《The Wheel of Samsara》


 Prologue - Before a Beginning, There Is an End

    A cold breeze blew in the night, gently brushing past the green grass that grew by a small lake. The clear water shone with a dim silvery light, looking like a mirror reflecting the moon and the stars. There were no clouds in the sky, so it was easy to see those beautiful dots of light shining brightly in the darkness, looking like a black mantle riddled with diamonds.


    It was a very pleasant night of spring, and anyone would find it refreshing to take a breath of fresh air in such conditions. Therefore, it was completely reasonable to see two people lying down on the grass side by side, looking at the stars. They were very close to the lake, where they could hear the rustling of the grass and the gentle crashing of the waves while watching the sky.


    One was a man who held a wineskin in one hand and caressed the grass covered in dew with the other one. His somewhat long golden hair was a mess, but his sharp, green eyes still caught attention behind it. His features could be described as handsome, but the coldness of his expression would make most people look away.


    He was dressed in a simple blue clothing, which was as messy as his hair. Although the person in question preferred to be seen as a carefree person, no matter how one looked at him, the word ''sloppy'' would be the only way to describe him. His friends would laugh at his face when he brought it up, but very few dared to use another word to describe him.


    He never moved his eyes from the full moon that hung above his head, and he seemed to be in deep thought. The silver moonlight illuminating his face only added to the coldness he exuded. He brought the wineskin to his mouth to take a sip, but realized it was already empty.


    It was the fourth wineskin he emptied that night, and the last one he had. He liked to drink when he was tense, and tonight he was drinking a lot more than usual. He grumbled for a while, before turning quiet again, clearly uncomfortable.


    By his side, a slender sword was stuck in the grass, glistening with the droplets of dew. It was made with nothing but the simplest of materials. The blade was three fingers wide, made of iron and polished to the point one could see his reflection in it. The grip was bundled in cheap black leather, so worn out it was almost possible to make out the shape of the man''s fingers when he gripped it. The guard was just as simple, but its half-moon design gave the sword an air of finesse. The only luxury the sword had was a translucent gem with a light red color embedded in the middle of the guard.


    Despite being simple, no one could find a flaw in it. It was the pride of the blacksmith that made it, but no matter how much care was put into its making, it would never stop being a common iron sword; unfit for the one who wielded it. Nevertheless, its wielder was someone that despised things like common sense, and anyone that dared to underestimate the sword in his hands paid dearly when facing it.


    Between the man and the sword lied a woman, her figure as slender as the blade. Her body seemed to be a bit blurry, as if a pale light was covering it. Strangely enough, there were no shadows on her face, almost as if she had a natural glow instead of the moonlight falling from the sky. She wore a simple white dress that was a bit short, showing a glimpse of her long legs. Her icy blue eyes were gazing intently at the moon just like the man by her side. Her brows were lightly furrowed, her lips tightly pursed. She was clearly worried about something, but she avoided voicing it aloud. Yet, not even such an expression could hide her beauty.


    The pair didn''t face each other; they simply looked at the sky, each one with their own thoughts. They were both quiet, as was their surroundings. At some point, the breeze stopped blowing and the waves stopped crashing. There was nothing but an unnerving silence, almost as if Nature was holding its breath. A calm before the storm.


    The man threw the empty wineskin he was holding to the side, his expression serious. He sighed, as if facing a problem he couldn''t solve. He gently patted a crystalline ring on his finger, seemingly lost in thought for a split second. When he came to, he just shook his head. That had indeed been his last wineskin.


    "At this rate you might really get drunk." His actions didn''t escape the eyes of the woman besides him. Her melodious voice broke the silence, the tone a bit sarcastic. A normal person would be way past the point of being drunk after having four whole wineskins, but that wasn''t the case.


    "Heh, I wish I could. It''s been so long that I forgot the last time I managed to do it." The man gave a wry smile, a look of disappointment on his face while he stated a fact. He knew she was joking, but that was a sensible topic for him, especially in recent years.


    "Isn''t that a good thing, though?"


    "Well, being able to enjoy the alcohol without worries is nice sometimes. But not being able to get drunk when you want to is not worth it."


    "Your life must have been really awful as of lately, then."


    "It isn''t as if you don''t know about it."


    "I''m just trying to ease the mood a bit."


    "I know. Sorry."


    They both stopped talking again. The woman was clearly unsatisfied with the way the conversation went, but she decided to give up on the matter. She knew very well how troubled he was.


    "Are you really sure about this? There is still time to turn back." She finally spoke after a few moments, her voice so low that could almost be a whisper. Her concern was evident.


    "I won''t turn back. This is what I believe is right. Even if others don''t¡­ Well, I''m giving them the chance to stop me." His response was firm, yet indifferent, as if it was only natural.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "I don''t like this. Not a single bit. I know you are not one to give in, but I really think that this time you should." Her concern grew deeper as she spoke. She knew him well. If she didn''t change his mind, no one would.


    "My decision won''t change. Now all that is left is see it through. I will change things, Lya. I had enough of being restrained by things I don''t understand. I had enough of being controlled by things I cannot see. I had enough of walking a path that was set by things I cannot grasp." He turned his gaze away from the moon.


    His hands emitted a pale glow as he extended them into her direction. He touched her lightly, as if afraid that she would scatter with the wind. He raised her chin with care, looking into her eyes.


    "Look, this is all for the best. If it wasn''t I would never do something like this, and I would never have found others that think like me." He stated it as if it was a fact. Finding others that shared the same opinion he did was proof that he was right about this matter. Both of them knew that it was sophistry, but he didn''t really care.


    Lya really didn''t agree with this. Her dissatisfaction was evident while she replied softly." Well, Arthur can certainly use the same argument as you. And we both know what is his opinion regarding this."


    She realized she made a mistake almost immediately. The man''s brow furrowed even further, dark lines creasing in his forehead. He was starting to lose his temper.


    "Arthur can have his own opinion, I don''t mind it. What I do mind is he painting us as criminals and deciding we were his enemies. He betrayed us, Lya. He abandoned us." His voice grew louder and hoarser as he spoke. It was certainly a sensible matter.


    "Alexei¡­"


    "Lya, we''ve know each other for years. Decades. Centuries. We have travelled all around the world. You saw the same things as I did. I want to change those things. I wanted to do so then, when I was weak, and I still want to do so now, when I''m strong enough for that. So tell me, why shouldn''t I?"


    "I¡­ I''m not saying your concerns are wrong, or that you mustn''t'' change things. It''s just that I don''t think this is the right way to do it. If you really want to do this I can''t really stop you, but things have gone too far. I don''t think you should pay the price you are willing to pay, and I don''t think others should pay it too."


    She looked deep into his eyes, trying to sound as firm and secure as possible.


    "What you are doing, isn''t it the exact same thing you are fighting against? Aren''t you deciding the fate of others? Controlling their lives? Making their decisions for them?"


    His gaze turned grave as he heard her words. He seemed somewhat frustrated.


    "Lya, what I''m doing is giving them freedom. I''ll destroy these shackles that bind us to death. I''ll destroy this disgusting cycle that brings nothing but suffering. People might be scared at first, but soon enough they will realize the good we are about to do. Hell, even the people we fight with today will be brought back when we succeed. No one will ever have to be pained by the loss of a loved one again. No one will have to fear death anymore."


    The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if saying these words out loud helped him reassure himself. Lya could only look down, disappointment spreading across her face. She didn''t want this. It would be a bloodbath. In this war there would be no winners, no matter the victor.


    Before she could answer, they heard a loud rumbling far away. The earth started to quake, raising clouds of dust in the distance. The water in the lake started rippling as if trying to jump out from there.


    The night sky grew bright with golden streaks of light that looked like shooting stars colliding in the distance. A violent wind blew, shaking the trees surrounding the lake and bringing a dust cloud with it. The man started coughing and covered his mouth. He jumped to his feet and waved his hands, annoyed.


    The dust was blown away and the wind grew quiet again. He directed his gaze towards the lights, mumbling to himself.


    "It began¡­"


    While he was saying that, a loud screech echoed far away, and roaring scarlet flames rose from the ground near the place where the golden lights were gathering. They incinerated everything in their path, tainting the dark sky with a hellish light. The flames were so hot that he could feel the temperature rising from where he stood.


    "He is here. That annoying bird is with him." He spat those words, not hiding the despise in his voice. He adjusted his messy clothes and used his fingers to try to comb his hair, before looking at the woman again.


    The woman got up too. Not a speck of dust could be found in her dress, which was as white as ever, almost ethereal. She raised her hands and gently fixed his still messy hair. He had his eyes closed, enjoying the somewhat strange feeling he had of a weak breeze tidying his hair.


    Lya took her time and gave him a light nod when she was done, confirming that his appearance was at least acceptable now. She knew that when he gave himself the trouble to look presentable, he was taking the matter seriously, and when he did so, people would inevitably die.


    "There is no turning back anymore, do you understand?"


    She looked at him without hiding her anxiousness when she heard those words.


    "If you can''t compromise¡­ Can you at least not kill each other?" She was worried for their friend, and she was even more worried for the man by her side.


    He grew hesitant. He didn''t know what to do when he inevitably confronted their friend. He was not doubting his decision, rather, he was afraid of what she would say, what she would do when he presented his answer with action.


    "I''ll try my best, but¡­ Even if something happens, if we win we can always bring him back. Lya, can''t you trust me with this?" He said while he extended his hand to her. He was waiting for her answer, the final permission he needed to do what he had to do with a clear mind.


    She said nothing, just looked at his eyes one last time. The sorrow in her eyes was evident. Still in silence, she gently grabbed his hand and disappeared into thin air.


    He let out another sigh, walked towards the sword and gripped the hilt tightly. The red gem in the guard glowed dimly. He brought the blade close to his face, looking at his reflection in it. He whispered gently, "Don''t worry Lya, it will all end well."


    He looked at the moon once more for nothing but a mere moment, reminiscing about happier days. No, he would be happier after today. Everyone would. His life would truly begin after this battle. He raised his foot and stepped in the air. Surprisingly, he didn''t lose his balance, but somehow managed to float instead. Golden light glowed at his feet as he accelerated, turning into another streak of light that shot into battle.


    In a dark space, where just a faint red light glowed everywhere, Lya was silently crying. From the depths of her heart, she felt fear. Alexei had changed too much since they first met. She regretted that she couldn''t do a better job in easing the pain that set him in this path. She regretted not seeing what would come if she allowed him to tread it instead of stopping him when there was still time.


    She too started reminiscing about the past, but she knew that things would never go back to what they were. She knew their happy days were long gone and would never return. Maybe she had changed too. Alexei''s words started echoing in her head, and her expression somehow turned into disappointment.


    ''Destroying the shackles that bind us to death''? She knew that these shackles were life itself. Destroying them was the same as losing all purpose in their existence. Nothing would come from it but despair.


    In the end, people might fear death, but she couldn''t think of anything more horrifying than immortality.

 The Sect of Scraps (I)

    It was a dark room. There were no windows or cracks in the walls through which light could enter. If it were not for the glowing runes on the floor, it would have been impossible to see anything.


    The runes seemed alive, connecting with each other in strange ways at strange angles, forming what seemed to be words that twisted and coiled around like snakes. Then the snakes would break apart and the runes would slide away before connecting with others again, forming a cycle that repeated itself over and over.


    The moving runes formed different shapes and had different sizes, but somehow they were all restrained to a single area, moving only in set paths, forming what seemed to be a circle. At the center of the circle lied a boy. His black hair and eyes were quite common, as was his face. The only thing out of the norm on him was the frightened expression he had, as if he was about to cry.


    In front of him, a tall man was standing. His ravenous black eyes were intently staring the boy at his feet, a shred of excitement and ruthlessness giving them a cruel glint. His hair was as black as his eyes and reached his shoulders. His face seemed to be chiseled, with sharp angles and a certain handsomeness.


    The man kneeled, reaching the same eye level as the boy. His voice was serene as he spoke. "I need you to be brave, son. This is going to hurt, but you can''t leave. It is okay to cry and scream if you want, but never move from where you are."


    With that, the man turned his back at him and step away from the strange circle made by the runes. He didn''t spare a glance to the terrified expression his son had as he started to desperately struggle, but seemed to be restrained by the air itself.


    He stood in a corner of the room, by the side of a small man that had been silent the whole time. This man''s face was hidden behind wriggling shadows, making him look menacing. The tall man gave him a nod before observing his son with unmoving eyes.


    The man hidden by the shadows bent a knee and touched two runes on the floor with his hands. He gave a sneaky look at the terrified boy in the center of the array with eyes full of pity. This was going to hurt a lot. He took a deep breath and a strange pulse seemed to flow through his arms, hitting the runes he was touching.


    The two runes started glowing with a blinding golden light that eventually spread through all the other runes on the floor. A strange humming sound was emitted, as if they were resonating.


    Then, hell began.


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    Amon woke up abruptly. He felt pain all over his body and he was drenched in cold sweat. His clothes clung to his body, making him feel restrained and uncomfortable. His body was heavy and he felt as if he hadn''t caught a wink of sleep. It was the same nightmare every time.


    He dejectedly threw the white linen sheets covering him to the side. He sat on the bed and slowly got up, feeling the warm wooden floor under his feet. He walked to the window, through which cracks of light could already be seen, dimly illuminating his small room.


    He opened the creaking windows made of wooden boards and the sun greeted him, hanging up above in a bright blue sky. The light lit up his room.


    His bed was close to the wall, the bedding stained by his sweat. A small and neat desk was in the wall opposite to it, with a few pieces of paper and a pen still sitting on it. A black mat lied in the center of the room. In another wall, Amon had hanged a simple mirror and put a small table below it, where he usually let a basin filled with water to wash himself in the morning.


    Amon stood in front of the mirror, washed his face and rinsed his mouth. He still felt weary. When he looked at the mirror, he saw his youthful face, framed by black hair that contrasted his strange golden eyes. Dark circles caused by his not-so-well slept night surrounded his golden eyes, making them seem like lamps in the dark.


    He run his fingers through his black hair, but felt something was off. He looked at his hand and saw a black stain tainting his skin.


    He couldn''t help but sigh. He would have to buy a new batch of black nuts soon. He rubbed his hand hard, but only managed to dampen a little of the stain. Giving up, Amon took off his wet clothes and used a towel washed his body with the water in the basin. He kicked a chest next to his bed open and put on a fresh set of white clothes.


    He exited his room, heading straight to the shabby kitchen in his house. He looked at the old iron pot in the countertop and saw that there was still some rice porridge left over from last night. He carefully reheated it and served it in a small bowl.


    Carrying the food, he went past the living room, if you could even call it that. It was just a table and a few chairs in the biggest room in the house. He arrived in front of a wooden door, on which he gently knocked twice.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Come in." A weak voice answered. Amon carefully opened the door, getting inside his mother''s room. The window by the bed was already open, letting Amon see the room clearly. It was very similar to his own, but there was no desk or mat, there was just a bed, a mirror, a small table and a chest to store clothes.


    "Mom, I brought some food." Amon slowly walked to her bed, carefully placing the bowl in his mother''s hand and offering her a spoon. His mother smiled brightly before accepting the spoon from his hand.


    Her hands were a bit shriveled and her arms thin. She could barely hold the bowl alone. Her blond hair was thin and frail, its color looking more like sand than the golden luster it used to have. Her face was pale and her cheeks a bit sunken. Her bright eyes were misty, not as clear as they used to be. She looked decades older than her actual age.


    "You did eat some, right?" She asked, worry showing in her face. Her voice was weak, but her tone was as gentle as ever.


    Amon nodded repeatedly to assure her before changing the subject. "I''ll need to go exchange some contribution points. We need more rice and vegetables and I need more black nuts, too."


    His mother couldn''t help but giggle a little at his serious tone. She beckoned to him, telling him to approach. Amon quietly sat by her side on the bed. His mother started to gently ruffle his hair. Amon quite liked the pleasant feeling. He closed his eyes as he enjoyed her spoiling of him.


    Suddenly, she lightly poked at his shoulder. Amon opened his eyes and saw her showing her hand, where a faint stain of black could be seen. He avoided her gaze, feeling a bit ashamed.


    "Why don''t you forget about the black nuts? You could save the few points you use on it every week and you could have a lot to use for yourself after a few months." She had started ruffling his hair again as she spoke, casting a lovingly gaze at him.


    "I need them, mom. I don''t need anything for myself, having them is enough for me." He still didn''t face her. If he did, he knew he would lose the discussion and give in.


    She started poking him again, this time at his belly, trying to make him laugh at the tickling.


    "I''m already thirteen, don''t do that!"


    "Oh, I''m sorry mister grown up. You are old enough to refuse my tickles, but not so old that you want me to stop ruffling your hair, are you?"


    Amon grumbled at her comment before giving up and facing her. She poked his nose as she smiled. "You know I love your hair, don''t you? And your eyes, I find them so beautiful. You should really stop with the black nuts Amon."


    "I''m sorry mom, but not yet. Let me keep buying them for a bit longer, alright?" He felt dejected as he spoke, his shoulders drooped and his head hang low.


    "Sigh. Fine, but you have to promise me to stop it within the next month, or I''ll get mad, alright?" She gave up too. If she could compromise here, she could have him make a promise on the long term. Then, he wouldn''t have any excuses. She extended her pinky finger to him.


    "It is a pinky promise. Or are you too old for that, too?" Before he could even speak she had cut off his path of retread. Amon could only accept his defeat.


    "Fine. A pinky promise." He held her pinky with his. Her smile widened.


    "Now go, it is a beautiful day outside and I don''t want you inside this house all day losing on this great sun."


    "I''m off."


    "Have a great day."


    Amon got up and left the room, but left the door open. His mother liked it more when her door was open, she didn''t feel as restrained. Even with a window by her side, all she could do was dream about going outside again.


    Amon entered the living room, making his way to the main door. He stopped in the way, directing his gaze at the wall on his right. A strange sword was hanging on the wall. The scabbard was completely black and looked like some kind of glass. The thin single-edged blade was slightly curved, made for slashing and chopping and was as black as the scabbard. The sword had no guard.


    Amon didn''t know if it would affect the handling or the balance of the weapon as it had a strange design, but the lack of a guard made it seem menacing even in its sheath. It was a sword made with only killing in mind, focusing on being swift and aggressive, forgoing defense in exchange of efficiency in murder.


    Amon had never held the sword in question, even less unsheathed it, but he had seem his father putting it to action. Raven, he called it. Even if he held curiosity towards it, he had no affection whatsoever to the weapon, just hate. If his mother hadn''t been so persistent on leaving it there he would have sold it away at the first chance he had.


    He felt his mood was going to be ruined, so he forgot about the sword and left the house. As soon as he got out he caught sight of an expansive sea of trees. They were all incredibly tall, their leaves lush.


    Amon lived with his mother in the northern outskirts of the Abyss Sect, as a member of the Outer Sect. The sect''s headquarters was in a mountain eerily named Hell''s Keeper Mountain. It was massive in scale and the surrounding land was not only fertile but was also not lacking in streams and rivers.


    Members of the Outer Sect tended to the farms and the livestock and lived on the ground level. All of the land and animals belonged to the sect, so people were only working for the sect as they managed them. They exchanged their work to receive contribution points, which they could use to buy almost anything. From food and medicine to technique manual and cultivation pills, from classes and guidance from specialized teacher to a few hours in the infamous Red Quarters.


    Contribution points were needed to rent land and housing too. The closer you lived to Hell''s Keeper Mountain, the more expensive rent was and the higher your standing in the Outer Sect. It was even possible to buy your way into the Inner Sect if you had enough contribution points.


    If the Outer Sect was in the ground level, the Inner Sect was in the mountain itself. People in the Inner Sect lived with just one worry: cultivation. The sect covered all of their daily needs, and the Elders would handle any specific requests or troubles they might have as long as it was worth the trouble. Similarly to the Outer Sect, the closer to the peak you lived, the higher your standing not only in the Inner Sect, but in the Abyss Sect as a whole.


    Amon turned south, looking at the massive mountain in front of him. He couldn''t even see its complete width, much less the peak hidden in the white clouds that swirled around the mountain. He felt intimidated just looking at it, almost being crushed by its sheer size.


    He slowly made his way to the mountain, making sure to enjoy the fresh air and the cold breeze that blew from the forest at his back.

 The Sect of Scraps (II)

    Amon was following a stone paved path, leaving his small house behind as he walked towards Hell''s Keeper Mountain. The irregular stones below his feet where mostly covered in grass and dirty, but one could still see some of them timidly peeking from beneath the earth, making sure the path was at least visible.


    There were small streams of clear water and large expanses of farmland in every direction he looked. There were people working everywhere, be it small girls and boys gathering water in the streams or adults taking care of the crops and feeding the livestock. The sounds they made together with the rustling of the grass and trees, the flowing water and the chirping of birds only added to the scene of the always lively Outer Sect.


    It took more than an hour of walking until Amon started seeing the first few buildings of the Northern Station. It was nothing but an agglomerate of administrative buildings and stores. People of the northern reaches of the Outer Sect could come here handle almost anything, including exchanging contribution points and taking new jobs. It served as a central hub for those that didn''t want to waste almost a day to reach the headquarters at the foot of the mountain.


    If going to the mountain was indeed necessary, anyone could ride a carriage from any of the four stations in the Outer Sect and arrive at the mountain in a few hours if they paid a reasonable price in contribution points.


    The four Cardinal Stations consisted the Middle Ring of the Outer Sect. All one had to do was draw an imaginary line in a map of the sect around the mountain and connect the stations to have an idea of its size. The Outer Ring naturally was the boundaries of the sect''s living area, while the Inner Ring was the whole area at the foot of Hell''s Keeper Mountain.


    Amon quietly made his way into the station. There were no gates, wall or fences. The outermost buildings delimited the boundaries of the Northern Station. He quickly arrived at the main street, which was just a bit wider than all the other streets. It was paved with square slabs of stones and was surprisingly clean.


    Soon enough, Amon saw the Northern Exchange Pavilion at the end of the street. It was a three-storied building made with green jade that glistened in the sun, almost coming alive in a light-green fire. The thick, white doors were already open, and the ground floor was bustling with activity.


    There were wide windows letting the sun light the inside of the pavilion. The inside walls were of the same green as the outside, but the floor and the pillars were pure white like the main door. At one side a set of stairs could be seen leading to the next floor, and further along a few counters made with the same green jade where the clerks could attend were placed.


    People made long lines in front of the clerks that stood in the counter and patiently awaited their turn. Anyone that caused a ruckus was thrown out by white robbed guards that stood in the corners with their backs to the wall and golden spears in their hands.


    Amon chose what seemed to be the shortest line and waited for his turn.


    "Have you heard? It seems like Jake managed to kill an Earth Dragon in his last mission. That kid is only sixteen and can already kill a class 4 monster."


    "The son of the Second Protector? Of course he would be able to do something like that. Even if we ignore his father, he still is the direct disciple of Sect Master Borgin."


    "There he is, slaying monsters left and right while the most dangerous thing we do is face this terrifying line."


    "If you want to go in a hunt mission you can always finish your Body Tempering and reach Elemental Purification to get into the Inner Sect. Just remember to send me a picture from the dreamland you will be visiting at the time."


    People were gossiping everywhere in the pavilion, bored by the long lines. Amon stood in silence, mechanically walking forward whenever needed, thinking on how many contribution points he would end up spending.


    "Found you!" When it was almost his turn, a familiar voice dragged him back to reality.


    Amon turned around to see a young man looking at him. He seemed to be in his twenties, had black hair and eyes and a handsome face punctuated by a sharp nose. He was a bit short and somewhat slim, but one could see his well-built muscles bulging slight from his blue clothes.


    "Hey Daniel. What''s up?" Amon asked with a smile. Daniel was one of his few friends. Maybe the only one he could really count on. Daniel, on the other hand, had a annoyed look on his face.


    "Nothing much. I was sure you would be still sleeping when I visited your house, but, to my surprise, you were already up and had even left without me. I thought we had agreed to come together and discuss our plans for the Scavenging."


    "Sorry about that." Amon had a look that said ''not really sorry'' as he said that, which made Daniel even more annoyed.


    "Forget it, we''ll talk later. Look, it''s your turn." Amon saw that indeed there was no one in front of him anymore. He walked to the counter and took a purple card from his clothes. He faced the clerk, a pretty woman wearing neat purple clothes and a somewhat stiff smile.


    "I''ll need three bags of rice, one of onions, one of carrots and ten black nuts. Add a bottle of Nourishing Pills too." He said, while offering the card in his hands.


    The clerk nodded and took the card from his hands. She took a crystal ball from behind the counter and her hands glowed for a moment. The crystal ball slowly float above her open palms and a stream of white words flowed from it, gathering in the air in front of her.


    She pressed a few of the words with amazing speed, and a number popped out from the ball.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "It will be two hundred contribution points." The woman said with an indifferent voice.


    "Two hundred? Are you kidding me? Last week it only cost me one hundred and seventy points!" Amon was surprised. There is no way the price could increase so much in a mere week.


    "I''m sorry sir, but this week we received fewer supplies than normal. Except for the pills that are made by the sect, everything had a slight increase in price. I would say that it is thanks to the Scavenging, as many of our providers are busy with their preparations and are selling less than usual."


    The Scavenging was a big event for the Outer Sect; people would naturally reduce their workload as they made time to prepare for it. They would in turn have less things to sell to the Exchange Pavilion. Since everyone still had to buy food and supplies, the prices would rise as the amount available lessened.


    Amon calmed down and thought for a while before making a decision. He gave a long sigh, unconsciously running his fingers through his hair.


    "Forget about the black nuts, then." He had a sad face as he spoke to the clerk.


    The clerk nodded and waved her hands. The numbers disappeared and the words scattered in fragments of light before joining again. She tapped a few of the words again and a new number popped up.


    "It will be one hundred and seventy contribution points." It was the same price as last week but he didn''t take any of the black nuts now. Things were indeed much more expensive.


    "I''ll take it."


    The clerk touched the ball with the purple card. The words dissolved and the card lit up with a faint light before dimming again. The clerk offered Amon his card back.


    "Done. Your balance is seventeen contribution points." As she spoke, a tall man wearing purple clothes appeared from the back, carrying five bags of food.


    He dropped then on top of the counter. Amon took the heavy bags and thanked the man and the clerk before leaving. Daniel followed him outside.


    As they left, Daniel took the bags from Amon''s hands and signaled him to stop by a small tree in the shade of two buildings.


    They sat under the tree and Daniel put the bags on the floor. He then retrieved a small leather pouch from his clothes. He carefully opened it before sticking his hand inside, looking for something.


    His brows furrowed as he couldn''t find what he wanted, so he pushed his whole arm inside the tiny pouch, creating a bizarre scene.


    It took him a good while searching inside the pouch, making Amon laugh at the sight. Daniel finally retrieved a tiny bottle and a bundle of cloth from the pouch before closing it and putting it back in his clothes. He then offered the bottle and the bundle to Amon. "Here. Aunt Becca asked me to give you these. She said you didn''t have breakfast and didn''t sleep very well, so she was worried."


    Amon''s face sank. He couldn''t fool his mother in the end. Still, he couldn''t accept Daniel''s things. He refused the objects extended to him. "No, thank you. My mother worries too much. I can handle it."


    Daniel didn''t waver. "It is just a piece of cheese and a drink, nothing much. I got these for free from a friend and didn''t have to pay a single point."


    "No thanks." Amon was resolute.


    "Just take it. I don''t care of what you want, what I don''t want is auntie nagging me because I didn''t take care of you properly." Daniel pushed the objects into Amon''s arms despite his protests. He then put a satisfied expression on his face as he leaned against the tree and closed his eyes, enjoying the refreshing shade.


    Amon pouted for bit, but was completely ignored. He then sighed and opened the bundle. There was a piece of strong smelling yellow cheese inside. He then used his mouth to rip off the cork of the bottle and a sweet and delicate smell invaded his nostrils. A clear red liquid was churning inside the bottle.


    "Thank you." He said. Daniel waved his hands dismissively at his words. Amon then turned his attention to the food.


    He ate the cheese in one bite and took a gulp from the bottle to get rid of the sour taste in his mouth. The drink was sweet and acid, leaving a strong aftertaste. It was cold, but seemed to turn hot as it went down his throat. Amon liked it quite a bit, but as the bottle was small, he could only drink so much.


    After he finished he left the bottle and the cloth beside the bags of food and leaned on the tree like Daniel. He was still somewhat stiff from the uncomfortable night, but he managed to relax. He was starting to feel drowsy as he close his eyes.


    "Hey, don''t go sleeping now." Daniel''s voice woke him up. Amon opened his golden eyes, giving him a reproachful glance.


    "Don''t look at me like that, we still have plans to discuss." As Daniel said that, he out his pouch and retrieved a tightly bound piece of parchment. He opened it in the floor, revealing a detailed map. Amon''s face fell.


    "I said to you before, I''m not going."


    "Is that why you left without me today? To avoid me?" Daniel narrowed his eyes, asking with a suspecting expression.


    "If you really want to know, yes." Amon didn''t hide it. It was Daniel''s fault if he didn''t take him seriously before.


    "You hurt me." Daniel put on a disappointed face a lowered his head. Amon didn''t buy the act as Daniel loved to mess with him.


    "Oh please, you have twice my age, act like it."


    "Aunt Becca was right, puberty is indeed starting to act up, mister grown up." The counter attack was swift and fierce. Amon couldn''t take the blow.


    "Not you too!"


    "Hehehehehe." Daniel reveled in victory, his fake sad expression of a moment ago completely gone.


    "Anyway, the Scavenging is in a week and you are going with me."


    "I refuse. Even if you drag me there I won''t go."


    "Oh, really? Then how are you going to make it through next week?" Daniel struck a weak point. Amon was basically broke, and because of the Scavenging it wouldn''t be easy for him to find work that could pay for the weekly expenses of him and his mother.


    "I''ll manage somehow. Even if I do go, chances are we will return empty handed and I would have wasted four days without getting any contribution points." His reasoning was sound. The Scavenging was nothing short of a bet. A bet that people lost most of the time. It was never a big loss, but few could spare the days with no work without carefully planning for months, saving enough to make up for it.


    Hearing that, Daniel put a smug smile on his face. "True. But only if we go in blind, just turning every rock we find and praying to find anything worth a few points."


    His words didn''t match his expression. Amon was suspicious. "Yes, it''s obvious. What''s your point?"


    "What if I have a commission to investigate a certain place?"


    "What!?"


    Commissions were one of the faster ways to gather contribution points in the sect. Someone filed in a request in the Commission Center and after processing it, the sect would divulge it to anyone interested. Some of them were for hunting monsters; others were for gathering materials or herbs. Even if the difficulty was low, the pay was always good.


    Most of the commissions were directed for members of the Inner Sect, but a few managed to get into the Outer Sect, causing people to fight over them as if their lives depended on it. Commissions issued by the sect itself were exclusive to Inner Sect members and were treated as official missions.


    "I''m not joking. One thousand points to search in a specific place. We''ll get paid even if we find nothing. If we do find something, the client will have seventy percent of the points. We''ll get thirty percent plus the thousand points he will pay anyway."


    Amon was surprised. He couldn''t even begin to understand who would be insane enough to spend this many points in a such a crazy way. The only explanation would be that they were reasonably certain that something was there.


    He narrowed his eyes, trying to read Daniel''s expression.


    He had a many questions. Why Daniel? Why now? Why this absurd pay?


    This commission sounded awfully suspicious to him.

 The Sect of Scraps (III)

    The Scavenging was an event that took place every five years in the Abyss Sect. It was one of the few opportunities the common people in the Outer Sect had to explore the Broken Forest to the north of Hell''s Keeper Mountain. The forest was usually out of limits and limited to Inner Sect members to go out on hunts and get experience, whereas Outer Sect members would most likely just die.


    In the Scavenging, anyone could apply to leave for the Broken Forest and the surround regions for four days. Even if there were Elders roaming the place to guarantee the safety of the involved, the forest was too large and the spirit beasts were too many. Ultimately, everyone would be responsible for their own lives.


    The Broken Forest was actually an old battlefield, and the Abyss Sect had made use of its location for generations, organizing the Scavenging so people could search for remnants of the war and return them to the sect in exchange of contribution points. Armors, weapons, talismans, rings and even techniques, everything found would be appraised and could be handed to the sect. There was also the possibility of keeping to yourself your gains, as no one was forced to turn their findings to the sect. Anything you could find was your own luck.


    As such, even if the battlefield could be considered wiped clean for decades now, people still ventured outside every five years in hopes of having some luck and turning their lives around. Hundreds would take part in the Scavenging every time it was organized, and if even a handful manage to find a piece of broken armor or the fragment of a sword it would be already a surprisingly bountiful harvest.


    Amon was not sure how the Scavenging started, but he knew the other sects all despised these actions. ''Grave robbers'' was one of the many way people from other sects referred to members of the Abyss Sect, which came to be known as the ''Sect of Scraps''.


    Still, not many dared to utter such words in front of anyone from the Abyss Sect. Even with the snide comments, the Abyss Sect was the biggest sect in the Central Continent and one of the Five Sacred Sects of the whole world. Even if it had lost a fair share of its power over the years and was still losing strength, it demanded respect.


    "How the hell did you manage to get such a commission?" Amon asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.


    "Dumb luck. I was hanging out in the Commission Center trying to find something when someone posted the thing right beside me. I just reached for it before anyone else could even read it, and that was it." Daniel said, scratching his face.


    Hearing that, Amon''s eyes narrowed even more. He didn''t buy it, but decided to let it go for now.


    "So, are you in or not?" Daniel asked with an innocent smile on his face.


    Amon was still suspicious of the commission, but the pay was good. With a minimum of five hundred contribution points to be won after he shared the pay with Daniel, he could pay for the expenses of almost a whole month. "Before I decide, what is the plan?"


    Daniel smiled hearing that. The fish had caught the bait.


    "Look at this map." Daniel said as he stretched the parchment map on the ground. He pointed at a mountain in the south, the largest mountain in the map.


    "Here is Hell''s Keeper Mountain. To the east we have the Red River." His finger run through the map, going from the mountain to a wide river drawn next to it.


    "The Red River flows to the north for miles on end. When it more or less surpasses the Sword Abyss, it makes a turn to the east before turning into a series of smaller streams."


    Amon studied the map carefully. The Abyss Sect was on the lower edge of the map. The Red River occupied most of the right edge. The center and a good chunk of the left edge were covered by a vast expanse of forest that spanned hundreds of miles, the Broken Forest.


    There was a blank in the left corner of the map. It had an irregular shape that resembled a distorted circle. Based on the map, it should be at least a hundred square miles. That was most likely the Scorched Lands.


    More impressive than the Scorched Lands was a single stroke of black paint that almost divided the map in two horizontally. It should be hundreds of miles long and at least two miles wide in its real scale. Amon had never seem the thing with his own eyes, but everyone knew of the legendary Sword Abyss.


    It was most likely the biggest mark that war had ever left on the land, and the Abyss Sect''s name came from it. Even the mountain cut in half east to the Scorched Lands paled in comparison to the huge gaping chasm a sword strike had left on the forest. Amon shuddered thinking about the person that managed to do it. How powerful one had to be to do that? How much would have he wanted to kill someone to unleashed such a terrifying strike?


    "We are interested in the northern bank of the Red River, exactly in the place it turns to the east. Can you guess why?"


    Amon thought for a moment at Daniel''s question, looking at the map. He then pointed somewhere east of the Red River and somewhat close to Hell''s Keeper Mountain. Long blanks crisscrossed on the map in that area, representing barren land. It looked like the thin scars someone would have after being cut by a knife repeatedly. It was another mark the war had left in the forest.


    "It should be the Scars, no?"


    Daniel''s smile widened hearing that. "Smart kid. Yes, it is because of the Scars. Chances are many things fell in the Red River during that war from long ago. The river would drag all of that stuff north, and chances are a few of them would end up in the northern bank when the river changes direction."


    "So the client want us to search there? It is not a bad plan, but he certainly is not the first one to think of this."


    "True, but that is not our problem. If we are to find something, chances are it will be there, no matter how small these chances might be. Our client decided to make a bet after using his brains for a bit. He probably has the points to spare and didn''t want the trouble to check his theory himself, so he made the commission."


    "Are you sure about the details? Is it really such a simple job?" Amon asked to reassure himself. Daniel tried to put on a serious face as he nodded, but failed horribly in hiding his smile. He was one step away from victory.


    "It is. There is no catch. We go, check the area, retrieve anything we find and come back. At the very least, we will get a thousand contribution points."


    Amon had a strange look on his face as he thought for a good while. He then shook his head slowly. "I''ll speak with my mother before I decide. Don''t ask me about it again before that or the answer will still be no."


    "Fine, do as you wish." Daniel opened his arms and shook his shoulders as if he didn''t care. Actually, he knew that he had won, even if Amon didn''t. This had never been Daniel''s idea in the first place. He quietly put the map away.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Amon was about to say something when he suddenly turned his head as he heard a low whistling sound. Daniel reacted one heartbeat later, swinging his right arm abruptly. A low thud was heard as something collided with his hand next to Amon''s head.


    "Damn it, Daniel. Do you really need to be together with Old Grandpa all the time?" A high-pitched voice echoed from the direction Daniel was looking. A group of people was walking down the street and at their lead was a thin youth.


    His red clothes were expensive and reflected the sunlight, making him seem to be on fire. His long brown hair was neatly tied up with a golden string. By his side were a few boys and girls, and behind him was a burly red-haired man, his muscles bulging through his clothes, giving off an oppressive feeling.


    Daniel looked at the man with a cold look as he slowly opened his hands and revealed a small, sharp stone. It had embedded itself in his palm, and blood had started to flow from his injury.


    Amon on the other hand had a scare. He had reacted to the sound he heard, but he wasn''t fast enough to dodge the stone. If Daniel wasn''t by his side he would have been hit on the head, at the very least losing consciousness, if not badly injured.


    "I hope the one who threw this stone wasn''t you, Roger." Daniel''s voice was cold as he looked at the burly man behind the youth.


    The red-haired man shook his head. "Young master just finished his first round of Body Tempering and wanted to test his new strength a bit."


    Hearing this, Daniel didn''t show a reaction at first. He just direct his cold gaze to the youth. The youth didn''t flinch, just shook his shoulders and asked: "What of it? People say that even if Old Grandpa here is just at Qi Gathering he has some really good senses. I wanted to help him sharpen them for a bit."


    Amon was surprised not at the ridiculous excuse he used for him throwing the stone, but at the fact that the youth had already reached Body Tempering. Amon himself didn''t even make it past the initial stages of Qi Gathering, much less breakthrough the next realm, and he was one year older than the youth.


    "Is that true, Erin? You are already at Body Tempering?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    Erin didn''t give himself the trouble to answer, but one of the girls was glad to sing his praises. "Of course he did! Erin here is someone that will reach the Inner Sect in but a few years, while you, Old Grandpa, will forever stay a farm boy¡­"


    Erin interrupted her before she could finish, waving his hands dismissively. "Let it go, Amber. Don''t waste your breath on such pitiful people. It must be really hard being abandoned by your own father and having a crippled mother."


    He had a derisive smile on his face as he said the words that cut through Amon like a sharp sword. Amon''s breath turned rough and he started turning red in anger. His fists were held tightly and his arms trembled. His jaws were clenched so hard it hurt. A fierce light shone in his golden eyes. He started walking towards the group, but Daniel extended a hand to block his path.


    "Well, then allow me to help you in your Body Tempering too." Daniel said.


    He had a blank look on his face and his voice was chilling. It was a strange expression, completely devoid of emotions. His eyes, however, were burning with rage. Amon himself had never seem Daniel like that. It gave him chills. He unconsciously found himself stepping back. At the same time, Daniel moved.


    The red-haired man, Roger, reacted instinctively. He dragged Erin behind him as a loud piercing noise echoed. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he braced for the impact. Roger took two steps back as a gray streak cut through the air and hit his arms at a blinding speed before he lost his balance and fell backwards.


    He grunted in pain and tried to get up, but he realized he couldn''t raise his arms. As he looked down, he saw that both were bent at weird angles, his right arm even had a white bone sticking out from it, and blood had started to flow from the pierced skin. He made an incredible effort to endure the pain and not scream.


    Erin was in shock, his face deadly pale. The kids following him were shuddering in fear.


    "Are you insane? That would have killed me!" He shouted, incredulous. Daniel had thrown the stone Erin had aimed at Amon, but its strength and speed was many times greater than his own throw. If him hitting the head of Amon would have knocked him out or caused some injuries, Daniel''s throw hitting his chest would have opened a hole in it.


    To Erin''s luck, Roger was at the middle stages of Body Tempering and somehow managed to resist the blow, breaking his arms in the process.


    "So what? I doubt anyone but these boot-lickers beside you and maybe your parents would miss your ugly face." Daniel still had the same blank look he had before he threw back the stone in his hand.


    "Do you know who I am? I''ll have your whole family whipped in public for that." Erin''s face started turning red, he pointed his finger at Daniel as he threatened him.


    "Well, I would certainly appreciate if you did that. Please do so, Erin Drey, son of Claude Drey, the richest bastard in the Inner Ring." Daniel''s blank face distorted into a strange smile as he spoke, as if he was trying hard to not laugh at a joke only he knew. Erin was taken aback, no words coming from his mouth.


    Daniel start walking towards him. His creepy smile grew wider and wider as he stepped forward. Erin stepped back, his face turning whiter and whiter.


    "Young master, that is enough. Leave it at that. We already got what we wanted from this Station anyways. Let''s just return home." Roger, who managed to stand up somehow, put himself between Daniel and Erin. Erin was somewhat unwilling and tried to evade him and face Daniel, but Roger blocked him again and sent him a warning glance.


    Erin was still enraged, but eventually gave up. He looked at Daniel begrudgingly before directing his gaze at Amon.


    "You missed a spot, Old Grandpa." He said, patting the top of his head as he laughed awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment of what just happened. The boys and girls following him laughed too, and they left with Roger in tow, his arms hanging strangely form his shoulders as he walked slowly, grunting from the pain.


    Amon quickly covered his hair with his hands, turning away from them in shame.


    "What is up with kids these days? Are they all so dumb?" Daniel spoke after they left, genuinely surprised at Erin''s behavior.


    "Not all of them." Amon''s low voice answered him. It had been a rhetorical question, but Amon felt somewhat offended.


    Daniel shrugged. It was mostly his fault that things developed like that.


    This had been going on for a while, but never to the point of physical aggression. For him it was just a bunch of kids being stupid, so he never interfered unless things started getting out of hand. For, this was a chance for Amon to learn to stand up to himself in situations like that.


    Still, Daniel never imagined that Erin would be crazy enough to attack Amon like that with no reason or warning. Maybe Daniel should teach him and his family a lesson. They only lived in the Inner Ring and were already acting so arrogantly¡­


    He then realized Amon was covering his hair in the same place Erin had patted his own head. "Hey, there is nothing there. Erin was messing with you. Your hair is still black."


    Amon slowly released his hands, insecure. The he patted his clothes and straightened his expression. "Of course I know that."


    "Where was this cockiness when that brat was here?" Daniel rolled his eyes.


    Amon avoided his gaze, his ears slightly red in shame.


    "If you didn''t stop me I would have kicked his ass." He said, almost whispering to himself.


    "Well, I saw that you were finally angry enough to take action, but it is too late. He is now at Body Tempering, heads and shoulder above you in strength. You can''t face him head on anymore. You lost your chance."


    Amon was really saddened by it, but he couldn''t deny Daniel''s words. He had been left behind by a peer and he probably wouldn''t have a chance to catch up. He would now have to either completely avoid Erin or just tolerate his insults. His chance to fight back was gone.


    Daniel had stopped him for two reasons. The first one was because he himself had been incredibly angry at Erin and he really wanted to teach him a lesson. Maybe he overdid it a little; he did throw the stone with a dangerous strength in his anger. The second was because Amon had no chance of winning when fighting him. One thing would be losing a fight where you put up some resistance and managed to get in a few good punches, other was being thrashed around like a toy by an opponent you had no chance of even hurting.


    "Thank you for helping me out." Amon managed to say. He really was thankful for Daniel''s help.


    "No problem." Daniel had a smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around Amon''s shoulder. Amon noticed that his hand had stopped bleeding. Body Tempering was really something else.


    "Anyway, let''s return to your house. I''m sure you still didn''t meditate today and I need to speak with your mother anyway."


    "Didn''t you just talk to her?"


    Taken by surprise at the question, Daniel scratched his face.


    "I forgot to ask about something. It isn''t that important, but we finished what we had to do here, so I might as well help you with your meditation and talk to her at the same time."


    Amon just nodded quietly. He was almost giving up in cultivation. He could sense the Qi surrounding him, but he still didn''t manage to absorb even a tiny bit of it. His talent was just excessively low.

 The Sect of Scraps (IV)

    It didn''t take long for them to return to Amon''s house. The sun was high up on the sky when they arrived, and the temperature was rising sharply.


    As they walked into the house, Amon made his way to his mother''s room, leaving Daniel behind.


    Daniel just smiled wryly as he dropped the bags with food in the kitchen and found himself a seat in the living room.


    He was staring intently at the black sword hanging there, Raven, with eyes full of reminiscence. His smile turned sad as he remembered the matters of five years ago. Although Erin''s words had been sharp and offensive, they held some truth. Daniel truly felt that Amon was somewhat pitiful.


    Thinking about this, his smile turned into one of self-loathing. His own situation was not really much better. Maybe the Rebecca of ten years ago had found Daniel to be as pitiful as he found Amon now and thus decided to take him under her wing.


    He sighed. Being a scion of a powerful family and not living up to their expectations was complicated. He wondered how his little brother felt when his father told him that Daniel ''decided to live on his own'' and left the household.


    It had been years since they had last seem each other, and now he even heard that the little brat had gotten himself the position of direct disciple of Sect Master Borgin. His talent was really something else, even more than what their father ever expected.


    He wondered if they would see each other again. Maybe at the time Jake would be old enough to share a cup of wine with him. Daniel''s smile widened a bit at the thought. He really missed the days when they would play together, the laughter of the young lad echoing through the halls of the house¡­


    While Daniel was lost in thought, Amon had quietly knocked his mother''s door. The familiar and warm voice welcome him in. "Come in."


    Amon opened the door and made his way inside. His mother was still in the bed, looking outside through the open window beside her. She continued gazing at the trees and the sky for a moment before turning to face Amon.


    "What''s wrong?" She asked, seeing something in his expression. His eyes were growing red and his face was tense. Amon shook his head, made his way into her bed and hugged her tightly. "I love you, mom."


    Rebecca was surprised at him acting like that, but she returned the hug and gently started patting his back. "I love you too."


    They stayed like this for a while, before Amon finally managed to recover somewhat. He released his arms and looked at her.


    "Want to tell me what happened?" She asked, but he simply shook his head again. She started ruffling his hair as she looked at her son.


    "Daniel somehow got a commission and he want us to go in the Scavenging. The pay is really good and the job seems to be easy." He started talking with a weary voice. Rebecca quietly listened to him explaining the details.


    After Amon finished talking, she asked: "So, what do you want to do?"


    Amon had a pensive look as he pondered. "I don''t want to go, but the pay is good. We could cover the expenses for almost a month in just four days."


    "And why don''t you want to go?"


    Amon frowned at her question. She knew the answer very well. "I''m afraid. I don''t that to happen again."


    Hearing this, Rebecca''s expression turned even gentler. "Why do you think it will happen again?"


    "Mom, I felt it. Even before that thing appeared, I felt it coming. And I''m sure it felt me too. I knew it was coming for me. I don''t know how to explain it, something just started churning inside me, and somehow I knew there was something coming." Rebecca nodded gently as he spoke, never stopping to ruffle his hair.


    "Do you think it''s your fault?"


    "Of course it is, mom! If I hadn''t been there, if I had listened to you and had never taken part in the Scavenging that thing would have never attacked you. You¡­ you wouldn''t be like that today."


    She stopped ruffling his hair. Amon continued, his voice growing louder and louder. "I have no idea what fath¡­ that man did to me, but I haven''t been myself since that day. I can hear things, mom. I can see things. I can sense them. And my eyes and hair¡­"


    Tears started spilling form his eyes as he spoke, and before he could finish he was sobbing so much he wasn''t able to speak. Rebecca''s expression turned serious as she used her hands to hold his face close to hers and sent him a penetrating glance.


    "Listen to me, Amon. What happened is not your fault. There is no way anyone could have seen a Silverback Wolf showing up so close to the sect. Sometimes, coincidences happen. They change the courses of our lives, for the good or the bad. They are trials fate throw at us. We need to surpass them if we ever want to grow. It is part of life." She gave a sad smile as she spoke, her eyes turning blurry.


    "These were words your father said to me once. No matter what he did after, there are truth in them. If you just cower in fear inside this house, life will simply pass by you, and when you realize it, it will be too late to try and live again."


    "I want you to go with Daniel. I want you to do the commission and have a good time. I want you to surpass your fears. There is nothing as a mother that I want to see more than you growing up, but for that you must never let fear hold you back." She hugged him again. It was a warm, firm hug. One of those only loving mothers could give. Amon hadn''t stopped crying yet, but he nodded his head as he silently accepted what she told him.


    After a good while, they finally let each other go. Amon wiped his runny nose and his tears with his sleeves, making Rebecca lightly poke his forehead.


    "Alright. I''ll go." His voice was low, but it was enough for Rebecca to hear.


    "Good. But don''t do anything reckless, listen to Daniel."


    "I will. I promise." His words made Rebecca satisfied.


    "Are you hungry? I bought food for the week. I''ll go make lunch." He said, standing up.


    "I love your food." She said with a smile.


    Amon made his way into the kitchen and saw Daniel in a daze looking at the wall were Raven hung. Daniel must have realized it, because he broke out of his daze and looked at Amon. Amon''s face was still somewhat wet from the tears and his eyes were red, but Daniel made no comments.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Amon used the iron pot he had and quickly made some rice porridge with carrots and onions. He took a wooden bowl and served food in it. He then looked around him, making sure Daniel wasn''t watching before he took a small porcelain bottle from his clothes.


    In the bottle were the Nourishing Pills he had paid a fortune for in the Exchange Center. He opened the bottle and took a single pill, crushing it in his hands and throwing the powder into the bowl. He quietly mixed the food with the powder, before being satisfied. It had a very faint smell of medicine, but he thought it was not enough to be noticed by his mother.


    He returned to his mother''s room and gave the bowl with the porridge. She smiled and thanked him.


    "I''ll meditate for a bit now."


    "Remember to focus." Her voice echoed in the room as he left.


    Amon sent Daniel a glance and walked into his own room. Daniel stood up and accompanied him.


    Amon sat in the black mat in the middle of his room with his legs crossed. He closed his eyes, trying hard to control his breathing. Daniel was standing beside him, carefully watching his actions. "You are still too tense. Relax your body. Relax your mind."


    Amon tried his best to follow his instructions. He relaxed his members as he breathed rhythmically, clearing his mind.


    "Spread your divine sense outwards. Don''t try to use it to see your surroundings, feel them instead." Daniel continued to patiently guide him.


    It took a good while, but Amon was slowly entering a strange state. Daniel''s voice seemed to be echoing from the distance, as if he was walking away as he spoke.


    "There are no memories."


    "There are no emotions."


    "There are no thoughts."


    "There is no one."


    "There is no you."


    Daniel slowly recited the mantra cultivators used when preparing their minds for meditation. For one to open their divine sense, they must first give up their notions of self. They had to enter a stated of conscious emptiness. Only then would one be able to feel the Qi that permeated the world. It was a delicate balance to maintain. Only with years of practice and self-discipline could one enter and leave such a state at will.


    "There is only the nature."


    "There is only the world."


    "There is only Qi."


    His voice was hypnotic, echoing inside Amon''s head while he tried to perceive his surroundings.


    Sensing Qi had nothing to do with the five senses, it had to do with a special talent only few people ever developed. Some called it a sixth sense. Cultivators called it a divine sense.


    Amon gradually lost himself in the nothingness, Daniel''s voice still echoing in his mind. Eventually, the voice faded away and there was only the dark. Then, Amon sensed it.


    It was as if he opened his eyes, but they remained closed. The world around him presented itself through his divine sense, and he could feel everything around him. He could not see anything. He could not hear anything. He could not touch anything. He could not taste anything. He could not smell anything. He simply knew what was happening in his surroundings.


    Everything 10 meters around him seemed to be covered by a faint mist. It emanated from the earth, it flew around with the wind and it swirled around Daniel like a whirlpool. The mist was sometimes thick, sometimes thin, but it was always there. The way it felt changed when it was in touch with different things.


    This mist was the Qi that permeated everything in the world. Anyone with divine sense could feel it. People with a bit of talent could manipulate it with their wills. A few of those could absorb it into their bodies.


    These were the three stages of Qi Gathering. Sensing, manipulating and absorbing, the initial, middle and late stages. When one managed to absorb Qi in their bodies and make it flow through their meridians and into their dantian, one would be able to step into the Body Tempering realm.


    Amon had been stuck at the initial stages of Qi Gathering for years now. He could feel it, but still couldn''t manipulate even a tiny bit of it. His affinity with Qi was low, and therefore, so was his talent.


    Daniel put on a satisfied smile as he saw Amon breathing at a regular pace, having entered a meditative state. He quietly left the room and made his way to Rebecca''s after picking up a chair from the living room.


    Before he could even knock on the door, he heard her voice. "Come on in, Daniel."


    He closed the door behind him after he entered. He put the chair in the ground and sat on it, facing Rebecca. She was sitting on the bed, an empty bowl of food by her side. Daniel could smell a faint fragrance. Rebecca realized it. "I have a good, yet stubborn son. I don''t know how many times I told him to stop buying Nourishing Pills for me and just get something for himself."


    Daniel smiled hearing that.


    "So, what happened at the Station?" Her voice was still warm and gentle, but there was an authority hidden in it. It sounded more like an order for a report than a question.


    Daniel showed her his right palm. A faint mark could still be seen were the stone had pierced his skin. "Erin. He reached Body Tempering."


    Rebecca sighed when she heard this. It would be troublesome.


    "There were no provocations. He just threw the stone at Amon''s head." Daniel continued.


    As Daniel said that, he felt a chill creeping up his spine. The room''s temperature seemed to drop several degrees as a cold killing intent surged from the woman facing him.


    It was as if Daniel was facing a completely different person. Rebecca''s clear eyes were filled with fury, and all the gentleness surrounding her disappeared, swallowed by pure hostility. There was no Qi or technique involved, just sheer rage. Very few cultivators in the whole Abyss sect would have been able to produce an aura like that.


    "Looks like Claude is as incompetent a father as he is a cultivator. I should have taught him a lesson long ago." Rebecca''s voice could freeze one''s soul, but it was also filled with regret.


    In her current state, there was not much she could do. To think people once feared her name. The White Flame of the Abyss, Rebecca Skoller.


    "Don''t you find it funny, Daniel? When you are strong, people all around you will show respect and avoid getting on your bad side. If you show respect back, they will gladly sing your praises and call you a role model. If, however, you step on them, they will only cower in fear." Rebecca spoke with a dull voice, like a machine. Her eyes were distant, as if she was gazing at something far away.


    "Still, if you ever fall from grace, the end result will mostly be the same. It doesn''t matter if you were kind or cruel when you were strong, what was important was the fact that you had strength. The moment you become like them, you are just like everyone else. They never wanted to be respected back by the strong, and they didn''t mind being stepped on. They just wanted someone they could rely on. As soon as they can''t rely on you anymore, you disappear from their eyes. After all, they want to be carried by the strong, not to carry the weak."


    "Talking about this with you might be raining in the wet, but sometimes I''m surprised at just how low humans can be." Her look turned sad, her threatening aura slowly subsiding, like a ball slowly deflating after having a hole poked on it.


    Daniel nodded his head firmly. Of course he knew all of that.


    "I think the best decision I ever made in my life, other than having Amon, was helping you that day. I''m really glad I could become friends with one of the few decent people in this hell hole." She smiled as she said that. A genuine, but sad smile.


    "You can always count on me, auntie."


    Rebecca laughed hearing that. Every time Daniel called her ''auntie'', she felt strange.


    "Of course you know this, but Amon agreed on going to the Scavenging. You pulled off a nice trick. Even if he was suspicious it was too good a deal for him to ignore."


    "Well, he would have never accepted my contribution points if I just gave it to him. Doing things this way will also help him out with his problems related to the Scavenging, so it is killing two birds with one stone."


    Rebecca agreed with his words. Her son was a bit too proud and stubborn in some ways. "Really, thank you for the help, Daniel. I can''t thank you enough."


    "Don''t mind it auntie."


    "Please, promise me you will take good care of him."


    "Of course I will. For me, he is a little brother."


    Rebecca smiled gently hearing that. She knew Amon saw Daniel as an older brother too.


    "Good luck on the Scavenging. I really hope you do find something. The spear I found twenty years ago was buried right there." Her eyes were filled with good memories of those times when she was still a young girl, trying hard to become a strong cultivator.


    "Well, Amon is meditating in his room. I''ll go take care of the preparations."


    "Goodbye, Daniel."


    With that, Daniel left the house. Rebecca turned her eyes to the open windows, wistfully looking at the white clouds in the blue sky, thinking that life was unfair with the good people of the world.


    Maybe that was the reason this world was filled with trash. She couldn''t help but remember her husband''s broad back as he left, the cold wind of the night entering through the open door and making her shudder as tears fell from her face. In the end, what kind of person was he?

 The Sect of Scraps (V)

    In meditation, the longer one could maintain the ethereal state of conscious emptiness, the bigger the benefits. Naturally, the longer they sensed the Qi of the world, the higher their understanding of it become, no matter how slow the process was.


    Qi Gathering was nothing more than a preparatory stage. It is said that with enough talent and affinity, one could soar through it in just a single day. It was nothing more than the basic sensing, manipulation and absorption of Qi, there was no finesse involved.


    Even so, such a high level of talent and comprehension was only seem once every hundred years. Of one thousand mortals, one would have the ability to develop his divine sense. Of one thousand people with divine sense, ten would be able to absorb Qi, direct it to their dantian, and be able to start Body Tempering.


    This time, Amon had managed to stay in meditation for a few hours. When he woke up, the sun was setting and the sky was darkening. Daniel had been long gone.


    He reheated the porridge he had made and ate some of it, since he had skipped lunch. He then took some for his mother as dinner.


    When he entered her room, she was looking out the window in a daze. Amon quietly left the bowl with food next to her bed and left again. He knew that when his mother was like this she was reminiscing, so he found it better to leave her to her memories.


    One week quietly passed.


    Amon still didn''t manage to control a single strand of Qi, just like all the other times he tried in the past years. He didn''t go to the Northern Station again, but still took a few strolls around the area on the mornings.


    As the sun rose on the day of the Scavenging, Daniel visited their house again. He made his way to Rebecca''s room and took a small leather pouch from his clothes. Amon was gathering a few spare clothes in his room.


    "Here, auntie. In this Bottomless Pouch you will find bread, cheese, dried meat and water enough for a week."


    Rebecca carefully received the pouch, looking at it with a funny expression.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve held one of those. I could never really adapt to the strange feeling you have when you put your arm into it. It is like submerging it in water, but without getting wet. It gives me the creeps."


    She laughed merrily as she said that. Daniel too couldn''t help but smile. Then, her laugh disappeared and her expression turned serious.


    "Daniel, be very careful in this Scavenging."


    Her gaze was unmoving.


    "Did something happen?"


    He asked, surprised.


    "No¡­ at least I think not. It is just a nagging feeling. Still, it is the Broken Forest. Keep your guard up."


    She seemed to be in a daze for a moment, confused as to why she felt this way.


    "I promise you, auntie. I''ll be careful and take good care of Amon."


    She smiled hearing that.


    "Thank you."


    As she thanked him, Amon entered the room.


    "Well, I''ll be going. Goodbye, auntie. See you in a few days."


    Daniel stood up and left. A strange expression on his face.


    Amon had a small linen sack full of clothes on his shoulder. His black hair had a strange glint to it, almost as if it as shining. It had been more than a week since he last used the black nuts and soon the dye would lose effect.


    Rebecca opened her arms and welcomed him in her arms, hugging him and ruffling his hair, just like she loved to do.


    "You have to be careful, okay?"


    She whispered in his ear, her voice full of worry.


    "I''ll take care mom."


    "Listen to Daniel and if something happens, promise me you will run."


    "I¡­"


    "Promise me!"


    "I promise. I''ll run."


    Amon was starting to feel insecure. What was this about?


    "Good. You can go. See you in a few days."


    She tightened her hug and kissed his forehead. Amon kissed her cheek before leaving through the door. Rebecca stared at his back as he left the house with Daniel.


    There was a strange feeling churning in her chest. Was this worry? Fear?


    She had a strong sense of foreboding. She reached for something inside the sheets and recovered a small necklace with a green jewel attached to it. A strange blue light seemed to be floating inside of it, flickering nonstop.


    She always felt somewhat relieved every time she held it. It was the last gift her husband had ever given her, and the one thing she managed to retrieve from their old house beside Raven. Not even Amon knew about it. She didn''t know why she never showed it to him, but thinking again, it would have most likely only brought him pain.


    She looked at the sky that was slowly brightening through her window as she held the necklace close to her chest. She had dismissed Amon''s worries a week ago. She thought it was just him blaming himself for a situation he obviously had nothing to do with, but now she felt strange whenever she remembered his words.


    What if it wasn''t just his guilt speaking? Even she didn''t know what Lloyd had done to her son that day.


    Maybe she had made a mistake. She clutched the necklace even harder, really hoping that she was wrong.


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


    Amon and Daniel took a few hours by foot to reach the boundaries of the Broken Forest. There were watchtowers made with black stone placed every few miles in the limits of the forest and there was always someone standing watch. A thick wall made of the same black stone connect all of the watchtowers, completely dividing the sect''s living grounds and the forest.


    Spirit beasts invading the sect''s grounds were extremely rare, but the people in the Outer Sect would have no chance to fight make if it ever happened. Plus, even if there were no records of it, a stampede could happen without notice, so the Abyss Sect always kept security tight close to the forest.


    As Amon and Daniel approached the golden gate in the wall, they saw that there was already a multitude of people gathered there. There were even a few children here and there. They were divided in lines, confirming their prior applications to the Scavenging. There were at least twenty lines, and an Elder was handling each one.


    Amon and Daniel chose a line and soon it was their turn. As Daniel had applied for both him and Amon, he showed to the Elder two wooden plaques with their names on it. The Elder glanced at the plaques and just had the duo stand on the side after he confirmed their application.


    Not long after, a middle-aged man walked in front of the golden gates. He wore the fiery red clothes of an Elder, and his black hair had streaks of gray all over it. With a light kick on the ground, his body shot up, creating a gust of wind that blew into the faces of a few dozen people next to him. He landed atop the wall and started talking. Somehow, his voice seemed to sound directly in the ears of everyone listening.


    "Good morning. As you all know, today we will open the Broken Sect for the Scavenging."


    His voice was calm and serene, his tone steady.


    "As you might know, all of the twenty Elders here will be roaming the forest for the next four days and helping every one they see in danger. Still, the forest is big and the Elders are few. Your lives are ultimately in your hands."


    "For the parents that brought their children, I don''t recommend staying more than a mile from the gates. Their lives are your responsibility and the Abyss Sect will not answer for their deaths if you ignore this warning."


    Amon could see more than one mother bringing her child closer to her. It reminded him of five years ago.


    "This Scavenging will four days long. You might return anytime between now and the deadline. If, however, you return late, a penalty will be applied for trespassing the limits of the Broken Forest, as the Scavenging will be already over and the permission granted will be nulled."


    The Elder then opened his arms wide, raising his voice.


    "I declare the Scavenging officially open!"


    The enormous golden gates slowly opened, and soon the multitude started flooding towards it.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    There was pushing and pulling everywhere. Daniel grabbed Amon by his collar and somehow managed to drag him beyond the gates.


    As soon as they were out, Daniel pointed east.


    "Come on, we have to be fast!"


    He shouted, still dragging Amon behind him.


    They ran for a few minutes. Daniel seemed to be jogging rather than running, but Amon was trying his best to be fast. They had barely covered a mile, but Amon was already panting for breath and covered in sweat.


    "Alright, guess this should be enough. We can slow down a bit."


    Amon didn''t manage to speak as he was catching his breath, but he gave a slight nod.


    "We are twenty miles or so away from the Red River. We should get there by nightfall if you can keep up the pace."


    "I¡­ huff¡­ fine, just¡­ give me a second."


    Amon managed to speak with difficulty.


    He sat down on the ground and slowly regulated his breathing. They were still near the wall, but he could already see the forest from up close.


    The trees were dozens of meters tall, with dark green leaves at their crowns. Their branches intertwined, blocking the sunlight. Their twisted, dark trunks were at least four meter thick. The trees should be hundreds of years old, if not thousands.


    Amon couldn''t see past a few meters inside the forest. It was incredibly dark, as if a wall of shadows blocked his view. Looking at it gave him chills.


    He suddenly felt a pressure in his heart, almost as if it was heavy. He found it difficult to breathe, and his face paled.


    Daniel realize it and slapped his back, snapping him out of it.


    "Are you okay?"


    Amon didn''t have a good expression. He was actually trembling a bit.


    "I''ll be fine. It is just¡­ Getting out here again is hard."


    Daniel gave a nod. Sitting beside him. Amon clenched his fists hard and tensed his muscles, trying to stop his body from trembling. It took him a few minutes to recollect himself. When Daniel saw that he was somewhat better, he jumped on his feet.


    "Let''s go, or we will never get there in time."


    Daniel offered him a hand. Amon accepted it and Daniel pulled him up.


    "So, what will we do? I don''t know if we could reach the place and return in four days¡­"


    Daniel scoffed hearing that. He continued walking east and Amon followed suit, looking all around him like a scared cat.


    "Well, if I was alone I could get there in a few hours if I wanted to be fast, but since I''m with you I had to use my brains for a bit."


    Amon pretended not to hear the first part.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Once we reach the river we will build a raft. With me here, we can make it in half an hour at most. I have some ropes in the Bottomless Pouch to speed up the process. The river will give us a ride straight to our destination. We would be there before sunrise if we build the raft as soon as we reach the river. If you get tired you can sleep on the raft as we travel."


    "That is a really good plan."


    Amon was very impressed, but not surprised. Daniel always seemed to be thinking a few steps ahead.


    The sun rose above their heads and the temperature rose sharply. The walked closer to the edge of the forest to seek refuge in the shadows as they moved.


    Amon was tense the whole time as they walked. Daniel tried to loosen his mood a bit, to no avail.


    When the sun started to set, they finally could hear the running water of the river ahead. They had spent at least eight hour walking on the woods. Amon had to take a break three times, as he was just too young and weak.


    Hearing the sound of the river gave him back some energy, and he started rushing ahead. Daniel shook his head, but followed suit.


    The Red River was at least one mile wide. It had muddy, brown waters, that made it seem dirty. The water rolling on the surface was incredibly fast, and the sheer sound produced by the current made Amon somewhat fearful. He was sure he would drown in no time if he didn''t manage to grab into something or return to the riverbank fast enough.


    Daniel didn''t waste time. He opened the Bottomless Pouch and retrieved an axe from it. He choose a few of the younger trees near the river, being only half as thick as the one deeper in the forest and started chopping.


    His axe whistled through the air every time he swung it, and the impact produced was enough to make the leaves of the surrounding trees rustle. The impact was so strong Amon could feel it in his chest, as if someone was punching him. It didn''t take long for him to take down three of the trees.


    He then took his time chopping off their crowns and whatever branches remained, leaving only clean trunks about four meters long.


    "Help me out a bit."


    He requested Amon''s help as he retrieved some ropes from the Bottomless Pouch. Amon helped him hold the ropes in place as Daniel firmly tied them around the trunks. After he was satisfied, he let out a long breath, cleaning the droplets of sweat in his face. Even he got tired from it.


    By the time they dragged the raft to the water, the sun had already set, only a few slivers of red light still shone in the horizon of dark sky.


    Amon climbed on the raft as Daniel pushed it into the river, before jumping on it too. He used a long stick he made from one of the branches of a tree and pushed the raft away from the riverbank.


    By then, Amon was nearly passing out. His face was pale and his clothes clung to his body, covered in sweat. It was getting colder, so he started shivering.


    Daniel retrieved Amon''s sack of clothes and handed it to him together with a blanked. Amon covered himself and used the sack as a pillow before he fell soundly asleep, not even acknowledging the rocking of the raft.


    Daniel, on the other hand, was still fine. He had done most of the work, but he only felt slightly tired. He could actually go on for days without sleep.


    He seemed to enter a trance as he conducted the raft downstream. Stars slowly started lighting up in the sky, and a full moon appeared from behind the clouds, almost like and eye gazing at then.


    The dim light shone on the river, making it look like quicksilver.


    Although the current was strong and fast, they had a long way to go.


    Time slowly passed.


    Sometimes a bigger wave would pass beneath the raft, making it shake abruptly and wake Amon up, but he would soon fall back asleep. It was far from comfortable, but was better than staying awake. He felt as if he was in a dream that would not end as he woke up and went back to sleep again and again.


    Eventually, without him noticing, the raft came to a stop. Daniel''s strong hand gently shook his shoulders and he woke up for good.


    "We are here."


    The sky was still dark, but Amon could already hear the chirping of the birds alongside the screeching of cicadas.


    "What time is it?"


    He asked, rubbing his eyes. His golden eyes seemed like lanterns glowing in the dark.


    "There are still two hours until the sun rises. Let''s go, the faster we search here, the faster we can return."


    As Daniel said that, he jumped down from the raft and into the riverbank. He dragged the raft into it, away from the water. Amon scooped some of the cold water and washed his face, trying to properly wake up.


    Daniel slowly took a flat disk from his Bottomless Pouch. He gave Amon the disk as he continued to search for something inside the pouch. He had a serious looking on his face a he pulled a slender sword from it.


    The scabbard was azure, but the handle had a pure white color. It was a high grade artifact that his father had gifted him long ago, years before Daniel ''decided to live on his own'' in the Outer Sect.


    Daniel tied it to his waist, being able to draw the sword quickly if anything happened. He still had Rebecca''s warning in mind. She had been an outstanding cultivator, so he trusted her senses. No one could reach the heights she had if they couldn''t feel danger coming.


    He also recovered a small paper talisman from the pouch. It was an expendable treasure that could create a thick barrier around the user for a limited time. It was a basic tool for self-protection.


    He extended his hand and Amon returned the disk. It was made of green jade and was filled with strange runes that glowed with a green light. Daniel injected Qi in it and it started to madly spin in his hands and slowly started to float.


    It was a tool used to search for high concentrations of Qi. It would tilt in the direction where the Qi was thicker. As artifacts also had high concentrations of Qi, the disk would react to their presence. It had cost Daniel a fortune, so not everyone could use one of those and make their lives easier in the Scavenging.


    Daniel and Amon started to slowly walk through the riverbank. They tried to cover a wide area, but the disk simply spun in Daniel''s hand, showing no reaction.


    They had walked for over an hour, covering almost a mile to the east of their starting point, yet they found nothing. They had been thorough, but maybe there was really nothing there after all.


    When they were about to give up and return, the disk suddenly tilted right, in the direction of the river.


    "Oh?"


    Daniel was surprised. He had never expected to find anything and was just waiting for Amon to give up so they could return. Amon''s eyes shone with excitement, and they slowly started walking in the direction the disk pointed, taking small and careful steps.


    Suddenly, the disk almost fell out of Daniel''s hands and started floating above the ground. Daniel didn''t waste time and spread his divine sense towards the ground.


    A few feet underground, what seemed to be a spear''s tip was buried. Daniel carefully started digging, completely absorbed in his task. The sun had already started rising on the horizon, painting the river with a hellish red light.


    They didn''t realize. There were no birds chirping. No cicadas screeching. There was no sound at all, almost as if time had stopped.


    Amon felt his hair stand on end, and his body started to heat up. He could feel his blood churning in what seemed to be excitement, and he suddenly felt eager. He could feel something coming from the forest at an incredibly fast speed. He could feel it in his blood; it was almost like the primal excitement a warrior would feel when being challenged to a fight.


    His face paled, and he started trembling. Cold sweat started running through his back. This feeling was very familiar. It was not nearly as strong, but it was very similar to how he felt five years ago.


    "Daniel, we have to go."


    Daniel was still digging on the ground. He glanced at Amon and saw his pale face.


    "Daniel, we have to go now!"


    Amon screamed, full of terror. Daniel didn''t ask, as he seemed to sense something wrong. He ran to Amon, caught him on his arms and started running back in the direction they came.


    However, it was too late.


    He felt a chill and almost lost his balance. He managed to stop in time, as a black shadow jumped in front of him and blocked his path. Daniel put a terrified Amon in his left shoulder and drew his sword with his right hand. A piercing trill echoed through the forest as the shiny blade revealed itself.


    As he did that, he heard something snapping to his right. He slowly turned to face the tree from where the sound came, and he saw it.


    A huge shadow was slowly taking shape between the trees. They could feel each step it took making the ground lightly shake beneath Daniel''s feet. When it got closer they could finally hear the muffled sound it made when it walked.


    A pair of red rubies that burned like the flames of hell was staring at them. Soon, a paw that was as big as an adult''s torso made it out of the shadows. Claws as big as daggers left scars in the ground as they grazed it when the creature took a step forward.


    Something as big as Daniel made its way into the light, completely covered in black fur that seemed more like an armor of sharp and hard needle. The pair of rubies were stuck into the sides of this thing. Amon finally realized that the rubies were eyes, and what he was seeing was an enormous head.


    The beast opened its mouth, and a row of fangs as big as spear tips showed themselves, the saliva dripping from them giving them a cruel glint. A bite from it could rip a tree from the ground, roots and all.


    Amon and Daniel could feel a cold wind blowing at their backs that made their hair flutter when the beast''s lungs expanded. It then released a howl that made the trees sway and a cloud of dust to rise from the ground.


    "AWOOOOOOOOOO!"


    It felt more like an air cannon than a howl. Amon was blown away from Daniel''s shoulder and fell on the ground, while Daniel stumbled a few steps backwards.


    The pair of rubies locked into Amon while hundreds of leaves were blown away from the trees and slowly fell to the ground, swaying in strange ways. Amon started shivering uncontrollably. His ears started bleeding from the howl. He couldn''t move a muscle.


    The beast slowly approached him, one step at a time. Finally it come to a halt five meters away from Amon, looking at him full of hostility, the fur at its back erect as a low and deep grow resonated from its throat.


    Daniel finally snapped out of his trance. He recovered the shield talisman from his clothes and shattered it, moving closer to Amon. A thick and translucent golden light enveloped them. Daniel grabbed Amon and turned away, running at full speed in the direction they came from.


    They heard another air splitting howl that made the surface of the shield ripple like water, and the beast ran towards them.


    Daniel was scared out of his mind. A beast like that shouldn''t be here. He wanted to deny it in his head, but the name still made its way into his lips.


    "Direwolf!"

 The Sword of the Immortal (I)

    Daniel was confused. He was afraid. These spirit beasts should be seem only in the far north, dozens of miles away from where they were. The only exception happened five years ago, when a pack lead by a Silverback Wolf made its way into the region near the Hell''s Keeper Mountain, close to the northern walls.


    The sect wiped them all out after a dozen disciples were attacked by them. Still, a Silverback Wolf was a class 6 spirit beast. Even if Rebecca was one of the strongest cultivators in the sect, she suffered grievous injuries and ended up crippled protecting her son and stalling until reinforcements arrived.


    Even if Direwolves were ''only'' class 4, they were still incredibly rare. Daniel didn''t know why one of them would leave their territory again, even more so in broad daylight. How bad was their luck?


    A creature that seemed to be born from the union of wind and shadows. A creature that could run faster than the wind and crack the earth with a stomp. Direwolves like that could face a cultivator in the Elemental Purification realm and win. Worst of all, they usually moved in packs.


    The Direwolf in front of them was at least six meters long and three meters high. A behemoth of a beast, made for the simple purpose of killing.


    Daniel knew they had no chance. Rebecca had told him to be careful, but in the end he lowered his guard for but a moment. Still, that moment was enough. This was on him.


    He could only hope that the talisman shield would protect them until they made their way back to the raft. Amon was in a daze, as if fighting with something inside of him. Daniel could only carry him over his shoulder as he tried to run away.


    The trees were no more than an indistinct blur as Daniel ran like mad. The ground cracked where he took a step, and any tree trunk was utterly decimated if he used it as leverage to jump forward.


    Body Tempering cultivators used the Qi to reinforce their bodies. It was a very painful process, where they would hurt themselves over and over and circulate the Qi in their body following the directions of the cultivation manuals they had in hand.


    The Qi would not only heal then faster, it would make the flesh and bones being repaired stronger. It was a necessary stage in any cultivator''s life, otherwise their bodies wouldn''t withstand their own Qi and techniques if they grew too powerful.


    Having their bodies being remade and perfected using Qi, Body Tempering cultivators couldn''t be compared to normal humans anymore. Their strength, endurance and speed were far above any mortal. Stepping into the Body Tempering realm was the first true step in order to pursue immortality.


    The black shadow that had blocked him earlier was a smaller Direwolf, probably in his pubescent years. Daniel used the shield covering him and Amon and smashed through the wolf like a cannon ball, not slowing down a bit.


    Alas, it was all for naught. Daniel saw a dark blur passing by his side, and the gigantic wolf surpassed them just like that, coming to a halt in front of them. Daniel tried to change directions but it was too late. The Direwolf brandished its claws, hitting the shield that surrounded Daniel and Amon.


    They took no damage, but the shield distorted for a moment when the claw made contact with it, and they were sent flying back. Daniel and Amon smashed through a pair of trees before they finally hit the ground, leaving a long trail of destruction in their path. Splinters and dust flew everywhere, blocking their vision.


    The shield lost its luster and started flickering, as if it would go out at any moment. Daniel knew it would only last a few more seconds and it wouldn''t protect them from another hit. He hesitated for a moment before continuing his sprint. They shouldn''t be too far from it; if he rushed they could make it in time.


    He once again sped through the trees without even looking back. Worries would only slow him down, and he had to be as fast as possible.


    Amon seemed to have snapped out of his dazed state, as he suddenly started to try to free himself from Daniel''s grasp.


    "Daniel, you have to let me go!" He screamed with his high-pitched voice, his face flushed while he struggled.


    "Now is not the time to throw a tantrum kid! Do you want to die?" Daniel rebuked in a harsh tone. He was not going to put up with this right now.


    "You don''t understand, that wolf is coming for me! If you don''t let me go you will die!" Amon cried out, desperate to break free. Daniel was taken aback. What the hell was Amon talking about? The wolf was after him?


    Daniel shook his head to clear up his thoughts. Now was not the time to worry about such things. He continued dashing through the forest while Amon shouted in desperation. Daniel had no idea what had gotten into him, but if he didn''t calm down he would make things worse.


    Daniel caught sight of the Direwolf surpassing them again. He didn''t even think before he launched himself into the nearest tree and used it as foothold. The tree''s trunk cracked as he shot like a bullet over the wolf right when it sent another claw strike in their direction.


    That enormous claw grazed right past his leg, colliding with the shield. The shield shattered like glass, sending speckles of light everywhere as they made it past the wolf and Daniel continued his mad escape towards the raft.


    They heard another howl coming from the wolf, making Daniel''s ears hurt and Amon''s bleed even more. Amon covered his ears with a scream of pain before he started mumbling to himself, saying "I''m sorry" over and over again.


    Daniel was about to knock him out when he saw the raft in the riverbank ahead. They had finally made it back. When they were about to reach it, Daniel''s blood froze. He heard another howl coming from the right, but this one was weaker than the ones from the wolf pursuing them.


    Then, another howl echoed from the back, followed by another from the front. From the shadows, three more wolves made their way into Daniel and Amon''s direction. They had the same burning eyes and black fur, but were half the size of the Direwolf following them. One of them was the same wolf Daniel had smashed away before, seemingly unhurt at all.


    Despair filled Daniel when he saw this. They were surrounded, there was no way for them to escape. Amon started crying in his shoulder, drenching Daniel''s clothes in tears. Then he looked over Daniel''s back and went silent.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Daniel didn''t need to guess why. He heard the rustling of the bushes behind him. He slowly turned around, prepared to face the Direwolf they first ran into. Its eyes were like gateways to hell, burning with a rage that could make any grown man shiver.


    Daniel gripped the sword in his hand tightly. The sword made clinging noises as his hand trembled in fear. The gigantic wolf got closer in closer. Eventually it came so close that Daniel could feel its hot breath in his face, bringing together a foul stench of blood and rotten meat.


    Daniel could clearly see pieces of meat and bones stuck between the fangs of the beast. His mind raced, trying to figure a way to get out of this situation. He discovered he had no hope. He would never leave Amon and try to run by himself. He would never be able to face this small pack of Direwolves and live to tell the story. He could only distract them and somehow send Amon away.


    He closed his eyes for but a moment before making a decision. When he opened them again, they shone with determination. He suddenly spun, turning his back to the Alpha Direwolf. He held Amon up and looked past the wolves in front of them. The raft was about thirty meters away. For any normal human, it would be an impossible feat, but Daniel was not a normal human. He was a cultivator.


    He took aim and mustered every ounce of the strength his tempered body could produce, before throwing the crying Amon over the trees, in the direction of the river. Before he could see if his aim was on point, he spun again, sword in hand.


    This lustrous sword was the first gift his father ever gave him, and was by far the best. It was a high quality artifact. It wouldn''t rust and the edge would never go dull. In the right hands, this sword could pierce through a rock. In Daniel''s hands, this sword could pierce through an adult''s Direwolf fur. It was enough.


    The sword shone brightly while it drew a beautiful arc in air, propelled by Daniel''s momentum as he spun. The blade hit the enormous Direwolf behind him, cutting its fur and flesh. The sword had opened a deep gash in the Direwolf''s head, almost hitting an eye and partially blinding him.


    The Direwolf stood in place, its eyes burning while dark blood dripped from its face. He didn''t howl and he didn''t growl. He simply opened its mouth and jumped at Daniel, baring its fangs. It didn''t feel like it was hunting a prey or fighting for its territory. It felt more like it was crushing an annoying ant.


    Daniel saw those knife-like fangs approaching his head and he knew he wouldn''t be able to dodge it. When he was about to be ripped in pieces the sound of a heavy object hitting something made its way from the river. Amon had finally fallen in the raft after a few moments airborne.


    The Direwolf suddenly stopped and turned its hellish gaze from Daniel and looked past him, into the Red River and its raging waters. It paid Daniel no mind and started making its way past the trees.


    Amon was squirming in pain atop the raft. He somehow managed to not fall into the river and stay in the raft after the initial impact. Daniel throwing him to safety came at a price, though, as he was clearly hurt.


    Daniel used all his willpower to focus for a moment. He had no more than a second to gain control over a huge ammount of Qi that was far away from him. A very difficult feat even for talented people. Yet, he somehow managed to accomplish it in his desperation.


    He used the Qi to blast the raft away from the riverbank, pushing it into the river. The raft hit the waters and soon the waves started dragging it away at a fast pace.


    There was but one problem: the river was dragging the raft towards them.


    The Direwolf had its gaze fixed on it, and slightly bend its hind legs, as if preparing to jump.


    Daniel broke in cold sweat. He would never be able to stop the beast from pursuing Amon if he didn''t distract it first. Daniel was trembling in fear, but still chose to attack the Direwolf a second time. He was just saved from death, but he had to face it yet again to protect his friend.


    "Hell no!" Daniel shouted while brandishing the sword again, jumping in the air and trying to hit the Direwolf''s back.


    The Direwolf turned around and clawed at him as if swatting a fly. An utter lack of interest. The Direwolf only saw him as an annoyance, never as a threat. Still, a grown Direwolf was a menace even if it didn''t take the victim seriously.


    That halfhearted strike could still cut Daniel in two. He desperately twisted his body in midair, barely avoiding a hit on his waist. The claws hit his right shoulder and slashed at his arm. Daniel screamed in pain as the sword in his right hand escaped from his grip. He looked at his right arm in shock.


    Something was hanging from his shoulder. It was nothing more than an indistinct mass of flesh and blood. Daniel had avoided the brunt of the strike and the claws hit his arm with nowhere near the power they would hit his waist, yet most of his arm had been torn off.


    He could see shreds of muscles peeking out from the torn skin, covering the white bones in his upper arm. His hand was somehow intact, but most of his forearm was gone, standing as bloody chunks of flesh in the ground.


    Blood flowed from his injuries nonstop and dripped in the ground, forming a dark-red pool that slowly grew, like a blooming flower.


    The Direwolf sent him one last glance before turning towards the river and started speeding away with the other three in tow. Daniel grimaced in pain. He knew that he would never be a match for it. But he had to do something or Amon would die. His mind started fading away, as if he was about to lose consciousness.


    Daniel gritted his teeth, trying to resist the urge to pass out. His eyes were bloodshot as he started searching for something in his clothes with his left hand. He retrieved a strange piece of jade in the shape of a tiny sword. He didn''t want to use something like that, but he had no hope of even leaving alive otherwise.


    Daniel held the tiny sword in his finger and madly sent his Qi into it. The jade sword started glowing in a golden light and a terrifying aura burst out from it, as if a wild beast had been uncaged. The Direwolves sensed something and turned around to look at him again. This time, their eyes were full of apprehension. A crazy smile made its way into Daniel''s face.


    Some people, when facing death, would cower in fear. Some would silently accept it. Some would be resentful of the injustices life imposed to them. Some would be full of regrets, wishing they could start over and better enjoy life. Some would go crazy and deny it to the very end. Some would know what was coming and would still keep fighting with all they had.


    No matter what one said in life, only in death would someone show their true self, because only when the fire started waning it would receive attention, even if just because the creeping cold of death was becoming unbearable as the warmth of life slowly vanished. The last flickers of the flame would burn the brightest, revealing what lied in the shadows of a person''s mind.


    Daniel always saw himself as a failure. He was shunned from his family the very moment his younger brother showed the talent he never had. He walked alone through the depths of despair and all of those that called themselves his friends flew away with the wind the moment he lost all connections to his father.


    When he was alone, going mad in that dark and crushing loneliness, only one person extent her hand to him, bringing him back to the warmth of the light. He owed her his life. He owed her his happiness.


    Because of that, he would never let her son go through any of the sufferings he experienced, and neither would he let her son die. Because now she needed his help to take care of him, and he refused to let her down, even if it meant dying in this place. And so, the disgraceful Daniel bravely faced his death with a savage look on his face.


    "You are all dead!" Daniel shouted as if mad while he slashed at the wolves with the tiny sword from far away.


    That jade sword was the last gift his father had given him. You could say it was his somewhat guilty conscience that made his father prepare it, or maybe his wife, Daniel''s mother, had forced him to do it. Daniel would never know and he didn''t care.


    This tiny sword was a one-time use offensive artifact, and his father made it clear that he wouldn''t be giving him anything after this. It was, for all intents and purposes, a parting gift for his disappointment of a son.


    For the first time in many years, Daniel felt grateful for his father. He could feel how powerful it was, and was actually impressed. Turns out his father didn''t hold back when making this for him.


    As Daniel''s thoughts became nostalgic, the tiny sword drew an arc in the air, leaving behind a trail of golden specs. A blinding light shone from it, as if it contained a blazing sun. All color in the world seemingly vanished for a moment, leaving only the golden light as a gust of wind blew away everything in its path.


    Following the wind, there was just a frightening wave of death and destruction.

 The Sword of the Immortal (II)

    Amon slowly opened his golden eyes, only to be greeted by the blinding light of the sun. He was confused, almost as if in a daze. His head felt light and his body heavy. All he could hear was a loud buzz that seemed to be echoing inside his head.


    The sun in his eyes was too strong. He tried to turn his head away, but a sudden piercing pain in his left shoulder made him scream.


    The pain properly woke him up. It was enough for him to feel hurting all over. A splitting headache made him grunt and almost pass out again. He closed his eyes hard until his head''s throbbing lessened and the pain became somewhat manageable.


    Then, he looked around. He saw that he was still on the raft, stranded in a riverbank. He had no idea if he was still in the Red River or in one of the streams that originated from it.


    He was feeling cold despite the blazing sun, and realized his clothes were completely drenched, clinging to his body. They were in tatters, and strange stains of black could be seem in his chest and shoulders. Amon didn''t mind them one bit, he had other things to worry about.


    He tried to move again, but his left shoulder hurt in protest. Amon tried to slowly move his arm, but realized he couldn''t handle the pain. He probably broke his left collarbone when Daniel threw him in the raft.


    He slowly turned to take a closer look, resisting the pain and he saw that his shoulder was incredibly swollen. He had for sure broken the collarbone.


    He could also faintly see bruises all over his arms and legs, and moving them was hard. He felt very lethargic, and even if he had just woken up, he was starting to turn drowsy.


    He tried to take deep breaths. Even breathing made waves of pain run through his body.


    He slowly turned on his right shoulder, trying to slightly move his right hand and his legs and get used to the pain.


    It took what seemed to be an eternity, but Amon eventually managed to stand up. Limping away, he started walking upstream.


    He had no real choice. He didn''t know where he was, all he knew was that going upstream would lead him back, even if he wasn''t in the Red River anymore.


    He had no food and he had no medicine for his wounds. His hearing was blown away with the Direwolf''s howl, so he couldn''t even hear the running water of the river over the buzz echoing in his head. He wouldn''t even hear a spirit beast that might approach him. His chances of making it back alive were grim.


    Still, he looked at the sky and started crying in sorrow and relief. He had somehow survived the ordeal, but he didn''t know what price Daniel had paid because of him.


    He didn''t know what had happened after he was thrown in the raft and blown into the river. Before he lost consciousness, he remembered seeing what seemed to be a small sun flashing from the direction Daniel was.


    It was his fault. It had been his fault five years ago and it was his fault again now. His mother had been hurt because of him, and now Daniel was hurt too. He was sure he was the reason Direwolves appeared where they shouldn''t have. That strange feeling he had when he was close to them¡­ he had no idea why, but he was sure it had something to do with the wolves targeting him.


    "Daniel is alive. I will find help and save him." Amon started muttering, trying to convince himself while he travelled as fast as he could. His steps were uneven as he walked. His dirty appearance and pale face, combined with his unceasing muttering made him look like a ghost.


    He was just a kid, and now he somehow had to survive through a situation like that.


    He walked for what seemed to be like hours, almost in a trance. He fell more than once, but always got up. The pain was still there, but was greatly numbed by his clouded mind. He didn''t know how far he walked alongside the river, but he never stopped.


    "Eh?"


    A shock ran through him, clearing his mind. He looked around, confused. He felt something tugging at his mind, almost calling to him.


    He realized he knew this place, what should have been impossible. He gazed somewhere in the middle of the trees, and had a sudden impulse to go there. As he walked he felt the headache returning, stronger than ever.


    A strange voice echoed in his head, whispering. It managed to stand out from the ever present buzz in his ears. However, it was so faint and low that he couldn''t understand what it was saying.


    His head throbbed and he fell on his knees.


    "What the hell? Stop!" He screamed to the air.


    His impulse started getting stronger and he stood up. It was almost as if his body wasn''t his own. He wanted to get somewhere, but he also didn''t. He knew where he was going, but he also didn''t. It was almost as if his mind was split in two and the halves were superimposing, making for an unharmonious whole. The only clear thing he felt was an inexplicable sense of longing and anxiousness.


    As he was being dragged by his own body somewhere away from the river, he suddenly felt a jolt. He looked ahead and realized he was walking directly into a tree. Behind it, there was just a dirty ground and more trees, just like everywhere in the forest.


    He tried to stop, but to no avail. That part of him that had taken over his body threw itself into the tree.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    He braced for an impact that never came. He felt a cold sensation running through his body, as if he was underwater. The air turned almost viscous and it was hard to move.


    The feeling didn''t last long. It disappeared as suddenly as it came, and Amon fell to the ground.


    To his surprise, he didn''t fall into hard ground, but into a patch of soft, green grass. He looked around, confused, and suddenly felt as if he had teleported to another world.


    It was a wide, open space, at least a mile wide. Lush green grass grew everywhere, still moistened by the morning dew. Small trees filled with delicate white flowers were everywhere. A gentle breeze made the trees and grass rustle and, in the middle of the space, shining in the golden light of the sun, was a lake. Amon felt he was inside a painting rather than the real world.


    The lake was not big, being only a few hundred meters wide. It reflected the white clouds and the blue sky like a mirror, which seemed to be set ablaze when the sunlight shone on it, creating golden patterns in the water. The light that reflect on the water twisted around itself as small waves rolled over the surface of the lake.


    However, the scenery wasn''t all beauty. Looking closer, Amon saw long gashes crisscrossing everywhere on the ground, as if someone had cut the earth open. Many of the trees were chopped in half, what remained of their trunks withered and cracked.


    It didn''t feel like a battle had taken place here, rather it looked like someone had lashed out at their surroundings in a fit of rage. The sword scars covered most of the mysterious space.


    Amon started feeling grief and regret as he looked at the scars. He didn''t know why, but he could feel great pain hidden in these marks. The sudden emotions took him over by storm and he was overwhelmed for a moment.


    As he was trying to get ahold of himself, he suddenly tensed up. He had caught something at the corner of his eyes. He turned around and saw something lying by the lake. He walked towards it carefully, when he realized what it was.


    In this hidden world covered by sword scars, by that beautiful lake, lied a corpse.


    This corpse was no more than a skeleton. One could still see scraps of what might have been blue clothes under it. The skeleton''s bones had a strange luster to it, almost as if they were made of crystal.


    Amon knew that he must have been a powerful cultivator in the past. Only when someone''s body was tempered innumerous times one''s bones would become like that. It was one of the easy ways to appraise the worth of whatever a corpse might have. If the objects belonged to an expert, they were valuable. The way to identify the corpse of an expert was exactly the luster their bones gave.


    Decades or even centuries of Qi condensed running through their bodies fundamentally changed their flesh and bones. This was a step further than Body Tempering. A process that was much more natural than a forced tempering, and took place over a cultivator''s whole life. Their corpses could be preserved for centuries as long as nothing destroyed them, and even that wasn''t an easy thing to do.


    Amon examined the skeleton closely. The deceased died lying down on the grass, looking up. Amon could almost feel the wistfulness that certainly showed in his eyes as he died gazing at the sky. His two arms were wrapped around a sword, holding it into his chest in a tight embrace. He obviously held it in high regard. In one of his fingers, a crystalline ring could be seen.


    For some reason, Amon felt sorrow seeing this. He felt as if a hand was crushing his heart as a strange pressure spread through his chest. He wanted to cry, and he had no idea why he felt like this.


    He hesitated for a bit before carefully moving the skeleton''s arms away from the sword. It was a beautiful, yet simple weapon. The blade was about one meter long and the hilt was a bit shorter than 30 centimeters. Amon took it in his hands, taking a better look.


    The sheath was made of simple black leather, with a few silver lines running through it in a somewhat complex pattern. A strap was attached to it, so one could tie the sheath to their waist or their backs.


    The handle of the sword was wrapped in the same black leather, and was worn out from the use. The sword guard had a silver color and was shaped like a half moon. A small red gem was embedded in it, looking like an eye.


    He found it strange for the weapon of an expert to be so simple. Powerful cultivators usually customized their artifacts to their liking, and the results varied greatly. Their artifacts became a symbol of their identities. Cultivators liked being recognized, so it was really rare to see such simple artifact in the hands of an expert.


    When an expert used an artifact for many years, his Qi would permeate it, slowly changing its properties and strengthening it, not in the least unlike the natural tempering cultivators experienced with their bodies. The materials used in an artifact defined the upper limit of the artifact''s growth, and such a limit was what defined an artifact''s tier.


    He caught himself wondering how much this sword would be worth. At least a few thousand contribution points. Enough to sustain him and his mother for years. Maybe even buy a medicine strong enough to heal her.


    Even as he thought of this, he couldn''t smile. He actually started feeling guilt. The thought of selling the sword made him aggrieved.


    He gripped the handle and unsheathed the sword with difficulty as he did so with only his right hand. The blade hummed with trill as it was revealed to the world after who knows how long. It was a simple, unadorned blade, but it was polished to the point of reflecting light like a mirror. It had a good balance, although not perfect.


    He realized the grip of the sword was so worn out one could see the marks of the fingers of the wielder. Amon''s fingers were quite small compared to his.


    Amon was really excited as he held the blade, like he had found a long lost companion. Suddenly, a name came to mind.


    "Brightmoon." He quietly mumbled to himself.


    Wait, how did he know that?


    A sudden scorching pain came from his in his palm. He dropped the sword on the ground, surprised. He looked down at his hand. It had turned bright red and was throbbing violently.


    "Who dares!" A shout made its way directly into Amon''s head. The voice was filled with anger and so loud Amon felt his brain would crack.


    The air around him seemed to freeze and he found himself unable to move. It slowly started constricting on him. He was completely powerless.


    The pressure increased and he found it harder to breath. The pain in his shoulder flared up again and he screamed.


    The sword on the ground slowly floated up, and a silhouette materialized from thin air, holding the sword.


    The silhouette slowly turned clear, taking the form of a woman.


    She was breathtaking. Her figure was slender and she had long legs. Her white dress seemed to be made of moonlight as it shone with a silver luster. Her hair fell like a waterfall on her back, as black as the night sky. A pair of clear blue eyes that seemed to pierce at one''s soul could be seen in a delicate and pale face.


    Amon would certainly be dumbstruck by this woman''s beauty if he weren''t terrified or suffocating. The thick killing intent exuding from her didn''t help either.


    The woman''s eyes shone with a cold glint as she raised the sword. The pressure over Amon''s body grew heavier and his vision started to fade. Everything around him turned dark, except for the pair of blue eyes that gazed at him with hostility.


    As he was prepared to feel the cold blade slashing at his neck, he heard the woman speaking again directly to his mind. This time, he could clearly hear the melodious tone of her voice as it wasn''t the same angry shout as before. Instead, it was full of surprise and incredulity.


    What echoed in his mind was a single name.


    "Alexei?"


    Then, he passed out.

 The Sword of the Immortal (III)

    The Abyss Sect''s Third Elder, Richard Layn, was hovering above the trees of the Broken Forest, enjoying the fresh air. It was the second day of the Scavenging and the sun hadn''t risen yet. A gentle breeze blew above the trees, rustling the leaves and lightly messing Richard''s hair as he looked at the dark sky.


    He had long white hair that fell on his shoulders and a long beard that reached to his chest. His face was gentle, but filled with wrinkles. A pair of black eyes shone brightly with life behind his hair, making him seem really energetic despite his old age. His red clothes were impeccable, with not a single speck of dust to be found on them.


    Richard was a respected figure in the sect, and he only ones above him were the Sect Master and the four Protectors. The First to Tenth Elders comprised the Elder Council, so they all held the same authority. Still, it was strange for someone as powerful as Richard to be overseeing the Scavenging.


    Truth be told, Richard was bored out of his mind. He might be old, but he still hated deskwork and bureaucracy. He really felt he wasn''t fit for such responsibilities as a member of the Elder Council, but he was forced on the job by Sect Master Borgin.


    It was already planned for a more powerful Elder to take part in it this year anyway, as the happenings of the last Scavenging were still fresh in the minds of the Elders. They still found no reason for a Silverback Wolf to be so close to Hell''s Keeper Mountain. As such, Richard as the first to offer his services in this year''s Scavenging and make use of this chance to take a small break.


    He was really enjoying the peace he had found doing this.


    As he was thinking of this, a blinding light shone from the trees a few miles away. A terrifying aura rose from the golden light that blazed like the sun.


    Richard was incredibly powerful, but he still had to close his eyes and turn his head away from the light. As the light started to subside, a rumbling sound reached him, so loud that he felt as if he had been punched in the chest.


    Right after that, a windstorm rose, ripping trees from their roots and throwing them in the air and raising a cloud of dust and splinters.


    Richard was surprised. Even he would have been hurt by the phenomenon that happened. When the light disappeared and the wind calmed down, he started to make his way to the origins of the catastrophe.


    There was no sound to be heard in the forest except for the sound of the running waters of the Red River. The dust blocked Richard''s vision as he tried to see what happened. When the dust finally settled, all he saw was destruction.


    A wide trail of splinters and dust that extended for fifty meters was left near the river bank. At the start of the trail was a man lying face down, unconscious. His clothes were in tatters and he lied in a pool of blood. His right arm was a mangled mess of bone and blood. His left hand was tightly holding a broken amulet. At his feet, a thin sword lied in the ground.


    Richard was surprised. He was unsure if the man was dead or not, but if he didn''t help it would become a certainty soon. While he got closer to the man, he looked at the other side of the destruction.


    At the end of the trail, one could see pieces of flesh and bone scattered everywhere near what could be barely recognized as the carcass of three black wolves. Next to them, a large trail of dark blood made its way into the trees, as if something dragged itself away from the remains of the disaster that took place there.


    Richard shivered when he saw the size of that blood trail. He crouched and checked the pulse of the man collapsed on the ground. It was incredibly weak, but he had a pulse. Richard took a medicinal pill from a Bottomless Pouch and gently turned the man, preparing to feed it to him. When he saw his face, he went pale.


    "Daniel? What the hell happened here?" He asked more to himself than to Daniel.


    Daniel of course, didn''t answer. Richard cursed and started feeding him all the pills he could get from his pouches. If Daniel died in his care, Richard would have trouble, no matter what people said about Daniel''s relationship with his father. He retrieved some bandages from his pouch and wrapped Daniel''s arm with it.


    Being very careful, he slowly made Daniel float in the air using his Qi. A deep frown could be seen in his face. Whatever it was that Daniel faced was somehow still alive, even after that strike he used. Richard had no good feelings when thinking about that blood trail.


    Looking closely, what remained of the dead animals could be attributed to Direwolves. If that was the case, then the beast that dragged itself away from the scene had to be a fully mature Direwolf, a dangerous class 4 spirit beast.


    "This is the second time they leave their territory during a Scavenging. What is going on?" He asked to himself.


    Richard shook his head and fished a flat golden disk from his clothes. It flashed with a blue light and started floating above his palm.


    "This is the Third Elder. I''ll need the personnel in the Medical Pavilion ready, the Second Protector''s son is gravely injured and needs urgent care. I''ll be returning in a few minutes with him. Prepare to issue a sect mission for a Direwolf hunt, I''ll be sending the coordinates soon."


    Richard''s voice was calm and slow as he spoke to the disk, trying to be as clear as possible, even if the message was brief. The disk flashed again and fell back on his hand. Richard put it away and brought Daniel closer.


    Then, he shot up to the sky at an amazing speed, disappearing in the distance as he sped back to the sect.


    ---


    Lya was floating in front of an unconscious and strange boy, still holding Brightmoon tightly in her hand. She looked like a ghost, floating slightly above the ground and glowing with a silver light.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The boy cut out a sorry figure: his clothes were in tatters and bruises could be seen everywhere in his body. His left shoulder was also terribly swollen. He certainly didn''t have a good time before he reached this isolated space.


    Strangest of all were his features. He had a common face, but his eyes were of a bright gold and they seemed to glow. His hair was ashen-gray, but faint streaks of black could be seen here and there. His clothes were also stained with black in the shoulders and chest, as well as his neck and some of his face.


    "Is this a dye or something?" Lya asked herself. Then, she gently waved her hands and cleaned the boy with a burst of Qi. The black dye dissolved and the dirt was blown away from his clothes and face. Looking at him better, his hair made him seem somewhat exotic, like some kind of beast.


    Lya turned her head to the skeleton lying on the grass. Her heart hurt and sorrow took over her. She took a good while looking at the skeleton before she managed to turn away.


    "I''m sorry." She whispered. She lost count of how many times she had said that, but she always felt it wasn''t enough.


    A few tears stained her face as she waved her hands again. The crystalline ring flew away from the skeleton''s finger and fell on her palm. She lightly swiped the ring and looked dazed for a moment, as if daydreaming. When she recovered, the ring flashed with a faint light and a red pill was seen in her pale hands.


    "This might be a bit too much, but it is not as I have anything worse than this¡­" She mumbled as she threw the pill.


    The pill flew straight into the boy''s mouth and dissolved in his tongue. It turned into a viscous and bright liquid that churned in his mouth, almost as if it was going to explode. She flickered a finger lightly, and a small strand of Qi pushed the red liquid in his mouth down his throat.


    The boy coughed hard and his body started to heat up. His skin turned red and steam started to rise from his body and clothes. The bruises rapidly faded away and the shoulder swell started diminishing.


    "I''m sorry in advance." Lya said, as she focused and clapped her hands together, making the Qi around the boy''s shoulder clamp together.


    A loud cracking sound was heard as the boy''s shoulder suddenly returned to place before the pill started to mend the collarbone. Still unconscious, a pained expression appeared on the boy''s face as he started twitching.


    It took some time before he finally stopped twitching and his skin gradually returned to normal. Lya then carefully laid him on the ground as she looked at him with a thoughtful expression.


    Earlier when the boy had held Brightmoon, she had felt immense anger as was prepared to kill him in the spot, thinking someone had managed to take down the array that protected the lake and was trying to rob the sword.


    To her surprise, not only was the array intact, the boy gave her a familiar feeling.


    Lya focused and spread out her divine sense. She was now a lot stronger than she was in the past, so she felt confident she could sense it.


    She focused solely on the boy in front of her, trying to scrutinize every single part of him. She then let out a long breath, a complex look in her eyes, a mix of longing and regret.


    "It really is you." She said after a long while. It was just a small piece, a fragment that had become a small whole, but that was enough for her.


    There was no similarities between them. The boy''s face didn''t have his handsomeness. His hair was gray instead of golden and his eyes weren''t green. His hand were also small and his fingers didn''t have any calluses. He probably never even held a sword.


    He also didn''t have a shred of the proud and cold aura, but felt instead rather passive and weak. They were almost opposites.


    Lya smiled when she realized this. A sad, tired smile. Maybe it was for the best that things were this way.


    Amon slowly opened his eyes. He felt quite comfortable, almost as if he just had a great night of sleep. His body didn''t hurt and he felt full of energy. He raised his upper body and sat down. When he saw the beautiful woman in front of him, he almost screamed in terror. Then, he realized she was in a daze.


    He slowly started sneaking away. When he thought he managed to get to a safe distance, he decided to sprint. Suddenly, his face hit something solid and he was thrown back. He looked ahead and saw nothing but air in front of him. What happened?


    "You know, running away without thanking the person that helped you is quite rude." A melodious voice rang behind him.


    Amon felt a chill running through his back and slowly turned, just to see the woman glancing at him from far away. She had a smile on her face that creeped him out. He slowly backed away, facing her and trying to create some distance, like a scared beast.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything to you." The woman said.


    This time, her voice didn''t echo inside his head. Amon could properly hear. He was confused when he realized this. He also didn''t feel any pain anymore. Even his shoulder looked to be fine. Did this woman really help him?


    "Look, before it was my fault, you caught me in a bad mood and I thought you were a robber." She said, with an amiable smile on her face.


    "I''m sorry." She added when she saw he didn''t lower his guard.


    "Who are you? Why did you help me?" He asked, still backing away.


    The woman was suspicious and Amon wouldn''t trust her so easily even if she healed him for whatever reason. Yet, he couldn''t look away from her mesmerizing eyes. He was starting to


    "My name is Lya." She said, with a slight, but charming, bow. "I reside in Brightmoon, the sword you touched before." She still wore the same smile as she presented herself.


    Amon was in a daze. She resided in the sword?


    "Are you¡­ a Sword Spirit?" He asked, full of incredulity, his voice trembling.


    Weapon Spirits were things of legends. Only a few cultivators in history ever had a weapon that contained a spirit within. They could be counted on one''s hands.


    "Oh, please! Do not compare me to those things. I''m me." She said, as she crossed her arms and turned away. Amon found it really cute.


    "Again, why did you help me?" He asked.


    Lya realized he had stopped moving backwards. A slight smile formed on her face.


    "Because we are fated. No one wouldn''t be able to get past the barrier without breaking it first if he wasn''t fated." She said, her tone serious. "Since you simply walked in, this is fate."


    Amon remembered the strange feeling he had when he first stumbled upon this space. So that was the barrier¡­


    "Thank you for the help." He said after thinking for a while.


    "Not a problem." The answer was simple, direct. Lya didn''t say a thing after that. She just stood still, gazing at Amon, her blue eyes seemed to shine as she didn''t blink.


    Amon understood this. This was a chance.


    He thought of how Daniel had thrown him in the raft and blown him away to safety, his fate still unknown. All because he was weak. Weak to refuse his mother. Weak to defend himself.


    He thought of when his mother jumped in front of him, facing that horrifying wolf. Now, she lied injured, unable to even walk properly. All because he was stubborn that day and ventured too far into the forest.


    He thought of when his father left and the last words he ever said to him before he left. All because he couldn''t meet expectations. All because he was a failure.


    Amon tightened his fist and gaze seemed to change. He held his head high, an incredibly serious look on his face. He faced Lya, meeting her eyes with his.


    Lya lightly trembled. She felt something from that gaze. A strong desire. She was sure it was going to lead far away, maybe far being her reach, maybe far from the light. Still, only looking ahead like that could one chose their path.


    She had seem a gaze like that many centuries ago, when a golden haired boy promised her he would climb to the top of the world and change everything wrong in it. A futile dream. A futile path that he still treaded until the very end, only to fail. Still, he went further than anyone else had ever managed to. All because he never lowered his head. All because his gaze never wavered, always focused on his objective.


    "You say we are fated¡­" Amon started, his voice firm. Lya gently nodded at his words.


    "If so... please teach me to be strong." He asked her, still unwavering.

 The Sword of the Immortal (IV)

    "If so... please teach me to be strong." Amon''s words echoed in the isolated space.


    Lya thought it was a good choice of words. He wasn''t asking her to lend him her strength, nor was he asking her to make him strong. He asked her to guide him, so he could become strong himself.


    Lya smiled hearing that, meeting his steel-like gaze with hers. It felt really strange, the boy seemingly turned into a different person as soon as he realized what chance he had in front of him. However, the moment she saw those unwavering eyes she had decided on her answer. A single word.


    "No." She said softly.


    The boy was taken aback. He probably never expected this. His face flused a bit, but his ears turned bright red in shame.


    "Why?" He asked with a confused expression. He was certainly wasn''t sure that Lya would accept his request, but going through all of the trouble of healing him and pressing herself to just deny him like that didn''t make much sense to him.


    "We are fated, yes. But do I know you?" She looked at him, her blue eyes shining with a ferocious light.


    "Why do you want to be strong? How would you use such power? What kind of person are you? What kind of person do you want to be?" She stepped forward at each question, her voice full of authority. Amon''s face paled as he started stepping back.


    "Can you guarantee to me that you will always think like you do now? Can you guarantee that you will never throw everything away and disregard everything and everyone because you think you are right?" Her voice turned louder, the fierceness in her eyes grew stronger. Amon paled even further, overwhelmed by the stream of questions.


    Then, she made a long pause, as if taking a breath.


    "Who will you become?" Was the last thing she asked. Not in a loud voice, nor with those piercing eyes, but looking down, almost mumbling to herself. She knew better than anyone that eternity might always be the same, but those that experienced it would certainly change.


    Amon was silent for a long time, dumbstruck. He was surprised at her reaction to his request, but all the questions she asked made some sense. He took a deep breath before opening his mouth. The first thing he said after that barrage of questions was quite simple.


    "My name is Amon Skoller." He said in a calm manner. Lya''s brow perked up as she heard that. It was almost as if she recognized the name.


    "I don''t know the answer to most of these questions, nor can I give you the guarantees you want, but I can answer one thing." He spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. "I want to be strong so I won''t be weak."


    It was an obvious statement. People would certainly laugh at him if he said it to anyone else, but Lya didn''t. Even if it was obvious, it still could be interpreted in many ways.


    "I want to be strong to protect the ones dear to me. Nothing more, nothing less." He finally said, his eyes as calm as his words.


    Lya closed her eyes. They certainly were different. A weak breeze blew past her. She always found it funny, how Alexei loved to feel the breeze by the lake so much, while all she could do was watch and imagine how it felt.


    "What would you do if you lost everyone you hold dear? If you lost your reason for being strong? What would you do then, Amon?" Her eyes were still closed as she asked.


    Amon didn''t answer. He didn''t because he had no answer. He truly didn''t know what he would do if he lost Daniel. He was even less sure of what he would do if he ever lost his mother. Just the thought of it gave him fright.


    "The stronger you are, the longer you live. That means that the stronger you are, the more you will outlive the ones dear to you." Lya said, opening her eyes.


    "That is a reason I will not accept. The answer is still no." She gave her final words on this matter.


    The breeze blew stronger, hitting Amon, making his clothes flutter and messing his hair. He had a terrible expression on his face. One of disappointment and regret.


    "Still, we are indeed fated. We do not need to part ways." Lya said. She flickered her fingers and the crystalline ring flew into Amon''s hands. "You can hold unto it for now, even if you cannot use it."


    Amon looked at the ring with attention. It was crystal-blue and translucent, as if made of ice. A few silver runes were inscribed in it, so small that they weren''t visible unless one took a closer look.


    The ring seemed to be too big for his small fingers. He looked at Lya, but she just gave a light nod, telling him to go on. He quietly put it in the ring finger of his left hand. The ring shone with a dim light, and seemed to contract, perfectly fitting his finger.


    He extended his fingers and raised his hand against the sky, appreciating how the ring glowed in the sun. Lya waved her hands again, and the black sheath on the ground floated to her. She gently sheathed Brightmoon in it, and offered it to Amon.


    "You can take me and Brightmoon with you." She said with a light smile. Amon carefully took the sword in his hands, feeling its weight. He strapped it to his back, making sure it would not fall.


    "Thank you." He said to her with all of his sincerity. Lya simply nodded.


    "Uhm¡­" He suddenly looked flustered and agitated, as if he had remembered something important.


    "What''s the problem?" She asked, coking her head.


    "I don''t know where we are or how to return to the sect?" He said, looking away. His ears reddened.


    "Is it close? Can you draw a map for me to see?"


    "Yes, I can!" He said, his hopes renewed.


    He picked dried branch on the floor and slowly drew the map he remembered from what Daniel showed him. He pointed at Hell''s Keeper with the branch. "The sect is here."Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    He slowly made his way to the Red River, tracing the path he took with Daniel until they reached the riverbank where they searched for artifacts. "The raft I was in dragged me for a few hour from this point. I was unconscious, so I don''t know where exactly we are."


    Lya nodded hearing his words. However, it was not enough. She didn''t recognize much of the landscape. It had certainly changed in the years she was isolated from the world.


    "Is there anything else you can show me?" She asked him.


    Amon thought for a while, and his face suddenly lit up. He carefully drew an irregular circle in the west part of the map, as well as a bunch of crisscrossing gashes in the southeast.


    "This is the Scorched Lands." He said, pointing at the irregular circle. Then, his finger made its way to the gashes. "These are the Scars."


    "They are remains of a war that happened centuries ago." He said, turning to face Lya. She had a deep frown or her face, as if she was trying to puzzle a few things together. "Was it not enough?" He thought to himself.


    "Ah, I almost forgot!" He held the branch firmly, and in a single stroke almost divided the map I two.


    "This is the Sword Abyss. It is hundreds of miles long and is a really dangerous place. It is what named our sect, the Abyss Sect." To his surprise, Lya''s eyes widened. Her face paled and she had a strange expression.


    "Have you seen it before?" He asked, confused. Lya recovered somewhat, and tried to put on a blank face, but failed miserably.


    "Yes, I have." She said, her voice trembling, her eyes misty, as if she was about to cry.


    Amon said nothing, deciding to keep silent. Lya seemed greatly affected by it. He never expected to see her so vulnerable all of a sudden. He sat down, looking at the lake and feeling the breeze as he waited for her.


    "We are not far from your sect. Luckily you were only dragged a few miles away." She said after a few minutes. She didn''t look at Amon, but was looking at the skeleton instead.


    "We need to bury him." She said. She tried to sound indifferent, but her voiced trembled slightly. This didn''t escape Amon.


    He walked over to the skeleton and looked at Lya as he pointed to the spot it was lying. She just nodded, her eyes blank and lifeless. Amon carefully moved the skeleton away and started digging at the spot it had been with his bare hands.


    Lya raised a hand to stop him, and waved her other hand. The air seemed to undulate as a huge chunk of earth rose from where Amon had been digging.


    Amon gently placed the skeleton in the newly dug grave, and looked at Lya.


    "Do you have any words you want to say?" He asked carefully. She shook her head.


    "I already said all I wanted to long ago." She said, her sadness evident.


    She quietly approached and Amon stepped back. She leaned over and kissed the skeleton''s forehead. A few tears streamed down her face and fell into it. They simply went through the bone, as if they had no substance. They left no sign of ever existing.


    "What was his name?" Amon asked carefully. It didn''t feel right to not know the expert''s name after all of that.


    "Alexei. Alexei Vine." Lya said softly. Amon nodded in silence before bowing to the skeleton lying in the grave, expressing his gratitude.


    Lya then lowered her hands, making the chunk of earth still floating mid-air fall in place, covering the skeleton.


    All that remained in the isolated space was the lake and the scarred landscape.


    "Let''s go." She said, as her figure slowly blurred and finally dispersed.


    "I''ll be waiting for the day you find an acceptable answer." Her voiced made its way into his mind, melodious and ethereal.


    Amon nodded without saying a word. He knew it was best to not speak. He was also not surprised at Lya''s disappearance, as she was a Sword Spirit. She had just returned to Brightmoon.


    He turned away from the lake, taking firm steps in towards the boundaries of the isolated space.


    ---


    In Hell''s Keeper Mountain, there was a certain room. It''s walls were of a deep blue and the floor was completely black. Runes made of light connected to each other, forming words that slid across the room and twisted around themselves in a strange manner. A thin layer of ice covered everything in the room, and a cold mist made it difficult to see.


    It was an incredibly spacious room, being able to accommodate at least one hundred people. However, only one had the right to use it. A middle-aged man was sitting in the center of the room.


    He had black hair and a straight nose. His features were sharp, and he gave off an oppressive feeling. He wore robes as black as his hair, and a curved saber laid in his crossed legs.


    A layer of frost covered his black hair, and his clothes and his chest wasn''t moving, as if he wasn''t breathing at all. He seemed to be frozen to death. Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard.


    The man slowly opened his eyes, and released a long breath, making a thick white mist flow from his mouth. He slowly raised his hands, looking at a thin golden thread tied around it. Numerous ornaments of different shapes and sizes could be seem attached to the golden thread.


    The man looked closer, and saw that a small, inconspicuous sword-shaped green ornament had cracks in it. After a few moments, it finally gave in and shattered, falling apart.


    The man didn''t mind one bit. He just flickered his finger and sent the remains of the ornament flying to one side of the room. He was just a bit surprised. He didn''t think that his son would manage to hold unto the talisman he had given him for ten whole years. He had completely forgotten the existence of that particular talisman.


    He took a deep breath and returned to his meditation. Unmoving. Unbearably cold. However, it didn''t take long before he was disturbed again.


    A light knock echoed in the room, making the man sigh. He then flickered a finger, making the mist and the frost on him disappear. The layer of ice and the cold in the room, however, remained.


    "Come in." He said, his voice as cold as his surroundings.


    A small door hidden in a corner of the room opened, and a youth entered the room. At first he seemed to be affected by the cold, but a burst of energy exploded from him, and his body started emitting steam as his temperature rose to fight the cold. Every step he took made the ice at his feet melt.


    Looking at this, the man gave a satisfied nod. His son''s progress was fast as usual.


    The youth had black hair and eyes, very similar to the man in front of him. Also very similar to Daniel. He had a handsome face, that exuded an heroic bearing that he could not hide. He had a prideful air about him, but didn''t feel unapproachable. The youth bended a knee and kneeled on the floor.


    "Father." He greeted. His father gave a light nod.


    "You may speak." He said as his son stood up.


    "Daniel is gravely injured. I heard he was attacked by a grown Direwolf in the Scavenging." Jake said, worry all over his face.


    "He did use his talisman¡­" The man said, stroking his chin. His expression hadn''t changed one bit at his son''s words.


    As he realized this, Jake''s expression turned sour, feeling sad for Daniel. Their father was truly a cold man.


    "The Elder Council has issued a hunt mission to take down the beast. I accepted it." He said, still trying to read some emotion from his father. "I''ll be leaving with Karen and Joshua for a few days, so I came by to tell you."


    "What if I say no? You still haven''t finished you final round of purification." The man''s voice was still cold, but a hint of annoyance could be felt in his tone.


    "Well, Master already allowed me to go, so I''ll be off. I just stopped by to notify you." Jake said as he bowed. A half-hearted, shallow bow.


    Then, he turned around to leave, leaving behind a trail of steam and puddles of water as he walked out of the room. His father''s brows pricked up, but before he could say anything, Jake was already gone.


    Jake left the room greatly upset. The only reason he came by was to tell his father about his brother''s predicament, but he got no reaction at all. Was it really worth to value strength to such lengths, to the point of ignoring your own blood?


    Jake started rushing away to the place he would meet up with his companions. He would hunt that Direwolf down, even if to just avenge his brother.


    Towards his older brother, Jake felt a mix of longing, love and pity.


    Towards his father, Jake was starting to feel more and more disappointment.


    Abyss Sect''s Second Protector Lawrence Meyer could only sigh looking at his son. Jake was certainly starting to enter his rebel phase.


    He sat down again and returned to his meditation. A new layer of frost covered him, and the mist covering the room formed anew. This time, no one disturbed him again.

 The Sword of the Immortal (V)

    The sun was starting to set as Amon left the isolated space. Following Lya''s directions, he walked for a few minutes and reached the Red River again, returning to his upstream journey. A red light tinged the muddy waters, making it seem like a river of blood.


    "So you were searching for remnant artifacts of the war¡­" Lya''s voice echoed in his head. Amon had been giving her a brief explanation regarding the Abyss Sect, the Scavenging and what happened to him. She seemed to be pondering over something.


    "Yes. It is a tradition in the Abyss Sect. It happens every five years." He said, not really minding the conversation. He was worried about Daniel. He still didn''t know if he was dead or alive, and where he was.


    "How old is this tradition?" She asked, curious.


    "If I''m not wrong, it has been organized since the creation of the sect. The Founder himself organized the first Scavenging a few years after the War of Falling Leaves that broke this place apart." Amon answered, trying to remember the details.


    "Such a strange thing to do¡­ Who was that Founder you mentioned?"


    "I think his name was Arthur¡­ Arthur Royce." Amon said with a pensive look. The sect''s history was never a worry for those in the Outer Sect. He only knew of such things because his mother had told him so long ago.


    When Lya heard this, she stood in silence. All Amon could hear was the running water of the river and the chirps of birds as he walked through the forest. He had no way to understand what she was thinking, since she hadn''t materialized and he couldn''t see her face. For all intents and purposes, she was just a voice in his head.


    "This Arthur¡­ is he still around? Is he alive?" She finally asked after a long time.


    "I don''t think so. I think he died a few decades ago." He shook his head.


    "I see." Was all Lya said, returning to her silence. Amon could feel some disappointment in her voice. Did she know Arthur? That wasn''t entirely impossible. Amon thought for a while, but decided not to ask. Lya seemed to mostly avoid any subject related to the past.


    The sun set and a full moon shone in the sky, shedding a silvery light over the pitch black forest. Amon didn''t stop for a break and continued walking, using the moonlight and the sound of the river to keep on track. He still felt full of energy thanks to the pill Lya had given him earlier. He decided he would reach the Abyss Sect as fast as possible and ask for help.


    He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked around, his face pale and full of fear.


    "What happened?" Lya asked, concerned.


    Amon didn''t answer. His hair was standing on end and his body was heating up as his blood churned. He knew this feeling too well by now. He raised his head and looked to his right, in the direction of the trees.


    "Amon?" Lya asked again, turning anxious. She then spread her divine sense outwards, focusing on the direction Amon was looking.


    There was something hiding in the shadows, slowly approaching them. It was limping a bit and a long gash covered in blood could be seem in its right flank.


    Coming in their direction, was a gigantic black wolf.


    ---


    A black shadow hovered above the trees of the forest, blocking the moon. One had to have a sharp eyesight to be able to see it during the night.


    The shadow had the form of a small black ship. It had sharp and defined edges, and the prowl was narrow and long, resembling a spear. If such a vessel smashed against an obstruction, it would certainly open a hole in it. It was a vessel used for combat, focused on speed and offense.


    The vessel could accommodate at most ten passengers, but only three were seem in it. In the prow, a young man in his teens had his eyes closed. His fiery-red hair and his gray clothes fluttered with the wind as the vessel moved forward and a few beads of sweat fell from his youthful face.


    Behind him, a girl with brown hair was leaning over the edge of the vessel, looking down. A frown could be seem in her pretty face as her dark eyes shone like lanterns with a strange light. She was carefully scrutinizing the trees bellow them, looking for something.


    Further behind, a black haired youth with blue clothes was sitting with his legs crossed in a golden circle in the floor that glowed with a dim light. His eyes didn''t waver and he barely blinked, carefully watching the movements of the one in the prowl.


    The red haired youth slowly raised his right hand, and the black haired one nodded. The vessel slowly tilted right, making a slight turn. As the red haired youth dropped his hand again, the vessel stopped the turn and followed a straight path ahead.


    "Jake, you can stop. We are close." The red haired youth said after some time, his face completely covered in sweat. There was a large stain in his back and his clothes clung to his body.


    Jake, still sitting, nodded and the vessel slowly came to a halt.


    "Eeew. Joshua, you are stinking." The pleasant voice of the girl echoed from the side. Joshua could only sigh and shake his head. Not satisfied with the reaction she got, the girl pouted.


    "Come on Karen, leave him be. Maintaining the divine sense for hours while following a blood trail in the middle of the forest takes a toll on anyone. Joshua did a great job." Jake rebuked her. The girl pouted even further, and turned her head away, mad.


    "I had to keep my Eyes of Clarity for hours and I don''t see you praising me." She said, still refusing to look at him. Hearing this, Jake looked at Joshua, who just shook his shoulders.


    "You know what she wants, this is not my problem." Joshua said, unconcerned. Hearing this, Jake sighed and approached the girl.


    "You did a great job, Karen." He said. The girl turned around, a bright smile on her face.


    "Really?" She asked, her eyes bright.


    "Really." Jake nodded, making her smile turn wider.


    Joshua closed his eyes for a moment and the air around him turned cold. His clothes dampened and slowly turned heavier as water seemingly coming out of nowhere drenched them. The water covered him from head to toe, making him look like he had fallen into a river. He then glanced at Jake and asked, "Help me out here."


    Jake lightly tapped his shoulder, and a cloud of steam rose from Joshua. Soon enough, he was completely dry. Joshua gave him a slap in the back as thanks.


    "We should prepare properly. Even if that Direwolf is hurt, it is still a class 4 spirit beast." Jake said, his tone serious. Joshua placed a hand in a Bottomless Pouch hanging from his waist and took out a silvery short spear. Karen retrieved a black whip from her pouch and tied it to her waist.


    "Where is it, Joshua?" Jake asked, taking a red saber from his own pouch and tying it to his back.


    "It should be at most a few hundred meters ahead of us, close to the river. I could faintly sense it from that direction." Joshua said, pointing straight ahead. "I have no idea why it would go there since his territory should be in the opposite direction."


    "Well, it shouldn''t be here in the first place. It is expected that it would be acting strange." Karen said, looking where Jake was pointing as her eyes began to shine again.


    "It is four hundred meters ahead." She said, squinting her eyes. Then, a look of surprise appeared in her face. "Wait! There is someone there. The Direwolf is heading straight to him."


    "Jake, we have to go now. It is just a boy." Karen said, worried.


    "Then let''s end this beast at once!" Jake said as he controlled the vessel again, sending it speeding in the direction Joshua had pointed.


    ---


    Amon was paralyzed in fear, looking ahead at the growing figure appearing from the trees. His hands were trembling and he couldn''t make his feet move.


    "Calm down." Lya''s voice echoed in his ears. "Don''t make sudden movements, slowly raise your hand and try to unsheathe Brightmoon."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Her voice was slow and steady, helping to calm Amon down. He slowly managed to raise his right hand to Brightmoon''s hilt, and a low clinging sound started to be produced as the sword trembled in his shaky hands.


    "Wait. Are we going to fight it?" He asked, incredulous.


    "Of course we will."


    "Lya, I am not even able to manipulate Qi, you want me to defeat a grown Direwolf!?"


    "Of course not, I just want you to face it."


    "Why?"


    "Because you are afraid." Her answer was simple, her tone indifferent. She was stating a fact.


    Amon had no time to discuss with her. The Direwolf made its way out of the trees and faced him. Look at the gash on its flank, Amon''s heart clenched. He was sure it was the same Direwolf they had faced before and that Daniel had certainly caused that terrible wound. However, the Direwolf was alive and Daniel was nowhere to be seem.


    Amon knew that Daniel would never have let that thing get away if he could stop it. That meant that he was either badly injured or¡­


    His grip on the sword tightened. The shaking stopped. The Direwolf looked at him and lowered its enormous body, a low growling coming from its throat as the fur in its back stood erect.


    Lya realized something was strange. She didn''t quite believe Amon when he said he could feel the wolves coming, but something was off. This Direwolf was not hunting them. It was challenging them.


    She suddenly remembered something. Wasn''t his surname Skoller? His ashen hair and golden eyes¡­ Could it really be true? The suspicion she had when he presented himself¡­ If Arthur was the one that founded the Abyss Sect it was very possible that this was the case. She would have to speak about this with Amon later.


    As she was thinking, she noticed that he had stopped trembling. His grip on the sword was so tight his fingers were turning white, and his breathing had turned rough. He looked at the Direwolf with a clear murderous air. It was as if his realization had made his fear melt away and substituted it by sheer rage.


    "Lya." Amon called for her, his tone grave as he unsheathed Brightmoon.


    "Yes?" She asked, uncertain.


    "Can you help me kill it?" He didn''t hide the anger in his voice. Lya shook her head. She couldn''t blame him for the way he was acting, but it just confirmed her previous decision. Amon was indeed far too green.


    "No." Amon was flatly denied by her again. "Do you still want to try to kill him?"


    "I wouldn''t be able to. I would only kill myself." His tone was harsh, but it was in self-loathing. This answer satisfied Lya.


    "Don''t worry, you won''t have to. There is someone coming." Her voice slowly drifted away and she stopped talking. Amon was confused, but he suddenly heard a loud screech coming from somewhere above the trees. The Direwolf too sensed something, as his flaming eyes looked away from Amon and into the sky.


    A gust of wind came out of nowhere and almost blew Amon away as a black ship broke through the trees, sending splinters and leaves everywhere and slamming at the Direwolf at an incredible speed. Amon could see three passenger on the ship for the split second he had a good look on it amidst the chaos.


    The Direwolf managed to jump back, barely dodging the attack. The black ship struck the ground, sinking straight into it and opening a huge hole. The ground quaked, making the trees rustle and Amon almost lose his balance. The three passengers jumped off as soon as the surprise attack failed, avoiding the crashing of the ship.


    Amon was surprised when he saw it. A spirit vessel made for combat like that was worth a fortune. The three youths that jumped from it were certainly not ordinary people.


    The black-haired youth seemed to be the leader, as he gave orders as soon as they landed on the ground. "Karen, stay at the back and cover me. Joshua, you go to the left. Hide in the trees and wait for the opening I will give you."


    The red-haired youth nodded and sped up to the forest, never giving his back to the Direwolf that was looking at then carefully. Its chest expanded abruptly and it let out a howl.


    "AWOOOOOOO!"


    When Amon saw that the howl was coming, he covered his ears and braced himself. However, it was unnecessary. The girl, Karen, hastily waved her hands and the air seemed to freeze. Thanks to the dust and dirt that the ship had thrown in the air as it fell, Amon could actually see what was happening.


    The air around them turned completely still, almost as if a bubble was formed. The air blown away in the howl seemingly brushed past this bubble and no sound was heard at all. There was also no impact. It was almost as if the Direwolf had not howled at all.


    "Wind cultivator!" Amon exclaimed as he looked at the back of the girl. One would only be able to gain control over the elements when they reached the Elemental Purification realm. This girl certainly had affinity with wind.


    The Direwolf was still howling, but seemed to be almost finished.


    "Jake, now!" The girl exclaimed. The black haired youth jumped ahead, unsheathing the saber at his back in a fluid motion.


    Bright red flames covered his saber and his body as he shot forward like a fireball. The Direwolf couldn''t react in time and Jake smashed into it, sinking his saber in its flesh. A terrible smell of smoke and burnt flesh invaded Amon''s nostrils as Jake retreated, still holding his saber.


    The Direwolf''s fur on his left flank was charred and the saber had left a deep wound in it. It wouldn''t be able to properly move now that both his flanks were injured. Its movements would certainly turn even clumsier and his reactions would be slower. The Direwolf growled in anger, fury making his red eyes burn even more as he faced Jake. This moment was enough.


    Joshua appeared like a ghost from the trees, his short spear in hand as he accurately pierced the Direwolf''s already injured right flank. The spear sank all the way into the body of the beast and Joshua couldn''t rip it away as the Direwolf bit at him. Joshua let go of the spear and kicked its exposed handle, making it sink even further and propelling him away from the Direwolf''s attack.


    The moment Joshua had struck the Direwolf, Jake moved again, making use of the opening created as soon as the beast turned to bite Joshua. This time, he went for the kill. His flaming saber pierced the Direwolf''s exposed neck. Jake was actually surprised as he couldn''t manage a clean cut. The saber was stuck in the Direwolf''s neck and Jake''s legs were dangling in the air as he didn''t let go of it.


    The Direwolf leaned its body, preparing to smash into the ground and crush Jake with its weight. A loud crackle was heard and the beast howled as its left eye started to bleed, taking a step back. In front of Amon, Karen was holding a whip firmly in her hands, prepared to strike again.


    Jake let out a breath of relief as he saw he had been saved on the nick of time. He used all his strength to raise his legs and support them in the Direwolf''s neck. Then, he pushed out with them, almost as if he was jumping.


    The saber worked as a lever, and the blade stuck inside the wolf finally managed to cut down, opening a huge gash in its neck. Jake was covered in an ocean of blood as he turned in the air and lost his balance when the saber cut its way out of the Direwolf''s flesh and he lost his support. When he was about to land painfully on his back, a gust of wind blew bellow him, greatly reducing the impact as he fell.


    Jake had to hand it to Karen, she had saved him twice today. A huge thud echoed as the Direwolf finally fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. It was still alive, even if in its last breaths.


    Jake slowly walked to it, saber in hand, prepared to deal the final blow.


    "Wait!" A juvenile voice made him stop. He turned back and saw the boy they had saved running towards him, holding a sword in his tiny hands. His ashen hair had a silver glow under the moonlight and his eyes looked like molten gold.


    "Let me do it." The boy asked.


    "Why would I? We defeated it." Jake answer was direct, and he was annoyed. The boy didn''t even thanked them for saving his life and was even making demands instead!


    "It¡­ it probably killed a friend of mine. This is personal." Amon said, downcast.


    "Who was this friend of yours?" Jake couldn''t help but ask. His brother was still alive. If the Direwolf had indeed killed someone else, Jake wouldn''t mind letting the boy finish him off.


    "Daniel. Daniel Meyer." Amon answered with no hesitation.


    To his surprise, Jake was taken aback by his answer.


    "You know Daniel?" Amon asked, uncertain.


    "Of course I do." Jake let out a sigh. "That fool is my older brother."


    "Daniel has a brother? Wait, why are you here? Do you know what happened to him?" Amon was the one surprised this time.


    "Daniel is gravely injured, but he has a good chance of making it. An Elder was close when Daniel fought with the Direwolves and managed to bring him back to the sect in time. A hunting mission was issue to take the Direwolf down." Jake explained. "As his brother, I naturally accepted it."


    Amon was relieved when he heard that. His legs gave in and he fell to the ground as all the tension in his body disappeared.


    "That is great." He managed to say with shaky voice. Jake patted him on the back, an awkward look on his face. Karen was holding back her laughter as she saw his expression.


    "Well, I already took that thing down, I don''t mind if you finish it." Jake was really feeling strange. He was Daniel''s brother, but he ended up having to comfort this kid he just met a few minutes ago.


    "Sorry about that." Amon said as he recovered. He held Brightmoon tightly as he walked to the Direwolf.


    Its black fur was either covered in fresh blood or charred. A strong burnt smell exuded from it and its breaths were shallow and irregular. Amon stopped close to its head, looking straight at its eyes. The red eyes were already dimming, like a flame going out.


    Amon said nothing, simply raising Brightmoon. It''s edge hovered above the Direwolf''s neck and reflected the silver light of the moon, seeming to glow. A sharp, cold glow. The sword was trembling slightly as Amon''s hands started shaking.


    "Why hesitate now? You already made your choice." Lya''s words echoed in his ears. AMon took a deep breath and steeled himself.


    The sword came down, and Amon put all of his weight into it. Surprisingly, it cut at the Direwolf''s neck like hot butter. The sword sank in the beast''s flesh, leaving only the hilt exposed.


    The Direwolf shivered once. Amon looked intently at the huge red eye that was close to him. It was a clear, limpid eye. Amon could faintly see his reflection on it as the its light faded and the Direwolf stopped moving.


    Amon didn''t move too, still staring at the lifeless eyes. Staring at himself. His ashen hair was a mess, and his golden eyes showed hesitation. His face was pale and he looked frightened. Amon could only see a small and scared boy reflected in those lifeless eyes of the Direwolf.


    "No more." He said to himself.


    He let out a long breath and recovered Brightmoon from the Direwolf''s neck. He cleaned its blade in the Direwolf''s fur before sheathing it again.


    Jake nodded seeing this. He then sent a glance to Joshua, that took a shiny knife out of his Bottomless Pouch and approached the Direwolf.


    Amon slowly returned to his side.


    "Thank you." He said.


    Jake nodded. He found strange that the boy could pierce the Direwolf''s neck so easily, but he didn''t inquire further. He walked over to the spirit vessel that was impaled on the ground and jumped on it, making his way to the golden circle that was still exposed.


    As he touched it, the vessel shook and started floating again, freeing itself from the hole it had buried. Surprisingly, it was completely undamaged, as if he had never crashed on the ground.


    The spirit vessel slowly approached them. Karen offered a hand to Amon. He accepted it and she held him in her arms as she jumped on the vessel. Joshua followed suit, his hands covered in blood, holding his short spear in one hand and a black crystal the size of a grown man''s fist in the other.


    "Let''s go home." Jake said as soon as he saw that everyone was onboard.


    The spirit vessel rose above the trees and made a sharp turn before speeding off to the distance.

 A Sword Cultivator (I)

    The sun was rising in the sky as the spirit vessel made its way into Hell''s Keeper Mountain. Like a shadow, it silently pierced through the clouds and flew to the top of the mountain.


    When they were getting close to the peak, the vessel suddenly tilted to the left, guiding them to what looked like a village. It was a few times bigger than the Northern Station, and every single building seemed to be more expensive than anything Amon had ever seen in the Outer Sect. It was certainly a place reserved for the elite of the Abyss Sect.


    It was Sky Reach Village, a place where only the High Elders that were part of the Elder Council and the Protectors of the sect, together with their families, could live in.


    If Amon was suspecting before, now he was sure. Jake was indeed Sect Master Borgin''s disciple. Karen and Joshua most likely didn''t fall far behind in terms of status.


    The spirit vessel circled around the village for a moment as Jake tried to find a good angle to land. They had a good view of the shiny mansions and pavilions bellow.


    This village would never leave Amon''s memories. He had lived in Sky Reach Village when he was younger and his father was still part of the sect.


    He unconsciously looked at an inconspicuous building at a corner of the village. A serene and cold voiced echoed in his mind, from the depths of his memories:


    "I need you to be brave, son." As he remembered his father''s words, chills went down his spine. He could almost feel the pain of that day again.


    The black spirit vessel slowed down as it approached a golden platform in the boundaries of the village. A few other spirit vessels were atop the platform, having varied sizes and shapes.


    Jake carefully controlled the landing, making it as smooth as possible. Amon was a bit surprised seeing this, considering how Jake didn''t hesitate to smash the vessel into the ground in an attempt to kill the Direwolf.


    When the vessel finally stopped, Jake got up from the golden circle and smiled to Amon. "We are here. Karen, take care of Amon for a bit, I''ll go report with Joshua."


    Karen nodded. Jake left with the taciturn Joshua and left Amon with Karen.


    "Come with me, Amon, I''ll take you to a nice place to eat." Karen gave a sweet smile and took Amon away.


    They went to a red and shiny building. It was only two stories tall, but considering the size of the village, it was enough. A small board hanged above the doors, saying "Sky Reach Restaurant".


    "This place has some really good food, Amon. You can order anything, it is my treat." Karen said as they walked in. The inside of the restaurant was tidy and neat. A few tables made of expensive wood were distributed in the ground floor, glossy and spotless. A few servants were waiting behind a balcony, wearing azure robes and standing in place with a perfect posture.


    "Young miss Karen, welcome back." And old servant made his way to them from behind the balcony wearing an amiable smile. "Would you like the same table as always?"


    "Yes, please." Karen said. The servant bowed and showed them to their table, but the strange way he looked at Amon didn''t escape Karen''s eyes.


    Karen thought it was expected, considering that this was Amon''s first time in the place and the servant certainly didn''t know him. Plus, his clothes were a mess, and his hair and eyes were a bit bizarre.


    Amon''s thoughts were different from Karen''s, mostly because he had visited this restaurant all the time when he was younger. He actually recognized this servant.


    He was Old Lu, and he had been working at Sky Reach Restaurant for decades, always serving the most powerful people in the sect. He probably found Amon familiar but couldn''t recognize him, giving the five years they hadn''t seem each other and Amon''s change of hair and eye color.


    Amon was feeling nostalgic as they sat in a table in a corner. He took Brightmoon off his back and let it stand against the wall, close to his feet. Karen politely ordered a few pork ribs and looked at Amon, telling him to order something.


    Amon pondered for a moment, but he had already decided what he wanted to order. "I''ll have some rice cakes." He said in a calm manner.


    Old Lu nodded and left them alone as he made his way to the kitchen. Amon looked at Karen wanting to say something, but was hesitant to do so. It didn''t go unnoticed, as Karen looked at him and said "Tell me what''s on your mind."


    "To be honest, I''m quite impressed by the way you and your friends treated me." Amon was blunt and honest. Not only did they save his life, they also took him to Sky Reach Village when they could just have dropped him off at the sect''s gates, if not leaving him alone in the Broken Forest. Now, Karen was even treating him to food.


    "I''m also not so sure. I understand why you would be feeling that way, and I don''t mind speaking or treating with respect anyone on this sect, but I know I am not the norm in the Inner Sect." Karen said after thinking for a moment. "But I do admit that bringing you here was a bit too much."


    "If I had to take a guess¡­ I would say it is because of his brother." She said, with a wry smile on her face." Jake really likes his brother and just doesn''t see him because his father always gets in the way. I think he was really surprised by the way you acted"


    Amon''s ears turned red as he heard this, and he remembered the way he just fell to the ground when he heard Daniel was alive.


    "Daniel never told me about his family. Actually, he always avoided the subject completely." Amon said. "But I''m sure he likes Jake too." He added hastily, thinking he was making Daniel look bad.


    "Well, it is understandable. From what Jake told me, Daniel acting like that is not strange at all." As Karen was saying that, Old Lu returned with two plates in his hands. One with steaming hot pork ribs and one with a large serving of rice cakes. He left the food on the table and respectably left again.


    "Go on, dig in." Karen said, not standing to ceremony. She took a rib and carefully nibbled it, trying her best to not let anything fall in her clothes. Amon sheepishly extended a hand to the plate with rice cakes and took one.


    He took a bite, enjoying the rich taste of the food. It was really nostalgic. He loved when his mother brought him here to eat rice cakes every week. He started feeling warmth in his chest. He really missed his mother.


    Before he realized, he had wolfed down half of the plate. Karen laughed seeing his desolate expression, but Amon didn''t take another rice cake from the plate. Instead, he asked Old Lu to wrap up the remaining rice cakes so he could take them to his mother when he returned home.


    As they finished eating, they stood up and Amon retrieved Brightmoon, tying it to his back again. He was finding it strange that Lya had been silent ever since he got into the spirit vessel to return to the sect, but he couldn''t just ask her in front of Karen.


    Amon carefully held the silky cloth with the rice cakes and stashed it in his clothes. As Karen led him away, Jake and Joshua were coming in their direction.


    "How was it?" Karen asked when she saw them.


    "Just fine. We got ten thousand contribution points from the bounty and three thousand for the spirit core Joshua retrieved from it." He said, doing some calculations. "Adding up, it should be three thousand and a few hundreds to each one."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "That doesn''t add up at all! What kind of math is this?" Karen asked, confused.


    "Of course it does. We are dividing it by four." Jake replied. This time, Amon was confused. Why would they do something like this?


    Before he could deny the contribution points they were giving him, Jake cut him off. "You faced that thing twice and even managed to distract it enough for us to try that surprise attack. Not only that, you dealt the finishing blow. It is only fair."


    Jake was twisting the situation around so it would look like Amon had been a huge part of the battle. As Amon opened his mouth to say something, Karen subtly poked him with her elbow, hinting at him to keep silent and accept.


    To be fair, even if Jake didn''t tell her about this before, she didn''t mind. She would never be lacking in contribution points and this mission was an unexpected benefit.


    Adding to that, the greatest reason they were allowed to go in this mission was to get experience fighting spirit beasts, not to get contribution points. She knew Joshua had also accepted this distribution of points, as he was even more unconcerned about such things than she was.


    "I¡­" Amon was still reluctant to accept such favor, but Jake threw a glowing ball he took from his clothes at Amon. "Touch your contribution card with it and the points will be added."


    Amon clumsily managed to hold the ball. When looked at Jake''s eyes, he gave up declining the favor. Turns out Jake was as stubborn as Daniel when his mind was set on something. They were really alike in some ways.


    "Thank you all." Was all Amon could say. Karen smiled and Joshua just shook his shoulders. Jake gave him a slap on the back.


    "Come on, I''ll find someone to take you home." He said, taking Amon away. Amon hastily thanked Karen for the food as he left.


    "I''m sorry about this, but I can''t take you home by myself. I can only leave the village on missions and my father is quite rigid regarding such matters." Jake sighed.


    "Not at all. Thank you for going through all of this trouble for me." Amon said. "By the way¡­"


    "You want to know about Daniel, right?" Jake read his mind. Amon nodded.


    "He is in the Medical Pavilion. We can''t visit him as of now. And since you won''t be able to return here, I think you will only be able to see him when he is able to return home." Jake said with a sorry expression. "I''m sorry, but I think it will take a few months."


    Amon was downcast hearing this, but it was for the best. At least Daniel was alive. "Please tell him that I''m sorry about what happened. And that I''m really thankful for what he did and happy that he is alive."


    "Heh, Daniel has a really good friend." Jake said with a smile after hearing Amon''s words.


    "He is also a good friend. A great one." Amon replied. "And you also have some good friends from what I could see."


    Jake laughed hearing that. He was starting to really like this kid.


    They walked to the golden platform where the spirit vessels where landed. Jake quietly approached a white-clothed man and traded a few words with him. After a while he called Amon to join them.


    "Luke here will take you home. Just tell him where you want him to drop you off and he will take you there." Jake said.


    "Thank you for everything, Jake. Please thank Karen and Joshua again too." Amon said, genuinely grateful.


    Jake smiled again hearing that, and gave Amon another slap on the back. "You worry too much kid. You should be more carefree." He then looked Amon in the eye, unblinking. "I hope you continue being a good friend to my brother. And I hope that one day you join the Inner Sect so we can see each other again."


    "I''ll do my best to get in the Inner Sect. And I give you my word that I''ll always be a good friend to Daniel." Amon didn''t flinch as he answered that. His golden eyes shone with assurance as he spoke.


    Jake nodded. "I''ll wait for you." He said, turning around and leaving.


    Luke quietly approached Amon. "Where should I take you, sir?" He asked.


    "You can leave me in the Northern Station, if it isn''t much trouble." Amon replied.


    Luke then guided him to a small spirit vessel. It was even smaller than the one Jake had used, and was completely white. Amon got on board and Luke took off.


    ---


    "Are you there, Lya?" Amon asked, concerned as he walked home. Luke had dropped him off close to the Northern Station. He didn''t fly into it at Amon''s request, as he didn''t want to attract too much attention.


    "Of course I am!" Lya''s voice echoed in his head, excited.


    "Then why didn''t you speak before?" He asked, confused.


    "Because I didn''t want you to sound insane to your new friends, talking to yourself and all."


    "If you say so¡­" He said, dropping the matter. "You heard everything that happened, right?"


    "Yes, I did. Why?"


    "Just to be sure." Amon said, and turned quiet, leaving Lya confused.


    Soon enough, he reached his shabby house. He made his way in, not trying to keep his silence at all. He went past the living room and stood at his mother''s door. He gently knocked it twice, before a familiar voice answered as always.


    "Come in." The warm and gentle voice invited him in.


    Amon opened the door, seeing his mother lying in the bed, looking at him.


    "You should only be back tomorrow. What happened?" She asked, but soon her brows furrowed slightly.


    She saw Amon''s clothes that were still in tatters. His hair wasn''t dyed anymore and anyone could see the ashen color it had. On his back, there was a sword she had never seen in her life, and in his finger, there was a strange crystalline ring. Even stranger than that, she didn''t see Daniel.


    Amon threw himself in her embrace, just like he had done a few days ago after he met Erin. This time, however, he didn''t cry. He just hugged her tightly.


    She returned the hug, slowly patting his back and ruffling his hair. Even if he wasn''t crying, she could feel that her son was having a hard time controlling his emotions.


    After a while they separated. Her eyes were calm, albeit full of worry. His eyes were red, full of pain.


    "Can you tell me what happened?" Rebecca asked, concerned. She growing anxious, and remembered the bad feeling she had the day Amon left. She quietly grasped the green necklace under the sheets.


    Amon slowly told her all that happened from the moment he and Daniel left the house. When she heard about the Direwolf, her face paled and she hugged Amon again, almost suffocating him.


    "I''m sorry." She said as silent tears fell from her eyes. Still being hugged, Amon continued recounting what happened. When he was about to tell about the isolated space, Lya''s voice interrupted him.


    "Don''t tell anyone about that lake! Just tell her you found a corpse lying around with the sword." Her voice was urgent. Amon hesitated for a moment, but then quietly nodded. If word ever got out about that isolated space, there might be trouble. Even more so if someone found out about Lya. It would be better if he didn''t get his mother involved.


    "Then, I was walking back, I stumbled upon a corpse¡­" He slightly altered the story and told her everything that happened afterwards. How he stumbled upon the Direwolf again and how Jake and his friends saved him.


    His mother hugged him with even more strength at each word he spoke, clearly worried. When he finished the story, he took the pack of rice cakes from his clothes.


    "Here, I managed to save these from the restaurant in Sky Reach." He said, offering her the rice cakes.


    Rebecca put her hands on his face and gave him a long kiss in his forehead before saying, "I love you."


    "I love you too, mom."


    They ate the rice cakes together and talked for a long time. Rebecca never once touched on the matter of what he would do with the ring or the sword, as she decided to let him choose. In the end, Amon stayed in her room until it was almost sunset, when he left to whip up some dinner using the food Daniel had given her before the Scavenging.


    He quietly brought the food to his mother, and then left to his room. He sat on the black mat on the floor, took Brightmoon from his back and laid it in his crossed legs.


    "You saw my mother, didn''t you, Lya?" He suddenly asked.


    "Yes, I did." She said in a low voice.


    "Do you know how she ended up like that?" Amon made a question, but Lya didn''t need to answer.


    "It was five years ago, in the last Scavenging. My father had just left us and a lot of things I couldn''t understand were happening to us. We had to move from Sky Reach to the Outer Sect, and a lot of strange people visited our house everyday." He said, his voice full of sadness.


    "I really wanted to go to the Scavenging that year, because I wanted to find a huge artifact and sell it for a fortune, so my mother wouldn''t have to worry so much."


    "She didn''t want me to go. She was worried for me, and probably had too much in her hands and couldn''t waste four days for nothing." He took a brief pause, as if fighting hard to choose the words to say. "In the end, she gave in."


    "In the first three days, nothing happened, and we also found nothing. On the fourth day, a Silverback Wolf found us." He looked up as he said that, and looked at the ceiling.


    "An interesting fact about Silverback Wolves is that, even if they are class 6 spirit beasts, they are nowhere near as big as Direwolves. The Silverback Wolf that attacked us would be able to enter this room without a problem." Amon said, looking around. That Silverback Wolf had been only two meters high and four meters long.


    "What they do have to compensate their size, is speed and strength. This is important, because even if my mother was stronger than it, she wasn''t faster. If she was alone, she could have made it retreat, even if she sustained some injuries. At the very least she could hit him hard and escape, and the wolf would hardly follow her." He had a blank look in his face as he spoke, almost as if he was trying to distance himself and present the facts.


    "The problem is that my mother had to focus on protecting me that day. She couldn''t show her full strength because I was close, and she couldn''t outrun the wolf. All she could do was fight with a gigantic disadvantage."


    "You already saw the end result." Amon finished speaking. Lya was still silent, quietly listening.


    "Five years ago, my mother was crippled because of me. Yesterday, Daniel almost died because of me." He said, holding Brightmoon tightly.


    "That happened because I was weak, Lya. Because I couldn''t protect myself" He raised the sword, looking intently at it, almost as if he could see Lya inside it.


    "Please, help me become strong enough to protect myself, so such things will never happen again!" He pleaded, almost begging.


    What answered him was only silence.


    Amon could only loathe himself. What utter foolishness. He shook his head, disappointed.


    At that moment, however, a melodious voice made its way into his mind.


    "This is a reason I can accept."

 A Sword Cultivator (II)

    "Really?" Amon asked, dumbstruck.


    "Yes. This is a reason for becoming strong that I can accept." Lya said seriously. The sun had already set, and silver moonlight illuminate his room through the open window. Amon left a long shadow on the floor. Specs of the silver light started gathering in front of Amon and Lya''s beautiful figure materialized in front of him.


    "There is a huge difference between wanting to be strong to protect others and being strong to protect yourself." She looked at Amon intently, her blues eyes seemed to glow in the dim room. As she moved around, the light seemed to pass through her, and no shadow could be seen at her feet.


    "It is related to the question you made me, right? When you asked me what I would do if the people I wanted to protect died." Amon asked. Lya gave a satisfied smile hearing this. Even though he didn''t understand the difference in full, he had some grasp of it.


    "The difference is in your motivations being dependent on others." She explained. This was something he needed to understand.


    "It is okay to rely on others, but some things we must do for no other but ourselves." Her blue eyes didn''t blink as she stared Amon. "Cultivation is one of such things."


    "Humans are fickle, Amon. You never know what one might do, because one can ever truly completely understand another human. You might know them for years, decades, or even centuries, and they might still surprise you when you least expect." Her voice trembled a bit as she said that. She looked down and had a wry smile on her face.


    "Humans are ever changing, and so are their motivations. And when you don''t know what motivations they have, you don''t really know what to expect from them, nor can you know how far they are willing to go for such motivations."


    "Some humans don''t even know themselves, so how would others understand them?"


    "As such, the search of strength, longevity and knowledge that is cultivation must be exclusive to one''s self. Because you never know what will happen, nor do you know how and when fate will sever the ties you have with others." As she finished speaking, her eyes showed a deep sadness. This is how the world worked and to survive in it, one must understand this. "The only person that will always accompany you while you are alive is yourself. That being the case, you must cultivate for you and you only."


    Amon was in deep thought as he heard her words. He might not understand all of what she meant, but he understood the essence of it. He couldn''t help but think of his father. He realized he never really knew him. If he did, maybe things wouldn''t have turned out the way they did.


    "Well, the first thing we must do now is¡­" Lya clapped her hands, excitement showing in her face. Amon grew expectant. "For you to explain to me how cultivation works."


    He almost fell to the ground when he heard that. What the hell?


    "What do you mean? Don''t you know about cultivation?" He was incredulous.


    "I do, but I don''t quite understand how you people cultivate nowadays. From what I understand, in this sect you are all Elemental Cultivators?" Lya asked, dead serious.


    "Yes, we are. But isn''t that the norm? How can you not know about this?" Amon was confused.


    "Brat, I''ve been isolated for hundreds of years. Do you expect me know anything at all related to recent times? From what I know, Elemental Cultivation was supposed to be an alternative path, and quite a weak one at that." She was starting to get annoyed.


    "What was cultivated in your time, then?" Amon asked. Lya had implied


    "The soul." Lya''s answer was simple, but made Amon dumbstruck. He had never heard of Soul Cultivators.


    Seeing Amon''s confusion, Lya sighed. This was to be expected, given the situation, but a few doubts remained. Wasn''t Arthur one of the most powerful Soul Cultivators that ever existed? How could Amon be a part of the sect he founded and not know about Soul Cultivation?


    "Looks like we have a lot to explain to each other." Lya said, her brows furrowed, still thinking about what could have happened. "You can go first."


    Amon nodded. "Well, I guess I''ll explain the realms." He said, stroking his chin and thinking.


    "It starts with Qi Gathering. In this realm, we must feel the worldly Qi, manipulate it, and finally absorb it, making it flow through our meridians and gathering it in the dantian." Lya nodded. It seemed that she knew about this too.


    "After that is Body Tempering. A normal person wouldn''t be able to execute the techniques that use Qi, as it would ruin their bodies. As such, you can consider Body Tempering a preparatory realm."


    "In this realm, cultivators systematically hurt themselves and channel specific techniques to heal faster and perfect their bodies in the process. There is a lot of differences in strength in this realm, as the techniques and how much a cultivator is willing to temper his body all affect the final results."


    "The consensus is that once a cultivator goes through the first round of tempering he reached the initial stages. His strength will then be measured and when he becomes five times as strong, he will be in middle stages. When he becomes ten times as strong, he will be in the late stages."


    "I know of Body Tempering too." Lya said.


    "The next realm is the Elemental Purification realm. Each person has elemental affinities, and a Elemental Cultivator must purify the Qi in their bodies to match the element they have highest affinity with. This way, they can quickly execute techniques with their own reserves of Qi, not needing to gather it from the surroundings and extracting the elemental energy they need from it."


    "For that, they absorb Qi in special locations where it is naturally aligned with such element, or absorb Qi from special Elemental Crystals to speed up the process. The stages are defined by how full their dantian is with purified Qi. Up until one third is the initial stages. From that to two thirds is middle stages and after that is late stages." Amon said.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Then, one must use the elemental Qi to condense their Elemental Cores. The degree to which they managed to purify the Qi and how much their dantian can handle changes the quality and size of the core, so we also have great differences in strength."


    "Elemental Cores can automatically purify the gathered Qi and compress it, so a Elemental Core cultivator has a lot more power than any cultivator at Elemental Purification and they can also fight for longer periods of time."


    "After that is the Divine Foundation realm, but I know nothing of it." Amon finally finished his explanation, letting out a long breath. Lya had a pensive look on her face.


    "Wait, so every cultivator only uses one element?" Lya asked, a strange expression on her face. Amon nodded in response, making her frown.


    "There are special cases when one''s affinity is high with more than one element. I heard rumors that a very small number of people managed to cultivate more than one at the same time, and that they were quite stronger than usual cultivators, but I never saw one." He answered. Such cases would be extremely rare.


    "What about Natural Laws?" Was Lya''s next question. Her frown turned greater every time Amon explained something.


    "Natural Laws? I think it is related to Divine Foundation, but I''m not sure¡­" He had heard of it before, but he didn''t know anything about it. "What of it?"


    Lya gave a long sigh. "Alright, I can kind of get the picture here."


    She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking deeply. When she opened then again, her gaze was firm with resolution. "Amon, what I''m about to teach you must never leave these walls. You must never speak of this to anyone, or you might put yourself at risk."


    Amon turned serious hearing this. He gave a light nod.


    "Let''s start from the beginning. What do you know about the soul?" She asked, her eyes unblinking, her face serious, just like a teacher.


    "The soul¡­ is us, right?" He said, unsure. "Is where our consciousness resides. It is our soul that goes through the cycle of reincarnation as we die."


    "That is mostly correct, but also terribly lacking." Lya nodded hearing his words. She was already expecting this. "What do you know about Qi?"


    "Qi is the origin of everything we have here. Is from the Qi that all matter is created and all elements are derived. All of the phenomena in this world is a manifestation of the Qi that permeates it." Amon gave a textbook answer. His face was blank as he recited what he heard from his mother years ago.


    "That is a good answer. Now tell me, how can cultivators control Qi?" Lya looked at him, waiting for his answer.


    "We expand our divine sense to perceive the Qi. Then we¡­ control it." He said after pondering for a moment. Lya smiled hearing that. The conversation was going the way she wanted.


    "Then what is the divine sense?" She asked, still with the same expression, analyzing him as he answered.


    "I¡­ I don''t know. I never thought of it" He lowered his head, a bit ashamed. This was supposed to be basic, wasn''t it?


    "Then, allow me to explain to you." The conversation reached the point she wanted.


    "Both the soul and the Qi have similar origins. Because of that, they share a deep connection. It is because you have a soul that you can sense Qi. It is not something special in any way. This divine sense is just you perceiving the world through your soul." She looked at him, already expecting the question he would make.


    "If that is the case, then why can''t all people develop a divine sense? Why isn''t everyone a cultivator?" He asked, confused. That didn''t make much sense.


    "Everyone can be a cultivator. It is just that their souls are weaker than yours. Some people are simply born with stronger souls. They have a head-start of sorts. Even so, everyone strengthen their souls during their life, even if they don''t realize it." Her answer was simple. She was still looking at him, trying to see how much he was understanding of what she explained. She slowly opened her hands and the air above her palms seemed to ripple.


    "As you develop your soul, you will feel and control Qi more easily. You will be able to understand Qi better, how it transforms, how it changes the world around it. These are the Natural Laws. And if you understand them, you will be able to emulate them." A small flame appeared over one of her hands. Its light overtook the moonlight, painting the room in an orange color. Dark shadows started dancing in the room as the flame flickered.


    "If your soul becomes strong enough, you might even be able to look at the Foundations and better comprehend the Natural Laws. This is what we Soul Cultivators do. This is what cultivation should be. Understanding what is around you and ultimately being able to influence everything that you wish. Change it at will. Create or destroy." The flames in her hand grew and started flickering, changing colors. The orange light turned red, then green, and then a blinding white.


    "This world is ours, Amon. What you do is entirely up to you. And that is why cultivators are so dangerous. One cultivator alone can completely ruin the balance of the world if he is strong enough." As she said that, the flames suddenly froze in place. They were still shining, but they didn''t move, nor did they flicker. It was almost as if they turned solid, frozen in time, making for a bizarre sight.


    As Amon looked at them, they suddenly turned gray and started falling apart, like glass shattering. The flames ultimately dispersed in specs of light that floated through the room before disappearing. Amon was impressed. He had never even imagined such phenomena.


    Amon was in deep silence after hearing what she said, in daze. Lya''s words were too overbearing, too absurd. Yet, he knew them to be true. He had seen the strange flames in her hands and he somehow was sure no Fire Cultivator he heard of could do that.


    "Any questions?" She asked, smiling widely, her eyes glowing with a strange light.


    "You said the soul and the Qi have similar origins. What did you mean by that?" He finally managed to ask.


    "You can say they originated form the same place, although ''place'' wouldn''t be the right word. I can''t go into detail because I myself am not too sure. This has always been one of the great mysteries of this world, and spawned countless studies and theories." She tilted her head, looking up as she formulated the answer.


    "What are these Foundations you spoke of?" He asked again, his golden eyes shining with curiosity.


    "Do you know the Divine Language?" Lya questioned him instead of answering.


    "I know about it." He nodded, a weary expression showing on his face.


    He didn''t knew the Divine Language, but he had seen it. He remembered the day his father left. The day his father put him inside that golden circle filled with runes of light that connected twisted around each other in strange ways. Divine Language was the basis for any array formation like the one his father used.


    The Divine Language channeled the Qi in such an array formation and produced the desired effect. Maybe it did have something to do with the so-called Natural Laws?


    "The Divine Language has this name for a reason. They say it is the language of the Creator. The Foundations are nothing more than a higher level of perception that the divine sense can reach."


    "The Divine Language is the prose that wrote this world, Amon. When we peer into the Foundations, we can read it, understand it." She had a dreamy expression as she explained. In truth, these words weren''t hers. Still, they brought back good memories. "But this is a matter for another day. You are far from the level you need to reach to worry about such things."


    Hearing that, Amon couldn''t help but sulk a little.


    "From all of that, I believe you can understand my point." Lya completely ignored his sulking and continued, still smiling.


    "While a Elemental Cultivator might be able to control one element, a Soul Cultivator can control them all as long as he comprehends the Natural Laws. The only advantage Elemental Cultivators ever had over Soul Cultivators is the speed at which they can attack and control the Natural Laws respective to their elements. This is why Elemental Cultivation has always been an alternative and nothing more." Her smile turned into one of derision.


    She raised her hands again. The same small flame lit up in her right hand. Then, on her left, the air started swirling, forming a miniscule hurricane. Amon''s eyes bulged seeing that. She really could control more than one element.


    "With that, I believe the basics are covered. Again, never repeat to anyone what I just told you." Amon nodded repeatedly at her words, assuring her.


    Lya smiled. A strange, restrained smile, almost as if she was thinking of a joke only she knew of and she didn''t want Amon to know. Her blue eyes had a glint of expectation on them. This smile gave Amon chills.


    "Well then, let''s get started!"

 A Sword Cultivator (III)

    "I already explained why we Soul Cultivators cultivate the soul. Now, I need to teach you how we do that." Lya said, dispersing the flames and the swirl of air in her hands.


    "After countless years of study, it was discovered that the soul is divided in two parts. Firstly, we have the core, that we call the Truesoul. It is in the Truesoul that our ''self'' is developed, and is where our wills originate."


    "Surrounding the Truesoul, we have what we call the Nebula. It is nothing more than the energy and vibrations your thoughts and feelings produce." Her hands were still raised, and what seemed to be a small white ball slowly took form in her hands. It shone with a silvery-blue light, looking like a star.


    "When your soul becomes strong enough to perceive other souls, you will see the Nebula as some kind of mist swirling around the Truesoul. That is why it has this name." As she explained, a white mist formed around the ball, covering it. All one could see inside the mist was a blurry silvery glow.


    "The Nebula is the bridge between the Truesoul and the physical world. It is how your Truesoul affects the physical plane."


    "In the cycle of reincarnation, your Truesoul is wiped clean of the memories and will contained in it, and your Nebula is erased before the Truesoul is sent back to the world, into a new living being." The mist was erased, and the glowing ball was revealed again, but dimmed considerably.


    "Soul Cultivation is nothing more than to use the energy in the Nebula to nourish the Truesoul, making it grow. This process happens naturally over the course of one''s life, but is really slow. The degree to which one''s Truesoul grows naturally is entirely dependent on how much they have been through in life."


    "How much they felt. How much they loved, hated and suffered. How much they cried and how much they laughed." As she said that, the mist formed again around the ball, this time much thinner than before. As it slowly grew thicker and thicker, the ball started to get brighter and brighter and seemed to be slowly growing as the mist increased.


    "Still, there is a limit. Soul Cultivation speeds this process and allows us to break this limit." Suddenly, the glowing ball started absorbing the mist, and its size grew considerably in a matter of seconds.


    There was almost no mist remaining around the ball, making Amon frown. "The mist is almost gone. If that is the case, then¡­"


    Lya shook her head, knowing what he meant. "Soul Cultivators naturally have an almost perfect control of their emotions after they reach a certain point in their cultivation. Because of that, they might strike as excessively cold and indifferent as you speak with them."


    "Their beliefs are incomparably firm and their resolve is unshakeable. In other words, they are stubborn." She had a wry smile as she spoke, her eyes expressing sadness.


    "But make no mistake, it is not that they don''t feel, it is just that every time they are feeling something they use it as a chance to cultivate and get stronger. As such, they end up not showing much of their emotions. The Nebula is just a manifestation, not the source. Never forget that." Amon nodded hearing that. It made sense.


    "When you said some people are born with a stronger soul¡­" He started to ask, stroking his chin and thinking.


    "Yes, their Truesouls are bigger and stronger. This means that they either experienced many eventful lives or¡­ they were Soul Cultivators once before." Lya put on a satisfied smile as she spoke. Amon understood what she was saying.


    "Then I guess my past lives weren''t that interesting¡­" Amon said with a wry smile, drooping his shoulders.


    Hearing that, Lya didn''t know whether to laugh or to cry. If the boy knew who he was in his past life, he would never say something like that. She made a huge effort to keep a neutral expression on her face as she asked, "Why do you say that?"


    "Even if I can sense Qi, I can''t manipulate it. By your explanation, my Truesoul must be lacking."


    "You are right, your Truesoul is lacking." Lya said after thinking for a long time. She decided to keep what she knew to herself. "We will deal with this, don''t worry."


    Amon nodded hearing that, and asked, "When a Truesoul goes through that ''cleaning'' process you mentioned¡­ Is there a chance that something might remain?" He asked with a frown. What happened in the Broken Forest, when he found the isolated space and the way he knew Brightmoon''s name¡­ it was really strange.


    To his surprise, Lya shook her head. "To be honest, I don''t know. In theory, it would be possible if a person can somehow seal a very small part of their Truesoul, protecting it. But that person would need to have a deep understanding of the soul and an incredible power."


    "Still, even if they managed to do something like that, it would be a part so small that it would at most be an impulse to do something, or a broken memory, nothing more. However, this is all speculation. I never heard of such things." She looked at him cocking her head, curious to the reason that made him ask that.


    This made him frown slightly. Looks like it was indeed possible, but the chances were absurdly low. And if he had a weak Truesoul, there is no way he was a Soul Cultivator in a past life. What was going on?


    Looking at his expression, Lya could more or less guess his train of thought. "Don''t mind these things. Now, pay attention here." She tried to divert his attention and raised a finger. The slender finger started dancing in the air in a methodical way, leaving behind a golden trail of light. The light slowly connected, forming strange runes. Little by little, more golden runes appeared in the air, floating in the dark room.


    When Lya was finished, she had drawn two incredibly long strings of runes. "Look at this Amon. These lines are what we call the Soulrousing Technique." Amon was surprised seeing the lines. The runes that composed them were familiar.


    "Is this¡­ the Divine Language?" He asked, looking at the runes without blinking.


    "Yes. The first line here increases the production of Nebula. In other words, it magnifies your emotions. The second one catalyzes the Nebula and makes the Truesoul grow." Lya said with a smile. "The effects of the second one are really simple. The effects of the first one, on the other hand, are really interesting to see¡­" Her smile grew wider, and beads of sweat started forming in Amon''s forehead as he heard her.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "All you need to do is think about them. I''ll engrave the lines in your mind, to make sure you remember them right. If you get one rune wrong, who knows what might happen¡­" Lya extended a pale hand to Amon. "Do not resist."


    Before Amon could react, a finger descended upon his forehead. It felt strange when that finger touched him. It was as if a cold breeze was blowing in his forehead. His forehead started to itch and his body tensed as an unbelievable amount of information suddenly appeared in his mind.


    As the stream of information gushed in his memory, a splitting headache took over Amon, making him want to scream. However, he endured. He shut his mouth firmly, gritting his teeth.


    After countless seconds passed, the stream of information slowly dried up, eventually stopping. Amon''s was left with his head ringing as Lya took her finger away from his forehead.


    "Good. Now all you have to do is picture the lines in your mind as you meditate and they should work."Lya gave a satisfied smile. "You already have an impressive Nebula around your Truesoul, so for now skip the first line of the technique."


    Amon decided to not comment on how she never told in it would hurt like that, and instead took a deep breath, adjusting his mind. He close his eyes and the world turned dark. His breathing became rhythmical, and the dark world start to lit up in monochromatic tones.


    The grey mist that covered everything, the Qi made itself known through Amon''s divine sense. He carefully started thinking about the second line Lya had written in his mind. The golden runes seemed to be almost floating in front of his eyes as he focused on what was now a memory.


    The runes started to dance around his head, and he suddenly shuddered. He felt a cold sensation creeping into his body, as if ice snakes started to slither around him. He felt unbearably cold for a moment, and then he felt extremely hot, as if the snakes had turned into lava. He started sweating profusely, and the sensations in his body seemed to alternated from hot to cold nonstop.


    His muscles started contracting and the sweat made his clothes cling to his body. He started shivering, his teeth clattering. In that dark room illuminated by the moonlight, Amon was trembling nonstop.


    When he thought he wasn''t going to be able to endure anymore, a loud ''peng'' echoed in his mind, as if something was broken. His sense suddenly expanded outwards, reaching outside his own room, covering the whole house.


    The monochromatic tone was taken over by a faint color pallet, and the indistinct grey mist suddenly turned clear, as if Amon could see every billowing wisp of Qi in the smallest details. The whole world turned clear through his divine sense.


    "This¡­" He was dumbstruck. So this is how his divine sense would evolve as his soul grew stronger? Wouldn''t he really reach a point where a single swipe of his divine sense would be able to pierce through anything and he would sense everything about his surroundings? Maybe that talk about sensing the Foundations wasn''t nonsense after all.


    Lya''s gentle voice echoed in his head "Oh? Looks like you advanced quite a bit. Why don''t you try moving the Qi now?"


    Amon focused on a particular wisp of Qi swirling in front of him. He extended his hands to it, imagining himself grasping it. "Move." He swiped his hands on the opposite direction the wisp of Qi was moving. To his surprise, the wisp of Qi stopped before slowly moving in the direction he willed.


    "It worked!" He said, excited. After almost eight long years, he finally managed to move Qi! If he could absorb it, he would be able to start tempering his body and turn many times stronger than he is.


    "Of course it did. You thought I was lying to you?" Lya said with a sneer. Amon''s ears turned red in shame as he looked down.


    "I would never doubt you." He said. "Do you think I would be able to absorb Qi?" He asked sheepishly, still embarrassed.


    "Well, the only real hurdle is the fine control. All you need to do is absorb Qi through your acupuncture points and get your meridians full of it before moving it into the dantian." She said, shaking her shoulders.


    The meridians were the channels through each one''s energy would flow through their body. The acupuncture points overlapped with the meridians, allowing one to use it to directly send the Qi into them, and even controlling the flow of Qi.


    In a certain way, acupuncture points worked as both floodgates to control the stream of Qi in the meridians and doorways that allowed the absorption and expelling of Qi from one''s body. The dantian was the core of the meridian system, the center of the energy distribution and were it was gathered. It was located a few centimeters bellow the navel.


    Amon took a deep breath and concentrated. He tried his best to focus on his surroundings, willing for all the Qi he sensed to start gathering in his direction. It was a slow process that demanded an absurd amount of willpower and concentration. Soon enough, the grey mist in the room started swirling around his body like a whirlpool.


    Amon could barely be seen through the divine sense, but using the naked eye it looked like a hurricane was forming around him as the displacement of Qi made the air move.


    He let out a long breath, and controlled a wisp of the Qi surrounding him, sending it to one of the acupuncture points in his arm. Amon''s acupuncture points were closed, as this was his first time trying to absorb Qi. He had to open them one by one.


    The wisp he controlled seemed to be gently knocking in a door, trying to slowly peer it open instead of forcing its way in. Slowly, the wisp of Qi burrowed in his skin, making its way into his meridian. The Qi seemed to glow for a moment underneath his skin.


    It was a very long process. A human body had more than four hundred acupuncture points, and a cultivator needed to manage then all, trying to optimize the absorption of Qi and the flow in his meridians.


    Lya patiently floated by Amon''s side, using her divine sense to supervise his effort. He was quite clumsy and took an excessively long time to open each one his acupuncture points, but it was a fine result for a first try. Furthermore, he was slowly getting better and better, and it looked like he would try to end the process in one go.


    She made no comments nor did she gave him any help. It was best if he experienced it all by himself, adapting to the control of Qi overtime.


    After what looked like hours, Amon finally let out a long sigh. His face was pale and his whole body was drenched in cold sweat, but also seemed to be glowing, full of energy. His meridians were all filled to the brim, and his acupuncture points had all been opened. What was left now were the smaller adjustments, but these would come later.


    Amon had never maintained a meditation for so long before. Maybe his Truesoul growing indeed could make him a better cultivator.


    He cleared minds of such thoughts. What he needed to do now was direct all of the Qi he gathered into his dantian. He was incredibly tired, but he refuse to take even a small break. He wanted strength, and would chase after it as fast as he could.


    The glow in his body started to dim, but a shiny dot lit up in his abdomen. As his body dimmed, the radiance in that point grew brighter, as if all the light was concentrating in a single point.


    By the time his body returned to normal, that small dot seemed to be a star. It flashed once with a blinding light, and then went out.


    Amon looked ar his dantian. All of the Qi he had gathered was inside it, forming what seemed to be a dense, grey cloud that glowed with a pulsating light, full of energy ready to burst out at any moment. He had finally done it. He finally was ready to step into Body Tempering and leave this frail and weak body behind.


    After almost eight years stuck at the initial stages of Qi Gathering, he managed to reach the peak in a single night. This was nothing short of a miracle.


    Soul Cultivation seemed to truly be a far better path than Elemental Cultivation. If that was the case, why had he never heard of Soul Cultivation before if it was so miraculous?


    "Congratulations." Lya said, opening her bright eyes. Amon gave her a tired smile. Sweat dripped down his face. The whiteness of his skin made his golden eyes stand out even more.


    "Now we can officially start your training." Lya looked at him, her eyes shone with expectation. Then, she said to herself, in a voice low enough so Amon wouldn''t hear.


    "I''ll make you into the best Sword Cultivator this world has ever seen."

 A Sword Cultivator (IV)

    Lya would make Amon the best Sword Cultivator that has ever existed. It was what she promised herself. She wanted to be sure that Amon would never repeat the same mistakes she and Alexei had made. It was what she wanted to prove to herself she could. That if she ever had a second chance, things would have a different end.


    Being the ''best'' and being the ''strongest'' were different things in this case. Because being a good cultivator meant one would have minimized his flaws, while being strong simply meant having great combat capabilities.


    For Soul Cultivators, being a good cultivator naturally meant dealing with the flaws in their souls. The flaws in their personalities.


    Alexei had been the strongest Soul Cultivator in his generation, but he was far from the best. He never managed to overcome his flaws, and he paid the price for that. A sad smile made its way into Lya''s face as she thought about him.


    "Do you know any Body Tempering techniques?" Amon asked, excited. Lya woke up from her daze as he called for her.


    "I don''t know of the techniques, but I know a method to guarantee maximum efficiency when you use one." Lya said, looking at him with a penetrating gaze. Amon turned downcast hearing that.


    "That Jake kid gave you some contribution points, didn''t he?" She asked.


    "Yes, he did." Amon answered, raising his brow.


    "I''ll need you to buy a few things for me to check." She said, and started counting on her fingers as she named everything she needed. "I''ll need all the manuals for Elemental Cultivation, Body Tempering, Sword Arts and Movement Techniques you can find."


    "The points I got will hardly be enough." Amon''s brow raised even further hearing her requests.


    "Doesn''t matter." Lya said, extending her hands to the ring in Amon''s finger. The ring flashed and two small daggers appeared in her hands. She promptly threw them to Amon. "You can sell these, I''m sure they''ll fetch a good price."


    "I didn''t ask this before, but this ring¡­ Is it an interspatial ring?" He gulped looking at the ring in his finger. Interspatial rings were incredibly rare.


    "Of course it is." Lya said with an arrogant smile.


    As far as he knew, in the Abyss Sect just the four Protectors and the Sect Master had one. Having an interspatial ring was the same as having a vault in your fingers, with no waste of space or unbearable weight.


    An interspatial ring was engraved with an array formation that acted as the key to a pocket dimension where the owner could store their belongings and retrieve them at will. Its value was unimaginable.


    "I won''t show it off around the sect, it''ll be for the best if I leave it here." He said, taking the ring from his finger and trying to hide it inside the chest with his clothes. Lya stopped him.


    "No need for that." She said, snapping her fingers. The ring undulated and started changing. What looked like a ring made of ice before now was a simple iron ring with a few spots of dust here and there.


    "This¡­" Amon was going to say something, but Lya cut him. "Just as trick using light. It will also word off divine senses, so no one will notice." Amon nodded hearing that, putting the ring back in his finger. If Lya saw no problems with it, then he would trust her judgement.


    "We will go to Hell''s Keeper Mountain tomorrow to sell the daggers and buy the manuals. Although the Northern Station has some manuals in the Exchange Pavilion, the headquarters has copies of all of the manuals in the sect, so we will be able to buy more stuff there." Amon said, taking off his clothes.


    He threw them in a corner of the room, washed his body with the water in the basin and passed out in his bed, exhausted.


    Seeing this, Lya gave a gentle smile. As she was looking at him, her face suddenly fell and she direct her gaze to wall, as if she was trying to see through it. She gave a sigh and floated away, traversing the wall into the hallway eventually entering another room.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    What greeted her in the dark room she walked in was a pair of green eyes shining with a menacing light, and a killing intent so strong it was almost corporeal. The window of the room was open, and the silver moonlight shone on it, casting a dim light over Rebecca''s face.


    Lya, on the other hand, seemed to glow, being perfectly visible, almost as she was made of light. She looked at Rebecca for a moment before deciding to say something.


    "Hello." Lya smiled as she greeted the woman sitting in the bed. The woman didn''t smile back, nor did she respond. Instead, her oppressive aura grew even stronger, and the air seemed to wrap around Lya, as if trying to crush her.


    "That is not very polite." Lya snorted and the pressure disappeared. "You know, I just showed myself here because I felt like it, not because you demanded it." Her tone was serious, but she said it with a sneer.


    "What¡­ no, who are you?" Rebecca asked with a grave voice, tightly holding the green necklace in her hands, ready to crush it at any time.


    "My name is Lya, resident spirit of the Brightmoon sword your son found." Lya gave a slight bow as she presented herself.


    "A Sword Spirit?" Rebecca showed no surprised, but was inwardly shaken. "What do you want with my son?"


    "I recognized him as my new master."Lya looked deep into Rebecca eyes, to show that she was not telling a lie. "I will naturally guide him in his path to cultivation."


    "Why did you recognize him as your master?" Rebecca had a blank face as she asked, unconvinced.


    Lya hesitated for a moment, but managed to say "You can say he and I are fated. I really have nothing but good intentions toward him. All I plan to do is guide him."


    Rebecca still didn''t show any expression hearing that, so Lya added "I''m sure you''ve seen that he has already managed to absorb Qi."


    "How did you managed to do that?" Rebecca finally showed concern as she asked. "He hasn''t been able to manipulate Qi for years, and now in a few hours he gets ready for his Body Tempering?"


    When Lya explained to Amon about Soul Cultivation, she had made sure to block all sound from escaping the room, but decided not to block Rebecca''s divine sense, as it would only bring trouble to Amon. As such, when Amon started to cultivate and move Qi, attracting Rebecca''s attention, she managed to see all the process of him unblocking his acupuncture points and gathering Qi.


    "You can call it a lost method." Lya said, shaking her shoulders. Rebecca raised a brow hearing that, so Lya added "It will bring him no harm at all. Plus¡­ I think we both know this is the only way he will ever manage to cultivate."


    Rebecca frowned hearing Lya''s words, but said nothing. She knew there was some truth to it. Her son''s talent was terrible, no matter how good a person he was. Sometimes good people never got what they deserved.


    In truth, Rebecca knew this was an amazing chance for her son to overcome his shortcomings. Maybe he could finally obtain the strength he wanted so much. Maybe he would be able to take care of himself when the day came for then to part ways. Still, he was just a thirteen-year-old boy.


    Rebecca had scanned Lya with her divine sense many times, and all she could feel was a bunch of Qi refracting light, with no real physical form. She was most likely a Sword Spirit, just as she said.


    Rebecca could also see no reason why Lya would hurt her son, and she saw herself the results of her guidance. Even if she knew what this ''lost method'' was, she decided to make a bet.


    "I''ll allow this¡­ for now." Rebecca said, and the room seemed to lighten considerably. Her green eyes locked into Lya''s blue eyes as she said, "I hope you can take care of him when I''m not around."


    By the way Rebecca looked at Lya, Lya knew she would not be satisfied with a simple answer. She took a deep breath and proclaimed. "I, swear I will guard Amon Skoller with my life, and will never bring harm to him."


    Rebecca stared at her unblinkingly for a few seconds before nodding. "I hope you stay true to your words. From what I know, Sword Spirits can never betray their masters."


    Lya flinched for a moment hearing that, but didn''t deny. That was absolutely true. Sword Spirits never betrayed their masters, as they were a part of them.


    "If something happens to him, however, you can be sure I''ll smash that sword into smithereens and destroy you." Rebecca''s eyes flashed with a cold light and an even stronger pressure emitted from her.


    The pressure turned incredibly powerful, and Lya''s body distorted for a moment. If Lya had a physical body, maybe her bones would be breaking and her lungs would collapse. Her respect for Rebecca shot up.


    "What a strong soul." Lya couldn''t help muttering to herself. Rebecca was certainly not a Soul Cultivator, but her Truesoul was incredibly developed and the Nebula surrounding it was thick and dense. Even if her dantian was crippled and she couldn''t cultivate through the standard means of the sect anymore, she could still use her divine sense and manipulate Qi.


    Still, Lya wouldn''t teach her about Soul Cultivation. She would teach Amon and Amon alone.


    "You can rest assured." She managed to say to Rebecca, a bit distraught.


    "Thank you." The pressure faded and Rebecca looked away, at the night sky. She was thanking Lya for her promise, and also thanking her for helping Amon.


    Lya knew that, and knew the conversation was over. She wasn''t the least bit worried about Rebecca saying anything about her to anyone. She was sure Rebecca would protect Amon''s secret.


    Lya bowed again and quietly disappeared. Rebecca was left alone in the room again, looking at the window, her body leaving a long shadow in her room. Her blond hair seemed to be made of silver as the moonlight shone on it. This time, a smile could be seen in her face as she gazed at the stars.

 A Sword Cultivator (V)

    The next day, Amon woke up as the sun rose. He washed his face and put on a clean set of clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror for a long time, paying attention to his ashen hair. Then, he shook his shoulder and turned away.


    "You know, I like your hair. Gives you an exotic air." Lya''s voice made its way into his mind as usual.


    "Good morning." He said, as if he ignored her, but his ears reddened slightly. Lya chuckled seeing it, but didn''t point it out.


    Amon took Brightmoon from under his bed and was about to strap it to his back when he hesitated. He looked at Lya, a bit unsure.


    "I see no reason for you to carry the sword with you." She said. As she didn''t materialize, Amon couldn''t read her expression, but he was sure he sensed some hesitation in her voice, as if she was avoiding something.


    "But I''ll be inside the ring. You can just call me and I''ll answer." With a ''swoosh'', the silver sword flew through the air and disappeared as soon as it was about to hit his hand. Amon looked at the iron ring in awe.


    "Come on kid, are you going to stand there in a daze?" Lya''s voice made him awaken form his daze. His ears turned red again and he left.


    He said goodbye to his mother and said he would go to the mountain to buy some stuff. To his surprise, Rebecca didn''t ask, simply nodded and told him to be careful.


    A bit confused, Amon took the Bottomless Pouch Daniel had left behind and decided to use it to carry the manuals back.


    He made his way out of the house and slowly walked to the Northern Station, enjoying the morning sun and the cold breeze that blew in the Outer Sect.


    "This really is a nice place." Lya said from the ring. She could use her divine sense to probe outside the pocket dimension and look around.


    The farmland glistened with droplets of dew, making it seem as if small diamonds had been sprinkled all over it. The small streams flowing through it seemed to be made of gold as the sunlight shone on them. It was really a beautiful sight.


    "Yes, it is." Amon agreed. One of the reasons he liked to walk from his home to the Northern Station was to enjoy the view.


    As soon as they arrived at the Northern Station, Amon found a carriage and paid a few dozen contribution points to the owner to take him to the mountain. It was a somewhat small carriage, but the two horses pulling it seemed to be strong and healthy. As the carriage was small, they would take longer to tire and the trip would be faster.


    It was a pleasant trip. As the carriage followed the stone-paved road, Amon enjoyed the large expanses of green around them and the breeze, and Lya couldn''t stop mentioning how beautiful the Outer Sect was. She was like an excited girl, pointing out everything she saw. This made Amon smile for a moment, but the smile soon disappeared.


    Maybe in truth she was excited about leaving that lake where he found her rather than the landscape in itself. Thinking about all the years she spent alone, Amon started feeling sad. He was inwardly surprised at how she managed to stay sane.


    It took them almost two hours to reach the foot of Hell''s Keeper Mountain. What greeted them was a huge golden gate, at least twenty meters tall and ten meters wide, carved in the mountain itself. The gates were opened, and beyond them was only a pitch-black darkness.


    Taking a deep breath, Amon stepped through the gates, only to be stopped by a curtain of light that blocked his way.


    "Entrance to Hell''s Keeper City is three hundred contribution points." A mechanical voice echoed, making Amon displeased.


    He knew about the rules, but it was still a bit too much. All of this was to hold traffic in Hell''s Keeper City to a minimum. He took his purple card from his clothes and swipe at the curtain of light with it.


    The curtain seemed to dissolve, clearing his way. Amon was slowly engulfed in the darkness as he walked through the gates.


    When he walked out of the dark, he had to squint his eyes at the blinding light coming from inside the mountain. Hell''s Keeper Mountain was actually hollow, and from the huge hole in its peak, sunlight could enter and shine on the inside of the mountain. Hell''s Keeper Mountain was actually an inactive volcano, and the headquarters of the Abyss Sect was actually located inside Hell''s Keeper Mountain.


    What greeted Amon was a myriad of small houses occupying most of the space inside the mountain and surrounding a few palaces made of jade and gold. It was really extravagant, but Amon knew that these palaces were actually the most important buildings in the whole sect.


    The inside of the mountain was close in size to a small city, so people called it Hell''s Keeper City. Still, the vast majority of Hell''s Keeper City was nothing but empty houses.


    Living in the city was strictly forbidden for anyone but members of the Inner Sect, common Elders and servants. That meant that in a city that could house tens of thousands, only two thousand at most lived in it.


    The empty houses only existed in case the Abyss Sect found itself in a dire situation, so the entire Outer Sect could take refuge inside Hell''s Keeper City. The mountain itself would be more than enough for defense. It was not unlike a stronghold.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    The streets were paved with black slabs of stone, and a few trees were planted between the houses, giving a bit of color to the monotone of the place. In the exact center of the mountain, a gigantic tree towered above everything.


    The tree was more than three hundred meters high, and its crown could cover all of the jade palaces surrounding it. Its trunk was pure-white, with a few blood red lines twisting around it, like veins. The massive trunk had a diameter of at least fifty meters. The leaves were the size of Amon and were all ashen-gray, just like his hair.


    "The Ashen Heart Tree." Lya mumbled, seemingly impressed.


    "You know of it?" Amon asked, raising a brow. From what he knew, the Founder himself had planted this tree when Abyss Sect was founded.


    "I know of its existence, nothing more." Lya said and returned to her silence.


    Amon himself didn''t know much about the tree, but no matter how much he asked Lya just kept quiet. He gave up as he walked through the empty houses, making his way to the palaces always covered in the shadows of the Ashen Heart Tree.


    He stopped in front one of the biggest palaces. Much like the Exchange Pavilion in the Northern Station, this palace had light-green walls, but the scale was completely different. The palace was at least twenty times larger than the Exchange Pavilion, and it was focused solely on trading technique manuals. A golden pillar was place in front of it, and a black sign affixed to it showed "Myriad Exchange Palace" in golden letters that seemed to be alive.


    Just looking at the sheer size of the place made Amon feel intimidated, but he composed himself and slowly walked into it. Everything in the inside of Myriad Exchange Palace seemed to be made with gold and jade.


    The already extravagant Exchange Pavilion in the Northern Station looked like Amon''s house in comparison to what he saw. He could use the tiles on the floor as mirrors, but he got ashamed of his shabby clothes that completely put him out of place.


    Not to his surprise, the palace was almost empty. There were very few Inner Sect members in the Abyss Sect, and they spent most of the time cultivating. Adding that to the fee of three hundred contribution points the members of the Outer Sect had to pay just to enter Hell''s Keeper City and naturally few people would use the facilities.


    Overwhelmed by all the luxury, Amon walked into one of the many empty counters and was greeted by a young man dressed in purple clothes. His clothes were tidy and his posture was perfect. No expression could be seem on his face except for a trained smile.


    "How can I help you, sir?" The man politely asked, giving a bow to Amon and making him a bit embarrassed.


    "I would like to sell two artifacts I found in the Scavenging." Amon said in a serious tone. The clerk didn''t ask any questions, just nodded and asked Amon to show him the artifacts. Amon quietly retrieved the two daggers Lya gave him from the Bottomless Pouch and put them on the counter.


    The young clerk took them and analyzed them carefully with trained eyes. He checked their balance and slowly scrutinized the polished blades. He them gave a sigh.


    "Excuse me for a moment." He said, placing the daggers back on the counter and walking through a side door. Amon raised a brow, a confused expression showing in his face.


    As the clerk didn''t return, Amon turned anxious, until the side door opened again and an old man walked from it, with the clerk following suit. The old man also wore purple clothes, but he seemed to have a somewhat noble bearing instead of the passiveness of the clerks.


    His hair fell over his shoulders like snow, and his clear and penetrating eyes made everyone that tried to look at his wrinkled face divert their gaze unconsciously. He had a long beard that reached his chest. Small rings of gold adorned it, making the old man seem quite rich.


    The old man approached the counter and ignored Amon, looking at the daggers. He evaluated the daggers much like the clerk before, making Amon realize that he was probably the one that taught the clerk.


    "It really is danasian steel¡­" The old man mumbled to himself as he stroked his beard. "Good job. I''ll take over from here." He said to the clerk by his side, which gave a deep bow and left.


    The old man looked at Amon and presented himself. "I am the Elder in charge of this palace. You can call me Elder Li." He said, looking at Amon with his penetrating gaze and making Amon look away.


    "I am Amon Skoller, Outer Sect member." Amon quickly bowed and stated his name. He was incredibly nervous. The old man in front of him was not only an Elder, but also the one in charge of the Myriad Exchange Palace! This meant he had to be an extraordinary appraiser.


    "Where did you find these daggers?" Elder Li asked, raising the daggers at his eyes level and carefully looking at them.


    "I found them near the northern bank of the Red River, being held by a corpse." Amon said while sweating. Was there something wrong with the daggers? Elder Li looked at him, analyzing his expression just like he analyzed the daggers. End the end, he put the dagger back on the counter.


    "You are very, very lucky Amon." He said as he stroked his beard, never taking his gaze away from Amon. "I''ll offer you fifty thousand contribution points for both daggers."


    Fifty thousand contribution points!


    It was a fortune! Amon could buy everything he needed and there would still be thousands left. He would be able to cover months of expenses with just the leftovers!


    He made a great effort to control his breathing and not seem incredibly excited. I truth, he was almost jumping in happiness.


    Elder Li didn''t explain why Amon was lucky, but Amon could guess. Whatever it was these daggers were made of, it was incredibly valuable. Amon wanted to thank Lya, but he couldn''t do so in public.


    "I¡­ I accept." He managed to say, his voice trembling a bit in his excitement. Elder Li nodded and extended his hands to Amon.


    Amon politely handed him his purple card. Elder Li swiped it in a glowing ball floating behind the counter and returned it to Amon.


    "If you ever have anything you want to sell, you are always welcome here." Elder Li said, giving Amon a light nod and walking away with the daggers in hand. Amon bowed deeply, and quietly left the palace.


    "Lya, what the hell?" Amon asked her as he left the palace, incredulous.


    "How would I know these cheap daggers would be so valuable?" She answered in annoyance. In truth, she was as surprised as Amon was. How bad were things nowadays that such common daggers were so precious?


    "If your previous owner was so rich and could casually take such artifacts from his ring, why did he use an iron sword like Brightmoon?" Amon didn''t know why someone so rich would do such a common weapon.


    "Brightmoon had an emotional value. That''s all I can say." Lya''s voice was emotional as she spoke, and she returned to her silence as she finished.


    Amon didn''t pester her further, realizing he had been insensitive. He walked for a few minutes until he reached another palace. It had white walls instead of the green of the Myriad Exchange palace, but a similar pillar and sign stood in front of it, saying "Divine Arts Palace."


    This was the palace that held all of the manuals and techniques of the Abyss Sect. It was almost a sacred place for the cultivators in the sect.


    Amon slowly walked through the golden doors, entering the palace.

 A Sword Cultivator (VI)

    Amon entered the Divine Arts Palace, and what he saw astounded him.


    Rows and rows of golden bookshelves were neatly organized in the ground floor, with just barely enough space for one to walk between them. They almost reached the ceiling, and were packed with books of all sizes and colors.


    The shiny bookshelves were divided in sections. The ''Weapons'' section had bookshelves labeled ''Sword Arts'', ''Spear Arts'', ''Saber Arts'' and so on. Amon had never even heard of most of the weapons named in it.


    There were also sections for Qi Gathering, Body Tempering and Elemental Purification, with bookshelves in the Elemental Purification section labeled according to the respective elements.


    The sheer number of books made Amon impressed, but he knew this was all the tip of the iceberg. The higher floors of the palace had manuals of a higher level and quality. However, the higher the floor one manual was in, the higher the price one would have to pay for it.


    Blocking the way to the bookshelves was a curtain of light, very similar to the one that blocked entrance to Hell''s Keeper City. There was a wooden counter in front of the curtain of light, with a couple of clerks dressed in purple behind it.


    "I''ve come here to get a few manuals." Amon said to the clerk closest to him.


    "Very well." The clerk nodded and took a small ball from behind the counter. He put it in the counter and lightly tapped on it. The ball flashed with a blue light and started glowing, looking like a small star.


    An overwhelming number of letters started materializing in the air in front of the ball, forming countless lines of words and numbers that shone with a pale white light. Looking closely, the lines were names followed by numbers that were probably the price.


    "Touch any manual you are interested in and an introduction will appear. You can select as many as you want, as long as you have the contribution points to pay for them." The clerk explained patiently as he saw Amon''s hesitation.


    "You can change sections by swiping the list to the side. All manuals in the ground and first floor are listed here; all the others need an Inner Sect token to be unlocked." The clerk finished speaking and waited for Amon to choose what he wanted.


    Amon looked for the Sword Arts section. He felt a little strange doing that, but it was mesmerizing seeing the light letters break apart and reform in new words as he threw the list to the sides.


    "Let''s see¡­" He mumbled to himself as he started skimming through the list.


    "Lesser Art of the Sword, a manual that covers the basics of the uses of sword in combat."


    "The Earth-shattering Sword. At completion, a cultivator would be able to shatter the earth with each strike, using unstoppable power."


    "The Stormbreaker Sword, a Sword Art that allows a cultivator to use the wind as blades and strike from a distance. At completion, one would be able to cleave storms apart."


    "The Flaming Sword, a sword Art that brings forth hellish flames to burn your opponents to cinders. A simplified version of the Hellblaze Sword Art."


    "The Icecrawler Sword¡­"


    He started reading the titles and introduction to the Sword Arts in a low voice, so Lya could follow his pace. The prices varied from a few dozen to about one thousand contribution points.


    "That one looks good." Lya said as Amon touched a name in particular.


    "Fundamentals of the Sword?" Amon raised his brow. This manual was one of the oldest in the palace and covered nothing but the basics of the uses of the sword. There were just stances, no real techniques in it.


    Amon sighed and touched the Fundamentals of the Sword manual again. The light changed from white to green, signaling that he had select the manual.


    "Pick two more manuals to your liking." She said casually.


    He spent almost one hour skimming through the rest of the list, but he couldn''t use any of the manuals now. They either put a huge strain on the body or had different elemental alignments than his affinity.


    In the end, he chose the Stormbreaker Sword and the Lesser Sword Art manual in addition to the Fundamentals of the Sword. The Lesser Sword Art taught about the basic uses of Qi in combat using swords.


    Stormbreaker Sword, on the other hand, was a complex Sword Art, fitting for Wind Cultivators to use.


    "So you have wind affinity?" Lya asked, to chich Amon nodded. His strongest affinity was with wind, even if it was quite a weak one, making his situation quite tragic. He was deemed as being untalented because of that, and the years he took to manage to absorb Qi only proved that point.


    "Well, they were good choices. It will be perfect to teach you. Also, that Stormbreaker Sword will be really useful." She approved of his choices.


    "Now I need you to pick about ten more manuals. The more varied and different they are from each other, the better. This includes manuals from other elements." She said.


    "But my only affinity is wind¡­" Amon whispered as he tried to complain, but Lya didn''t let him.


    "Doesn''t matter. I''ll explain latter." She interrupted him, clearly showing she was starting to get annoyed.


    Amon took another half hour to pick the manuals Lya asked, including the Flaming Sword, the Earth-shattering Sword and a water aligned manual called Myriad Streams Sword.


    He was sure it would all add up to at least five thousand contribution points, but Lya didn''t give in.


    "Well, now I guess I''ll see some Movement Techniques." Amon mumbled to himself, feeling the pinch.


    Choosing a Movement Technique was the same struggle. Amon took the "Basics of Movement in Combat", that was similar to the Fundamentals of the Sword, as well as the "Essence of Movement Techniques". He also chose "Gale Steps" as the Movement Technique he would use.


    He also picked ten more manuals of different elements and with different characteristics.


    With that, the expenses were already close to twelve thousand points.


    "Lya, with this much¡­" He started whispering again, and the clerk raised a brow seeing him talking alone. Amon''s ears started turning red.


    "It''s fine. For Body Tempering we just need one. You can get the best you have available to you."


    He went to the Body Tempering section, trying to look for the more expensive manuals, while he was skimming through the list, Lya suddenly interrupted him with a shout.


    "That one!" She said full of excitement. Amon looked at the name he had his finger on.


    "The Skyreacher Body?" He mumbled, taking a sneaky glance to the clerk, but he seemed to be too bored to keep paying attention to Amon.


    Looking at the price, Amon held his breath. "This one costs almost ten thousand points!"


    "And it is damn cheap." She said with conviction. "I know that technique. Your dear Founder developed it himself."If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What?" Amon raised his voice, making the clerk glance at him again, very annoyed. What was wrong with kids these days?


    "How do you know that?" Amon whispered sheepishly, his ears burning.


    "It doesn''t matter. Just trust me and take it." She answered indifferently.


    This manual was unreachable for ninety nine percent of the members of the Outer Sect, and even for some of the poorer members of the Inner Sect.


    Amon didn''t hesitate anymore as he chose it, but felt the pinch.


    Then, he chose ten cheap Elemental Purification manuals. He then took a step back, nodding at the clerk.


    Looking at the list, the clerk raised his brow and looked at Amon, full of doubts. Still, he said nothing.


    "The thirty-seven manuals you asked add up to thirty eight thousand contribution points." The clerk said, trying to maintain a neutral expression. Amon felt his heart tighten, but still gave the man his purple card. As the man swiped the card in the light ball, Amon felt as if he was cutting his heart.


    The clerk quietly left the counter to get Amon''s manuals. He walked through the light curtain as if it didn''t exist, and started going from section to section looking for the manuals. After a few minutes, he returned. His upper body was hidden behind a gigantic pile of books that shook the counter as he placed them on it.


    Amon took his Bottomless Pouch and stored the books in it one by one. He then quickly left the Divine Arts Palace. He still had around fifteen thousand contribution points adding what Jake had given him, so he could cultivate in peace without worrying about his expenses.


    It took him a great deal of time to return home after that. The sun was already setting when he finally caught sight of his house. The red light made the grass seem to be set ablaze as he returned home.


    He greeted his mother and had a light dinner with her, before finally getting to his room and throwing himself on the bed, exhausted.


    Lya materialized by his side, and took the Bottomless Pouch from his waist. She took out all of the manuals and started to read, making them float in front of her and sending gusts of wind to turn the pages.


    Amon closed his eyes, hearing only the occasional crisp sound of the flipping pages as he slowly fell asleep.


    When he woke up the next morning, the first thing heard was the flipping of a page. He opened his drowsy eyes and saw Lya still reading in the same position, her face calm, completely absorbed in the task at hand.


    He sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes. Lya slowly closed the book she just finished reading and added it to a huge pile by her side.


    "Good morning." She greeted him. Amon greeted her back with a weary voice.


    "Give me your ring." She asked him. Amon promptly took the ring from his finger and gave it to her.


    Lya took the iron ring in her hands and retrieved a simple sword from it, offering it to Amon. The blade was thick and was a few centimeters longer than Brightmoon. It was also wider, making for a much heavier blade.


    The black handle seemed to be sculpted from stone, giving it an ancient feel. It was a crude weapon. As Amon took it in his hands, he felt he almost couldn''t lift it even with all of his strength. He barely managed to keep it from falling to the ground.


    Then, Lya searched through the pile of books she had by her side and fished the Lesser Sword Art manual from it. She threw it to Amon, saying "I already read it. The content was concise and there was no problems with it. The explanations were also really good, so chances are you will learn more form it than from me explaining to you."


    Amon managed to catch the book in the air. It was very thin and the pages were all yellowed from the age.


    "You will read this book and train what you learn on the sword I gave you. This will help you learn to infuse your Qi in a sword and refine your control of Qi at the same time. When you reach a satisfying level on both, we can start your Body Tempering." Lya said, before taking another booking and starting to read it.


    "Why can''t we start the Body Tempering now?" He asked while frowning.


    "Do not be too hasty." She reprimanded him. "The Skyreacher Body is a great technique, but it requires an incredible complex maneuvering of the Qi in your body, and you have no chance to properly use it as you are now."


    Being struck down like that, Amon couldn''t retort. All he could do was grumble, making Lya chuckle a bit.


    "How do you know of the Skyreacher Body?" He asked her again.


    "It was a technique that was already famous in my time. If your Founder managed to polish it even further, then it is certainly among the best in the world." She spoke without hesitation, as if she was waiting for the question to come again and had already rehearsed the answer.


    "Sounds like an amazing technique." Amon managed to say. He had no idea that the Founder himself had developed it. He sneaked a glance at Lya, thinking. In the end, he decided to say nothing. If Lya wanted to talk about it, she would.


    "It is an incredible technique. So be patient and train on the Lesser Sword Art." She patted him on the head, making Amon feel a cold breeze ruffling his hair.


    Amon nodded, and decided to read the thin manual of the Lesser Sword Art.


    The Lesser Sword Art''s pages were mostly occupied by large amounts of text and a few, but precise, illustrations. It gave advices on how to properly control Qi and how to imbue a sword with it.


    Cultivators had a way to control Qi that best suited them. Just as everyone had personal traces in their calligraphy, cultivators had personal traces in the way they handled Qi. As such, one would have to experiment until he found what they felt more comfortable with when manipulating Qi.


    When a cultivator spent a lot of time using an artifact, the Qi they imbued in it would make it evolve, but also naturally engrave the pathways the cultivator''s Qi used to imbue the artifact. As such, one''s artifact would be best suited to them. Using another person''s artifact would not have the same effects, as the Qi pathways were already set and would affect the flow of the new owner''s Qi in the artifact. It was like using someone else''s hand instead of your own.


    Amon was enthralled as he read the book. It didn''t take too long for him to finish, and as he did he stood in silence for a long while, his eyes closed as he pondered.


    When he opened them again, he got up left the room. He took a quick break to eat breakfast and talk with his mother, clearing his mind. When he returned, he read the book again, and again pondered on its contents.


    He realized that the Lesser Sword Art was incredibly important for inexperienced cultivators or those that didn''t have a master. He would certainly have trouble cultivating any of the Sword Arts he bought even if he was strong enough.


    "Any questions?" Lya looked at him over a book, a smile on her face.


    "Not right now." Amon shook his head and closed his eyes, entering meditation and making Lya''s smile grow wider.


    As his divine sense spread around, Amon extended his hands. He called forth small wisps of Qi and started playing with them. It was as awkward as it had been when he first opened his acupuncture points, but he focused, trying to get as relaxed as possible.


    He stretched the wisps, broke them and joined them together. He kneaded them together in a ball, and then threw the ball around. The ball turned out to be obviously misshapen, but he took his time trying to perfect it.


    He dispersed the ball and formed it again, before making it circle around him a few times. Then he would disperse it again, and this time would make it spin as fast as he could.


    Those were all exercises that the Lesser Sword Art recommended for beginners. Maybe most would feel it was boring, but Amon was completely invested in the marvelous feeling of being able to control and shape Qi at his will.


    Sweat started forming in his forehead and his veins started bulging, but he didn''t seem to realize. He didn''t stop until Lya told him to take a break. It was only then that he realized his clothes were drenched and his face was red from the effort.


    He ate something and took a small break before returning to his exercises.


    Very slowly, his control grew smoother and smoother. Amon started trying more complex exercises, controlling greater amounts of Qi and turning them in different shapes. A week passed as he trained his control without him realizing.


    It was night and the clouds covered the stars, making everything seem pitch black. Rebecca was waiting in her bed as always. Before long, specs of light materialized in the air in front of her, gradually forming the figure of a beautiful black-haired woman.


    "He was training until now?" Rebecca asked with surprise. Lya nodded at her question.


    "He is more resilient than I thought." Rebecca sighed. Her son was starting to grow up.


    "But I still can''t believe he didn''t tell me he managed to absorb Qi and is preparing for his Body Tempering." She was somewhat bitter as she complained. If this had happened a few weeks ago, the first thing Amon would have done would be to storm into her room and tell her, jumping in happiness.


    "Well, he is trying to hide my existence." Lya gave a wry smile. "I''m sure he will tell you when he goes through his first round of Body Tempering."


    "Hmpf." Rebecca grumbled in a sour mood. "Well, how is he doing?"


    "It is not a spectacular speed, but it is above average. It seems he is having fun." Lya answered, chuckling a little.


    "That is a good mindset to have." Rebecca''s expression eased somewhat.


    "I''ll give him a slight push to tell you something." Lya thought for a while before adding. "But he will probably say he found a pill or something together with the sword that allowed him to control Qi and he didn''t want to make you worried."


    "So you think he will lie." Rebecca turned bitter again.


    "Some people are like that. When they think lies will protect someone, they won''t hesitated to tell one, even if it causes greater damage than the truth." Lya said with a sad smile. "The problem is that not many realize that."


    Rebecca could only sigh. She knew it to be true. She hated the idea, but understood why her son was lying, or at the very least withholding the truth.


    "I''ll be sure to set him straight. Do give me some help with that." Rebecca asked, looking at Lya''s blue eyes. Lya silently nodded.


    "Do you think he is ready?" A frown could be seem in Rebecca''s pale face and her green eyes were full of worry.


    "He will start training with the sword tomorrow. I believe that in two to three days he will be ready." Lya answered seriously.


    Rebecca nodded hearing that and sighed again.


    "Thank you again for the help." She said with genuine gratefulness, making Lya smile.


    "You are welcome." Lya answered, giving a bow and dispersing in the air.


    Rebecca was left alone in the room. Her window was opened as always, but she couldn''t see the sky. She could only sigh.

 A Sword Cultivator (VII)

    "Again!" Lya''s voice was full of authority as she guided Amon.


    His face was red and large beads of sweat dripped form his forehead, falling in the floor like raindrops. His breathing was rough and his ashen hair was wet and sticking to his face. In his hands was a crude sword that was obviously too heavy for him to lift, as he was holding the handle while supporting the blade on the floor.


    He gave Lya a glance full of resentment, but closed his eyes and focused, trying to control his breathing. He tightened the grip on the sword and his hands seemed to glow. Small lines of light started appearing in the sword, coming from his hand.


    Like snakes, they slithered on the sword, making the blade shine. They started dividing and multiplying, like branches on a tree, eventually covering the whole sword in a strange pattern. The entire sword started glowing, except for a small corner of the blade that the lines didn''t reach.


    "Again!" Lya said with an unsatisfied voice. Her blue eyes shone with a fierce light, making Amon cower.


    He retracted his hand from the sword and the lines of light disappeared, returning the sword to its original state.


    He took a deep breath, but it didn''t help much. His hands were pale form the excessive strength he was putting in his grip and he was trembling. His whole body was sore.


    Lya made him circulate all of the Qi in his body once before trying to imbue the sword with it. It was a way to test his control and get him used to circulating his Qi when he started his Body Tempering.


    "Come on, stop stalling and do it again!" Lya said again, her voice louder.


    Amon felt she was heartless. He had been going through this hell for almost two days straight. From morning to night, he would repeat the cycle nonstop. In the first day, he actually passed out from the effort.


    Keeping his focus at its peak and maintaining his divine sense for this many hours took a toll on anyone. And controlling the Qi to make sure it passed through each and every one of his meridians was exhausting in both body and mind.


    Still, even if he felt somewhat resentful, he couldn''t deny the results. He had advanced by leaps and bound under Lya''s constant pressure. Plus, even with her nagging he was still thrilled by what he was doing. Learning about the intricacies of Qi made him fascinated.


    The reason why he simply didn''t bombard the sword with Qi to cover it all was a good example. Some artifacts of lower grades couldn''t handle much Qi, so they would break if one did that. It was also a huge waste of Qi to do things that way.


    Controlling the Qi and spreading it the way Amon was doing, using lines to form pathways for the Qi, was a good way to optimize its use and not overcharge the sword with it. The problem, however, was that if he missed a spot, it would turn into a weakness. The artifact could break if it was hit with a strong strike in a ''dead spot'', as Lya called it, leaving Amon unarmed and putting his life at a greater risk.


    He let out a long breath and held the sword again. The lines of light spread again, slowly covering the sword. This time, however, as the last line was drawn, the sword flashed with a blinding light and the lines disappeared.


    The blade started to glow as Amon injected Qi into it.


    "I did!" He shouted, dropping the sword to the ground as he raised his hands in victory. A satisfied smile spread through his face. As soon as the sword left his hands, the glow disappeared, revealing the lines of light before they slowly faded again.


    "Good job." Lya said as she nodded to him. "You even managed to be a bit faster than what I expected."


    Amon gave a satisfied smile as he fell on the bed, looking at the ceiling.


    "I think you are ready to start your Body Tempering." Lya fished the Skyreacher Body manual from the pile of books beside his bed and passed it to him.


    "Read this very carefully and be sure to memorize everything properly. When you do, we will practice it for a bit before properly using the technique." Lya said with a serious tone.


    Hearing that, Amon frowned. Lya gave a chuckle "Did you think it would be easy to just read it and use the technique?"


    Amon diverted his eyes, confirming her suspicions. She shook her head "Things are never easy, Amon. You must always be sure to be perfectly ready before using a technique. You don''t want to try it without proper preparations and ruin your body, do you?"


    "You are right, I don''t want that." Amon shook his head. He promptly took the thick manual for the Skyreacher Body and started reading. To his surprise, the first few chapters were an introduction to the human body.


    Amon raised his brow as he read. The first lines on the book were a long string of runes, probably the Divine Language. He would have to memorize all of the runes perfectly and in order to mentally recite them as he used the technique.


    There were detailed explanations and drawing of a human''s anatomy, as well as the meridians. It also explained in detail what Body Tempering really was. Amon''s eyes grew wider and wider as he read, surprised by the contents.


    "So this is what goes on in our body during the tempering?" He glanced at Lya, that just gave an uninterested nod.


    Amon knew some basics of the human body. He knew about the acupuncture points and meridians. He also knew about organs, bones and a bit about cells, but just from the explanations of the manual alone he suddenly understood that knowing anatomy was essential for a proper Body Tempering.


    Body Tempering wasn''t simply breaking down one''s body and channeling a technique to increase the healing speed and perfect one''s cells. That was an overly simple explanation. Much like imbuing and artifact with Qi, there was a proper method to imbue one''s cells with it and increase their efficiency.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The great disparity in strength in the Body Tempering realm came not only from the limits a cultivator would go through to temper their bodies, but also because of the different methods used in the imbuing of Qi.


    Human bodies were incredibly feeble next to spirit beasts. Their cells had a low capacity to handle Qi, so one had to find a proper way to compress the Qi and distribute it to maximize the efficiency, as they saturated quickly.


    A great Body Tempering technique would allow one to heal their injuries faster, compress the Qi better and store more Qi in the new cells produced during the healing process.


    Not only that, but a proper Body Tempering technique would enhance a cell''s functions rather than simply strengthening it. If someone managed to temper their nervous system for instance, they would have greater reaction speeds. If one were crazy enough to temper their eyes, their vision would be enhanced.


    Of course, this was all in theory, as a single mistake could make one ruin their bodies beyond help when they dealt with such dangerous ideas.


    A cultivator would extend his lifespan in the Body Tempering stage. If a mortal''s lifespan varied from seventy to eighty years, a cultivator who properly tempered his body with a strong technique would live from three hundred to four hundred years. They would also start aging slower, being able to retain their youth for decades.


    The Skyreacher Body, when properly cultivated, would allow one to live at least five hundred years. This was the greatest proof that this manual was miles above the others.


    "This is mind-blowing." Amon said as he flipped the pages. He couldn''t take his eyes away from the manual as he read it nonstop. Lya chuckled hearing that, her eyes wistful. Arthur had really been a cultivation genius.


    "I told you it was a great technique." Lya said with a smug face.


    Amon didn''t answer her as he was too focused reading the book. He also took this time to properly rest his body, recovering a bit of his energy.


    He ended up skipping lunch without realizing it, and only closed the book by nighttime. He had a headache from spending the day reading such complex contents nonstop. He rubbed his temples with his eyes closed, trying to absorb what he just read.


    "Are you finished?" Lya asked when she saw him putting the book aside. He nodded with a tired expression.


    "Go eat something and go rest, tomorrow we will start practicing it." Lya said as she saw his condition.


    Amon nodded with a weary face. He left the room, had something to eat and went to sleep.


    On the next day, he woke up early, made some breakfast for him and his mother and read the manual again. It was a habit he was starting to develop, and that way he could properly remember the contents of the manuals and minimize mistakes.


    He closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. He slowly gathered the Qi surrounding him and absorbed it until the replenished all of the reserves of Qi he had used in the past days.


    When he was brimming with energy, he started practicing the movements of Qi in his body according to the Skyreacher Body manual. To complete a single revolution of the technique took a few minutes of intricate and complex maneuvering of the Qi in his meridians that spanned the entirety of his body.


    As he wasn''t using the Divine Language runes described in the manual, moving his Qi that way was inconsequential and served only as training. At the same time, he took a blank piece of paper and a pen and started inscribing the runes of the technique as he circulated his Qi. It was a way for him to make sure he properly remembered all of the steps necessary.


    At first, it was incredibly hard, almost like trying to look at two directions at the same time. He made many mistakes and had start over from scratch as Lya carefully observed his training. The effects of making a mistake in such a technique were unknown; it might even lead to deformities in his body, so Amon took the task very seriously.


    It was during the practice that he realized how important training in the Lesser Sword Art manual had been. Had he not spent almost ten days of nonstop practice, it would have been impossible for him to complete even the first few steps required in a revolution of the Skyreacher Body.


    It took him a few hours to finally complete the first revolution of the technique perfectly. He didn''t stop after the success, instead, he tried to do it with a faster speed.


    He failed and failed, but the more he failed the more proficient he got with the technique. Eventually, he started succeeding more than failing.


    Amon entered a trance as he mindlessly trained without stopping. It reached the point where he was almost doing it on instinct. Looking at it made Lya somewhat worried, but she didn''t dare to interrupt him.


    The pile of used papers slowly started growing in height as Amon trained repeatedly. Eventually, his body shivered and he snapped out of the trance. He was ghostly pale and his limbs were trembling.


    "I¡­ think¡­. I''m ready." He said with great difficulty as he gasped for air. His chest was burning, and he felt as if he had been holding his breath. He had rehearsed dozens of times, and succeeded his last twenty tries in a row.


    "I think so too, but take a break and recompose yourself." Lya said gently as her expression loosened.


    Amon closed his eyes and was trying his best to control his breathing. He was feeling very confident on his chances.


    "So, are you planning on telling anything at all to your mother?" Lya asked as she sneak him a glance. Amon shuddered hearing that. What would he tell his mother?


    "I do have to tell her something, but I can''t talk about you. It would only bring trouble to all of us." He said, pondering what to do. "I think all I can do is tell her that I found a treasure that increased my talent, but I didn''t tell her to not have her worried for me."


    As he nodded to himself, satisfied with the answer he would give, Lya rolled her eyes. Amon didn''t realize it.


    "Maybe lying isn''t a good idea." She said in an uninterested voice, as if it had nothing to do with her.


    "I have no real choice, Lya. I will do anything to save my mother from trouble, even lying to her." He answered while looking at her intently. His golden eyes showed no hesitation, making Lya sigh.


    "Well, are you ready?" She asked as her gaze turned serious. Amon silently nodded.


    "What I will do now will hurt. It will probably hurt more than you might believe possible, but you must not give in, no matter what." She silently approached Amon, making his hair stand on end.


    "We will use your Body Tempering to boost your Soul Cultivation too." She said as she glanced at him. Amon gulped hearing that.


    "You don''t mean¡­" His voice shivered in fear.


    "I''m sorry, but you will have to use the first line of the Soulrousing Technique. It will boost the pain even further, but it will be the fastest way for you to produce more Nebula and further develop your soul." She said with a somewhat worried expression.


    "What will you do?" He asked with a low voice.


    "I will send my Qi into your meridians. I will make sure the Qi spreads through your whole body." She said casually. "Then I will use the Qi to slowly grind away at every inch of your body."


    "I will leave no organ untouched. I will make sure to slightly damage every cell in your body, just enough for the technique to work, but not enough to compromise anything. This is the only way to guarantee a uniform tempering in all of your body and attain the best results." Amon grew paler at each word she said.


    "I don''t think this is a good idea..." He started retreating, but soon his back hit the wall.


    "You want to become strong, don''t you?" Her question made Amon''s resistance disappear.


    "You can start using the first line of the Soulrousing Technique." She said with a gentle voice. Cornered, Amon could only pray for things to go well as he started focusing. The runes of the Divine Language appeared in his mind, and started to spin around.


    "I''ll try to be as gentle as possible." Lya tried to reassure him. Amon was too worried to notice the hint of hesitation in her voice.


    She extended her hands and reached for him. Amon closed his eyes, focusing solely on the runes of the Soulrousing Technique. Still, a little part of him was screaming, saying that he had made a grave mistake.


    Then, for the second time in his life, he felt as if he had been thrown in hell.