《Dreams of Sabers and Spirits》


 Chapter 0 – Prologue

    Chapter 0 ¨C Prologue


    Lion Empire, year 1725 of the Spirit Era, at the Border City of Cali.


    A young man was repeatedly swinging a hammer inside a smithy, doing his utmost effort to forge a metal hoe despite the perspiration on his face.


    With his right hand holding the hammer, his body maintained astable posture while his arm constantly used great strength to swing the hammer carefully to hit the metal piece in the necessary places so it can take the correct form.


    The young man continued swinging the hammer, second after second.He looked fixedly his work as his pair of black eyes reflexed the burning metal, preparing to correct any error which may appear during his work, knowing that a single moment of carelessness is enough to spoil the work of all a day.


    His black hair, full of grime, was enough to prove his arduous work, letting everyone know that he was not going to stopif his assignment had not been completed.


    For anybody entering the smithy, the image of the youth working projected a feeling of vigor and youthfulness. That, together with the well built body of the boy, showed a steady countenance able to inspire trustfrom any man or woman close enough to know about him.


    An old man sat reclining inside the smithy, his eyes closed with a leaf in his mouth. His scarce white hair covered part of his forehead; giving the impression of being sleepy due to his old age. But if you looked carefully, it was possible to notice that the body of the old man was full of muscle, and his posture, though reclined, was firm and steady like a mountain.


    The pair of young and old continued in the smithy, one working and one sleeping, while the sounds of the hammer hitting metal resounded through the place, every clang heralding the completion of a work that surely would be useful for a fortunate farmer in his daily life.


    The sounds persisted for a while more, every clanging sound maintained a constant pace, creating a symphony of sounds which unexpectedly would calm at anyone close enough to hear them. But when the listeners felt that the climax of sound was approaching, the hammering stopped abruptly, as if it hadn''t have existed from the beginning.


    The boy holding the hammer stopped in place, his eyes fixed on the hoe that he just created, looking carefully for any missed detail and hoping for a perfect tool fruit of his hard work.


    After a few seconds of careful observation, he exhaled tiredly, a small smile forming in his lips while his body fell in the ground of the smithy, wishing nothing more than a hot bath and a good dream.


    ¡°Congratulations boy, it appears that you finally learned almost everything what I can teach you. I don¡¯t think that I can make it better than you if I were in your position.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thanks old man, but I think I¡¯m not there yet. If you ask me then your works are a few times better than mine.¡±


    Opening his eyes at the exact moment when the youth ended, the old man stood up from the chair, walking toward the inside of the shop without looking at the tool recently created. He already knew the quality of the work simply from the sounds generated from the hammer hitting metal.


    The youth smiled for a bit more after hearing the compliments of the old man, knowinghow rare it was for the man to do it.He reminiced how it was at the beginning when the old man only had critics for the hardworking young man.


    Taking a pouch with a few silver coins inside it, the old man threw it towards the youngster, without waiting for him to stand up.


    ¡°Take it. That is your salary for this month. Use it well.¡±


    Catching it awkwardly, the youth proceeded to give him his thanks.


    ¡°Thanks, old man. I don¡¯t know what I would do without it. You are a lifesaver.¡±


    Then standing up, the youth proceeded to clean his face with the water in a bucket before taking a jacket from a shelf. Guarding the money in a pocket, the youth wore his jacket and walked calmly toward the exit, prepared to end his work for today.


    ¡°Oh, right old man, I won¡¯t be coming in the next few days. I just took a commission from the town hall to hunt a few beasts in the forest. Look like they have been causing trouble to some plantations and the farmers asked for help.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Is it so? I didn¡¯t understand why you do things like it. That is not like the money you earn from it is better than what you make in the smithy, and the risksare greater too.Moreover, it''s unlikely that you have a sort of future with fighting¡­ Whatever, take care in the forest.¡±


    The forest in the commission refers to the lost forest, part of a large forest which covered great part of the continent and connected to various mountains ranges. That forest wasknown for being full of demonic beasts and unimaginable dangers, taking the lives of many the peoples who enter. But of course, such dangers exist in the profound of the forest, while the more external parts are relatively secure.


    Making a difficult expression, the youth responded:


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it old man. After all, in this world, it is necessary to learn a bit about fighting, and this commission is pretty safe and a good place for me to acquire experience. As a bonus, I can get a bit of money. What else can I ask for?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I cannot win against you in arguments¡­ Okay, okay, go away¡­ shoo shoo, I don¡¯t wanna see you anymore for today¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Thanks again old man, see you soon.¡±


    Smiling, the youth left the smithy and walked towards a corner of the town where his house was, thinking about his plans for the next few days while looking at the stalls and stores from his surroundings, searching for any interesting thing to buy and bringhome.


    The Border Town of Cali is a small town ubicated in the borders of the Lion Empire with the Lost Forest, at the east of the continent.Because ofits ubication, the town is not very populated, with only a few thousand people, the majority farmers, and crafters with a few peoples coming from time to time to explore the forest; searching for opportunities or in the hopes of obtaining a bit of money.


    Walking around the town, the youth continued looking at the different stalls, from timeto time going near to some which captured his interest and bargaining with the owner for better prices. The scene carried a peaceful atmosphere only found in towns such as this.


    ¡°Impossible! Do you think I am an idiot!? I already know that the old fool Brake paid you today¡­! How do you dare to say that you are short in money?! I will not low the price any more, chose, or buy it or not!¡±


    ¡°Okay okay owner, I will pay. The price was two silvers, right?¡±


    Taking two silver coins from the pouch, the youth threw it at the man in the stall, receiving the bag with a few groceries inside with his hand.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Come back soon little Aiden, I heard you are going to do a commission in the forest, be careful¡­ Oh right, bring it to little Lia, tell her that it was a gift from my wife.¡±


    Holding the pie the owner gift him with his other hand, the youth, Aiden, bid farewell to the man in the stall, walking unhurriedlyindirection to home.


    Commission are tasks which are posted from time to time in the town hall with the purpose of solving troubles that cannot be settled for themselves. Normally, commissions go from request to help with the harvest of some farm, at petitions to kill wild beast causing trouble in the surroundings of the town, and in some extreme case, kill demonic beasts.


    Different from wild beasts, demonic beasts are animals able to control energy, obtaining superhuman strength and some other strange abilities, making them extremely dangerous to normal humans and causing great tragedies from in some occasions.


    Thanks toit, when a demonic beast is seen near a human settlement, a warrior or a team of warriors is sent immediately to chase and kill it.


    Said it, Aiden is no strong enough to kill a demonic beast, at least not easily, so when he accepted the commission, it referred to a group of wild beasts causing problemsto the farmers.


    Reaching a small house in the south of the city, Aiden opened the door with difficulty using his hands occupied with a bag full of various necessities and a delicious looking pie, while at the same timemaking his presence known to the other habitant of this house.


    ¡°Lia!!! I¡¯m home!!!¡±


    While Aiden entered the house and put the different things in a table, a sound offootsteps resounds from the interior of the house and a sixteen years old white-haired girl with green eyes appeared with a bit of sweat falling from her brows and a sweet smile in his beautiful face.


    ¡°Welcome home young master, I have already prepared your bath.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Lia, I need one urgently. I am stinking of sweat.¡±


    Taking off his black jacket, Aiden walked toward the bathroom. notceasing his conversation with Lia meanwhile.


    ¡°I brought the things you asked for and a pie the wife of the owner sends you, I don¡¯t think I have forgotten anything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, young master, I will beginto prepare forthe dinner. I think it will ready for when you end your bath.¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡±


    Entering the bath, Aiden begun to think about the different things which happened during the day and the things him must prepare for the following days that he will be spending in the forest. Lost in his thoughts, his body relaxed in the bathtub.


    The old man already said it, there is not much more I can learn fromthe smithy; and though I can continue going to earn money, it is not like I need it very much.But even now I don¡¯t have any idea about how to breakthrough my cultivation.


    What the old man said about Aiden don¡¯t having any future like a fighter was right. In this world, fighters and warriors are people who wield energy, receiving superhuman abilities and great longevity together with riches and honor. But if you want to have any future like a fighter you need to have a spirit, doesn''t matter in what form. Without a spirit, a human can only to be a mortal for all his life.


    Whenit comes at cultivation, Aiden is very talented, reaching at the peak of core-forming at the age of twelve with an excellent foundation incomparable at many of his peers. But unfortunately, Aiden is unable to go beyond of this point¡­


    ¡­ Because his spirit was stolen from him¡­

 Chapter 1 – Spirits, Aiden and Lia

    Chapter 1 ¨C Spirits, Aiden and Lia


    Spirits, amalgamations of laws formed in the boundary between body and soul.


    Around one in ten thousand people are born with spirits naturally, making it a rarity in the world and allowing at their possessors the capacity to open the door between the mortal and the celestial.


    Of course, the fact that someone owns a spirit doesn¡¯t mean that he will live in heavens, or thathe will become invincible compared at normal humans.


    However, compared to normal humans, spirits possessors are able to cultivate beyond the realm of core forming and use the energyfrom heavens and earth in amazing and diverse forms.


    Though normal humans can use the energyfrom heaven and earth to form a core too, the most they can do with it is strengthen his body, acquiring greater strength and speed for a brief time.


    But spirits possessors are able to go beyond it, injecting energy in objects, manipulating lightning and flames, flying through the skies and even achieving the immortality of the legends.


    Of course, the prerequisite is for you to be strong enough.


    Aiden was once the possessor of a spirit, a very strong one even among the highest class of spirits, considered the genius of a generation due at his great cultivation speed that allowed him to reach at the peak of core forming at the age of twelve.


    However, when he wasone step awayfrom breakingthroughthe next realm, his spirit was robbed, used for others like a fertilizer, cutting forever his road to cultivation.


    Even now, those memories bring painto Aiden every time he remembers it.


    Sighing softly inside the bathtub, Aiden forced himself to relax, taking out all the fatigue of the day with the warm water and closing his eyes.


    A few minutes later, having rested enough, he stood up from the bathtub, took the towel left there for Lia and proceeded to clean his body and wear his clothes.


    Coming at the dining room, a few exquisite looking dishes are waiting for him together with Lia, who is already sitting on the table.


    ¡°Looks delicious, must have been hard in you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master, it wasn¡¯t too hard.¡±


    Aiden can only smile wrylyhearing that commentary.


    ¡°Thanks, though it would have been better if you don¡¯t call me young master.¡±


    Lia only laughed lightly before responding:


    ¡°You know that it will not happen, young master.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was worth trying.¡±


    Even though Lia refers toAiden as young master, the relation between them is much closer than it. From the day when they met three years ago, Aiden had always treated her like one of his few (o perhaps the only) friends. Conversely, though Lia refers toAiden as young master and usually take care of his needs like a servant, as can be seen currently, she doesn¡¯t fear to rebuke him. Perhaps, she is more like a housewife caring for his husband, like the people of the town constantly joke.


    And actually, the relation between the two is really like a married couple, perhaps the only difference between a married couple and them is because they hadn¡¯t taken the last step.


    ¡°How is your cultivation doing?¡±


    Once they began to eat, Aiden asked with interest.


    ¡°I just need a step to reach at the peak of core forming, young master. I think I will be able to breakthrough before this week ends.¡±


    ¡°Is it so? Your progress is faster than I thought. How expected, you are a genius.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Bah¡­ Compared to young master, I¡¯m far behind!¡±


    Facing the smiling Lia, Aiden could only smile wryly, even though he knows thatshe doesn¡¯t have any bad intentions.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t joke too much, Lia. After all, I will probably stay in this level for the rest of my life¡­ O at leastit is what everybody says...¡±


    ¡°*giggles* That is because they don¡¯t know young master well enough.¡±


    Three years ago, when Aiden met Lia, he was at the lowest point of his life. His spirit was just robbed and he was in the middle of running away froma nightmarish life.His choice of saving Lia that day can be described as the turning point of his fate. Of course, the same can be said for Lia. For her, Aiden was the ray of hope in a world of darkness, a hero like in the fairy tales of legends; and though at the beginning their relationship wasn''t the best, at some point both become the pillar supportingeach other.


    Andthat is the reason because she knows.


    ¡°Did you get any lead, young master?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is a shame but no. Even though my talent in blacksmithing is very good, I was unable to find a lead in it to break through my bottleneck.¡±


    Yes, though someone without a spirit is supposedly unable to continue cultivating, Aiden continues trying the impossible.


    During the three years from the day when Aiden escaped from home, Aiden had been trying to search for a method to continue his cultivation.


    To prove at them all, that he is more than a fertilizer¡­


    To show them how wrong they were¡­


    To return to that place and recover whatwas his¡­


    ¡°Though there are many examples of talented people in a field giving birth at a child with a spirit related to such talent, it looks impossible to develop a spirit from nothing through a talent no matter how you try.¡±


    ¡°Then, was the blacksmithing useless, young master?¡±


    ¡°No. Though I couldn¡¯t find a lead towards spirits through it, my body and combat potential beneficed greatly. The control of my body, strength, and concentration were augmented considerably thanksto the two years of blacksmithing. If I had to say, without including weapons, my combat potential is at least seventy percent stronger than two years ago even though my cultivation had not advanced a bit.¡±


    ¡°*Sigh* At least young master was able to gain something from it.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is not like we had lost all hope.¡±


    Though like a general rule, if you don¡¯t have a spiritfrom birth you are unable to obtain one in your lifetime, there are a few exceptions through the history, like the Asura Emperor who acquired a spirit from a meteor falling from the skies or the Demon Dragon King who got a spirit despite being a demonic beast. Of course, such situations only happened twice in the 1725 years of the Spirit Era.


    Of course, Aiden didn¡¯t hope for such miraculous situation happening to him, but at least, it serves like proof that it is possible to acquire a spirit even if you were born without one (Or if you lost it).


    Based in it, Aiden had investigated during three years about a method to recreate a spirit, and though there isn¡¯t any great outcome yet, at least they had been able to reach to various conclusions with the results of their experiments.


    ¡°Then, what is young master going to do from now?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Mmm, you probably already know but I will be going to a commission from tomorrow afternoon. I think I will take advantage of this opportunity to practice my saber arts and see if I can get any lead from it. I was thinking of taking you with me, but if you are going to breakthrough soon then I think it is better if you stay here.¡±


    Though slightly reluctant to stay behind, at the end Lia nodded expressing her consent.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be so depressed. I will be away only for a few days and I¡¯ll be sure of bringing souvenirs for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t be so narcissist!!!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha¡±


    ¡­


    Once the pair ended the dinner, Lia proceeded to clean the table and Aiden took his saber at the courtyard to practice his sabersmanship. In the middle of the night, Aiden swung his saber constantly; from right to left and from above to below. Stepping around carefully, Aiden waved his saber like a dance well practiced, hiding a subtle killing intent in every movement. Submerged in his saber, Aiden forgot about his surrounding, not even noticing that Lia was also in the courtyard.


    Aiden was definitively a genius. Born with an incredible spirit, a great talent for cultivation and a monstrous affinity for the saber, Aiden was the typical genius son blessed for the heavens.


    And even now, with his spirit lost, during the last four years from the day when his spirit was stolen, his talent for the saber had continued blossoming each day. That is at the point where when he uses his saber, nobody in the mortal realm is probably his match. Perhaps because he dedicated every one of his frustrations at the saber, his sabersmanship had reached at a terrifying level after four years.


    With his saber in both hands, Aiden continued his dance during the night, letting the breeze to stroke his face, dedicating all his heart at the saber, and once his bodywas too tired tomove anymore, he stopped.


    Clapping lightly, Lia spoke:


    ¡°That was very beautiful like always, young master.¡±


    Holding a towel and helping to clean the sweat in Aiden¡¯s face, Lia heard him saying:


    ¡°Thanks,Lia. Now that you say it, I feel like my saber had improved quickly in the last few days. Perhaps I will touch the boundary of the next realm very soon.¡±


    Touching his saber, Aiden smiled thinly allowing for Lia to clean his face.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you, I already got all the ingredients to clean your meridians forthe last time, Lia. I think we can do it tomorrow morning before I go to the forest.¡±


    Lia blushed slightly thinking about the implication of the words, then shyly nodded.


    ¡°Okay young master, I will be in your care.¡±


    Looking at the behavior of Lia, Aiden smiled and kept silent, leaving a dubious atmosphere surrounding both of them.

 Chapter 2 – Cleansing the Meridians

    Chapter 2 ¨C Cleansing the Meridians


    The morning sun fell softly over the border city of Cali.


    In a courtyard in the south of the city, a young man stood quietly, saber in hand. His heaving chest and sweat-covered body the only proof of the intense physical activity recently done.


    Near him, wearing a white oriental robe, a girl was waiting below the shade of a tree, prepared to answer timely to any requirement his young master can have.


    Feeling the cool breeze caressing his face, the youth left his trance, looking toward the girl with a smiling face.


    ¡°Have you prepared everything Lia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master. We can begin anytime.¡±


    ¡°Good, then wait for me inside. I¡¯m going to clean my face first.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    Nodding softly with an unnoticeable blush on her face, the girl went inside the house leaving behind the smiling youth to continue his morning routine.Washing his face with a bowl of warm water, his mind replayed carefully every one of the necessary steps to guarantee the best possible results of the procedure he was going to do.


    Cleansing the meridians is a process that every practitioner experiment at least once in his life. It is normally done in the beginnings of cultivation, at the body refinement stage, with the purpose of allowing a better circulation of energy inside the body; it consists in removing the dregs residing inside the meridians which can obstruct the energyfrom passing freely through them. Normally, such process carries no risk.


    Of course, different from a normal meridian cleansing, the process that Lia is going to face is a bit different, and the consequence a bit riskier.


    Drying his face with a towel, Aiden took a deep breath and made up his mind, resolved to give his best to reduce the dangers that Lia was going to face at the minimum.


    Entering the house, Aiden left the towel on a table nearby and walked straight to the room where the procedure is going to be realized.


    But once he stepped inside the room, what greeted Aiden was the sight of a blushing Lia in a white bathrobe, fidgeting nervously while she waited for him.


    Faced with that scenery, Aiden could no help but look agape for a moment despite it not being the first time he foundhimself in that situation.


    Blushing even more deeply, Lia lowered her face as if fearing looking directly at his eyes.


    ¡°Y-Young master, p-please don¡¯t look so much¡­¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, my bad¡­ I forgot myself a bit¡­¡±


    Reacting to the words from Lia, Aiden proceeded to look at the rest of the room to avoid her gaze.


    ina side of the room was a bed in which anybody would feel cramped. The bed was fitted with white blankets and exuded a light medicinal fragrance, proof of his years being used for medical purposes. Near there, a bowl filled with a greenish medicinal concoction left out a bit of white smoke due to the heat. A set of needles rested over a table together with medical equipment of various kinds and a jade bottle whose content was unknown.


    Looking around the room and noting that everything was prepared, Aiden tried to calm himself down and stuttered to Lia:


    ¡°¡­ T-Take your clothes off and lie down.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes young master.¡±


    Seeing the nervous Lia, Aiden smiled at himself and spoke again, this time a bit calmer:


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t be so nervous, it is not the first time we do it and, I will be sure that everything will go well.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°¡­ That is not the only reason because I am nervous though¡­¡±


    Smiling wryly to herself, Lia took her bathrobes off leaving only her underwear and lied facing down on the bed.


    Staring absentmindedly at Lia''s body for a few seconds, Aiden only awoke after she coughed softly.


    Walking awkwardly towards the table,he took the bowl and the needles with his hands.


    The bowl was full of a greenish liquid composedfrom a mixfrom different herbs, some of spiritual nature even if only a bit. Itemitted a thick scent of medicine which was pleasant to the nose. It took almost six months for Aiden and Lia to reunite all the ingredients necessary for this medicinal paste, and the price of it reached at a staggering worth of almost fifty gold coins, enough for a small family to live comfortably for a few years.Only the price is enough for anybody to imagine the effects of this medicine in the body. Of course, if compared with the pill in the jade bottle, the medicinal paste is nothing. The bottle contains the last body changing pill that Aiden brought fromhis homewhen he escaped. The other two were used before in the previous two sections of meridian cleansing.


    Swallowing his nervousness, Aiden used his hands to spread the medicinal paste in the back of Lia, continuing with her arms and legs, being careful to not use too much force and causing a strain.


    ¡°U-Uhh.¡±


    Suppressing a moan from escaping her mouth and distracting Aiden, Lia bit her lips and cleared her mind for what was to come. Then after a few seconds, a biting pain spread through her body attacking her muscles.


    ¡°U-Ugh!¡±


    Seeing the twisted expression in Lia¡¯s face, Aiden took the pill outfrom the jade bottle and put it in her mouth.


    ¡°Hurry up! Swallow it!¡±


    Opening her mouth and swallowing the pill, it only took an instant for Lia feel a warm current spreading through her body, stimulating the energy in her and cleaning her meridians.


    Observing the situation, Aiden didn¡¯t hesitate to take the needles and insert it carefully in some points on her back, arms and legs; putting and quitting the needles in various places and inserting his energy following the changes in Lia¡¯s body.


    Concentrating completely, Aiden did his utmost to prevent any problem of surfacing. Forgetting about time while continuing to interchange the needles, Aiden didn¡¯t dare to lose the concentration for one second.


    Different from the normal process of meridian cleansing, the procedure that Lia was experiencing could be said to be ¡°induced¡± instead of the natural and painless process occurring during the body refinement stage. The normal process of meridian cleansing consists in simply expulsing the impurities from the body. Instead, the one Lia is currently experiencing not only expulse the impurities but also expand and strengthen the meridians and improve the circulation of energy. No just it, but she is receiving it during the core-forming stage instead of the body refinement stage.


    Because of it, the process realized is bit riskier. Normally, the injuries incurred in this process would be minor with at most some strained muscles, but with Lia doing it during the core-forming stage instead of the body refinement stage, the risks present are greater; going from rupturing some meridiansto even death in extreme cases. Thecauseis due to the greater quantity of energy present inside the body in this stage.


    This ¡°induced¡± meridian cleansing is a process realized for influential families at their heirs during the body refinement stage to create a great foundation for their future cultivation, reason because Aiden is determined to use it in Lia. Different from the thoughts of commoners, the body refinement stage doesn¡¯t consist simply in increasing the physical strength of the body, instead, its main goal is to attune the body to energy, making it easier for the user to manipulate it in the future, bringing great advantages in the upper levels of cultivation. If they need to increase their bodily strength, then there are various methods going from cultivation techniques to some medicines and spiritual plants which can do it during any stage of cultivation.


    On the other hand, though it is possible to correct a mistaken body refinement in the future, the greater the cultivation level the harder and more expensive is to do it. For this reason, Aiden made a significant effort with the purpose of correct all the imperfections in Lia¡¯s body and widen her future path of cultivation.


    A long time after, Lia began to feel the energy coursing throughher body beginning to subside. Noticing the change, Aiden retired all de needles and took a deep breath, allowing the tensionto leave his body.


    Sitting cross-legged in the ground, Aiden entered in meditation to recover the energy wasted during the process of cleansing. Meanwhile, Lia activated her cultivation technique to integrate the leftover medicinal effectfrom the pill with the energy on her body, so to avoid leaving it to be wasted.


    Five minutes after it, when Aiden was almost completely recovered, a sudden spike of energy awoke him from his state of meditation. Surprised, Aiden turned toward the bed only to see Lia meditating, a film of light covering dimly her body.


    Moments later, Lia opened her eyes and saw a happy Aiden smiling at her from ear to ear.


    ¡°Congratulations Lia! I didn¡¯t think you would breakthrough during the process of meridian cleansing.¡±


    ¡°Young master¡­!!!¡±


    Jumping from the bed, Lia ran and hugged Aiden excitedly. All while cryingfrom happiness.


    Surprised, Aiden tried escaping from her awkwardly and avoid thinking about her (almost) nude body making contact with him.


    Suppressing his emotions, Aiden blushed furiously and shout nervously:


    ¡°L-Lia! I know you are happy! B-But,think a bit more before you act!!!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! what do you mean, young master!? Of course, I¡¯m happy! After all I alrea-¡±


    A few seconds after it, a slap followed for a cry resounded inside Aiden¡¯s house.

 Chapter 3 – Rumors and hearsays

    Chapter 3 ¨C Rumors and hearsays


    ¡°I-I¡¯m truly sorry young master¡­¡±


    Walking behind Aiden in the streets of the border city of Cali, a depressed Lia was looking downwards wishing for the earth to open and swallow her.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry Lia, I told you that it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°B-But young master! T-There is a mark in your cheek! A-And everybody is looking to you with strange faces!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Lia, I think that the town''s people are already used to us fooling around. Can you not see? These old ladies from behind are laughingat us.¡±


    Turning around to the place where Aiden was pointing, Lia could no help but blush afterseeing a group of women laughing at them and murmuring about the good whatwas being young.


    Actually, from the day when Aiden and Lia arrivedat this town, a bit more than two years ago, till now, they had become a bit famous.Itwas because a pair of a young master and servant were a rare sight in this parts of the continent; and though the current Aiden and Lia have a warm personality, a few years ago Aiden¡¯s character was, though proper, very imponent and refined; leaving an impression of elegance and superiority, reason becausethey became rather famous quickly like ¡°the fallen young noble and his maid in search for new ventures¡±.


    Of course, now two years later, the form like the town saw them changed from the young noble and his maid to the bickering couple helpful in the different business (It was caused due Aiden and Lia working in various places during the past two years). Being it the main reason because the group of women laughed when seeing the red mark on the cheek of Aiden.


    Doing her best to hide her embarrassment from hearing the voices of these women, Lia tried to drive her thoughts toward the current situation in an effort to forget the happeningsfrom the morning, only to frown thinking about the place where they were going.


    Seeing through her thoughts, Aiden tried reassuring her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much Lia.After all, we had been staying for two years in this town and nothing had happened yet. And we cannot avoid going there; the information in that place could be useful.¡±


    After the incidentfrom the morning and under the insistence of Lia, Aiden decided left her to accompany him in completing the commission even though he thought that it was better for her to stay behind to stabilize her cultivation. Meanwhile, Lia thought that now she is at the peak of the core-forming stage, there wasn''t a need for her to stay behind.


    Reaching the conclusion that she can stabilize her cultivation in the middle of the path and take advantage of the wild beast they need hunt to acquire more battle experience, Aiden agreed that perhaps letting her come with him was a pretty good idea and allowed for her follow him.


    Then, preparing the equipment they will use during the travel, the pair left for the town hall to receive the concrete information about the mission.


    The reason for the uneasiness of Lia is dueto a place where they were going to stop before going to the town hall. This place is a site that Aiden and Lia had visited regularly during the two years living in this town. Even before entering the town, they had gone inside different branches of thisestablishment situated in various cities.


    Walking around for a few minutes, the pair stopped in front of a rundown store selling antiqueswhich probably nobody is interested in buying. Pausing for an instant, the pair entered after a bit of hesitation.


    Seeing a youngster sleeping in the storefront, Aiden coughed briefly before speaking without confirming if the youth was awake or not.


    ¡°I need to see the last merchandise.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Which one?¡±


    The groggy voice of the youngster answered.


    ¡°The one you don¡¯t have here.¡±


    A short pause after hearing Aiden, the youngster answered with a grunt. A moment later, a door that nobody would have noticed without previous knowledge, opened noisily as if indicating for the pair to enter.


    Paying no more attentionto them, the youth returned to sleep while Aiden and Lia, already used to it, entered the door.


    Once inside, the two encountered a stair leading downwards. Following the path down, they heard the sound of the door above them closing with a bang strong enough to scare anyone out of his wits.


    ¡°I had never liked this place.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lia. This place has a great reputation and I had never heard of someone being injured inside. Besides, weneed to look for information, and this is the best place to search for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I know young master, but I have this feeling that this place is dangerous. And every time I see that old man I feel like he knows all about us and is only playing us for fun.¡±


    ¡°That is only a feeling of yours, Lia. Peoples in this profession are trained to make others to feel it. I think it helps them with their business.¡±


    Reaching at the end of the stairs, the pair found another door. Knocking on the door twice, Aiden and Lia waited foran answer.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    An old and worn out voice called for them. Once they received permission, the pair opened the door and entered, Lia behind Aiden like a servant waiting for her master.


    ¡°Long time without seeing you two. It worries me when you two don¡¯t visit me for a long time.¡±


    The owner of the voice, an old man around eighty, was seated behind a desk in the middle of the room. A candle was the only source of light in the room, granting an oppressive feelingto the visitors and making the old man look even more terrifying. A chair was prepared on the other side of the desk for any visitors the room could have.


    Sitting in the chair with Lia standing behind, Aiden frowned and spoke without paying attention to the old man words.


    ¡°I need information about the latest happenings like always.¡±


    The same worn out voice spoke again, this time a bit more lively but equally eerie.


    ¡°Haha, so impatient like always, young boy. Don¡¯t you think it is better if you relax a bit from time in time?¡±


    Frowning even more at the behavior of the old man, Aiden spoke again this time slightly more annoyed.


    ¡°Could it be that you have not any interesting information?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! Such a joke boy! Do you think it is possible for any type of information to escape from Heaven¡¯s Net!?¡±


    ¡°Then speak. We don¡¯t have time to lose here.¡±


    ¡°Okay okay, the price will be the same as ever. Do you agree?¡±


    Seeing the youth nod a put a few gold coins in the table, the old man changed his smiling face and put a more serious expression what could have surprised the pair if they don¡¯t know about the old man eeriness from long ago.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Where can I begin?... Mmm¡­ Ah! A trace of the supreme emptiness flame had supposedly been seen in the north of the Lion Empire, but I don¡¯t know if you are interested in it¡­ Mmm let me see¡­ Apparently, the head of the Silver Dragon Palace fell in a fight near the lost forest, but the news had not been confirmed¡­ A beast tide occurredaround the borders of the Kieran Empire and the casualties are very high, but it probably won¡¯t affect us¡­ What else¡­ Ah! A strange secret realm looks like will open in the lost forest ubicated south from here, but nobody is sure of the exact timing, we heard that various young geniuses are interested in going so it will be very lively¡­ Mmm, I think that are all the pieces of information of relevant importance in the surroundings¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is it all? Looks like nothing could be of help.¡±


    Hearing the depressed tone of the youth, the old man could not help but sneer and speak sarcastically.


    ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t make that face! We didn¡¯t even say about the kind of information you are searching! Every time you come here you are only interested in hearing about the rumors in the surroundings without a specific topic...! Though, now I think about it, I guess I certainly heard about something you could be interested¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    Tilting his head before the old man, Aiden could not help but notice the malevolent and expectant expression in the old man face.


    ¡°I heard that the young princessfrom the AllGodKingdom broke through the late stage of the core-fusing realm being only fifteen years old. Everybody is praising her like a genius only seen every hundred years and various famous sects invited her like a disciple, though I think she didn¡¯t agree.¡±


    Hearing it, Aiden could not help but frown lightly, finding it hard to maintain the calm.


    The old man could not help but sneer annoyed seeing his expression.


    ¡°Hmpm! I thought you would have a more interesting reaction than it! Sigh, what a letdown¡­¡±


    At that moment, a strong killing intentfi??ed the room. Surprised, the old man turned his gaze to lookat Lia, regarding her again before laughing maniacally.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Yes! That reaction is way better! That is the way, missy! Hahahaha¡­!


    ¡°You¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough Lia! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°But young master! That old man is¨C¡±


    ¡°I say enough!¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Lia looked again at the old man before suppressing her emotions and walking out. But before they could let the place, the old man used his rusty voice to speak again¡­


    ¡°Hahaha! Wait boy, let me give you another two pieces of information like an apology for before. The first, I heard you chose a commission from the town hall right? I received a report with information saying that the comission is not so simple, so it is better if you are careful. As for the other, I only can tell you that a few troubles are comingto the town. Perhaps you will see yourself wrapped in them.¡±


    Pausing slightly to hear the information of the old man, Aiden only nodded to show his understating before going outside without looking behind.


    ¡­


    Once outside the rundown store, Lia looked worriedly at the furrowed brows in Aiden face.


    ¡°Young master, that old manalready knows everything. I don¡¯t know why he had not spoken to them yet but¡­¡±


    Assenting, Aiden furrowed his brows even more before walking towards the town hall.


    ¡°You are right, I think we had spend too much time in this town. This is time for us left, though this is a shame I could not find an answer here¡­¡±


    The reason because Aiden constantly visit the branch of Heavens¡¯ Net is to see if any information useful for his situation appears. The thing is, even he is not sure about how to begin to search, reason because he couldn''t so mora than ask about events of interest and search for a clue in them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master. I¡¯m sure you will be successful eventually.¡±


    Smiling softly to the encouragement of Lia, Aiden nodded.


    ¡°Thanks Lia. I think that perhaps the supreme flame can be useful for me, but I¡¯m not sure. The thing is, so much people had been searching for it during years without any clue that I don¡¯t even know where in the continent begin to search for it¡­ Sigh, leave it, if I¡¯m fated to find it, I think it will fall in my hands.¡±


    Thinking again about the words of the old man, Aiden affirmed his choice in his heart and continued forward.


    ¡°Once we completed this commission we will make the preparations to leave the town. I think that staying here anymore is dangerous.¡±


    ¡­


    Inside the gloomy room in the basement of the store, the old man continued smiling while thinking in the two faces what left the place.


    ¡°Master, I don¡¯t understand why you are doing it. Is it not better if you informto his family about the young man? Even if we don¡¯t need anything from them, I don¡¯t see any problem in them owing us a favor.¡±


    Hearing the young voice behind him, the old man only smiled mysteriously before saying.


    ¡°¡­ Though that kid is a bit interesting, with his current state there isn¡¯t much that bunch will give for the information; it is not worthy enough for me interfere. Moreover, the other kid besides him is also interesting, perhaps she will bring me a few surprises in the future, though I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ If master thinks so, then I don¡¯t have any opinion.¡±


    Laughing entertainingly, the old man turned to look at the youth behind him. Then, changing his expression, he asked seriously.


    ¡°Tell me, had you found any clue about ¡°it¡±?¡±


    ¡°No master. We had been unable to obtain anything. Are you sure the information is right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the information must be right. The head is one of the best seersin the continent. It is impossible for her to be mistaken.¡±


    Tapping lightly the table a pair of times, the old man thought for a moment before speaking once more.


    ¡°Go. Search again more carefully. Don¡¯t left any stone without overturn. I want news of it the sooner the better.¡±


    ¡°Per you command, master.¡±


    Nodding strongly, the youth disappeared strangely from the room.


    Ifa Aidenwould have been here to see the young man,he would have noticed that the youthwas completely identical at the one sleeping in thecounter even now.

 Chapter 4 – Before the Mission

    Chapter 4 ¨C Before the Mission


    Entering the town hall, the first thing that entered Aiden sight was a panel around four meters long full of announcements, petitions, and request; going from messages asking for lost children to prompts advising about the monthly recollection of tax.


    That panel was called the request board and was the place where people searching for jobs or accepting commissions go with the purpose of selecting the most adequate activity for their necessities.


    Though this board doesn¡¯t possess only requests, it received its name due to them being the main number of posts in the panel, occupying almost a half of it in comparison to other announcements.


    Already accustomed at the scene, Aiden and Lia walked directly to a side of the hall where a receptionist was standing with the purpose of helping to resolve any doubt, completing the process to accept a request or provide information about a situation in particular.


    The reason because the town recurred at posting request for help was mainly due to the issue of lacking personal, mostly of the military type, and also because of the lack of recurses.


    After all, the border city of Cali has a population of at most a few thousands, of which only around one hundred have any class of military training. And though a vast majority of this world people learn to fight at some point in their lives, normally that only means to learn how to use a stick to defend yourself. In a world where only spirits users have any future in the path of fighting, with the exception of a few mercenary groups or bandits, not many spiritless people truly learned how to fight.


    Reaching the counter, Aiden straightened his body before speaking to the smiling receptionist.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here to ask about the remainingdetails of my request.¡±


    Nodding to him, the receptionist answered while looking through the documents in the counter.


    ¡°How are you, Mr. Aiden? We were waiting for you. You took the request about the beasts destroying the camps at the west of the town right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait a moment.¡±


    Grabbing some documents from the counter, the receptionist entereda door behind the counter before returning with a few more notes in her hand.


    ¡°Mr. Aiden, here are all the documents related to the request. It contains information about the place where you are going, the type of beast you are going to face and the possible difficulties you could find. Please read them carefully and ask if you have any doubt.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Accepting the documents, Aiden, with Lia in tow, walked towards a table in a corner of the hallto sit and revise the documents.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Apartfrom information about the place and the current loses incurred, the notes mainly included information about the beast, the Giant Boar.A very aggressive variant of the boar known for attacking human beings and livestock with frequency, probably the reason because was published the request, and frequently seen in the surroundings.


    Differentfrom normal boars, giant boars have his body tempered for energy, and though they are unable of wieldingit like a true demonic beast, their strength is way beyond an ordinary human, oscillating between the beginning and peak stages of a core forming realm expert.


    Aiden had a bit of experience with this kind of beastbecause he encountered them before in some other missions. Normally they are not very difficult to kill, but if they are in groups of at least three of them, then things become difficult. Fortunately, this kind of beast acts normally in solitary, with only a few exceptions.


    Thinking about the words of the old man, Aiden and Lia revised carefully every document without encountering anything out of order. Confirming that everything was well and asking a few questions more at the receptionist, the pair left then the town hall.


    Walking out the hall, Aiden and Lia went towards the center of the town to buy the lacking provisions necessaries for the travel before going to the western gate of the town.


    ¡°Young master, do you think that the words of the old man are true? I didn¡¯t see any problem with the request.¡±


    Thinking a moment aboutLia''s words and remembering the warning of the old man in the old store, Aiden hesitated for a moment before replying.


    ¡°It must be. At the end of the day, that old man makes his money selling information. I don¡¯t think he will lie about itto his customers. Besides, what reason him have to lie to us?¡±


    Looking worried, Lia asked:


    ¡°.. Then, if young master thinks so, whyyou chose to continue the request?¡±


    Seeing the expression of doubt and slight nervousness in Lia''s face, Aiden could no help but laugh before speaking.


    ¡°Hahahaha, don¡¯t worry so much Lia. Even if there is an unexpected danger,Howdifficult can something related to giant boars be? At worst, we will find some beast with strength around the core-fusing level, and while the beastsdon''t reachto the late core-fusing stage, I have confidence in us retreating safely.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, then I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Hearing the breath released for Lia and looking her slightly calmer face, Aiden laughed once more before teasing her.


    ¡°Haha Lia, c¡¯mon, don¡¯t tell me you expected for me to say a cheesy line like ¡®don¡¯t worry! If something happens I will protect you!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Mou young master! don¡¯t tease me!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Laughing while glancing at Lia blushing slightly, Aiden smiled from ear to ear before adding in a calm tone.


    ¡°Well, this is not like if I will not do it if the situation presents itself.¡±


    Blushing even more deeply, Lia only nodded slightly like a timid rabbit.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡­


    At the western gate of the town, Aiden and Lia presented their identification for the town guards to see before exiting the town. Once outside, Aiden could not help but exhale strongly before stretching his arms, his black jacket moving with the wind.


    ¡°Hahhh, it had been so long from the last time I went in a request with you.¡±


    Looking warmly at the scene, Lia smiled softly before agreeing with Aiden.


    ¡°Yes, I think it was almost a year. I guess the last time was when we exterminated the rabbits.¡±


    ¡°Pufff, hahaha! I remember that you almost cried while killinga rabbit! Hahaha, that was hilarious!¡±


    ¡°Mou young master, don¡¯t speak about it! It is shameful!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, okay okay! Don¡¯t be angry! I will not talk about it anymore!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I will no speak with you anymore!¡±


    Increasing her walking speed, Lia pouted leaving at Aiden behind in front of the town gate.


    ¡°Hey! Wait for me! Don¡¯t let your young master behind!¡±


    Laughing again, Aiden jogged a bit beforecatching with her, looking forward and preparing himself for the coming battles.

 Chapter 5 – Inquiries

    Chapter 5 ¨C Inquiries


    Half a day later, Aiden and Lia finally reached the village.


    The place was like any common village in the outskirts of a city, with a bit morethan twenty houses scattered in less than five hundred meters, a few farmers were attending the growing crops while dozens of cows, pigs, and sheep grazed the surroundings.


    Walking to the entrance of the city, the pair stopped to ask for the whereabouts of the village head. Learning of the place from a village girl, the duo went to the house the girl signaled.


    Once there, Lia approached the door and knocked twice before retreating. A few seconds after, the door opened.


    The one who exited the house was a middle-aged woman, around thirty years old, with a silky black hair, tanned skin due to the constant exposure to the sun and a strong gaze product of years living in the countryside.


    Looking carefully at the pair before her, the woman spoke while frowning.


    ¡°Are you the ones who accepted the commission about the beast?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are the ones sent for the town hall.¡±


    Frowning even more after hearing the answer from Aiden, the woman assessed them even more carefully again before looking disappointed with her findings.


    ¡°Haaa, okay, you two can come inside. The village head is on the second floor.¡±


    Without botheringdue to the obvious lack of courtesy from the woman, Aiden followed her silently. Lia, on the other hand, frowned slightly upon seeing the woman¡¯s behavior.


    Walking while paying attentionto the pair behind her, the woman spoke again while guiding the group through a set of stairs.


    ¡°I thought the ones the town was going to send were a bit¡­ how to say it¡­ more experienced than you two.¡±


    Bothered by the obvious sarcasm in the words of the woman, Lia retorted irked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry madam, I¡¯m sure my young master and I know better about our capabilities than a random stranger.¡±


    Frowningat Lia''s words, the woman snorted briefly before approaching at a door at the end of a corridor and calling softly with an obvious irritated voice.


    ¡°Father, the helpers from the town hall are here.¡±


    An instant later, an old but strong voice was heard from behind the door.


    ¡°Let them in.¡±


    Opening the door, the woman extended her hand indicating for the pair to go inside before entering and closing the door behind her.


    After entering, the woman pointed to a chair for Aiden and Lia to sit before standing behind the old man. Lia, following her example, proceeded to stand behind Aiden while he sat in the chair.


    The village head had the appearance of a man in his mid-fifties, his shoulder-length hair was dyed white for the passing of the years. A short beard and well-cared mustache did nothing to hide the multiples wrinkles on his face.


    Looking interestedlyto the two youngsters before him, the old man stroked his mustache before speaking warmly with a tone of interest.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that the help the town was going to send was a pair of youngsters.¡±


    Maintaining a calm face, Aiden opened his mouth and spoke respectfully.


    ¡°You must not worry, Mr. Village Head, the members of the town hall only sent us here after judging that we can resolve the problem perfectly.¡±


    Hearing Aiden¡¯s words, the village head smiled warmly before presenting himself.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Hahaha, I hope your words are right, boy. My name is Joe and, as you had seen, I¡¯m the head of this village. The girl behind me is my daughter, Karina. I hope you can forgive her if she said something undue.¡±


    Ignoring the frowning expression in the woman behind Joe, Aiden smiled and said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mr. Joe. Like you said before, my companion and I were sentby the town hall to help you with the problem the village is currently facing. My name is Aiden and she is Lia. I hope you can forgive us if we imposed on you during our stay.¡±


    Seeing the calm expression in Aiden face, the old man nodded lightly and continued the conversation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young man, it¡¯s our pleasure help you with everything you need as long as you can take care of the problem we have currently.¡±


    ¡°As long as I can help, then there is no problem.¡±


    Done with the introductions, Aiden put a serious face before addressing the main subject of the conversation.


    ¡°Then, for starting, can you tell me about the situation in the village?¡±


    Frowning slightly, the village head spoke with a pensive expression.


    ¡°Very well Mr. Aiden. Like you probably were explained, the problem we are experimenting is related to a group of giant boars. Around two weeks ago, a giant wild board destroyed a few of our plantations. In the beginning, we only thought it was a stray beast and didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it. The thing is, after that time, the creature continued creating troubles, coming practically every day and causing damage to our plantations.


    When we noticed it, we decided to hunt the beast; after all, though a giant board is a relatively dangerous beast, after a few years living in the surroundings of the forest we learned how to deal with similar situations.


    We sent a party formed with the best hunters and the stronger men of the village to subjugate it. The hunt proceeded fairly well. The hunters tracked the beast for two days until they were successful in cornering it.


    But when the beast was cornered, the situation unexpectedly took a turn for the worse. Unexpectedly, when the men were preparing to strike the giant boar, a bigger one appeared from the surroundings and attacked our men with the help of the one we had surrounded. Confronted with the two boars, the men fell into chaos and were unable to fight against them. Fortunately, nobody ended dead, but a part of the group is gravely injured and unable to move.¡±


    Hearing the story of the old man, Aiden wore a pondering expression while thinking about the words the old man said. After a few seconds, he raised his face and asked:


    ¡°Mr. Joe, is it possible that this village doesn¡¯t have somebody able to manage a giant boar?¡±


    ¡°Of course we have. The leader of the expedition, my son, had the strength of amid core-forming warrior. The thing is, though my son has the cultivation, at the end of the day, he doesn¡¯t have very much combat experience. Not only it but though the first beast only had a mid core-forming strength, the second beast that attacked had the strength of around the late stage of core forming. When the two attacked together, there wasn¡¯t much my son was able to do.


    In reality, my son was one of the most gravely injured of the group. He distracted the stronger beast for himself while the rest of the group escaped.¡±


    Hearing the sorrowful tone of the old man, Aiden frowned slightly before asking:


    ¡°Mr. Joe, do you know the exact place where we can find the boars?¡±


    Thinking for a moment, the old man took a map from a drawer before signaling a part of the forest.


    ¡°Though I¡¯m not completely sure if they are still here, the last time they were seen was around here.¡±


    Glancing carefully the place signaled in the map, Aiden rose from his seat before speaking.


    ¡°Very well, then we will be going. Many thanks for your help Mr. Joe, wait for the news from us.¡±


    Furrowing his brows and looking again at the pair, the old man spoke again.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need anything more?¡±


    Pausing for a second, Aiden understood the old man¡¯s doubts and signaled the backpack is his back before answering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we had all we need.¡±


    Bowing their heads, Aiden and Lia bided farewell before exiting the house. Once outside, the pair headed towards the forest directly, ready to complete the mission.


    ¡­


    Inside the village head office, the woman, Karina, was furrowing her brows strongly while looking at her father.


    ¡°¡­ Father, you truly think that they are capable enough to kill the beats for themselves?¡±


    Thinking deeply, the old man turned toward Karina before speaking.


    ¡°Do you think they are not capable of doing it?¡±


    Frowning even harder, Karina thought carefully about the pair of before without remembering any redeeming quality beyond their physicals appearances.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I doubt they can do much when even brother was hurt."


    Comprehending the meaning in his daughter words, the old man smiled and spoke again this time more seriously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them. Though I¡¯m not sure about their exact strength, I can assure you that both of them are at least stronger than me. Not just it, but when I mentioned that one of the beasts was at the late stage of core-forming, none of them have any change of the expression.¡±


    Making a surprised expression, Karina could no help but exclaim after hearing her father¡¯s words.


    ¡°Stronger than you?! But father! Though your realm is not very high, you are yet an initial stage core-forming warrior! Are you telling they two are at least in the mid stage of core forming?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I think that perhaps higher. Barring any unexpected occurrence, I think they two with have not any problem fulfilling the request.¡±


    Sighing reassured, Karina spoke this time more cheerfully.


    ¡°Ii it so? I¡¯m glad! I wouldn¡¯t like if those two kids are injured for helping us.¡±


    Hearing his daughter, the old man could not help but laugh while smirking:


    ¡°Hahaha, you are such a worrywart like ever!¡±

 Chapter 6 – The Lost Forest

    Chapter 6 ¨C The Lost Forest


    The Lost Forest¡­


    Known like one of the greatest danger zones of the world, the Lost Forest occupies at least half of the continent territory.


    Though it is said that this world is ruled by humans, that statement is not completely true. Though humans occupy a great part of the continent, some danger zones and in special the Lost Forest are completely dominated by the demonic beast clans.


    The reason is mainly because of the powerful beast rulers. Every one of the beast rulers are demonic beasts what had touched upon the peak of cultivation. According to some legends, some of the strongest beast rulers are only one step away from attaining immortality, though even till now there are no records of any being attaining it in the world.


    It should be mentioned that different from humans, beasts are not born with spirits. In reality, when a creature condenses its demonic core and becomes a demonic beast, it calls upon its lineage, using its own body to transform it in a manifestation of its soul, making of it something like a spirit. The advantage of it is that creatures with stronger lineagesare almost guaranteed to attain a certain level of cultivation. The disadvantage is what is known as ¡°Bloodline Shackles¡±, making it incredibly hard for a beast break from the shackles of its lineage and attain a greater level of cultivation.


    An example of it are the giant boars. Though an adult giant boar is guaranteed to reach the late core forming stage, and with a bit of luck perhaps to the peak of core forming; if a giant boar wants to break from the restrictions of its bloodline and attain the core fusing stage, the difficulty of it is perhaps a hundred times harder than for a spirit possessor to pass the same hurdle.


    Of course, the contrary is also true. If a creature is born with the bloodline of a spirit emperor beast, then, once it matures, it is almost guaranteed for it to reach to the spirit emperor realm, bar any incident.


    It is precisely because of it that demonic beasts had been able to maintain their supremacy on great part of the continent. In truth, of the beast rulers in existence, less than a 10% are beast without an emperor bloodline, while the 90% remaining achieved their cultivation relying only upon the power of their bloodline.


    Though the Lost Forest is a territory ruled mainly for beasts, humans had constantly explored it through the years. The reason for it is greatly due to the incredible amount of resources found in the depths of the forests generating a great allure for cultivators. These resources, invaluable for cultivation, include demonic beasts¡¯ cores, spirits herbs, strange minerals and other oddities of the world. Countless people had changed his destiny thanks to fortunate encounters in the depths of the forest. Of course, countless lives more had been lost searching forsuch opportunities.


    Having said it, the reason because Aiden and Lia are exploring the forest is not to search for some opportunity or to obtain resources. The reason because they are here is to hunt a group of demonic beasts causing havoc in the surroundings of a village.


    It had been one day from when Aiden and Lia left the village head¡¯s home. During that time, Aiden and Lia reached the place indicated for the head and began to track the beasts.


    After following the traces left for the giant boars for almost one day, Aiden and Lia finally found signs of recent activity.


    Carefully studying the signs in the forest, Aiden signaledat Lia to prepare herself.


    ¡°Young master, is the beast close?¡±


    ¡°I think so. With a bit of luck, we will find it in the next few hours.¡±


    Looking at the marks in the ground, Aiden estimated the size of the beast carefully and spoke after frowning slightly.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Strange. According to the informationfrom the village head, the beasts that attacked the villagers were at the mid and late stages of core forming. However, judging from the marks in the ground, the beast we are following is too small, perhaps only in the initial stage.¡±


    Hearing the words of Aiden, Lia furrowed her brows and put a serious expression.


    ¡°Young master, could it mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the information is probably mistaken¡­¡±


    Nodding in confirmation, Aiden continued studying the marks and speaking about his deductions.


    ¡°I fear the number of giant boars in the surroundings is way beyond the two seen for the villagers.¡±


    ¡°Then, young master, don¡¯t you think it is better for us to return and explain the situation in the town hall.¡±


    Thinking about it for a moment, Aiden shook his head.


    ¡°I think there is no problem if we continued. At the end of the day, giant boars are only at the core forming stage. While the number of boars doesn¡¯t surpass ten I think we can manage the situation. After all, you must know that though I¡¯m at the peak of core forming, my true combat strength is beyond it; and though you combat power is not very strong, your controlling capabilities are incredible; more than enough to take care of a few boars.¡±


    Smiling at the words of her young master, Lia nodded to agree with him.


    To be sincere, the difference in combat strength in the initial stages of cultivation wasn¡¯t normally very great and many times could be made with the use of a superior technique or a stronger weapon.


    However, neither Aiden or Lia looked like someone possessing any of that two things. Aiden for example, apart of his black jacket and pants, only carried with him a black saber sheathed in his waist, a backpack situated in his back and a pouch hanging from his belt. Lia, for her part, only have with her a white dress and a pair of black boots. To an experienced mercenary, they could only to be described like rookies exploring the forest without enough preparations.


    The reason because the head of the village asked them if they didn¡¯t need anything else was precisely for it. For the village head, going to the forest to fight against giant boars with their current equipment was simply suicide. If no because he faintly felt that Aiden and Lia¡¯s cultivation was stronger than his, perhaps the old man wouldn¡¯t have allowed to the pair continue with the mission.


    Of course, the reason because they didn¡¯t take anything else with them, was notbecause they werelacking money. In reality, Aiden clothes were more than enough to work like protection thanks to the material with which they were made, and due to the nature of his combat style, more weight only would be detrimental.


    Lia, for her part, also have her special equipment with her, only that it was not visible at simple sight. In terms of value, Lia¡¯s equipment was way more expensive than Aiden¡¯s. In comparison, only Aiden¡¯s saber and pouch were perhaps of major value than it.


    Continuing their search for the beast, the duo began to see more and more traces of the giant boar. Feeling that the beast was near, Aiden signaledfor Lia to maintain silent to avoid it from detecting them.


    Five minutes later, the group finally heard a nearby roar. Immediately Aiden and Lia sprinted silently in direction of the roar.


    A few seconds later, the pair could see the beast finally.


    The beast was of 1.5 meters in height, with dark brown fur and a pair of big tusks growing from its mouth.


    Different from a normal boar, the giant boar hooves were bigger with a strange claw grow from them. Apart of it, its eyes glowed with a blood red color and showed incredible savagery.


    Currently, the boar was using its claws to dig in the ground fiercely. From time to time, the beast used its tusk to hit the ground, trying with all its strength to obtain whatsoever was below.


    Looking at the beast from a bush a few meters away, Aiden studied it before speaking in a muffled tone to Lia who was waiting beside him.


    ¡°As I thought, the beast is only at the initial stage of core forging. This beast is definitively not the one that attacked the villagers...¡±


    Listening attentively, Lia looked the beast noticing that it was smaller than an adult. Normally, an adult giant boar reaches to 1.8 meters of stature. In some occasions, giant boars reach even at 2 meters in height when mature. The one currently in front of them was only 1.5 meters.


    ¡°What do you think we must to do, young master?¡±


    Looking at the beast, Aiden decided quickly after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°I think this is better if you fight it yourself, Lia. After all, you are very lacking in combat experience, making this boar the perfect target thanks to it being a bit weaker than you.¡±


    Doubting for a moment, Lia nodded strongly and resolved herself before saying:


    ¡°You are right young master! If I don¡¯t want to be a burden in the future then it is better if I learn to fight as soon as possible! Wish me luck, young master!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good luck. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here just in case of something unexpected.¡±


    Smiling briefly, Lia walked out from the bush and looked toward the beast.


    As if detecting her presence, the boar lifted its head and turned toward her.


    Studying its opponent for a moment, the beast roared savagely before sprinting towards Lia with all its strength.

 Chapter 7 – Snow Spider’s Silk

    Chapter 7 ¨C Snow Spider¡¯s Silk


    At the moment when the giant boar began to move, Lia looked at it directly and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Iyah!¡±


    Seeing the boar coming closer quickly, Lia extended her hands and shout briefly before swinging them.


    Immediately after, a strong blow attacked the boar from a side, causing it to lose the balance and fly to a side.


    Crashing in a tree, the boar took a moment to recover its bearings before looking doubtful at the place where it was hit.


    Unable to find anything wrong, the boar shook its head before looking to Lia again. Taking a step back, the boar put strength in its back legs before propelling itself forward, this time even faster than before.


    Seeing the boar running towards her, Lia took another breath and swung her hands in direction of the boar again. Feeling something instinctively, the boar paused briefly before jumping backward. Immediately after, a strong blow cut through the place where the beast was before, hitting and destroying a few plants nearby.


    The boar, feeling the blow where it was before, impulsed itself with even more strength towards Lia, reaching her in almost an instant.


    Surprised by the speed of the boar, Lia jumped back awkwardly trying to avoid it and swung her hands with even more strength, hitting the boar again.


    Flying due to the hit, the boar stood again, this time clearly more injured and angrier than before. Fuming strongly, the boar sprinted once again, pointing its tusks forward and prepared to use them to cleave through its enemy.


    Seeing the beast approaching, this time more enraged, Lia swung her hands again flustered, trying to send the giant boar flying again. Unexpectedly, the boar used its weight to fix itself in place, only pausing briefly due to the hit before continuing the attack.


    Captured unprepared, Lia panicked and extended her hands forward trying to stop the charge by forming a small membrane a few centimeters before her. Regretfully, once the boar impacted with it, Lia was sent flying backward due to the impact, rolling a few times in the ground before stopping and coughing heavily.


    The boar, noticing thatits prey was yet alive, prepared itself to kick the ground again and charged forward.


    Looking at the fight from a side, Aiden could no help but frown witnessing the pitiful state of Lia.


    Furrowing his brows, Aiden forced himself to stop from interfering, remembering to himself that Lia had the necessary means to face the beastalone.


    Still in the floor, Lia rolledat a side awkwardly seeing the boar charging towards her, narrowly avoiding it. Staggering, Lia stood up and tried to hit the boar once again, only for it to avoid the hit and charge against her.


    This time prepared. Lia avoided the blow jumping to a side and attacked again while the boar passed the place where she was an instant before.


    Receiving the blow, the boar was sent stumbling again, only to recover its bearings swiftly and attack again.


    For a time, the forest was full of soundsfrom clashes and destruction while two beings¡¯ shadows ran and moved from place to place destroying the peace of the forest.


    Half a day after, both Lia and the boar were facing each other separated for a few meters. The two of them were panting heavily while drops of sweat fell from Lia¡¯s face.


    Even though both of them were in a tragic state, a careful inspection revealed that both the Boar and Lia didn¡¯t have any heavy injury. Though the boar had been hit a few times, apparently its hide was enough to resist the blows without taking too much damage. For her part though, Lia had a few scratches is her body and her dress but nothing more.Awhite silk could be seen below the broken parts of the clothes.


    Seeing the state of Lia, Aiden sighed helplessly before shouting at her.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Lia! Why are you only hitting it!? Had you forgotten what I taught you!?¡±


    Surprised, Lia looked towards Aiden briefly before making an expression of understating. At that moment, the boar grasped its enemy¡¯s distraction and jumped forward with all its strength in an intentto end the fight.


    Hearing the movements of the giant boar, Lia didn¡¯t doubt to jump backward, closely avoiding the boar¡¯s charge. Then, touching a tree, Lia used it to impulse herself to the right and distance herself from the beast.


    Seeing it, the boar proceeded to chase after her without hesitation. Lia, noticing the boar after her, continued avoiding it and running through the forest, using the trees in the surroundings to block the sight of the beast and flash to the right and the left constantly.


    For the next few minutes, Lia and the giant boar looked like a cat chasing a mouse; with the boar doing its utmost to catch Lia and she doing the same to avoid it.


    But this only helps to make the giant boar even more enraged. Seeing its prey avoiding it, again and again, the boar looked more and more angry for every second Lia dodged it and used more of its strength to continue the chase. Feeling this, Lia could only continue doing her best to dodge, squeezing every muscle of her body to produce more strength.


    After a few rounds more of pursuit, Lia, looking out of strength, finally stopped. Using a tree to support her body, Lia panted heavily before looking to the boar.


    Completely enraged, the boar didn¡¯t doubt before charging to Lia. Inclining its head, the beast pointed its tusks forward planning to use them to pierce the body of the girl.


    However, a second before the tusks pieced Lia, she suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Haap!¡±


    Tugging with all her strength, Lia shouted before jumping to a side. At that moment, the sound of the air being cut resounded in the place. The giant boar, feeling the danger, tried to move to a side unsuccessfully due to the momentum of the charge, and felt countless threads wrapping around him, sealing its movements.


    Looking around the forest, countless white threads could be seen tying the boar while hanging from the trees in the surroundings. Paying a bit more of attention, one could notice that the white threads were the same object that Lia used to hit the giant boar and protect herself from the chargefrom the beast at the beginning of the fight.


    The identity of the white threads is snow spider¡¯s silk. A silk produced after refining the threads of a demonic beast, the snow spider.


    The snow spider is considered a pretty strong demonic beast with the capacity to attain the spirit materializing stage at adulthood. Dueto it, the silk of snow spiders is a relatively rare and expensive material.It is because once a snow spider is hunted, the silk extracted from it is sold to powerful sects and clans to use it to create treasures and clothes for their members.


    In reality, Aiden only got it purely due to luck. In one of his missions, Aiden was tasked to catch a group of bandits in the surroundings of the town. When Aiden captured them and got the information about their hideout from some of their members, he unexpectedly found this treasure between their spoils.


    Holding the end of the thread in her hands, Lia tied it through the neck of the giant boar before pulling with all her strength to kill it.


    Feeling the threat to its life, the boar began to struggle and roar furiously trying to escape from its bindings.


    Putting strength in her hands, Lia pulled even more and resisted the boar¡¯s struggles. Feeling even more threatened, the boar roared with even more strength,the only difference beingthat this time its voice sounded desperate.


    Struggling for other ten minutes, the boar finally ceased to move. Seeing it, Lia finally released the thread before laying in the ground and panting heavily.


    A few seconds later, the sound of clapping could be heard from a side. Walking leisurely, Aiden smiled briefly at Lia before speaking.


    ¡°It took you more time than I thought but you were able to do it. Congratulations on your first fight Lia.¡±


    Seeing the smile on Aiden¡¯s face, Lia could no help but smile too and exclaim excitedly.


    ¡°I did it! Hahaha! Thanks, young master!¡±


    Smiling to Lia, Aiden observed the fight scene and spoke again after thinking for a bit.


    ¡°As I thought, the snow spider¡¯s silk is the perfect weapon for you. Umm! At the end of the day, it is a kind of thread,making it very compatible with your spirit. I think that before the spirit materializing stage this silk is more than enough for you.¡±


    Pondering about it briefly, Lia nodded and explained about her experiences.


    ¡°I think so too, young master. When I use the thread I feel a strange connection with it. I think the reason is because of my spirit; after all, my spirit form is also a thread, so it makes easier for me to use the silk.¡±


    The reason because Lia was able to use the silk so proficiently was preciselybecause of her spirit. Though people below the core fusing stage could not infuse energy in objects, it is well known that tool spirits possessors tend to be able to use objects relatedat their spirits very easily, granting them an advantage against others spirits in the lowers stages. Of course, that advantage is less notable the higher the cultivation level is.


    After the core forming and core fusing stages, cultivators ceaseto focus on expanding their pools of energy and begun to focus in understating their spirits. The next cultivation stages are known as spirit awakening, spirit deciphering and spirit materializing; the three of them known like the understating phase, where the focus is to comprehend the mysteries locked inside the spirits. A peak spirit materializing cultivator can live until 300 years compare at the 150 years of a core fusing one.


    Allowing to Lia rest for a moment, Aiden spoke after she recovered a bit of her strength, signaling to the place where they found the boar.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I think I found something interesting there.¡±

 Chapter 8 – Strange Beasts (1)

    Chapter 8 ¨C Strange Beasts (1)


    After that Lia collected the snow spider¡¯s silk. The group followed the traces of the fight to return to the place where they found the giant boar initially.


    Looking around, Aiden walked to the place where the boar was diggingwhen they came.


    Extending his hand inside the hole, Aiden searched carefully before grabbing something.


    Taking the thing out with his hands, Aiden looked at it curiously. The object inside was a strange mushroom-like plant. Different from a normal mushroom, the cap of the one in Aiden¡¯s hands had a strange pair of translucent leaves protruding from it. The leaves, same as the cap, had a beautiful emerald color with a sweet fragrance being emitted from them.


    Observing the plant, Aiden could not help but frown deeply.


    ¡°It is a jade mushroom, a kind of spiritual plant. It looks like the giant boar was interested in it, but...¡±


    Seeing the frowning expression on Aiden¡¯s face, Lia put a doubtful expression before speaking.


    ¡°What is the problem young master? It is normal for a beast to be attracted to spiritual objects is it not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is strange is the effort the boar put in getting the mushroom.¡±


    Hearing Aiden¡¯s answer, Lia tilted her head even more confused.


    ¡°What is wrong with it young master?¡±


    Putting a serious expression, Aiden spoke while thinking about the possible causes of the problem.


    ¡°You see, jade mushrooms tend to grow underground, far from the reach of many beasts. Normally, even if a giant boar smells a spirit plant like it, it will ignore it due to the difficulty of digging it. However, this boar was strangely interested in the mushroom, at the point where it looked desperate to get it. I could not think of any reason for it.¡±


    Putting a thinking expression, Lia pondered about the possible cause without success. Failing to find any reason, she spoke with a pondering tone.


    ¡°¡­ Perhaps it was injured and planned to use it to recover from its injuries?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s possible, though I didn''t notice any injuries, and this kind of beast shouldn¡¯t be smart enough to do something like it.¡±


    Aiden spoke using a doubtful expression.


    Though it was normal for a beast to be interested in objects with spiritual qualities, normally only beast with a certain level of intelligence searched actively for them. It was normal for a powerful demonic beast to guard a spiritual plant for many years waiting for it to mature. However, normally beast with a low level of intelligence only saw spirit herbs like a convenient and delicious snack. Due to it, they tend to eat it if they can, but if the difficulty to obtain it is too great, it is normal for a low-level beast to ignore it.


    That is the reason because the boar¡¯s behavior was strange to Aiden. Normally, a beast like the giant boar would have ignored such a difficult to obtain plant like the jade mushroom.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Thinking about it for a bit more without finding any answer, Aiden opted to put it in the back of his mind before speaking to Lia.


    ¡°Perhaps you are right. I¡¯m a bit nervous after hearing that old man, so maybe I¡¯m overthinking things. Let¡¯s go, we must collect the body of the boar and take the proof of killing it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    After taking the mushroom and keeping it in the pouch on his belt, Aiden and Lia returned to the place where the boar was killed.


    Looking the boar¡¯s corpse sprawled on the ground, Aiden took a knife from the pouch and used it to tear the tusks from the beast¡¯s mouth.


    One of the requirements to complete this kind of commission is normally to bring proof of killing the target. Normally, the proof consists of a part of the beast like the ears, fangs or tusks, with the only requirement being to maintain constancy in the parts used. For giant boars, the part normally used like proofwere the tusks, meaning that if Aiden wants to get a reward for every beast killed, he must hand the tusks of beasts to the town hall.


    After tearing the tusks of the boar, Aiden opened the pouch and guardedthem inside. Once he did it, Aiden took out a shining sphere from his clothes and put it against the mouth of the pouch before touching the boar with his other hand.


    Unexpectedly, after touching it with his hand, the corpse of the boar disappeared inside the pouch.


    Not looking surprised for it, Aiden closed the mouth of the pouch and put it in his belt again. Then, standing up, Aiden signaledat Lia to continue with their mission.


    Between the thingsthat Aiden brought out from his home when he escapedthe most valuable was probably his saber. But if there was something whichcan be compared on value, then it is the pouch in his belt.


    That pouch was made using various precious materials together with a mineral known as spatial stone. Spatial stones appear naturally in some parts of the world and are considered a valuable resource fought for the different powers in the surroundings once a vein is detected.


    This mineral normally appears like a normal stone, but once it is stimulated with energy, a spatial distortion is formed in the insides, allowing for the owner to keep a great number of objects inside regardless the size.


    Of course, though Aiden¡¯s pouch was made with spatial stones, the amount used in its construction was pitifully small, only generating a space of a few cubic meters inside; and due to Aiden¡¯s low cultivation impeding him of supplying the energy necessary to the artifact, it is needed to use a demonic core to supply energy to guard and take out objects of a certain size. Of course, even with all that limitations, the pouch had made Aiden¡¯s life very convenient in many forms.


    On the other hand, because of its high value, Aiden only use it to guard small objects in the presence of other people. After all, this is well known that treasures can be causes of calamities, so to avoid others of having thoughts about it, Aiden is used to disguise it like a normal pouch.


    Walking side by side, Aiden and Lia continued searching for traces of giant boars through the lost forest. But with only a few minutes of having started, the next boar made its presence known.


    *ROAR*


    Hearing the angry bellows of another beast coming toward them, Aiden and Lia paused briefly before furrowing their brows.


    ¡°Young master, is that beast coming for us?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it¡­ Perhaps it was attracted by the cries of the one you killed?¡±


    Looking in the direction of the roar, Aiden spoke to himself before prompting Lia to advance towards it. Running for a few minutes, the pair reached to a clearing in the forest. There, the boar was standing as if waiting for them appear.


    Lookin at the beast before them, Aiden frowned deeply and spoke.


    ¡°Looks like this one is around the late core forming stage. Do you want to do it for yourself?¡±


    Looking to the beast, Lia thought for a moment before opening her mouth, only to be interrupted for another roar coming from behind them.


    *ROARRR*


    Hearing the roar of the second beast, Aiden could not help but put a grave expression.


    ¡°Strange, from the strength of the roar, that boar is at least so strong like this one. How is it possible for such strong beasts to cooperate so easily? Is there a stronger beast acting like the leader?¡±


    Seeing the situation developing in a dangerous direction, Aiden unsheathed his saber before taking a hacking posture. Breathing deeply, Aiden communicated his intentions to Lia.


    ¡°Lia, I will be the main fighter in this battle. Stay behind me and use your threads to support me if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Okay, young master. Be careful.¡±


    Smiling briefly, Aiden spoke with confidence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they need more than two idiotic pigs if they want to deal with me.¡±

 Chapter 9 – A Saber Facing Two Boars

    Chapter 9 ¨C A Saber Facing Two Boars


    Minutes after hearing the roar, the second boar appeared before the pair.


    Different from the first beast the group found, this pair of giant boars was at least 1.80 meters each with a strength around the late stage of core-forming, making the difficulty of fighting them many times greater than the first one.


    Of course, different from Liawho was inexperienced in fighting, Aiden had ample combat experience. It, together with the support of Lia threads in case of something going wrong, made the difficulty of fighting lesser than the first fight.


    Grasping his saber with both hands, Aiden moved his feet searching for a position perfect to face the two beasts and avoid being surrounded for them. Lia, seeing the situation, retreated a few meters behind Aiden.


    Calming his breath, Aiden looked at the pair of giant boars and moved a foot backward to use it like support.


    Moving angrily, the boars tried to intimidate the pair with strong bellows; but seeing the calm expression in Aiden¡¯s face and noticing their bellows failing to do any effect, one of them inclined his head and charged forward.


    *ROAR*


    Hearing the roar of the boar and seeing the giant figure to charge forward many times faster than the onewhich fought Lia, Aiden drew energy from the core in his body and used it to reinforce his muscled and take a step forward.


    Immediately, a sharp sound filled the clearing. A formless pressure impacted the charging board causing a sharp pain in its skin.


    Feeling the pressure, the boar instinctively dodged at a side before retreating fearfully.


    An instant later, a ray of saber light cut across the place where the boar was seconds before.


    Besides it, Aiden could be seen holding the saber downwards in a posture of just having attacked.


    Frightened, the first boar roared fearfully. Seeing it, the second boar walked toward it and the two began walking in circles, intent on attacking at the same time.


    Eyes calm, Aiden prepared his saber again and took an attacking posture. Instantly, the same stinging pressure could be sensed by the boars. Feeling wary, the boars could not help but pause for an instant, but in that instant, Aiden attacked.


    Moving at a speed even faster than the boar, Aiden sprinted forward and swung his saber strongly. Then, with the sound of air being cut, a sharp saber-light appeared before one of the boars. Scared, the beast tried jumping to a side but was unable to avoid the blow completely.


    Seeing its companion in trouble, the other boar charged towards Aiden without hesitation, but only was able to impact the air due at Aiden feeling his movements beforehand.


    Jumping backward, Aiden took another stance with his saber and looked towards the boars. One of them, the one that was cut, was bleeding from a wound that cut its neck. If it would have doubted for an instant before dodging, then perhaps it would have left the world already.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Bleeding heavily, the injured boar seems like it knew that their opponent was too strong and tried to retreat. On the other hand, the uninjured one was roaring defiantly in anger from its prey escaping.


    Drawing a deep breath, Aiden augmented the pressure in the surroundings. The saber in his hands hummed in pleasure like if wishing for its owner to draw more blood and a sharp presence assaulted all the living things a few meters around him.


    Even Lia, a few meters behind Aiden, was able to feel the sharp intent filling the air. And the boars, being exposed at most of the pressure, felt an intense urge to retreat from the place.


    The sharp pressure in the surroundings was called saber intent. Saber intent was considered a special form of aura exuded for a strong sabersman.


    It is known that apart from weapon spirit users, it is extremely difficult for any person to generate any kind of martial intent, and in reality, not even every high-level cultivator was able to use martial intent.


    For Aiden to be ableof generating saber intentat his low age and cultivation, and such a strong one could be saidto be a miracle and proof of his incredible talent.


    Thanks to his powerful, saber intent Aiden was able to reign undefeated in the core-forming stage and fight weak core-fusing experts head on despite his lack of spirit. It could be said that Aiden¡¯s saber intent was a cheat compared to other.


    Directing his powerful saber intent toward the boars, Aiden took a step forward and swung his saber again, intent in dealing the fatal blow to the injured one. Sensing the danger, the beast retreated afraid and tried to distance itself from its attacker. The other boar, seeing the enemy advancing in another direction, charged forward to penetrate the youth, only to see the enemy disappear before its eyes and feel a sharp pain in the back.


    At that moment, the boar did its utmost to avoid the blow directed toward itself only to fail. Aiden, focused on his attack, chased after the boar and attacked again, this time fusing a greater amount of energy in his muscles to increase his speed.


    Flash!!!


    A powerful saber-light filled the surrounding.


    An instant later, Aiden could be seen beyond the boar while the animal was frozen in place.


    After a few seconds, a whimper sounded. Then, a red line appeared slowly in the neck of the beast before a fountain of blood exploded.


    Swinging the saber, a pair of drops of blood fell from the saber, leaving it like if nothing happened.


    Seeing its companion dead, the other boar roared in fear and tried to escape with the last bit of strength left in its body, but in the instant when it moved, the second ray of saber-light appeared and beheaded it, not leaving any opportunity for the beast to act again.


    Breathing deeply, Aiden closed his eyes and sheathed his weapon. Then, as if everything had been a lie, the sharp pressure in the surroundings disappeared, leaving behind only the smell of iron and the body of two boars.


    It was only necessary for Aiden to attack twice to kill both beasts. Lia, seeing it, looked agape, impressed that her young master was able to kill two strong beasts without a problem while her, despite her equal level of cultivation, had troubles to end a weaker beast of the same kind.


    ¡°Young Master! You are truly impressive! You are definitively a genius!¡±


    Seeing the purely impressed expression in Lia face, Aiden could only smile bitterly.


    ¡°Compared to you Lia, my only talent lies in the saber. I think you are more impressive to be able of reaching to the peak of core-forming in only three years despite you poor foundation. Though I¡¯m currently stronger than you, in terms of potential you are way above me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it young master! Don¡¯t you say that you are going to create your own spirit? You know I don¡¯t like when you actall self-deprecating!¡±


    Seeing the mad expression on Lia¡¯s face, Aiden smiled wryly and apologized.


    ¡°Sorry sorry! I know. It is only that I¡¯m not sure about how to proceed¡­ I wish that creating a spirit were so easy like brandishing the saber. Perhaps so I would have fewer troubles doing it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master¡­ I¡¯m sure that nobody in the world is most adequate than you to do it. If you are unableof creating a spirit, then, who can do it?... Also, I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m sure that my presence will help you with it.¡±


    Seeing the encouraging expression on Lia''s face, Aiden could no help but smile before nodding in agreement.


    ¡°You are right, I¡¯m sure that someday I will make it¡­¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Aiden raised his face before speaking again.


    ¡°But before it, I think I will kill all the pests nearby.¡±


    At the instant when Aiden said it, another strong roar resounded in the forest.

 Chapter 10 – Strange Beasts (2)

    Chapter 10 ¨C Strange Beasts (2)


    Roarrrrr!!


    A terrifying sound echoed in the surroundings of the forest.


    Many small animals were escaping from the place where the roar originated, scared of any creature that could¡¯ve been responsible for the commotion.


    There, a young man and a young woman were confronting a ferocious boar-like beast. In the surroundings, the bodies of two identical beasts could be seen lying dead in the cold ground.


    With a careful inspection, it was possible to notice that both bodies possessed exactly the same wound.A clean cut in the neck was enough to send both beasts to the afterlife.


    Different from the dead ones, the other beast was actually uninjured. However, the boar situation was not better despite the lack of wounds. A great number of white threads were tying it, making it impossible for the beast to move freely.


    Compared to them, Aiden and Lia were in excellent condition. Though Lia possessed a few more scratches than before and her clothes were in an even more pitiful state, her physical condition was good. Aiden, on the other hand, was completely unblemished, with even his clothes completely unstained, contrasting completely with the chaos in the surroundings.


    Constantly trying to escape from its ties, the boar was roaring and moving savagely. Pitifully, its body looked every time more entangled and new threads were being added at its body with every passing second.


    Lia, standing in front the giant boar, was looking to it intently, doing her utmost to control the threads and immobilize its body.


    Five hours passed from the moment when Aiden and Lia found the first giant boar and the afternoon sun was already preparing to give space to the soon to reach night.


    Different from the first beast that Lia fought, the current giant boar had a cultivation of around the late stage of core-forming. The fact that Lia was able to take care of it by herself without any injury was proof enough of her fast progress during the last few hours.


    After Aiden killed the first group of two boars usingtwo attacksfrom his saber, the pair was attacked continually for waves of beasts, the weakest of them being at the initial core-forming stage while the stronger ones were very close to the peak of core-forming.


    So, intending for Lia to use the opportunity to learn how to control properly her powers, besides the ones in the clearing, Aiden chose to leave at least one beast of each wave for Lia to kill every time.


    Thanks to it, the capacities of Lia to control her threads increased for leaps and bounds during the course of the different battles; and though there were various occasions where Lia was almost injured, thanks to Aiden¡¯s presence, she never received any damage beyond single scratches.


    The current beast was the best proof of it. Different from the first fight where Lia ended panting despite the enemy being three sub-realms weaker than her, the current Lia only have two beads of sweat even after suppressing a boar with a cultivation only slightly weaker than her.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Seeing the boar unable to continue resisting, Aiden nodded and signaled for Lia to end it.


    Lia agreed in understating and moved one thread around the neck of the beast to strangle it.


    After a few seconds of whimpering and resisting, the boar finally began to lose its strength until finally dying.


    Once the boar died, Aiden walked towards Lia and congratulated her.


    ¡°Truly impressive. And to think that a few hours ago you didn¡¯t know how to kill a chicken and now you are able to kill a late stage core-forming beast easily. I would not have believed it if I don¡¯t see it myself.¡±


    Lia looked downwards shyly and replied softly.


    ¡°Young master! don¡¯t tease me! I¡¯m far from being comparable to you¡­! ¡­And the only reason because I don¡¯t know how to kill a chicken is because I¡¯d never tried it before¡­¡±


    Hearing Lia increasingly softer words, Aiden laughed amusedly and answered in a joking tone.


    ¡°Hahaha, if you want I can take you to a farm when we get back¡­¡±


    ¡°Young master!!!¡±


    Laughing a bit more, Aiden indicated for Lia to sit and rest before sitting beside her.


    Closing his eyes for a moment, Aiden took advantage of the moment to think carefully about his encounters during the day.


    Frowning deeply, Aiden could no help but worry about the high number of giant boars in the surroundings.


    Giant boars, in its core, were solitary beasts that only on rare occasions tended to group. However, even in the cases where giant boars were grouped, normally the size of the group doesn¡¯t surpass five members. Compared to the current situation where Aiden and Lia encountered six waves of enemies with at least two individuals each, the differences were too great.


    Not just it, but during the various fights against the groups of boars, Aiden noticed a few strange points.


    Calming his thoughts, Aiden opened his eyes and chose to share his worries with Lia after hesitating for a moment.


    ¡°I think we have a problem.¡±


    Hearing the serious voice of Aiden, Lia turned towards him waiting for his next words.


    ¡°The number of boars in this part of the forest is too exaggerated. No just it, but it looks like they are cooperating forsome reason.¡±


    Pausing for a moment to organize his thoughts, Aiden continued.


    ¡°To be sincere, I noticed a few strange points in the previous fights. You remember the first boar? It was trying to get a spirit herb when we found it. You see, I saw traces of spiritual plants in some of the other boars we fought, and I doubt that spirit herbs are so common as to find so many traces of them in only a day.¡±


    Listening to Aiden¡¯s words, Lia could no help but frown slightly.


    ¡°Young master, are you saying that the beasts are being commanded¡­?¡±


    ¡°Un, and not just it. Had you noticed? From the moment when we entered the forest till now, with exception of a few small animals, we hadn¡¯t found any big animal or beast apart from the boars. We had almost two days in the forest and I don¡¯t remember hearing the howl of a wolf yet.¡±


    Thinking carefully, Lia noticed that certainly Aiden and she had to not heard the howl of a wolf or come upon another kind of beast during their stay in the forest. It was like if they didn''t exist.


    Waiting for a moment soLia can process his words, Aiden continued.


    ¡°Moreover, among the boars that we had fought till now, four of them were at the late stage of core-forming. If beastswith such strong are only being used to do chores, then, how strong is the leader? Peak of core-forming? Stronger than it?¡±


    Catching the implications behind her master¡¯s words, Lia gasped.


    ¡°Young master, are you saying that there is a demonic beast commanding the giant boars!?¡±


    ¡°To be sincere, that is the best of the possibilities. My biggest fear is the probability of a human commanding the beasts. In reality, I don¡¯t think that a low-level demonic beast is smart enough to command a group of boars to search for resources.¡±


    Wearing a serious expression, Aiden told Lia about his theories. Hearing about it, Lia put a worried expression and asked.


    ¡°Young master, do you think that a spirituser is behind it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Sigh, forget about it, we cannot do anything speculating here. Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s already late and the sun is going to hide soon. We need to find a place to camp before night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    Urging Lia, Aiden proceeded to gather the proofs of hunting the boars and kept the bodies in his pouch. Once it was done, the pair began to walk searching for a place to spend the night.

 Chapter 11– The Peace Before the Storm

    Chapter 11 ¨C The Peace Before the Storm


    After searching carefully through the forest and fighting another wave of enemies Aiden and Lia finally were able to find a place good enough to spend the night.


    Finding nothing wrong with the place, Aiden left his backpack in the ground before using a demonic core to take the camping equipment out from the spatial pouch.


    Normally, when mercenaries explore the forest, they made sure of bringing enough supplies for the travel. However, to avoid carrying too much weight, they try not to bring anything more apart from their weapons, water, food and sometimes a set of clothes.


    Different from them, Aiden is able to bring some commodities with him thanks to the spatial pouch. Though it¡¯s impossible to bring a bed with him, Aiden made sure of always carry seasonings, enough clothes, tents, blankets and everything he could need during the mission. Of course, he must be careful of not being discovered. In reality, the only reason because he carries the backpack is to hide the existence of the pouch from others.


    Taking a set of woman clothes from the pouch, Aiden threw it to Lia before indicating for her to change her clothes.


    ¡°T-Thanks¡­¡±


    Blushing slightly, Lia thanked Aiden before going to the forest to change.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    After warning Lia, Aiden continued taking different things from his pouch, beginning from a mattress and ending with the body of one of the smaller boars.


    Organizing everything carefully, Aiden grabbed a knife and began to skin the boar.


    A moment later, Lia came back from the forest wearing a new dress identical to the previous one. Seeing her come back, Aiden indicated for her begin to prepare the utensils for the meal.


    Nodding to indicate her understating, Lia went close to the objects Aiden took from the pouch and chose the ones necessary to prepare the meal.


    After skinning the boar, Aiden took out a jar of water from the pouch and used it to clean the meat, then, cutting a portion big enough for both of them to eat, Aiden kept the rest of it in the pouch.


    Once the meat was prepared, Aiden gave it to Lia and tried helping her to finalize the preparations to make the meal. Grabbing the meat, Lia put it in a pot before grabbing the seasonings and vegetables and indicating for Aiden to go away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master, I will take care of the meal. You can take a rest.¡±


    Seeing Lia insisting, Aiden chose to leave the kitchen at her and finish completing other tasks.


    A few minutes later, Aiden finalized setting the tent before going to install a few warnings in the surroundings to detect any enemy coming during the night.


    When Aiden finished setting everything, it was already night. Returning to the camp, the smell of food could be faintly felt.


    Frowning briefly, Aiden took a small stone from his pouch a put it in the ground. An instant later, the smell of food in the surrounding diminished greatly replaced for a sweet natural fragrance.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Walking silently to avoid distracting Lia, Aiden sat with his back against a tree a fell into thoughts.


    Currently, though Aiden was only at the peak of core-forming, his true combat strength was around the initial to middle stage of core-fusing stage. Dueto it, though Aiden was a bit worried about the possible strength of the one commanding the beast, he was almost sure that he would at least to be able to escape.


    The problem,though, was Lia. Though Lia¡¯s cultivation was also at the peak of core-forming, her combat experience was lacking, and his true combat strength hardly could be considered at that same level. Because of it, Aiden was worried that while he was fighting against the leader, Lia could be in danger.


    Even now, the number of beasts the pair encountered during the day was close to twenty, if so, who knows the number of beasts under the control of the leader yet? To be sincere, Aiden was not sure of being able to protect Lia while being besieged by tens of beasts.


    If not because the old man in Heavens¡¯ Net saying that he could take care of the situation, then Aiden would have left the forest long ago.


    ¡°Young master!!! the food is ready!!!¡±


    Hearing Lia¡¯s call, Aiden snapped out from his thoughts and replied back.


    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    Running towards Lia, Aiden grabbed the plate she passed him and smelled the meal¡¯s fragrance.


    ¡°It smells delicious like ever, Lia.¡±


    Hearing Aiden praise, Lia blushed slightly.


    ¡°M-Many t-thanks young master¡­ though it¡¯s not so good as the food I made when in home.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t worry for it. We are in the wild after all and I more than happy to eat a warm soup while in the forest.¡±


    Even though Aiden carried a few seasonings and spices with him in his pouch, compared to the amount one can find in the town then his variety is lacking. Dueto it, though the soup was certainly tasty, the texture was a bit bland and incomparable at the ones you can get in the town.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry don¡¯t worry. In the future, I will get a bigger spatial artifact so you can guard all the ingredients and utensils you need to cook anywhere.¡±


    Hearing Aiden words and seeing his smiling face, Lia smiled brightly and replied.


    ¡°Yes, young master! I¡¯m sure you will do it!¡±


    For a time, the meal continued in a relaxed atmosphere different from the one during the day.


    ¡­


    Once Aiden and Lia finished the meal, the pair proceeded to clean the utensils utilized during it and kept them away.


    When the pair ended, it was already around 8 o¡¯clock in the night. Intending for Lia have a good rest to wash away the fatigue and stress of today, Aiden suggested for him to take the entire night watch, explaining that it is not the first time he has doneit. Lia, of course, refused after hearing it. After a few minutes of discussion, it was decided that Aiden would guard the camp for seven hours till the three o¡¯clock and after it, Lia would do it until the seven in the morning.


    Agreeing to Lia proposal, Aiden sent her to sleep while he looked after the camp.


    Perhaps tired due to fighting a beast for the first time or fatigued after a long day in the forest, Lia fell asleep almost at the moment when she entered the tent. Seeing it, Aiden could only smile bitterly and sigh in the process.


    Aiden had to admit that the progress that Lia made during the day was immense. If somebody else would haveknown that today was Lia¡¯s first time fighting, then that person would be surprised greatly.


    In reality, a high cultivation not equals a high combat strength. Different from cultivation that can be obtained in the comfort of home, the only method to gain combat experience is through experiencing true combat.


    It is the reason because many scions of powerful families have a high cultivation but are unable to use even 10% of it adequately. Many are the cases of young masters with great reputations and high cultivations, being killed by a much ¡°weaker¡± opponent. The reason for it many times lies in the combat experience. In many occasions, the difference in combat experience is enough to decide the winner and loser of a battle.


    Of course, when the difference in cultivation between both parties is too great, then the difference in combat experience is inconsequential. After all, no matter the amount of combat experience that a mortal has, a martial emperor only need a finger to crush him to nothing.


    Lia¡¯s progress during the day can be considered astounding. Normally, one would need a much greater amount of time to reach Lia¡¯s level, however, she only took less than a day to make such progress.


    ¡­ Perhaps¡­ is it related to ¡®that¡¯ thing inside her?


    Pondering about Lia¡¯s situation, Aiden closed his eyes and continued maintaining guard over the camp peacefully.


    However, that peace was destined to be interrupted.


    A bit after midnight, Aiden opened his eyes.


    In the darkness of the forest, a pair of eyes shined like two red lanterns ominously.

 Chapter 12 – Strange Beasts (3)

    Chapter 12 ¨C Strange Beasts (3)


    At first, there was only a pair of eyes.


    An instant later, another pair of eyes appeared.


    Seconds later, the surroundings of the camp were full of red eyes.


    Damn it!!!


    Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Aiden stood up hurriedly a shouted towards the tent.


    ¡°LIA!!! WAKE UP!!!¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Aiden touched his saber and walked towards the tent to guard the objects inside in the spatial pouch.


    Despite the tiredness from the day, Lia woke up instantly surprised after hearing the shout and then got out from the tent. Immediately, she inhaled sharply seeing the astonishing number of red lights around.


    ¡°Prepare yourself, Lia! We are being attacked! I will try to guard everything in the pouch!¡±


    ¡°O-Okay!!!¡±


    Still surprised, Lia tried to prepare her equipment only to stagger clumsily. Aiden, seeing her state, scolded her strongly.


    ¡°HURRY UP, LIA!!! They can begin to attack in any moment!!!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!!!¡±


    The number of red spots in the night forest continued increasing. Aiden tried kept everything in his pouch, but halfway of it, the group of boars apparently finished their preparations because the first of the beasts stepped in the camp.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Cursing irritated, Aiden abandoned the rest of the belongings and ran towards Lia.


    Perhaps because of Aiden¡¯s scolding, Lia was able to regain the composure and prepared her snow spider¡¯s thread timely. At the moment when the first boar walked inside the camp, Lia was already done making her preparations to face it.


    Seeing Aiden running towards her, Lia calmed herself down and asked worriedly.


    ¡°Young master, what is the situation?¡±


    Frowning his browns, Aiden observed the surroundings carefully before speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but from what I can see there are at least twenty beasts in the surroundings. Also, I didn¡¯t hear any roar before seeing them¡­ I¡¯m not sure how is it possible for twenty giant boars come so close at us without making any sound.¡±


    Lia tuned pale hearing the number of enemies. Not noticing it, Aiden thought for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so startled if they were wolves, however; but I don¡ät remember hearing about boars ambushing their preys silently at night.¡±


    Looking towards Lia, Aiden saw a terrified expression on her face. Seeing her state, Aiden sighed and spoke firmly.


    ¡°Calm down, Lia! Being scared will not solve anything! Stay beside me, I will think of something!¡±


    Breathing deeply, Lia tried her best to stay calm.


    During the time when Aiden and Lia were speaking, even more boars entered the camp. Currently, seven boars were already inside and more shadows were closing to the pair.


    Watching the increasing number of enemies, Aiden could not help but clench his teeth.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡®Damn it! At this rate, we will be attacked from all sides and I will be unable to protect Lia properly. They have us completely surrounded so it will be difficult to escape. We better find an adequate place to resist them or we both will end death before killing them all.¡±


    Looking around, Aiden found a big rock not far from them. Though such rock wasn¡¯t the ideal solution in this instant, at least it could help them to protect their backs. So, Grabbing Lia¡¯s arm, Aiden ran towards it dragging her with him.


    Three of the boars, seeing their prey running, were unable to contain themselves and began to run after them.


    Hearing the sound of hooves behind him, Aiden accelerated even more to reach the rock. Then, pushing Lia behind him, Aiden faced forward with the saber in both hands.


    ¡°Stay behind me and try to help me the most you can! Don¡¯t leave that place or I will be unable to protect you.¡±


    Sabers, in itself, were weapons designed mainly towards offense. Compared to swords, it was harder to find a sabersmanship designed purely towards defense. Aiden¡¯s sabersmanship, even more, was purely offensive with exception of a few parrying techniques. After all, the main saber technique Aiden practiced didn¡¯t possess any defensive move and only consisted of attack and evasion.


    Due to it, if Aiden wanted to protect Lia, he must make sure to not allow any beast to charge repeatedly against them. It is because, at the moment when he is forced to evade, Lia will be left unprotected.


    Knowing it, in the moment when Aiden pushed Lia behind, he Immediately proceeded to attack. After all, onlyby attacking recklessly could him make sure that the boars have not any attention to spare to Lia.


    At that moment, the powerful saber intent filled the surroundings. Different from the day, this time¡¯s saber intent was even more condensed, proof that Aiden was completely concentrated in this battle.


    The moment when the three boars felt the saber intent, they unconsciously paused. And seizing that brief moment of stillness, Aiden swung his saber.


    The next instant, the first red flower of the night blossomed. Not understating the situation, the boars recovered almost instantly of their stiffness and continued rushing in a frenzy, only for the foremost beast fall suddenly; in its neck, a red line could be seen leaking blood.


    Not pausing for a moment despite his achievement, Aiden took a step forward and attacked again this time at the second boar. The beast, feeling the danger, moved at a side to evade the attack only to see the youth twisting slightly his wrists and redirecting the attack in the direction where the boar was evading, then, the second blood flower appeared, this time accompanied with a cut severing the board completely from the waist.


    Different from the first one, the second beast didn¡¯t die instantly, instead, it bellowed painfully before its dead. The last one, hearing it, turned even more frenzied in his attack.


    At this moment, the third beast was already charging against Aiden. Putting his saber forwards, Aiden inclined it slightly to the right to redirect the blow before sending all the energy possible towards his left leg and using it tokick the boar away, successfully throwing it in direction of the forest.


    Having killed the two first beast and fended the third, Aiden breathed briefly before looking at his surroundings. Immediately, his breath was caught inside him.


    A vast number of boars were now in the camp, looking towards them with even redder eyes. Seeing the great number of enemies, Aiden smiled bitterly.


    ¡°I think I will need your help this time Lia¡­¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    Feeling Lia nodding behind him, Aiden strengthened his expression before holding the saber with even more strength the saber in his hands.


    Then, taking like a signal the rise of the boarwhich was thrown away for Aiden before, the rest of the boars charged together.


    Like a dark wave advancing toward them, the group of boars used their tusks to lunge towards the pair. Facing them, Aiden felt the weight of the saber in his hands before liberating all the saber intent currently possible for him.


    Then, feeling the sharp intent in the air, Aiden pumped energy crazily around his body and flourished his saber with the stronger attack that he could currently release.


    Like a powerful wave, a sharp saber move attacked the charging boars. In that instant, the leading beast of the group felt a blade cutting through their strong hide; then, a moment later, a great amount of blood exploded leaving behind the recently killed corpses of at least five boars.


    However, instead of being scared from that attack, the charging boars looked even more enraged after seeing their companions fall before their eyes. Putting even more strength in their legs, the group of beasts advanced powerfully, intent in killing the enemy.


    ¡°Ha!!!¡±


    Using the moment caused for the last attack, Aiden rotated his body transferring the greatest amount of strength possible in his arms before trusting his saber forward. Then, after piercing through a beast, Aiden put strength in his hands and swung his saber sideways, cutting through the first boar and killing another at the same time.


    However, at the end of the day, the number of beasts was too great. Taking the opportunity when Aiden was attacking, another boar charged against him.


    Unable of dodge so to avoid putting Lia in risk, Aiden could only try his best to use the saber to parry the boar¡¯s attack, then taking a step back, Aiden swung his saber again.


    But before his attack could hit, another boar charged to him from another side.


    Crap!!!


    Unable to avoid or defend in time, Aiden braced himself to receive the attack.

 Chapter 13 – Bloody Frenzy

    Chapter 13 ¨C Bloody Frenzy


    Crap!!!


    With his saber occupied parrying the charge of a boar, Aiden was currently unable to fend the attack coming from a side. With no option but take the attack with his body, Aiden circulated all the energy in his body in an attempt to decrease the damage taken.


    Seeing the boar already before him, Aiden braced himself to receive the impact, but, an instant before the boar could hit him, the beast unexpectedly tripped.


    ¡°Young Master!!!¡±


    Hearing Lia¡¯s cry, Aiden was able to comprehend the reason immediately and without hesitation used the chance to kill the first beast, then, taking advantage of the other boar yet being in the ground, Aiden trusted his saber once more to end its life.


    ¡°You saved me there Lia!¡±


    Aiden used the opportunity to thank Lia before readying his saber again.


    Despite the deaths of two more boars, the number of beast charging didn¡¯t decrease; instead, the number of red points in the surroundings seemed to increase and the pressure in Aiden increased.


    Without enough time to take a breath, Aiden raised the saber in his hand taking a downwards posture and attacked again taking a step towards the closer beast. Using the saber to cut the beast¡¯s neck, Aiden stepped in the dead body and use it to impulse himself forwards, then, using the impulse to retrieve the saber and swing it, Aiden proceeded to kill another beast.


    ROARRRRRRR!!!!


    Seeing their enemy coming to face them, the beasts roared in unison, then, without any order, tens of tusk and hides were directed towards him.


    Evading swiftly and using his saber to block the attacks unable of avoiding, Aiden retreated again returning at his original position, then, concentrating the intent of his saber, hethrust forward and ended the life of another beast.


    Unexpectedly, at the moment when the beast was killed, it used its body¡¯s weight to pull the saber toward it


    Frowning slightly, Aiden hesitated for a moment before stepping heavily in the ground and pulling the saber back. However, that small delay was enough for another pair of beast attack him from two different directions.


    Facing the two beasts, Aiden unhesitant attacked one of them, leaving himself open at the second¡¯s attack.


    However, at the moment when it was about to hit him, the same situation happened again.


    Mysteriously, at the moment when the boar was about to hit Aiden, a strong force pulled its leg causing it to fall and giving him enough time to kill the other beast. Then, pulling his saber quickly from the body, Aiden cut the neck of the boar laying in the ground.


    Lia, the responsible behind it, was currently observing the fight carefully with the purpose of helping Aiden in the right moment.


    Though Lia was unable of helping directly in the fight, using her threads in the adequate moment was enough to change the course of the battle greatly. Lia¡¯s threads were perfect to restrain and hinder foes, after all; and used in such a chaotic battlefield caused the results to be even greater.


    For starting, tool spirits like Lia¡¯s are known for possessing low attack power in the lower stages of cultivation and for being considerably difficult to cultivate. Different from weapon spirits like swords, hammers, and spears that made their owners inherently proficient in the use of certain kinds of weapons, tool spirits of the miscellaneous type like needles, mortars, and threads are normally weak in direct fights but greatly helpful in certain situations.


    Of course, everything had exceptions. Though normally tool spirits of the miscellaneous type are useless in fighting, there are cases of people becoming unrivaled with them. In Aiden¡¯s knowledge, a powerful clan in the south of continent was famous for the fighting techniques used in conjunction with their cauldron spirit.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Paying attention to the battle, Lia made sure of control the number of beasts attacking Aiden at the same time. At the moment when Aiden was unable to block an attack, Lia used her threads to hinder the attacker.


    Even so, the battle continued becoming more taxing for Aiden with every minute.


    At the end of the day, Aiden¡¯s sabersmanship was mainly composed of attacks and evasion, with no much emphasis on blocking. And due to having to protect Lia, Aiden was unable to evade and had to force himself to use the few fundamental blocking techniques learned in his childhood.


    But even so, Aiden saw himself receiving every time more attacks due to his inability to use his agility during this battle. Frowning deeply, Aiden knew that at the current rate they would end tired sooner or later.


    Sweating profusely, Aiden took a step at the right and moved his saber to cut a charging boar, then, before the next beast could attack, a white thread tied itself in the leg and caused it to stagger, giving Aiden enough time to position himself and kill it.


    Taking a deep breath, Aiden opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Lia, at this rate we will tire out before killing all the beast! We need to get out of this place before we are too worn out to even try it!¡±


    With a flash of realization, Lia nodded and asked:


    ¡°Young master, you have an idea!?¡±


    Nodding lightly, Auden answered.


    ¡°We can only try running as fast as possible while you use your threads to hinder our persecutors! Wait for my signal! When an opportunity appears, I will use all my strength to open a path outside!¡±


    Hearing Aiden¡¯s plan, Lia nodded seriously and prepared herself to escape at any moment.


    Aiden continued battling the endless waves of giant boars, killing one after other with the help of Lia. At some point the ground began to become greasy due to the greats amount of blood falling in it, making even harder for Aiden to evade the charge of the boars.


    After killing another boar with a swing of his saber, Aiden adjusted his breath to continue fighting. However, before the fight could continue, a change appeared on the battlefield.


    ROARRRRRRR!!!


    A terrifying roar, even stronger than the ones until now, resounded through the forest.


    Hearing the roar, Aiden could not help but tighten his expression.


    ¡°Young master, that is¡­¡±


    Putting a serious expression, Aiden gripped his saber with all his strength.


    ¡°Yes, that boar is at least at the peak of core-forming¡­ No, from what I can feel, that beast is probably just one step away of breaking through to the core-fusing realm. It must be very talented to reach at such point even with the bloodline shackles.¡±


    Lia opened her eyes wide hearing about it, then, thinking about something, she asked intrigued.


    ¡°Could it be, is it the leader of the beasts!?¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s possible, though I don¡¯t know what method is used to control so many beasts.¡±


    When the roar of the boar sounded, even the beasts charging toward Aiden stopped in place. Aiden was unable to understand how a boar, even being a bit stronger, was able of something like it.


    Unable to find an answer, Aiden decided to concentrate in the incoming fight against it. Sharpening his senses at the maximum, Aiden spoke softly to Lia after seeing the leader appear at the edge of the camp.


    ¡°Stay alert, Lia... Perhaps it is the opportunity we were waiting.¡±


    The new boar was almost two meters tall, with red eyes and a robust body even compared to the others. An almost unnoticeable film of light was shining around it.


    That was the proof that the boar touched the door to the next level, the core-fusing stage. Even though the boar hasn¡¯t yet formed a demonic core, the density of energy in its body was enough to form a protective film around it. Such protective film is one of the biggest advantages core-fusing lifeforms have against core-forming ones.


    Not being intimidated for the boar strength, Aiden moved his body subtly to release the greatest strength possible in a blow. The boar, seeing his opponent standing defiantly, roared again and charged at an incredible speed.


    Seeing the boar closing the distance in almost an instant, Aiden breathed deeply before stepping forward and brandishing his saber.


    The saber drew a beautiful arc in the air and closed the distance with the boar in almost an instant. The beast, however, was a creature with a step in the core-fusing realm after all. Just before the saber could hurt it, the giant boar moved the tusks slightly and used it to stop the attack, then without even pausing, it accelerated even more.


    But in that instant, the powerful saber intent appeared again. This time, the saber intent was completely concentrated in the blade of the saber and not even a bit was leaking from it.


    With another step forward, Aiden and the boar passed each other.


    Then, not waiting for the corpse fall, Aiden shouted.


    ¡°LIA!!! NOW!!!¡±


    An instant later the beast fell.


    Lia accelerated with all her strength, not paying attention at the stream of blood flying from the neck of the boar...


    ...And the rock behind her exploded.


    Lia could only see a giant boar charging against her at top speed.


    Then, the back of her young master appeared before her.


    With a powerful thudding sound, the body of the boy was hurled unconscious at the distance.


    ¡­ And a terrifying killing intent invaded the place.


    ¡°YOUNG MASTERRRRRRRR!!!¡±

 Chapter 14 – Song of the Cursed Girls

    Chapter 14 ¨C Song of the Cursed Girls


    A despairing cry echoed in the night.


    When Lia saw the body of Aiden being thrown away by the boar, time stopped momentarily for her.


    She could not understand immediately what was happening and her mind was doing all in its power to process the events of the last few seconds.


    Then, the image of Aiden lying unconscious in the ground appeared before her¡­


    ¡­ And the space in the surroundings was frozen forcibly.


    ¡°AAAaAAaaaAAAAaaaAAA!!!¡±


    A frightening killing intent inundated the surroundings.


    Lia only felt her vision becoming red suddenly. However, for the beasts in the surroundings, it felt like if the entire world was pressed against them.


    Images about the instant when Aiden chose to take the attack for her resurfaced in Lia¡¯s mind.


    ¡­ Why!?


    The words him mentioned when they just left the town repeated in her head time and time again.


    ¡­ Don¡¯t you told me that you were not going to say something so cheesy like protect me!?


    The moments spent together during the last three years passed before her eyes in an instant.


    ¡­ Why did you do it!?


    ¡­ And a world of blood red filled her surroundings.


    ¡°YOUNG MASTERRRRRRRR!!!¡±


    Strange changes immediately occurred in Lia¡¯s body.


    Her snow-like skin was filled with strange tattoos coming from her heart, like roots extending in search of nutrients from the soil.


    A red color filled her emerald-green eyes, giving a macabre and bloodthirsty impression after being combined with her vacant gaze.


    Her body began to radiate a powerful pressure, like a primordial creature awakening from thousands of years of slumber; and her presence became ethereal, like a soul standing between life and death.


    Her pure white hair was dyed for many strange colors, from a bloody crimson and bright yellow to a pure black like the most profound abyss.


    A strange smiling mask, full of incoherent scribbles, covered half of her face. It, together with the expression on the uncovered half of her face, gave her a look like a demon crying and laughing at the same time.


    Though it was impossible to understand the scribbles on the mask, all the living beings in a few kilometers felt like a powerful concept was transmitted right into their minds and engraved inside them.


    Then, like a voice coming from ancient times, a powerful song resounded.


    FATEThe narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    OH, ALMIGHTY FORCE OF THE UNIVERSE.


    HEAR THE WEEPINGS OF YOUR LOVED CHILD.


    AND GRANT HER POWER TO END WITH ALL.


    In that instant, thousands of lives in the surroundings were annihilated.


    Birds, bugs, squirrels and many others small animals in the surroundings fell asleep to never awake again. Their bodies that carried an expression of fear even in dead were completely unscathed, like if the cause of death were the souls leaving the body.


    Many of the weaker giant boars fell dead too; while the remaining beasts, despite their wish to run as far as possible, were mysteriously unable to move.


    Even the boar responsible for hurting Aiden, a beast in the peak of core-forming, could only whimper in fear like a lamb facing the most terrible wolf.


    ¡°AAAaaaAAAaAAaaaA!!!¡±


    With a cry from Lia, the atmosphere filling the place was broken.


    The boars, trembling from head to toe, tried to run only to be stopped for thousands of threads surrounding the camp with a sinister glow.


    Then, like if the running boars were a signal, Lia moved.


    Disappearing from the place like a phantom, Lia appeared beside one of the running beasts and raised her hand.


    Eerily, a thread extended from her hand and wrapped itself in the beast neck. And then, with a pull of her hand, the head of the boar was sent flying, a stream of blood flowing in place.


    Notbothering with the blood falling in her body, Lia moved again and appeared beside another beast trying to escape vainly with all its strength.


    Cruelly, the threads behaved like atrocious beasts eager to taste the blood of living beings. Tying all of the beast¡¯s limbs, the threads pulled themselves and tore the beast apart.


    Seeing the scene, the rests of boars whimpered frightened and tried to escape from the place only to be hindered and bound for the threads around them.


    ¡°AAAAaaaARRRGggGG!!!¡±


    Ignoring the cries and smell the blood and guts filling the place, Lia cried again loudly and continued advancing, cutting, tearing and destroying every living being in her surroundings.


    A few minutes later, all the threads in the surroundings began to move and search for a prey to kill. Even her hair, dyed in thousands of strange colors, began to move like millions of small serpents wishing to participate in the killing feast.


    Her body was covered with the blood and organs of many boars, all already dead, and her eyes were vacant like a doll without a soul. Her presence became even more ghostly with every passing second and the strange phenomenon in the surroundings spread even more, reaping the lives of even more innocent creatures.


    The forest cried in sadness, warning all its inhabitants of the danger present.


    Many creatures, feeling the danger, ran away afraid of being trapped for the growing calamity.


    Half a day later, all the beast in the camp were killed. All except for the boar responsible for the current situation.


    Standing in place, Lia maintained her vacant gaze while the blood and guts of tens of beast filled the surroundings.


    Trembling with foam coming from its mouth, the boar looked like someone experiencing thousands of nightmares constantly. A great number of threads were around it, not allowing for it fall to the ground despite the desperation robbing it of the strength in its legs.


    Turning to look at it, Lia walked step by step, bringing with her an overwhelming presence, pressuring even the bear¡¯s soul itself.


    Reaching before it, Lia caressed its head slowly, like if it were the most valuable thing in the world.


    The boar calmed slightly feeling the hand against him. But then, a demonic amount of hatred and despair invaded its mind and the hand caressing it was clenched with strength.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    And with a terrifying cry, the head exploded; leaving behind only a gory scene able to frighten even the most courageous minds.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    Raising her head towards the sky, Lia cried with all her strength, releasing all the negative emotions trapped in her mind.


    After a few minutes of crying, Lia finally stopped. Then, looking towards the place where Aiden fell, she slowly walked towards him.


    Crouching beside him, Lia extended her bloodied hand and began to caress his head. Her movements reminiscing about the scene with the boar just now.


    The thousand of bloodied threads around her began to dance like if wishing for blood to be spilled, and the hairs in her head began to make sounds, murmuring thoughts of killing and destroying in her mind.


    Standing in that position for various minutes, Lia finally stopped her caressing. Then, like if fighting with herself, her hand was clenched slowly.


    But at that moment, a strong thought filled Lia¡¯s mind. A powerful will exploded from Lia soul, shouting only one word.


    ¡°NO!!!¡±


    Immediately, all the threads and strands of hairs ceased their movements and become silent. Even the strong presence around Lia seemed to dissipate slightly for a moment.


    Pausing for a moment after it, Lia stood up and looked Aiden a last time. Then, turning her body, she began to walk away from the place.


    ¡°*Cough* W-Wait!¡±


    Hearing a weak voice, Lia¡¯s body stopped suddenly in place momently, before beginning to walk again.


    But then, the voice appeared again, this time with a bit more strength.


    ¡°I said wait!!!¡±


    Hearing the voice again, Lia trembled lightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember allowing for you to leave me behind, Lia!¡±


    Hearing the weak but firm voice behind her, Lia trembling intensified, then, like a lie, the tattoos around her body began to retreat.


    With a weak murmur, Lia spoke stuttering, wishing for the voice behind confirm her wish.


    ¡°Y-Young m-a-m-master?¡±


    With a smile on his face, Aiden answered.


    ¡°Yes Lia, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Turning around, Lia could no help but ran towards Aiden and cry heavily.


    Holding her in his arms, Aiden ignored the pain in his body and spoke to her gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all is alright.¡±


    ¡°Y-Young masteeeeeer *sob*¡­! Waahhhh¡­!¡±


    Crying in Aiden¡¯s chest, Lia slowly calmed herself, slowly falling asleep.


    Her body began to regain her usual self, the hair in her head returning at its white color of before, and the mask in her face breaking before disappearing as if never would have existed.


    ¡°Good grief, what were you thinking?¡±


    Holding the asleep Lia in his arms, Aiden murmured softly before falling asleep too, ignoring the grotesque scene in the surroundings.

 Chapter 15 – Fate is Not Decided by Your Origin

    Chapter 15 ¨C Fate is Not Decided for Your Origin


    A warm ray of light fell on the girl¡¯s face.


    Feeling the breeze caressing her, Lia awakened to see the sun shining brightly against her, passing through the leaves of the trees gently.


    Immediately, Lia felt a body below her. Seeing the quiet face of Aiden sleeping on the ground, she could not help but cry scared.


    ¡°Young Master!!!¡±


    Holding Aiden¡¯s arms, Lia shook his body strongly and tried towake him up.


    ¡°Young master! Young master! Wake up!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Lia, be more careful. I feel like dying now you know¡­¡±


    Awaking from Lia¡¯s shaking, Aiden spoke grumpily and tried standing up, only for Lia begin to sob with tears flowing in her cheeks.


    ¡°*Hic* Y-Young master *hic*¡­ Aauuuuuhhh!!!¡±


    ¡°*Sigh* Come here.¡±


    Seeing Lia crying loudly Aiden could only give her a hug and wait for her to calm down.


    Lia continued crying for almost half an hour. Then, sniffling a few times more, she silently put her face in Aiden¡¯s chest as if confirming his existence.


    Standing in that position for a little bit more, Aiden finally extended his hand and raised Lia¡¯s face. Then, smiling gently, he wiped her tears and spoke with a soft tone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You need to clean yourself of all that blood.¡±


    With that like a cue, Lia seemed to recollect the things what happened last night. Then, finally noticing the strong smell of blood in the air, she wore a frightened expression before going in vomit.


    Five minutes later, Lia was sitting against a tree with a confused expression on her face. Her hands were slightly trembling, and her eyes were locked in the surroundings with a terrified gaze.


    Aiden was sitting silently beside her. His expression, though a bit confused, completely firm, not bothered in the slightest for the bloody smell in the air.


    After a few seconds in that state, Lia finally spoke.


    ¡°It¡­ I-It was d-done for me?¡±


    Hearing the trembling voice of Lia, Aiden only nodded and maintained silence.


    Lia looked even more distressed seeing it. For a moment, she collected her thoughts before speaking again with difficulty.


    ¡°H-How I did it?¡±


    Gathering his thoughts, Aiden frowned and explained briefly what he knew.


    ¡°Though I could not see everything, I think that ¡®It¡¯ inside you awakened and help you to kill the beasts. When I awoke, your appearance was completely different from normal. It was filled with an evil and powerful presence and looked more like a ghost than human. To be sincere, I¡¯m not completely sure of how to describe it¡­¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Lia heard silently without speaking. Aiden, seeing it, continued sharing his thoughts.


    ¡°To be sincere, though this is no the first time you change, this is the first time the change is so great. Normally, you only become a bit violent and easily irritable; however, this time you became also very powerful, almost like someone completely distinct. To be sincere, your power was at least at the spirit awakening boundary, perhaps even higher. I can¡¯t understand the cause of the change though...¡±


    Pondering about it, Aiden was too concentrated to notice the worsening expression in Lia.


    Biting her lips, she clenched her hands and spoke resolutely as if making an important decision.


    ¡°¡­ Young master, I think I must leave.¡±


    Surprised, Aiden turned towards Lia and saw the expression on his face. Feeling something wrong with her, Aiden spoke urgently.


    ¡°Lia, what is wrong!?¡±


    Closing her eyes, Lia resolutely spoke suppressing the tears in her face.


    ¡°Young master, I think that I must leave. It¡¯s dangerous if I continue being with you.¡±


    ¡°Lia, what do you mean? Though it¡¯s true that the change this time was a bit extreme, this is not the first time something like it happens, so wh¨C.¡±


    ¡°No, young master, this time is different¡­¡±


    Shaking her head, Lia continued.


    ¡°Though I had changed before, I¡¯m always in control of what happens. This time, this time was different¡­ I was unable to control what I was doing¡­ I can only remember a great desire to destroy everything¡­ It, it was terrifying¡­¡±


    Smiling gently, Aiden tried consoling her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t you were able of awakening when I called you? I think that you are exa¨C¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡±


    Hearing Lia¡¯s cry, Aiden was surprised, but Lia continued with her words without paying him attention.


    ¡°I remember it, Young master! At that moment, I was going to kill you! Even though I was able to stop in time, I don¡¯t know if I will be able to do it again! Don¡¯t you understand! I wanted to kill you! At that moment, I was going to kill you young master!¡±


    Hearing Lia outburst, Aiden could only remain silent. Lia lowered her voice and continued speaking; her voice was filled with sobs and fear.


    ¡°Young master, I could not continue living if I know I hurt you¡­ So¡­ I think it¡¯s better if I leave. I think that if I¡¯m away then there is no possibility of hurting you.¡±


    For a moment, only silence remained in place.


    Aiden directed his gaze at the sky and sighed slowly, then, opening his mouth, began to speak like if reminiscing about the past.


    ¡°You remember Lia? The day when we met you were being chased by a group of men. Back then, you were only a shadow of your current self. You didn¡¯t even try protecting yourself¡­ You remember what you told me when I rescued you back then?¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Aiden smiled thinly remembering that day.


    ¡°Back then, you told me that I better go away. You told me you were a cursed creature stitched of parts, and that you only were able to bring misfortune¡­


    ¡°Tell, me Lia, do you remember what I answered back then¡­?¡±


    Lia remained silent for a moment. Then, when Aiden thought thatshe wasn¡¯t going to speak, he heard her voice whispering softly.


    ¡°You told me that at the end you were someone ¡®discarded¡¯ too, so perhaps the two of us were perfect together¡­¡±


    Thinking about the words uttered for him back then, Aiden could not help but smile and speak brightly.


    ¡°You know Lia, even if you are a monster, if you were stitched of different parts, if you were the result of a failed experiment or if you have something dangerous inside you; it no changes the fact that you were the only ray of hope I found back then. Before knowing you, even I was convinced that creating a spirit was impossible. But now, I know that there is hope. Even though it is imperfect, there is someone with an artificial spirit¡­


    ¡°Tell me, Lia, if no because of you, how can I advance so much in the path of creating a spirit? Tell me, Lia, what can I do if you are gone. To be sincere, I prefer to die before losing my only hope to make my dream true Lia. I¡¯m sorry, but even if you want toescape, I won¡¯t allow for you leave me behind! I will definitively not allow it!¡±


    Putting an expression of resolve, Aiden smiled.


    ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you think that it is easier to find a method to control ¡®that state¡¯ than making a spirit from zero? So, don¡¯t worry too much. I think we will find a solution at your problem soon.¡±


    Then, moving his hand to grab Lia¡¯s, him breathed deeply and spoke.


    ¡°And if there is someone in this world I trust will never hurt me, then Lia, you are the one¡­ I¡¯m sure when the time comes where you are about hurt me, then, just like before, you will be able to stop yourself. I believe it.¡±


    Feeling the hand holding hers and hearing the words spoken by Aiden, a tear slowly fell from Lia eyes and a smile formed naturally in her mouth.


    And whispering softly, she made an oath this day.


    ¡°I promise you, young master¡­¡±


    ¡­ Even if I must kill myself to do it¡­

 Chapter 16 – Possibilities

    Chapter 16 ¨C Possibilities


    After remaining under the shade of the tree for a bit more, Aiden and Lia took out water from the spatial pouch and cleaned their bodies.


    Though it was a bit wasteful to use the pouch¡¯s water like it, neither Aiden nor Lia could endure the feeling of blood stick in the skin. So, after deciding search for a creek later to refill the water, they went behind a tree each and proceeded to take a bath and change their clothes.


    A bit calmer thanks to the bath, Aiden and Lia returned at the camp to collect the proofs of killing the boars; after all, though the town hall probably will be unable of paying completely for them, it probably will grant a bonus or something similar for the great number of enemies.


    Though Aiden thought it was a bit wasteful leave all the bodies here, he didn¡¯t have enough space to take something besides the two boars with the peak core-forming cultivation and a few others of the late core-forming stage. As for the rest, they could only let them rot.


    As suspected, neither of the peak core-forming boars had a demonic core. Though they were able to put a foot in the core-fusing realm, at the end of the day they were yet one step away from breaking through it. Without doing it, don¡¯t matter how powerful a beast is, they will be unable of possessing a demonic core.


    Compared to killing normal beasts, killing a demonic beast is many times more lucrative. After all, you can only sell the meat and hide of a normal beast; while for demonic beasts, just the demonic core for itself is enough to fetch a high price in the market. Apart of it, the bodies of demonic beasts have many incredible uses, varying from alchemy and weapon forging to medicinal food able of improving the body constitution.


    After taking as much as possible from the beasts¡¯ bodies, Aiden and Lia reluctantly chose search for another place to stay. After all, no matter how valuable the boars¡¯ copses are, nobody in his sane mind would like to see such a gory scene constantly.


    Probably because of all the boars killed last night or the heavy pressure released for Lia in her transformed state, this time Aiden and Lia, fortunately, didn¡¯t find any attack during his travel. Due to last night events, both of them were pretty tired, and though a group of boars probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to hurt them, they preferred don¡¯t have to fight for a time.


    The reason because Aiden wasn¡¯t seriously wound when the boar attack hit him was mainly thanks to his saber receiving the brunt of the attack. When Aiden noticed the boar ambush about hit Lia, the time was not enough to amass sufficient saber intent to launch a fatal strike. Knowing it, he had not more option than to use his body to receive the attack. Luckily, the saber took most of the impact and the clothes diffused another part of it. Otherwise, even with Aiden battle strength, his body wouldn¡¯t be more than a pile of broken bones.


    But even with it, the boar attack was more than enough to left Aiden unconscious, and even now, various of his bones and muscles were hurting, making difficultto fight in this condition.


    Imagining such an end, Aiden unconsciously patted the sheath of the saber. Thinking about it, from the moment when he found it in a corner of his clan¡¯s armory until now, Aiden still doesn¡¯t know the origins of the saber and why it is so strong. And though it hasn¡¯t any special abilities, only the sharpness of it is enough to be considered an incredible treasure. Even now, Aiden only knows of things that he is not strong enough to cut and not about something that the saber is not sharp enough to cut.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    After walking for half a day, Aiden and Lia finally found a place good enough to assemble the new camp. Taking their time to put everything together, the pair sat together once they finished it.


    ¡°What are we going to do now, young master?¡±


    Thinking for a moment, Aiden told Lia his considerations about the last fight.


    ¡°Sigh, the truth is, during the fight last night we were completely played in the hands of the enemy. When the boars stopped because the peak core-forming one appeared, we subconsciously thought that it was their leader. Actually, the goal of the true leader was probably it. Waiting for the moment when we lowered our guard thinking we defeated the leader, it took advantage of it to try to kill us or at least injure one of us gravely.


    ¡°Actually, his plan can be considered to be a success. After all, if not for you going out of control at the last minute, we both probably would be dead for now.


    ¡°Based on it, we could conclude that the main culpable behind this incident probably is not a demonic beast. After all, I doubt a low-level demonic beast is smart enough to create such profound scheme and a high-level one doesn¡¯t need of it to deal with us.


    ¡°It leaves us with the other option. I think our enemy is a person with a cultivation around the initial or middle stages of core-fusing with abilities related to the controlling of beasts. He probably is not too strong or he would have attacked directly; also, he probably has a method to observe the situation from afar. It¡¯s possible that he is currently observing us as we speak.¡±


    Aiden took a huge breath after describing the situation in detail. Then, before Lia could interject, he explained their future plans.


    ¡°I think the best we can do now is take a rest for the moment. After all, I¡¯m not completely recovered from the beast attack. As for you, I think that such eruption of power is not without side effects, and though you don¡¯t show anything wrong, it is better if you rest for a bit to be sure.¡±


    Lia nodded agreeing with Aiden completely.


    ¡°Very well young master, I will do like you said. However, what should we do if we are attacked again?¡±


    Hearing it, Aiden thought for a moment before answering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the mastermind is in the capacity to attack us again. At least not so soon. Yesterday attack must have caused great losses for him and I doubt him is capable of putting together such a great force again in a short time. From the fight last night, it must know that at least an attack of such magnitude is necessary to cause us loses, so, at least himself comes to attack, I think he will concentrate his resources in preparing himself for when we attack.¡±


    Lia studied Aiden¡¯s words and thought they were probably right. Nodding she decided to prepare something quick for they eat. After all, they hadn¡¯t eaten anything from last night.


    Leaving for Lia the preparation of the food, Aiden began to think about the current incident. After all, though he was able to resolve some of the questions around the case, the most important doubts are yet unanswered.


    Even now, Aiden doesn¡¯t have a clear answer neither of the mastermind¡¯s goals nor the reason because he is searching for natural resources. After all, what goal could someone with such abilities have to come at a rundown place like the border town of Cali?


    Perhaps for the spirit herbs? But spirit herbs are not especially abundant in this part of the forest. And if this is the reason, why is he avoiding appear before us?


    Though Aiden told Lia that the enemy probably isn¡¯t too strong or he would have fought against them directly, Aiden could not imagine a reason because a core-fusing cultivator is not confident enough to fight a pair of core-forming ones. Though Aiden admits that a normal core-fusing cultivator is probably not his match, it is impossible for the enemy to know it, so, why doesn¡¯t the enemy dare to face them. Is the enemy truly so cowardly?


    Aiden could no think of a reason why.


    Lost in his thoughts, Aiden spent the rest of the day recovering together with Lia.


    After all, the time of the confrontation was increasingly closer.

 Chapter 17 – Eerie Forest

    Chapter 17 ¨C Eerie Forest


    The night passed quietly, this time without any incident.


    At the next day, Aiden and Lia decided to continue with the search of the mastermind behind the case.


    Though the mission¡¯s danger level had already surpassed the indicated for the town hall and Aiden and Lia could choose return to the town with no penalties received, both of them were determined to see this until the end. Also, despite the situation two nights ago being dangerous, Aiden was confident enough in the strength of them and thought that the level of danger wasn¡¯t something they must avoid at any cost.


    While it is true that the fight two nights ago was very dangerous, Aiden and Lia both got great gains in their strengths thanks to it.


    After that night, Aiden could feel the next level of his saber arts even closer than before. The feeling was like knowing that something was just a step away but being unable to touch it. Aiden knew that the day he is able of taking the step his saber arts will advance by leaps and bounds.


    For her part, Lia advancement was even greater. The day after the battle, she incredibly noticed that her cultivation took a step forward. Though she wasn¡¯t at the core-fusing stage yet, she only needs to take a step more and her cultivation will reach that point.


    Moreover, her cultivation base was not the only thing improved. From that night, Lia noticed her control over the threads improving largely. It was like if she knew how to use threads from many years ago and only had forgotten about it.


    Lia even felt like if many other things were different from before; though she wasn¡¯t sure of the reason. It was like if she was baptized that night and now is a completely different person than before.


    Aiden thought that the reason for it is the ¡®thing¡¯ hidden in her body becoming more attuned to her, though he is not sure if it is good or bad.


    After walking for a time, the pair returned to the place where the battle occurred. After more than a day being exposed in the open, the bodies of the beats began to reek of rot and many small birds and flies were wandering around trying to scavenge them.


    Covering their noses to avoid the stench, Aiden and Lia examined the surroundings searching for traces about the beats¡¯ origins. Half a day later, the pair found that most beasts trails originated from the west, so they decided to begin searching there.


    Following the direction of the trails, Aiden and Lia walked for a long time without finding anything. Strangely, the group wasn¡¯t attacked during the path, making Aiden think that perhaps the mastermind was unable of sending more beasts.


    After walking for almost the rest of the day, the pair finally noticed something strange. The most they advanced the gloomier the forest became. The trees were more withered, the leaves yellowish and the surroundings strangely silent.


    After a time, Aiden and Lia were unable of finding any sign of life in the surroundings and even the wind became colder.


    ¡°Young master, I had a foreboding feeling from a bit ago. It feels like if something is telling me to no advance ahead anymore.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Aiden paused waiting for Lia answer. Seeing she assent, Aiden frowned before speaking. ¡°Strange, though I also had a strange feeling from the moment we entered this part of the forest, I don¡¯t feel something like what you described¡­ Could it be also a result of your transformation that night?¡±


    Seeing Lia shaking her head in doubt, Aiden could no help but smile wryly. Not famous histories normally portray the hero fighting adversities and awakening his dormant powers? Why it looks like Lia is one of those heroes depicted in histories?


    Shaking his head to expel the thought from his head, Aiden began to think about the implications of Lia words.


    Though Aiden is not sure about the thing put inside Lia when she was experimented on, he knows that it is definitively powerful. After all, even when suppressed, it is able to grant the abilities of a late core-fusing practitioner at least and perhaps even the strength of a spirit awakening expert.


    And if even an existence able of such feat is afraid of the thing deeper in the forest, then Aiden is truly not sure of being able of dealing it.


    ¡°Lia, can you try sensing more about it? Perhaps we can use it as a reference to know if we must retire or not.¡±


    Lia thought briefly about Aiden suggestion before nodding in confirmation. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to feel more about the forest.


    Almost instantly, a world of sensations assaulted her mind. Feelings of danger, rancor, hatred, and destruction attacked her. For an instant, it felt like her mind was going to get lost in the storm of emotions. But in the instant when she was about lost herself, a strong tug brought her out of that world.


    ¡°Lia! Are you alright!?¡±


    With her eyes yet glazed from the experience, Lia looked up to see the face of Aiden near her with an anxious expression.


    Taking another deep breath, Lia smiled softly seeing the concern on Aiden''s face. Then, using a hand to hold her now aching head, she spoke.


    ¡°Young master, I think I found something.¡±


    ¡°Is it so!? What you felt!?¡±


    Pausing a moment to recollect her thoughts, Lia calmed herself down a proceded to explain her experience.


    ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure, I think the thing in the forest is not complete yet. Though it is certainly dangerous, I think we are capable enough of dealing with it, though it won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°Haaa, that is good then¡­ Do you have any idea about what it is, Lia?


    Lia pondered briefly and answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very clear. I felt a powerful wave of hatred and fear from the thing inside me. It was a mixed feeling of terror and responsibility, like if it knows that it must be eliminated at any cost.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Perhaps the thing in the forest is the natural enemy of the one inside you? If it¡¯s so, then maybe we will be able to learn a bit about what they implant you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think so. More than an enemy, it feels more like the attitude you have against something not allowed to exist¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±


    Aiden told Lia to rest after hearing about it, then, taking advantage of the time Lia spend resting, Aiden thought about Lia explanation.


    To be sincere, apart from the information related to the strength of the thing at the bottom of the forest, Aiden was unable to make heads or tails about everything else. Though it was not the best situation, Aiden knew that if they want to continue the mission, the pair has to be prepared to face an unknown enemy.


    Perhaps the reason because the mastermind doesn¡¯t come to fight usis because itis unable of leaving the thing in the forest alone? He doesn¡¯t want for us find about the thing here?


    Thinking about it, Aiden furrowed his brows.


    After a few minutes, Lia finished recovering. Seeing it, the group decided to continue advancing. After walking for around of two more kilometers, the pair saw a strange sight from afar.


    A group of around ten giant boars stood facing a strange stone. The boars were all at the peak core-forming and two of them were even at the spirit fusing stage.


    The stone was completely smooth and had the form of a sphere. Around it were corpses of many beast and traces of a great number of spirit herbs, all withered or made bones.


    A strange dark smoke was being emitted from the stone, making even scarier the atmosphere in the surroundings. The group of giant boars around seemed like if they could not wait to absorb it.


    After seeing the stone in the center of the boars, Lia expression blanked for a moment; then, moving her lips slowly, an emotionless voice came from her mouth.


    ¡°Seed of calamity¡­¡±

 Chapter 18 – Sealed Soul

    Chapter 18 ¨C Sealed Soul


    ¡°Seed of calamity¡­¡±


    Lia used a strangely stagnant voice to speak.


    For a moment her eyes were vacantly looking to the smooth stone. Her expression became increasingly terrifying and her eyes began to take a red tint.


    ¡°Lia! Lia! What happened!?¡±


    Hearing Aiden¡¯s call, Lia abruptly left that strange state; her eyes returned to normality and her expression became warm again.


    ¡°Uh? Young master?¡±


    Seeing the clueless expression on Lia¡¯s face, Aiden put a dark expression and explained to her about what happened. Surprised, Lia tried to remember only to end disappointed.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know what a seed of calamity is right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry young master, I don¡¯t remember what I said.¡±


    With a depressed face, Lia apologized sincerely. Aiden expression darkened even more hearing her answer and thinking about the implications of her behavior.


    Putting such thoughts in the back of his mind, Aiden convinced himself to concentrate on the situation they are currently facing. Looking again towards the strange scene in the forest, he tried looking for more clues about the dangers they could face.


    But an instant later, his expression changed at one of excitement.


    Around the strange stone, many things had been deposited.


    Besides the numerous bones of beasts and withered remains of spirit herbs, two other objects around the strange stone captured Aiden¡¯s attention.


    The first was a strange amulet. It was a silver hexagon with a red sword carved in the middle. Many small lines were also carved going from the edges of theamulet till the center of the sword, forming strangely many weird symbols. Theamulet seemed extraordinary a first glance, but the most you looked at it, the most ordinary it became, giving the impression that the extraordinary seen at first glance was a lie.


    The second object instead, was more impressive with every look it received. It was a circular object radiating a dim light. Inside of it, the figure of a translucid tiger could be seen doing everything in his power to escape from there.


    When Aiden saw the second object, his eyes revealed an unconcealed desire. Gulping loudly, Aiden closed his eyes before opening them again to confirm it was really there.


    When Lia saw the expression of Aiden she followed his gaze to know the reason for his excitement. Immediately, she made an expression of surprise, followed for one of anticipation and one of happiness.


    ¡°Young master, that is¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yes! A sealed soul!¡±


    Hearing the answer of Aiden, Lia expression brightened even more and made a radiant smile.


    ¡°That means you will be able to try forming your spirit!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! With it, I only need a few minor ingredients more!¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Sealed souls were an incredibly rare item formed naturally in the corpses of beasts what died with strong attachments. When the beast died, if the demonic core is not extracted and the beast has a great desire to continue living, there is an extremely small possibility of a sealed soul appearing inside the demonic core with a bit time. This is said that sealed souls are a possibility left behind for the beast return some day to life, however, even now there isn¡¯t any known case of a one succeeding.


    Because the stringent conditions for the creation of one and its many uses in different camps like alchemy and forging; sealed souls are an object with great demand and insufficient supply, so obtaining one can be considered so difficult like ascending to the heavens for someone like Aiden. And like destiny wanted it, a sealed soul is the main ingredient for Aiden try one of his theories in creating spirits. The one with the bigger chance of success.


    So, when Aiden learned of one being here, he almost forgot about the dozen giant boars and the strange stone and threw himself toward it. Fortunately, he yet had a bit of reason left.


    After learning about the existence of a sealed soul here, the motivation of Aiden and Lia to assault the place strengthened considerably. The pair was even more certain that they must proceed to attack, even if it is only to get the stone.


    Taking all the information in the surroundings with his eyes, Aiden began to think about the situation and how to kill the beasts quickly and get the stone. However, after a few seconds, he could not help but furrow his brows deeply.


    ¡°Lia, I cannot see the mastermind here.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Are you saying that he is not here?¡±


    ¡°Mm. Though there is a strong group of boars protecting this place and a stone responsible for the anomalies of the forest, I could not see the mastermind. Not only it, have you not noticed another strange thing?¡±


    Pausing briefly for Lia process his words, Aiden continued.


    ¡°In this group of beasts, there are two boars with a cultivation of core-fusing!¡±


    ¡°!!! How is it possible!?¡±


    Understating the implications in Aiden¡¯s words, Lia gaped. Aiden, not minding her expression, continued in a grave tone.


    ¡°It is hard for one between ten thousand beasts to break from the bloodline shackles. Though I would have been surprised if one of the boars was at the core-fusing stage, I would have easily accepted it. However, for two of them appear here, I can only describe the situation like abnormal.


    The worse is, we don¡¯t yet know anything about the mastermind behind scenes. Doesn¡¯t it mean that the mastermind has enough resources to forcibly break the bloodline shackles of two beasts and also get a sealed soul at the same time?


    Besides, what is the purpose of that stone? Why he need so many beasts and valuable herbs? Even a sealed soul is being used.¡±


    After hearing Aiden words, Lia spoke in a grave tone.


    ¡°Young master, perhaps you noticed, but the thing provoking the reaction in me is definitively that stone.¡±


    Lowering his head, Aiden thought fiercely unable to come up with an answer.


    .. What in the hell is a seed of calamity?


    After of various minutes of thinking, Aiden could only sight and give up in finding the answer momentarily. Looking towards Lia, he spoke.


    ¡°Lia, do you think we must attack?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Master, doesn¡¯t it look like a trap?¡±


    ¡°I think so too. That is the reason because I am doubting about attacking or not.¡±


    Aiden smiled bitterly. Seeing it and comprehending his dilemma, Lia smiled warmly.


    ¡°I see. Young master knows that it is a trap, but you are too attracted to the sealedsoul to not make a move.¡±


    Seeing the warm smile on Lia''s face, Aiden only shook his head and spoke sincerely.


    ¡°Though I know it is a trap, I could not simply ignore it when I know that there is a sealed soul. From what I can see, that strange stone is using some method to absorb the energy in the surroundings. The reason because the boars reunited so many spiritual herbs was probably to feed it. I fear if I left the sealedsoul there, in at most two days it will be completely wasted. I don¡¯t know when I will be able of obtaining another opportunity like it.


    ¡°The thing I don¡¯t understand is, how it knows we are going to attack even with such an obvious trap?¡±


    Hearing Aiden words, Lia smiled softly and proceeded to speak with a loving tone.


    ¡°You know I will follow you don¡¯t matter what you chose. At worst, I will end up dying with you. Don¡¯t you said before that you weren¡¯t going to let me leave?¡±


    Aiden only smiled after hearing Lia words. Then, holding her hand softly, he nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Lia.¡±


    And I will not allow for something happen to you. That words were left unsaid.


    Five minutes later, the pair came before the group of boars.


    The boars reacted intently once they saw them. Each of them began to emit a strong bloodthirsty glow.


    Feeling it, Aiden took the saber out his sheath and indicate for Lia be careful. Nodding, she stood behind him with threads falling from her hands.


    The fight was about to begin.

 Chapter 19 – Fierce Struggle

    Chapter 19 ¨C Fierce Struggle


    The saber of Aiden left the sheath and the boars bellowed to express anger.


    A total of eleven boars were surrounding the strange stone. Two of them were at the initial core-fusing stage and three of the nine remaining were just a step away from it. As for the remaining six, all of them were at the peak core-forming.


    Different from normal giant boars, the ones in the core-fusing stage had black lines running through their brown hides. It together with their red eyes made them look even more sinister.


    The boars stepped forward slowly and tried to surround the group to attack from various directions. Aiden, already predicting it, had already put his back against a tree together with Lia.


    Though the tree was unable to stop the charge of a boar if they were determined to destroy it, it could at least give them an instant of respite to move to a different place.


    Grasping the saber with both hands, Aiden spoke to Lia while paying attention to the boars¡¯ movements.


    ¡°Lia, when the moment comes I will take care of the ones in the core fusing stage while you distract the others. Stick to the plan and act when it¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Answered her firmly.


    Drawing a deep breath, Aiden prepared himself. Then, waiting for the moment when the boars will attack, closed his eyes.


    The boars continued walking slowly, trying surround the group. Though the number of beasts this time was lesser than two nights ago, in reality, their combat strength was probably greater. After all, different from the first group what only used their greats numbers to try overwhelming the opponent, the current boars had enough strength to fight them directly.


    The boars seemed to be conscious of it too. So, they simply circled the pair while closing slowly towards them.


    When the boars were fifteen meters away though, they stopped in place. It was because Aiden¡¯s saber intent covered them impeding them of simply continue walking lest them to be attacked.


    For a moment both groups were in a stalemate. The boars were surrounding the pair waiting for the moment to charge while Aiden was holding his saber with the eyes closed and Lia was waiting behind him.


    The stalemate, however, only lasted a moment. One of the peak core-forming boars finally was unable to endure the tension and charged.


    With the tusks pointed forward, the boar charged with a speed almost untraceable for normal humans and an unimaginable level of strength behind it. But, before being able of touching Aiden, the saber intent erupted even more, and a powerful blow was delivered without Aiden opening his eyes.


    The boar, unafraid, tried to parry it with its tusks and continue advancing, only to feel a sharp pain near its mouth and retreat urgently. A line of blood appeared in the mouth, Aiden, following the momentum of the anterior attack, swung his saber, intent on delivering the final blow.


    At that moment, however, another boar charged from the side, forcing him to evade to not be impacted.


    Frowning his brows, Aiden finally opened his eyes. Looking at the two boars, Aiden only inclined his saber slightly to the right before erupting with an equally strong blow, only to be interrupted for another beast charging again.


    The remaining giant boars, seeing three of their companions already attacking, joined the fray decisively. With exception of the two core-fusing beasts, all the boars attacked the pair.


    Brandishing constantly his saber, Aiding furrowed his brows seeing himself unable of landing a decisive blow. Though he was able to hurt some of the boars, the others were always able to interfere before he could land a decisive blow.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Similarly, though, the boars were unable of touching Aiden. Different from the last fight where he was forced to defend Lia, this time Aiden was concentrated in avoiding the boars¡¯ attacks.


    Before the fight, Lia told Aiden to not worry about her and concentrate simply on fighting. Thanks to it, Aiden was able to show the true strength of his saber arts. Even when being attacked from nine different enemies, Aiden was able to move unimpeded and attack in the process; and though the fight seemed in a stalemate, the truth was that Aiden was constantly gaining the advantage. The problem,though, was the two boars observing the fight.


    Knowing it was no good extend the fight for a long time, Aiden decisively jumped back and moved his saber in an overhead posture.


    ¡°Lia!¡±


    ¡°Un!¡±


    Hearing Aiden¡¯s cry, Lia only nodded before moving her hands softly.


    The boars, seeing Aiden retreating, charged together towards him fiercely. Strangely, the boars seemed to ignore the presence of Lia even now and only were concentrated in attacking Aiden.


    According to Lia, after awakening that night she gained a strange ability. Though it was impossible for an enemy to completely ignore her, with this ability they normally would ignore her if another target was nearby. She said it was apparently because they were unable to lock her presence perfectly, though Aiden wasn¡¯t sure what it means.


    Aiden maintained his posture even when the boars were charging towards him. Then, when the boars were two meters away, he finally took a step forward and brandished the weapon towards the weaker one.


    The boar tried to parry the attack using its tusk, but a thread appeared and prevented it from moving leaving it vulnerable to the attack. All the other beast, seeing the attack about to kill their companion, tried come in its rescue, only to be stopped for white threads appearing imperceptibly around them.


    Though the threads were unable of stopping the beasts for a long time, an instant was all Aiden needed. Leaving the weapon to descend, the saber intent exploded and cut the flesh of the beast cleanly, leaving only a corpse divided evenly in two.


    ROARRRRR!!!!


    Seeing the blade killing one of them, the giant boars seemed to become berserk. Even the two beasts observing the fight roared angrily while releasing killing intent.


    Aiden tried to take advantage of the opportunity to kill another of the beast, but one of the stronger peak core-forming beasts was able to break the bindings and charged against him crazily.


    Left with no option but avoiding, Aiden decisively jumped back and augmented the distance between the beasts and him. The boars, now free from the threats, also paused their attacked and retreated slightly.


    At that moment, the two core-fusing beasts finally seemed unable to endure entering the fight. Moving slowly forward, they stood slightly in front the other beats.


    ROARRRRR!!!!


    A strong bellow was emitted from the mouth of one, stunning Aiden slightly, then, not waiting for Aiden recuperate, both beasts charged savagely.


    Aiden quickly stepped at a side and tried avoiding the first blow, only for the other appear before him with the tusks forward. Left without another option, he could only use his saber to try parrying the attack.


    But different than before, the strength of this attack was unexpectedly immense. Aiden found himself retreating two steps before being able of redirecting the hit, but the attack of the other beast was already before him again.


    Aiden awkwardly avoided the charge and retreated even more. The remaining boars, seeing the situation, charged towards him.


    ¡°Lia!!!¡±


    Shouting with all his strength, Aiden gave Lia the signal seeing that all the boars were finally attacking together. Instantly, countless white threads filled the surroundings.


    The threads were like millions of living serpents constricting their preys. All the boars were surrounded, completely unable of moving. With exception of the two strongest, all the beasts were surrounded with thousand and thousand of fine threads restricting their movements.


    The two core-fusing beasts finally looked towards Lia, as if finally sensing her existence, and tried charging towards her. However, in that instant, Aiden used all his strength to brandish the saber. Using the blunt part of the blade, Aiden send the two unprepared beasts flying, though the protective film on them helped them to prevent a wound.


    ¡°Young master! Hurry up! I cannot maintain it longer than five seconds!¡±


    Hearing the hurried cry of Lia, Aiden sprinted with all his strength towards the stone in the middle.


    Yes, from the beginning Aiden and Lia weren¡¯t trying to kill all the beast. In the end, as Aiden said, the probability of it being a trap was too great, so Aiden and Lia decided to attack to attract the attention of the beasts and try to take the sealed soul with them, before retreating and thinking about the next step. From the beginning, their goal was the sealed soul.


    The two core-fusing beast, seeing Aiden running toward the black stone, roared and tried desperately stop him. But unfortunately, they were too far from him and were unable of doing something.


    Seeing the situation developing according to his plan, Aiden could not help but accelerate excitedly before extending his hand to take the stone.


    But in that instant, a sensation of deadly crisis filled him with alarm. Opening his eyes wide, Aiden could only see how tens of black and translucid tentacles extended from the black stone and grabbed towards him.


    Scared, Aiden tried retreating only to feel an enormous pressure surrounding him. Then, without allowing an opportunity for his escape, the tentacles surrounded him.

 Chapter 20 – A Powerful Shadow

    Chapter 20 ¨C A Powerful Shadow


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    When the black tentacles appeared, Lia felt a strong sensation of danger coming from her mind. Immediately, she tried warning Aiden, however, it was already too late.


    Seeing the tentacles grabbing Aiden, Lia moved her hands to try to use her threads and rescue him, but the black stone seemed to know her intentions and another group of tentacles appeared to block them.


    Lia gritted her teeth seeing it. Then, without hesitation, she ran toward Aiden with all her strength.


    But at that moment, the bindings tying the group of boars finally were unable to continue resisting. Free from the threads, the boars attacked her. Lia body flickered strangely once the attacks reached her, then the attacks strangely passed near her without touching her body.


    Confused, the boars tried attacking her again only for the situation to repeat itself. It was almost like if the boars were unable to calculating correctly the distance between them and Lia.


    However, in the end, the number of boars was too great. Lia tried using her threads to slow them and advance, but a boar was successful in hitting her.


    A shield made of threads appeared immediately before her and a thin film of light flickered around her body, but against the strong charge of the boar they were unable of completely stopping the attack and she was thrown away.


    Coughing blood due to the strength behind the boar attack, Lia stood up shakily and tried advance again. The boars, seeing it, moved again towards her.


    At that moment, the tentacles had surrounded Aiden completely. Unable to move or speak a word, Aiden could only see hopelessly how Lia was struggling.


    The two strongest boars, seeing Aiden already trapped, turned towards Lia and attacked her.


    Lia moved her hands and tried desperately fight against them. Though she was able of use her threads even better than before and the boars were unable of locking her position perfectly, at the end her abilities were more inclined towards the restrictive type, being unable of properly attack, and she was slowly cornered.


    Finally, after a few minutes of struggling, Lia was finally unable to continue resisting. After being hit for the charge of one of the stronger boars, the protective film covering her flickered and disappeared.


    After all, the protection the film was able to grant was limited before the core-fusing stage, so receiving the attack of a core-fusing beast, it was unable to resist.


    With her mind hazy because the blow, Lia could only see how the group of boars neared her slowly.


    Seeing the situation from the tentacles, Aiden tried to struggle out from, only to be restricted even more.


    Unexpectedly, the boars don¡¯t kill the injured Lia. Walking before her, a boar used the mouth to grab her clothes and drag her before the black stone.


    Immediately, the stone formed even more tentacles from the black smoke and used them to grab the unconscious Lia, then, it began to flicker with a strange light.


    Similarly, the tentacles surrounding Aiden emitted an ominous light as if confirming something.


    Aiden could only see the situation from where he was trapped, unable of doing something but blaming himself for his powerlessness.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The tentacles continued flickering for a long time, then, as if noting something appealing, more and more tentacles approached Lia.


    With the rising amount of tentacles around Lia, the stone seemingly lost interest in Aiden and the tentacles around him ceased of flicker. Then, the tentacles began to tighten around Aiden¡¯s body making him grunt from the pain.


    At that moment, Lia opened her eyes. Lost for a moment because the blow received, it took her a bit of time comprehend the situation.


    Half a minute later, Lia seemed to finally remember what was happening. Trying to move her body, she found to her surprise a huge amount of tentacles constricting her. Struggling fiercely, she could only observe her body being robbed slowly from her freedom.


    Helpless, she looked around trying to find Aiden, but when she saw him, the scene in front of her was of the tentacles trying to squeeze him and Aiden resisting with all his strength.


    ¡°Young Master!!!¡±


    Seeing Lia awake, Aiden could only smile bitterly. Unable to speak, he could only try using his eyes to apologize for getting her in this terrible situation.


    With her eyes full of tears, Lia was forced to see how the stone slowly constricted crushed him without the ability to do something.


    At that moment, Aiden felt something being drained from him. Frightened, he focused on feeling his body only to notice the tentacles taking the energy accumulated inside his core.


    At the same time, the black stone started to generate even more smoke and directed it towards Lia. The black smoke gathered around Lia and then tried going inside her, but something inside her struggled fiercely preventing it.


    It was as if the stone found Lia to be suitable and chose her, while Aiden was being used like food to strengthen itself.


    This situation made Aiden even more enraged. The stone¡¯s actions reminded Aiden of the ones that stole his spirit. But even with all the rage fueling his movements, he was unable to escape.


    ¡­ How can I allow it!? Will it be again like this!? I refuse to be used simply as a tool for others raise his strength!


    With even more rage clouding his mind, Aiden failed to recognize the changes occurring in Lia. At that moment, Lia was remembering the moment when Aiden saved her. Seeing his helpless situation just like when he received the boar charge in her stead, made the rage and hatred hidden inside of her resurface once more.


    Just like that night, Lia¡¯s eyes began to take a bloody tint and her hair was slowly being dyed of many colors. Her presence was becoming more ethereal with every second and a powerful killing intent began to surround her.


    The situation was slowly becoming worse.


    But at that moment, something changed.


    *Sigh*


    A suspire echoed in the surroundings.


    Instantly, the tentacles surrounding them disappeared mysteriously and the transformation occurring in Lia was reversed.


    Aiden and Lia fell unprepared on the ground, an expression of immense surprise in their faces.


    It was because at the moment when the suspire sounded, a shadow had appeared suddenly in front the strange black stone.


    The shadow had the figure of a person, but it was impossible to find something about his features. It was as if the shadows would have gathered around him for their own will, preventing others from learning anything about him.


    When the silhouette appeared, it was as if the world became darker. A great number of shadows filled the surroundings as if this part of the forest was a different world.


    After seeing this scene one word appeared in Aiden mind.


    Domain!!!


    The powerful ability only possessed by spirit sages.


    Aiden felt the shadow looking toward them and thought it looked strangely familiar but was unable to find a clue even after thinking for a long time.


    Sighing again, the shadow breathed exasperatedly and spoke with reluctance.


    ¡°Ugh! After all, it¡¯s impossible for me no act seeing you two in such a danger.¡±


    Sighing for a third time, the shadow looked to the stone while voicing again annoyed.


    ¡°Whatever. I think I will take care of you now I acted.¡±


    The stone seemed to feel the danger from the enemy, because once he spoke it produced an incredible amount of smoke, many times more than before. At the same time, the group of boars what retreated before charged toward the shadow too.


    The shadow, however, not even acted.


    As if it were alive, the world of shadows surrounding the place moved for itself and pierced every one of the beasts charging forward. At the same time, it swallowed all the smoke being released from the stone before returning to normality.


    Aiden felt as if the stone emitted a feeling of desperation after seeing that situation.


    The shadow then walked forward calmly, going toward the stone and grabbing it with his hand.


    The stone tried to struggle, but it was futile. The shadow only smiled disdainfully and threw it in a spatial pouch. Then, it looked towards the pair.


    ¡°Now then, what will I do with you two?¡±


    Aiden and Lia could only stare astonished at the scene before them.

 Chapter 21 – The Strange Shadow

    Chapter 21 ¨C The Strange Shadow


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Seeing the surprise in Aiden and Lia faces, the shadow snickered and spoke sarcastically.


    ¡°You almost don¡¯t make it lads¡­¡±


    Aiden and Lia only nodded stupefied.


    ¡°Well, it is normal for you to be surprised¡± Continued the shadow. ¡°This is not every day you get to see someone so strong like me in action.¡±


    Hearing the playful tone in the voice, Aiden finally recovered somehow his composure and bowed.


    ¡°I thank senior for saving our lives!¡±


    ¡°Senior? Me? Oh right, I certainlyam your senior!¡±


    Seeing the dumbfounded expression of Aiden, the shadow could no help but laugh uncontrollably and speak.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Don¡¯t worry about it, young man! I only did it on passing!¡±


    Aiden could only smile awkwardly seeing the shadow behavior.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Hearing a grunt of pain, Aiden turned his head only to see Lia painfully holding her head.


    ¡°Are you fine Lia!?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry young master, only a bit of pain¡­¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    Seeing the state of Lia Aiden could no help but worry about something happening to her due to the injuries sustained in battle. However, his preoccupations only increasing after the shadow spoke.


    ¡°If I were you girl, I wouldn¡¯t use that power of yours constantly. Though I¡¯m not sure what it is, I could see it is very violent and full of danger.¡±


    When Aiden heard the words of the shadow, he looked towards Lia and asked worriedly.


    ¡°You used it again, Lia?¡±


    Lia did not respond.


    Aiden immediately knew it was true. He felt a strong pain inside knowing that she was forced to use it because of his inability.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young man. Though she tried using it, I was able to stop her before the transformation was successful. Though even so, she suffered a few side effects.¡±


    Hearing the shadow explanation, Aiden sighed in relief. Then, calming his emotions, Aiden asked the shadow.


    ¡°Senior, you know what is happening to her?¡±


    Pausing for a moment, the shadow thought briefly and then spoke.


    ¡°Unfortunately no. Though I know it is a kind of metamorphosis, I could not understand the reason or source. As I said, the only thing I know is that it is dangerous for her.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Aiden sighed dejectedly hearing it and proceeded to help Lia.


    A few minutes later Lia finally calmed down, though her expression was tired yet. As for the shadow, for some reason, he remained silent waiting beside them.


    After helping Lia, Aiden could not suppress his curiosity anymore and decided to ask.


    ¡°Senior, were you observing the fight from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In truth, I had been following you guys from the night the girlwent on a rampage. I only plannedto observe you two for a bit and understand the reason behind her changes, though at the end I could not help but intervene seeing you two in danger.¡±


    Aiden thought the words of the shadow for a moment before asking again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but, had we meet before? I feel like if I know senior from another place.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I feel it too.¡± Lia unexpectedly also spoke using a feeble voice.


    ¡°Well, I could not tell you about it.¡± The shadow answered.


    Seeing the shadow being reluctant to answer, Aiden decided to change the conversation.


    ¡°Then can senior at least give his name? I want to know who is the one that rescued us?¡±


    ¡°Umm. I guess I can. Call me Han.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks then senior Han.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. After all, it was something that I must do. After all, it is dangerous to leave a seed of calamity alone. Much more if the seed had already gained a little bit of consciousness.¡±


    Surprised by the words of Han, Aiden asked curiously.


    ¡°Senior Han, do you know what that is? Why is something so dangerous here?¡±


    Thinking for a moment, the shadow Han spoke.


    ¡°It¡äs called seed of calamity¡­ Umm, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know about its origins seeing you are so weak but I can tell you that it¡¯s very dangerous. It¡¯s no something a pair of core-forming youths can fight against, though this one is incomplete so perhaps you were able to be so nearbecause of it.


    ¡°The reason because there is one here is probably an accident. If I¡¯m not wrong, a part of it fell here after the main body was destroyed and it tried control a few beasts so they can help it to reunite resources to recover its strength.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Interrupted Aiden surprised. ¡°Is senior saying that the one controlling the beasts was the stone from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, surprised? Seeds of calamity are a type of entity with a low-level conscience. When one appears in a place they instinctively gather the demonic beasts in the surroundings and control them to cause destruction and help it to search for a host. If I¡¯m not wrong, the reason because it was interested in your girl, was to use her like the host and recover its power quickly.¡±


    Hearing the words of the shadow, Aiden could not help but go pale in realization.


    ¡°Then, the attack that night¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was ordered for it.¡± Han paused for a moment a looked the bodies in the surroundings. ¡°It probably noticed your strength and thought in bringing you two to test if any of you was adequate to be the host.¡±


    When Aiden heard it, he could not help but to be frightened.


    To think a rock is able of such planning¡­


    Wait, doesn¡¯t it mean that its goal from the beginning was to get us close enough to test if we were suitable hosts¡­ If it even planned about today events, then it is truly frightening.


    Marveling about the capacity of the seed of calamity Aiden felt lucky of being able to survive an encounter with it.


    Seeing that Aiden understood everything the shadow spoke again.


    ¡°Well, I think I will left. I will take with me the seed of calamity lad; it¡¯s not something you can have. About the other things, you look very interested in the sealed soul, so I will leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh right.¡± Throwing toward Aiden the strangeamulet with the sword engraved him saw at the beginning the shadow continued. ¡°Thatamulet is probably part of a treasure. Though it probably doesn¡¯t have much spirituality left, perhaps you can find a use for it. Who knows, maybe it is an unrivaled treasure.¡±


    Catching theamulet thrown for the shadow, Aiden grabbed it tightly. Looking towards the shadow, Aiden sawhim disappear strangely.


    Aiden thanked it again in his mind before guarding theamulet in his pouch like a memento. Then, looking toward Lia, Aiden noted she fell asleep in some part of the conversation.


    Giving her a piggyback carefully to not wake her up, Aiden walked towards the sealed soul in the ground and grabbed it with his right hand,


    Holding it tightly, Aiden could not help but think about all the troubles him had to get it and sighed tiredly before smiling.


    With an expression of satisfaction, Aiden observed carefully the small tiger in the interior and thought about how it is the key for him to get a spirit. Immediately, his expression was replaced byan excited one.


    Finally, the mission ended.


    Finally, he got a sealed soul.


    Finally, he can begin to change his fate.

 Chapter 22 – In the Town of Cali Again

    Chapter 22 ¨C In the Town of Cali Again


    A youth was walking the streets of a town with a refreshed expression on his face.


    Despite his handsome appearance, the youth was currently dressed in casual clothes, with only a pair of shorts accompanied with a black jacket. In his feet were a pair of sandals, making anyone seeing his clothes think about a village youth.


    But different from his casual clothes, the presence emitted from him was calm and peaceful, like a still well, giving a slight impression of nobility and elegance.


    The youth walking was, of course, Aiden and he was currently in the Borden Town of Cali again.


    It was already seven days from the fight against the seed of calamity and the few wounds him received were already completely recovered.


    After the shadow left them, Aiden carried Lia all the way back to the village which gave the commission.


    The travel took Aiden almost ten hours and Lia didn¡¯t awaken in all that time. Aiden even thought that something happened but was able to feel that her breathing was stable so attributed it to fatigue.


    Luckily, they not encountered any danger during that time, probably because almost every living being in the surroundings were scared for the recent events, so,though the travel was tiring to Aiden, it wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    When the pair reached the village, the chief came to receive them directly. Apparently, the commotions caused for Lia and the black stone were felt even here, causing preoccupation in the village inhabitants.


    Fortunately, the village chief was able to notice the state of Lia and Aiden and not made many questions before offering them a place to rest.


    Aiden slept for an entire day after it. Lia finally awoke while he was sleeping and personally reported everything to the village chief, with exception of sensitive stuff like the details about her transformation.


    The village chief hadn¡¯t any knowledge about the seed of calamities so he had not any special reaction hearing about it, though he was visibly relieved knowing that the boars would not be a problem in the future.


    After staying in the village for another day to recover a bit more the pair finally departed to the town of Cali to complete the commission. Thankfully the travel was without any mishaps and the pair could see the town after half a day.


    Following the procedure, the pair went to the town hall directly after entering the town. There, they again explained what happened while omitting a few things. When the receptionist heard about the see of calamity she immediately called the one in charge and explained everything. Aiden and Lia were then called to explain again about the mission.


    After explaining again the events during the mission and answering all the questions they made, Aiden and Lia were finally allowed to return to home.


    Strangely, the personal of the town hall didn¡¯t ask about the shadow what took the seed of calamity with him and only looked surprised for a moment after hearing about him. Aiden thought that perhaps they knew the identity of the shadow but he didn¡¯t ask about it.


    Fortunately, the town paid for all the proofs of killing the boars at the market price besides giving a bonus due to the high difficulty of the mission, so the earnings the pair got after the mission were considerable.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    From that day Aiden and Lia had been in the town for five days. Though they were a bit tired at the beginning, the pair had already recovered by today, so Aiden decided go around the town to buy a few things they were needing in the house.


    As always, many peoples in the street recognized Aiden when they saw he} was buying, and thanks to the good reputation him had around the town many stores even offered him discounts for their products.


    Aiden made a round around the marketplace and got everything that Lia entrusted. Thinking that every necessary thing was already bought Aiden finally began to walk towards home.


    When Aiden was exiting the marketplace, Aiden passed near a rundown store. Thinking for a moment and seeing the youth sleeping in the counter Aiden finally made up his mind to enter.


    Entering the place and speaking the necessary password, Aiden proceeded to go down the stairs not paying attention to the sleeping youth ignoring his presence as always.


    Reaching the door, Aiden knocked the door twice and waited for the answer.


    ¡°Enter.¡± Came the decrepit voice after a few seconds.


    Entering the dark room and feeling the oppressive atmosphere of the place, Aiden looked towards the only table in the room and saw the wrinkled face of the old man illuminated for the only candle in the place.


    Aiden sat without waiting for the old man speak and looked towards him sarcastically.


    ¡°I thought that the information in this place was always trustable.¡±


    ¡°Keke, you are more impatient every time young boy. Don¡¯t you know it is good manners give a greeting when you see someone after a long time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that thing old man.¡± Aiden frowned upon hearing the words of the old man, ¡°You know the reason for my attitude.¡±


    ¡°Kekeke, okay young man, I give up. Though you could no hope for me apologize about a piece of information I gave you like a freebie, right?¡±


    The expression of Aiden darkened even more before leaving a sigh and slumping his shoulder in the chair. Then, looking towards the candle, he said:


    ¡°You knew that the reason of the boars¡¯ behavior was a seed of calamity, right? Why you didn¡¯t tell me about it then?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, such a joke boy. Do you think we are charity? Don¡¯t I told you about the mission being more complicated than your information? How am I to blame because you were trapped after being too impulsive? You better thank me because I warned you free of charge.


    Being unable of refuting the words of the old man, Aiden could only suppress his anger. After all, though Aiden was a repetitive customer from the place, in the end, he knew that the old man didn¡¯t have the responsibility of warning him. Though he was a bit surprised that the old man knew about the details of the mission already.


    ¡°Okay boy, let¡¯s leave that topic behind. Tell me, is the reason because you are here only to take your anger in me? If not, then speak about your purpose.¡±


    Aiden put a serious expression after hearing the old man, then, taking a paper sheet from his pouch, wrote some names in it.


    ¡°Do you want to know about it?¡± Receiving the sheet from Aiden, the old man began to read the contents before raising a brow. ¡°Are them medicinal ingredients? Do you want for me get them for you? You know we don¡¯t make this kind of deal here right?¡±


    ¡°I know, old man,¡± Aiden spoke while looking seriously. ¡°But I hope you can help me to get them.¡±


    The old man thought for a moment and looked the contents of the sheet again, then, he spoke towards Aiden: ¡°I can help you to get them, but are you sure you will use them? I had an idea about what you are going to do, and I don¡¯t think it is alright. The risks are too great.¡±


    Aiden fell silent upon hearing the word of the old man. Though he already knew that the old man was conscious of his identity, he was surprised that the old man knew also about his goal. But even knowing about it, Aiden didn¡¯t doubt his choice for even an instant.


    ¡°I will do it, old man. I had been living till now with only that goal in mind.¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡± The old man suspired, looking helpless. ¡°Well, I am nobody to convince you of the contrary. Very well, I will help you to get the ingredients, though the price will be expensive.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry old man.¡± Aiden answered with a smile, ¡°I already imagine it.¡±


    Seeing Aiden stand from his seat and prepare to leave, the old man opened his mouth once more and gifted him a piece of information.


    ¡°I told you before, but a few troubles are coming to the town. My advice is for you maintain away from it lest you end in something you cannot handle.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you know I¡¯m going to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know a bit about you, so I think you will be involucrate sooner or later.¡±


    Hearing the words of the old man, Aiden smiled awkwardly gave his thanks.


    For some reason, he thought the old man seemed much more affable today.

 Chapter 23 – The Most Successful Experiment

    Chapter 23 ¨C The Most Successful Experiment


    The dark room was completely quiet after Aiden left. Completely silent and with a complex expression, the face of the old man was dimly illuminated for the candle.


    Holding the list of ingredients handed for Aiden, the old man could not help but give a sigh, then, putting a serious expression, he spoke.


    ¡°¡­ Did you hear it, Han?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± A voice answered behind him. ¡°Do you need for me to do something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tell someone to get the ingredients in the list. Get it done the sooner the better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    Seeing the owner of the voice remain behind him even after answering, the old man knew that his apprentice probably wanted to ask something, so leaving a sigh he asked:


    ¡°¡­ Do you want something?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Master, I¡¯m curious, do you know what the deal with the girl is?¡±


    The old man thought for a moment about the question before signaling for Han to sit, then, sighing softly, the old man spoke.


    ¡°I was not completely sure before, but I can confirm it with the things you told me. I think this information is not too confidential so there is no harm in you knowing, though it is better if you don¡¯t go spreading it around.¡±


    Seeing his apprentice assent, the old man continued in an even tone.


    ¡°Around twenty years ago an organization appeared in the continent. Though it is nothing strange for organizations appear and disappear every day, this organization was a bit different and its members were all madmen.


    ¡°This organization was called ¡®God¡¯s Hand¡¯ and had as the only goal ¡®to discover the secrets of the world¡¯.


    ¡°Though the members of the organization were madmen, it was undeniable that this place was also a gathering of geniuses in many fields. And to be sincere, they made many discoveries through their years of research.


    ¡°But there was a truth that eluded them. It was the origin of the spirits. Though the organization was filled with many geniuses of every corner of the continent, none of them was able to advance in the path of creating an artificial spirit.


    ¡°For many years, the organization continued to realize many experiments, the majority very cruel, with the only goal of creating a true artificial spirit, but every one of them was unsuccessful.


    ¡°It was until someone proposed something.¡±


    The old man paused for a moment and tried organizing his words, then he continued the story.


    ¡°One person said that if it was impossible to create a spirit from nothing, then why not begin from people already possessing spirits like fundament.


    ¡°Finding the theory acceptable, the members of the organization began to search through the continent for children born with spirits. They targeted poor families and kids without a background, and in a short time reunited a great number of children as subjects of experimentation.


    ¡°Following the suggestion offered, the investigators of God¡¯s Hand began to realize experiment in the children. Many kids died every day inside the laboratories, and many more became crazy.


    ¡°And between the many children, a breakthrough in creating spirits finally appeared.


    ¡°And the child responsible for it was a girl.


    ¡°The most successful example in creating artificial spirits. The greatest advance in the subject for two decades. Her codename was ¡®ALEGRIA¡¯ symbolizing the hope of the investigators in completing their research.¡± Said the old man.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Then master, are you telling that the girl, Lia, was the successful experiment?¡± Asked Han surprised.


    ¡°Yes, she was the most successful product that God¡¯s Hand created in almost two decades of investigation. No just it, she was the only survivor between thousands of children through the entire investigation. You can tell that she is a living miracle.¡±


    ¡°So, the reason for her transformation was her second spirit?¡±


    ¡°How can it be so easy to create an artificial spirit?¡± Answered the old man smiling bitterly. ¡°Though I said she was her most successful experiment, at the end of the day, they were yet far away of truly creating a spirit. She, at most, allowed them to take a step forward in their investigation. However, the thing inside her definitively is not a spirit.¡±


    Han wore a doubtful expression hearing the old man words. ¡°If it is not a spirit, then what is it?¡±


    ¡°You know that spirits are defined like agglomerations of laws in the boundary between the body and the soul, right?¡± Answered the old man. ¡°But the thing is, spirits are closer to being immaterial than material. The researchers thought that the clave in creating a spirit was in the soul, so they proceeded to fuse souls of demonic beasts inside humans.


    ¡°The thing is, everything related with souls is very delicate. Most children died when the soul was being implanted, and the rest became crazy or died not much later. Only ALEGRIA, or Lia how she is called now, survived.


    ¡°But even when she survived, she not gained a spirit but something different, something akin at a demonic beast bloodline.


    ¡°Though it looks like a spirit, in reality, it¡¯s completely different, so she is the most successful experiment because she was the only survivor, but at the end, she is a failure too .¡±


    ¡°But master, even if she didn¡¯t get a spirit, a demonic beast bloodline implanted in a human is something incredible, right?¡± Interjected the youth. ¡°Is it no an incredible discovery too?¡±


    The old man could only shake his head a sigh helplessly, then drawing a breath, explained.


    ¡°Perhaps, but the side effects were too great. The girl ended with two souls inside her body making her unstable. Not just it, with the time, the second soul inside her will become stronger and stronger supplanting little by little the original soul until devouring it. The only method to avoid it is probably to continue advancing her cultivation continuously, but at least she can surpass the bloodline shackles from the demonic beast owning the soul, it is nothing more than a temporary solution. The reason because she lost the control that night was probably it. To be sincere, if it is only it then it is not so bad. The thing is, the soul those crazy men of God¡¯s Hand used is one belonging at an insanely powerful demonic beast with a demonic king bloodline, so if she wants to suppress the other soul she must breakthrough at the Spirit emperor level. Even in the entire world, there are less than twenty spirits emperors between human and beast. What is the possibility of her reaching at such level in her lifetime?¡±


    Hearing it, the youth exclaimed.


    ¡°Master... doesn¡¯t it mean that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Said the old man, ¡°She will eventually be devoured for the foreign soul inside her. A shame, she was very talented.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What demonic beast is the soul inside her, master?¡± Asked Han after being silent for an instant.


    ¡°¡­ A fate witch, the Nornir.¡± Answered the old man with a suddenly serious expression.


    Hearing the name of the beast, Han was completely frightened.


    Nornirswere one of the most dreaded demonic beasts in the entire continent. It was said that they were able to kill people at thousands of kilometers of distance without leaving any trace. Supposedly, they were able of cutting the fate of someone, killing them instantly.


    Though Nornir were called demonic beasts too, the truth is they are more of a kind of vicious specter. It¡¯s said that even spirit emperors dread facing this monster; it¡¯s because they are able of protecting themselves, they are unable of protecting the peoples related to them.


    Knowing the kind of demon inside Lia, Han could not help but dread the quiet but warm girl.


    ¡°¡­ Is it not dangerous then if the soul completely kills her, master?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I made arrangements for the moment when her soul is completely devoured.¡± The old man affirmed in a heavy tone.


    For a moment, there was silence in the room.


    Han seemed to think of something after a time and spoke again.


    ¡°Master, I had yet two question I would like for your answer.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and ask.¡±


    ¡°If Lia is truly an experiment of the God¡¯s Hand, how was she able of escaping and why is her free yet? I doubt that such an organization is unable to localize an escaped experiment.¡±


    ¡°Haha, yes, they are certainly usable. After all, the organization was destroyed a bit more than three years ago.¡± Replied the old man amusedly.


    ¡°Destroyed!?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Said the old man smiling wryly. ¡°They were a group of madmen doing experiments, and like the madmen they were, the people they offended were too many to count. One day, they offended a powerful beast ruler, a demon emperor, and the beast in its rage destroyed every one of their installations killing almost every member. The few survivors are living hidden from their many enemies. The girl probably escaped at that moment.¡±


    Processing the information for a moment, Han spoke once more after understating what happened.


    ¡°Master, I have another question.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡± Replied the old man already a bit bothered.


    Han thought for a moment and then spoke: ¡°It is about the boy, Aiden.¡±

 Chapter 24 – A Cruel Joke of Fate

    Chapter 24 ¨C A Cruel Joke of Fate


    When the old man heard the words of his apprentice, he immediately knew what was going to be the question.


    The old man could not do anything but shake his head and prepare himself to answer while hearing the youth.


    ¡°You said that God¡¯s Hand was unable of making an artificial spirit and that Lia¡¯s is not a spirit, but a fragment of a soul fused with her. Does Aiden know about it, master?¡± Asked Han concerned.


    ¡°Sigh, it is just like you are thinking.¡± Said the old while shaking his head slightly. ¡°Neither Aiden nor Lia know that the thing inside hers is not a spirit, and they think that it¡¯s one, though incomplete. As you are thinking, Aiden is trying to create his spirit following Lia¡¯s experiences, but he doesn¡¯t know that it¡¯s not even close to being theright method to create a spirit.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, he doesn¡¯t have any hope of succeeding from the beginning. The possibility of him creating a spirit following that process is almost null.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Why you didn¡¯t tell him then?¡± Asked Han


    ¡°¡­ In the end, I and he are not related in any form. Though I have a good impression of him after knowing him for three years, the most I will do is advise him to think well about it; but as you saw, he didn¡¯t take my advice to heart.¡±


    ¡°He is still naive after all.¡± Said the old man with a shake of his head.


    The two of them stayed silent for a moment. Han felt pity for the boy, but even so, he knew he was unable of doing anything. After all, even intervening in the forest was something he wasn¡¯t supposed to do.


    ¡°Such a pair of pitiful kids¡± Sighed the old man. ¡°One is destined to have her soul devoured and the other to never be able to continue cultivating despite his incredible talent. At times like this, I think fate truly is cruel. After all, it made a pair of despaired souls to meet and gain ray of hope, only to shatter it from the beginning even without them knowing.¡±


    Han also felt pitiful for the two after knowing about their fate. A pair of talented kids with great futures were destroyed in a whim of fate, and even now they were trying to continue forward without knowing that their destiny is already set. Han thought that Aiden was even more pitiful. After all, he was going to be forced to see his love becoming less and less her, without being able of doing anything.


    But at the end of the day, there was nothing he could do, after all, he was unable of saving the girl, much less creating a spirit.


    Heaving a sigh after thinking about it, Han decided don¡¯t worry anymore about it and leave everything a fate. Who knows, perhaps an unlikely miracle can happen.


    Seeing his disciple sitting in silence, the old man sighed and spoke. ¡°Forget about it, you cannot help them. Go, get those ingredients for him. It¡¯s better if he learns that it¡¯s impossible after trying for himself.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Han stood and walked toward the exit after hearing his master; but before reaching her, he heard his master again.


    ¡°Oh right, tell to our men to hurry in their search for it. I don¡¯t know how they learned about it but many sects sent people to this town to search for it. It¡¯s better is we find it before they reach here.¡±


    ¡°Per you will, master.¡±


    ¡­


    Aiden walked toward his home after leaving the rundown shop.


    Though he was curious why the attitude of the old man looked different today, at the end he decided don¡¯t worry about it.


    Aiden knew that the old man was mysterious. Not just it, but he knows about his background clearly, for these reasons he is normally cautious when dealing with him.


    But even with it, the old man is definitively the best option to get the materials he lacks to the ritual of getting the spirit. Though the old man is not trustworthy, if Aiden wants to get the materials for another medium, then perhaps he will be unable of getting everything after a year.


    And thinking that even after three years the old man had never taken action against him, Aiden made the decision to bet in him not having any bad intention.


    Though Aiden told Lia it was best for them to leave the town as soon as possible, after discovering the sealed stone they didn¡¯t have any option but to stay here a bit longer. After all, if they leave now it will take them longer to reunite all the materials and realize the procedure. In the end, the pair decided to wait until after doing the ritual to leave.


    Walking around the town to get at his home, Aiden passed beside the smithy and saw the old smith sleeping in a chair.


    After hesitating for a moment, Aiden finally decided to make his way towards him. Entering the smithy, he felt the nostalgic smell of carbon and iron invade his nose.


    Reaching before the old smith, Aiden waited for a moment without making a sound. After a few minutes so, the old man finally reacted.


    ¡°It looks like you finally remembered about me, boy.¡±


    Smiling wryly hearing the old man words, Aiden stayed silent for a moment but finally chose to say his intentions directly.


    ¡°I will be leaving the town soon, old man. I need to prepare a few things before it, so I probably will not come here anymore after today.¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t have any reaction after hearing Aiden. It was as if he already knew it was going to happen. For a few minutes, the place remained silent.


    ¡°I knew you were going to left someday.¡± Said the old man finally breaking the silence. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think it was going to be so soon.¡±


    Aiden was unable to speak after hearing his words.


    To be sincere, Aiden respected the old man very much. For two years, the old man taught him everything about blacksmithing without hiding anything or having any reservation. For Aiden, who was abandoned for almost everybody after losing his spirit, the position of the old man in his heart was even beyond a teacher and closer to a family member. Even now, he was debating if it was the right choice to leave the town and the old man behind.


    But at the end, he knew it was unavoidable.


    He would do everything in his power to fulfill his dream.


    Independently of the ritual succeeding or failing, he would leave.


    Either to further advance his cultivation¡­


    ¡­ Or to search for another method to get a spirit.


    The old man seemed to understand Aiden¡¯s thoughts, so he didn¡¯t continue asking and only looked at him silently.


    ¡°Go, I understand.¡± The old man sighed tiredly and waved his hand. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure of your circumstances, I know you are not resigned to remain in this small town. Go and do what you need to do. Only remember never forget the things I taught you.¡±


    Aiden bowed deeply before the old man and turned to leave while suppressing his tears.


    Though he only decided to learn blacksmithing as a method to investigate the creation of spirits, after two years, he learned many more than it.


    So, though it was impossible for him to remain in this place, he decided to fulfill the only wish of the old man.


    He swore never to forget every one of the things he learned here.


    And if one day he successfully accomplished his dreams, he swore return here to make the old man proud.


    Before leaving, Aiden was able to hear the old man speaking softly.


    ¡°if it is possible, I would like for you come here the day when you are leaving.¡±


    Without looking back, Aiden only nodded softly.

 Chapter 25 – Complex Emotions

    Chapter 25 ¨C Complex Emotions


    Aiden¡¯s mood continued being complex even after leaving the old smith place.


    Though he had already made the choice to leave long ago, Aiden still found painful when the moment of doing it was approaching.


    The feelings Aiden have towards this town are very great. This town can be considered the first place him called home after escaping four years ago and the memories he made here are very numerous.


    This was the place where he and Lia learned to cohabitate together.


    This was the place where he began to walk towards his dream.


    This was the place where he and Lia fell in love.


    After more two years living here, Aiden found difficult to part with the town.


    But he knows it¡¯s something him must do.


    If he wants to take revenge someday, then staying here is something impossible.


    In the end, he is not conformable with living like a common person.


    Taking a deep breath, Aiden suppressed those thoughts and concentrated on the things he must do.


    As the old man said, the ritual to create a spirit is not something riskless.


    To be sincere, Aiden is not even sure that the ritual will be able to help him in forming a spirit. However, at the of the day, it is the option with the greatest chance of success currently so Aiden must take the risk associated with it.


    The ritual Aiden is going to do is based on Lia¡¯s experiences. Following Lia¡¯s situation, Aiden adapted the ritual with the purpose of augmenting the chance of success and diminishing the risk.


    But even with it, Aiden must do a great number of preparations to ensure his success.


    And the most important of them is to assure that his body is in top condition.


    Lia told Aiden that in the process of fusing with a foreign soul the most important thing to do is to make sure of not let the foreign soul consume you.


    According to her, the reason because the majority of experimental subjects in the laboratory died during the experiment, was because their minds were not strong enough to endure the invasion of the foreign soul. It and because the souls used during the experiment were of very strong creatures.


    The sealed soul in Aiden possession is a lightning tiger. A demonic beast with the strength of the spirit materializing stage, three entire levels above the core fusing stage.


    Normally, Aiden would have reservations about fusing with such a strong (Relatively) soul, but fortunately, it was weakened for the seed of calamity, so the strength of the soul is at most at the spirit awakening stage, only an entire level above core-fusing.


    But even so, in a fight between souls, anything can go wrong. Aiden is confident in his mental strength due to all the things he had lived, but even so, he must make sure of being in the best condition possible to face the demonic beast soul.


    After walking for half an hour Aiden finally reached his home.


    Knocking the door softly to inform he is home, Aiden entered the house and placed all the things he bought in a table.


    Not hearing Lia voice even after a few minutes, Aiden walked around the house to see what she was doing.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Reaching the courtyard, Aiden saw Lia sitting with the eyes closed in meditation. Fearing interrupting her, Aiden walked below the shadow of a tree and sat there.


    Looking fixedly to the face of Lia concentrated in her cultivation, Aiden could not help but lose himself in thoughts.


    Aiden wasn¡¯t sure when exactly he fell in love with her, but he thinks he can know the reason.


    For Aiden, Lia is more than a simple companion. When Aiden met Lia, his life was no more than an empty shell. He only wandered around different cities without a clear goal.


    Meeting Lia and learning of her situation was the reason he decided to try creating an artificial spirit.


    Though at the beginning, the relationship between them was pretty bad, with the time they both warmed to each other. Perhaps because both lived similar situations, it was easy for they relate to the other. In a world where they had not anyone else to trust, the bonds between the two strengthened quickly.


    When Aiden noticed it, he already had fallen in love with her.


    It was probably due at her constants encouragements and her warm personality, o perhaps thanks to the care she gave him, but he is sure he wants to spend his life together with her.


    And for it, he must continue forward.


    Lost in his thoughts, Aiden didn¡¯t notice Lia opening her eyes from the meditation.


    Seeing Aiden staring fixedly toward her, Lia could not help but blush deeply.


    ¡°Y-Young master, don¡¯t stare too much.¡± Said she shyly.


    Awakening from his stupor, Aiden could only scratch his cheek and speak with an embarrassed expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t see you in the house, so I came here to see what you were doing, but I thought about some things when I saw you meditating.¡±


    Seeing the embarrassed expression in Aiden¡¯s face, Lia blushed even more and spoke in an almost inaudible tone.


    ¡°T-Then, were you needing something from me?¡±


    ¡°Ahh? No no, I was only going to tell you that I brought all the things you ask me.¡± Said Aiden while waving his hands slightly. ¡°But I see you meditating and didn¡¯t want to interrupt you. Anyway, have you made any progress recently?¡±


    Even though she knew that Aiden was trying to change the topic, Lia smiled happily with a little bit of blush yet on her face and with an excited expression spoke.


    ¡°Young master, I think I going to breakthrough to the core-fusing realm soon!¡±


    ¡°So fast!?¡± Aiden asked surprised hearing Lia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes, young master!¡± Lia continued excitedly. ¡°I feel that my core is already almost fused with my thread spirit and it only need a push more! I probably could breakthrough at any moment!¡±


    Aiden was incredibly surprised hearing Lia and could not help but smile bitterly. You must know that she only reached the peak of core-forming a bit more than a week ago. Aiden could only feel envious of her progress.


    Lia understood Aiden¡¯s thoughts immediately after seeing his expression. Comprehending the reason, Lia smiled gently and tried consoling him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master, we are going to realize the ritual soon and I¡¯m sure you will succeed. After it, you also will be able to continue cultivating.¡±


    Hearing Lia, Aiden smiled forcibly in an attempt to comfort her and changed the topic.


    ¡°Any activity of your second spirit?¡±


    ¡°None young master.¡± Spoke Lia frowning slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it doesn¡¯t react to my attempts to fuse it with my core. It only stays quiet in my soul. I only feel a reaction from it when it gets out of control.¡±


    Aiden frowned slightly hearing Lia explanation.


    Different from body refinement where you prepare your body for cultivation or core-forming where you begin to form your core of energy, the core-fusing stage consist on fusing your core with your spirit and using it to create a tangible bridge between the body and the soul and use it to create a foundation to use your spirit. The reason because spiritless people are unable of advance from core forming is because they have not a spirit to work like a medium between the body and the soul, and it¡¯s also the reason because Aiden is stagnated in the peak of core-forming.


    If Aiden wants to advance from core-forming to core-fusing, he must find a method to fuse his core and bridge the soul and body. Without it, he will be unable to advance doesn¡¯t matter how he tries.


    Though he is trying to use a demonic beast soul like spirit just like Lia¡¯s, Aiden is now not completely sure it will work after hearing Lia.


    Seeing the frowning expression on Aiden¡¯s face, Lia decided to drop the topic and spoke about something more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, young master. Right, were you able to find something about the other things you need?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though I¡¯m not completely sure if everything will go alright, I already asked someone to get it for me.¡± Aiden spoke at Lia about what happened in the rundown shop and with the old smith before.


    Hearing Aiden, Lia sighed relieved and spoke in a calm voice.


    ¡°I hope that everything works well, young master. You must be tired, right? I will go to prepare something to eat.¡±


    Hearing Lia, Aiden nodded silently and indicated he will stay to train with the saber.


    Seeing Lia gone, Aiden sighed ruefully before making a determined expression and taking his saber out.


    If he don¡¯t want to be left behind for Lia, he must improve his cultivation.


    And for it, he must make sure for the ritual to be successful.

 Chapter 26 – A Glimpse to Saber Manifestation

    Chapter 26 ¨C A Glimpse to Saber Manifestation


    Aiden fueled his determination even more after learning that Lia was going to breakthrough.


    Now he knew the ritual was going to be realized soon, Aiden found impossible stay around without doing anything.


    Having already tried doing everything in his power to guarantee the greatest rate of success possible, Aiden found himself unable of doing anything apart of waiting for the moment when all the materials were reunited.


    In that state, Aiden could only try to suppress his emotions using the saber; reason because he said to Lia he was going to practice.


    With his head full of different thoughts, Aiden grabbed the saber with his two hands and try clearing his mind of anything but the saber.


    With the eyes closed, Aiden raised the saber and slashed downwards with it in a smooth movement, then, without pausing to do anything else, continued moving the saber swiftly to the right.


    Remembering each of the movements he practiced from childhood, Aiden continued swinging the saber trying concentrate his mind only in it.


    The saber moves, already ingrained in the deep of his muscles, flowed smoothly while Aiden breathed softly in tandem.


    Slowly, the movement of Aiden seemed gain an incredible rhythm and evoke a sense of harmony.


    At some point, Aiden seemingly forgot about the surroundings and only continued swinging his saber in an unconscious manner.


    A powerful saber intent spread in the surroundings silently. Without alerting anyone, the saber intent spread through the streets of the border town of Cali in five hundred meters around Aiden¡¯s house and continued spreading in an unnoticeable manner.


    The only people able of feel something off were those with a certain level of cultivation, but even them only felt a small discomfort that disappeared quickly.


    Contrary to them, Lia in the kitchen felt a comfortable sensation washing over her but was unable of identify the origin of it, so she simply ignored it.


    If an expert would have been here, then he probably would have known that Aiden¡¯s saber intent was astonishingly growing without stop during the time he was practicing the saber.


    After a few minutes, the saber intent extended from five hundred meters to a kilometer without stop, then, it continued spreading at the rhythm of Aiden¡¯s saber dance.


    Aiden¡¯s movements continued increasing in speed more and more, becoming sharper and stronger with every swing of the saber, the saber intent in the surroundings becoming more noticeable as result.


    As of now, even common people were able of feel a slight prickling sensation in their bodies suddenly.


    But before they could ask about the origin of it, it disappeared in the same sudden form as it appeared.


    Aiden frowned slightly while swinging the saber in the courtyard.


    In the middle of the dance with his saber, Aiden suddenly began to feel a sense of discomfort.


    The discomfort kept growing the most Aiden used his saber and the stronger the saber intent became.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    It was almost as if his method of using the saber were wrong in some place.


    Aiden tried persistently to correct the sense of discomfort in his moves without success. Instead, the sense of discomfort became greater and greater with every passing second.


    Then, in the middle of swinging his saber, something appeared in Aiden¡¯s mind.


    Aiden wasn¡¯t sure about what it was, but the sense of discomfort in his body seemed urge him to use it.


    So, use it he did.


    Aiden didn¡¯t know what the difference was but the sense of discomfort in his body suddenly disappeared.


    Though his movements were identical to before, for some reason the saber intent spread in the surrounding began to retract.


    Little by little, the saber intent invading the streets of the town of Cali began to retreat returning to the saber in Aiden¡¯s hands.


    Then, when all the saber intent integrated with the saber, a translucid film of sharp energy surrounded the blade and a powerful but almost inaudible saber hum spread in the surroundings¡­


    ¡­ And in the same instant when it appeared, it disappeared.


    Aiden opened his eyes feeling the sharp energy surrounding the saber disappear, then, with a lost expression, tried to feel the sensation of power from before again, only to be disappointed.


    Though he wasn¡¯t sure, he thought he touched the realm of saber manifestation for an instant.


    Sadly, in the moment when the saber manifestation appeared, for some reason it dissipated.


    Aiden could only look the saber in his hand in daze, unsure of what exactly happened. Then, seeing Lia coming out from the house with an equally puzzled expression, Aide shrugged his shoulders unable of explaining anything to her.


    The only thing Aiden knew was that the state of saber manifestation was closer to him than never.


    ¡­


    Inside a dark room in the basement of a rundown shop, an old man opened his eyes after feeling an almost unnoticeable saber hum.


    Looking toward the origin of the phenomenon, the old man could only shake his head in pity after knowing the one responsible for it.


    ¡°Such a shame, such a shame¡­¡±


    Nobody else was in the dark room to hear the exclamations of the old man.


    ¡­


    In a flying ship a few kilometers away from the city of Cali.


    An old man was sitting with the eyes closed together a girl in the bow of a ship.


    The old man was using a clean white robe that gave him a feeling of dignity, while the girl, with his beautiful white dress, emitted a lively feeling able of cheer the people in her surroundings.


    With his senses alert to guard against any unexpected situation towards the girl looking curiously at the scenery, the old man was able to feel the wave of saber energy spreading from the town.


    Making a surprised expression, the old man gazed towards the town with a look of interest in his face.


    The girl, seeing the changes in the old man face, spoke using a sweet-sounding voice.


    ¡°Grampa, what is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Saber manifestation!¡± Exclaimed the old man. ¡°Somebody used saber manifestation in the town where we are going!¡±


    Hearing the words of the old man, the girl made an astonished face and cried out.


    ¡°Are you telling that there is a saber expert in the town!?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No.¡± The old man shook his head after thinking for a while. ¡°Though the saber energy is very pure, it¡¯s very weak and unstable, or else I wouldn¡¯t have sensed it. It probably is a junior genius of some family or sect that just comprehend saber manifestation. However, for such a young genius to appear in the town probably means that the news had spread father what we thought.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, grandpa!? How is it possible for somebody of my generation comprehend a martial manifestation!? Even martial intents are things that many senior cultivators are unable of learn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, child.¡± Explained the old man. ¡°Though it was a wave of energy corresponding to saber manifestation, the energy supporting it is only at the core-fusing stage or the spirit awakening stage at most.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the geniuses of the world; though it is impossible for many powerful figures comprehend a martial manifestation in all their lives, from time in time freaks appears able of break such rules. Perhaps that person is one of such freaks.¡±


    The girl kept silent after hearing the old man. Then, after making a worried expression, the girl spoke.


    ¡°Grampa, doesn¡¯t it mean that the fight to get that thing will be even harder than we thought? If somebody so talented is already here, what kind of people will be coming in the next few days?¡±


    Hearing the worried voice of the girl, the old man smiled gently and reassured.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Thighs like it are better left to fate. Though we departed immediately after of hearing the rumors, many different powers probably heard it too. The most we can do is try our best. And if we get it then it means that it was destined to be ours.¡±


    The old man shook his head after speaking, clearly not confident in their possibilities. The girl, after seeing it, made a determined expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandpa! I promise you I will do my best!¡±


    Then, with a smile of confidence in her face she continued.


    ¡°I will be the one getting the Supreme Emptiness Flame!¡±

 Chapter 27 – Prelude to the Storm

    Chapter 27 ¨C Prelude to the Storm


    Aiden was again walking around the streets of the town of Cali.


    It was already for Aiden a routine to walk every morning around the town to buy the daily needs and ingredients necessary in the house. Normally, Lia write a list for Aiden with the things necessary during the day and Aiden uses it to go at the marketplace and the different stores.


    The afternoon when Aiden had the strange epiphany was already two days ago, and from then he had been unable of activate the saber manifestation again.


    Despite it, Aiden felt the power of his saber arts increasing by leaps and bounds from then, and his saber intent became even purer with every day.


    Aiden was even surer that he could breakthrough to the realm of saber manifestation at any moment, however he was unable of taking that step no matter what.


    It made Aiden feel incredibly depressed. The feeling was like a starved man seeing a luxurious banquet and being unable of eat it.


    For Aiden, who is unable of cultivate, breaking through his saber arts represent one of the few means he had to improve his combat strength, so he is even eager to breakthrough through it than most peoples.


    After all, going from saber intent to saber manifestation represent a qualitative change in the nature of the martial arts.


    Different from cultivation, martial arts proficiency is divided in four levels. They are intent, manifestation, domain and soul. In theory, proficiency in martial arts is completely unrelated with the power of cultivation and even a mortal could reach to the level of martial domain or martial soul. In reality however, only people who dedicate all of their efforts to understand a fighting style are able of having a progress in it, and normally only cultivators had the drive to do something like it.


    Currently, only three people in the entire continent are known for comprehending a type of martial soul, and two of them are spirit emperors.


    Based in it, it can be understood the difficulty of advancing through martial cultivation. Actually, only powerhouses at the spirit sage stage, already able of flight, are normally the ones able of comprehending a kind of martial manifestation, so for Aiden to touch the boundary of this realm could only be called freakish.


    So, at the end, Aiden can only leave it to fate. After all, for things like martial arts, a moment of inspiration is many times more valuable than years of practice.


    Perhaps, one morning he will awaken and discover he is already able of saber manifestation.


    After thinking about it, Aiden continued following his path and browsing around the stalls in the path.


    Seeing a few interesting things, Aiden decided to buy it and went to get some coins from his pouch.


    But at that moment, a commotion sounded in the surroundings.


    Hearing the sound of a stall being destroyed and a little girl crying, Aiden paused his actions and turned to look what was happening.


    In a corner of the street, a group of people was surrounding a stall and whispering between them while pointing to something.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Feeling curious, Aiden walked towards them and heard even more sobs coming from the middle of the commotion.


    Opening the way with his hands, Aiden searched for the origin of the commotion only for a wave of rage attack his mind.


    Crouched in the ground, a little girl of around ten years was crying and trying pick the apples scattered on the ground while a pair of youths were smirking and kicking a stall that was already destroyed.


    The girl was desperately suppressing her tears and doing her best to grab every apple on the ground only for the pair of youth smirk and kick the apples away, apparently enjoying her suffering.


    According to the words of the surrounding people, the pair were the servants of a powerful young master that visited the city recently. Apparently, they were doing an errand for his young master when they decided to buy a pair of apples from the girl.


    The thing is, the apples supposedly were wrong, so the pair of servants were enraged and began to cause destruction.


    Aiden frowned deeply after hearing it and observed carefully. In that moment, he received another surprise.


    The pair of youth that supposedly were servants both had a cultivation of the late core-forming stage, and though Aiden wasn¡¯t able of determinate if they had spirits, they obviously had training using weapons based in the swords in their waists.


    Aiden could no help but imagine the strength of their young master if the servants were already so powerful.


    Seeing the situation and the people in the surroundings not intending to help, probably in fear of the youths¡¯ background, Aiden hesitated for a moment before deciding help.


    But in the moment when he was about interfere, he remembered the words of the old man.


    According the old man, troubles were coming to the town and he advise him to maintain himself the farthest possible from them. Thinking about it, these peoples were probably related to it.


    Wavering temporally between helping or not, Aiden finally clenched his teeth and walked towards the scene while thinking that the old man certainly knew him well.


    ¡°Hey, you two! stop with it!¡±


    Hearing someone interrupting them, the two servants ceased his actions before turning and looking towards Aiden.


    Gauging Aiden appearance and noticing he was dressed shabbily, one of them sneered and said provocatively: ¡°Hmph, and who do you think you are? Go away and don¡¯t interfere with the affairs of our young master.¡±


    Aiden frowned hearing the young man, but remembering the words of the old man, he suppressed his rage and tried compromise.


    ¡°Two lords, she is a little girl. Though she sold you a defective product, I doubt it was her intention. Why don¡¯t you forgive her already?¡±


    Hearing his words, one of the servants sneered even more and asked.


    ¡°And why would I?¡±


    Aiden frowned even more, but tried to suppress his rage to avoid making it worse. He took a gold coin out from his pouch and throw it towards them.


    ¡°Could you two take it like compensation and leave the little girl alone?¡±


    The two servants were surprised with the gold coin before smiling with awkward faces. One of them, hearing Aiden¡¯s words, thought of withdrawing and not making the matter worse, but the other, seeing it, stopped him with his hand before looking toward Aiden and speaking provocatively.


    ¡°Beg me.¡±


    The expression of Aiden darkened seeing the taunting look in the servant face. Then, sighing exasperatedly, he smiled wryly as if the dark expression of before was a lie.


    ¡°The old man said I will be involved in troubles sooner or later, but even I didn¡¯t think it would be this soon.¡±


    Then, taking a step forward, he appeared before the sneering servant and throw a punch.


    The young servant didn¡¯t think that Aiden would attack. That combined with them underestimating Aiden after not seeing any weapon in his body, caused that neither of the servants were able of react before the attack.


    The punch impacted against the face of the servant and the impact of it sent him flying. The other servant, seeing the state of his companion, unsheathed a sword from his wait and spoke enraged.


    ¡°You¡­ How do you dare to attack us!?¡±


    Aiden only shook his head before the other servant and spoke calmly.


    ¡°He is only unconscious, don¡¯t worry. I advise you to take you companion from here and scram, I don¡¯t want to have to fight you.¡±


    The young man hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. Then, he said threateningly.


    ¡°Shut up! How do you dare to insult us!? Apologize and slap yourself ten times and I will let you go!¡±


    Hearing it, Aiden sighed.


    ¡°Since that is so, then let¡¯s fight.¡± Aiden shook his head again and spoke with a calm tone while adjusting his posture. Though he didn¡¯t have his saber, he doubted he was unable of dealing with a single servant at the late core-forming stage.


    But in the moment when they were just about to fight, a voice resounded.


    ¡°You two! Stop!¡±

 Chapter 28 – An Unexpected Situation

    Chapter 28 ¨C An Unexpected Situation


    ¡°You two! Stop!¡±


    A dignified and beautiful voice resounded in the moment when Aiden and the youth were about fight.


    When Aiden heard the voice, he strangely felt compelled to obey it. Stopping surprised, Aiden looked towards the servant only to see him completely paralyzed.


    Even the people in the surroundings seemed affected by the voice because after it resounded, the place quieted down completely.


    The little girl crying in the ground, also stopped sobbing and stared towards the origin of the voice.


    A beautiful girl was there before them.


    The girl carried with her a kind of noble elegance that made everybody submit before her unconsciously. Even Aiden felt himself suppressed before her, though the effects of it were lesser than the common peoples in the surroundings.


    The girl walked towards them gracefully. Around her, all the people parted as if it were only natural give way. Aiden felt as if the girl were a queen and everybody else the subjects.


    When she walked, her beautiful long platinum hair waved freely in the air and her icy gaze seemed penetrate the minds of anyone brave enough to match it. She was wearing a blue dress reaching her knees and a silver rapier rested in her waist.


    In term of appearance and temperament, this girl¡¯s shining platinum hair and icy cold expression far surpassed Lia¡¯s white hair and gentle temperament, though Aiden sincerely thought that Lia was more beautiful.


    The most fearsome thing though, was that Aiden was unable of determine her cultivation.


    Seeing the girl almost before them, Aiden straightened his body and put a serious expression preparing to respond at any unexpected situation.


    The girl stopped half a meter from them and looked around with a frowning expression in her face.


    Seeing the destroyed stall, the crying girl and the youth unconscious in the ground, she put an indifferent expression and spoke in a cold tone.


    ¡°Could someone tell me what happened her?¡±


    Hearing the woman speak, the servant with the sword unsheathed tried speaking.


    ¡°Y-Young lady, y-you s-¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I didn¡¯t say you could speak yet.¡± The icy girl spoke fiercely interrupting the servant. Then, she signaled someone between the crowd. ¡°You. Tell me what happened.¡±


    Aiden frowned seeing it, unsure of her intentions. Meanwhile, the man that was signaled began to recount nervously the happened.


    The girl heard carefully the words spoken for the man, then, understating the situation, she looked again towards the ones involved with the incident.


    ¡°You.¡± Signaling the little girl, she threw a gold coin. ¡°Take it and return to your home. It¡¯s better if you stay in your home and don¡¯t go out for a few days.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°T-Thank you, m-miss.¡± The little girl bowed nervously looking curiously to the coin in her hand, then she grabbed the few things she had and ran away from the place. The icy girl however, kept her indifferent expression before it all.


    Though a gold coin is not enough to be considered a fortune, it is enough for a small family live well for a few months. Aiden isn¡¯t someone poor, but even him wasn¡¯t so indifferent after giving a gold coin.


    The icy girl waited for the child leave before looking again towards Aiden and the servants.


    Frowning deeply, she made a displeased expression and looked toward the servant with the sword.


    ¡°You. Are you not ashamed? Using the name of your master to bully the weak. Is it like the Crow family teach their servants?¡± She spoke with a clear tone, dignity exuding from her. ¡°Not only you two attacked a defenseless child in the name of your master, you even were defeated for someone in the process. Have shame.¡±


    The servant gritted his teeth unable of saying anything. Seeing it, the girl continued: ¡°Take your companion with you and go away. Tell your young master that I was the one ordering you.¡±


    The young servant only could bow humiliated to the girl before carrying his companion with him and leaving the place. In the way, he gazed Aiden viciously before snorting. Seeing the gaze of the servant, Aiden thought for a moment before sighing. He unexpectedly ended making of a simple stroll a problem. He could only hope that the young master of the two servants have something better to do than searching for a nameless commoner like him.


    After the pair left, the girl remained silent for a moment while examining Aiden what remained straight and looking her to the eyes.


    After a moment, she sighed and said: ¡°Though I sort of admire your courage, it¡¯s best if you return to your house and avoid going out in the new few days. The master of that two guys is a petty guy and I have not doubt he will make the things difficult for you if he finds the opportunity. Besides, the situation in this town will become pretty complex in the next few days and I have the presentiment that you will only end in more troubles with your personality.¡± Saying it, she immediately turned and left.


    Seeing the back of the girl walking away, Aiden bowed deeply while thinking that she was gentler than her appearance showed. At the same time, he also thought about why everybody thinks that he will only end in troubles.


    After the girl was gone, Aiden looked to his surroundings and took the things he left in the ground before attacking the servants. Then, shaking his hand, he proceeded to walk towards his home.


    In the way, Aiden noticed many unfamiliar faces in the town. Though not all of them were dressed extravagantly like the servants of the icy girl, many of them were carrying weapons and walking while attentive of their surroundings.


    Not just it, but though Aiden didn¡¯t pay attention before, now he looked carefully, he was unable of determine the cultivations of many of them.


    Seeing it, Aiden could not help but think about the reason because so many spirit users came at this remote town.


    Could it be because of the stone of calamity? No. When the old man told me about the troubles coming to the town for the first time, the town hall didn¡¯t know about the stone of calamity yet. But, if it is no it, what is the reason then?


    Unable of finding an answer, Aiden continued walking while thinking about it.


    However, in that moment, Aiden saw a sight that made it impossible for him continue his path.


    In a corner of his eye, a pair of youths were looking around trying find something. From time in time, they stopped some pedestrians to ask only to end disappointed.


    The youths were both very striking in appearance. Not only were them handsome and dressed like noble children, but their hair was particularly attractive.


    Both of them had mostly black hair, however some strands of their hair were of a different color. The taller of the two had a few strands of red mixed with his hair, while the other had a few lines of white decorating his glossy hair.


    If someone knowledgeable was here, he would have been unable of recognizing the origin of the youths only for that features.


    The Noah clan.


    The clan where Aiden was born.


    Though Aiden was unable to recognize their identities, he was sure it.


    They were members of the Noah clan.


    Are they here for me?


    The pair of youths seemed to feel his gaze because the two walked towards him.


    Seeing it, Aiden suppressed his nervousness and tried making a natural expression. A moment later, the pair was almost before him.


    The particular hair of the pair was even more noticeable now. Examining their features from near, Aiden was even more sure they were members of the Noah clan.


    Coming before him, the pair smiled amiably and the taller one spoke.


    ¡°Excuse us, can you help us with something?¡±

 Chapter 29 – Nervousness

    Chapter 29 ¨C Nervousness


    Aiden felt the world stop when the two boys spoke.


    Though his appearance was a bit different from before and he could not remember seeing the two boys before, Aiden feared that they were able of recognizing him.


    After all, when Aiden was considered a genius yet, his appearance was well known in the clan and the surroundings.


    And though a bit of time a passed from then and his features are somehow different, Aiden is sure that four years aren¡¯t near enough for the entire clan forget about him.


    Moreover, he had learned through certain methods that the clan was searching for his traces.


    He definitively wasn¡¯t expecting for members of the clan appear in this rundown town far away from their territory.


    Making his utmost to not show any sign of nervousness, Aiden tried answering the most normally possible.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, do you need something from me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no no, we only need to know if you can guide us at certain part of the town.¡± One of the youths spoke, not finding anything strange with Aiden.


    Hearing that the pair wasn¡¯t here for him, Aiden sighed inwardly in relief before smiling assuredly. ¡°Of course, you only need tell me here you want go and I will do my best to help you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thanks but don¡¯t worry if you are unable of answering, after all, we had been asking around without success.¡± The youth with red strands of hair spoke half in hope half in resignation, to which Aiden nodded amicability.


    ¡°We are searching for a place called Heavens¡¯ Net, have you heard about it?¡±


    Hearing the youth inquiries, Aiden was showed a surprised expression for a moment. The youth, seeing it, could not help but come closer and hold his shoulders excitedly.


    ¡°Could it be that you know about it!?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Aiden retreated two steps surprised to the action of the youth what, seeing it, retreated embarrassed while his black-red hair waved with the wind.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Explained Aiden seeing the embarrassed expression of the youth. ¡°You only need go to the marketplace and search for the oldest and crappiest before giving a code. You will be guided there with it.¡±


    Hearing Aiden words and explanations, the youth shook Aiden¡¯s hands excitedly and spoke in a grateful tone. ¡°Thank you, little brother, you don¡¯t know the time we have spent searching for it.¡±


    Putting an awkward expression, Aiden indicated that he understood and tried go away after answering. But in that moment, the youth with black-white hair that had been silent the entire time, spoke with a doubtful tone.


    ¡°Friend, have we met before?¡±


    Though Aiden was incredibly nervous inside, in the outside he only tilted his head like pondering before speaking after a brief pause. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think so?¡±


    The black-white haired youth seemed try remembering something for a moment before making a resigned expression. ¡°Forget it, I probably mistook you for someone else.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Aiden suspired relieved in the inside before bidding farewell at the pair; then, not waiting for their answer, he departed quickly.


    The black-white haired youth looked towards him but could not remember anything for when Aiden left his sight.


    Already far from them, Aiden could not help but sweat about how close he was at being discovered.


    He sincerely doesn¡¯t want to imagine his fate in the case that his clan learn about his whereabouts.


    The clan where Aiden was born, Noah clan, is one the most powerful clans in the country neighboring the Lion Empire, the AllGod Kingdom.


    Though the Noah clan could not be considered the strongest clan in the kingdom, their position is very near it. With an ancestor rumored in the spirit saint stage, the Noah clan possess a power only lesser than the royal clan.


    And like such powerful clan, the number of experts in their ranks number in the hundreds. If such clan learns about his whereabouts, then Aiden doubts he will be able of escape their persecution.


    And to be sincere, even now he feels lucky about being able of escape the first time.


    Thinking about it, Aiden could not help but accelerate his footsteps.


    Frowning his brows with a worried expression, Aiden reached home and called for Lia. Though she was just cultivating, she left her meditation immediately after hearing Aiden.


    When Lia saw the expression in Aiden face she immediately knew that something was wrong. After all, after three years of living together she can read almost every expression in his face like an open book.


    So, seeing his worried expression, she asked immediately.


    ¡°Young master, what is wrong?¡±


    Aiden smiled bitterly seeing her concern. ¡°Ugh, perhaps we are in a bit of trouble¡­¡± Then, he proceeded to explain everything what happened.


    Hearing about the problem with the two servants, the appearance of the girl and the encounter with members of his clan, Lia¡¯s expression became somber and somber.


    After Aiden retold everything, Lia immediately asked concerned.


    ¡°Do you think him recognized you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Answered Aiden with a shake of his head. ¡°If he would have recognized me then he probably would have tried capture me right away. The fact that they let me go indicates that though he found me similar to someone, he was unable of remember my identity. Though I could not be sure if he will able of remember something with time.¡±


    Seeing the dark and worried expression in Aiden face, Lia hold his hand gently trying calm him. Then, thinking about the things Aiden told her, she continued asking.


    ¡°Young master, what do you think we must do?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Aiden responded ¡°¡­ The safest choice is for us leave the town. Though I normally would have chosen it in consideration at all the troubles, I¡¯m unable of make up my mind at it now I¡¯m so close to doing the ritual. The other option is to stay in the town and try don¡¯t attract attention until we receive the materials from the old man and complete the ritual.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m more inclined to the second option. After all, I¡¯m not sure what so long it will take for us reunite all that materials in another place.¡±


    Lia thought for a moment after hearing Aiden with a serious expression. Then, she mentioned her opinion calmly.


    ¡°I agree with you about staying in the town. At most, young master can stay at home during the next few days and I will try to stop going out as much as I can. With a bit of luck, that member of your clan will forget about his encounter with young master in a few days and I don¡¯t think that the servants¡¯ master is going to search house for house to find you.¡±


    After pausing for a moment, she continued: ¡°On the other hand, I think we must learn why so much cultivators are visiting the town. After all, staying uninformed could make us involved in a dangerous situation without us knowing. Do you know what can make your clan so interested to send two members so far away?¡±


    Aiden thought for a moment before shaking his head, then, with an expression of doubt, he spoke about something he found strange in the encounter.


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t know about the cause, I found strange that the members of my clan have to ask around for the location of Heavens¡¯ Net. Normally, the clan would send someone to recollect information around in a more careful way. Even if they don¡¯t do it, they can ask to the other clans for information. Why then, they sent two disciples for such job?¡±


    Hearing the doubt of Aiden, Lia thought for a moment without success. Seeing it, Aiden spoke shaking his head helplessly.


    ¡°Forget it. I think we better go tomorrow to Heavens¡¯Net to ask for information. We only need to be careful of not causing any commotion.¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, Lia finally nodded after failing to find a better option.

 Chapter 30 – Surging Undercurrents

    Chapter 30 ¨C Surging Undercurrents


    In the marketplace in the border city of Cali.


    A pair of youths, both of handsome appearance, were walking towards a rundown shop hidden in a corner.


    Both youths had a very striking appearance; one with black and red hair and the other with white strands adorning his black hair. Many people turned towards them every time they walked around.


    But even more striking than their appearance was their cultivation. Both have cultivations in the middle stages of core-fusing; and though it could not be considered monstrous, it was certainly outstanding for 18-year youths.


    The two youths were between the most excellent members of the Noah clan in this generation, and though their talent could not be considered together with the strongest genius in this generation, they were certainly at the top.


    Currently, the two were in the middle of a mission issued urgently for the clan; and precisely that mission was the reason because they were visiting Heavens¡¯ Net.


    Seeing the frowning expression in his companion, the black-red haired guy teased him slightly.


    ¡°Are you thinking about it yet?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why but I found that guy familiar.¡± The black-white haired guy spoke seriously. ¡°I think he was related to something important, but I don¡¯t know what it was.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about it?¡± Asked the taller guy doubtfully ¡°I think it is better if we concentrated in the mission instead of your strange guesses. To be sincere that guy wasn¡¯t different of any commoner apart from his strength.¡±


    ¡°Is he perhaps some young expert?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be idiot. I don¡¯t think any young expert goes around buying groceries.¡±


    Hearing the mocking tone of his companion, the black-white haired guy frowned bothered. The other youth, seeing it, changed the topic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think anymore about it. Let¡¯s go, we are already near the place.¡±


    Hearing his companion, the youth said exasperated: ¡°How can the clan sent us here without support? We have to do the work of servants due it!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon, don¡¯t be mad. You know the importance of this mission and that the clan had not more option but send us earlier because we were already closer to the place. We need learn about the situation before our seniors come.¡±


    Hearing his companion, the youth with black hair filled with white strands stayed silent though his bothered face was proof of his humor.


    In contrast, his companion maintained a smiling face for the rest of the path until the shop. Seeing the boy sleeping in the counter, he spoke a few palabras before being granted access to the underground room.


    Once inside, the pair found a creepy old man with only a candle illuminating his face. Already accustomed at the eccentricities of Heavens¡¯ Net, the pair sat nonchalantly and spoke.


    ¡°We need know all the information you have about the Supreme Emptiness Flame.¡±


    ¡­


    After the pair left the store, a strange shadow moved behind the sitting old man. Already knowing who it was, the old man kept silent waiting for his disciple words.


    ¡°Master, are them from the Noah clan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, little Han. I didn¡¯t think they would come so fast.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you think that they will discover Aiden?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Answered the old man. ¡°If he is discovered then it was his fate. Though I feel pity for him, I will not interfere not matter what happens.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The man paused for a moment before speaking at his apprentice.


    ¡°Go, we have many more clients to attend today.¡±


    ¡­


    In the outskirts of the town of Cali, an ostentatious object appeared in the sky.


    The object has the form of a ship but was mysteriously floating in the skies with an unknown method.


    A white haired old man was in the bow of the flying ship with a lively girl besides him looking excitedly towards the town.


    ¡°We are finally here. I hope we are lucky enough to gain something from it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry grandpa! I¡¯m sure the Supreme Emptiness Flame will belong at our Great Flame Palace!¡±


    ¡°I hope so little girl, I hope so.¡±


    A moment later, the ship disappeared from the sky and the pair of old and young appeared in the entrance of the town.


    ¡­


    An imponent flying ship was flying at great speed towards the border city of Cali.


    The flying ship was completely golden. It was decorated with all kind of ornaments and a giant lion head made of gold was ubicated in the prow, giving away the origin of the artifact.


    In the inside, a handsome youth with golden hair and heroic appearance was sitting with a group of soldiers around him. Behind them, two old men were meditating with the eyes closed while emitting powerful fluctuations of might.


    The youth appearance was around twenty years, and his demeanor gave a regal air that influenced the soldiers around him.


    ¡°How much left until we reached at the town of Cali?¡±


    ¡°We will be there before tonight, fourth prince.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Now that the Supreme Emptiness Flame was glimpsed in our territory we must do everything to get it.¡± Spoke the youth in a commanding tone. Then, gazing toward the two old man behind him, he spoke with a more subdued tone. ¡°Uncles, I hope that you can help me when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said one of the men without opening his eyes. ¡°Now we are here we are not going to allow for any other power obtain the Supreme Emptiness Flame. You must only worry about maintaining the other members of the young generation under control.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry uncles. After all, who can compare at our Lion Clan in this empire!? I will show to all the so-called geniuses the difference between them and a true genius with the bloodline of the imperial Lion Clan!¡±


    Hearing the words of the youth, the old man kept silent before speaking again with a serious tone, without opening his eyes yet. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them. Many powers have been attracted to the news of the Supreme Emptiness Flame. I¡¯m sure that many powerful geniuses will appear in the coming days.¡±


    The golden-haired youth only snorted hearing it, showing his disdain for the so-called geniuses.


    Incredibly, his cultivation was at the middle phase of the spirit awakening stage.


    ¡­


    In a luxurious room inside a mansion in the border city of Cali, a dark-skinned youth was eating while hearing the reports of his many subordinates. Behind him, two young servants were kneeling with frightened faces. They were the two youths Aiden fought earlier in the day.


    ¡°Are you telling that you were unable of find the one what hit my men?¡± Said him calmly after hearing the words of a subordinate.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry young master. Though we learned he is a local, the inhabitants of the town refused to speak. And you know that the city lord forbade hurting the people of the town. After hearing about the incident, he sent people to monitory our movements, so we were unable of doing anything.¡±


    The dark-skinned man tapped the table softly before turning towards the pair of servants behind him in disgust.


    ¡°So much trouble for a pair of trash! For daring to cause trouble in such delicate times I should kill you! If not for the time you had spent serving me, I already would have disposed of you!¡± Looking towards his subordinates, the young master then spoke. ¡°Cease the search! we will take care of it later. Our priority now is the Supreme Emptiness Flame and we cannot afford to lose the time with the games of a commoner and a pair of servants.¡±


    Thinking then for a moment, he ordered.


    ¡°Pay attention to that girl, Ivanna. Our Crow family and her Silver family had been rivals for generations. I¡¯m sure the reason because she intervened earlier was only to cause inconvenient for our family.¡±


    The dark-skinned youth dismissed his subordinates after speaking and continued his meal only with the two servants behind. Then, thinking about the ice-cold girl of the rival family, he smiled demonically.


    Come, Ivanna! Show me what you can do this time!


    ¡­


    In a majestic mansion in the capital of AllGod Kingdom, a girl with black and golden hair was walking silently towards the office of the patriarch of the clan. With a short blue dress, a pair of golden eyes and a saber resting in her waist, combined with her cold expression, the girl emitted a heroic beauty able of conquering practically any man.


    Reaching towards the door of the patriarch¡¯s office, the girl knocked the door twice before hearing an indication for her to enter.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Said the girl, looking towards the imposing middle-aged man sitting behind a desk.


    Seeing the calm and cold expression in the girl face, the patriarch frowned briefly before speaking his intentions directly.


    ¡°Sia, though you just left seclusion, I have an important mission for you. You will go to the Lion empire, to a small town bordering the lost forest. The Supreme Emptiness Flame apparently appeared there.¡± The middle-aged man paused briefly before continuing. ¡°You are the strongest in the young generation of the clan, so you wouldn¡¯t have any problem. The mission is extremely important, so two elders will accompany you. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    Seeing the girl neither nodding nor speaking, the patriarch could only helplessly wave his hand indicating for her leave.


    Once outside, the girl stopped for a moment before walking to her residence to search for the things necessary for the travel.


    While walking, only a thought was in her mind.


    Where are you now¡­?


    ¡­ Aiden

 Chapter 31 – The Most Powerful Flame in the World (I)

    Chapter 31 ¨C The Most Powerful Flame in the World (I)


    A beautiful girl was walking in the streets of the border city of Cali.


    With her pair of green eyes combined with a long dress of the same color, the girl emitted a warm beauty different from normal. Her fair skin and soft smile gave the impression of being easy to approach, making the eyes of many young men turn towards her.


    Though her beauty could not be described like stunning, anybody would think of a soft flower after seeing her. And with her warm temperament, she released a kind of beauty different from normal women.


    Only her hair was a bit strange, with a pure white color like winter snow. But it only served to add a touch of exoticism to her beauty.


    Behind her, someone was walking attentively with a hood covering his face. Though it was impossible to know his exacts features, everybody thought of him being a servant following his miss in a stroll.


    The pair was of course Lia and Aiden.


    Because of the current situation in the town, Aiden and Lia decided to go out in these outfits so to avoid earning unnecessary attention. And though their current dressing certainly attracted attention, Aiden thought that it was better than taking the risk of him being discovered.


    Currently, they were going to Heavens¡¯ Net. Following Lia¡¯s suggestion from yesterday, they decided that it was better obtain more detailed information about the situation. And in this town, there was not a better place to acquire information than the rundown shop of that old man.


    The pair was very careful during the way, after all, many more people entering at the town from yesterday. Aiden even heard about flying ships and a prince of the empire appearing, though he was not sure about what so certain was such information.


    Walking in the streets of Cali, the pair of master and servant kept silent in the path towards Heavens¡¯ Net.


    Once there, the pair proceeded with the normal procedure and descended the stairs until the dark room where the old man was.


    Apparently, the room was currently being occupied, because when the pair reached they were unable of entering immediately.


    After waiting for around five minutes, the door of the room was opened, and a girl exited the place elegantly.


    Seeing the appearance of the girl, Aiden was secretly surprised. After all, it was the same silver haired girl that helped him during the commotion of yesterday.


    The girl looked briefly towards Aiden and Lia with a cold expression before nodding and continuing her way. Lia, courteously, nodded back and entered to the room with Aiden in town.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Once inside, Aiden felt Lia pinching his waist slightly. Looking towards her surprised, he saw a pouting expression as if complaining about him paying attention at another girl.


    Smiling wryly, Aiden reassured Lia holding her hand and the pair proceeded to continue.


    Looking towards the room, the pair saw the normal old man being illuminated for the candle as normal. The old man, seeing them enter, smiled ironically before speaking in a joking tone.


    ¡°It looks like you changed the roles of master and servant this time.¡±


    Frowning deeply, Aiden took off the hood revealing his face, then, like normally, sat in the chair with Lia standing behind him.


    The old man laughed loudly towards their actions before looking Lia and speaking. ¡°Haha, it looks like you are so devoted like ever, little girl.¡±


    Lia frowned hearing the old man and opened her mouth to answer, but Aiden raised his hand indicating for her stop, knowing well about the impression she had about the old man.


    Looking towards the old man, Aiden calmly opened his mouth and explained directly the reason of his visit.


    ¡°Old man, I think you can imagine why we are here. I need information about the reason because so many cultivators had appeared around. I can see that many of them come from prominent backgrounds, so the reason for their presence here must be important.¡±


    The old man smiled mysteriously and raised his hand signaling his five fingers before speaking: ¡°That information is a bit sensitive¡­ Mmm, in consideration at our friendship I will give it to you for only five times the price of normal information. What you said?¡±


    Aiden and Lia furrowed their brows hearing that number. Lia tried speaking again but Aiden interrupter her taking a group of gold coins from his pouch and putting it in the table.


    ¡°Explain everything.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Assenting, the old man taking the money from the table. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the Supreme Emptiness Flame?¡±


    Aiden hesitated slightly but at the end replied. ¡°Though I¡¯m not completely sure, I heard it¡¯s one kind of flame birthed from heaven and earth. Supposedly, it left the place where it always was and now everybody is searching for its whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°You are not wrong.¡± Nodded the old man. ¡°But not completely right either.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to explain.¡±


    ¡°From time in time, the world gives birth at certain powerful treasures. Such treasures contain traces of strange and mysterious laws and normally come in the form of flames, ices, thunders etc.


    ¡°Powerful peoples search for such treasures with the purpose of forging or fusing with them and trying learn their laws. Normally, people with fire attribute spirit or techniques seek flames and people with the ice attribute seek ices, etc.


    ¡°The thing is, such treasures are not easy to get. Many times, the treasure ends eating the practitioners when they try to fuse with it. For such reason, only the most confident try fuse with it. And though they can be used without fusing with it, it also contains its risks.


    ¡°Of course, such thing didn¡¯t diminish the number of people lusting after them, so every time news of one of such treasures appears, a commotion is produced in the spirit world.


    ¡°And the Supreme Emptiness Flame is the strongest of such treasures.¡±


    The old man verified for a moment that the pair was paying attention, then, confirming it, he continued.


    ¡°According the legends, the Supreme Emptiness Flame had protected the world during long before the spirit era. It had always been at the center of the continent atop the highest mountain, burning without stop and generating order. Apparently, it possesses the powers of every single law of the world, making of it the dreamed treasure of every cultivator.


    ¡°But though everybody knew about it, nobody was able to obtain the flame. It was because the Supreme Emptiness Flame was too powerful for even spirits emperors take it. At the end, the spirit users of the world reached to the conclusion that nobody would be able to take the flame with exception of spirit gods cultivators spoken in legends.


    ¡°Everybody thought that things would continue like it, until five years ago.¡±


    ¡°That day, the Supreme Emptiness Flame mysteriously shattered.¡±

 Chapter 32 – The Most Powerful Flame in the World (II)

    Chapter 32 ¨C The Most Powerful Flame in the World (II)


    ¡°¡°Shattered!?¡±¡± Both Aiden and Lia exclaimed surprised.


    ¡°Yes, that is the best word to explain what happened.¡±


    Both Aiden and Lia were immersed in the story while the old man seemed to be remembering something. The two parties formed a strange equilibrium between narrator and listener.


    ¡°It was like doomsday.¡± Continued the old man. ¡°Countless bolts of lightning fell from the heavens as if punishing the flame what guarded the world for eras for an unknown reason. And in the end, the flame shattered in seven parts, every one flying towards a different place of the world.¡±


    ¡°The first part fell by coincidence in the hands of the sacred temple. They offered it to their ancestor, a practitioner in the spirit emperor stage, who used it to forge a powerful treasure that stunned the world. Seeing it, many other powers were tempted and tried searching for the six remaining parts with the goal of obtaining the secrets of the most powerful treasure born from the world.


    ¡°Though the divided Supreme Emptiness Flames were weaker than the complete one, it was a very powerful treasure yet. Many people were attracted to it and made all in their powers to obtain them.


    ¡°Currently, five of the flames had appeared. Three of them are in the hands of spirits emperors while the owners of the other two are unknown.


    ¡°But a few months ago, a rumor appeared.


    ¡°It said that the sixth flame appeared in the Lion Empire, though the location was always different.


    ¡°But a month ago, someone confirmed the flame in the lost forest bordering this town.¡±


    The old man looked towards Aiden¡¯s eyes as if waiting for him to process the information. Then, seeing him making a look of realization, he asked.


    ¡°Now you understand?


    ¡°The Supreme Emptiness Flame is one of the greatest treasures in this world. The news about it are enough to make crazy many people, even if it is only rumors.


    ¡°Currently, more and more clans and sects are sending their people here to search for the flame. And though the news are being restricted to the surroundings nations for now, it¡¯s only question of time before more and more powerful forces learn about it.¡±


    Aiden paused for a moment hearing the words of the old man. But after thinking for a moment, he noticed something strange.


    ¡°Old man, you said that the Supreme Emptiness Flame is one of the strongest treasures of the world. Why then there are not spirit emperor experts coming for it? I doubt they are not interested.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°They are interested.¡± Mentioned the old man. ¡°But they cannot come.¡±


    Aiden wore a dumbfounded expression hearing the old man reply, but the old man ignored it and continued.


    ¡°When the second flame appeared, many spirits emperors were after it. Because of it, a great battle ensued and many experts died. It ended causing grave repercussions in the world. Due it, the different forces of the world made a pact and put a rule saying that every force can send at most two spirit sages and a limited number of experts below that tier.¡±


    Hearing it Aiden asked about another doubt. ¡°Why did I see so many members of the younger generation then? I don¡¯t think they will be of help in a battle against spirit sages.¡±


    ¡°It is because a rumor.¡± Answered the old man. ¡°It¡¯s said that the flame can choose its owner, and it prefer talented youngsters. Due it, the different clans send their most talented disciples to try get the flame, though it¡¯s not completely certain that the rumor is true.¡±


    Aiden was lost in thoughts after hearing it. The old man didn¡¯t interrupt him for a moment, but after a while, him spoke with an irritated expression.


    ¡°Is this information enough? I need receive more customers.¡±


    ¡°A last question, where was seen the flame last time?¡±


    The old man smiled playfully hearing the question. ¡°Are you interested, boy? I don¡¯t think you are qualified to search it, you know.¡±


    Seeing Aiden looking towards him with a frowning expression, the old man extended his arms in an exasperated expression.


    ¡°Okay okay, I give up. Apparently, it was said around one week inside the forest. The position exact is unknown but certain sources indicate that it is around here.¡± The old man took a map in signaled an area.


    After seeing the place signaled for the old man, Aiden memorized it before standing up and proceeding to leave the place, Lia behind him. Seeing it, the old man exclaimed as if reminding something and spoke.


    ¡°Oh right, I almost forget it. The materials you asked are almost reunited. I will send them to you in at most a pair the days. Wait for them, okay?¡±


    Aiden nodded towards the old man indicating his understating and left the room.


    Once outside the shop, Aiden and Lia walked towards their home in their disguises while maintaining the silence. And though many people were gazing Lia with looks of admiration, the pair continued their path undisturbed.


    In a few minutes, both were in the house, then, taking off the cumbersome clothes, they sat in a table.


    ¡°Young master.¡± Lia was the first one to break the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t you said before that the Supreme Emptiness Flame could act like a catalyzer to connect the body and the soul? Are you planning search for it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so simple.¡± Smiled Aiden wryly. ¡°Though I certainly think that such treasure of the world can act like a bridge between the body and the soul and allow for someone cultivate beyond the core-forming stage, I¡¯m not even sure if someone so weak like me is able of endure it.


    ¡°Besides, supposing I can endure the power of the Supreme Emptiness Flame. How can we obtain it with so many experts around? I think it¡¯s better if we continued with our current plan instead taking risks.¡±


    ¡°But we could try it if the first method fails, young master. We don¡¯t lose anything with keeping an eye in it.¡±


    Aiden smiled wryly hearing Lia words. She, finally noticing her error, closed her mouth with her hands before apologizing clumsily.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry young master! I-I wasn¡¯t trying jinx the ritual! It was not my intention!¡±


    Seeing the awkward state of Lia, Aiden could not help but laugh while patting Lia to calm her.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry Lia. I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I know that it¡¯s not completely certain if the ritual will work. I don¡¯t think your words will change anything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master! I¡¯m sure the ritual will work! There is no way that young master can fail!¡±


    Seeing Lia trying to encourage him with all her strength, Aiden could not help but smile lovingly.


    Then, clenching his fists, he determined himself once more in his heart.


    That day, he will definitively succeed.


    And he will get back everything what was once his¡­

 Chapter 33 – Blades vs Threads (I)

    Chapter 33 ¨C Blades vs Threads (I)


    Two men were together inside an alley of the town of Cali.


    Both of them emitted a strong impression, and their auras were enough to scare normal humans away.


    One of them was a tall and brawny man with a sword tied in his back, while the other was a skinny man with a sly appearance. Both were, a bit older than thirty years, middle-aged men, but their faces radiate vigor that people even younger, lack.


    Currently they were discussing something with subdued tones, afraid of someone else hearing their conversation. Their faces were full of expectation and excitement.


    ¡°Are you sure, second brother?¡± Asked the tall and brawny man, looking towards the sly guy besides him.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. It was definitively a spatial pouch. Though I wasn¡¯t sure the first time, after seeing it again I¡¯m confident in my judgement.¡±


    ¡°Then we struck rich this time!¡±


    Hearing the answer of the skinny guy, the taller man could not hide the excitement in his heart. After all, a spatial pouch is a rare artifact that many weaker cultivators are unable of seeing in their lives.


    The two men currently talking were a not-so-well known duo of loose cultivators that constantly act in the surroundings of the town. Though few people knew about them, the ones what did were very afraid. After all, they continually rob and rape unprepared travelers unfortunate enough to be found by them.


    The reason because they aren¡¯t well known is because despite their crimes, they are careful enough to no allow someone to escape every time they attack. And the few times they were unable of avoid it, they went in hiding for a time before leaving the place for good.


    The two of them met more than ten years ago, and unexpectedly for people in their profession, they hit very well from the beginning and became sworn brothers almost immediately. From then, they have been lurking around in search of resources and a bit of fun occasionally.


    Though both were cultivators, the truth was that the pair haven¡¯t any kind of future in that path. After all, even after being thirty years old they were unable of going beyond the core-fusing realm and were stranded in the late stage of the same. Perhaps they haven¡¯t any hopes of breaking through the spirit awakening stage in their lives.


    And though simply for being able of cultivate to the core-fusing realm was enough to get a good job in any mortal country, the nature of the pair made impossible for them remain a long time without causing a crime and thus, get an honorable job.


    ¡°Tell me, Sly, where is the girl?¡± Asked the brawny guy.


    ¡°Be patient. She comes to the marketplace everyday around this time.¡± The skinny guy, Sly, answered looking from the ally towards the marketplace with attention.


    A few minutes passed without the girl appearing, making the brawny guy almost begin to fret, but fortunately, before him became too impatient, Sly pointed towards the market.


    ¡°Look, Mul! It¡¯s her!¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The brawny man turned his head following the finger of his skinny companion. Then, a very beautiful girl entered his sight.


    Mul was immediately enchanted for the girl¡¯s imagen. Before him, a warm and smiling beautiful goddess appeared walking. She had a very beautiful pair of emerald green eyes that combined perfectly with her dark green dress. In her feet, a pair of simple sandals were covering until her jade-like calf. Her hair, of a pure white color, danced softly with the movement of the wind.


    She had a kind of simple beauty different from normal. And though she could not be defined like stunning, almost nobody was able of look away after seeing her for first time.


    Mul was stunned for a few seconds before the sight, and if not being for his companion hitting him in the back of his head, he perhaps would have been stunned for an even longer time.


    Making an embarrassed expression for being lost in the moment, Mul looked towards Sly only to see him nodding in understating, apparently having experienced the same before.


    Concentrating again in their goal, the pair followed the movements of the girl through the market. She was currently buying different groceries with a warm smile while the merchants and sellers answered with an equally positive expression, apparently happy of seeing the girl around.


    After a time, the pair was able of confirm a pouch hanging form the waist of the girl. After observing it for a time, Mul certainly recognized it like a spatial pouch.


    Nevertheless, instead of making an excited expression, Mul frowned hard after finding it.


    ¡°Are you sure she is not someone with background Sly? You can see her cultivation. Though she is not at the core-fusing realm, she is only half-step from it. For someone reach at such step in her age is very difficult without the resources of a clan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Answered his skinnier companion. ¡°Though the current border city of Cali is full of hidden tigers and crouching dragons, I carefully studied the girl after seeing her.


    ¡°Though she had a spatial pouch and a pretty good cultivation, you can see that her clothes are not very outstanding. She is using a normal dress without any enchantments; something impossible if she belongs to some force. Not just it, have you seen how the locals treat her? Judging from their attitudes, she is a local girl they know from before. I think she was probably lucky enough to find the pouch with some treasures and advance to her current realm.¡±


    Hearing his companion deduction, the brawny Mul nodded convinced. After all, the two had been working together for a long time and he knows well about Sly¡¯s intelligence.


    ¡°Then, when you think we must attack, second brother?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Sly responded.


    ¡°Though the town guards are not enough to cause us troubles, the town hall possesses a few powerful enough cultivators to subjugate us easily. Luckily, they are unable of paying us attention with the current situation of the town. With the many different forces in the town, conflicts are happening every day and they are unable of paying attention at every incident. I think that if we followed her until her house and attacked there, we are strong enough to subjugate her without much of a commotion, enough to not attract the guards.¡±


    Hearing his companion words, Mul made a lascivious smile thinking about having such a beautiful girl under his pants.


    Seeing the expression of his companion, Sly smiled in understating and laughed with him before indicating for them to follow the girl.


    The pair observed the girl going around the market for about one hour. When them were finally becoming impatient, the girl finally ended her shopping spree and left the market while waving farewell at many on the merchants.


    Following the girl silently, Mul and Sly were careful about not revealing something to avoid alerting her. However, when they were in the middle of a street, the girl suddenly stopped and turned towards them.


    ¡°I thought it was a coincidence when I was in the marketplace, but I can feel your disgusting gazes even now. Why you two don¡¯t get out now!?¡±


    Hearing the words of the girl, the pair was incredibly surprised and hesitated slightly. The girl seeing it, sighed upset before putting the bag with the things she bought on the ground and raising her hands.


    ¡°Very well, if you will not get out, then allow me to help you!¡±


    After hearing her voice, the pair saw thousands of very small threads appearing around them and attacking a great speed.


    Impossible! How was her able of put the threads here without us noticing!


    Surprised and scared due the attack, the pair jumped from their hideout and looked the girl.


    In that moment, they could have sworn that the girl¡¯s green eyes had a tint of blood red.

 Chapter 34 – Blades vs Threads (II)

    Chapter 34 ¨C Blades vs Threads (II)


    Returning to the morning of the day¡­


    It had been three days from when Aiden and Lia acquired the information about the supreme emptiness flame.


    After knowing about the troubles brewing in the town, Aiden decided it was better if him maintained a low profile, so for the next days he didn¡¯t leave the house.


    As consequence, Lia had to take care of all the errands Aiden normally did in the town.


    Due it, Lia left the house in the morning with the end of going to the market to get fresh meat and vegetables. Aiden for his part, stayed in the house meditating and practicing with the saber with the goal of preparing for the ritual; and if he is lucky, comprehend saber manifestation sooner.


    Like all the mornings from three days ago, Lia went directly at the market while smiling and greeting the acquittances she had in the town.


    Because of her warm personality, Lia had earned the goodwill of many people in the town, even more than Aiden. As many says, a smiling girl is more agreeable than a handsome youth.


    Reaching to the market, she began to select the different groceries necessaries for the day from the different stalls while speaking with the sellers and merchants of the town. But in that moment, Lia felt a malicious gaze against her.


    Pausing briefly, Lia continued with her duty while trying to ignore it.


    From the day when she changed during the fight against the boars, Lia had become able of doing many things that before she was unable of.


    Apart from a better control about her threats, an increment at her cultivation and a stronger physique she noticed recently; Lia had also become very sensitive of her surroundings, at the point where she is able of feeling the gazes in her surroundings.


    Though at the beginning she was a bit dazed for the many feedbacks she received from this ability, with the passing of the days she became increasingly better in controlling it, so now she can easily feel the different feelings directed towards her from her surroundings.


    So, when the pair of cultivators directed theirs gazes against her, she felt it immediately.


    Though unable of detecting the origin of the gaze, Lia felt it from the beginning. But in a principle, she thought of ignoring it.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t the first time she felt such gazes. Whenever she is around other people, she normally felt many kinds of gazes, going from friendliness, envy, jealously, etc. So, though the gaze she felt this time was a bit more intense, she didn¡¯t think very much about it.


    But when the gaze remained with her even after leaving the market, she noticed that something was wrong.


    And when she noticed the emotions behind the gazes becoming darker and darker with the passing of the seconds, she knew that whenever was following her was planning something bad.


    Thinking about how bad was becoming the order in the town, Lia concentrated in feeling the people behind her while she continued walking.


    Though it took her a bit the time, she was able of detecting the number and place from where she was being followed. Knowing that it was two peoples and that their cultivations were higher than hers, for a moment she was worried.


    But then, an excited emotion appeared inside her.


    It was as if something was telling her to fight. To attack the enemies and kill them without mercy.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She tried suppressing it, but with every step the feeling became even stronger.


    And at the end, she was unable of suppressing it anymore.


    Believing the instincts inside her telling that they were not her match, she began to spread her threads careful of not being noticed, moving them silently and slowly guiding her persecutors to the perfect place for her attack.


    Her threads, as if they were alive, began to move dexterously and in a short time were in the perfect place to attack their enemies.


    Feeling the excitement of battle growing even more inside her, Lia finally stopped.


    Then, turning in direction where the two men were hiding, she spoke.


    ¡°I thought it was a coincidence when I was in the marketplace, but I can feel your disgusting gazes even now. Why you two don¡¯t get out now!?¡±


    Seeing the pair refusing to get out, Lia sighed part upset and part excited. Then, putting the bag with groceries in the ground, she extended her hands.


    ¡°Very well, if you will not get out, then allow me to help you!¡±


    Immediately after, thousands of white threads launched against the pair a great speed.


    Though the two enemies evaded immediately after feeling the attacks, the threads of Lia were not so simple. Like many small serpents, the threads moved through the air and followed the pair trying catch them.


    ¡°Tch!¡± The brawny man of the duo clicked his tongue and unsheathed the sword in his back. The skinny guy for his part, used many strange movements like a serpent to avoid the attacking threads.


    Using his swords, the man tried to cut the threads coming for him, but unexpectedly, the sword was unable of cut them. The threads, for their part, began to wrap around the sword, making it difficult for the man recover it.


    ¡°Come!¡± Shouting with strength, the man was able of recover the sword, but due to the lost time, some threads wrapped around his leg.


    Seeing it, Lia smiled thinly, not noticing the red color slowly dying her eyes. With even more excitement she ordered for the threads to continue attacking.


    The brawny man slashed the threads in his leg, this time infusing energy inside the sword; but though some threads were cut, many more began to wrap around other parts of his body.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Cried the skinny guy. ¡°They are not normal threads! Probably it is some artifact or the web of some demonic beast! Do your best to no become entangled with them!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Grunted Mul, the brawny of the pair, infusing a great amount of energy around his body and pulling with strength.


    But unfortunately for him, the threads wrapped around his body were made of Snow Spider¡¯s Silk. It, summed with the growing strength of Lia in the last few days and the ability of infusing energy in objects that her recently gained, made extremely hard for the brawny guy to escape his bindings.


    Besides it, though she wasn¡¯t completely conscient of it, the soul of the Nonir inside Lia was helping her to fight the enemies. To be sincere, from the moment when they were ambushed for Lia¡¯s threads, the pair of cultivators were almost guaranteed to lose despite being almost an entire realm above her.


    Seeing the worsening situation of his companion, the skinny guy, Sly, took two daggers from his sleeves and tried using them to cut the threads after infusing it with energy, but same as his companion, it was only able of cutting through a few of them.


    Lia smiled even more seeing the two men struggling between the thousands of threads and moved her arms to sent even more against them. In seconds, Mul and Sly were almost drowned for the growing number of attacks.


    Though the threads had not great killing power, they were very good tying enemies. Lia seemed to be able of use them perfectly to constrict them bit to bit until trapping them for good.


    Seeing the worsening situation, Sly knew they could not wait anymore. Cutting some of the threads around them, he cried.


    ¡°Mul! We must use it! We are going to die otherwise!¡±


    Hearing his companion, the brawny guy frowned hard before gritting his teeth and making a determined expression. Then, he channeled a great amount of energy in his sword.


    Immediately, both Mul and Sly weapons began to glow with a metallic shine, then, moving downwards, they began to cut through the threats like paper.


    Freeing themselves from the threats, the pair nodded at each other before using their coordination forged through the years to attack at the same time.


    Accelerating with an exceptional speed, the pair was before Lia in the blink of an eye, but before they could cut her, something happened.


    A powerful killing intent was emitted from Lia.


    With her eyes even redder and a lovable smile in her face, she spoke.


    ¡°Hurry up, I don¡¯t want to make my young master wait.¡±


    And even more threads appeared in the surroundings.


    ¡­


    In the courtyard of the house, with a saber in hand; Aiden was standing with the eyes closed intending feel something.


    He had maintained such state from the moment when Lia left the house; and though he was unable of enter in the state of saber manifestation, he felt even closer to the saber in his hands.


    But in that moment, a terrifying killing intent was felt from afar.


    Feeling something familiar in the killing intent, Aiden made a frightened and worried expression at the same time.


    ¡°Lia!!!¡±

 Chapter 35 – Blades vs Threads (III)

    Chapter 35 ¨C Blades vs Threads (III)


    Aiden was not the only that felt the killing intent.


    In fact, many of the geniuses in the town noticed the commotion.


    Curious, many of them went towards the place of the commotion, intent in knowing about the ones fighting currently.


    Even some of the elders accompanying the young generation paid attention to the origin of the killing intent, but after seeing it was a young girl in the peak of core-forming fighting against two late core-fusing men, apart of some admiration, they felt it wasn¡¯t worth of their time.


    After all, every one of them came accompanied for geniuses.


    Only two experts left a sigh after feeling the killing intent.


    One was inside a dark room in the basement of a rundown shop.


    And the other was resting in a chair.


    When the blades of the two men began to glow, the situation became a bit harder for Lia.


    The metallic glow was apparently a kind of technique consisting in augmenting the quality of the energy in the body for a short time. It allowed for the weapons become sharper, and for the movements of Mul and Sly become faster and stronger.


    But even with it, Lia was able of fighting them evenly.


    It was in part thanks to the killing intent too great for someone at her age, and also because the almost spectral movements she used to avoid the two men attacks. With the use of it, she was able of even fight despite the disadvantage in numbers and cultivation.


    To be sincere, Lia was never very good using movement techniques, but for some reason, she was able to move freely during this fight.


    Not just it, but she was feeling her judgement becoming clearer and sharper with every passing second.


    And the excitement of the fight was growing even more. Lia was feeling an incredible desire to fight and kill the two men before her.


    It was at the point where she had almost forgotten about the thing she was doing in the first place.


    On the other hand, the two men were growing even more nervous during the course of the fight.


    For now, both noticed that their target wasn¡¯t so weak and helpless like them thought.


    It was at the point where they thought about retreating, but it was almost impossible with the many threads attacking them from every direction.


    At the end, they noticed that retreating was hardly going to work and have to opt for trying kill her.


    The thing is, though the technique they were using was powerful and able of augmenting their fighting strength greatly, the consumption of energy was equally so great, and the side effects were enough to left them unable of fight for almost two months.


    It was the main reason because they were so hesitant about using it in the first place.


    Growing desperate with every second, Mul and Sly tried with all their might reach to Lia, but she was like a phantom moving eerily, unable of being grasped by the physical world. Adding the thousands of threads constantly hindering their movements to it, they were unable of doing more than moving their blades fruitlessly.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Seeing the situation worsening even more; with Lia evading their attacks again and the threats closing quickly in them, Sly put a determined expression and decided to go for broke.


    Grabbing one of his daggers with all his strength, he throwed it directly towards Lia¡¯s heart at an astonishing speed.


    Surprised, Lia saw herself unable of avoiding the attack, but the growing clarity in her mind help her to make the best decision under the circumstances.


    Calling for many of the threads in the surroundings, she used it to create a shield between the dagger and her.


    But at the end, the rashly arranged shield was unable of completely stopping the dagger. Cutting through the threads in an instant, the dagger continued going towards Lia.


    Nevertheless, the shield fulfilled its purpose. Using the instant when the dagger was cutting the threads, Lia twisted her body to evade the dagger; but seeing she was unable of completely avoiding it, she activated a dim film of energy around her body to receive a bit more of protection.


    The dagger impacted against Lia, but because of the film in her body and the fact that the dagger spends part of its strength against the shield, it was only able of leaving a tiny gash in her right arm.


    However, that tiny gash was enough to change everything.


    Lia could feel almost immediately her body becoming slower. In fact, the arm that was grazed for the dagger lost mobility instantly.


    A thought went through her mind after noticing it.


    Poison!


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    Seeing the effect of the poison in her body, Lia was incredibly enraged for their dirty tactic.


    The two men, in the contrary, were exhilarated seeing it.


    Immediately, the pair attacked together to end the fight sooner.


    After all, not only is the effect of poison in cultivators greatly limited, but the time limit of their technique was closing too.


    Seeing the blades coming towards her, Lia tried controlling the threads again, but it was harder now that she was only able of using a hand. At the end, she could only retreat awkwardly while feeling the poison spreading in her body.


    The brawny man smirked seeing her clumsy dodge and raised his blade. At this point, he was only thinking in killing this demon quickly.


    Seeing the blade coming closer, the face of Aiden appeared in Lia mind, and in that moment, a voice sounded inside her.


    Let me out¡­


    The voice was very sinister but at the same time tempting, like a devil of hell. Lia instinctive reaction was rejecting it, but the face of Aiden in her mind made her hesitate.


    In the moment when the sword was about cut her, and she decided let ¡®it¡¯ out¡­


    ¡­ Another sword appeared from a side and stopped the attack.


    ¡°Not only you bully a girl weaker than you with numbers, but when you are losing you use poison!? Shameless!¡±


    A black-haired girl was holding the sword with a hand.


    Instead of being described like beautiful, the girl was better called cute. A white dress covered her body until her knees and a headband decorated her head with a blue flower.


    The girl was emitting a nice air around her. Despite her frowning expression, her face gave a lively impression at everybody around her. And Lia noticed that her strength seemed even deeper than the two men.


    The brawny man, Mul, made a frightened expression seeing the girl. As for Sly, his complexion became pale. Apparently, they were able of recognize her.


    The girl retired her sword and stood before Lia. Then, ignoring completely the two frightened men, she turned towards Lia and smiled charmingly to her.


    ¡°Sister, you are incredible! Even I wasn¡¯t so strong when I was at the core-forming stage!¡±


    Feeling the pure admiration in the girl eyes, the red color in Lia¡¯s eyes receded visibly. Then, with a surprised and dumbfounded expression, she nodded confusedly.


    ¡°T-Thanks¡­ B-But, who are you? W-What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Had you no noticed?¡± Answered the girl while tilting her head. ¡°Many people were attracted to your fight! Look, they are observing!¡±


    Looking around, both Lia and the pair were surprised to see many people looking to them in the surroundings. Apparently, they were all cultivators attracted by the commotion.


    ¡°We all were seeing how sister beat the bad guys, but when I see them being so shameless as to use poison, I could not resist coming to help. Hmph! Truly shameless men!¡±


    Lia was surprised to see that even the girl that Aiden recognized in Heavens¡¯ Net was observing the fight from afar. She even noticed a few youths with atmospheres similar to that girl and the lively girl before her.


    Obviously, they were geniuses of their respective factions.


    Understating the situation, Lia smiled in relief and tried giving he thanks to the girl for saving her, but before her could speak, a cry echoed in the surroundings.


    ¡°Lia!!!¡±

 Chapter 36 – Trigger

    Chapter 36 ¨C Trigger


    ¡°Lia!!!¡±


    A cry echoed in the surroundings.


    Many of the people present turned around and saw a black-haired youth running towards here with a saber in hand.


    Despite the sweat in his brows, caused by the long sprint, the youth could be considered handsome and well-poised. His pair of black eyes combined with his current worried face spoke of the preoccupation he was currently feeling.


    Perhaps the only drawback in the eyes of many of the people here present, was his relatively low cultivation at only the late core-forming stage.


    ¡°Young master!¡± Cried Lia seeing the youth, confirming to everybody that the two were related.


    Many of the people in the surroundings were surprised after hearing the girl calling the young man as ¡®young master¡¯. After all, it was obvious to the ones here reunited that the young man was weaker. Some were even able of noticing the lack of spirit in his body.


    So, for a talented cultivator as Lia, to call to a normal human without hopes of always breaking through the core-fusing realm as ¡®young master¡¯ could be described like ridiculous.


    After all, in the world of cultivators, people without spirits were nothing more than servants.


    Seeing that Lia was mostly alright, Aiden sighed in relief and walked towards her. In that moment, he already had noticed the situation in the surroundings.


    Seeing the many pairs of eyes looking towards him with curiosity and disdain, Aiden knew that the thing he feared the most happened.


    He was now under the spotlight.


    Moreover, Aiden was able to see the pair of youths from the Noah family between the people here reunited. And though he wasn¡¯t sure, the young master from the servants he trashed was probably here too.


    Knowing that the situation was already impossible to change, Aiden simply sighed and decided leave everything to fate. Putting his worries in the back of his mind, he looked towards Lia worried.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Young master, you see¡­¡±


    Lia proceeded then to explain everything what happened. Strangely, the surroundings were eerily silent while she spoke and even the girl standing besides Lia was only sizing curiously to the pair as if wanting to ask about something.


    Aiden tried to ignore all the gazes in the surroundings and concentrate in Lia¡¯s history. Hearing about what happened and seeing the wound in Lia¡¯s shoulder, he was almost unable of containing his rage.


    Forcing himself to maintain the calm, Aiden suspired deeply and looked towards the pair responsible for attacking Lia. Seeing them frightened in the ground and unable of move, he opened his mouth and simply spoke five words.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done it.¡±


    Then, putting his hand in the guard from the saber, he flicked his hand softly.


    And saber intent erupted.


    Many of the people in the surroundings tightened their guards instinctively after feeling the powerful saber intent; and even the girl besides Lia jumped backward with a serious face and surprised face.


    But nothing seemed to happen.


    The powerful saber intent only appeared for an instant before disappearing. Many of the people in the surroundings didn¡¯t even see the saber leaving and returning to the sheath, being unable of determinate what happened.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    But a second later, they understood.


    An extremely thin red line appeared in the neck of the two men that attacked Lia.


    And a rain of blood erupted an instant later.


    The heads of the two men were sent flying by the blood pressure and a smell to iron filled the place.


    Many unconsciously gulped after seeing it.


    Others looked with interest.


    And one person more, seemed find something extremely amusing in the scene.


    The lively girl that rescued Lia was gazing the scene surprised, then, she looked towards Aiden with a strange expression.


    Aiden made his best to ignore the commotion in his surroundings. Looking towards the girl, he inclined his head and spoke calmly.


    ¡°Many thanks for rescuing my companion. I will repay you I the opportunity presents someday.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need!¡± Answered the girl shaking her head vehemently. ¡°I only did it because I could not tolerate a pair of shameless men bullying a girl! You don¡¯t need repay something!¡±


    ¡°Even so, I feel the need of thanking you.¡± Said Aiden humbly.


    Then, after bidding farewell to the girl and taking Lia in his arm, he departed, carrying Lia before the sight of everybody.


    ¡­


    Aiden was carrying Lia in his arms while wearing a frowning expression.


    The reason of it was because the happened before. Many different cultivators from different factions had seen Aiden; increasing the chance of someone recognizing him.


    Even worse, this time he was carrying the saber with him. Though perhaps, almost everybody would think of the saber like a normal weapon, the possibility of the two members of the Noah clan recognizing the sword was very high.


    After all, when he was in the Noah clan, three things made him famous. The first was his talent, the second his powerful spirit and the third, his saber arts.


    And many people knew about the saber he always carried around.


    Aiden feared that someone would be able of recognizing him for it.


    Thinking about it now, he realized he was too careless about it.


    He should have thought before about making the saber less recognizable.


    Of course, after the commotion of today, being recognized wasn¡¯t the only danger he was exposed.


    It was possible that the young master of the crow family was present in the site of the commotion. And if it was so, the probability of Aiden being recognized was very high.


    At the end, he had not another option but leave all to fate and try increasing his strength as soon as possible.


    Lia, seeing the frowning expression in Aiden¡¯s face, seemed to know the reason of his worries.


    Looking towards him guiltily, Lia made a crying expression and spoke while biting her lips.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry young master. I¡­ I ended causing you troubles¡­ I w¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lia.¡± Interrupted Aiden tenderly. ¡°What should have happened, happened. It wasn¡¯t your fault¡­ Besides, I was also in part responsible for going out despite knowing about the possible consequences¡­


    ¡°At the end, the most important is that you are fine. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you were hurt. I¡¯m simply happy that you were unscathed.¡±


    Hearing the words of Aiden, Lia could not suppress the tears coming from her eyes. Then, using her hands to wipe the tears, she made the sweetest smile thet she probably could have done.


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    ¡­


    A dark-skinned youth was looking fixedly a man leaving with a girl in his arms from the roof of a house.


    Besides him, a middle-aged servant was bowing deeply while waiting for his instructions. Apparently, he didn¡¯t dare to interrupt the thoughts of his master.


    Putting a capricious smile in his face, the dark-skinned youth asked towards the servant without looking behind.


    ¡°Are you sure that the guy with the saber is the one that hurt my subordinates?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Answered the servant. ¡°He matches completely with the description given for the two victims.¡±


    ¡°Is it so?¡± Replied the young man. Then, making an incredibly sinister smile, he gave an order. ¡°Send three shadow crows to follow the pair. Tell them to find an opportunity to act. They can kill the boy, but they must do everything in their might to bring the girl with life.¡±


    Hearing the orders of his master, the servant made a hesitating expression. Then, after thinking for a few seconds, he finally spoke.


    ¡°Young master, the girl alone was enough to face two late core-fusing experts for herself. Besides, though the boy is pretty weak, his saber arts are exquisite. Are you sure that three shadow crows are enough?¡±


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry.¡± Smiled the youth. ¡°Though they two were in the late core-fusing, how can them to be compared with the core-fusing experts of our clan? Besides, that boy isn¡¯t any risk. Though his saber intent is powerful, without the capability of breaking through core-fusing, he couldn¡¯t do anything more than resist a bit. Besides, more than three peoplemoving would attract too much atttention, we don''t want to attract the attention of the city lord.¡±


    Hearing the explanation of his young master, the middle-aged servant finally nodded towards the order. Then, bowing again towards the youth, he disappeared strangely from his position.


    Now alone in the roof of the house, the dark-skinned youth continued looking towards the place where the pair disappeared without hiding the smile in his face.


    Then, thinking about the girl that was fighting before, he could not help but laugh maniacally.


    Such a beautiful woman!


    ¡­


    Two handsome youths were walking through the streets of the border city of Cali.


    One of them, with black-white hair, was lost in his thoughts, while the other, black-red haired guy, was smiling broadly besides him.


    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking that the boy is a bit familiar.¡± Spoke the black-white haired youth with a pensive expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Answered his companion. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is something important.


    The black-white haired guy could only shake his head after hearing his companion. Then, looking towards his companion, he spoke in doubt.


    ¡°And what are you thinking? You have been strangely happy from a time ago.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Responded the black-red haired guy. ¡°I only found something really amusing.¡±


    Then, smiling like a lion finding his prey, he spoke again.


    ¡°Something really, really amusing¡­¡±

 Chapter 37 – Everything is ready

    Chapter 37 ¨C Everything is ready


    Aiden carried Lia with him until the house where they were living.


    After Lia and Aiden spoke about the happened in the fight, the pair continued their path in silence. Seemingly, they didn¡¯t wish interrupt the atmosphere between the two.


    Like Aiden said, he didn¡¯t regret appearing even after knowing all the possible consequences of it.


    After all, he preferred risking a possible trouble before leaving Lia at her devices when facing a possibly dangerous situation.


    Due it, even when he knew that it was possible for troubles to chase him after today, he didn¡¯t regret acting.


    Lia, now smiling slightly despite the fatigue, apparently was able of feeling his thoughts; because from the moment when Aiden told her that she was more important, she had not ceased of smiling foolishly.


    Seeing it, Aiden was unable of avoid smiling too, and simply decided to maintain the silence while the pair found solace in the warm of each other.


    Like it, they advanced for a few minutes before reaching their house.


    Aiden, yet holding Lia in his arms, walked towards the door while smiling. Then, he paused abruptly.


    A youth was standing beside the door.


    Aiden took a step back instinctively after seeing the youth. It was because he was unable of feeling the youth from the moment when he reached at the house until now.


    Worse yet, even though the youth was in front of him, Aiden only noticed the youth when they were this close.


    Lia, noticing Aiden¡¯s abnormality, turned her sight towards the place where Aiden was looking and put a serious expression too.


    None of them was able of sensing something about the youth.


    It was like if there wasn¡¯t anyone.


    Grabbing strongly the body of Lia, Aiden put a guarded expression and tried position his body in the most convenient form possible to answer any attack coming against them.


    However, a second after doing it, a surprised expression appeared in the faces of both Aiden and Lia.


    It was because the one besides the door was someone the pair knew.


    Unexpectedly, it was the youth that was always sleeping in the counter of the rundown shop where Heavens¡¯ Net was located.


    Noticing the identity of the intruder, apart from the expression of shock in their faces, the pair relaxed their guards slightly. After all, they could be considered acquittances after two years of using the services of the old man.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t help to alleviate the shock of the pair after seeing the youth appearing suddenly before them.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    After all, though the pair suspected that the youth wasn¡¯t simple, simply because of the place where him worked, it came like a surprise for them that the youth was strong enough to appear before them without they being able of feeling anything.


    For a moment, both parties stayed silent.


    But at the end, the youth was the first to speak.


    Wth the same sleepy expression he always had, the youth raised his face lazily and spoke in a low tone after a stifled yawn.


    ¡°¡­ My master sent me to bring the things that you ordered.¡±


    Seeing the youth pointing towards the ground, Aiden looked down only to see a few wood boxes containing some unknow objects inside.


    With an expression of understating and expectation in his face, Aiden was unable of hide the excitement even after doing everything in his might to suppress it.


    ¡°Young master! It¡¯s the remaining materials!¡±


    With an even more excited expression, Lia smiled broadly and spoke to Aiden after seeing the boxes.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Nodded Aiden with an even greater smile.


    The youth was apparently able of understand their excitement because he did nothing to calm them. Even more, he smiled briefly like if happy of seeing the scene.


    But that expression faded quickly and was replaced for one of pity and sadness that the pair was unable of notice.


    Sighing briefly, the youth looked towards the pair with a complicated expression before making his mind and choosing to speak despite risking the scolding of his master.


    ¡°You must be careful with this. Things probably will not so easy like you two expected.¡±


    Hearing the warning in the youth tone, Aiden could not help but wear a doubting expression and asking: ¡°Do you perhaps know something?¡±


    The youth hesitated slightly before speaking with a clearly complicated tone: ¡°Though I cannot say too much, I can tell you that creating a spirit is not so simple like you think. I only hope that you are careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± It was the only thing that Aiden could answer after hearing the clear concern in the voice of the youth.


    ¡°Very well, now I brought it, I must leave. I truly hope for your success.¡± With a small smile in his sleepy face, the youth began to walk to leave the house before pausing for a moment. ¡°If you are able of doing it, I will tell you a secret the next time we meet.¡± Then, he left.


    Aiden thought deeply about the words that the youth left, trying to understand the meaning.


    Though he knew that the old man in Heavens¡¯ Net had an idea about the thing he was going to do, he didn¡¯t expect that the youth that was always sleeping knew about it too.


    Though after thinking it a bit more, he was able to understand the reason.


    It¡¯s normal for the old man tell him about some things like his master.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t explain the concern that the youth show.


    Leaving it in the back of his mind after being unable of comprehend the reason, Aiden looked down and saw Lia, resting in his arms with a pondering expression.


    ¡°What is it, Lia?¡± Spoke Aiden seeing it.


    ¡°Nothing important, young master.¡± Smiled she slightly to reassure him. ¡°I am thinking about something I find strange.¡±


    Seeing the expression of doubt in Aiden¡¯s face, Lia looked towards the place where the youth left and spoke after a bit of hesitation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find him very familiar?¡±


    ¡°Familiar?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have the impression that I saw him in another place, but I¡¯m not sure where.¡±


    Hearing her words, Aiden thought briefly before tossing the thought away. Then, while looking to the boxes in the ground, he spoke in a lightheaded tone.


    ¡°Probably you confused him for someone else, don¡¯t worry about it. We better look to the things that the old man sent.¡±


    Seeing the expression of excitement in her young master, Lia thought it was cute and smiled too, forgetting about the topic.


    ¡°You are right, young master.¡±


    ¡­


    Han was moving between the shadows of the city at an incredible speed, such that none of the people in the surroundings was able of noticing something.


    Inside his world of shadows, Han was running while thinking about the pair of sweethearts and the words of his master about them.


    Knowing about the despairing future before the two, he sighed heavily.


    ¡°I hope that a miracle happens, Aiden, Lia. I hope that everything goes well¡­¡±


    Then, left behind for the wind, four words more were heard.


    ¡°I wish you luck.¡±


    It was everything he could do for such unfortunate pair.

 Chapter 38 – The Night Before the Ritual

    Chapter 38 ¨C The Night Before the Ritual


    It was already night, And Aiden was sitting in the courtyard of his house.


    After the youth of Heavens¡¯ Net left, Aiden and Lia inspected every one of the boxes he brought and confirmed if everything was there.


    Like the old man promised, every one of the materials Aiden asked were gotten successfully.


    Aiden even found some materials with even better quality than he expected, causing he appreciate even more the help that the old man gave.


    Though he wasn¡¯t sure, Aiden thought that the value of all the things the youth brought was even higher than the estimate, so he could only be grateful towards the old man for his help.


    Even though the old man was a bit eccentric and Aiden could not trust him completely, Aiden had to accept that the help the old man had given during the last two years was very great. Not just it, even now Aiden didn¡¯t find any trace of bad will from him.


    To be sincere, he wasn¡¯t completely sure about the reason because the old man treated he so well; but for someone like Aiden, that was practically abandoned form the day when he lost his spirit, the help that the old man gave despite knowing about his situation was considered a great kindness.


    Thinking about it now, that old man was one of the people that helped him the most from that day.


    Aiden could not help but smile wryly knowing that one of his greatest benefactors was literally the boss of an underground organization located in a rural town.


    At the end, he must remember this kindness and try to repay it if there is an opportunity in the future.


    Sitting in the courtyard of the house where him and Lia had been living from two years ago, Aiden could not help but have such complicated thoughts.


    The pair decided to realize the ritual in the afternoon of the next day. After all, it was necessary for both of them to complete all the different preparations necessaries to guaranty that everything goes well.


    Aiden also needed a bit of time to organize his thoughts. Knowing that the thing that him always dreamed was so near put a great pressure in his shoulders. Aiden could feel the fear of failing attacking his mind with every thought that appeared in his head.


    No matter how confident he always appeared, the truth was that Aiden was actually very fearful of failing. After all, nobody knew better than him the difficulty of cultivating without a spirit, and it was easy to deduce that creating one must be even harder.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    At the end, Aiden and Lia were only working based in the different conjectures they reached after analyzing the process where Lia got her second spirit, and they were not completely sure if it could work. Hell, even now it was clear that said experiment left serious sequels in Lia¡¯s mind.


    Thinking about all it, Aiden felt the fear of failure coming even closer to him, like a beast prepared to devour him. The feeling was scarily overwhelming.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t need to fear it, young master.¡± Spoke a voice from behind him.


    ¡°Because if there¡¯s someone able of being successful in the creation of a spirit, I think that it is young master. Young master, I believe in you. Even if nobody else does, even if it looks impossible, I believe you will eventually succeed.¡± At some point, Lia appeared behind him silently.


    Apparently feeling the mental state of her young master, Lia walked behind his back and hugged Aiden softly. Then, with a confident smile in her face, she continued speaking.


    ¡°I believe in you, young master. Even if tomorrow it fails, I believe that you will eventually find the right answer. So, what if the world think that it is impossible for someone create his own spirit? I believe that you will create one.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t worry young master, because I will be with you. When you fail, when you want to give up, I will be here, giving you the support that you need.


    ¡°And if fate want for you to fail, then I will be sure of walking that fate with you, after all, I don¡¯t mind living together until old.


    ¡°After all, I decided that day that I will always be with you.


    ¡°No matter what happens, I will be with you.


    ¡°Even if you decided to give up, I will be with you.


    ¡°And when the day for you to die comes, I hope to be with you too.


    ¡°So, what is there to fear, young master?¡±


    For a moment, Aiden felt his vision becoming blurry.


    Even though he tried to suppress it, tears began to form in his eyes after hearing Lia¡¯s words.


    Feeling the warm of the arms around his body, Aiden made a crying smile and closed his eyes.


    Who would have imagined that the girl he saved that day for pity would end becoming the pillar supporting him?


    Three years go, he decided to rescue a girl from a group of men. Today, the same girl was hugging him and saying that everything was going to be alright.


    During the last three years, it was Lia who help Aiden to escape from the nightmare that was the loss of his spirit.


    Unexpectedly, in the process of saving a girl even more hurt than him, he finished saving himself.


    Aiden could only think that fate was truly strange.


    Who knows, perhaps Lia was the compensation that the world gave him after losing his spirit.


    Lost in his thoughts, Aiden smiled wryly while feeling the heartbeats of the girl behind him.


    ¡°Do you know Lia?¡± Spoke him. ¡°There is something that I have never said you.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Aiden raised his face and turned to look towards the girl behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly happy of meeting you. Do you know? I¡¯m truly fortunate of meeting someone so incredible like you that year.


    ¡°But precisely for it, I could not afford to fail.


    ¡°You told me that you don¡¯t care if I give up, but I care about it.


    ¡°Because, how can I to be worthy of you otherwise?


    ¡°If I want to be able to help you in the future, I must be stronger.


    ¡°Because the one I love is you, I must create my spirit even more.


    ¡°So, when the day comes, I can stay besides you.¡±


    Lia could not help but blush completely after hearing his words.


    Feeling something sweet in her heart, she looked towards his black eyes and with a happy face, she nodded.


    Aiden could not help but smile after seeing it, then looking towards the soft pink lips in her face, very slowly, he neared his face.


    Then, before Lia could react, he kissed her.


    The pair felt the world around them to stop for an instant.

 Chapter 39 – An Awkward Kind of Love

    Chapter 39 ¨C An Awkward Kind of Love


    Aiden and Lia lips touched slightly.


    Sensing the feeling of Aiden¡¯s lips against hers, Lia blushed deeply, surprised.


    But after the initial surprise, she closed her eyes and lost herself in the novel sensation.


    For a few minutes, the pair kept the kiss without stopping even to breath.


    It was almost as if both of them forgot about all the things with exception to each other.


    Then, after what felt like an eternity, their lips parted.


    Aiden looked towards Lia softly and saw the intoxicated expression in her face.


    Before he could enjoy the sight of Lia blushing with an enamored face though, he felt her closing again.


    This time, it was her who took the initiative to kiss him.


    Lost in the sensation of the last kiss, Aiden was unable of react before the kiss of Lia reached his lips.


    Still, even if he could have reacted, he probably would have accepted the kiss without hesitation.


    This time, the kiss was even more intimate that the last one.


    Both Lia and Aiden were pretty inexperienced in things like it, it was because both of their lives before it were pretty complex.


    Aiden was always obeying his family and concentrated in training. And though he had a fianc¨¦e, he only saw her once, and the memories of it were not very good.


    Lia, for her part, lived a childhood with only experiments in her daily life, reason because she didn¡¯t even know about things related to the opposite sex before meeting Aiden.


    And though their relationship was pretty good during the last three years, tonight could be considerate the first time they were beyond hugging and holding each other hands.


    For this reason, though their kiss was pretty intimate, it was also a bit awkward.


    Of course, neither of them cared about it.


    Aiden put all his mind in feeling the lips of Lia. In his back, he could feel the heartbeat of her beloved increasing furiously.


    In reality, his own heart was also beating at an incredible speed.


    After another few seconds, the second kiss finally reached to an end.


    Aiden wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought that his face was probably burning even more than Lia¡¯s.


    After breathing for a moment to calm his breath, he looked towards Lia face and saw her eyes looking fixedly towards him.


    Then, he unconsciously moved.


    Lost in the green eyes of Lia, Aiden didn¡¯t notice exactly what happened. When he reacted, he felt the weight of Lia¡¯s body in his legs.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Hugging her body against his, he inclined his head and looked toward her eyes before smiling and kissing her for the third time.


    This time, the kiss was even longer that the two of before.


    Aiden only felt Lia¡¯s hand hugging his back with strength. His own hands, unconsciously, were moving all around the body of Lia, feeling the delicate curves of her without any restrain.


    For a moment, the mind of both of them became a fog, and the pair was lost in the sensations they were feeling for the first time.


    Aiden felt an incredible excitement bubbling from his insides with every second that the pair hugged. Lia, for her part, was making an even more intoxicated expression, making the contrast with her usual gentle self even more erotic.


    Feeling the scent of Aiden body against her, Lia lost herself even more in the world being constructed between both of them.


    After a time, Aiden even found the clothes between them a hindrance.


    But in the moment when he was prepared to take them off, a thought entered at his mind.


    Instantly, it was like if a bucket of cold water were thrown in his head.


    Looking towards Lia¡¯s face, he kissed his lips softly one last time before hugging her strongly and putting his face over her shoulders.


    Then, in a soft and caring, but also apologetic voice, he muttered at her ear.


    ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    Lia was surprised for a moment, but after a second, she smiled sadly and only nodded with her head.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Despite the pain in his heart after hearing the tone in Lia voice, Aiden concentrated all his mind in resisting the desire to continuate, and at the end, only continued hugging her.


    ¡°¡­ Lia, let me remain so for a bit more. Only for this night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master¡­¡±


    Aiden sighed softly hearing the pain in Lia voice. Then, after thinking for a moment, he spoke resolute.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lia. I promise you that one day it will be different.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    In the night, the hum of the girl voice sounded strangely desolate.


    Aiden love for Lia was truly great, and in normal circumstances he wouldn¡¯t have doubted in take their relation a step forward.


    But in the end, he was unable of doing it.


    It was precisely because he loved her so much that he was unable.


    Because he didn¡¯t want to become the weight dragging her down.


    Lia was very talented, and Aiden knew it well. He knew that she would eventually became someone great; perhaps able of overseeing a part of the continent based only in her strength.


    But, what about him? At the end, he was someone without a spirit.


    Even though tomorrow he would realize the ritual to create an artificial spirit, how could he to be sure of succeeding?


    Because of it, he was unable of taking the last step.


    He was unable of ridding himself from his insecurity.


    Because even though he knew of Lia deep love for him, and that he loved her with equal fervor, he could not endure seeing Lia living all her life like a nobody only to remain at his side.


    Even after hearing her words of before, no, precisely because he heard her words, and even after the oath she did tonight, he was unable of allowing himself to potentially destroy her future.


    He knew, in the moment when they take the last step, then it would be truly impossible for them to be separated in their entire lives.


    You could say that for Aiden, they were not completely tied together until taking the last step.


    So, until the moment when he become someone worthy of her, he was determined to restrain himself.


    Even if he knew that it was hurting Lia¡¯s heart.


    Of course, Lia didn¡¯t think so.


    Lia was able of feeling Aiden¡¯s thoughts, and it was probably the reason of her sadness.


    After all, for her it was a bit insulting that Aiden thought that her resolution would waver simply for something like having relations or not.


    She also knew about Aiden¡¯s insecurities. The reason because she came here tonight was precisely because of it.


    But at the end, she was unable of doing anything to change it. No, it was more that she wasn¡¯t willing to shoulder the possible risk of it, at least not yet.


    At the end, the barrier impeding further progress of their relationship was the same thing plaguing Aiden from four years ago.


    At the end, everything was down at his spirit.


    Aiden sighed softly knowing it, then, he closed his eyes and thought about many things.


    Now, he was even more determined to succeed tomorrow.


    Not only for him, but also for the girl now resting in his arms.


    Feeling the sweet aroma of her body against his, Aiden increased his resolution even more.


    So, hugging her even more strongly, he let the time pass slowly.


    Tomorrow, I must succeed.


    With that thoughts in his mind, the night slowly passed by.


    Only the moon was able to witness the complicated thoughts of the two.


    But even it was unable of noticing the glowing seal* in Aiden¡¯s pouch.


    *Note: The seal appeared the first time in the chapter 18, during the arc of the giant boars.

 Chapter 40 – The Ritual (I)

    Chapter 40 ¨C The Ritual (I)


    The night passed silently in Aiden and Lia house.


    When the first ray of the sun appeared, both of them unexpectedly found that they fell asleep in each other hands.


    With a blushing face, Lia stood from Aiden thigs and went running towards the house. She only left a few words behind indicating that she was going to prepare everything.


    Aiden smiled wryly noticing it, then, stretching his body to alleviate the pain in his legs caused by their sleeping position, he washed his face with a bit of water and stood in the courtyard.


    Searching for his saber, he took it and looked fixedly, then, after thinking for a moment, he decided to practice for a bit with it.


    Putting all the strength of his body in wielding the saber, Aiden dedicated all his concentration in his saber movements, trying to forget completely about his surroundings.


    Different from his last few practices with the saber, Aiden didn¡¯t try reaching to saber manifestation this time. Instead, he tried using the saber moves to forget about all the nervousness, excitement and fear in his mind caused by the ritual scheduled for today.


    After half an hour practicing, Aiden feel his mind completely refreshed. Apparently, the practice with the saber was very helpful to calm him.


    Aiden looked towards the saber that accompanied him for a long time and smiled while caressing its blade. Then, leaving out a heavy sigh, he sheathed it.


    Washing his face once again, he turned towards the house after finishing his practice. Inside, he walked until the kitchen only to find a plate of food in the table together with a note from Lia, indicating that she also prepared the bath and was currently finishing preparing all the thing necessaries for the ritual.


    Aiden smiled gratefully reading the note, then, while thinking about how good of a girl Lia was, he proceeded to eat the food with a small smile.


    After eating breakfast, Aiden only waited for a second before walking towards the bath that Lia prepared. Then, taking off all his clothes, he entered to the bathtub and let his body relax.


    The ritual was scheduled to begin before noon, around ten or eleven in the morning. Aiden decided to take advantage of the time until then to get his mind in the best condition possible.


    Relaxing his body, Aiden closed his eyes inside the bathtub at the point where he was almost asleep, but after exactly half an hour, he opened them and stood up from the tub without hesitation.


    Using a towel to wipe the water from his body, Aiden walked towards a basket laying in the ground and took a pair of trousers from there.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Putting them in his body, Aiden stretched his body once more and walked again towards the courtyard. Then, sitting in the ground, he crossed his legs to meditate.


    Not using anything in his upper body, Aiden kept his state of meditation for a bit more of an hour. Then, feeling that his mental state was in the best possible condition, he stood up and walked inside after leaving behind a soft sigh.


    With calm steps, he walked towards the same room where the procedure to open Lia¡¯s meridians was realized. Then, after a bit of hesitation, he sighed again and entered after making his mind.


    Once inside, he was able of noticing that the state of the room was different that when Lia opened his meridians. Almost everything the things in the room were gone. Only a small table was left standing in a corner.


    A strange symbol was draw in the ground. The symbol consisted of six small circles interconnected with each other. Each circle was connected to the others through lines drawn in the ground. The lines were drawn with the blood of some beast, and it formed a hexagon with a grim appearance.


    The core of demonic beasts was laying in the center of every circle, fulfilling the function of supplying with energy the array, and in the center of the array was square also draw with blood.


    Some strange symbols were also drawn in the surroundings of the array. A normal people would have been unable of understating their meaning, but Aiden knew that most of them were related to energy and consciousness and were a very important component of the ritual.


    Lia was crouched with a brush in her hand, making some adjustments to the array and confirming that everything was alright.


    Hearing the steps coming from the entrance of the room, Lia raised her face and looked only to see Aiden entering with only a pair of trousers covering him. Blushing slightly, she gazed his well-toned body and spoke with a stutter.


    ¡°Y-Young master wait for a moment, I¡¯m just about end here.¡±


    Aiden nodded in silence and sat crosslegged in the ground. Then, calming his breath, he closed his eyes and began to meditate again.


    Lia sighed looking it, but understating the reason of Aiden¡¯s behavior, she reminded herself to concentrate and continued revising the drawing in the ground.


    After a few minutes, she finally finished with her work. Then, standing up, she looked towards Aiden and awoke him from meditation.


    ¡°Young master, I already finished here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Opening his eyes, Aiden looked towards the different symbols draw in the ground, then, he stood and walked towards the center.


    Lia went towards the table in a corner of the room. There, she took a bowl filled with medicinal paste and walked towards Aiden, then, reaching to him, she spoke with an unnoticeable blush.


    ¡°Young master, I¡¯m going to begin.¡±


    With only a nod, Aiden expressed that he was prepared. Lia, different from Aiden, could not stop the blush of expanding until her ears seeing his body. Calming her mind with a breath, she used the brush to move the medicinal paste in the bowl. Then, with a deep breath, she began to draw some lines and symbols in the upper body of Aiden.


    Only after a few minutes, Aiden chest, arms and face were full of different drawings of many strange forms. Lia, after confirming that everything was done, stopped the brush and signaled to Aiden to begin.


    Aiden opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, with a calm and resolute expression, he lied with the back in the ground and his head resting in the square drawn in the center of the array.


    ¡°Young master, you must be careful.¡±


    With a worried face, Lia took the sealed soul from the pouch in the table and spoke to Aiden. He, with a serious expression, nodded strongly and closed his eyes.


    Lia put the sealed stone in Aiden¡¯s forehead, then, with a very worried expression, she moved her energy and activated it.


    At the same time, Aiden moved all the energy in his body and guided it towards his forehead.


    Now, there are no more way back.


    Today, was the day when he was going to change his destiny.

 Chapter 41 – The Ritual (II)

    Chapter 41 ¨C The Ritual (II)


    When the energy of Aiden and Lia reached to the sealed stone in Aiden¡¯s forehead, the ritual finally began.


    Lia, having already experimented it, knew about the dangers of realizing the ritual, and though Aiden had repeatedly assured her about the risk this time being lesser that with her, she could not completely erase her worries.


    After all, in the worst case, Aiden could end disabled or dead.


    Things related to the soul were delicate to such degree.


    To be sincere, she didn¡¯t agree completely with Aiden desire to realize the experiment, after all, though she survived it, she knew about the thousands of souls that failed before her.


    But at the end, she knew that it was perhaps Aiden only hope.


    She didn¡¯t have the heart to stop it.


    The only thing she can do, is to make sure that everything goes in the best possible direction and that the level of risk is the least possible.


    But even with it, she decided that in the moment when she notice something wrong, she was going to stop the ritual.


    No matter if Aiden didn¡¯t agree with it.


    ¡­ Or even if he ends hating her.


    At the end, Aiden security is above everything for her.


    Such is the size of her love for him.


    I can only wish you luck, young master¡­


    ¡­ And for fate to be in your side¡­


    Aiden felt a slight pain in his head.


    Trying to look around, he found that he was unable of sensing his body. His eyes were unable of seeing anything and around him was only darkness.


    Instead worrying, Aiden was happy once he understood it. After all, it could be considered one of the more fundamental parts of the process. He knew that in this moment he was inside his ¡°sea of consciousness¡±.


    The sea of consciousness was also known like mind¡¯s space, and was considered for many like one of the most fundamental parts of every being. Many people theorized that it was directly related to the soul, and that the mental strength of someone was in part responsible for the strength of the soul.


    Normally, only a spirit sage is able of acceding directly to his sea of consciousness and it was impossible for someone of Aiden¡¯s strength to do it, but the different runes inscribed around the array were responsible of making it possible. Without them, leaving alone creating an artificial spirit, he wouldn¡¯t have been able of even making contact with the soul sealed in the stone.


    Luckily, Aiden was a bit knowledgeable about runes from his studies in his past home. It, combined with the knowledge from Lia about the ritual performed in the installations of God¡¯s Hand, was more of less enough to create the array he is currently using.


    Sensing his surroundings, he was able of noticing the state of his mind¡¯s space. Apparently, he was currently in what he supposed was his soul. It was shining with a soft white glow. In comparison, the rest of his consciousness was empty with only darkness in his surroundings.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    From his knowledge, it was the normal state of the consciousness for someone below the spirit mutating stage (Spirit Sage). The only difference between individuals below this stage normally tend to be the size and glow of the ¡®soul¡¯.


    Calming himself after observing his surroundings, Aiden began to prepare his mind for the next part of the ritual. According to Lia, after appearing in his sea of consciousness, the soul trapped inside the sealed stone would appear a few minutes later, and this would be the most important part of the ritual.


    The procedure of the ritual could be considered simple. It only consisted of entering to the sea of consciousness, adjusting the state of the mind, assimilating with the foreign soul and eliminating any sliver of consciousness left in it, before proceeding to guide the new soul to become in a spirit.


    But precisely in its simplicity was where the complexity of the ritual rest. The process of assimilating another soul was very delicate, where a simple mistake was enough to cause irreparable damage. Many of the runes drawn in the ground and Aiden body had the purpose of easing the process, but even with it, the dangers were enough to scare even the most courageous warrior.


    Fortunately, like Aiden thought, his soul was pretty strong compared with many people in his age and cultivation level. The many situations experimented in his childhood were enough to grant him a determination stronger than his peers.


    Though even with it, he must be careful of no making a mistake.


    When his mind was prepared for the next part of the ritual, Aiden felt a disturbance in a corner of the mind space. Trying sensing for the origin of it, he was able of detecting a strange cloud of mist appearing inside him.


    The cloud was smaller than the white glow that represented him, though it looked more condensed and a certain ferocity surrounded it. Different from Aiden, the cloud was shining dimly, like a candle about be extinguished, giving the impression that the strength inside of it was slowly waning.


    Observing more carefully, Aiden noticed the faint figure of a tiger inside the cloud of mist. It was the remaining consciousness inside the sealed soul. According to Aiden investigations, the soul inside the stone belonged at a demonic beast known like Sabretooth Tiger. This kind of demonic beasts have cultivations at the peak of spirit awakening at most, and there are not records of any member of such species breaking through the bloodline shackles.


    However, compared to normal sabretooth tigers, the strength of the one inside the stone was something weak, at around of the initial stages of core-fusing. Aiden speculated that the reason of it was because the ¡°seed of calamity¡± absorbed great part of the energy inside it.


    But such situation made it easier for Aiden to assimilate the soul. After all, compared with a soul at the peak of Spirit Awakening, a soul at the initial core-fusing was surely many times weaker.


    Sensing the soul wandering around his mind space, Aiden resolved himself to begin with the second part of the ritual. After all, the demonic cores supplying energy at the ritual were only enough to support it for around six hours, and he wasn¡¯t sure about the amount of time necessary in the process of fusion.


    Closing to the foreign soul, Aiden tried sending a tendril of his own soul to connect with it following Lia instructions. The sliver of Aiden¡¯s soul extended slowly towards the cloud of mist. Strangely, different from Lia words, it didn¡¯t show any extreme reaction against Aiden when they connected.


    Aiden slowly brought the cloud of mist near his own soul, then, using the tendril of his soul, he began to attack the faint tiger shadow inside the mist.


    The attack was very awkward, showing the lack of familiarity of Aiden with everything related to the soul, but even so, it was enough to cause damage.


    This time, the cloud had a reaction. But contrary to Lia words, the cloud of mist didn¡¯t try retaliate. In the contrary, it only did a futile effort to defend against the invasion of the tendril without success. Aiden concluded that the reason was probably due the seed of calamity consuming too much of the energy present in the sealed soul, benefiting him at the end.


    For an hour, Aiden attacked while the cloud of mist defended with all its strength. But finally, due to the difference in their strengths, Aiden was able of erasing the last sliver of consciousness hidden inside the soul successfully.


    Joyful, he began the process of assimilating the two souls together. Following Lia advise, he used his own soul like the main body and tried making the second soul the support of it. Like it, the process continued for almost four hours.


    After all that time, Aiden finally felt the two souls fusing completely. Aiden knew that this part was the last step in the ritual. He must leave a mark inside the tiger soul, so it can be recognized like his.


    But in the moment when he moved his consciousness towards the cloud of mist, something happened.


    The silhouette of the tiger that disappeared before, appeared again this time even more lifelike, and without giving to Aiden a opportunity to react, attacked him.

 Chapter 42 – The Ritual (III)

    Chapter 42 ¨C The Ritual (III)


    As the old man of Heavens¡¯ Net said, Aiden and Lia were truly na?ve.


    After all, how can it to be possible for a pair of youngsters, no matter how genius they are, to surpass an entire organization composite from the most brilliant minds in all the world?


    Though the ideas of Aiden and the knowledge of Lia were fabulous, it was far from enough to do something that the many genius in God¡¯s Hand were unable to do.


    How could it to be possible for the members of God¡¯s Hand not to think about reducing the strength of the beast soul or adding a few runes to control the fusion with the soul?


    The truth is, among the thousands of failed experiments of the organization, many of them touched upon such topics.


    So, for Aiden and Lia to attempt an experiment to use a demonic beast soul like mold for a spirit was simply the product of their excessive overconfidence, or perhaps, they underestimating the difficulty of creating a spirit from zero.


    Even worse, the ritual they were attempting was in itself mistaken, and it was almost impossible for it to create a spirit.


    Yes, the second soul inside Lia, at the end, was not a spirit.


    For that reason, when something went wrong in the ritual, instead of something unexpected, it could better to be described like the product of a pair of children playing with something way beyond them.


    Aiden felt a terrible pain in the moment when the soul of the sabretooth tiger attacked him.


    The pain was almost enough to make him unconscious. If it was not because he experienced something even worse when his spirit was pulled from him, then he probably would have passed out immediately after the beast attacked.


    But fortunately, the pain that Aiden endured that time allowed him to maintain his mind clear. Not just it, from that unfortunate day, Aiden mental strength had augmented exponentially. Aiden mental strength was many times greater that someone of his age and cultivation realm for now.


    Thanks to it, when the beast attacked, he wasn¡¯t completely helpless.


    But it didn¡¯t make the situation better though.


    When the beast soul saw that its attack wasn¡¯t enough to end its enemy, it didn¡¯t doubt before attacking again. Aiden, completely defenseless, could only try to move the tendrils of his soul to defend awkwardly, but it was far from enough to defend against the attack.


    Feeling the pain attacking his mind once again, Aiden howled tragically and did his utmost to resist the voice inside him wishing for rest.


    Instead, he tried search for some method to retaliate. In his desperation, he tried moving the tendrils of his soul to attack like before, only to fail to cause significant damage.


    Scared, Aiden could only wish for his soul to retreat, but at the end, the cloud of mist was waiting for this opportunity for too long. How can be possible for it to waste it?


    Pouncing again against Aiden, the soul of the sabretooth tiger opened his mouth intent in causing a lethal injury. Aiden, seeing the death before him, tried retaliate with all his strength, and ordered the tendrils to attack.


    The beast, conscious of the tendrils lack of power, thought of ignoring it like before and end its prey once and for all.


    But unexpectedly, the tendrils this time were able to injure it.


    A sliver of saber intent surrounded the tendrils of souls and attacked against the tiger. The beast soul, caught unprepared, was cut by the sharp saber energy present in Aiden soul.


    With an expression of pain, both the beast and Aiden made surprised expression seeing the situation, finding it unexpected the nature of the change.


    But immediately, the expression of Aiden changed at one of excitement and the beast¡¯s changed to caution.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Moving slowly, the tiger inside the cloud of mist rested his gaze against Aiden while Aiden tried filling his soul with saber intent. The stalemate continued for a few seconds, until when the beast was unable to wait any more and attacked again.


    Aiden, seeing the coming attack, moved the tendrils to attack using the saber intent present in his soul and moved too.


    This time, the saber intent contained in the tendrils was even greater that before, but the beast, already prepared, was able to avoid or stop them with ease. For a time, the pair of human and beast continued their fierce fight inside Aiden sea of consciousness.


    But at the end, the beast soul was an existence with greater strength and experience inside a soul realm.


    Even though Aiden was somehow able of retaliating using the saber intent in his soul, bit to bit, he was being injured.


    And at the rate the things were going, even if he didn¡¯t finish devoured for the beast, it would be impossible for him retain his complete mental faculties.


    ¡­


    ¡°AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°Young Master!!!¡±


    When Aiden cried for the first time, Lia immediately knew that something was wrong.


    Looking the situation, she immediately comprehended the cause. Probably, the soul of the beast was trying to take possession of Aiden body.


    Something like it was pretty common in the ritual. After all, it¡¯s normal for any being to struggle knowing that it was going to be devoured.


    But for the soul of a beast in the core-fusing stage, Lia thought that the recoil was too great.


    After all, you must know that she fused with the soul of a demonic king when her mental strength was many times lesser than Aiden.


    What Lia didn¡¯t know was that, though the soul she fused was stronger than Aiden¡¯s, it practically had its consciousness completely erased for the members of God¡¯s Hand before the experiment. If it wasn¡¯t because it was necessary for the soul to be ¡°alive¡± before the fusion, they probably would have erased any trace of consciousness beforehand.


    But even with it, Lia ended with two consciousness inside her soul, unable of eliminating the other completely.


    If it wasn¡¯t because the soul of the beast had a great compatibility with her, she probably would have died during the experiment, like all the other unfortunate children.


    Aiden, for his part, was facing a beast soul in relatively perfect condition, and one that wasn¡¯t close to being compatible with him. To be sincere, an act like that was nothing short of suicide.


    Lia, noticing that Aiden¡¯s situation was worsening, tried stopping the ritual immediately, but unexpectedly, in the moment when she came close to the array, an immense force repulsed her preventing her from interfering.


    Apparently, the demonic beast knew what was happening and was smart enough to create countermeasures for the ones outside the array.


    And though such barrier would have been unable of stopping a truly strong spirit user, it was more than enough for Lia.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Young Master!!!¡± Shouted Lia again, seeing the pain intensifying in Aiden¡¯s face. This time, traces of red began to appear in her eyes. Apparently, her second soul was prepared to act in the moment when Lia completely loses the control over her emotions.


    ¡°ARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!¡±


    Aiden continued crying, his body convulsing. With the constantly worsening fight in the sea of consciousness, the expressions of pain in his face were more and more devastating.


    ¡°Young master!!!¡±


    Lia released the threads from her sleeve. Filling them with all the energy possible for her, Lia used them to attack against the force separating her from Aiden. But lamentably, the nature of her powers wasn¡¯t suited to frontal attacks.


    At the end, she was unable of more than wasting a bit of the energy in the demonic beasts¡¯ cores.


    The expression in Lia¡¯s face became darker and darker with every passing second; and Aiden body was convulsing terribly, apparently because his mind was already at the border of collapsing.


    Traces of different colors began to appear in Lia¡¯s hair, and her eyes began to take a bloody red color. She could hear strange whispers inside her mind, inciting her to lose the control. The growing despair because her incapability made something inside her restless.


    But when she was about let ¡°it¡± loose, something happened.


    From Aiden pouch, theamulet that they found together with the sealed soul began to glow with a beautiful white. As if being attracted to something, it escaped for itself from the spatial equipment and floated in the air.


    Immediately, a soothing energy filled the room. Lia felt the growing whispers in her mind becoming silent, as if afraid of something, and the pain present in Aiden face reduced considerably.


    Then, with a warm glow, theamulet flew towards Aiden at an incredible speed before inserting itself in his chest, leaving a strange mark in it.


    Immediately, a roar of unwillingness resounded and Lia seemingly saw the phantom of a frightened tiger being disintegrated for some strange force.


    Then, calm returned to the face of Aiden.


    The cloud of mist in his mind disintegrated completely, before fusing inside his soul and healing all the wounds left from the battle.


    At the same time, theamulet sent a sliver of energy inside his soul, strengthening it greatly at a level where anyone would consider frightening.


    After it, everything ended.


    The glow faded completely from the amulet, leaving only the strange mark in Aiden¡¯s chest.


    Feeling the soothing sensation in his soul, he was unable of maintaining himself awake anymore. At the end, only a thought went through his mind.


    So, at the end, I failed huh.


    Then, everything darkened.


    Lia, seeing it, sighed in relief; the strange changes in her body disappearing bit to bit.


    Walking towards Aiden, she touched his face gently before carrying his body slowly in her arms.


    Then, without worrying about the results of the ritual, she carried him towards his room.


    And until the end, neither of them knew about the existence seeing the events of the room from a place far, far away.

 Chapter 43 – After the Failure

    Chapter 43 ¨C After the Failure


    Aiden awoke while feeling a soft sensation in the back of his head.


    For a moment, he was unable to remember about what happened.


    With a foggy mind, he tried opening his eyes only to feel a painful headache.


    Frowning due the pain, he looked up to get an idea of his surroundings.


    The first thing that entered in his sight was Lia¡¯s worried face.


    Then, everything became clear.


    Aiden immediately remembered about the ritual, the soul of the sabretooth tiger, the struggle in his mind and the soothing sensation he felt in the end.


    And he also remembered that at the end, the ritual failed.


    A wave of despair immediately assaulted Aiden. He even felt his respiration stopping.


    A self-deprecating smile appeared in his face while he shook his head and looked towards Lia.


    With an almost crying expression, he spoke in a voice low enough that Lia almost not heard it.


    ¡°¡­ I failed.¡±


    A wave of silence expanded in the surroundings. Lia tried to speak, but at the end, the right words didn¡¯t appear in her mind.


    What could she say? Words of consolation? That everything would be alright?


    Though Lia was unable of reading Aiden¡¯s thoughts, she knew that such words probably only would hurt him more.


    After all, she was clearer than anyone about the importance that Aiden attached to this ritual.


    For him, this ritual was the ray of hope illuminating his future. The possibility of going beyond the fate that was imposed to him the day when his spirit was robbed.


    But at the end, all failed.


    Aiden didn¡¯t spoke for a long time. His face, tired from the happenings during the ritual, turned completely depressed, at the point where the only thing stopping him from crying was the tiny bit of pride remaining inside him.


    But even it was just one step on disappearing now.


    Though it wasn¡¯t the first time that Aiden failed, this could be considered his biggest failure. For Aiden, seeing his greatest hope disappear in smoke was a bigger blow than anyone could imagine.


    A few minutes passed like it, then, Aiden began to laugh.


    His laugh was filled of despair, like the expression of someone seeing the end of the world. Lia even felt that the laugh seemed broken, allowing to the listeners to hear the desperation of the owner.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It worried Lia very much, not expecting such extreme reaction from Aiden. For her, this could be considered the time when she saw his most unsightly form.


    Even when they met for the first time, his expression wasn¡¯t so despairing.


    Because that time, she could see a sliver of unwillingness below all the desperation.


    For a time, only the sound of Aiden unsightly laugh resounded in the room.


    When Lia finally intended interrupt, he finally coughed, stopping.


    Then, with a voice almost broken by tears, he spoke.


    ¡°Do you know what is the funniest thing? I didn¡¯t even notice where the problem is¡­¡±


    ¡°Young master¡­¡±


    ¡°What a joke! I said you that I would create a spirit today, but at the end, I didn¡¯t even know what exactly happened!


    ¡°Tell me Lia! How am I supposed to create a spirit when I don¡¯t even know where begin to correct the mistakes?!


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Facing the outburst of Aiden, Lia could only remain silent.


    Though she could imagine how he was feeling, she had no idea about what to say or to do so he could feel better.


    At the end, she simply bitted her lips.


    Aiden, for his part, shook his head seeing it. He didn¡¯t how to feel currently.


    Enraged? With whom? Lia? He was sure that she helped him with her utmost. Himself? He didn¡¯t even give up when the beast was gnawing his soul.


    Then, who is the culprit of his failure? Fate? The beast? Aiden didn¡¯t even know against whom direct the rage.


    In this moment, he was like a boiling pot full of countless negative emotions, unable of vent.


    At the end, he simply opted for remaining silent while resting in Lia legs.


    For a time, none of them spoke.


    The atmosphere grew more and more depressing with every second. Lia tried more than once to begin a conversation, but at the end, the words were unable to leave her mouth.


    Meanwhile, Aiden simply tried restraining his emotions.


    After almost one hour, He finally spoke.


    ¡°How long I sleep?¡± Asked.


    ¡°Almost two hours.¡± Answered Lia, relieved due finally finding something to speak.


    Aiden thought for a moment after hearing Lia answer. He noticed that his headache decreased, but he found it strange given the terrible wounds in his soul and the short time he spent sleeping.


    So, he asked.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It was the amulet.¡± Said Lia. ¡°The one we got with the sealed stone.¡±


    Lia proceeded to explain everything that happened; beginning from the moment when the beast soul tried gaining control over Aiden.


    Hearing about how she was unable of breaking through the force field generated around the array, and about the strange behavior of the amulet, Aiden looked towards the mark that appeared in his body and sighed again.


    At the end, he had not the slightest idea about most of the thing that happened today.


    To be sincere, instead becoming happy, Aiden became even more depressed after knowing about the actions of the amulet.


    After all, he understood that if not for it, he definitively would have died during the ritual.


    Was he so arrogant that if not because of an uncontrolled variable he would have perished?


    Were his efforts so useless that at the end they were unable to compare with a simple coincidence?


    If it was so, then, what reason was there to continue trying?


    With his thoughts in a mess, he felt a hand caressing his hair.


    Aiden turned his gaze up and saw Lia looking towards him with a worried expression.


    ¡°Young master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure things will go well.¡±


    Hearing her words, Aiden could not help but laugh sarcastically even knowing that she was speaking sincerely.


    Her words only increased the pain he was feeling now.


    Standing up from the thigs of Lia, he walked towards outside while grabbing a shirt that he found in the path.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bit of fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Young master¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Sighed him. ¡°I only need a bit of time alone.¡±


    He knew that she was worried, but he didn¡¯t want to hear comforting words from her now.


    He only wanted a bit of space to clear his thoughts.


    Lia bitted her lips hearing his answer, but at the end, she didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Looking towards her, Aiden smiled apologetically. Then, opening the door, he left the house.


    Aiden could never have known that his actions tonight would be the cause of many events.


    After all, he didn¡¯t know about the red tint appearing in Lia eyes, influenced by hers and Aiden current negative emotions.


    Neither he knew about the many eyes watching his house from early that day.


    And much less he knew that an encounter tonight, would change his fate forever.


    At the end, he wasn¡¯t able of predicting fate.

 Chapter 44 – An Encounter in the Night

    Chapter 44 ¨C An Encounter in the Night


    Aiden wandered around after leaving the house.


    He didn¡¯t walk to any place in specific. Instead, he went around the town without thinking about his destination; only searching for a place to vent the frustrations hidden inside him.


    The current town was engulfed in darkness. A group of clouds stopped the light coming from the moon and stars, leaving behind only a cold breeze and the instinctual of fear present in every human when facing the night.


    But it didn¡¯t affect Aiden in any way. Even the cold feeling of the wind against his face or the sporadic laugh coming from some place of the town did not help to eliminate the negative emotions currently inside him.


    Perhaps, Aiden himself didn¡¯t want for such feeling to disappear.


    When was the last time he felt in such way? The day after losing his spirit?


    Aiden wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought that his current mood was even heavier that back then.


    After all, though that time he felt used and betrayed for his most loved ones, some part of him understood that he was a ¡°necessary sacrifice¡±.


    Of course, he hated it, but he knew that he was too weak to change something.


    But now, now was different.


    This time, though he knew that the probabilities were not in his favor, he made his best to be successful.


    Aiden knew that even if he goes back in time, it would have been almost impossible for him to do better.


    But even with it, he failed.


    Of course, Aiden was already prepared to fail. He knew that the possibility of failing was bigger than succeeding.


    But he expected that even after failing, at least he would gain a lead useful for a future success.


    However, the result was crueler than he thought.


    At the end, he didn¡¯t only fail, he was unable of even knowing what was the reason of the failure.


    What was the reason of the beast soul behavior? Why was it so powerful?


    Aiden estimated that even breaking through saber manifestation and using it to empower his soul would not be enough to change anything.


    Reduce the strength of the soul? That sabretooth tiger was only at the initial core-fusing stage. It was impossible to find demonic beast weaker than it.


    After all, beasts formed their demonic core at the core-fusing stage, and the initial requirement for a sealed soul to be born is for a beast to possess a demonic core.


    Augment his mental strength? Aiden estimated that without the ability to control his mental word, that was only gotten at the spirit mutating/spirit sage realm, gaining more mental strength only would make his soul able of receiving a few more hits.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Then, what was the solution? Where was the problem? Aiden knew that Lia¡¯s beast soul was much stronger, at the demonic king realm, but she was able of successfully fusing with it despite it.


    Is there truly not hope for him to create a spirit?


    For a time, Aiden was unable of avoid having such thoughts invade his mind.


    Wandering around the streets, Aiden didn¡¯t notice when he reached at a boisterous place.


    Despite the cold nightly wind, he was able of seeing many people walking around. Many men were walking while looking around, only to be called for scantly dressed women and disappear inside alleys or dimly illuminated stores.


    From his surroundings, Aiden heard the sound of cries, laughs, fights and even moans of questionable origin.


    Looking around, he saw the entrance of a bar. Attracted towards the place, he walked towards it.


    The bar had a very ordinary appearance, with a dozen of tables reparted around the place. Drunk men were shouting and laughing while the waiters made all in their power to not be distracted due the many clients molesting them.


    At a glance, it was clear that this place was used mainly for the common people of the town.


    Aiden was unaccustomed to this kind of place, this being the second time he entered one (the first time was by mistake).


    But even with it, he had a rough idea about how such places work. Searching for an empty table, he sat while waiting for someone to come to him.


    It not took too much for a waiter to come towards him. The woman, in his early twenties going for her appearance, asked for his order with a seductive smile.


    Aiden asked for a bottle of beer, the best alcoholic drink he could get in this place. He was not a fan of drinking, but now he was needing something to forget about all his troubles.


    Waiting for the drink, Aiden looked around the bar to pass the time. He noticed that most people were completely drunk, and the few that not, were close to it.


    For a moment, he envied how they were able of simply laugh their troubles off. For most of them, their lives were simply awakening in the morning, going to work in the farms and then return in the night to sleep and wait for the next day to come.


    Perhaps it¡¯s not bad living like it. Thought him, but such thought disappeared immediately. He knew that it was impossible for him to do so.


    For him, perhaps death was better that such life.


    After a few minutes, the waiter returned with the beer. Unexpectedly, Aiden noticed some inviting glances coming from her, as if asking him about something.


    Though he was inexperienced in such matters, it wasn¡¯t necessary to have too much experience to know exactly what the girl¡¯s intentions were. For a moment, he even thought about agreeing and using it to vent his depressed mood, but the imagen of Lia in his head was too great to allow something like it.


    Smiling wryly, he thought about how Lia was able of affecting him even when he was in such state. Shaking his head, he proceeded to ignore the woman¡¯s gestures.


    Seeing her advances being unsuccessful, the woman pouted before walking away, a smile forming again in her face. Apparently, she was accustomed to being rejected.


    Aiden kept his wry smile even after the woman left. Taking a sip of the beer, he began to look around, trying to use the atmosphere of the place to alleviate a bit his mood. He was the only one in his table, but despite it, the atmosphere coming from him was enough to keep away any normal customer.


    Because of it, nobody came close to him for a time.


    For a long time, Aiden continued in such state. He didn¡¯t even remember the number of times he called the waiter again, but after a few hours, it was clear that he was about to get drunk.


    In that moment, a strange man came to the table where Aiden was seated.


    Almost drunk, Aiden was unable of distinguishing the features of the man. But if he was awake, he would have noticed the many irregularities with him.


    The man was wearing a pitch black coat above his body. His pants were equally black, and combined with his black hair and crimson eyes, gave an overwhelming impression of elegance and majesty.


    Strangely, despite his elegant appearance contrasting completely with this kind of place, nobody else seemed to react at his presence. It was as if every person in the bar was avoiding looking at the place where the man was standing unconsciously.


    But even it wasn¡¯t the most striking aspect of his. It was the two swords resting in the left side of his waist.


    The swords had a beautiful crimson hue in them, as if bathed in blood. But instead of fear, you could only feel peace and tranquility coming from them.


    Without even looking to Aiden, the man sat in the table. Then, taking a bottle and a pair of cups from who knows where, he spoke.


    ¡°Tell me boy, will you accompany me to a cup?¡±

 Chapter 45 – The Man of Crimson and Black

    Chapter 45 ¨C The Man of Crimson and Black


    Aiden didn¡¯t know the reason, but he felt strangely compelled to agree to the man proposal.


    For some reason, the voice of the man resounded clearly in his mind. It was as if his words possessed a kind of strange charm, able of affecting the mind of any listener. Unconsciously, Aiden was affected by his words.


    Seeing Aiden nod, the man smiled elegantly and filled the two cups with the wine in the bottle. He then closed the bottle and it disappeared strangely. In the moment when the wine fell in the cups, a sweet and reinvigorating fragrance filled the surroundings, and all the people present in the bar unconsciously relaxed.


    But even with it, nobody looked towards the table where Aiden and the man were seated.


    Aiden unconsciously moved his hand towards a cup when the fragrance reached his nose, but the man, seeing it, only said two words.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Immediately, Aiden hand stopped completely. Then, like a lie, his hand retracted for itself.


    Finally feeling something strange, Aiden woke from his stupor. Astonished, he looked towards the man with an expression of fright. Instinctively, he reached for the saber in his waist, only to remember that he left it behind.


    ¡°Hahaha, calm down.¡± Said the man, an affable smile in his face. ¡°I only want to have a drink with you. Will you give me the honor of doing it?¡±


    With a guarded expression, Aiden could only nod towards the man. For some reason, though he didn¡¯t feel any danger from the man, he had the impression that if the man wanted to hurt him, it was enough with only to say a word.


    Such sensation frightened Aiden even more, but the man only smiled seeing it, apparently amused after seeing his reaction.


    ¡°C¡¯mon boy, don¡¯t be nervous. I have not any reason to attack you. You can say that the reason because I¡¯m here is simply coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Only after a few minutes was Aiden able of completely recovering his calm. Strangely, he noticed that his drunkenness disappeared completely. He suspected that the reason was the wine inside the two cups.


    The man took one of the cups from the table and shook it slightly. Aiden saw the wine inside the cup ripple strangely. An even stronger fragrance was released from it then.


    Raising it, the man took a sip slowly with the same smile in his face.


    Aiden could not help but gulp loudly seeing it. Ashamed, he lowered his face to hide his embarrassment, but the man only smiled seeing him.


    ¡°Three Souls wine. One of the bests in existence. It¡¯s normal for you to be attracted to it. Don¡¯t worry, I will allow you to drink a bit in a moment.¡±


    Embarrassed, Aiden could only cough after hearing the man words. Of course, the man ignored Aiden expression and simply continued drinking his wine. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t planning to say anything more.


    Aiden finally lost the patience after seeing the man drink the wine slowly for almost five minutes. It was already clear that the man was not intending to initiate the conversation. Aiden even thought that the man would have continued drinking the wine for an hour if he doesn¡¯t decide to speak.


    ¡°Sigh, can you tell me the reason because you are here mister? I sincerely doubt that you only came here to drink wine.¡±


    ¡°So you finally were unable of maintaining silence huh?¡± Laughed the man. ¡°I thought that you were only going to stare me during all the night.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax a bit, boy.¡± Smiled him elegantly. ¡°Like I told you, I have no bad intentions towards you. You can say that I simply took an interest in you after seeing something interesting. Then, seeing that you were depressed, I decided to come here for a bit. Is it enough of a reason?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Aiden made an expression of doubt after hearing it. Though he wasn¡¯t sure about the strength of the man, he was sure that there wasn¡¯t anything in him able of attracting the attention on someone of his level. His words only served to increase the doubt inside him.


    Perhaps it was the amulet?


    The man seemed understand his thoughts, because he smiled mysteriously seeing his doubtful expression. Then, drinking a bit more of his wine, he asked with a relaxed tone.


    ¡°Why you don¡¯t tell me a bit about your life, boy. I¡¯m interested in learning a bit about you.¡±


    Aiden was surprised hearing the words of the man. But after staying silent for a few minutes, he began to speak about many things. Aiden didn¡¯t even notice that he was talking to a stranger about all the things he always hid from others.


    He spoke about his childhood, his spirit, his meeting with Lia, the hardships of creating a spirit, the failure of the ritual, his wish for obtaining a spirit and many things more. He did not stop until after venting all the negative feelings inside him. All while the man simply was hearing.


    The man heard attentively Aiden¡¯s history, maintaining the elegant smile in his face. He didn¡¯t interrupt even once, and only took a sip of his wine from time in time. Then, when Aiden finished, he put the already empty cup in the table.


    Aiden only reacted after speaking about all his life. Remembering that he spoke about everything without any hesitation, he was completely frightened and tried to retreat from the table in a hurry, but the man, seeing it, only spoke calmly.


    ¡°Sit.¡± Signaled him, and Aiden sat down immediately. His body moving for without his orders.


    The man ignored Aiden astonished expression and only kept his smile. Then, after thinking for a moment, he spoke again.


    ¡°Tell me boy, do you even know what spirits are?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are not spirits amalgamations of laws between the body and the soul? Everybody knows it.¡±


    ¡°Bah! Who said it?¡± Said the man. ¡°Amalgamations of laws? Do you even know what laws are?¡±


    Aiden was surprised by the words of the man, but before he could answer, the man continued.


    ¡°Are spirits even that important? I didn¡¯t understand why you are so fixated in them.¡±


    ¡°Obviously because it¡¯s the only method to cultivate!¡± Said Aiden almost shouting. ¡°It¡¯s impossible become stronger without a spirit.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Answered the man, the profanities coming from his mouth unable of tarnish his elegance. ¡°How long ago was the first apparition of a spirit? 1700 years? Do you think that the people from before were unable of growing stronger then?¡±


    Aiden made an expression of surprise and tried to remember about the records from before the spirit era. However, he was unable of remembering any clue about cultivation from back then. From the books he read, the first cultivator appeared when spirits began to appear in the world. There was nothing in his memories about a cultivator before it.


    The man shook his head seeing Aiden expression. Then, he waved his hand and said.


    ¡°Forget it. Go, drink the wine. It¡¯s time for you to go.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aiden was unable of understating the words of the man, but seeing the cup of wine and hearing him speak, he was unable to resist the fragrance and drank the content in a gulp.


    Immediately, a cool sensation filled his mind and body. Aiden felt as if body had been imprisoned before and now was suddenly free. The sensation extended for all his body, filling it with a strange energy.


    For a few seconds, Aiden was completely lost in the delightful sensation and sweet fragrance of the wine.


    Then, when he finally pulled himself together, he found the man smiling meaningfully towards him.


    ¡°Go, I think that you girl is in a bit of trouble now.¡±


    Seeing the elegant smile in the man¡¯s face and hearing his words, Aiden took a moment to understand his meaning. However, when the man moved his hand, with a frightened expression, Aiden cried:


    ¡°Lia!¡±


    The image of a red eyed girl with multicolored hair had been projected in his mind after the man waved his hand.


    Jumping from his chair, Aiden ran towards the exit to the astonishment of all the customers. Ignoring the cries of the owner asking for the pay, he used all his strength to run towards home.


    But before exiting the bar, he was able to hear the man to say something to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you use the saber to wield the laws? Why are you unable of cultivating then?¡±


    With that words resounding in his mind, Aiden left the bar behind.


    ¡­


    After Aiden left the bar, the man continued seated in the chair, a hand holding his chin.


    For a short time, he kept that position, a smile never leaving his face. But after a few minutes, he spoke.


    ¡°I will trust that you will not interfere with the boy, right?¡±


    Nobody in the bar was able to hear the words of the man, though it wasn¡¯t necessary. After all, the one who needed to hear it, was very far from here.


    With a gaze able to cross through the boundaries of the space, the man looked towards a place in the deepest parts of the world.


    There, a chubby woman answered with reverence.


    ¡°I understand, your highness. I will not interfere.¡±


    Smiling faintly, the man nodded. Then, looking towards the place where Aiden was running, he left the bar.


    ¡°Spirits huh? I could not even begin to understand how someone was able to create something so interesting.¡±


    Without paying attention to the people in the surroundings, the man spoke in a happy tone.


    ¡°I could not have imagined that a place like it existed¡­ How is it possible that nobody knows about it¡­?¡±


    Until the end, nobody in the city was able of detecting him.

 Chapter 46 – Two Souls

    Chapter 46 ¨C Two Souls


    Returning to when Aiden just left the house.


    From the moment when Aiden left, Lia had been awfully quiet.


    She had remained seated for a long time, lost in her thoughts. Her beautiful white hair covered her face well enough to hide the red tint slowly invading her eyes.


    Unfortunately, there was nobody nearby able of detecting the dilemma she was currently facing.


    ¡®Are you really certain of it?¡¯ Whispered a cheerful voice inside her head, sounding like another her.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Said Lia softly, her voice not strong enough to truly scare the entity speaking in her mind.


    ¡®But at this rate, I fear he will leave you, me.¡¯


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Answered Lia, this time with more strength than before. ¡°He will not do it!¡±


    ¡®Are you sure? Why he rejected you then?¡¯ Said the voice mockingly.


    This time, Lia was unable of giving an answer.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time that Lia heard this voice, so she wasn¡¯t too surprised when the voice appeared in her mind after Aiden left. Of course, though she wasn¡¯t very surprised, neither was the surprise insignificant. After all, it had been long from the last time the voice appeared.


    Lia had even thought that the voice disappeared forever after not hearing it in almost a year, though for some reason, she had the presentment that it would be back.


    And her presentment was right.


    Tonight, the voice appeared again.


    And this time, it was even clearer than before.


    Back then, the voice was only able of at most bothering her, whispering enticements to confuse her mind, only appearing for a few minutes each day.


    But this time, not only had the voice appeared for more than two hours already, but it was even maintaining a conversation with her.


    Lia wasn¡¯t sure about the true identity of the voice, but she suspected that it was related with the soul inserted inside her.


    After all, the first time when the voice appeared, was not long after the experiment of fusing two souls was realized.


    ¡®I think he will end leaving you, me.¡¯ Said the voice, laughing mischievously.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cried Lia. ¡°Aiden will not abandon me!¡±


    ¡®And why are you so sure?¡¯Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°B-Because¡­¡±


    ¡®See? That boy didn¡¯t have any reason to stay with you. After all, you already lost all your usefulness.¡¯ Laughed the voice after seeing Lia unable of answering.


    ¡®Why should he stay with you? He is no more than a failure, and you? You are a monster!¡±


    ¡°SHUP UP!¡±


    ¡®Hahaha, is it not true? You yourself know that you are a monster! Is it not the reason because you never said him anything about me? Because you didn¡¯t want him to consider you a monster!? Pitiful child! It is no more than a pipe dream!¡¯


    ¡°You¡­¡± This time, Lia could only to bite her lips.


    ¡®You are a monster and he a human! How can it to be truly possible for you two to stay together!? Foolish!


    It was true. There are a few things that Lia never said to Aiden, and one of them was the existence of the voice.


    It was because like the voice said, Lia thought of herself<sup>The voice</sup> like a ¡®monster¡¯.


    Lia feared the reaction of Aiden after hearing about it.


    She was afraid of Aiden abandoning her.


    For Lia, Aiden could be considered more than her only family. For her, Aiden was practically her entire world. It reached at the point where even herself thought of it like something strange.


    But she didn¡¯t care about it. She only wanted to be with him.


    To be sincere, Aiden underestimated the level of devotion that Lia felt for him. Though he knew that Lia was in love with him, he simply thought of it like simply ¡°love¡±.


    But reality was different. Lia feelings had surpassed by far the level of a simple love. It already could be considered an obsession.


    And though she normally didn¡¯t show it, it was already impossible for her to be away from him.


    Precisely because of it, the words of the voice hurt her so much.


    Why should Aiden remain besides her? She didn¡¯t have anything more to offer him.


    Until now, Aiden was with her because the ritual, but now that the ritual failed, what was stopping Aiden of leaving her?


    After all, it was impossible for someone to love a monster, right?


    ¡®Hahaha, now you understand, little girl! Yes, why should he to stay with you? Were you not rejected yesterday for him? It was because he was planning to leave when you lose your usefulness!¡¯


    ¡®We are a monster, me! Love is unnecessary for us!¡¯


    ¡°shut up.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t understand your attachment to him, me. He is no more than a human! A failure!¡¯


    ¡°shut up.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s better if we simply leave, me! What is so important about that human anyway?¡¯


    ¡°I SAID SHUT UP!¡±


    For a moment, the voice in Lia¡¯s mind fell silent.


    ¡°I will not leave him!¡±


    The voice of Lia, that was almost silent until now, increased suddenly.


    ¡°I will always be with him!¡±


    Her energy, which had been quiet until now, filled the place completely.


    ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t love me anymore!¡±


    The two shadows, hidden in the surroundings of the house, felt a pressure invading their minds.


    ¡°Even if he leaves me behind!¡±


    The threads, wrapped around her body, began to move restlessly.


    ¡°I will be with him!¡±


    The voice, hidden in her mind, smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Even if I have to tie his body to mine!¡±


    And killing intent descended.


    ¡®Hahahaha.¡¯ Laughed the voice. ¡®Such interesting answer!¡¯


    ¡®But you know, the world is not so simple¡¯


    For a moment, the second soul felt pity for her.


    ¡®We are children of fate.¡¯ Said the voice. ¡®Someday you will understand that it¡¯s impossible for us to live like humans¡¯


    ¡®So, go my sister!¡¯ Commanded the voice.


    ¡®Fight!¡¯


    Was said.


    ¡®Rage!¡¯


    Was heard.


    ¡®Kill!¡¯


    Was ordered.


    ¡®And when you see the fear in his eyes when looking to you¡­¡¯


    ¡­ I will help you to destroy everything!


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Said Lia.


    Standing from her seat, she walked towards the entrance of the house.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind what he thinks about me. I only want to be at his side.¡±


    Her eyes became completely red.


    ¡°And if one day he truly hates me¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t mind dying together with him.


    ¡°But for now.¡± Said her. ¡°I have to clean the insects bothering my young master.¡±


    Then, with multiple colors appearing in her hair, she stepped outside.


    While the crazy laughs of a girl resounded in her mind.

 Chapter 47 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (I)

    Chapter 47 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (I)


    The cold nightly wind blowing against Aiden¡¯s face.


    From the moment when Aide left the bar, he had been running at full speed towards the house. His mind was completely filled of worries.


    When the strange man told him that Lia was in problems and showed him the image of her fighting and using the powers of her second soul, a bad premonition assaulted Aiden mind.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how the man knew about Lia or why he had waited until the last moment to tell him, but for some reason, he was certain that the images showed for the man were real.


    It was only a presentment, but strangely he was sure that it was true. It was as if for some reason, he was able to feel Lia¡¯s predicament.


    Now he thought about it, Aiden noticed that his body felt different for some reason. Not only were his senses sharper, he also felt his body moving faster and being able to exert more strength. He was not sure about the reason, but Aiden suspected that the strange man he met before and the amulet that destroyed the sabretooth beast soul were most likely the responsible of it.


    Of course, he could not care less about it currently.


    ¡°Dammit! I was too careless!¡± Said Aiden, trying to suppress his impatience and calm his thoughts.


    It wasn¡¯t very hard to determine the origin of the attackers. After all, the list of suspects wasn¡¯t big.


    Aiden only knew of three parties that could have a motive to act against Lia.


    The first was obviously, God¡¯s Hand, but Aiden knew from Lia that the organization had been destroyed, so he thought that the probability of the attackers belonging to them was the lowest.


    The second party were the members of his family. Aiden could not dismiss the possibility of them attacking Lia to threaten him, but he thought that such modus operandi wasn¡¯t typical of his family, so he almost immediately discarded this possibility too.


    As for the third, Aiden feared it was probably the members of the family belonging to the two servants he beat before.


    If for some reason there were members of the family nearby when Lia was fighting the two robbers, it was possible for them to recognize Aiden, and consequently, his relationship with Lia.


    In such case, it was possible for them to send someone to follow the pair and learn where Aiden and Lia are living.


    For Aiden, it was probably the worst situation.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t deny the possibility of someone taking an interest on Lia after seeing her fight and coming to take her now, but the probability of it was probably nil. Aiden doubted that any family would send such person to do something so important like searching for the supreme emptiness flame.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    In such situation, Aiden was almost sure of the answer being the third.


    Though Aiden was conscious of such possibility after he appeared during Lia¡¯s fight, he subconsciously thought that it was impossible for them to send someone so fast. In reality, he thought that they would be careful of making a commotion inside the town, after all, it was rumored that the city lord was pretty frightening.


    Because of it, when he learned about someone fighting with Lia, besides worry, the thing that Aiden was feeling the most was doubt.


    Why have they the courage to attack someone inside the town so boldly? Don¡¯t the fear the retaliation from the town hall?


    One must know that when the two robbers only fought Lia because she discovered them. Originally, they were planning to follow her and attack when the opportunity appeared.


    Of course, it was impossible for him to know that, though there was a group spying them, they had not planned to attack so soon. It only ended in such way after Lia, in her bad mood, took the initiative to look for them.


    Running furiously his mind in search of an answer, Aiden almost didn¡¯t notice when someone appeared in front of him.


    When Aiden saw a man in black standing before him, his first reaction was to ignore him and continue his path. But when he felt the killing intent directed towards him, he knew that things were worse than he thought.


    Stopping abruptly, Aiden looked the man searching for any clue about his identity, but at the end, he was only able of notice the different enchantments in his clothes.


    The man was completely cloaked, using the black of his clothes to camouflage his presence inside the darkness of the night. Around him, dim and almost invisible glows of stealth enchantments flickered indistinctly indicating the purpose of its owner.


    ¡°Who are you!?¡± Said Aiden immediately after stopping.


    The man didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he slowly took a knife from his clothes. Then, without speaking a word, he attacked.


    Fast! Thought Aiden, evading the attack with difficulty. Obviously, the man wasn¡¯t planning to entertain him.


    Aiden moved his hand towards his waist, only to remember again that the saber wasn¡¯t with him. Clicking his tongue, Aiden jumped backwards to avoid the next blow of the man.


    I won¡¯t leave my saber behind again! Swore him.


    The man was obviously surprised after seeing Aiden to evade his attacks twice in a row. Apparently, he didn¡¯t understand how a spiritless boy in the core-forming realm was so fast.


    To be sincere, Aiden was equally surprised about his reaction speed. Though he thought that he would have been able of evading such attacks normally, he knew that it shouldn¡¯t have been so easy. Aiden was evading the attacks almost effortless.


    Apparently, the condition of his body was better than he thought.


    Suppressing his doubts, he looked towards the attacker. The man also looked pensive about the situation, because he stopped after the second attack.


    ¡°Boy, you are pretty strong.¡± Said him in a neutral voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would be able to evade me twice.¡±


    Aiden kept silent after hearing the attacker words. The man, ignoring it, continue speaking.


    ¡°Such a shame that young master ordered us to kill you. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have minded if you stayed alive.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thee of us. Though you don¡¯t have to mind about the others two, they are fighting the girl. I was the only one that came for you.¡±


    Aiden furrowed his brow hearing the words of the cloaked man, but knowing that his situation was equally dangerous, he could only suppress his worries and pray that Lia stayed safe.


    The man seemed to understand Aiden¡¯s worries, because when he saw his expression, he sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything against you, boy; but you offended someone you should not. Don¡¯t worry, I will make it fast if you stay quiet.¡±


    Aiden snorted before the words of the killer. Then, taking a deep breath, he drew all the energy of his body.


    The man, seeing it, only shook his head and sighed again. Then, playing with the knife in his hands, he also called his energy.


    To Aiden¡¯s horror, when the energy was withdrawn from the man body, an invisible pressure surged in the surroundings.


    In that moment, he understood the strength of his enemy.


    The strength of a late core-fusing cultivator.

 Chapter 48 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (II)

    Chapter 48 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (II)


    In the south part of the town, a fierce fight was unfolding.


    The responsible, two men dressed in black coats and a red-eyed girl with multicolored hair, were currently looking each other while a powerful pressure filled the surroundings.


    ¡°Dammit! How can this girl to be so strong!?¡± Said one of the men sent to catch Lia while cutting the threads in the surroundings.


    The fight had been going for at least half an hour already, and during that time, none of the parties had been able to gain any advantage over the other.


    The main reason was because of Lia. Though the two men knew beforehand that Lia combat strength was very great, according the observations done following her fight against the two robbers, she shouldn¡¯t be able of contending with two late core-fusing warriors especially cultivated by a clan.


    And certainly, the Lia of yesterday wouldn¡¯t have been able of fighting the two assassins alone.


    Because of it, when the two men spying the house noticed that Lia detected their presence, they simply decided to attack despite the risk of being noticed for the town hall.


    And at the same time, they communicated with the third shadow crow about the situation and said him to attack Aiden and fulfill the orders of the young master.


    After all, they were confident in subjugating the girl in no time.


    But, how could they had known that Lia strength had been increasing nonstop lately?


    With the increase in strength of Lia¡¯s second soul, her combat strength and cultivation were also increasing at a horrifying rate.


    Besides it, Lia¡¯s current combat strength was even higher than normal. It was because the negative emotions accumulated inside her stimulated the second soul greatly, augmenting her combat strength for leaps and bounds.


    Of course, such emotions also had an influence over her mental state.


    The proof of it was Lia¡¯s current smiling expression different from her normal calm and reserved self. It was as if she was happy of being able to fight with someone.


    The influence of Lia¡¯s second soul had even reached at the point of changing her hair color to the current multicolored one.


    And though the situation wasn¡¯t so bad like the time in the forest, it wasn¡¯t far from it.


    From the beginning of the fight, Lia had been sending her threads to attack the two men nonstop. It was at the point where they didn¡¯t have had any opportunity to go closer than twenty meters from her.


    Because of it, though the two men¡¯s cultivation was higher than Lia for almost an entire realm, they had been unable of even injuring her.


    In the contrary, more than once, they had found themselves trapped inside a multitude of threads.


    If not because their weapons were sharp enough and their techniques were focused in speed, they probably would have been overwhelmed for the many attacks for now.


    With a gloomy face, hidden below the cloak, one of the men looked towards Lia and spoke to his companion.


    ¡°We must hurry. I don¡¯t know why the men from the town hall had not come yet, but they will probably appear here anytime. If we continued delaying, things will become awful.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Said his companion. ¡°But we need a method to break through her threads. If not, we will be unable of doing anything.¡±


    Both of them remained silent. Though in theory it was simple, the number of threads was too great for most strategies to work.


    Looking towards Lia and seeing her to smile, the two men felt a chill on their backs. For some reason, they were feeling more and more afraid with every second they spend fighting.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Such fear didn¡¯t originate from the strength of their opponent. No, it was from something more primal. For some reason, they felt as if a monster was eyeing their souls.


    Finally unable of suppressing their restlessness, one of the men gritted his teeth and spoke to his companion.


    ¡°Tsk, one of us will try attracting all the threads. The other must take advantage of the moment to attack when she is unprotected.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Very well.¡± Nodded the other after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Remember, we cannot kill her. The young master wants her alive.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Nodding with a frown in his forehead, the second man spoke seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I coated my daggers with a paralyzing poison. A cut will be enough for her to lose her strength.¡±


    Having discussed their strategy, the two men readied themselves and looked to the smiling Lia.


    ¡°Had you two finally ended your chat?¡± Said her with a sweet and diabolic smile. ¡°I was already bored of waiting.¡±


    Seeing the enchanting smile in the girl face, the pair simply looked each other, then, without responding, they attacked.


    Sending energy to his legs, one of the men jumped forwards towards the multitude of threads. Swinging his daggers, many of the threads fell to the ground after losing their connection with Lia. The man continued advancing and cutting the threads without stop.


    In the beginning, the two had planned to cut the girl¡¯s threads one by one and subjugate her after it. But such plan was proved ineffective quickly. For some reason, the men found that the threads were able to reattach themselves after a few minutes, making their endeavor useless.


    Due it, though they were cutting the threads easily, they didn¡¯t rejoice. After all, all it was useless if they were unable to reach her.


    The man continued running while cutting the threads. Every time a thread came near him, he swung a dagger, cutting it immediately. At the same time, he tried coming closer to Lia.


    Lia, for her part, moved through the place freely, sending the threads to hinder her enemies from approaching. And when one of the men came too close to her, she used a strange ghostly movement to evade him and increase the distance again.


    For a time, both parties maintained a balance. The men cut the threads, doing everything in their might to close the distance with Lia. And she sent more threads, trying to hinder her enemies and waiting for an opportunity to wrap the threads around them.


    And the opportunity finally appeared.


    In the middle of the battle, one of the men was unable to cut one of the threads coming for his legs. Flustered, he tried using the energy in his body to destroy it, only to notice that more threads had exploited the gap to wrap around him.


    It was only an instant, but hundreds of threads wrapped around various parts of his body. The man tried using his daggers and the energy in his body to get out from his predicament, but more and more threads were added every second.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to begin to feel the threads tightening around his body. In a few seconds, his body lost almost every capacity to move and the constrains around him became stronger.


    Seeing it, the man initially made a frightened expression. Then, he clenched his teeth and made a face of resolution.


    ¡°Haaah!¡±


    With a cry, the energy in his body overflowed. Putting strength in the muscles of his body, he extended his hands and every thread around him broke freeing him.


    Making use of the enormous quantity of energy filling his body, the man jumped towards Lia, his daggers glowing from the energy filling them.


    In that moment, Lia felt a sensation of crisis filling her body. In a hurry, she moved all her threads towards the man, using them to stop his charge.


    But at the end, the threads were unable of stopping him completely. With an incredible speed, the man narrowed the distance between the two constantly.


    Lia could only retreat before the assault of the man.


    Sending her threads to stop him, Lia failed to notice the second man slowly moving and gathering energy in his body.


    The first man continued his charge, attacking without restrain and forcing Lia to retreat more and more. At the end, Lia was forced against a wall making it impossible for her to retreat anymore.


    But in that moment, the outburst of the man also finished.


    However, instead of despair, a smiling expression was in his face.


    ¡°Now!¡± Cried him, and the second man moved.


    His body seemed disappear from his position, appearing mysteriously besides Lia, then, with all his strength, he stabbed with the dagger.


    The threads, occupied restraining the first man, were unable to return fast enough to stop the attack. And Lia, with her back against the wall, was unable to retreat to evade the attack.


    However, she smiled.


    ¡°Do you think I will fall twice to the same trick?¡±


    Then, the sleeve of her dress moved.


    The thousands of threads composing the sleeve rearranged themselves. Receiving a great amount of energy from Lia¡¯s body, they wrapped around the arm of the attacker, draining all the strength behind the attack and stopping the attack before reaching her.


    Making use of the time earned by it, the threads in the surroundings quickly followed Lia¡¯s orders and attacked the man. Like a million of little serpents, they occupied all the space in the surroundings.


    Instantly, the faces of both men became pale.


    A sweet smile filled Lia¡¯s face and the red in her eyes became even brighter. All the threads in the surroundings moved, as if cheering for the sweet blood they were about to taste.


    The two men, having spend a great amount of strength in the previous attacks, were unable to resist effectively, being forced to see how the threads slowly came close to their bodies.


    But when they were about to give up the fight and search for a method to escape, another unexpected thing happened.


    A strong spike of energy surged from afar.


    And at the same time, a weak pulse of saber intent fought against it.


    Lia was immediately able to know what was happening.


    Aiden was fighting.


    ¡­ And he was losing.


    Rage and fear immediately filled her face.

 Chapter 49 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (III)

    Chapter 49 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (III)


    The two men were able to detect immediately the changes in Lia¡¯s expression.


    When Lia felt the saber intent fighting against the energy, she immediately knew that Aiden was losing.


    She was able of determinate that the one fighting Aiden was at least so strong like the two men fighting her.


    But different from her, Aiden was unable of fighting such opponent in his own.


    Not only was Aiden cultivation lower than Lia, at the late core-forming stage, but he also lacked Lia¡¯s strength originated from the Nornir soul in her.


    And though he could use saber intent, it could not be compared to Lia¡¯s boost in her strength when she used the power of her second soul.


    Lia had already noticed it. When she entered in this state, she was stronger that Aiden.


    Imagining the scene of the weaker Aiden fighting an enemy against whom even her would have troubles, uneasiness surged inside the heart of Lia.


    And she even remembered that Aiden left his saber behind.


    ¡°Young master!¡±


    With an expression of rage and fear, Lia immediately began to run towards the place where Aiden was fighting.


    However, before she could run for ten meters, a dagger cut towards her.


    ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Using the threads around her, she formed a shield and used it to parry the attack, but immediately after it, another attack appeared from a completely different direction.


    Though the attack was sudden, Lia was able to evade it using the ghostly movement she inherited from her second soul. However, she was unable to continue advancing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss.¡± Said one of the black-clothed men. ¡°I could not allow you to go there.¡±


    Anger immediately filled Lia¡¯s mind. Seeing the two men keeping her from rescuing her young master, a vicious expression appeared in her face.


    ¡°Puny insects! If something happens to my young master, every one of you will wish you were never born!¡±


    ¡°Sigh, you are very strong, little miss.¡± Answered the other man. ¡°But if you want to save the young man, then you will have to go through us.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    A terrifying killing intent, even greater than before, appeared around Lia.


    ¡°Step aside! My young master is waiting for me!¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Shook his head one of the men, then, grabbing his daggers with all his strength, he and the other black clothed man waited for Lia.


    Immediately after, Lia charged against them.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡­


    A black-haired boy was currently panting while facing a black-clothed man.


    Aiden was currently truly in dire straits.


    From the moment when the black-clothed man revealed his cultivation, he had tried with all his strength to pass through him.


    Aiden was completely clear that it was impossible for the current him to beat someone at the late core-fusing stage. Moreover, without his saber, the possibilities of winning were even lower.


    Moreover, he could not take the scene of the red eyed and multicolored hair Lia from his mind.


    Because of it, his strategy from the beginning was to try creating an opportunity to bypass the enemy and run towards the place where Lia was fighting.


    Unfortunately, he underestimated the power of a late core-fusing stage cultivator.


    Though his body had unexplainably become stronger after the various strange events happening around him, it was still hard for him to evade the attacks of the man uninjured, not to speak about running towards the place where Lia was.


    And though the man had been unable to infringe any serious wound in him yet, many small cuts and scratches had filled his body already.


    Even his clothes, that had been made with high quality materials able to resist against some weaker attacks, were unable to stop the blade of an enchanted knife.


    Every time that the glowing blade of the knife moved in the hands of the man, Aiden had to do everything in his might to try to avoid it.


    But even with it, in more than one occasion he had been one step away of being killed.


    Seeing the black clothed man about to attack again, Aiden focused completely in avoiding him.


    In the precise moment when the man moved, Aiden urged the energy in his body towards his legs with the greatest control possible.


    And when the knife was about to hit him, he ordered for the energy to explode, using the rebound to take a step to the left and leave the range of the attack.


    But even after it, a new cut appeared in his arm.


    The attacker though, wasn¡¯t happy with it. So, immediately after Aiden avoided his attack, he rotated his body in a beautiful movement and throw the knife to his other hand, then, with a backwards grip, he attacked again.


    Having just used a great amount of energy to evade the last attack, Aiden found himself unable to avoid the knife coming towards him. So, in a desperate move, he detonated crudely the energy currently present in his right leg, using the counterforce of the explosion to move out from the range of the enemy attack again.


    However, such movements came with a price.


    In Aiden¡¯s right leg, a small fog of blood appeared, and a part of his skin was broken.


    It was the consequence of exploding the energy in his legs rashly.


    And currently, similar wounds were filling Aiden¡¯s legs completely.


    They were the reason because he had been able to last until now. The result of one of the few techniques he had memorized when he was yet part of his clan.


    Exploding the energy in his legs and using cleverly the counterforce generated for it, he was able to gain a momentary boost in his speed allowing him to avoid the attacks from an enemy.


    The technique was incredible, but the drawbacks were equally dangerous.


    When exploding the energy in the body, the quantity of energy utilized was many times greater than the one used in normal movements. Not just it, but the burden in his body was equally great.


    So, this technique was only useful for short bursts of speed.


    If his cultivation were at the spirit-awakening stage<sup>young spirit</sup>, then it wouldn¡¯t have mattered.


    After all, the quantity of energy and strength of a body in such cultivation realm would had been more than enough to sustain the technique then.


    But for the current Aiden, even using it in a hurry was enough to cause injuries.


    That was the reason because normally, he didn¡¯t use it.


    But currently, he had not more option.


    After all, if not because of the speed boost he gets after using the technique, he would have been dead for now.


    ¡°You are truly talented.¡± Said the man. ¡°In a situation where you are facing an opponent an entire realm above you without any weapon, you had been able to last until now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°However, how much longer can you endure? If I¡¯m not wrong, your energy is almost depleted, and the wounds in your body are already beginning to affect your movements. What are you going to do then?¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the man was right.


    Currently, his body was filled with injuries, and the energy in his body was in the verge of being depleted.


    Not just it, but his saber intent, of which he was so proud, was practically useless now that he didn¡¯t have a saber.


    For the first time in a long time, Aiden truly felt what it was to be helpless before a opponent.

 Chapter 50 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (IV)

    Chapter 50 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (IV)


    A middle-aged man was walking in the corridor of a luxurious mansion in the border city of Cali.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s pace, though hurried, was steady. His gaze was intimidating, and though many people passed by his side, nobody had the courage to look him at the eye.


    Currently, he was walking towards the main hall of the mansion. Five minutes ago, he ordered for all the people in the mansion to reunite in the main hall. Everybody was supposed to be already there for now, waiting for his arrival.


    Walking from a room in the third floor of the mansion, it took to the man another five minutes to reach at the main hall. Once there, he saw almost every man that the house sent this time for the mission.


    When the people in hall saw the middle-aged man entering, they stood up immediately in reverence, before bowing their heads respectfully.


    ¡°¡°¡°Greetings, elder Rouss¡±¡±¡± Said them in unison.


    Hearing the words of the people in the hall, the middle-aged man, Rouss Crow, waved his hand to indicate for them to sit, before looking around to the faces of all the people reunited.


    An instant later, he frowned.


    ¡°Where is Ray?¡±


    Nobody spoke after hearing the words of Elder Rouss. The middle-aged man waited a moment for the answer, but when he saw that nobody was answering, his frown deepened, and he inquired again with greater authority.


    ¡°Why Ray is not here!?¡±


    Feeling the rage hiding inside the words, the crowd remained silent again, nobody daring to speak. But when the elder thought that nobody was going to answer, a middle-aged servant stepped forward, then, with a trembling voice, he spoke.


    ¡°T-The y-young master didn¡¯t answer our calls, elder. H-He said us to not bother him tonight.¡±


    ¡°And what is he doing that he ordered it!?¡±


    The servant remained silent after he heard that question, an expression of fear appearing in his face.


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°H-He was w-with a g-girl.¡±


    *Bang* A flower vase exploded after elder Rouss¡¯s pressure filled the place. At the same time, all the people in the hall lowered their heads.


    ¡°So, you are telling me that he is playing with a girl after causing such a mess!¡±


    Nobody dared to speak before the words of the man.


    ¡°When I learned that he sent three men to follow a pair of youngsters, I didn¡¯t agree; but he told me that they wouldn¡¯t cause a commotion, so I ended relenting! Look now! three of our men are causing a giant commotion in the town! Don¡¯t I tell you to maintain a low profile during the mission!? Do you think that the city lord is a nobody!? It¡¯s impossible to know what that crazy man is going to do now!¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Every member of the clan remained silent after hearing it. Not only because the words of the man were right, but also because he was the figure with the greatest authority in the mansion.


    After all, though the young master had the power to order a great number of members of the house, his authority was far below being comparable to an elder. After all, every elder was at least someone at the spirit mutating<sup>spirit sage </sup>stage. Their power was not something that mortals could imagine.


    After a few seconds, a man finally broke the silence.


    ¡°Elder, shall we order for our men to return?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No.¡± Answered Elder Rouss after pondering for a second. ¡°The town hall probably knows already about the fight, so it will not change anything if they return now. Though I¡¯m not sure why they had not sent someone to stop it, I¡¯m sure that the city lord will retaliate against us independently of our actions.


    ¡°In such situation, it¡¯s better if we take care of the situation with the fastest speed possible. Sean!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder!¡±


    ¡°I heard that you already broke through the peak of core-fusing, right? Go there and help our men! Make sure of eliminating the two kids, we don¡¯t want someone speaking against us to the city lord!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°As for the rest of you, go and bring Ray to me! I need to speak with him!¡±


    ¡­


    And old man was seated in a reclined chair inside a smithy, his eyes closed and a leaf inside his mouth. The scarce white hair remaining from his long years of life covered part of his forehead.


    Despite the commotion in the town, the old man kept his eyes closed, apparently uninterested with the situation. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.


    After a few seconds, the shadows inside the smithy trembled. An instant later, a figure reformed in the room. It was another old man, around eighty years old. His identity was that of the current manager of Heavens¡¯ Net in the town of Cali.


    ¡°Will you not interfere, old Brake?¡± Said the newcomer. ¡°I thought you had taken the boy like your disciple.¡±


    The old man sleeping in the chair didn¡¯t answered immediately. Instead, he sighed briefly and shook his head for a moment. Then, after opening his eyes, he spoke.


    ¡°He chose that path, Old Felm. I would have helped if he decides to live like a normal human, but he decided in the path of cultivation, so he must to face the consequences of his choice.¡±


    ¡°But, are you fine with the boy dying? I know that you value very much the people around you.¡±


    For a moment, the old man remained silent, then, after a sigh, he continued: ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s for the best if he dies. The path he chose is filled with thorns, and the probability of him succeeding is very low. Perhaps, dying will save him too much suffering.¡±


    For a few seconds, the smithy stayed silent, only the sigh of the old smith resounding. But after a few seconds, Felm, the current owner of Heavens¡¯ Net in Cali, spoke:


    ¡°Sigh, perhaps you are right. For someone like him, living like a normal human is probably crueler. If it¡¯s so, then dying like a cultivator is perhaps better. But, are you not going to do anything then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Sneered old Brake. ¡°Do you think that I will allow to the members of the Crow family to attack my disciple and do nothing? Even if I allow for my disciple to die, it doesn¡¯t mean that I will allow for the ones responsible to roam free! Once it ends, they will have to give me an explanation!¡±


    ¡°You are so stubborn like ever, old man.¡±


    ¡°Bah, you are not the one to speak, old Felm.¡±


    Shaking his head, the old smith smiled inside his smithy, but after a few seconds, he made a serious expression again.


    ¡°I had ordered that nobody interferes tonight. If Aiden and Lia are able to pass this hurdle for themselves, then I will arrange for them to leave the town safely. If not, then such is their fate, there is nothing I can do.¡±


    Saying it, the old blacksmith that taught Aiden for two years closed his eyes again. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t interested in speaking again


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the boy was lucky or unlucky in getting your recognition, old man.¡±


    Shaking his head, Felm Birntem laughed helplessly. Then, stepping in the shadows, he disappeared from the place in the same mysterious manner he entered.

 Chapter 51 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (V)

    Chapter 51 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (V)


    A youth was exiting a house in the north of the border city of Cali.


    The house, though not the best in the town, was beautiful enough to be considered a high-class residence. In all the town of Cali, there were less than twenty houses better than it.


    Living in such place, the youth was obviously not ordinary, and it could be seen from how he was dressed.


    With a black coat covering his upper body and pants made with expensive silk, the youth exuded an obvious atmosphere of elegance. A playful smile decorated his face, and his striking black and red hair combined with his equally striking red eyes were more than enough for most girls to look him adoringly.


    This night however, almost nobody was there to admire his elegance. With the commotion occurring in the town, most commoners were too afraid to even think about leaving their houses.


    The cultivators, in the other hand, had their own worries preventing them to leaving their places of residence.


    It was the reason because the black-red haired youth didn¡¯t find it surprising when a black-white haired youth was waiting for him when he left the house.


    ¡°Where are you going, Clearance?¡±


    ¡°Allen, my friend!¡± Playfully said the black-red haired youth, Clearance, seeing who was waiting for him. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you were also interested in taking a stroll.¡±


    ¡°Stop with the jokes.¡± Frowned Allen. ¡°You heard when the town hall warned us to no interfere with the situation tonight. Where are you going then?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. Everything will be alright!¡±


    Hearing the carefree tone of his companion, Allen frowned even harder. He already knew about Clearance¡¯s personality. Due it, he immediately suspected that something was wrong when he saw the playful smile hanging on his face.


    ¡°Our orders were only to recollect information and wait for the reinforcements from the clan, Clearance. The clan master emphasized about not causing trouble before the reinforcements are here. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, you are always so strict.¡± Murmured the black-red haired youth with an obvious theatric expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise you that I will not cause troubles to the family.¡±


    Despite hearing Clearance¡¯s words, Allen continued blocking the path of his companion. After all, it was not the first time that he did something like it.


    But after seeing him continuing to smile for almost a minute, he ended suspiring.


    ¡°Sigh. Okay, go. But I¡¯m going to inform the clan about it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you are always so understating, Allen. I will bring you a souvenir.¡±


    With a joyful expression, the black-red haired boy smiled widely and walked pass his companion. Then, when he was about leave his companion sight, he turned and spoke.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Tell the elders that I have a gift for them. I will show it to them when they reach the town.¡±


    ¡°Uh? Okay.¡± With a lost expression, the black-white haired youth nodded to his companion. Then, as if remembering something, he shouted towards him.


    ¡°Oh right, you haven¡¯t said what are you going to do tonight, Clearance?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Answered the smiling youth with a playful tone. ¡°I¡¯m only going to hunt an unlucky fox.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Fox?¡± With an expression of doubt, the black-white haired youth saw the figure of his companion disappear.


    Even after a long time, he was unable to understand the words that his companion left behind.


    ¡­


    Looking towards the direction where the two fights were happening, a young woman was standing above the roof of a house.


    With a strict expression in her face, the woman heard the sounds of clashes and explosions coming from the place where the two groups were fighting. But despite her wishes to interfere, she was unable to do anything.


    ¡°Halt! Nobody has allowed to pass this place tonight. Return to your house.¡±


    Looking downwards, the woman saw one of her subordinates stopping a young man from going towards the place of the commotion.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time something like it happened tonight, so the woman didn¡¯t pay attention to the youth initially. But after the youth spoke, she was forced to interfere.


    ¡°I have to speak with you commander. Call him here!¡±


    Frowning with irritation, the woman jumped down from the roof and walked towards the place where the youth was being stopped. Then, with a strict face, she spoke.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Are you the commander?¡± Said the youth with a playful tone. ¡°I need go to the place where the fight is happening.¡±


    ¡°We received orders from the city lord to not leave anybody to interfere. You are not exception.¡±


    ¡°is it so?¡± Asked the youth smilingly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask to your superior then? Tell them that I¡¯m related to the fight.¡±


    ¡°Related?¡± Asked the woman, an obvious displeasure in her face. ¡°How are you related?¡±


    ¡°We are family.¡±


    Frowning, the woman called one of her subordinates. Then, while whispering something to him, she asked something to the youth with a menacing expression.


    ¡°Your name.¡±


    ¡°Clearance Noah, miss.¡±


    ¡°Leave me ask then.¡±


    Waving her subordinate away, the woman looked towards the youth with a hardened expression. He, however, continued smiling calmly while waiting for the answer.


    After around five minutes later, the subordinate finally returned in a fluster. Then, whispering something in the woman ear, he left.


    The woman made a furious expression hearing the words of her subordinate. But at the end, she simply snorted and spoke to the youth without hiding the rage in her voice.


    ¡°Go, the city lord said that you have allowed to enter.¡±


    Bowing slightly, the youth walked through the blockade of the city guards. All while maintaining his playful smile.


    Seeing it, the woman struggled to maintain her calm. But at the end, she could only to sigh and turned away.


    When the youth finally left, one of her subordinates approached to the woman. He was a young man, roughly around twenty years old. She remembered that it wasn¡¯t long ago from the moment when he became a city guard.


    The youth hesitated before the woman. But after a few seconds, he finally gritted his teeth and asked.


    ¡°Captain, why are we waiting here while those foreigners destroy our town!? Are we supposed to see them fight without doing anything!?¡±


    For a moment, the place stayed silent.


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not so simple, young man.¡± Sighed the woman helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not so simple.¡±


    Thinking her words carefully, the woman opened her mouth.


    ¡°Though the cultivators obey our words inside the town, it¡¯s not because they fear us. They simply fear the power of the city lord.


    ¡°Tonight, the city lord told us to not interfere and simply prevent anyone from entering. What else can we do then?¡±


    The youth made a difficult expression hearing the woman speaking. However, he continued gritting his teeth and clenching his fist.


    Understating the thoughts passing through her subordinate¡¯s mind, the woman simply sighed and shocked her head.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t understand. Though we are strong, it¡¯s only when compared with normal humans. In front cultivators, we are nothing more than servants, unworthy of talking to them directly and being easily killed with only a wave of their hands.¡±


    With a faraway look, the woman spoke in a depressed tone.


    ¡°For them, a mortal life probably is less valuable than grass.¡±

 Chapter 52 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VI)

    Chapter 52 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VI)


    Lia was currently facing a very difficult situation.


    From the moment when she felt the aura of Aiden fighting an enemy, she had been trying to go towards him nonstop.


    However, things were not so easy.


    Different from before when she was winning the fight, the current Lia was seriously disadvantaged.


    After all, back then the enemies had been trying to win the fight quickly to avoid being targeted by the town guards, causing them to attack hurriedly and leaving the advantage to Lia.


    However, their positions had now been reversed.


    Lia, having realized the danger that Aiden was facing, was trying to end the fight quickly.


    And the two attackers, noticing that it was impossible for them to beat Lia easily, concentrated in preventing her from leaving and going to the rescue of her companion.


    Because of it, Lia situation worsened quickly.


    The most she was worried about Aiden, the less she was able to calm herself.


    Obviously, such state wasn¡¯t adequate during a fight.


    Because of it, Lia had already received two injuries after attacking rashly. And the two men, seeing it, had become even more careful; focusing completely in defending and preventing her from leaving.


    In turn, it made Lia fight even more crazily.


    Lia was sure that she was able to win against the two enemies if she waits and fight calmly.


    The thing was, she knew that it was probably impossible for Aiden to endure much longer against his enemy.


    She knew that the longer she takes against her two enemies, the less probable is for Aiden to survive.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Sending her threads against her two attackers, she tried to use them to trap them, but the men, conscious of her intentions, only retreated slightly and attacked her when she was trying to advance.


    Seeing the attacks coming against her, Lia was forced to defend to avoid being gravely injured. But when she tried to counterattack, she noticed that the two men had already retreated.


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    Growing even more irritated, Lia ordered for her threads to attack. Obeying their master, the threads moved crazily trying to overwhelm the two men, but they simply avoided the attack while waiting for Lia to try leave again.


    ¡°Damn insects! How you dare to try block my path!¡±


    With a cry of rage, Lia charged against one of the men trying to face him directly. But though her ghostly movements were very powerful, in terms of pure speed, they were unable to be compared to the movements of someone an entire realm above her.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Sending energy to his legs, the targeted men simply retreated avoiding clashing directly with the girl. Currently, their only objective was stall for time. After all, either their companion killing the boy or the girl committing a mistake due desperation, both situations were advantageous for them.


    The only problem with their plan though, was that they didn¡¯t know when the town guards were going to come.


    Though seeing that they didn¡¯t come even after all this time, they suspected that probably someone of their clan interfered.


    Of course, it was impossible for them to know that the one responsible of stopping the town guards wasn¡¯t from their clan. Instead, it was an old man thinking for his student.


    Avoiding the threads coming for them and cutting the ones they were unable to avoid, the pair of assassins continued moving around the girls.


    ¡°Damn! How can this girl to be such a freak!? I already cut her once, but I don¡¯t see the poison making any effect.¡±


    ¡°She is probably immune to poison.¡± Answered the other man.


    ¡°Immune to poison!? Was she not poisoned when she was fighting yesterday!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably an effect of her current state.¡± Said the man again. ¡°It¡¯s probably the reason because she is so strong too.¡±


    Hearing his companion, the first man nodded in understating. After all, it was impossible to not notice the obvious changes in Lia¡¯s body.


    Currently, her eyes had become completely red and all her hair changed to a strange combination of many different colors. Not just it, though he wasn¡¯t sure, they had also noticed that some strange marks began to appear in her skin.


    With an expression of doubt, the first assassin asked.


    ¡°What do you think is it? A spirit?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Probably.¡± Answered his companion after hesitating slightly.


    ¡°But, how is it possible for a core-forming girl to use the power of her spirit?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. Probably she was born with such ability. I heard that from time to time there appear some people like it.¡±


    Hearing that words, the first men could not help but put a serious expression.


    Though it was difficult to notice, it had already become obvious for them that the girl¡¯s power was increasing constantly during the fight.


    In the beginning, they had thought that their perception was mistaken. But with the time, the increase in her power became increasingly significant. Currently, it was obvious that her strength was greater than when the fight first began.


    To be sincere, they were not sure about how long they would be able to stop her.


    ¡°How is it possible that *** had no killed the boy yet!? At this rate, we will end death before he comes!¡±


    ¡°That boy probably is not so simple either. After all, this girl is so powerful despite her low cultivation. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if her companion is a freak too.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. What are we going to do then!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The other assassin was unable to answer after hearing that question.


    In that moment, the threads of Lia attacked the two men again.


    With an expression of rage, Lia¡¯s red eyes looked towards the pair impeding her from reuniting with her young master. Then, with a cry, she drew all the energy in her body to attack.


    ¡°OUT! OF! MY! WAY!¡±


    From different places, the threads assaulted the two men.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Doing his utmost to stop all the threads attacking him, one of the men could not help but curse feeling the increasing power behind the threads.


    Furiously, Lia ordered all her threads to attack. Then, taking advantage of the moment when the two men were occupied, she tried running towards the place were Aiden was fighting.


    But she was unable of doing it.


    One of the men, drawing energy from his body, use all his strength to launch an attack against Lia.


    Though the attack wasn¡¯t lethal, Lia was forced to stop it. After all, though she was partially immune towards the poison in the blades after borrowing strength from the second soul, she wasn¡¯t able to ignore it completely.


    Moving some of the threads around her to stop the attack, Lia tried retaliating again, but the man had already retreated from where he was before.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Filled with fury, Lia thought in simply taking her time killing the two pests. But knowing the situation of Aiden, she restrained that wish.


    But then, she felt something from the place where Aiden¡¯s fight was happening.


    A powerful saber intent erupted, trying to stop an attack filled with energy.


    But at the end, the saber intent crumbled pitifully.


    For some reason, Lia knew.


    The current Aiden was only a step away from dead.


    Instantly, the energy in the surroundings surged furiously.

 Chapter 53 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VII)

    Chapter 53 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VII)


    The energy inside Lia¡¯s body surged furiously.


    A wave of dark emotions like hatred, fear, rage and worry invaded her mind.


    Inside her head, a strange red color spread filling her sea of consciousness; and the second soul living in her cried in joy.


    Finally, like roots coming in search of nutrients, strange tattoos coming from her heart filled her snow-white skin, hiding deeps secrets about the laws of the world.


    Then, a powerful pressure filled the surroundings.


    The two men fighting Lia felt immediately the change occurring in her.


    If before it, they had been fighting against a human, the impression Lia left in them now was most like a ghostly demon in search of souls.


    An indescribable terror invaded their bodies. For a moment, they felt a deep urge to leave this place immediately and run away with all their strength.


    And perhaps, it would had been better for them if they left immediately.


    On the moment when the strange tattoos filled Lia body, she shouted enraged.


    ¡°YOUNG MASTER!!!¡±


    Ignoring everything else, Lia looked towards the place where the spike of energy appeared and ran with all her strength.


    The two men, seeing the agitation in her face, strengthened their determination to stop her from rescuing her companion and grabbed their daggers strongly before jumping towards her.


    Actually, they all knew in this moment.


    That victory and defeat probably would be decided in this moment.


    Either Lia escapes from the two men¡¯s restrictions and recues Aiden, or the two men stop her from escaping and wait for their companion to kill the boy and come to support them.


    Because of it, the two men attacked without hesitation in the moment when they saw Lia run towards the place where other fight was occurring.


    Putting energy in their blades, they inclined their bodies forward and stabbed the girl from two different directions at the same time.


    Instead of emphasizing in the power of their attacks, the two men put all their energy in making the attacks faster and more insidious. Their only purpose was to force Lia to stop and face the attacks so to avoid receiving a grave injury, and if possible, aggravate the injuries in her body even more.


    However, they underestimated the determination of Lia to save Aiden.


    In the moment when she sensed the saber intent resisting the enemy fruitlessly, Lia knew that it was impossible for Aiden to endure for long.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    So, even when she felt the two men coming towards her, she decided disregard their attacks completely.


    Instead, she concentrated completely in running towards the place where Aiden was fighting, moving the energy in her body to form a fragile film around her body and try to stop the attacks of hurting her too much.


    The two men noticed it immediately.


    Surprised, they thought for a moment of it being a trap. But seeing the expression of desperation in Lia¡¯s face, they immediately comprehended what was happening.


    Delight immediately filled their faces, and the energy in their daggers increased even more. They were determined to use this opportunity to kill the girl.


    The two pairs of daggers drew a sharp arc towards Lia, illuminating the chilly dark night with the glow of killing energy.


    Then, three blades stabbed the back of Lia.


    Blood flowed freely from the place where Lia was stabbed.


    The threads, orbiting around her, moved automatically as if to protect their master.


    However, they were only able to stop a dagger from hurting Lia.


    But even with it, Lia didn¡¯t stop.


    When the three daggers stabbed her back, Lia didn¡¯t even look towards the two attackers, instead, she continue running, ignoring the blood flowing out from her mouth.


    But even if she didn¡¯t react, it did not mean that something more neither did.


    The second soul, hidden inside her body, laughed happily.


    Instantly, a pressure like never before appeared in the place.


    The energy inside Lia¡¯s body, like if reacting to the orders from a superior being, moved restlessly and attacked all the meridians in her body.


    Then, a sweet voice, as if coming from ancient times, resounded.


    FATE


    Flowing towards the boundary of body and soul, the energy began to surround a white thread existing in a place inside Lia.


    OH, ALMIGHTY FORCE OF THE UNIVERSE


    Lia¡¯s spirit, as if feeling the stimulation of the energy, began to shine in a beautiful white glow.


    HEAR THE WEEPINGS OF YOUR LOVED CHILD


    Then, once the spirit was filled with energy, it began to extend, connecting Lia¡¯s body and soul.


    AND GRANT HER POWER TO END IT ALL


    Immediately, energy flowed to Lia¡¯s soul.


    And the laws of fate surged around Lia¡¯s body.


    Despite being injured, the presence of Lia became even deeper, and an ancient pressure began to spread with her like the center.


    Noticing something strange occurring, the expression of delight in the two men faces disappeared. Instead, fear invaded their minds.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for them to understand what was happening.


    After all, they, like every practitioner with their cultivation level, had passed through it once.


    The step which many humans were destined to never be able to cross from when they were born.


    The core-fusing realm.


    Feeling the power flowing through her body, no expression of delight appeared in Lia¡¯s face.


    Instead, impatience continued to form, and the red in her eyes intensified while looking towards the place where Aiden was fighting.


    Then, without looking to the two men she had been fighting until now, she concentrated all her energy in running towards there.


    However, before the two men could sigh in relief, something else occurred.


    The threads, around Lia¡¯s body, moved.


    Like serpents smelling blood, they pounced towards the two men, wrapping the daggers in their hands and using them to advance towards the limbs of their bodies.


    Frightened, the two men tried to use their energy to break the threads and moved their daggers with all the strength in their bodies. But different from before, they were unable to cut it.


    Instead, a blood red color filled the strings around them, and with even a greater speed, they bound completely the two men, beginning from their legs, to their arms, their chest, and finally, their heads.


    The two men tried to struggle desperately, but a strange force seemed to surround the threads, preventing the two men from breaking them.


    Then, once their bodies were completely bound, the threads tightened around their bodies, began to stretch.


    ¡°¡°Arghhhhhhh!!¡±¡±


    Their bodies were stretched painfully, and cries of pain and fear resounded from the men throats. But without minding it, the threads continued stretching.


    And suddenly, with a sickening sound, the two men fell completely silent.


    Then, enormous fountains of blood erupted in the street where the fight took place.


    An instant later, two dismembered bodies fell to the ground with a thud.


    And the threads, responsible for such sickening sight, disappeared without leaving any trace.

 Chapter 54 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VIII)

    Chapter 54 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (VIII)


    With his back against a wall, Aiden was holding his abdomen with a hand.


    Currently, his expression was filled with fatigue and pain. Dust filled his face, and his clothes were covered with blood, a result of his fierce struggle against the man that attacked him tonight.


    Many cuts were apparent around his body, and his legs were ruptured in many places after overusing a powerful technique. However, neither the cuts in his body nor the blood in his legs were the main reason of his current state. Instead, the reason of it was the knife wound in his abdomen.


    When the knife-wielding man attacked Aiden, he was able to evade in a beginning.


    And though it became harder to evade the attacks after a time, Aiden was able to continue doing it with a bit of effort and minor injuries.


    But at the end, it was an uphill battle.


    From the beginning, it was very difficult for Aiden to win.


    Half an hour after the fight began, wounds began to fill Aiden body, and the small cuts caused by the knife were more and more common.


    Aiden did his best to avoid the attacks, but the enemy seemed became faster and faster, while Aiden, with every second and every wound, became even slower.


    And finally, he was unable to avoid an attack.


    In a moment of carelessness, the knife of the man found its way in Aiden stomach.


    Luckily, Aiden was able to retreat quickly and avoid an even greater injury. But even with it, his current condition could not be graver.


    In this moment, Aiden wasn¡¯t even able to see clearly what was in front of him.


    With his fuzzy consciousness, Aiden heard the sound of footsteps closing to him. Raising his head, he was able to differentiate the silhouette of a man walking towards him.


    It was someone dressed completely in black.


    But for Aiden, his figure was the same as the grim reaper.


    With a wry chuckle, Aiden held the wound in his belly and lowered his head.


    ¡°You were pretty strong for your age, boy.¡± Said the black-dressed man while closing to the place where Aiden was supporting his body. ¡°A shame that someone like you have to die so young.¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t reply to the man. He didn¡¯t have the strength.


    Currently, he only wished to close his eyes and rest.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Perhaps such end is better.


    Such thought appeared in his mind.


    While hearing the man¡¯s footsteps coming closer and closer, Aiden could not help but shake his head in resignation.


    To be sincere, perhaps dying was a better solution for him.


    Aiden could not help but think about his past, when he was acclaimed by everybody around him like a young genius, when he was cruelly sacrificed for the future of the clan, when he met Lia in that fateful day three years ago, when he first entered the town, when he failed to create his spirit, and when he spoke to Lia last time.


    ¡­ Lia. Thought him.


    If there was a regret about dying tonight, it was that he was unable to apologize to Lia.


    Thinking about it now, he was never able to repay all the things she did for him.


    He wasn¡¯t even able to answer her feeling correctly.


    Replaying the image of Lia in his mind, Aiden put strength in his feet.


    Using a hand to support his body, Aiden stood up and tried to straighten his body, then he looked towards the man walking towards him.


    Seeing it, the man made a surprised expression.


    ¡°It looks like you are more stubborn that I thought.¡± Said the man with a serious expression.


    Aiden could only smile wryly in his mind hearing it.


    Currently, resisting was perhaps the last thing in Aiden mind.


    Looking forwards, Aiden moved the last bit of energy in his body. If he will die, he at least wants to die with dignity.


    So, when he faces Lia in heavens, he can say to her that he tried his best.


    Shaking his head, the man sighed to Aiden¡¯s movements. ¡°It¡¯s futile.¡±


    Then, dashing forwards, he attacked.


    Aiden could see the blade closing to his body, going for his neck. But he was unable to do anything. The energy in his body was unable to answer.


    But before the knife could end his life, a terrifying pressure descended.


    ¡°Young master!¡±


    With a cry of rage, Lia ordered the threads to attack from afar. And them, like faithful servants, complied.


    Feeling the rage of their master, the threads pounced to the attacker with great ferocity, their speed so incomprehensible like the red color dyeing them.


    Changing his expression, the man jumped backwards to avoid the attack, but even with it, he was unable to avoid the threads completely, and a small cut appeared in the arm holding the knife.


    It was enough to demonstrate the power behind Lia¡¯s threads.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± The man in black said agitated, knowing the meaning of Lia¡¯s presence here.


    But ignoring it, Lia simply ran towards Aiden.


    ¡°Young master!¡± Cried Lia again.


    ¡°Lia.¡±


    But instead of relief, Aiden felt even more pain after seeing Lia.


    After all, not only Lia came to rescue him again. She even suffered many injuries in the process of saving his life.


    But what caused more pain to Aiden wasn¡¯t it.


    It was the change in Lia¡¯s cultivation.


    ¡­ Core-fusing.


    Seeing someone else to get the thing which he chased so desperately, the pain in Aiden¡¯s heart intensified even more.


    But even so, he knew that he could not show his pain.


    It was too cruel to Lia.


    So, he simply turned and tried to smile towards her.


    This was the reason because he was able to see it.


    Behind Lia, a dark-skinned man was holding a sword.


    With the image of a black crow projected behind his back, the man stabbed his sword towards Lia¡¯s back in a fast and clean strike.


    And the sword pierced completely her.


    For a moment, every sound faded from Aiden ears.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Said the man. ¡°Kill the boy!¡±


    The black clothed man reacted immediately and jumped towards Aiden with his knife ready.


    But Aiden was unable to see it.


    Neither he saw the smiling mask covering half of Lia¡¯s face while she cried his name.


    Nor he felt the frightening pressure being emitted from Lia¡¯s body.


    Nor the sigh filled with sadness, unwillingness and rage that an old man let out from inside a smithy.


    And it was even more impossible to him to know that currently, an elegant man dressed in black, was smiling delightfully.


    The only thing that Aiden was able to see, was the image of a sword piercing Lia¡¯s body.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    A cry of rage resounded¡­


    And a saber was manifested.

 Chapter 55 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (IX)

    Chapter 55 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (IX)


    A saber.


    It was the weapon that Aiden selected the first time he was rewarded for the clan.


    To be sincere, Aiden wasn¡¯t even sure why he made such choice.


    After all, he had only trained in swords before then. And when he learned that he was going to be rewarded with a weapon from the armory of the clan, he had decided to choose the most beautiful and strong looking sword in existence.


    And it was normal. After all, his talent with the sword was considered pretty good.


    But when he entered the armory, the first thing that entered his sight wasn¡¯t the beautiful swords, the luxurious spears or the glistening sets of armor.


    Instead, it was a dust-filled saber lying aside in a corner of the armory.


    Back then, Aiden could have sworn that he heard the saber calling to him.


    And for some reason, he chose to pick up it without any hesitation.


    You could imagine the looks of the clan elders after they learned that he chose a weapon he had never used.


    Some of them even said that it was better to make him choose another weapon than leave him to lose his time learning a weapon from the beginning.


    But at the end, they decided to allow it. For them, it could also to be considered a kind of ¡°experience¡±, and in the future, the kid would learn to not be so willful.


    However, Aiden¡¯s talent in the saber ended shocking the entire clan.


    In only a week, Aiden mastered the clan¡¯s basic saber movements.


    In three months, he was so proficient with the saber as he was with the sword.


    In a year, he was considered for everybody like a saber genius.


    Many people even thought that it was a shame that he didn¡¯t have a saber spirit.


    But nothing of it mattered to Aiden.


    For Aiden, the saber became part of his life.


    Every day, he practiced with the saber. Every night, he slept with the saber.


    It reached the point where his mother had to scold him when he tried to take a bath together with the saber.


    And his efforts were not unrewarded.


    After three years of practicing, Aiden comprehended saber intent.


    Back then, the entire Noah family thought that Aiden¡¯s talent with the saber, combined with his exceptional spirit, would be enough to bring the clan to glory.


    But unfortunately, misfortune struck the clan.


    Aiden father, the chief of the Noah clan, had to choose between sacrificing Aiden or going to war against a very powerful family.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    And in the end, he chose the clan.


    The pain that Aiden felt back then was immense. Knowing that your most beloved ones betrayed you because of the clan¡¯s interests, was a huge blow to the still na?ve mentality of Aiden.


    But even with it, Aiden didn¡¯t abandon the saber.


    Day after day, night after night, Aiden continued swinging his saber, venting his frustrations with the cold sensation of the saber¡¯s hilt.


    During four years, there wasn¡¯t a day when Aiden didn¡¯t brandish his saber. And the saber intent, as if responding to his feelings, became sharper and stronger with every passing day.


    Maybe from long ago, the connection between Aiden and his saber was already inseparable.


    Perhaps it was the reason because the saber answered Aiden¡¯s call.


    The powerful saber intent, inhabiting Aiden¡¯s body, began to condense quickly, becoming purer and stronger, and changing from his most intrinsic form.


    A saber hum spread through the town, and the sound of a blade, searching for his master, answered.


    And when the black saber appeared before Aiden and he grabbed it, something finally transformed.


    Aiden¡¯s saber intent completely disappeared and something even stronger appeared.


    It was like a fragile film enveloping the saber¡¯s blade. But different from his appearance, it emitted a powerful sharpness able to overwhelm all the people in the surroundings.


    Many of the powerhouses in the town, that had ignored the commotion happening, were able to feel it.


    And even them were unable to hide the surprise in their faces.


    Saber manifestation!!!


    But when they tried to expand their senses to locate the place where the saber manifestation was originated, a powerful sense knocked them back, preventing their senses from learning something.


    Immediately, an expression of fright appeared in their faces.


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°We apologize, city lord.¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±


    And with it, they all ceased their proving.


    But though it was impossible for them to learn about the responsible of the saber manifestation, it was different for the people near Aiden.


    Both the man in black and the sword wielding youth could not help but put frightened expressions.


    And even Lia, whose senses were lost in a sea of furious red, paused slightly.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Cried the knife wielding man.


    However, Aiden was unable to hear it.


    When his hands touched the saber, Aiden felt the world become clearer.


    The pain, sadness, desperation and rage he had felt disappeared immediately.


    In his mind, only the saber and the image of the sword stabbing Lia remained.


    The energy in his body, which was almost depleted, moved excitedly while more energy rushed towards him from the surroundings.


    And the saber in his hand hummed delightfully.


    Aiden looked towards the man that had attacked him.


    Different from before, his face was filled with a calm guilt. And in his eyes, an immense rage was flowing without control.


    Softly Aiden raised his saber.


    Then, while waving his hand downwards, he muttered only a word softly.


    ¡°¡­ Die.¡±


    Immediately, all the energy in his body flowed towards the saber in his hand.


    The meridians in his body, that normally would had been unable to endure the huge influx of energy, made use from Aiden¡¯s saber manifestation to send even more energy to the saber.


    Strangely, though his cultivation didn¡¯t advance, Aiden was able to transmit energy to his saber, an object, seamlessly.


    For some reason, he knew that the saber would not reject his energy. He knew that he was able to do something that any other late core-forming practitioner was able to do.


    Then, the simplest saber move was displayed for him.


    The saber, in a downward motion, cut towards the black-dressed man in front Aiden.


    Completely frightened, the man tried to move his knife to block the attack, and the energy in his body moved to search for an opportunity to escape.


    But the opportunity never appeared.


    The fragile glow of saber manifestation in the saber edge touched the knife.


    ¡­ And it was cut in two.


    Together with the man behind it.


    With an expression of incredulity, the man tried to speak.


    However, only blood came out from his mouth while his body slowly separated in two.


    Aiden only looked coldly to the man for a moment before turning around to search for Lia.


    His body was completely tired, and the energy inside him was again practically empty. But even with it, he had to search for her.


    But when he turned around, the sight before him frightened him completely.


    Lia, in a completely different state than normal, was holding a thread in her hand.


    And not far from her, a dark-skinned youth had his limbs tied by a group of threads.


    ¡­ But even more surprising were the threads wrapped around the image of a crow projected behind the youth.


    Surprisingly, Lia had trapped a spirit.

 Chapter 56 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (X)

    Chapter 56 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (X)


    When the dark-skinned youth attacked Lia, she was able to feel it before the sword pierced her body.


    But though she was able to feel the attack, she wasn¡¯t able to avoid it completely.


    As a result, when the sword arrived, her body was pierced.


    However, Lia didn¡¯t care about it.


    After all, though the sword went through her, the wound was not fatal.


    No, the thing that frightened Lia were the words spoken by the youth wielding the sword.


    ¡°Hurry up! Kill the boy!¡±


    When Lia heard that words, two things passed through her mind.


    The first was that, although the sword was unable to wound her gravely, it was enough to stop her and her threads from reaching Aiden in time and stop the attack coming from the other man.


    And the second was that Aiden was unable to stop the attack either.


    When she realized it, the last straw holding Lia¡¯s mind together finally gave way.


    The blood red color, spread around her mind, occupied the entirety of her consciousness.


    Feelings of hatred, rage, fear and desperation overwhelmed her and hundreds of voices singing a cursed song invaded her head.


    A laughing mask, full of many strange scribbles, occupied half of her face. It, combined with the despairing expression on the other half, gave her the image of an evil demon crying and laughing at the same time.


    Then, a powerful presence spread in the surroundings with her like the center.


    The powerhouses inside the town, that just a moment ago were surprised by the apparition of a martial manifestation, were astonished once more after feeling the overwhelming presence filled with evilness coming from the place where the fight was occurring.


    But different from Aiden¡¯s martial manifestation, even the common people in the town were able to detect the powerful presence being emitted from Lia.


    When the presence of Lia filled completely the town, everybody from commoners to cultivators stayed silent.


    Fear filled their minds.


    But the one affected the most by the powerful presence was the dark-skinned youth responsible for attacking Lia.


    Sean, who was currently in front of Lia, could not believe his eyes.


    When he was coming towards the place of the fight, Sean found the dismembered bodies of two of the clan¡¯s shadows. Because of it, he knew that one of the targets was more dangerous than what was suggested.


    Due it, though he was many times stronger than the two shadows, he didn¡¯t hesitate to sneak attack the girl when the opportunity appeared before him.


    And as he expected, the attack was successful.


    Though he was unable to kill the girl, the injury was enough to cause her to lose great part of her fighting strength.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Sean was confident in killing the girl and completing the mission. His only preoccupation now was to do it with the least amount of time possible.


    After all, he noticed the town guards forming a perimeter around the place where the fight was occurring. And though for some reason, they allowed him to pass, he knew that something was already wrong with the mission.


    But it was impossible for him to predict the things that happened after it.


    When he gave the order to kill the boy, something in the girl changed.


    And immediately after it, the boy changed too.


    Saber manifestation appeared in the boy.


    And an evil presence spread from the girl.


    When he noticed that something was wrong, it was too late.


    Though Lia¡¯s presence filled the town, the two attackers were the ones that felt it the most.


    After all, in her mind, they were the main responsible for the state of her young master.


    And though currently, her consciousness was fuzzy, instinctively she knew who were the responsible for it.


    And the second soul inside her mind was more than happy to help.


    Sean could be considered a very talented youngster. With his peak core-fusing realm, he was able to fight an initial stage spirit awakening<sup>young spirit</sup> practitioner.


    Even more astonishing was that he was able to manifest his spirit before breaking through the spirit awakening stage and becoming a young spirit.


    It must be said that practically nobody was able to use the powers of his spirit before the spirit awakening stage. The ones able to do it were considered genius.


    But even with it, he was unable to resist the pressure being emitted from Lia.


    Fed by the dark emotions filling her, the threads around Lia became even redder, and the power behind them even stronger.


    And knowing the wishes of their owner, they immediately attacked the sword wielding youth.


    But at the end of the day, Sean could also to be considered a genius. Someone able to jump ranks to fight opponent. Though he was intimidated by the evil pressure, he was able to barely move his sword to block the threads.


    However, how could the threads used by the fully transformed Lia to be so simple?


    In the instant when the sword blocked the threads, more threads appeared in the surrounding and attacked the youth. They were like millions of little snakes winding through the wind and chasing after his opponent.


    Though Sean moved to try evading the threads, they continued chasing after him restlessly. And when he tried cutting them, he found to his shock that they were harder and more resilient than he thought.


    In such situation, it didn¡¯t take long for the first thread wound around one of his legs.


    Seeing the situation to take a turn for the worse, Sean didn¡¯t hesitate to use his trump card. With a flicker from the spirit projected behind him, a dark and corrosive force filled his sword. Swinging the sword against the thread, this time he was able to cut it.


    However, more threads wrapped around his body. Some of them even attacked him directly, using their resilience to try cutting his body.


    More and more flickers appeared in the spirit behind him, and the corrosive force proper from the Crow family¡¯s crow spirit filled his sword, helping him to destroy more of the threads around him.


    However, it was impossible for his single sword to stop the attacks coming from many directions.


    When Sean finally noticed, all his limbs had been completely tied.


    Frightened, he tried circulating the corrosive force through his body to escape his bindings. Though it would cause injuries in his body, at least it was better than being dismembered like his companions.


    But to his horror, an even more frightening thing happened.


    The threads, that until now had been concentrated in tying his body, moved towards the spirit.


    And not only were them able to tie it. They also cut completely the connection between the spirit and him.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Cried him, unable to understand how something like sealing a spirit was possible.


    But Lia didn¡¯t bother answering him.


    Instead, she began to walk slowly towards him.


    With every step, her presence became even more ghostly and evil, and the fear filling the sword wielding youth intensified.


    Then, when she reached until him, she extended her hand.


    Her hand, filled with strange tattoos of indescribable meanings, touched his head slightly. Then, she spoke.


    ¡°Fate.¡±


    Softly, like a lullaby, her voice echoed.


    ¡°Fate.¡±


    A profound sleepiness invaded the youth mind. And a feeling of peace and calm, completely contrasting with the current situation, filled him.


    An instant later, Lia retracted her hand slowly.


    There, a small thread, with an almost transparent color, extended from the youth head.


    Immediately, a sensation of profound fear invaded Aiden, who was observing from nearby.


    It was a primal feeling, like encountering a beast or catastrophe from whom it was impossible escape.


    But the Lia¡¯s next action frightened him even more.


    Holding the transparent thread in a hand, Lia extended her other hand. Then, making the figure of a blade, she swung it.


    The thread was cut.


    And every trace of life left the body of the youth.

 Chapter 57 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XI)

    Chapter 57 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XI)


    Many emotions appeared in Aiden¡¯s face at the same time.


    Fear, doubt, hesitation.


    But the greatest emotion in his heart was not any of it.


    It was relief.


    Because he knew that Lia, although hurt, was fine.


    Obviously, he was surprised and frightened after seeing the scene of Lia trapping a spirit and killing a man simply by waving her hand.


    But nothing of it was enough to decrease the feeling of relief he got after seeing her alive and well.


    Calming himself, Aiden walked towards the place where Lia was. Then, with a shout, he called to her.


    ¡°Lia!¡±


    But when she turned towards him, her gaze wasn¡¯t one of love. Instead, it was one filled with malice.


    However, Aiden ignored it.


    He ignored the blood in the surroundings, the pain in his heart after knowing that Lia broke through core-fusing, the gaze filled with hostility in Lia¡¯s face, and the many strange changes that happened in her body.


    For Aiden, nothing of it was currently important.


    In this moment, he only wished to speak to her.


    ¡°Lia.¡± Spoke him again, this time with a softer and gentler tone.


    Hearing her name being called again, the expression of pain in the uncovered half of her face intensified, and she began to walk towards him.


    The threads in the surroundings advanced towards Aiden, touching his body and gently wrapping around him.


    But Aiden continued walking.


    Even when the threads had wrapped all his limbs.


    Even when the evil pressure from Lia impacted directly against him.


    Even when the hand of Lia was pressed gently against his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you are fine.¡± Were the only words coming from his mouth.


    The hand of Lia, pressed against his head, caressed him gently.


    But he knew.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    He knew that Lia would never hurt him.


    Such was the trust he had in her.


    Because of it, though he had seen the strange abilities of Lia, he didn¡¯t fear her.


    How could he fear someone who had done so much for him?


    Envy? Perhaps. After all, breaking from core-forming to core-fusing had always been the goal he had been chasing from that fateful day.


    But fear, fear was impossible for him.


    Even if she becomes a monster, he would trust her.


    And if she is unable to come back to her senses, he didn¡¯t have any problem about dying to her.


    And such trust didn¡¯t end unrewarded.


    The hand of Lia, caressing Aiden¡¯s head, slowly descended to his face.


    Then, with a very gentle touch, a sweet voice sounded.


    ¡°Young master¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Lia¡­¡±


    Immediately, the many threads wrapped around Aiden fell.


    The tattoos, filling every corner of her snow-white skin, retracted slowly to her heart, and finally disappeared.


    Her hair, filled with hundreds of different colors, returned to its beautiful and enchanting white color.


    And the mask, covering half of Lia face, disintegrated in a single second.


    Immediately, the beautiful green eyes of Lia fell in Aiden¡¯s face. Without any warning, tears began to fall.


    ¡°*sob* Young master¡­¡±


    ¡°There there Lia. I¡¯m fine, thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Young master¡­!¡±


    Hugging gently her slim body, Aiden smiled reassuringly while Lia¡¯s tears fell in his shirt.


    Kissing her head softly, Aiden continued hugging her for a while, waiting for her tears end. Neither Aidennor Lia cared for the blood or gore covering both or their bodies.


    Currently, they only wanted to reassure their hearts with the calm warmth of the two.


    The scene continued for a while, with Aiden hugging Lia and she crying in his chest. If not by the gory scene in the surroundings, perhaps the current image would be perfect for a painting.


    But before long, Aiden felt his body give way.


    For a moment, Aiden felt the strength leaving his body.


    ¡°Young master!?¡± Said Lia worried, but Aiden calmed her with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only a bit tired. I will be fine after resting for a bit.¡±


    Sighing in relief, Lia noticed the many injuries in Aiden¡¯s body. Some of them were very grave; but luckily, none of them seemed life-threatening.


    Similarly, Lia¡¯s body was also filled with injuries.


    No. From what Aiden could see, Lia¡¯s wounds were even greater that his.


    ¡°It looks like we need to leave the town tomorrow¡­¡± Said him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master. It was my fault.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry for it, Lia.¡± Smiled Aiden. ¡°Nobody could have predicted something like it. I didn¡¯t think that someone would be so bold to create such commotion in the middle of the town.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, they were thinking of subjugating us quickly without attracting attention?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Answered Aiden. ¡°But now they left all this mess to us.¡±


    Aiden could not help but frown while looking to his surroundings. Their current situation could not be worse. Though they were not sure why the town guards had not appeared, he knew that it was impossible to hide this commotion. And even harder to hide that they were involved in it.


    Perhaps, their best solution, was to try escape before the town guards appear.


    After all, Aiden had reasons to suspect that they were allied with the attackers.


    ¡°I think it is better if we return to home meanwhile.¡± Said he. ¡°We could think about our course of action then.¡±


    Nodding with her head, Lia separated her head from Aiden chest. Then, holding his body, she moved to walk towards their house.


    But, how could them to know?


    Fate still had another hand to play.


    Suddenly, a kick impacted Lia¡¯s back.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Her body, badly injured after the many fights tonight, impacted against a wall after receiving the attack.


    ¡°*cough* You¡­¡±


    But before she could speak, blood flowed from Lia¡¯s mouth.


    Then, being unable to endure the many wounds, her body fell unconscious.


    The last thing she saw, was the image of Aiden crying towards her.


    And a black-red haired youth smiling mockingly towards it.


    ¡°Who could have expected that you would be hiding in such place, young master.¡±

 Chapter 58 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XII)

    Chapter 58 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XII)


    An old man stood up from his chair and walked towards the door of the smithy. It was apparent that he was planning to visit a place, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to know where this place was.


    ¡°I thought you said you would not interfere, old man.¡± Said a voice coming from a shadow, and a figure reformed inside the smithy.


    The old man, Brake Hillheart, frowned when he heard the words of his old friend. But then, he continued walking.


    ¡°When I had to give you explanations of my actions? I said that I would not interfere before, and now I say that I want to interfere. Are you going to do something about it?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, calm down old man.¡± Said Heavens¡¯ Secret¡¯s owner. ¡°I never said something like it. It¡¯s only that I¡¯m curious. Why you changed your opinion?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s obvious that they already are impressive enough to beat that group of men. They didn¡¯t need to do more than it.¡±


    ¡°Why you allowed the youth to enter then? Were you not going to use him to test your disciple too?¡±


    For a moment, old Brake remained silent. Then, after a while, he sighed resignedly and spoke.


    ¡°He is my student, old friend. Though I can endure seeing him in danger once, it¡¯s impossible for me to do it twice.¡±


    For a moment, the place remained silent.


    Then, Felm Birntem, sighed.


    ¡°You are the same of always, old man¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave the boy alone a bit more. And if something really happens, I will interfere then. After all, it¡¯s not right for you to act in such situation. We don¡¯t know if they will use it against you.¡±


    The old smith remained silent for a few seconds.


    But after thinking for a moment, he replied.


    ¡°Very well. I entrust it to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my friend. It¡¯s the least I can do for you.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Lia!¡± Cried Aiden, surprised seeing her falling unconscious.


    His mind blanked, and he tried to move his body towards the place where his beloved was. But a kick in his chest was enough to send him tumbling backwards.


    ¡°Who could have expected that you would be hiding in such place, young master.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A mocking laugh entered in Aiden¡¯s ears, and blood fell from his mouth. For a moment, Aiden thought that he was going to fall unconscious too.


    But the words of the youth were enough to ignite the last bit of will left in him.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, appreciated young master.¡± Said the youth with a playful tone. ¡°Why? Is it possible that you are not able to recognize the members of your clan?¡±


    Immediately, an expression of astonishment appeared in Aiden¡¯s face.


    He was able to recognize the youth. After all, he was one of the two youths that asked him for directions a few days before.


    Even more, he was able to recognize the characteristics of a Noah clansmen.


    The two-colored hair.


    And the youth hair, as a member of the Noah clan, possessed a beautiful black hair with a few tints of red.


    ¡°Imagine my surprise when I discovered your identity.¡± Said the youth with a wide smile in his face. ¡°I cannot believe that I was unable to recognize you when I saw you the first time.¡±


    Though it could have been because you were a bit different from before. Aiden heard the youth to say.


    ¡°Do you know, oh great young master? If it¡¯s not because your saber, I would have been unable to recognize you. After all, the changes in your appearance are very great. Even your hair had become black. If I didn¡¯t remember wrong, it was almost completely red before, is it not? Perhaps is it a side effect from losing your spirit?¡±


    Aiden could feel it, the tone filled with mocking pleasure. The gloating coming from the youth, and the arrogance from someone higher than you. The youth before him was only planning to humiliate him.


    He was laughing to his current state.


    But because he knew it, he was able to maintain the calm. After all, the youth was at the end, a member of that family.


    ¡°You came for me, right? Take me away, then. But I hope that you can leave the girl behind.¡±


    ¡°Take you? Where?¡± Asked the youth with a fake tone of doubt. ¡°Who said that I was going to capture you?¡±


    Hearing it, Aiden could not help but frown deeply.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Is it not obvious? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Said him while laughing. ¡°What reason I have to leave you alive?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± For a moment, Aiden was unable to resist the rage inside him. But at the end, the state of his body was too poor to offer any form of resistance. ¡°What are you saying!? I know that the clan ordered to capture me, not to kill me!¡±


    ¡°And why would I care?¡± Spoke him in a relaxed tone. ¡°After all, nobody would care if you end dead for accident.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand, my dear young master?¡± Said him. ¡°Everything would have been alright if you remained in the clan, locked like the waste that the current you is. But you decided to leave the clan in a whim. Do you think that the clan would continue caring for you?


    ¡°No, young master. The current you are not more than a shame to the clan. A stain which must be erased. Though I will surely receive a punishment, it will at most to be something symbolic. I¡¯m sure that many elders will be happy of seeing you death.


    ¡°After all, many of them are unsatisfied about the attitude of senior sister Sia towards you.¡±


    Aiden could only remain silent after hearing the words of the youth. Though he could not believe it, he knew it was true.


    After all, though the clan would not order his death directly, they would be more than happy if he dies because an ¡°accident¡±.


    Things like it are very common in the powerful families.


    ¡°You were sacrificed for the good of the clan, beloved young master. And a good sacrifice doesn¡¯t have any reason to remain alive.¡±


    With a playful smile, the youth continued walking towards Aiden. Then moving his hand towards a pouch in his waist, he took out something.


    ¡°As for her, I have to admit that you are pretty good to swindle such a beautiful and talented girl to follow you. I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t have been her match if I fight her before. Luckily, she was injured in the fight, giving me an opportunity. Otherwise, I would have to wait for the elders to come.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry.¡± Continued him. ¡°I will make sure of treating her well from here onwards. I¡¯m sure she will be happier with me than with a waste like you.¡±


    Hearing it, Aiden gritted his teeth in rage. But the youth only smiled seeing it. Then, taking a metallic claw from his spatial pouch, he stood before Aiden.


    ¡°So, will you say your last words, young master?¡±

 Chapter 59 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XIII)

    Chapter 59 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XIII)


    ¡°So, will you say your last words, young master?¡± Said the youth in a playful voice.


    Hearing it, Aiden only grabbed its saber strongly. Then, he struggled to stand up.


    ¡°I guess it means no.¡± Giggled the youth.


    Using his saber as support, Aiden was able to stand after struggling for a moment. Then, he waited for the enemy attack.


    He knew that he only had an opportunity. His energy was only enough to attack once, and if he was successful, he would be able to wound gravely or even kill his enemy.


    After all, the youth cultivation was only in the middle-core fusing realm.


    With his saber manifestation, he had an opportunity to turn the tables.


    Did he not kill an even stronger opponent just a moment ago?


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Said the youth. Then, he raised his metallic claw.


    And with a brilliant glow from the energy infused in the weapon, he attacked.


    The youth movement was very aggressive, opening the claw to close all the escape routes of his opponent. It was obvious that he was very experienced with the weapon.


    But Aiden didn¡¯t despair.


    Instead, he moved his saber.


    Infusing the last bit of energy in his saber, Aiden summoned his martial manifestation slowly and guide it to his attack, forgoing completely his defenses.


    Aiden thought that it was the stronger move he had made in all his life.


    Forgoing defense, dedicating everything to an attack. For a moment, he felt something different in his saber.


    Something purer, stronger and mightier.


    It was perhaps, the true meaning of a saber attack.


    ¡­ But even it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The saber, imbued with a powerful saber manifestation, erupted mightily against the claw, cutting with a sharpness incomparable to any weapons.


    But though it was able to stop the claw, it could not do any more.


    Receiving the shockwaves of the collision, Aiden¡¯s body flew backwards quickly. At the same time, the youth also retreated a few steps.


    Then, while a drop of blood flowed from his mouth, he smiled.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Hahaha! You are truly incredible, beloved young master! Worthy of being once considered the greatest talent the clan saw in many years! To think you were able to comprehend saber manifestation even after losing your spirit!¡±


    Laughing maniacally, the youth looked towards Aiden with a sneer.


    ¡°But, that is not enough¡­¡±


    In the ground, Aiden had an astonished expression when his saber was only able to injure slightly to the youth.


    After all, he knew more than anyone about the power of his attack.


    ¡°You look surprised, fallen young master.¡± Said the youth. ¡°It¡¯s normal, though. After all, you were probably sure that such attack was more than enough to, at least, injure me badly.¡±


    Aiden could only cough blood while hearing the youth speak.


    ¡°Umm, now I think about it, I did not introduce myself before. Well, this is a good moment to do it¡­ My name is Clearance, Clearance Noah. A pleasure to meet you.¡± With a bow, the youth spoke.


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, yes, you understand fast, young master. You are right, I¡¯m one of the clan¡¯s current generation¡¯s geniuses.¡±


    For a moment, the youth, Clearance, looked towards youth with serious expression. However, such expression changed to a mocking one in an instant.


    ¡°Though I cannot compare myself to a true genius like miss Sia or your beautiful maid, it¡¯s not hard for me to fight someone stronger than me. To be sincere, I didn¡¯t find difficult to fight someone at the peak of core-fusing.¡±


    ¡°So that is the reason huh¡­¡± Aiden shook his head bitterly. He wasn¡¯t sure of killing a peak core-fusing cultivator in his peak state, not to speak now when he is in such form.


    ¡°To be sincere, I¡¯m not sure of being able to kill you if you were uninjured. After all, even if your cultivation is only at the late core-forming, the saber manifestation is more than enough to make for it. However, I will not have trouble in killing the current you.¡± Said him with a fake look of pity.


    ¡°Truly hilarious, don¡¯t you think? Even when crippled, your strength is more than enough to fight someone more than an entire realm stronger than you. Worthy of someone praised like a genius¡­ But it only makes killing you even more pleasurable!¡±


    With a crazy smile. Clearance began to walk towards Aiden, the claw in his right arm creating sparks against the ground.


    ¡°How it feels, oh fallen genius, knowing that despite your talent you will only able to reach until this point. Is it painful? Hahaha, tell me! Is it painful!?¡±


    With a kick in his stomach, Aiden¡¯s body flew towards a wall, unable to offer any resistance.


    ¡°Tell me!¡± Continue laughing Clearance while waving his claw against Aiden face. Luckily, Aiden managed to use his saber to block the attack. However, he was unable to stop his body from flying backwards again.


    ¡°What it matters if you are good with the saber!? You cannot to do anything without a spirit!¡±


    With another kick, Aiden body hit another wall before falling to the ground.


    ¡°What, are you going to make your saber a spirit?¡± Laughed the youth, amused from Aiden¡¯s current situation.


    Aiden was unable to answer. Currently, his body was filled with more injures than ever. He found hard moving even his hand. However, he didn¡¯t let go of his saber.


    Even in this moment when all hope seemed lost, he didn¡¯t let go of it.


    He did not want die like this. Humiliated by his own family and with Lia¡¯s future on the line. It wasn¡¯t something that he could accept.


    Because of it, he thought.


    About a method to overturn the situation.


    About a way to defeat his enemy.


    About the answer he was searching for so long.


    ¡­ An unexpectedly, he found it.


    ¡°¡­. You are right, I cannot to make my saber a spirit.¡± Said Aiden, still lying in the ground.


    The step of the youth with black and red hair were closing to him, and the sound of the claws cutting the ground echoed in his ears. But even with it, Aiden chuckled.


    ¡°No¡­ why I need a spirit?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Have you finally become crazy?¡± Said Clearance with a tone of doubt and joy. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would be unable to endure the pressure.¡±


    However, Aiden ignored the tone of his words. Instead, he spoke.


    ¡°I must thank you, Clearance. After all, if not for you, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to notice it anytime soon.¡±


    Looking towards the saber in his hand, millions of emotions attacked his mind. Joy, relief, excitement, and many emotions more.


    The thing he had always desired, it was always besides him.


    ¡°From the beginning, I only needed the saber.¡±


    So, answer, oh saber of mine!

 Chapter 60 – Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XIV)

    Chapter 60 ¨C Fear the Night, Unsheathe the Saber, Thread the Fate (XIV)


    There were three things that helped Aiden to understand it.


    The first was the strange energy inside his body, left behind by the wine he drank. It stimulated his soul and cleared his mind, allowing him to gain insights more easily. It was also partially the reason because he was able to take the last step towards saber manifestation.


    The second were the words of Clearance. Combined with the words that the strange man mentioned in the bar, it allowed him to think outside the box.


    And the third, was the calling of the saber in his hand.


    Aiden could have sworn that the saber in his hand was calling to him.


    It was faint, almost inaudible, but he was able to understand the feelings inside it.


    Trust.


    The saber was asking for his trust.


    And Aiden didn¡¯t hesitate to answer its calling.


    The reason because it was impossible to breakthrough to core-fusing without spirit was because a spirit was necessary to act like the bridge between the body and the soul. On core-forming, your body holds your energy. On core-fusing, your soul shares the energy with your body.


    It was the intrinsic difference between core-forming and core-fusing.


    Until now, many people had tried to breakthrough without a spirit, but it was impossible without something to connect the body and the soul.


    After all, a spirit was something immaterial. To find something similar to it and integrate it into your body was easier said than done.


    However, though it was unknown to the people in this world, there were many methods of cultivation through the universe. And equally, there were many things able to connect the body and the soul.


    And laws were one of such things.


    Of course, saber manifestation could not be considered a law, instead, it was just a method to make use of them.


    However, it was different for energy.


    Energy, in itself, was one of the most basic laws. And though it was impossible for the people in this world to understand it clearly, it didn¡¯t mean it¡¯s impossible to use energy like the bridge to connect the body and the soul.


    Of course, it was impossible for Aiden to know something like it. However, for some reason, he was able to use the saber manifestation to guide the energy inside him towards his soul.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Like a dam opened by first time, the energy inside Aiden¡¯s body flowed excitedly towards his soul, and the energy core, ubicated in his chest, began to fuse with his consciousness.


    Despite the lack of a spirit, Aiden used his saber manifestation to mold the energy in his body and allow for it to invade his soul. To be sincere, his actions were nothing short of a miracle, but like every miracle, only coincidences were enough to produce something like it.


    In this moment, Aiden finally took the step which had stopped him during four entire years.


    The step which distinguishes mortals from cultivators, and the rule governing this world for many years.


    It was the core-fusing realm.


    An enormous flow of energy flowed towards Aiden from the surroundings. His energy pool, which had ceased to expand four years ago, began to suck the energy in the surrounding crazily.


    However, it was not enough.


    Though the energy in the surrounding was immense, it was at most enough to fill the space emptied during the previous fights. At the end. It probably would allow to barely breakthrough at the initial core-fusing realm and stop there.


    However, his body and soul continued absorbing energy like crazy.


    So, when the energy in the surroundings began to lack, the breakthrough process slowed down.


    Aiden even thought that it would end in that moment.


    But, another unexpected thing happened in this moment.


    In his chest, a mark began to glow and burn fiercely.


    The mark of the sword, left behind by the strange amulet he found besides the seed of calamity, awakened.


    With a brilliant glow, it began to emit an enormous quantity of energy, even purer that the energy in the surroundings.


    But different from the energy of the world. This energy was fiercer, like an indomitable beast.


    However, as if hearing the orders of his superior, all the energy obeyed the mark in Aiden chest. Then, it flowed to his soul.


    Instantly, the speed of his breakthrough accelerated once more. The energy continued climbing crazily, and at the end, only stopped at the middle core-fusing stage.


    Then, energy ceased coming from his chest, and the glow from the mark disappeared.


    But Aiden was able to feel the difference.


    His pool of energy became fiercer and purer, completely different from the energy of the world which was gentle and easy to manipulate.


    Unfortunately, he was unable to pay attention to it currently.


    Looking towards the genius of the Noah clan who attacked Lia and tried to kill him, Aiden smiled gently.


    ¡°I must thank you, you were the cause of my breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Muttered the youth, his smiling expression replaced by one of shock and fear after witnessing something astonishing. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to cultivate without a spirit!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Answered Aiden. ¡°I did it.¡±


    Then, holding the saber with his hand, Aiden walked towards him slowly, while he retreated with a gaze filled with astonishment.


    ¡°Unexpected, don¡¯t you think so? The answer always was in my saber.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡± Continued him. ¡°I will not give you the opportunity to understand it.¡±


    Waving his saber, Aiden attacked.


    A single slash, like the ones used for most novice saber users. But this slash was filled with terrifying saber manifestation and overwhelming energy.


    Filled with fear, Clearance was not even able to raise his claw to resist.


    ¡­ Because the saber¡¯s blade cut his arm in an instant.


    ¡°Arggggg!!¡±


    Seeing his arm flying away, Clearance cried from surprise and pain.


    Holding his shoulder with the other hand, Clearance tried to stop the blood from flowing. However, it was like a leaf stopping a dam. It was impossible to stop the blood simply with his hand.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak anymore, it makes me sick.¡± Interrupted Aiden, a disgusted expression in his face.


    Then, with another slash, he cut his head, while blood rained in the surroundings.


    Aiden didn¡¯t bother with it. His expression remained unchanged even when the blood fell in his body.


    He only looked to the corpse. Wondering how his relationship with his family ended like this.


    Giving a last look to the corpse, Aiden turned around. Then with firm steps, he walked towards Lia.


    Kneeling to feel her pulse, Aiden sighed in relief when he noticed that she was just unconscious. But when he tried stand to carry her away, a feeling of fatigue and pain invaded him completely.


    Then, with a last vague look to his surroundings, he also fell unconscious.


    His body. Full of different sized wounds, fell above Lia¡¯s.


    The last thing that entered his mind, was a familiar sigh resounding behind him.

 Chapter 61 – Aftermath (I)

    Chapter 61 ¨C Aftermath (I)


    Aiden had a dream.


    In his dream, he was a very powerful man, unrivaled around the world.


    Any place he went, many people followed. When he entered a city, the most powerful people inhabiting it came out to receive him. When he spoke, every being fell silent.


    His orders were absolute, his words the law. He only needed to ask for something and someone would give it to him.


    However, such things were only fleeting to someone like him. Women, honor or wealth. Nothing was able to make him forget the most important thing in his life.


    It was his saber.


    The man was born with his saber, grow with his saber, and died holding his saber.


    During all his life, the saber never left his side during a single second.


    An even during his last moments, when he was surrounded by enemies, he never let go of his saber.


    Aiden could feel the sadness coming from the saber in his hands, the cries telling him to stop, to run away from his enemies.


    But until the end, he remained standing up. Facing his enemies, with a saber in hand, killing in all directions. Until the moment when a ray of lightning penetrated his heart.


    And holding the saber in his hands, he died.


    ¡­


    When Aiden awoke, the first thing he noticed was the girl seated beside his bed.


    With a beautiful white hair and snow-white skin, Lia was sleeping deeply. The dark bags around her eyes adding a fragile impression to her beauty.


    Aiden could imagine what had happened from Lia¡¯s state. He knew that someone, perhaps Lia, had rescued him that night, and that Lia had been taking care of him from the moment when she awakened.


    Knowing it, Aiden was unable to bear waking her up.


    The second thing that entered in his sight was the saber besides him.


    The black saber was completely the same as the first time he saw it. Lacking any decorations, its simple design was enough for the blade to fulfill its most important mission; to kill.


    Touching the sheath with his hand, Aiden caressed the saber carefully, before speaking in a soft tone low enough to not wake up the sleeping Lia.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Were it your memories, my friend?¡±


    Though the saber was unable to say anything, Aiden seemed felt the weapon humming in affirmation. Smiling slightly, he stroked the hilt with a gentle gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise you I will become at least so strong like your last owner, and I will treat you with the same care.¡±


    For a moment, Aiden thought that he heard the saber humming in happiness.


    But at the end, he was unable to differentiate if it was true or simply a product of his imagination.


    Smiling gently, Aiden finally decided to examine the place where he was resting. Looking around, he noticed he was in a beautiful habitation.


    The room wasn¡¯t too big, only around forty square meters. But every part of it gave a relaxing impression.


    The roof, made of oak wood, had a beautiful clear beige which contrasted with the slightly darker walls. At the same time, the floor was decorated with a carpet made of silk. Aiden didn¡¯t know how expensive such carpet was, but he knew that the current him was unable to afford it even a part of it.


    On a wall, a window allowed for the air to enter and circulate around the room, and a beautiful tree could be seen waving its leaves at the rhythm of the wind.


    Aiden could not recognize where this place was but seeing that Lia was sleeping besides him and that nobody bothered to take his saber, he deduced that temporarily, he was out of danger.


    Letting a sigh of relief, Aiden moved his hand to caress Lia¡¯s hair.


    For a moment, silence filled the place. Only the noise of Lia slight snores and the hand of Aiden caressing the hair remained.


    However, it did not take long for Lia to wake.


    Feeling the hand caressing her head, Lia awakened abruptly and looked towards the person responsible for it.


    Seeing the smiling face of Aiden, she was unable to react immediately.


    But when she processed the things happening, she jumped quickly towards the bed.


    ¡°Young master!¡±


    With an excited voice, Lia hugged the back of Aiden. Putting her head in his chest, she cried while smiling in relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad *sob*! You are finally awake, young master!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you, Lia. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    With a smile in his face, he spoke towards her.


    It took Aiden almost half an hour to finally calm the excited Lia.


    When he finally was able to successfully ask where he was, Aiden learned about the things that happened while he was unconscious.


    Apparently, the two had been found by the city lord in the place where the fight occurred. And seeing their injuries, the city lord arranged the treatment and allowed them to recuperate


    Lia awakened after sleeping for an entire day. Apparently, she was too exhausted due the various fights she lived that night. But immediately after waking up, she ran to Aiden¡¯s room to see his state.


    From what the city lord said to her, he had already taken care of everything related with the fight and punished the responsible appropriately. Apparently, they would be unable to search revenge for the time being.


    Lia also explained that he had slept during five entire days. If it was not because the doctor said that he was simply unconscious due exhaustion, she would have thought that something happened to him.


    Hearing all the things that happened, Aiden could not hide the expression of surprise in his face. Looking towards Lia, he asked in doubt.


    ¡°Why is the city lord so interested in helping us? I don¡¯t remember meeting him before¡­¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, you will be surprised when you met him young master. He is someone that we know.


    ¡°Someone that we know?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was also very surprised when I learned of his identity.¡±


    ¡°You are making me curious, Lia.¡± With a pondering expression, Aiden began to search among his acquittances for someone with the features of a city lord. But at the end, he was unable to find someone.


    ¡°If you are curious, you can come with me to see him. He left said to search him when you were awake.¡±


    ¡°Is it so? Very well. But before, can you get me something to eat. I¡¯m truly hungry¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! How can I forget about it!? Don¡¯t worry young master, I will bring something very delicious for you to eat!¡±


    Seeing Lia running out from the room to search food for him, Aiden could not help but laugh happily.


    He definitively liked this Lia more than the other.

 Chapter 62 – Aftermath (II)

    Chapter 62 ¨C Aftermath (II)


    Lia and Aiden were walking through the corridors of the city lord¡¯s mansion in route to the office. According to Lia, the city lord was already waiting for Aiden there.


    It had been two hours from the moment when Aiden recovered his consciousness. During this time, he used every minute to prepare himself and appear before the city lord in his best possible form. Lia said that it wasn¡¯t necessary, but he didn¡¯t want to leave it to fate. After all, even if the city lord had a good impression of him, he could not be sure about his stance in the future. If for some reason, he ends displeasing the city lord, it will be too late for regrets then.


    Because of it, after Lia brought him enough food to satiate his voracious appetite, he decided to take a bath and put clean clothes before going to see the city lord.


    Strangely, Aiden noticed that his wounds were all completely healed, and only a few small scars about disappear remained in some places. He wasn¡¯t sure about the medicine used to treat his wounds, but he knew that it surely was expensive.


    Aiden could not understand why the city lord treated him with such care.


    Walking for another few minutes, Lia and Aiden finally arrived at the place where the office was located. Lia proceeded to knock the door without hesitation, and an instant later, an old and worn out voice came from inside.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Hearing the voice, Lia opened the door to the office with a happy smile in her face. Aiden, for his part, stood stunned in the spot.


    ¡°Hi grandpa. I brought the young master like you asked.¡± Spoke Lia with a giggle.


    ¡°I can see it, little girl.¡± Answered the old man.


    Seeing the old man seated in a reclining chair inside the office with a small smile, Aiden found it impossible to hide the surprise in his face. For a moment, he doubted if his eyes were damaged during the fight.


    ¡°Y-You, you¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Is it truly surprising that I am the city lord?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­ W-Wait, I mean, y-yes. H-How can you to be the city lord!? I only had seen you sleeping from the day when I met you!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Be more respectful with your teacher!¡±


    ¡°Ufufu¡­¡± Seeing the interaction between the pair of young and old, Lia could not help but laugh happily with a hand in her mouth. Then, noticing the two men looking towards her after hearing her giggles, she smiled softly to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s only that I found the two of you very funny! It wasn¡¯t my intention laugh to you.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Seeing the awkward expressions of the pair, Lia could not help but continue laughing happily. Then, after a few seconds, she finally spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master. I was also very surprised when I learned about it. Who would expected that grandpa Brake was Cali¡¯s city lord?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s impossible for me to imagine such a lazy old man like the city lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± The city lord, Brake Hillheart, frowned after hearing Aiden¡¯s comments.


    Aiden smiled slightly seeing the reactions of the old man. But after a few seconds, he put a serious expression.


    ¡°But old man, if you are the city lord, how is it possible for you to sleep in the smithy all day long? Also, I heard that the city lord is someone very strong¡­ Is it possible that you¡­?¡±


    Hearing Aiden¡¯s words, the old man kept silent for a second, but after a moment, he finally sighed.


    ¡°You see, though I¡¯m the city lord, rather than to govern, the reason because I came to this town was as retirement. You can say that I only agreed to the work as city lord because it was convenient.


    ¡°Because of it, I normally didn¡¯t interfere with the management of the town. Only when something truly important happen I act. Actually, I had not done much for the town in the last few years.¡±


    Aiden noticed the old man shaking his head slightly after saying it. Apparently, he also found it a bit ridiculous how he was able to remain as the city lord without doing anything.


    ¡°But you see.¡± Continued the old man. ¡°This time¡¯s circumstances are a bit troublesome. The commotion caused by the apparition of the supreme emptiness flame this time is very great. Because of it, I was forced to interfere and act like a deterrent to the different forces coming to the town


    ¡°However, it¡¯s difficult for to act against a clan without any convincing reason. Due it, the most I was able to do was warn the different parties to act with moderation while inside the town.¡±


    After the old man finished his words, nobody spoke for a moment.


    Though Lia was also in the office, it was apparent that she wasn¡¯t going to intervene in the conversation. Aiden however, had an expression of doubt in his face. As if he wanted to ask something but was unable to muster his courage.


    But after a few seconds, he finally decided to speak.


    ¡°Old man, about the attack that night¡­ you knew about it, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Answered the old man after keeping silent for a second.


    ¡°Then¡­ were you unable to interfere?¡±


    After Aiden spoke about it, the atmosphere in the place became very heavy.


    The old man, as if understating the meaning of Aiden question, was unable to answer immediately.


    But after a few seconds, he looked towards Aiden¡¯s face and sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you suspect, I certainly could have interfered.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Then, the reason because the reason because the city guards didn¡¯t appear¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, I ordered them to not interfere.¡±


    For a moment, Aiden didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But finally, he was able to squeeze the most important question.


    ¡°¡­ Why?¡±


    Seeing Aiden¡¯s expression, the old man seemed to know what he was thinking. So, he simply shook his head and spoke in a calm tone.


    ¡°You are a smart youth, Aiden. I¡¯m sure you are able to understand the reason.¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t answer the man words.


    However, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find an answer.


    The old man, as the city lord, needed an excuse to put an example to the parties currently in the town.


    ¡­ And Aiden and Lia were the perfect baits.


    For a moment, nobody spoke inside the office.


    Neither Aiden nor Lia knew how react to the old man words. And the city lord felt too awkward to continue speaking.


    But at the end, it was impossible to continue maintaining the silent.


    A minute later, the old man finally decided to break the silence with a sigh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave that issue aside. There are more important things that I need speak with you two.¡±


    After pausing for a second so the words could register in their minds, the old man continue.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if you learn about a few things.¡±

 Chapter 63 – Aftermath (III)

    Chapter 63 ¨C Aftermath (III)


    ¡°Though you probably know about it, the truth is that you two were involved in a dispute against a very powerful clan.¡± Said the old man with a serious expression. ¡°This clan, the Crow family, is one of the local clans in the Lion Empire, and their overall power is only below the royal family.


    ¡°Apparently, the one responsible for the attack was the young master sent by the family to be in charge of the search for the supreme emptiness flame. From what I know, the reason because he ordered the attack was mainly because he had various disputes with you.¡±


    Aiden nodded hearing it.


    ¡°The thing is, though I was able to make use of their attack to suppress the family¡¯s standing in the city, it¡¯s impossible for me to kill their members. The most I could do was to send the young master to prison for a few days and not allow for their members to leave their place of residence in the coming days. After all, though I¡¯m strong, I cannot to be compared to an entire clan


    ¡°However, I think they will not leave the matter of you killing three of their members pass. Though they are unable to act against you currently, I¡¯m sure they will wait for an opportunity to seek revenge. Because of it, you must be careful.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Nodded Aiden seriously.


    Seeing that Aiden took his words seriously, the old man assented in his mind and continued speaking. After all, there were more issues to discuss.


    ¡°On the other hand, the matter with the youth of the Noah clan¡­ Though I had been able to hide his dead, it¡¯s impossible to do it permanently. However, your relationship with the Noah clan is a bit¡­ messy. So, I can only suggest that you avoid claiming having killed him. After all, from what I know, he didn¡¯t clarify where he was going when he left home that night.¡±


    Hearing the old man¡¯s words, Aiden thought silently for a moment. But finally, he decided to do like the old man said. After all, he didn¡¯t want to have too many interactions with the members of his clan.


    Seeing Aiden agreeing, the old man nodded in approval before offering a suggestion.


    ¡°I think that it¡¯s better if you leave the town. After all, it will make harder for the Crow family deal with you. Besides, I heard that the main force of the Noah family will be reaching the town soon together with some members of the Allgod kingdom¡¯s royal family. I¡¯m sure that you don¡¯t want to risk encountering them.¡±


    Aiden looked towards the old man when he heard that someone from his clan would reach soon to the town. After hesitating for a bit, he decided to ask.


    ¡°¡­ Do you know who was sent by the clan to the town?¡±


    The old man looked towards Aiden silently and replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the elders, but I heard that the young miss from the clan was the representative.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So it is Sia huh¡­¡±


    Aiden seemed slightly pained when he heard that Sia was the one coming. At the same time, a trace of hesitation appeared in his face.


    ¡°Young master¡­¡±


    Looking towards Lia, Aiden noticed her looking towards him with worry. Seeing it, he smiled slightly before turning towards the old man and opening his mouth to speak.


    But before he could to do it, the old man spoke first.


    ¡°¡­ You probably don¡¯t want to hear it, but I also heard that the young princess from the Allgod kingdom is coming with her. Apparently, she will be the representative of the royal family.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    When Aiden heard it, an agitated expression appeared in Aiden¡¯s face.


    The expression disappeared almost immediately, but the other two people in the town were sharp enough to notice it.


    Lia made immediately a worried expression.


    Calming his thoughts, Aiden smiled reassuringly towards Lia once more before turning towards the old man.


    ¡°Me and Lia will be leaving the town tomorrow. I think my injuries are almost completely recovered and like you said, it¡¯s better if we leave the town as soon as possible.¡±


    Seeing Lia nodding behind Aiden, the old man agreed immediately and promised his help. ¡°I already ordered for your things to be brought from your house. You can ask the servants for them. However, there is something else you must to do before parting from the town.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± Asked Aiden after failing to find a reason.


    Sighing silently, the old man signaled towards Aiden chest and spoke slowly.


    ¡°Had you forgotten? You broke through core-fusing that night¡­¡±


    Instantly, an expression of astonishment appeared in Aiden¡¯s face.


    Yes, how could he forget¡­


    That night, he used his saber manifestation as a medium to break through core-fusing.


    Perhaps because of the situation when he woke up, Aiden had ignored completely the fact that he finally broke through the limitations he had for four years. Or perhaps, because the situation was too incredible, Aiden decided to ignore it unconsciously.


    But now that the old man mentioned it, realization hit Aiden.


    He had finally broken through¡­


    Seeing the astonished expression in Aiden¡¯s face, the old man seemed understand his feelings. And at the same time, Lia giggled happily.


    To be sincere, they all found hard to believe that Aiden was able to breakthrough without a spirit.


    However, now was not the moment to celebrate.


    ¡°¡­ To be sincere, I was happy that you were able to breakthrough when you did. However, things are not so easy like you think¡­


    ¡°Tell me boy, what do you think that will happen when word about your achievement spread? Do you think that others will be happy for you?


    ¡°You underestimate the influence of spirit holders in the continent.¡±


    Seeing the serious expression of the old man, Aiden could not help but hear attentively. However, the next words from the old man surprised him.


    ¡°When word of your breakthrough spread, the first thing to happen will be that many influences will try kill you. The second thing will be that many others will try kidnap you to experiment about the reason of your success.


    ¡°Tell me, boy. Do you think you will be able to escape the chase of all the influences in the world?¡±


    Aiden expression darkened when he heard it.


    However, when he thought that things were going south, the old man next words relieved him.


    ¡°Fortunately, I was able to hide your fight from the powerhouses in the city, so currently, nobody but me, Lia and you know about it¡­ Oh right, old Felm knows about it too¡­¡±


    ¡°Felm?¡± Asked Aiden.


    ¡°The old man in Heavens¡¯ Secret.¡± Answered the old man with a wave of his hand. ¡°That is his name.¡±


    For a moment, a worried expression appeared in Aiden face.


    The old man smiled slightly after seeing it. With a smile, he said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Though he is a bit eccentric, that old man is someone that I trust.¡±


    Hearing it, Aiden sighed in relief.


    ¡°However,¡± Continued Old Brake. ¡°It didn¡¯t change that you will find it difficult to hide your lack of spirit; mainly from stronger cultivators. Because of it, I prepared a few things for you. You can consider it like a compensation of sorts¡­¡±


    Saying it, the old man opened a drawer and took two things from there. Two different rings. One black and one red.


    Holding them in his hands, he signaled for Aiden to take them.


    ¡°One of them is a space ring. Inside there are a small amount of money as a reward from mi part. The second is a concealment artifact. It can help someone to hide his spirit from his opponents. It¡¯s used when you don¡¯t want to reveal your background. With it, people will not suspect your lack of spirit.¡±


    When Aiden heard it, he could not help but look with a complicated expression to the old man. But at the end, he received the two gifts.


    The old man noticed Aiden¡¯s expression. Sighing, he motioned for Aiden to leave and said in a depressed tone.


    ¡°As I said, you can consider them like the compensation for the problems of that night. With it, there is nothing more between us¡­¡±


    When Aiden heard it, he sighed deeply inside his heart. But at the end, he left the place.


    ¡­


    Once Aiden and Lia left the place, a shadow appeared in a corner of the office.


    Looking towards the old man seated in the reclined chair, the shadow spoke.


    ¡°Why you lied to the boy, old man?¡±


    With a distressed expression, old Brake spoke: ¡°¡­ Sigh. That boy future will be filled with perils and difficulties. I don¡¯t want to make it harder for associating him with me¡­ It¡¯s better if our relation is cut from now¡­¡±


    The shadow kept silent when he heard his friend¡¯s words. Then, with a sigh, he simply left the place. Behind him, a few words resounded in place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right choice, old man¡­ The boy had the right to decide for himself¡­¡±

 Chapter 64 – Aftermath (IV)

    Chapter 64 ¨C Aftermath (IV)


    After speaking with the old smith, Aiden and Lia followed a servant to the room assigned to them.


    On the way, Lia was able to notice the awful mood of Aiden. After speaking with the old man, he had maintained it.


    Lia could understand the reason of it, though. After all, the old man admitted that he used her life and Aiden¡¯s to plot against the different forces currently in town.


    Of course, Lia felt a bit depressed too. But her emotions could not be compared to Aiden¡¯s.


    After all, though she had a good relation with the old man, Lia never trusted him completely. For Lia, no one but Aiden was worthy of trust.


    However, it was different for Aiden.


    Aiden considered the old man like one of the few people who helped him after losing his spirit. Though he didn¡¯t know the true identity of the old man, the fact that he taught him all his knowledge about blacksmithing without hesitation back then was enough to make Aiden think of the old man like a valuable friend, a teacher.


    But because of it, when he learned that the old man didn¡¯t hesitate to put their lives in risk only to warn a few people, Aiden could not help but feel disappointed.


    Of course, Aiden knew that the old man didn¡¯t have any reason to save or help him. But even with it, Aiden felt a bit betrayed when he learned that the old man didn¡¯t protect them even though he had the power.


    Seeing the conflicted emotions in Aiden face, Lia put her hand in Aiden¡¯s back softly. Then, with a soft voice, she spoke while walking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master, I will never betray you¡­¡±


    Hearing such words, Aiden smiled softly.


    Then, with a quick movement, he grabbed Lia¡¯s hand, ignoring the quick blush that appeared in her face.


    ¡­


    After walking around the mansion, the servant girl guided the pair to a habitation in the second floor and bowed slightly before departing.


    Opening the door, Aiden and Lia entered to a well decorated room.


    Filled with curtains and a great amount of furniture, the habitation seemed more like the hall of a mansion than a habitation. However, something inside it made clear the purpose of the room.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A two-people bed.


    Seeing the lavishly decorated bed, both Aiden and Lia blushed simultaneously understating the purpose of such piece of furniture.


    Aiden could not help but curse the old man after imagining his thoughts when he prepared this room.


    Gazing the blushing face of Lia, Aiden tried search for a topic of conversation to alleviate the awkwardness caused after seeing the bed. Fortunately, it seemed that Lia was thinking the same because she spoke to Aiden quickly while stuttering.


    ¡°Y-Young master, h-how was it that you were able to breakthrough without a spirit?¡±


    Hearing Lia question, all the awkwardness in Aiden¡¯s face disappeared almost immediately. Instead, a focused and complicated expression appeared in his face.


    ¡°To be sincere, I¡¯m not completely sure¡­ When I was fighting against clearance, the youth of my clan, for some reason I thought of using saber manifestation on place of a spirit. When the idea appeared in my mind, I had the feeling that it was right so I tried. After all, I had nothing to lose back then.


    ¡°However, now I think about it, I could not help but find the process too smooth¡­ It was almost like if something was guiding me in such direction¡­¡±


    Aiden spoke to Lia about the things he lived that night, including his encounter with the strange man and the words about cultivating without a spirit. Aiden had the feeling that the man was related to his smooth advancement, but he was unable to prove it.


    Lia was surprised when she heard about the man and his words about it being possible cultivate without spirit. After all, if someone knew about being possible to cultivate without a spirit beforehand, why nobody else had tried it?


    But at the end, she could not answer such question.


    Looking towards Aiden face, she noticed that he seemed a bit lost. Worried, she called to him.


    ¡°Young master, is something wrong?¡±


    Hearing Lia¡¯s words, Aiden smiled slightly before answering with a vacant gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s only that that I dreamed about breaking through for many years. But now when it happened, I find it hard to believe.¡±


    Holding Aiden¡¯s hands, Lia looked silently towards his eyes and touched his face softly.


    ¡°Is it not good? It was young master wish, right?¡±


    ¡°You are right, though now I must figure how to breakthrough to the next realm¡­¡± Smiling slightly, Aiden spoke self-deprecatingly.


    However, it didn¡¯t take long for his smile to crumble.


    Feeling the hand of Lia in his face, tears began to fall from his eyes before long. Aiden tried to hide it, but the more he tried, the more tears flowed.


    ¡°S-Sorry. I didn¡¯t want show you something unsightly¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master, I don¡¯t mind it¡­¡± With a soft smile in her face, Lia hugged Aiden¡¯s head.


    This time, it was her turn to console Aiden.


    For a time, silent tears continued falling in the room.


    ¡­


    When Aiden finally calmed down, it was already afternoon.


    Fortunately, Aiden skin was thicker than he expected and he was able to speak with Lia normally after it. However, he was dying of shame inside him.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to admit it.


    After eating lunch, the pair began to pack the things they were going to need in the travel. The old man ordered the servants to help them with the things they needed, so they were able to get everything without leaving the mansion.


    But when the pair was ending their preparations, an unexpected guest appeared before them.


    Dressed in a gray robe, the sleepy youth from Heavens¡¯ Secrets appeared before Aiden and Lia and smiled slightly towards them.


    ¡°My master says that he wants speak with you. If it¡¯s possible, can you come with me?¡±


    Aiden was doubtful about the old man¡¯s reason to see them. But remembering the words of the old smith, he decided to visit him.


    After all, he also knew the secret of his spirit.

 Chapter 65 – Departure (I)

    Chapter 65 ¨C Departure (I)


    Aiden and Lia were guided by the youth to the rundown store where Heavens¡¯ Net was located. The place was the same as always, filled with junk of all kinds and strange artifacts whose use was unknown. The only difference was the youth currently guiding them. After all, he was normally sleeping; but now, he was speaking enthusiastically without stop.


    Aiden could not help but question the reason of his behavior. After all, the youth had never spoken more than two phrases with them every time they came here. However, he had been trying to speak with them from the moment when he went to the city lord mansion. Aiden had lost count of the number of questions the youth had made during this short travel.


    Though for some reason, he found his behavior a bit familiar.


    Probably, it was because he had spoken with him before when he came to the store, even if shortly.


    Putting such thoughts on the back of his mind, Aiden followed the youth downstairs to the place where the old man in Heavens¡¯ Net welcomes customers.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the group see the door of the room.


    ¡°Master, I brought them here.¡± Said the youth.


    ¡°You can enter.¡± Answered a voice from inside.


    Opening the door, the youth signaled the pair to enter while himself walked towards the old man and stood behind him.


    Likewise, the pair entered too; Aiden seating himself on a chair and Lia standing behind him, like she always did. Then, the pair looked towards the old man.


    The old man¡¯s appearance was the same as always, and a simple candle continued being the only source of light in the room. Aiden only smiled calmly towards it, but Lia, who was behind him, frowned deeply. For some reason, she always had something against the old man.


    ¡°I find it hard to believe that you succeeded.¡± Said the old man. ¡°And in such impressive manner. I¡¯m very curious about the method you used to breakthrough. Are you not interested in telling me?¡±


    Aiden frowned deeply on the moment when the old man spoke, but at the end, he remained silent. On the other hand, Lia brows twitched immediately, and with an aggressive tone, she asked.


    ¡°Is it the reason because you called my young master here? Don¡¯t you think you are very shameless!?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, calm down missy. I don¡¯t have any reason to call you here if I need get such information. There are more suitable methods to learn about it after all.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°¡­ Are you threatening us!?¡± Asked Lia, a bit of red glowing in his eyes. However, the old man only waved his hands ignoring it.


    ¡°Is it like you see it, miss?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!!!¡± Seeing Lia about get out of control, Aiden gripped her hand strongly. Then, with a calm tone, he asked to the old man.


    ¡°The city lord told us that you knew about the matter of my breakthrough. It means that you probably know about the method I used too, right? What reason you have to send someone for me then?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you are right youngster, I more or less understand the method you used. I must admit that I¡¯m impressed though. Where did you get the idea? To use saber manifestation like catalyst to connect the body and the soul. Truly an innovative thought.¡±


    Ignoring the old man¡¯s words, Aiden simply furrowed his brows and spoke bluntly. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, you are not funny.¡±


    ¡°Anyways.¡± Said the old man. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we get to the main point quickly.¡±


    With a serious expression, the old man extended his hand towards a drawer in his desk and took a stack of documents.


    ¡°You are probably thinking about leaving the town soon, right? You see, I have a bit of information that you will probably find useful. The reason because I called you was because I thought you probably would be interested in it.¡±


    Giving a quick glance, Aiden noticed that the stock of documents in the old man¡¯s hand was pretty big. Frowning his brows, he could not help but ask in doubt. ¡°Why are you giving it to me? I doubt you are doing it for free, right?


    ¡°Smart.¡± Replied the old man. ¡°I need something from you.¡±


    Looking towards Aiden deeply, the old man signaled to his chest and spoke ¡°I need your method to breakthrough without a spirit.¡±


    The doubts in Aiden¡¯s mind increased even more, and he noticed Lia¡¯s mood becoming worse, so, he asked quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have it? You were able to see the process, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking about it.¡± Said the old man. ¡°I¡¯m speaking about the method to break beyond the realm of core-fusing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Aiden shook his head. ¡°What do you mean for it?¡±


    For a moment, the old man looked fixedly towards Aiden, but when he didn¡¯t see any reaction from him, he simply sighed. Then, with movement of his hand, he pointed to the place where Aiden¡¯s energy core was located.


    ¡°You probably noticed, right? Though your saber manifestation helped you to break through to core-fusing, it cannot carry you to the next stage. After all, spirit awakening consists in nurturing your spirit. How can you nurture a spirit when you don¡¯t have it?


    ¡°My request is precisely it. I hope that you can give me the next step to breakthrough without spirit when you discover how to do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Why do you think I will be able to do it?¡± Asked Aiden after remaining silent for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Answered the old man with a sly smile in his face. ¡°If you were able to do it once, you will probably be able to do it twice and thrice. You can say that I¡¯m betting in your future success.¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t speak after hearing the old man words, and the old man didn¡¯t urge him either. Both of them knew the implications of such decision.


    Although it wasn¡¯t completely certain, the method to breakthrough without spirit could mean creating cultivators in mass. After all, the biggest factor limiting the number of cultivators was the lack of spirits.


    Aiden kept his silent for almost two minutes, but finally he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious old man, what information is so valuable that you think I will trade the method to cultivate without a spirit for it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, the truth is, this information is not very valuable to a normal person.¡± Smiled the old man. ¡°However, I think that you will be very interested in it.¡±


    For a moment, a mysterious smile appeared in the old man¡¯s face.


    Then, like finding something entertaining, the old man laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s information about the missy behind you, and the method to cure her.¡±

 Chapter 66 – Departure (II)

    Chapter 66 ¨C Departure (II)


    ¡°What do you think? Is this information worth of it?¡±


    When the words of the old man sounded, the entire room fell silent.


    Even Lia, who had been showing signs of anger, calmed completely after hearing it.


    Although neither Aiden nor Lia had clarified it, both of them knew that Lia¡¯s situation was not normal.


    From that night in the forest, Lia had been losing control of her emotions more and more easily, and the second soul inside her had influenced her actions more often.


    Though it had not caused any problem until now, and instead, had helped the pair when they were in a tough spot. Lia knew that it was only question of time before something irreversible happens.


    Her second soul, hidden inside her, had become more active lately. Lia could hear its mutters practically every day and the voice inside her continued tempting her towards leaving behind her humanity.


    Currently, Lia feared having to leave Aiden behind one day.


    Or even worse, awakening a morning and learning that she hurt him.


    Because of it, when the old man¡¯s words left his mouth, Lia¡¯s body trembled slightly.


    Aiden was able to notice Lia¡¯s odd state immediately.


    After all, they had been together for a long time. Aiden was sure that he knew her better than anyone else on the entire world. So, when her body trembled, he noticed it.


    Because of it, he could not answer the old man¡¯s words immediately.


    If you looked to it objectively, the value of such information was almost null compared with the method to cultivate without a spirit. But, as the old man said, it was different if the other side were Aiden and Lia.


    After all, information about the situation of Lia was too difficult to obtain.


    Aiden was sure that not even his clan had information about the situation of Lia. If he wanted to investigate it, probably only the most powerful influences in the world or the scattered survivors of God¡¯s Hand had such information.


    However, how could a little boy with core-fusing cultivation and without an influence behind obtain such information from these sources.


    Because of it, when the old man mentioned the content of the information, Aiden knew that he would be unable to reject him.


    Aiden could no help but smile bitterly to himself while wondering how powerful the influence behind Heavens¡¯ Net was to get such information so easily.


    ¡°¡­ If I agree, how do you expect receive the information? You are not planning to send someone to follow me around every day, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, of course not. I know it is impossible for you allow something like it. Actually, it¡¯s very simple. You simply must write a letter with your progress every time you visit a city. Heavens¡¯ Net have offices in practically every important city in the continent, and I will inform them about you. When you enter one, you simply must explain that you will send a message to me, Felm Birntem.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°¡­ Very well.¡± Said Aiden with a sigh. ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Haha, good choice youngster.¡± Said the old man with a smile in his face. ¡°Take it, I hope you find it useful.¡±


    Receiving the papers with a hand, Aiden looked through them quickly and confirmed their contents before guarding them in his newly received spatial ring. Then, standing up, he prepared to leave.


    ¡°Many thanks for it, Mr. Felm.¡± Said Aiden, this time in a more respectful tone. ¡°If you have nothing more to say me, I will leave.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Called the old man. ¡°Allow me give you something more like a proof of our partnership. After all, even I found that information a bit lacking to exchange for your method.¡±


    Touching a ring on his hand, the old man took out a parchment made of skin. Giving a quick glance, Aiden noticed that it was a map.


    Taking a pen from the drawer, the old man drew a circle in a corner of the map. Then, he passed it to Aiden.


    ¡°You are not sure about the place where you will go after leaving the town, right? Take this map then. It¡¯s from the lost forest, I think it¡¯s the best place for you go.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Asked Aiden.


    ¡°You see the place I signaled? It¡¯s a tomb discovered a few months ago. Apparently, it¡¯s going to open around two years later, and the entrance will be restricted to people in the Spirit Deciphering<sup>Spirit student</sup> stage and below. Many young geniuses around the continent are going to attend.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Do you mean for me to go with my cultivation?¡± Asked Aiden again, a tone of incredulity in his voice.


    ¡°I know what you are thinking.¡± Said the old man with a serious expression. ¡°But the truth is, you will have to increase your cultivation quickly if you want to be together the missy behind you. Becoming a spirit student in two years is perhaps the lowest requirement.¡±


    Aiden could not understand the words of the old man. What is the reason because he must increase his cultivation? Is it related to Lia? Apparently, the old man was able to notice his doubts, because after a moment, he signaled to Aiden¡¯s ring and spoke in a serious tone.


    ¡°You will understand when you read the information I gave you¡­ To be sincere, you two are very unfortunate, but I hope you can overcome it. After all, your talent is not lesser than your bad luck.¡±


    Seeing the joking smile in the old man¡¯s face, Aiden shook his head and laughed bitterly. He didn¡¯t know if feel happy or offended by the old man words.


    ¡°A last thing, boy.¡± Said the old man. ¡°Noah clan¡¯s young miss went to Allgod kingdom¡¯s main branch of Heavens¡¯ Secret. She asked for you.¡±


    Once more, an awkward silence appeared inside the room.


    ¡°¡­ Did you say her something?¡± Asked Aiden after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°No. I wanted to consult with you first. Though she was apparently very worried.¡±


    Aiden was not able to speak for a moment after hearing the words of the old man. Actually, his relationship with Sia, Noah clan¡¯s current young miss, was very good before losing his spirit. Though he was unable to see her after it, he didn¡¯t have a bad impression from her. Because of it, he wasn¡¯t sure about what to say when he learned that Sia had been searching for clues about him.


    However, when he saw Lia¡¯s worried face looking towards him, Aiden did not hesitate to make his choice.


    ¡°I would like if you hide everything about me. I don¡¯t wish see her.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes. I repaid my debt to the clan when they took my spirit. From now onwards, I have not any relation to them.¡± Then, without waiting for the old man answer, he walked towards the exit.


    Aiden knew. If he returned to the clan now, he probably will be received happily. After all, a method to cultivate without a spirit was incredibly valuable.


    However, he didn¡¯t wish to do so.


    When he left the clan back then, he naively dreamed of one day getting a new spirit and returning to the clan in glory. Then, show to all the people who harmed him that he was able to rise even against the greatest adversities. He dreamed of gaining the respect of everybody around him.


    However, it was different now. Every day, he found it harder to see his clan in a good light.


    How could he know if the clan would not harm him for ¡°the greater good¡± again if he returned?


    His wishes for glory and recognition faded the more time he spent with Lia, and loyalty became more and more important to him.


    Now, when he looks back to the events in the clan, he only felt disgusted.


    Even if he knows that it was probably the best choice the clan could have made back then, he felt disgusted for it.


    How can they use the feelings of a child in such way? He was only eleven back then!


    The current Aiden didn¡¯t have any wish to be related to such clan. For Aiden, Lia was more than enough.


    As for everytbody else, they could eat s**t.

 Chapter 67 – Departure (III)

    Chapter 67 ¨C Departure (III)


    ¡°Master, do you think he will give us the information so easily?¡±


    Once Aiden and Lia left Heavens¡¯ Net, the youth standing behind the old man, Han, asked curiously. He had remained silent during the previous conversation, giving the impression that he was nothing more than attendant. But the truth is, he had payed attention at every detail spoken.


    ¡°He will.¡± Said the old man without hesitation. ¡°He is a smart boy, so he will understand the power behind us. With his current status, there isn¡¯t anything he can do to resist if he goes against his word.¡±


    The old man looked upwards, beyond the roof in the room, to the pair of youths walking to the city lord mansion.


    ¡°To be honest, I would prefer to realize a few experiments with him. However, I owe something to the old blacksmith. I cannot do something like it.¡±


    Laughing bitterly, Han looked to his master with a strange gaze. Then, disappearing between the darkness, he left the room.


    ¡°To be honest, I like they two very much. So I¡¯m relieved knowing that you will not do something against them, master.¡±


    In the dark room, only the old man was left. Many thoughts coursing through his head.


    ¡­


    When the pair left Heavens¡¯ Net, they returned to the city lord mansion without hesitation. To be honest, they have too many things to think about.


    Holding the heavy pile of documents in his hand, Aiden and Lia read through them carefully once they returned to their room. Currently, they were very curious about the information inside it.


    After half an hour, the pair had read halfway through the information gotten. Similarly, their expression had became darker after knowing about the things written here.


    The information was very detailed; and included things from the moment when Lia was kidnapped by the organization, until the moment when the organization was destroyed, and she escaped.


    Nothing, from the different experiments she went through, to the conclusions reached by the investigators after observing the results, was ignored. Everything was in the documents. At the point where Aiden thought that Heavens¡¯ Net was perhaps related to the organization responsible by the experiments, God¡¯s Hand.


    After going through the information, many things became clear to Aiden and Lia. For example, the fact that Lia¡¯s second soul wasn¡¯t considered a spirit. Instead, it was more like a demonic beast bloodline; allowing for her cultivate with a speed many times greater than a normal human and acquire some abilities from the beast soul.


    However, they also learned about the side effects of such power.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lia¡¯s mind, because of the strength of the second soul, was constantly in risk of being swallowed.


    It was something impossible to avoid. After all, Lia¡¯s second soul belonged to a demonic king, and it was already a miracle that she was able to assimilate it with her own soul.


    Aiden and Lia searched through the documents. Hoping to find a method to cure Lia just like the old man from Heavens¡¯ Net said.


    However, until the end, only two solutions appeared.


    The first was constantly advance her cultivation; stimulating the demonic bloodline inside her to increase her strength faster than the second soul inside her gains power. Suppressing it constantly.


    Such method, however, was only temporally. After all, on the moment when she hits a bottleneck or her cultivation slows down, she will be in risk of being swallowed by the second soul.


    The second solution was more permanent though. However, the difficulty was incredibly high.


    Breaking the bloodline shackles of Lia¡¯s beast soul.


    When Aiden read it, he could not help but laugh bitterly.


    Lia¡¯s second soul belonged to a demonic king beast. So, to break through the bloodline shackles, she must become a spirit emperor.


    Spirit emperor! That is the highest realm of cultivation found in the world!


    Aiden now understand why the old man said that he must increase his cultivation quickly.


    Lia, to avoid the side effects of her second soul, must increase her cultivation quickly. And he, if he wants remains together her from here onwards, could not allow himself to lag behind.


    For a moment, a hint of despair invaded Aiden¡¯s heart.


    It wasn¡¯t necessary to be a genius to understand the meaning behind this information.


    If Lia wants break from the side effects of the experiments, she must do the almost impossible feat of breaking to the spirit emperor realm. To do it, she must stimulate constantly her bloodline, seeking challenges and facing enemies constantly so her bloodline can awaken with the fastest speed possible.


    Aiden, in turn, must breakthrough at a similar speed if he doesn¡¯t want to become a burden dragging Lia down when she is facing stronger opponents.


    However, it took Aiden four years to breakthrough from core-forming to core-fusing.


    If he wants to breakthrough with a similar speed to Lia, who have a powerful demonic bloodline, then it¡¯s practically impossible.


    Aiden didn¡¯t know what was harder. If Lia¡¯s requirements to break her bloodline shackles, or his to breakthrough at the same speed.


    But when he saw Lia looking to the documents with a lost expression, he knew what he had to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lia. I¡¯m sure we will figure a solution.¡±


    Lia wasn¡¯t able to answer Aiden¡¯s words immediately.


    Looking to the information in the documents, Lia bitted her lips with a frustrated expression. Then, looking downwards, she spoke with a depressed expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry young master¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly, what are you thinking. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡±


    Tears accumulated quickly in Lia¡¯s eyes. Currently, the pressure she was feeling was higher than ever.


    ¡°But young master, you also read the information in the document. It¡¯s impossible to do something like it¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not even a young spirit yet! How am I supposed to become a spirit emperor!? Besides, you will be in risk too standing with me! If I lose the control even once, perhaps I will end killing you!¡±


    Lia¡¯s tears began to fall in the ground. The desperation she was feeling now was too great for such a young girl.


    Aiden didn¡¯t know why fate was so cruel to Lia? What sin could she have done to deserve something like it?


    What sin had they committed to deserve such cruel fates?


    However, he knew what words Lia needed to hear now.


    Hugging her from the back, Aiden kissed softly Lia¡¯s head. Then, with a gentle tone, he spoke.


    ¡°Silly girl¡­ With your talent, what is so difficult about breakthrough to the spirit emperor realm? Your bloodline practically guarantees becoming a spirit king. From there, you only need to take one more step.¡±


    Caressing softly Lia¡¯s hair, Aiden continued hugging her body while speaking softly.


    ¡°Besides, we are together in it, Lia.¡±


    For a moment, Lia didn¡¯t answer.


    However, after a few seconds of silence, a soft voice reached to Aiden¡¯s ears.


    ¡°¡­ You promise me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Stay together, forever¡­¡±


    For a moment, Aiden made a surprised expression.


    But immediately, he answered with a smile in his face.


    ¡°¡­ Yes, I promise.¡±


    An instant later, he felt Lia¡¯s lips against his.

 Chapter 68 – Departure (IV)

    Chapter 68 ¨C Departure (IV)


    When Lia¡¯s lips touched Aiden¡¯s, a soft sensation filled Aiden¡¯s mind.


    Perhaps because the tears she spilled before, Aiden felt Lia¡¯s lips were a bit salty. Strangely, however, he found the slight salty flavor very pleasant.


    Feeling the lips touching his, a rush of excitement appeared in Aiden¡¯s mind. Instantly, the hand hugging Lia¡¯s back, began to move restlessly.


    At the same time, Lia also began to move her body; turning around to look Aiden¡¯s face, Lia smiled sweetly before kissing Aiden again.


    Compared with her last kiss, this one was more daring. Aiden felt Lia¡¯s tongue moving around his mouth, searching for something inside.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the excitement to increase. After a few seconds of kissing, Aiden felt Lia¡¯s hand moving around his body, trying to take his clothes out. But in his excitement, he didn¡¯t payed it attention.


    It only was when Lia took his shirt off when he noticed where the situation was going.


    Aiden felt an increasing amount of excitement, nervousness and a bit of panic when his shirt was taken off. Lia, however, seemed purely excited; because she didn¡¯t stop after taking Aiden¡¯s shirt. Instead, she, very slowly, took her dress off and throw it away.


    When Aiden saw the almost naked body of Lia without the dress, his thoughts paused momentarily.


    He had always known it, but Lia¡¯s body was truly perfect. Though her beauty could not be considered transcendental, the kind and gentle aura behind her actions give her a unique charm which only grows the more you look to her.


    And even in moments like this, when he found Lia¡¯s actions more daring and proactive, instead of diminishing her charm, such actions only helped to increase the sense of excitement when looking to her.


    Unable to move his gaze from her body, Aiden tried his utmost to control his thoughts. Then, gulping loudly, he spoke to her.


    ¡°Are you sure about it, Lia?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean, young master?¡± Hearing the question in Aiden¡¯s voice, Lia furrowed her brows slightly and asked back with a bit irritated tone.


    ¡°You understand it, don¡¯t you Lia? It¡¯s not guaranteed we are going to be together in a few years¡­ I¡¯m not sure of being able to follow your rate of cultivation in the future¡­¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t notice the growing dark expression on Lia¡¯s face while he spoke. With a wry expression, he tried to explain his thoughts.


    However, Lia stopped him with a hand.


    Then, with her hair covering her slightly red eyes, she said.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Just now, you promised¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Suspired Aiden. ¡°Who can know the future¡­¡±


    Lia didn¡¯t continue speaking.


    Instead, she walked towards her dress and touched it slightly with her hand.


    Aiden thought that Lia was angered by his words, so she was going to wear her dress again.


    Instead, Lia did something unexpected.


    A pair of threads wrapped around Aiden¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hearing the surprised exclamation coming from Aiden, Lia tuned slowly, this time holding a thread in her hand.


    Then, with a sweet but dangerous smile, she spoke.


    ¡°Young master, I will not allow you to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Hey Lia¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    Walking slowly and ignoring Aiden dumbfounded expression, Lia hold the thread in her hand while looking the tied Aiden with her slightly red eyes.


    ¡°Last time, last time I agreed because you were going to do the ritual next day, so it was normal for you to be nervous.¡±


    ¡°Hey Lia¨C¡±


    ¡°But this time!¡± Interrupted she. ¡°This time I will not allow you to escape!¡±


    Taking slowly her underwear, Lia closed in Aiden with her signature sweet smile. Aiden didn¡¯t know if feel scared or excited before this scene.


    ¡°Hmph! I want to see how you escape now, Aiden!¡±


    ¡°Calm down Lia, at least le¨C¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry young master, I will be gentle¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not the problem!¡±


    Touching his bare chest, Lia moved her hand through his body and deftly took off his remaining clothes. Then, holding him softly, she carried him until the bed.


    Aiden felt the sense of excitement growing in him. His mind was unable to think clearly, and when he finally was able to react, Lia¡¯s body was already above his.


    ¡°I love you, young master.¡± Said her tenderly before kissing softly his lips. Then, an immense sense of pleasure invaded him.


    ¡­


    When Aiden woke up, it was already late in the night.


    Moving his body, he was able to feel immediately Lia¡¯s weight over his arm. Turning his head, he lost himself in the beauty of his now lover.


    Currently, Lia¡¯s body seemed truly breathtaking. Seeing the soft smile in her face and her body full of sweat, Aiden felt tempted to attack her again.


    But thinking about the intense battle they had before it, he simply kissed softly her forehead and allowed her to sleep.


    To be honest, Aiden felt a bit ashamed knowing that it was necessary for her to take the initiative. Of course, such feeling disappeared when they began to roll around the bed.


    However, thinking about it now, he felt a bit sorry to Lia.


    Perhaps, the reason because he was unable to take the last step with Lia until now, was because of fear. Aiden had to admit it; he was afraid of being unable to keep Lia¡¯s pace.


    Thinking about it a bit more, Aiden attitude could also to be considered as cowardice.


    Because he feared to bet his everything in the future with Lia, he always had doubted; leaving behind a way out to one day dissapear if he was unable to maintain her pace.


    But now, such option disappeared.


    Aiden knew, tonight, he must make his resolve.


    From now onwards, if he wants to continue together the girl who gave her everything to him, he must continue without hesitating.


    Leaving the bed carefully to not awake the sleeping Lia, Aiden wore his clothes and walked outside the mansion.


    Feeling the cold nightly air against his skin, Aiden sighed.


    ¡°Strength¡­¡± He muttered.


    To not be treated like a fertilizer again.


    To be able to help Lia through her difficult journey.


    To be the saber protecting her from the dangers she will one day face.


    He needed strength.


    In his life, Aiden never had wished for strength so much like now.


    And he knew, if he wants to become stronger, the only path forward is his saber.


    Looking towards the crescent moon hanging from the sky, Aiden, for the first time in his life, swore become stronger.


    He vowed becoming someone worthy enough to deserve the tittle of Lia¡¯s ¡°young master¡±.


    ¡°It looks like you finally understand, boy. I find your current eyes more suitable for someone I taught.¡±


    Looking behind him, Aiden saw the figure of an old man walking towards him.


    Holding a leaf in his mouth, the old man walked to Aiden and raised his eyes, looking fixedly to the moon.

 Chapter 69 – Departure (V)

    Chapter 69 ¨C Departure (V)


    ¡°I like your currents eyes more, boy.¡± Said the old man. ¡°They are the eyes of a warrior.¡±


    Aiden kept silent when the old man appeared and spoke. Even when the old man stood beside him, Aiden didn¡¯t speak.


    The old man though, didn¡¯t care about it. He simply continued speaking.


    ¡°Do you know what is the reason because I taught you back then, boy?¡± Pausing slightly, the old man looked towards Aiden. When he noticed that him didn¡¯t have the intention to answer, he continued. ¡°It was because of your eyes.¡±


    The old man looked upwards, as if reminiscing about times long passed. The crescent moon, in a beautiful blue hue, seemed understand his feelings.


    ¡°When you came back then, your eyes were wild, filled with a wish to find hope amidst desperation. They were the eyes of someone who is not going to give up.¡± Said the old man with a nostalgic tone. ¡°They were the eyes I had in my youth.¡±


    ¡°But you see.¡± Continued the old man. ¡°When the years passed, your eyes changed.


    ¡°Your eyes began to carry doubt, hesitation, fear. Although you continued forward, you were losing the motivation which brought you to me.¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t refute the old smith. No, he could not refute him. Looking back to his actions, the old man was right.


    When Aiden left his old home, he was determined to find hope. Though his thoughts were na?ve, his determination was real.


    However, when he met Lia, something changed.


    Though many of the changes were good, some bad things also appeared. And one of them was fear.


    The most he fell in love with Lia, the most he feared being left behind by her.


    The insecurity of not possessing a spirit, of being unable to cultivate, began to take root inside his heart.


    Looking back to the events in the room, perhaps Lia had noticed the feelings inside him.


    ¡°You see boy, the most important thing in the road to be a powerhouse is not only talent. It¡¯s also determination


    ¡°A talented person will advance quickly in his path, but without enough determination, they only need a setback to destroy completely his path.


    ¡°I hope you can maintain your feelings tonight always in your heart, boy. When the time comes, and you find yourself lost, I hope that your determination helps you to find the right answer.¡±


    Aiden didn¡¯t interrupt the old man words. Instead, he heard carefully and thought about them.


    Is his determination enough? Aiden doesn¡¯t know. But he knows that he wants to be with Lia forever. And he also knows, if he wants to be with Lia, he must become strong enough to follow her footsteps.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Lia have an incredible talent inside her, pushing her to a greater cultivation realm. If she doesn¡¯t die, she is almost guaranteed to become a spirit king; and with a bit of luck, a spirit emperor.


    And when that say comes, Aiden hopes to be beside her, looking together the world from the top.


    It certainly will be difficult, but as the old man said, it wasn¡¯t enough with talent, determination was equally necessary.


    Aiden already have the talent. Now he must act with determination.


    Looking towards the old man whose sight was fixed in the moon, Aiden lowered his head and spoke after a lot of thought.


    ¡°You know old man, when I learned than you used us to warn the influences in the town, I was very angry. I even felt a bit betrayed.


    ¡°But you see, after thinking about it, I finally realized something.¡±


    With his gaze towards the ground, Aiden bowed his body respectfully. Then, before the astonished gaze of the old man, he spoke.


    ¡°Old man, I¡¯m grateful by the help that me and Lia received through the years we spent in this town. I thank you for teaching me blacksmithing and for helping us when we were injured.


    ¡°Perhaps, I will be unable to repay you soon, but I will always keep your kindness in my heart, teacher.¡±


    For a moment, the place remained silent.


    The old man, surprised from Aiden¡¯s words, looked aside. Then, taking something from his clothes, he threw it towards Aiden.


    ¡°Take it, boy. I hope that my teachings are able to help you in your path.¡±


    Looking to the object throw by the old man, Aiden noticed it was a small handbook, but when he tried to open it, the old man stopped him.


    ¡°Not yet. Wait until after leaving the town, then open it.¡±


    Looking towards the night sky, the old man waved his hand.


    ¡°Boy, perhaps you will not use my techniques again in your life. However, I hope you never forget about the things I taught you. And if you have the opportunity, pass my knowledge to someone else. It¡¯s the only thing you have to do if you want to repay me.


    ¡°Now go.¡± Said the old man with a smile in his face. ¡°It¡¯s not good if you are away when the girl wakes up.¡±


    Bowing once else towards the old man, Aiden guarded the handbook in his spatial ring. Then, with a ¡°Goodbye, teacher.¡± He left the place.


    Only the lonely figure of an old man stayed behind.


    ¡­


    At the next morning, Aiden and an excessively clingy Lia were together before the doors of the town.


    Carrying almost nothing with them besides Aiden¡¯s saber, a pouch and two rings, the pair of lovers crossed the door, leaving behind the town where they spend two years of their lives.


    Feeling a bit nostalgic, both Aiden and Lia looked back towards the town constantly. Deep in their hearts, they knew that in a long time, they would not be able to see this town again.


    But though they knew it, they never stopped their footsteps.


    Looking from the town walls to the pair of figures departing, two old men were standing silently, not speaking by a long time.


    With a wry smile in his face, Felm Birntem looked towards the back of his old friend, then with a sigh, he asked.


    ¡°Are you sure about it, old man? He is your only disciple alive.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s fine. He doesn¡¯t need to know about it, and I hope he never does¡­¡± With an expression of sadness in his face, Brake Hillheart sighed slowly ¡°Hey old Felm, I hope you can help the boy a little. You don¡¯t need to maintain an eye on him. But if you know that he is in problems, I hope that you assist him a bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯m relieved hearing about it.¡±


    Looking towards the scenery beyond the wall, the two old men reminisced about the past. Back then, they were hotblooded and ignorant youths; filled with dreams about the future and traveling around the continent together.


    But fate is a cruel thing. Today, many years later, their beloved was dead, one of them was exiled after trying to take revenge, and the other, despite his powerful strength and influence, was unable to do something to help them.


    And even now, he is unable to make his friend forget about the ones who kill his beloved.


    ¡­ Even if he knows that they will not spare Brake¡¯s life once more if he tries to take revenge again.


    While thinking about the past, the two old men looked behind them. A youth had appeared suddenly, walking strangely out from the shadows.


    With a serious expression, the youth, Han Birntem looked to the two powerful figures standing in the wall and spoke in a respectful tone.


    ¡°Masters, someone localized the supreme emptiness flame.¡±


    Hearing it, the two old men looked each other, and sighed simultaneously.


    ¡°It looks like things will become very chaotic soon¡­¡±

 Chapter 70 – Growing Chaos, Bloody Future (End of Book 1)

    Chapter 70 ¨C Growing Chaos, Bloody Future (End of Book 1)


    In a luxurious mansion inside the town of Cali, a middle-aged man was standing before a window, looking the outside scenery and contemplating the events of the last few days.


    Behind him, a dark-skinned youth was kneeling on the ground, with his head lowered. Even though the middle-aged man hadn¡¯t spoke from the moment when he entered, the youth didn¡¯t dare to speak.


    The silence lasted for almost five minutes, and the middle-aged man continued looking to the outside. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t interested in speaking with the youth.


    However, when the youth thought that he would have to remain kneeling for a long time, the man finally spoke.


    ¡°We lost three shadows and a talented disciple that night, Ray. Is there something you want say?¡±


    ¡°Elder I¨C¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Ordered the man. ¡°You have not right to make excuses!¡±


    Though the dark-skinned youth, Ray Crow, was angry to the middle-aged man words, he didn¡¯t dare to answer.


    After all, he knew that this time he was in the wrong.


    Looking the expression in Ray¡¯s face, Rouss Crow seemed know what he was thinking. Precisely because it, he was disappointed by the boy behavior.


    ¡°We are members of the Crow family, Ray. Our actions are directly related with our family¡¯s honor.¡±


    Turning around and looking to the kneeling youth, Elder Rouss extended his hands and spoke. ¡°When I learned about your orders to capture a girl, I disagreed. But you promised me that everything would be fine.


    ¡°Look now, we lost four of our men to a pair of kids, and the city lord warned about taking revenge. The city lord found an excuse to pressure us and the spectating clans are laughing from our misfortune.¡±


    ¡°But you know what is the most laughable of this situation?¡± Continued the middle-aged man. ¡°The reason because this happened was because you took a liking to a girl!¡±


    ¡°Is it not enough with the girls you had destroyed in our territory!?¡± Shouted Elder Rouss. Rage evident in his face.


    Ray could only grit his teeth, unable to answer.


    Seeing it, Rouss Crow simply shook his head.


    ¡°Get out. You are not allowed to leave the mansion before the mission begins. I informed the clan about it, and they decided to send your elder sister to be in charge of the mission from now onwards. When she comes, you have to obey her orders.¡±


    Hearing it, an astonished expression appeared in Ray¡¯s face. But before he could refute, the Elder interrupted him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You cannot object. The decision had been done.¡±


    Hearing it, an enraged expression appeared on Ray¡¯s face. Then, punching angrily the ground, he left the study.


    In his mind, he was cursing the ones responsible for it to die a horrible dead.


    When the youth left, Elder Rouss simply shook his head, then, with a sigh, he spoke to himself.


    ¡°How is it possible for you to surpass your sister if you are unable to do something so simple like collecting information without causing troubles?¡±


    ¡­


    From the east entrance of the border town of Cali, a pair of hooded men entered silently.


    With the amount of people coming to the town recently, the two men didn¡¯t attracted attention. After all, even odder people had appeared in the last few days.


    Walking around the town, the two hooded men located an inn and reserved a room. Then, closing the door of their room, they confirmed that it was impossible for someone to eavesdrop their talk.


    ¡°Had it been confirmed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Said one of the two men. ¡°The appearance described coincides perfectly with the information inside our database.¡±


    ¡°Is it so? We must hurry then. The sooner we capture her, the best it is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I already sent someone to investigate her current location.¡±


    Hiding the craziness inside their eyes with their hoods, the two men smiled excitedly and spoke in an upbeat tone.


    ¡°Finally, we can realize our revenge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, with her, it will be possible to avenge all our fallen companions.¡±


    ¡°Our greatest creation.¡±


    ¡°¡°ALEGRIA¡±¡±


    ¡­


    Inside the lost forest, a beautiful girl around twelve years old was seated on a tree branch.


    With a mostly lustrous violet hair, the girl was swinging her legs cheerfully like an innocent kid. Her greenish blue eyes twinkled in curiosity and her happy smiled was the finishing touch in her fairy-like appearance.


    Looking to the ground, the girl pouted briefly and crossed her arms. Then, with a scolding tone resembling a displeased kid, the girl spoke.


    ¡°Hmph! Another ugly man trying to hurt me! Do they think I¡¯m so easy to bully?¡±


    Jumping from the branch, the girl looked once more to the sight below the tree. Then, with a movement from her back, she flew away using the pair of transparent wings which suddenly appeared in her back.


    On the ground, the burned body of a man was lying while wearing a frightened expression.


    ¡­


    A blue haired woman was bathing in a lake located inside the lost forest.


    The scenery around the lake was very beautiful; filled with trees and flowers blooming in all their splendor. It could be considered a dreamlike place.


    However, a very frightening thing was occurring currently.


    Around the woman, an ice-cold mist was spreading without stop, freezing the lake¡¯s water, the forest¡¯s plants and killing all the living creatures in the surroundings.


    The woman however, ignored the strange oddity occurring around her. Instead, she simply continued cleaning her body, washing the blood on her skin using the freezing water around her.


    In her back, a frightening wound, which would have killed any ordinary human, was festering.


    And around the wound, a terrifying purple was spreading.


    The fact that the woman was alive despite the terrifying wound and poison in her body, could be considered a miracle.


    ¡­


    In an airship going to the border city of Cali, a young woman was standing while looking to the scenery in the surroundings.


    Her beautiful short hair, a mix between gold and black, was the main proof of her lineage. And her eyes, tinted with a beautiful golden, were as expressionless as her face.


    The reason because she was coming to the town, was to fulfill the orders from the family head, and search for the supreme emptiness flame.


    She could not imagine that the boy she was searching for so long, had just left the place where she was going.


    Neither could she know how much he suffered during the years he spent away from home.


    While thinking about her sweetheart, who left the clan behind after suffering a tragic fate, the girl could not help but sigh.


    Her name, was Sia Noah¡­

 Reminiscence 1 – A Destined Meeting

    Reminiscence 1 ¨C A Destined Meeting


    A little girl was running with all her strength.


    With her face filled with mud and her clothes torn in many places, the girl continued running, escaping from the men chasing after her while laughing wildly.


    The girl, though dirty, could be considered beautiful. Her beautiful white hair was easily affected by the dust. And her face, though covered in tears, was small and delicate, showing from a small age her beautiful countenance.


    However, such beauty could be also considered a calamity.


    Behind her, a group of men was running while laughing. Their laughs were obscene, and their intentions evil. They were ordered to get rid of the cursed girl, but no one said anything about how they had to do it.


    The girl continued running, growing tired with the long chase. The men, however, only grew more excited, satisfying a sadistic desire seeing a helpless girl running from them.


    But after running another few meters, the girl finally fell.


    Her legs were unable to continue moving. And her body, lacking nutrition for days, was unable to give her more strength.


    But even knowing it, the girl tried to stand up.


    She knew what was going to be her fate if she was captured. She feared the men coming after her.


    However, before she could stand again, a hand grabbed her by the neck.


    ¡°Haha, boss! I finally grabbed the little witch!¡±


    With an obscene laugh, a languid man raised Lia and showed her to his companions. Like if seeing a trophy, the men in the surroundings laughed boisterously together with him.


    ¡°Boss, we were ordered to get rid of the girl, but there¡¯s no problem if we play with her a bit, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, of course! Such a cute girl! If not because she is cursed, she probably would sell nicely to a brothel! She is definitively a top quality good!¡±


    ¡°But boss! What if we are cursed after playing with her?¡±


    ¡°Idiot! What do you know!? I heard that the curse only works in her! Apparently, she becomes crazy and begins to kill all the things around her regularly.¡±


    ¡°Oooh! Then, there¡¯s no problem if we play with her?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! But I will be the first one to enjoy the little girl. You can use her later.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Hearing the words of the men around her, the little girls began to despair. A voice inside her mind began to whisper thoughts of destruction. She wanted to deny them, but the situation around her only increased her negative thoughts.


    Why!? Why was she cursed!? What did she do to deserve it!? She didn¡¯t know, all her life had been filled with suffering.


    While one of the men began to take off her clothes, the little girl¡¯s eyes began to turn red. The rage and desperation inside her continued increasing, and a desire for destruction appeared in her mind.


    But before losing her mind to the demon¡¯s whispers, something happened.


    ¡°I hate trash like you the most!¡± An enraged and childish voice resounded.


    With the glow from a blade, a boy around twelve years old appeared behind the men. Then, waving the weapon in his hand. He began to attack.


    The boy was incredible. Though the girl didn¡¯t know how he was doing it, she saw how he killed every one of the men chasing after her. Even the leader, despite struggling bitterly, was only able to resist two attacks.


    In less than two minutes, everything was already quiet.


    When the girl saw the boy with a weapon in his hand, while surrounded by the bodies of dead men, she thought that he seemed the hero of a history.


    In comparison, she was nothing more than a beggar.


    A cursed beggar.


    Looking towards the girl, the boy walked to her. The girl thought that the boy seemed sad, but she could not understand why. How was it possible for a hero to be sad?


    The boy, however, didn¡¯t seem to mind her gaze. Instead, he sheathed his weapon and asked.


    ¡°Are you fine?¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°What is a little girl like you doing in a place like this?¡± Said the boy. ¡°We are far from the town. Where is your home? I can accompany you if you want.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a home.¡± Said the girl, to the surprise of the youth.


    After a moment of silence, the youth opened his mouth. ¡°I neither.¡± Said him. ¡°I left my home long ago.¡±


    For a moment, the place was silent. The boy and girl, surrounded by a scene of carnage, formed an eerie image able to frighten any passerby.


    The boy thought about leaving. However, when he looked at the girl, he was reminded of how he was treated in his home. For some reason, he thought that the girl and he were very similar.


    ¡°Tell me, do you want to come with me?¡± Said the boy, after thinking for a moment.


    When the girl heard it, a surprised expression appeared on her face. However, it was quickly replaced by a depressed one.


    With a shake of her head, the girl said: ¡°No.¡±


    Apparently surprised by the answer, the boy looked to the girl strangely. However, he quickly moved his gaze. While looking to the surroundings, he asked.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m cursed.¡± Said the girl, after hesitating for a moment. ¡°I had hurt the ones in my surroundings. Everybody says that I¡¯m a bringer of misfortune.¡±


    The girl looked downwards, suppressing the tears threatening to leave her eyes. She spoke softly.


    ¡°They put something inside me. It¡¯s in my head, stitched with something inside.¡±


    When the boy heard it, a feeling of pity emerged in his heart.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he thought that he had to help the girl. He felt sad when he saw her crying.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Said him gently. ¡°After all, I already had all the misfortune possible¡­ My family discarded me and someone took my most precious thing.¡±


    With a sad face, the boy looked at the girl and extended his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be more unfortunate than I am. So, why don¡¯t you come with me?¡±


    Seeing the hand extended towards her, the girl doubted for a moment.


    The boy continued trying to convince her, saying things about buying her clothes and eating tasty things. However, the girl seemed to distrust his words.


    Until finally, the girl accepted his hand.


    ¡°Hahaha, very well! From now onwards, you are my attendant! What is your name?¡±


    For a moment, the girl didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Name? She doesn¡¯t have one. Nobody gave her a name.


    Then, she remembered how the scary men called her inside that scary place.


    Yes. Surely, it was her name¡­


    ¡°Lia.¡± Said her. ¡°My name is Lia.¡±

 Reminiscence 2 – A Girls Lost Dream

    Chapter 70.2 ¨C A Girl¡¯s Lost Dream


    ¡°Father surely hates me now¡­¡±


    With a crying expression, a little girl was seated beside a beautiful pond of clear water.


    The pond was filled with flowers. Lotuses, of many different colors, adorned the pond¡¯s surface, creating an image akin to a paradise. Small fishes swam below the lotus flowers, playing around and creating beautiful scenes with their brilliant colors.


    But the little girl, seated beside the pond, was unable to appreciate the pond¡¯s beauty. She was too sad to appreciate the beautiful colors found in her favorite place.


    This was not the first time that the girl came here. Every time she feels sad or is happy, she comes to the pond to express her emotions. It had become her exclusive place in the clan¡¯s grounds.


    But lately, the only times when the girl comes to the pond, it¡¯s because she is sad.


    Today, she failed to meet her father¡¯s expectations again.


    However, there was nothing she could do about it.


    When she was born, all the clan was shocked. Her mother said that she was born a genius. Her almost golden hair was the proof of possessing a spirit of the highest class. Because of it, her father had always expected great things from her.


    However, his expectations had been betrayed.


    Even after ten years, the girl had been unable to absorb the slightest amount of energy.


    Moreover, she was unable to use any weapon. No matter how her father tried to teach her, the girl was unable to understand how to use it.


    Swords, spears, sabers, claws; the girl was unable to use any weapon. Instead, she had to be careful of not ending injured after waving a weapon recklessly. Even now, some cuts had appeared on her legs due to an accident using a sword.


    The girl didn¡¯t know the reason. Maybe it is because she is untalented? Surely, it must be the reason.


    Thinking about the look of her father in the morning, the girl could not help tearing up. She was trying. Every morning, she tried to absorb energy. However, the energy doesn¡¯t obey her. No matter how she tries, the energy doesn¡¯t come near.


    But her father, he said that it was because she wasn¡¯t trying hard enough.


    The other kids too, they all bullied her! She wasn¡¯t useless! She also wants to cultivate like the children her age!


    Rubbing her eyes with a hand, the girl tried to clean the tears flowing in her cheeks. She wanted to meet her father expectations, but perhaps, she was truly unable¡­


    ¡°Huh? Someone else is already here?¡±


    Hearing a childish voice coming from behind her, the girl jumped up surprised. Looking behind her, a boy around her age was standing there while tilting his head.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Like her, the boy was around ten years old. He wasn¡¯t very tall, as most boys his age. However, his gaze was filled with innocence. It was at the point where the girl was unable to apart her gaze once she saw his eyes.


    But when she saw his appearance, she immediately discerned his identity.


    In the clan, only a child could be seen carrying a saber around. Moreover, it was impossible to not notice his almost red hair. It was perhaps his most distinctive feature after his eyes.


    She had heard about him. Among the children, he was considered the most outstanding.


    According to his mother, he was born with a spirit on the same level as hers. His almost red hair was proof enough of his spirit¡¯s strength.


    But different from her, he was a true genius.


    At ten years old, he already reached core-forming. And his talent with the saber is even more incredible. In a fight, no child is able to win against him.


    Seeing the boy standing before her, the little girl was unable to hide her astonishment.


    However, the boy¡¯s next words were enough to wake her up from her reverie.


    ¡°Hey, were you crying?¡±


    When the girl heard the boy¡¯s words, she was filled with embarrassment. Turning around, she tried to clean the tears in her face. But in her hurry, she ended up falling in the pond¡¯s water.


    Feeling the cold water in her clothes, and seeing the boy looking at her while flabbergasted, the little girl was unable to continue suppressing her emotions.


    ¡°Uhaaaa¡­!!!¡± With a pitiful expression, the girl began to cry while standing in the pond.


    ¡°H-Hey, c-c¡¯mon, don¡¯t cry¡­ I-I won¡¯t speak of it to someone else! H-Hey, don¡¯t cry!¡±


    Unable to process the events which happened, the boy tried to calm the girl desperately. However, it only provoked more tears from the girl.


    After almost an hour, the girl finally stopped crying. The boy helped her to dry his clothes. Taking off the jacket he was using, he lent it to her. Then, he sat beside her and began to throw stones in the pond.


    The two kids kept silent while looking at the pond. Seated together, the boy continued throwing stones while the girl hid her face with her arms. For a time, neither of them spoke.


    But after a few minutes, the girl, muffling her voice with her arms, finally was unable to maintain the silence.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said the boy with a brilliant smile on his face. ¡°Mother taught me to help when someone is in trouble, and you seemed very troubled, so¡­¡±


    After thinking for a moment, the boy looked at the girl and asked curiously.


    ¡°Hey, why were you crying?¡±


    The girl continued hiding her face between her arms. However, after a few seconds, she began to speak.


    ¡°I failed again¡­¡±


    With a depressed tone, the little girl began to speak. She spoke about many things. Her father, her training, how she was unable to use any weapon. How the others kid laughed at her.


    Being a child, the girl had repressed her emotions for too long of a time. So, finding finally someone to speak, she was unable to stop once she began.


    The boy, however, didn¡¯t try to stop her words. Instead, he heard every word without interrupting. With a smile on his face, he allowed her to complain for a long time. When she finally noticed, it was already late.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Said the little girl softly. ¡°I made you heard me until late.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said the boy with a shake of his head and a small smile. ¡°It was entertaining.¡±


    Then, looking towards the pond, he touched his saber and asked:


    ¡°Do you want to train with me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I discovered this place yesterday and thought that it was very nice. So, I decided to train my Saber here. If you want, you can train with me. Perhaps, I can help you with your training.¡±


    Hearing it, the girl made a surprise expression. However, she quickly nodded her head repeatedly. ¡°Yes! I want!¡± Said her.


    ¡°You can come then. I will come after lunch when my training with brother ends. Then, I will teach you how to use the saber¡­ Oh right, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Sia¡­¡± Said the girl softly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Sia. I¡¯m Aiden.¡±


    Then, with a smile, he extended his hand towards her.


    ¡­


    When Sia Noah woke up, a luxurious room entered at her sight.


    Observing the entire room with a lost face, the girl looked around to confirm her surroundings. Then, with a sigh, she spoke.


    ¡°It was a dream, huh¡­¡±


    Thinking about the boy in her memories, she suppressed the sadness inside her.


    ¡°At the end, you were unable to teach me the saber, Aiden¡­¡±

 Intermission 1 – A Conversation Beyond Mortals

    Intermission 1 ¨C A World Beyond Mortals


    In a mountain somewhere in the continent, a handsome man was seated while drinking a cup of wine.


    Around him, an expanse of green extended towards the horizon. No human had ever reached this place. This was a beautiful virgin forest untouched by civilization.


    While drinking the cup of wine, the man observed his surroundings. His eyes seemed to look through the most profound mysteries; and his hair, as dark as the darkest night, waved softly on the presence of the chilly wind.


    On his laps, a pair of beautiful swords emitted a soft crimson hue. The swords emitted a soft and calming presence, completely different from a normal weapon. But it only helped to increase the gentlemanly mannerism of the man.


    With a smile on his face, he raised the cup to his mouth and spoke with a casual tone.


    ¡°Come out if you are already here. I dislike people observing me in secret.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I apologize, your highness. It was not my intention to disturb you.¡±


    Looking at the chubby woman appearing suddenly from nowhere, the man only gestured with his hand for the woman to sit. Then, looking towards the captivating scenery, he waved the cup in his hand and sighed softly.


    ¡°Truly a captivating world. I find hard to believe that such a world remained unknown for such a long time. Tell me, is it your doing?¡±


    Feeling the man set his gaze on her, the chubby woman trembled slightly. She didn¡¯t dare to answer his question nor face his gaze. Instead, she only lowered his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said the man. ¡°I don''t have interest in making things difficult for you. Instead, I¡¯m more interested in the changes you made to the world. I can only sigh in admiration to the laws behind such modification¡­ It was also your doing, right?


    This time, the pressure behind the man¡¯s gaze increased suddenly. The chubby woman felt her soul leaving her body. Though she was powerful beyond imagination, compared to the being beside her, her strength was as good as insignificant.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In the end, she could only nod.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Smiled he. ¡°Though I¡¯m stronger than you, I find impossible to use my strength to do something like it. Sowing seeds to share the laws and harvesting the laws once they have grown enough. Such method to comprehend the laws is something bordering the impossible. Perhaps, the only reason because you were able to succeed, is precisely because your true form is not a human.¡±


    Hearing the man words, the woman shuddered in fright. To think he was able to see through her disguise so easily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. Through your disguise is flawless, you cannot deceive fate. I was able to see through you from the first time I came to this world.¡±


    Smiling softly, the man looked at the clouds floating around the mountain. Then, with a sip of his wine, he asked.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Erde.¡± Answered her. ¡°My children gave me that name.¡±


    ¡°Is it so? Very fitting.¡±


    Staring at the woman seated behind him, the man smiled and signaled with his hand.


    ¡°You see, Erde. That boy has a bit of relation with me. Because of it, I cannot allow you to hurt him. So, I must forbid you from acting. I don¡¯t mind the method you use to cultivate or how you go harvesting the seeds you sowed around. However, the boy is off-limits.¡±


    Hearing the words of the man, Erde sighed in obvious relief. Then, looking beyond the mountains, she spoke, this time noticeably calmer. ¡°You misunderstand, your highness. Though I certainly interfered with the natural laws governing this world and gifted seeds to both beast and humans, in the end, I can be considered a nature spirit. My personality is kind by nature. What reason I have to interfere now?¡±


    ¡°Is it so?¡± Smiled the man. ¡°Even if the boy grows outside your system? If he reaches transcendence, it¡¯s possible for him to fight you, you know.¡±


    ¡°That is not going to happen.¡± Said Erde. ¡°After all, I never hurt anyone. Even if he dislikes the seeds inside his companion, he hasn¡¯t a motive to attack me. After all, I didn¡¯t intend to hurt her. I have enough time to wait. The seed will eventually return to me; even if I have to wait thousands of years.¡±


    Looking at the chubby woman expression, the man smiled softly. ¡°You are right. I don¡¯t know of any creature able to surpass the lifespan of a world.


    ¡°Very well, Erde. You can go now. I guess I will wait for my wives for a bit.¡±


    Tera looked the man¡¯s back after hearing his words. Then, standing up, she bowed slightly.


    ¡°Many thanks, your highness. If not for you, I would have to wait for a long time before getting an irregularity. With him, perhaps I will be able to perfect my system.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t have to thank me, I did nothing. The boy has the talent, I only gave the last push¡­ Besides, he is not the only irregularity in this world.¡±


    ¡°You are right.¡± Said the woman. ¡°But he is different from the others. In the end, the first irregularity was born from the world, so I¡¯m unable to give her my seed. As for the second¡­ She was an accident. She is inside the system yet¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is it so?¡±


    Smiling softly, the man gulped the last bit of wine in his cup. Then, with a sigh, he stretched his body.


    The chubby woman, Erde, had already left the place.

 Chapter 71 – Sia Noah

    Chapter 71 ¨C Sia Noah


    A girl with short gold and dark hair was walking through the corridors of a mansion in the border town of Cali.


    With a beautiful white and golden short dress covering her body, the beautiful girl kept an emotionless face. Many servants bowed around her after seeing her figure.


    With fast and serious steps, the girl ignored all the servants in her surroundings. She only continued walking, not changing her expression in the sightless. From a few years ago, it had become common seeing her not showing any emotion.


    After a few minutes, the girl reached to a study ubicated in the mansion¡¯s second floor. Knocking the door to show her respects, she waited for the order to enter. Then, with a curt tone, she asked.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    In the study, three people could be seen. The first two were an old man and a middle-aged man. They were the elders sent by the clan to take over this mission.


    Though the girl kept her expressionless face, her gaze was respectful when speaking to the elders. After all, though she was nominally the current heir of the clan, her personal strength was nothing compared to the two men.


    The third people, though, was different. It was a young man of around eighteen years old.


    As every Noah classman, the young man''s hair had two different colors; black and white. The girl knew that he was one of the two disciples sent to acquire information about the supreme emptiness flame. His name, if her memory was right, was Allen Noah.


    ¡°We have a problem, little Sia.¡± Said one of the elders, the elderly one. ¡°Apparently, one of ours disciples disappeared a few nights ago. According to this disciple, he went to spectate a fight three nights ago and didn¡¯t return.¡±


    Frowning slightly, the girl, Sia, kept her expression unreadable after hearing the information. Looking to the young man, she asked emotionlessly.


    ¡°Why was he alone? What reason he had to spectate a fight? They had orders to not leave the mansion if it was not necessary.¡±


    Sensing the gaze of the girl against him, the boy shuddered slightly and lowered his head. Apparently, he was unable to give an acceptable excuse.


    ¡°The disciple who disappeared is called Clearance, young miss.¡± Said the other elder. ¡°He is famous for being fickle in his missions and seeking thrilling experiences. It¡¯s not the first time he left while completing a mission; however, he always tried to return quickly. His companion thought that this time would be the same, so he didn¡¯t restrict his behavior.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not an excuse to condone his faults.¡± Refuted Sia in a calm tone. ¡°He had the responsibility to restrict his companion¡¯s behavior. In this situation, he is equally at fault.¡±


    Nobody denied Sia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is the disciple dead?¡± Asked Sia again.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Said the middle-aged elder in a soft tone. ¡°The city lord refuses to give any information. Besides, we don¡¯t have any information about the responsible either.¡±


    ¡°And the other families in the town?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the city lord didn¡¯t allow to observe the battle. The only information we have is that one of the parties fighting was apparently a young generation¡¯s member using saber manifestation.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Saber manifestation?¡± With an expression of surprise on her face, Sia looked to the elders to confirm the words.


    ¡°Yes. We tried searching information about him, but nobody knows about a young genius able to use saber manifestation in the surroundings. Besides, the city lord refuses to speak about him.¡±


    Hearing it, a pondering expression appears in Sia¡¯s emotionless face. Then, looking towards the young man lowering the head, she asked in a curt tone.


    ¡°Do you know anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No.¡± Answered the youth, Allen Noah. ¡°But Clearance said that he was going to hunt a fox.¡±


    ¡°A fox?¡±


    Unable to understand the meaning behind the words, Sia looks towards the middle-aged elder. Then, with an expressionless face, she asked.


    ¡°What are we going to do, elder?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Answered him. ¡°We can only investigate about the responsible and try to find any clue. Meanwhile, we must perform the mission that we were entrusted.¡±


    Looking towards the expressionless girl in the door, the middle-aged elder sighed and spoke helplessly.


    ¡°The supreme emptiness flame was apparently sighted a few days ago in the lost forest. However, the city lord forbade anyone in the spirit materializing<sup>spirit teacher</sup> stage or above from entering the forest. Only the young generation is allowed to enter and search for it.¡±


    ¡°He had the authority to do it?¡± Asked Sia strangely.


    ¡°No. But he¡¯s strong enough. Nobody wants to offend a spirit king so easily. Besides, the conditions can be considered fair, so all the influences currently in town are planning to follow his orders.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Very well, I understand.¡± Said Sia after thinking for a moment. ¡°I will be entering the forest after asking for information in the surroundings.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Information?¡± Asked the elder. ¡°We already have all the information relevant to the mission.¡±


    Hearing the elder¡¯s question, Sia hesitated slightly. But in the end, she decided to speak.


    ¡°There is a branch of Heavens¡¯ Net in this town. I¡¯m planning to ask if they have information about Aiden.¡±


    Immediately, an expression of displeasure appeared in the elder¡¯s face.


    ¡°Young miss! Is searching for him in our kingdom not enough!? Forget about that boy. He already is not part of the clan.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± For the first time, the expression on Sia¡¯s face changed.


    With a gaze filled with fury, she looked towards the elder; forgetting the respect she was supposed to use. ¡°If it¡¯s not because of you, how can he dare to leave the clan!?¡±


    ¡°It was for the clan¡¯s sake! Besides, he agreed to it!¡±


    ¡°You forced him! He was supposed to¨C¡°


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s enough.¡± Interrupted the middle-aged elder. Though his voice was calm, it exuded an unprecedented authority. ¡°Sia, you must respect the clan¡¯s elders.¡±


    Shaking his head, the younger elder looked to Sia with a complex gaze before sighing helplessly. ¡°Go, you can investigate if you want. But little Sia, you must know that bringing the young master back will not be good for him. Are you sure about doing it?¡±


    ¡°I will not abandon him. Not like you did. If someone wants to hurt him back in the clan, then I will be sure to protect him personally!¡±


    When the middle-aged elder saw the expression on Sia¡¯s face, he knew that it was impossible to change her mind. With a shake of his head, he simply waved his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be late. The young princess will be coming with you on this mission. She will be here before night.¡±


    Sia didn¡¯t bother to hide her anger after hearing the elder words. ¡°What is she doing here!? Elders, you know very well what I think about her!¡±


    With a sigh, the elder smiled bitterly before speaking. ¡°Little Sia, you must show respect to the royal family. The clan head ordered it, you must obey.


    ¡°*Sigh* Little Sia. At times, it¡¯s necessary to compromise for the greater good. If you don¡¯t want to obey the words of someone else, then you simply must become stronger.¡±


    Hearing it, Sia clenched strongly her teeth. Then, turning around, she left the study without speaking again.


    The elder¡¯s last words continued resounding in her mind.

 Chapter 72 – A Week

    Chapter 72 ¨C A Week


    Besides a lake, a youth was currently seated with his eyes closed. On his legs, a small book filled with explanations and images was opened.


    Only a bit of sunlight fell between the threes¡¯ leaves, but it was enough to warm the youth and relax his body. After a day of traveling through the forest, the small rest could be considered well deserved.


    It had been a week from the day when Aiden and Lia left the town of Cali. The pair, following Old Fern¡¯s advice, decided to travel through the lost forest towards the place where the ancient tomb had been discovered. Though the place was deep inside the lost forest, the pair had around two years to reach there, so they were pretty relaxed during the travel.


    As the old man said, the lost forest was a pretty good place to train. After all, a great number of demonic beasts inhabited the forest together with abundant natural resources. It created a perfect place which allowed to fight and gather resources constantly, increasing the battle experience and speed of cultivation greatly.


    For Aiden, such a place was perfect to increase quickly his strength. After all, He and Lia lacked the resources available in large clans, so they only could opt to search for them inside the forest. Besides, only enough combat experience can help Aiden to possibly have a hope of completing his cultivation method.


    Of course, they had to be able to survive inside the forest before it.


    Fortunately, though the tomb was located in the forest, it wasn¡¯t in the most dangerous part of it. Instead, it was in a relatively safe area.


    But though the place was relatively safe, Aiden knew better to not underestimating the forest.


    After all, it was normal for a powerful demonic to beast appear suddenly in the forest¡¯s outskirts; and such cases were even more frequent the deeper you were in.


    The last few days spent in the forest could be considered pretty relaxing to the pair. Aside from a few reckless beasts who attacked them during the travel, they didn¡¯t find any problem.


    Aiden, of course, welcomed such situation. After all, though the main reason because he entered the forest was to train, he had to admit that their current relaxed travel had helped him to calm his emotions after the events in the town.


    Feeling the soft breeze caressing his face, Aiden relaxed completely his body while feeling the afternoon sun in his skin. They had reached this lake a few hours ago, and after seeing it, the pair decided to use the place to camp during the night.


    A few minutes later, Aiden finally set the camp up. The task of setting the camp had become easier after receiving a few gadgets from the old smith. The fact that the camp was very comfy added a few plus points to it.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Lia, for her part, was currently preparing dinner. The lost forest wasn¡¯t a place lacking in food, so the pair only brought a few seasonings with them during the travel. Aiden had to admit that a spacious storage space was very convenient when traveling. After all, they simply had to store the things they were going to need during the time traveling without fear of being unable to transport it.


    Opening slightly his eyes, Aiden drew a deep breath before exhaling lazily. He already was able to smell the food. Lia probably was going to finish soon.


    With a small smile in his face, Aiden looked towards the place where she was cooking. Currently, she was wearing serious expression while testing the food¡¯s taste


    His relationship with Lia was another thing going well lately. After that night in the city lord¡¯s mansion, Aiden and Lia had become even closer than before. They practically spend all the time laughing and teasing each other.


    It would be good if such days could last forever. With such thought in his mind, Aiden looked towards the book in his legs.


    The book that Aiden was currently reading was the one given by the old man the night before leaving the town. Aiden had been studying it every time he had a bit of time. He had read the book two times, but even so, he continued finding it interesting.


    The book didn¡¯t have a title, and neither was it very long. However, its content was very profound. Aiden was sure that the book¡¯s worth was incredibly great; even comparable with a top cultivation method.


    The book could be considered a blacksmithing manual, but its contents were enough to leave Aiden astonished. He wasn¡¯t sure about the number of times he ended lost in thoughts after reading a bit about it.


    Unfortunately, the book wasn¡¯t very useful to Aiden.


    After all, though Aiden learned blacksmithing for a short time, it was only with the purpose to investigate about spirits. Currently, he doesn¡¯t have enough time to delve into blacksmithing, no matter how profound it is.


    The only reason because he continues reading it, is because of the old man¡¯s words.


    Giving a last look at the book, Aiden closed it before storing it in his spatial ring.


    At some time, Lia had appeared behind him, waiting for him to read the book. She was carrying the food with her. Apparently, she had finished cooking the food while he was reading.


    With a soft smile on her face, she sat beside Aiden before handing a plate of food to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the wait, young master.¡±


    Receiving the food, Aiden smiled slightly towards Lia. ¡°Thanks, I was already hungry.¡±


    The pair began to eat practically immediately. After all, a day of walking through the forest was very taxing to the body. Even Aiden and Lia, being cultivators, found themselves hungry constantly.


    None of them spoke a word during the meal. The atmosphere, however, didn¡¯t become awkward. Instead, Aiden and Lia ate while smiling softly, enjoying the company of each other.


    Half an hour later, when the pair finished their meal, they began to wash the dishes.


    Looking at the scene of Lia washing the dishes with a smile on her face, Aiden again thought about how nice it would be if they could live like this forever.


    ¡°Y-Young master, don¡¯t stare so much¡­¡± With a small blush on her face, Lia spoke after noticing Aiden¡¯s gaze set in her.


    Smiling softly, Aiden simply caressed Lia¡¯s face softly. Then, moving softly his head, he kissed slowly her lips.


    ¡°You were very cute just now¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Young master, at least wait until later¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Now that you said it, I think we can finish it tomorrow.¡± And with an evil smirk on his face, he carried Lia towards the tent.


    That night, the pair didn¡¯t sleep until later.