things they lack or need.¡± Wenji stated, with eyes focused on the shiny white talisman clamped in between Master Yu Tong¡¯s fingers and the lifelike golden lotus levitating in front of him.

    With its petals unfurrowed, the golden lotus looked extremely magnificent as it simply floated in midair, slowly spinning while releasing an otherworldly pressure that suffocated everyone present. Even the undead who were relentless thus far, stopped dead in their tracks, standing motionlessly as time seemed to slow to a stop.

    ¡°Everyone attack!¡± Master Yu Tong roared to his disciples, who in turn charged forward.

    Accompanying the blinding light being released from the sealing talisman, were dozens of color blades of essence that slashed through the air.

    ¡°Master Yu Tong! What¡¯s the meaning of this!¡± Patriarch Mang asked furiously as he witnessed the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect, cutting down a dozen or so cultivators from Twin Blade City.

    Rather than attacking the undead, Master Yu Tong¡¯s disciples had attacked the living, signally the beginning of a three-way battle to the end.

    ¡°Haha, you bumpkins should be honored to fall to our blades instead of slowly being devoured by the undead!¡± A Serene Lotus Sect disciple laughed as droplets of blood dripped from his gleaming sword while the lifeless body of a young man from the Tiger Claw Dojo laid in front of his feet.

    ¡°To think such a backwater place such as this would possess a tomb brimming with so much treasure.¡± Master Yu Tong could be heard saying, his eyes brimming with greed.

    One might wonder why Master Yu Tong had signaled his disciples to attack the cultivators of Twin Blade City before first eradicating the undead. Well, the answer was simple, thanks to their almost seamless teamwork and sword formation, the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect did not have to pay much mind to the undead and were able to solely focus on slaughtering those from Twin Blade City.

    On the other hand, the cultivators of Twin Blade City, consisted of a dozen or so different factions, many of which had been at odds with each other over the span of decades as they competed for control of the city.

    As a wise man once said, ¡°old habits die hard¡±, after being enemies for so long, it was highly unlikely the forces of Twin Blade City would be able to properly work together to repel both the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect and the undead.

    Try as they did, the cultivators of Twin Blade City were forced into a corner due to the quick turn of events that had just occurred, many of them falling to the treacherous swords of the Serene Lotus Sect while many others fell to the ravenous fangs and claws of the undead.

    ¡°Today is your day of reckoning, vile beast!¡± Master Yu Tong yelled as the petals of the golden lotus levitating in front of him broke free of the lotus stem, scattering into a gust of shimmering light.

    Once all of the petals of the golden lotus were transformed into motes of light, the armored undead that Master Yu Tong had been fighting all this time roared menacingly, charging forward with its metallic claws ready to shred any and everything that got in its way to pieces.

    However before anything was shred to bits or torn asunder, the armored undead was wrapped within a cloak of shimmering motes of light which somehow forced it¡¯s speeding body to a sudden stop.

    ¡°The shadows creep, evil lurk, doubt corrupts, but in the darkness there is light. Golden Lotus Annihilation!¡± Master Yu Tong chanted while performing a series of hand signs, causing the motes of light to shine even brighter then they had been before all the while releasing an extremely frightening pressure that seemed to be able to increase indefinitely.

    After Master Yu Tong finished chanting his incantation, the countless motes of light condensed together and in a fraction of a second, formed into thousands of needles of light. Like a raging storm of hornets, the needles of light shot forth, embedding themselves into the armored undead, ignoring its armor.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    With thousands of needles of light stabbing into its body, the armored undead looked like a human-shaped porcupine as it¡¯s angry roars soon echoed throughout the tomb.

    In a spectacular spectacle, the thousands of needles of light turned a bloody crimson red as thorn like cracks began forming on the armored undead. Bit by bit the armored undead was covered from head to toe with crimson colored cracks.

    Contrary to Master Yu Tong¡¯s expectations, despite using a sealing talisman that contained the power of an Enlightened Realm cultivator, the battle with the armored undead had actually not reached its end.

    On the surface the armored undead looked as if it were moments from crumbling into particles of dust due to the crisscrossing cracks that littered it¡¯s body, nonetheless, it was still actually brimming with strength. Little did Master Yu Tong know, within the armored undead, a large mass of essence was actually gathering and condensing together.

    Sensing the peril of the armored undead, the rest of the undead began redirecting their attention toward Master Yu Tong who quickly found himself completely surrounded by undead.

    ¡°Mere pawns think they can injure me?¡± Master Yu Tong said while raising his brow in disdain before performing another series of hand signs which cause the sword strapped to his back to glow. Under Master Yu Tong¡¯s control, the sword strapped to his back, shoot out from its sheath and beheaded every single undead within an arm¡¯s reach.

    Distracted, Master Yu Tong was caught completely off guard when a devilish green colored beam of condensed essence shot out from the armored undead¡¯s mouth, enveloping his entire right arm.

    In yet another sudden turn of events, Master Yu Tong who had held the situation in the palm of his hands was struck with a heavy blow.

    ¡°Vi-vile¡­ Be-beast¡­.¡± Master Yu Tong said, finding it extremely difficult to speak. Grasping the stubble that was once his dominant arm while coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood, Master Yu Tong looked extremely haggard.

    ¡°Master!¡± The disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect all yelled out in unison as they caught sight of the sorry state their master was in, turmoil quickly spreading amongst their ranks as fear finally made its way in and gripped at their hearts.

    ¡°Haha! This is what you¡¯d call karma! Quickly slaughter these bastards!¡± Patriarch Mang laughed, ordering his men and the cultivators of Twin Blade City to ignore the undead and attack the disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we did not rush in and take part in that fight.¡± Zhang said to Wenji as the two watched the chaotic melee from the shadows.

    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Wenji agreed as her delicate looking fingers brushed across the dozen or so needles tucked under her sleeve, ready to enter the fray.

    Human against human, human against undead, chaos, and death went hand in hand as disciples of the Serene Lotus Sect began taking casualties while also causing the same amount of damage to the forces of Twin Blade City. In the meantime, the armored undead was still pinned in place by the Golden Lotus Annihilation technique, while the heavily injured Master Yu Tong was being attacked from all sides by the regular undead.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be the perfect opportunity to act soon.¡± Zhang whispered to Wenji, somewhat happy about the current turn of events. One might say its cruel that Zhang and Wenji were simply standing watch on the sidelines instead of helping the cultivators of Twin Blade City, but from another perspective, if all the cultivators from Twin Blade City were to fall here, the one that stood to gain the most, in the end, was actually Zhang and Wenji.

    The loss of all the cultivators currently in the tomb would drastically reduce the fighting strength of all of the factions within Twin Blade City, even going as far as annihilating some of the smaller factions.

    Zhang¡¯s main concern was whether the undead were defeated and whether or not he and Wenji and the pups could escape the tomb without using his teleportation jade. As for the forces of Twin Blade City, although he held no malice toward them besides the Mang Clan, if they were all gone he would be able to quickly establish complete dominance. Once Zhang had complete control of Twin Blade City, he could extort its wealth and resources to quickly increase his strength.

    In the end, Zhang would be able to profit from Master Yu Tong¡¯s actions without having to do much work at all. Hence the whole time, he was plotting the mutual destruction of both the Serene Lotus Sect and the forces of Twin Blade City.

    Growing up in a clan of merchants, Zhang had always been taught how to quickly weight the benefits and costs of a situation. Though he would not harm the innocent, he would also not go out of his way to save a stranger if it meant possibly bringing calamity upon himself, a merchant to the core some would say.

    After witnessing the ruthless and senseless acts that had occurred during the war that left him homeless and alone, the values and lessons that he had been taught since he was young had slowly begun to remold Zhang¡¯s way of thinking. With partial influence from the fragmented soul and the Heavenly Devouring Technique, the Zhang that had left his parents to go fight for his homeland, the Zhang that had patriotism drilled into him in the Shu army, the Zhang that had been trained to fight not for himself but for the greater good of others, had changed into a more cold and calculating man who was rightfully more selfish.

    That being said, perhaps even Zhang himself did not truly even notice his slow transformation. But that could be said about all humans, as the person we are today is no longer the person we were yesterday and the person we will become tomorrow is not the person we are today. A day older is a day wiser as many say.

    As for Wenji, one could only imagine the depths of human nature she had seen thus far on her journey to remain free from the clutches of the Cai Clan.

    Finishing off a large number of undead, Master Yu Tong glared at the armored undead, unknown thoughts racing through his mind as he used his sword as support to keep himself from falling onto the ground.

    Returning Master Yu Tongs glare with a look of hatred, the armored undead roared as it began preparing to reuse it¡¯s trump card once more.

    ¡°You think I¡¯ll give you the opportunity to do that again?¡± Master Yu Tong said in a tired voice as he spat a mouthful of bloodonto his gleaming sword, causing strange runic carvings to appear on it. With a wave of his hand, Master Yu Tong sent his sword piercing through the air like a speeding arrow, aiming straight for the armored undead¡¯s head.

    Seeing the gleaming sword inching closer and closer toward it, the armored undead unleashed another devilish green colored beam from it¡¯s mouth, though this time the beam was only roughly half the thickness of the first beam.

    Before long the devilish green beam made contact with the gleaming sword causing the runes on the sword to slightly dim before dispersing.

    Since it¡¯s beam attack failed, in a last ditch effort to save itself, the armored undead mustered all its strength to raise it¡¯s arm and attempt to swat away Master Yu Tong¡¯s sword, which of course resulted in failure as the sword pierced through the armored undead¡¯s palm before pushing deeper and deeper up it¡¯s arm/

    Where Master Yu Tong¡¯s sword went, the armored undead¡¯s body would crumble into dust.